Working Together with Lady A

Hey, welcome back to my podcast, "Living and Learning." I'm reaping my entire. Well, it's been a while since we've been living and learning together and getting into all the wonderful and challenging nooks and crannies of life. And it feels really good to be back-discovering new things with all of you again. Today, I'm joined by the ever-so-talented CMA and Grammy Award-winning country music group. I'm gonna call them a supergroup, Lady A. This is a trio that's really near and dear to me. And one member I've known since she was a little big girl. They've got a brand new album out right now called "What a song can do." Hillary Scott, Charles Kelly, and Dave Haywood of Lady A. Can't wait to hear all about what you guys have been up to, so let's get into it. Hey, guys, so glad to see you all. And together. Yes, we are. We'll see you too. All of the podcasts we've done so far, we've been in separate rooms, off-separate computers and so it's good to see y'all together. Thank you. For you. We are in Norman, Oklahoma. It's a place called Oklahoma. Have you heard of it? Most stompin' grounds. Yes. So y'all are on tour? Hello, you've been on tour. What is this probably? We're about halfway through now. So this is our seventh week. Yes. We're just fingers crossed every week and we get to be out. We're like, all right. Nothing bad happened. Let's keep going. So, you know, because it definitely is. You know, a lot of restrictions and just hope that everybody stays seen here in the back. I don't know if you can hear that background. Everybody's movin' and loaning in, but you know, yeah, there's just a lot of moving parts and trying to keep everybody safe and you know, definitely trying to wear a mask backstage just so we don't, you know. Just trying to navigate this crazy new world we're in. And still be able to bring music to people, you know, and still be able to bring it to them because we've missed it. Yeah. They've missed it too. Do you know it's been a year and a half since I've been on stage, except for the Grand O'Loppery. Yeah. March first a year ago. Wow. I mean, that was us until about a month ago. I mean, you know, we did the Grand O'Loppery a few times as well, but I mean, really, when we kicked off the tour, I mean, that first weekend, it just felt like a holy experience again, you know, just that connection of watching people smile again and have some fun and laugh and cry and just all the emotion. So I miss seeing that, you know, face to face. So it's, it's a pretty, it's been a pretty, like Hillary said, grateful tour. I feel like it might be one of the more, if not most impactful and special tours we've ever done, just because it feels like it's everybody's first show back and everybody's first time kind of feeling that experience again, which, you know, you know, so well. So. Totally do. Well, well, good for y'all. Please stay safe and healthy. Let's, let's tell all of our listeners how we met. Hillary, I've known you since you was a little bit of a girl because your mom and I were singing together. Does he love you and she and your dad and we're out on the road with me and we just love and laugh having a great time. Charles, I think I met you at, I think Blake and Miranda's wedding. Wasn't that right? Yes. If that was our, if that was your first meeting with me, then you saw me in a rare form that night. He's lying. He's lying. He's lying. I, I have to admit, I mean, they had drinks everywhere at that wedding and the reception like everywhere you turn, there was a drink and I'm not going to lie. We had hung out. I'd hung out with a bunch of people at the pool all day before that wedding and I got to reserve and I embarrassed myself, but we had a fun night though. I remember at the end, we kind of, we wanted the party to keep going and you met us down there at the, uh, that little bonfire. We were all out there. Rainy Carlisle was out there and like, all these people and, I mean, I was, I was in rare form, but it was, it was pretty cool. It was a fun night. It was a fun night. They've had that you and me. When did we meet? It had to be around the same time. You know, my wife Kelly, you knew my wife Kelly for a number of years. She was at Warner Brothers. Very well. And so, um, workforce at Starstruck for a while. At Starstruck. Yep, that's right. So, um, probably through my wife, which is, she's in Oklahoma sooner. So I've been texting her all day long pictures of this glorious campus. She's super proud of us, being here today, but yeah, probably through Kelly. I wish she wish she could be there. She does. She does. She's got two little kids we're chasing around at home. So they got a lot of soccer games this weekend. We got to keep up with. So how old are your kids right now? I got a six year old, excuse me, seven. He turned seven last week, um, seven year old boy named Cash and, uh, three and a half year old, uh, girl named Lily. So it's, uh, it's, uh, and we have a picture, I have a picture of you with Lily right after she was born and it's like framed in our house. It's a really special photo. So thank you for that. Thank you. You're very welcome. I never could get over how she'd ever got sick during her pregnancy and, yeah, and I remember when she had the babies, it was just a really special time. Absolutely. And Hillary, how many do you have now? I have three little girls and my oldest. You're blessed. Leslie just turned eight and my twin girls are three and a half. They're a month younger than Dave's little girl, Lily. So we've got a lot of estrogen and a lot of feelings and it is a lot of glitter and a lot of fun. Yeah. Too cute. Charles, how about you got one, uh, a little five and a half year old boy and of course he's the tallest in his class. But he's, he's a cute little kid. He's got, he's cool little glasses and he's really smart. He's, uh, I could tell like he's, he's definitely, I grew up the youngest of just like, you know, six siblings. So I was actually the youngest of four. And then it just, I don't know, I feel like I didn't really express my feelings like he does. Like he's the only kid and he's so like just smart and expresses himself and he's kind. He's kind. He's the opposite of what I was. That's kind of what it's say is like he's the opposite of me in so many ways, um, but, but you're really sure it's fun to watch him grow up. When I was touring with Shelby, I had help, you know, I had a nanny out there. Cindy was with me all the time and you guys, how do you juggle your family, your kids and touring? Yeah. Well, I think this year because our tour started later, all of our kiddos were in school. So for me, when we got pregnant with the twins, my husband, Chris, who had been our drummer for seven years, stepped away and has been a full time dad since right before the twins were born. So he is in full dad mode. He loves it. He's, he was made for it. I'm so thankful. And so he's been home and then we've been taken one daughter out on her own weekend for this tour. So we've been able to get some really good quality time with each daughter, which has been really sweet. So, but we all have someone that that that helps us. Yeah. Either at home or out here. Yeah. That's been, that really does keep you sane. Cause there's like a lot of times you're like, my wife will want to actually come watch the show and stuff. And so, um, we're pretty fortunate. But, uh, but yeah, I can only imagine, I don't know how, how, how, how, you know, when you're up there, I mean, you have to have someone looking after your kids. Oh, sure. Yeah. Um, you can't just lock them in the bus. Yeah. Well, Dave, how about you? Do you get your kids out on the road a lot? You know what I brought? Um, our three and a half year old, it was really her first time seen us play. I mean, because we didn't tour like you were talking about. We didn't tour for the last two years, obviously, cause the pandemic and then my daughter's three and a half. So mathematically, it was really the first time she'd ever come out, um, and seen us. And so the look on her face, my wife, Kelly, they, she took her out onto the lawn at the amphitheater. And she only made it through two songs, uh, because we started nine o'clock at night. But I mean, the look on her face was so cool. I mean, she'd never seen her dad, like really up on stage, you know, when the lights go down and, you know, the sort of intro to the shows, always kind of an exciting moment you plan. So watching her on video light up was like a really special, proud dad moment. That was pretty awesome to like have your kids there. Kind of see what we get to do because, I mean, honestly, like, my kids don't even know our old songs like need you now and just a kiss in American honey. All my kids know are you look good, like a lady champagne night. And current stuff. So they're, it's kind of funny. I put on need you now and they're like X nose skin, boring, tough critics. Yeah. Oh, my, that is too cute. I'll never forget. I brought Shelby out on stage with me when he was like two years old and he, he walked out and brought me a little hand towel for me to wipe the sweat off my brow and all the crowd just loved it and took pictures and, and after the show, I said, Shelby, you did really good. You won't do it again tomorrow night. He said, no, what? Guam, do it. No, that was all for him. That's hilarious. Hillary's kids have been the star of our show the last. Yeah. I actually, I usually came out on stage during a little acoustic moment in our show and Dave hopped on the piano and we just did a chorus of Baby Baby by Amy Grant. And it was the first time really on a microphone. I watched my child just like rip it. Like find her like bigger chest voice. And I was so proud of her and she, she was so excited to do it. And I mean, we don't force it. You know, it's one of those things where it's like music is in them and they sing all the time around the house, but you just never know when they get out in front of people if they're going to freeze or if they're going to just like go and she went. Yeah. She does. Oh, that is too cute. I love that. Thank you. Hey, and guys, while I have you here, thank you all so much for coming to Washington DC years ago to sing for me when I got to be a part of the Kennedy Center Honors. That was a special for us is yeah, it was that was pretty cool. Just look up to y'all are up there in the in the in the King and Queen's spot up there like looking down. It was just so cool. I was like, it definitely was one of those moments was like, man, we've this is pretty, this is pretty cool honor for us as well. I know that had been a huge honor for you. Oh, huge. What did y'all get to pick your songs? Or did they tell you what you, I think we picked it. Yeah, yeah, we did. Yeah, is our life out there in greatest man? Y'all, boy, did a great job. Thank you so much for that. Greatest man is like probably my all-time favorite of yours. That floor. You did such a good job on it. Well, speaking of songs, your new album is titled What a Song Can Do. Tell me about why you chose this song as the album title and what does it mean to y'all? Yeah, yeah, we wrote it and it's basically just the power of music and how, you know, the song can make you feel so many emotions from everything. I mean, from sadness, I mean, songs for me, I mean, I can pretty much pinpoint when I listen to them like, oh, yeah, this takes me right back to middle school. This is when I, you know, my first kiss or whatever or all these different, you know, emotions. And so, you know, we wrote that kind of about that, but it wasn't till afterwards that like, Hillary goes, you know what? This is also like a love letter to the fans. Like, what a song can do. It's what brought us out here doing this. Like the power of music has allowed us to see the world. You know, I'd never really been too far out of Georgia. And it's like, what a song can do. And it's, I don't know. It's such a strong kind of message. And where we are, we just like we said, we feel so appreciative. We've been doing this now for 15 years. And it's like, gosh, I never thought we would, we would get to do it this long. And so, I don't know, it just felt very kind of present and where we are. So we named the whole record that and in the tour and, yeah, it's to the point now where we're, I mean, our fans. And you know this so well. It's just you, you watch them grow up. It's like little kids who are now in college. Yeah. That came to our shows when they were with their parents. And now they're coming on their own. And it's just like, it's such a privilege to be able to, to be some part of, of the soundtrack of, of their lives, you know. And I know that's how I feel about so many songs and artists that I've loved my whole life. It's just, it really is a privilege to get to, to be a part of that. I still feel like super. I mean, I feel like we're, we're fairly close. We've been, we like to jab and poke fun and at each other. But like, I get so incredibly like star struck and slightly nervous when I'm around. You just because again, I grew up like listening to your stuff. But it's, it's, it's the truth. It's like, it is a weird thing, you know, how, how, like Kelsey Ballerini, when she came and opened up for us, she brought a picture of her out from fanfare. And it was her like is a 12, 12 year old, 13 year old girl. And how it's like, oh my gosh, this makes me feel kind of old. But I was like, it's pretty cool. You know, just the journey that that it all takes, how cute. I love her. Did you write every song off this album? Everyone alone. Yeah. Except one. Except one. Yeah. How do y'all do that? Well, definitely during the pandemic, it was odd. We can divide and conquer. Yeah. We, being in a trio, we can divide and conquer. Yeah. We didn't write them all together. But we, like, there were several different ones. Like, Hillary, Hillary didn't write it as much as, as much as I will say, I, I'm kind of one of those guys that just can't sit still. And so during the pandemic, I was losing my mind. And so, I mean, I was writing over zoom and all this stuff. And so I definitely wrote a ton. But then all of a sudden, Hillary, like, I was like, can I just randomly wrote this song with some friends of mine the other day? See what y'all think? And I, and it was like a lady. And I was like, here comes Hillary. Doesn't write for like months and months and months and just drops these bombs on you that are just huge like that. And then another song that David, her wrote called worship, what I hate. And so Hillary's more like a reality about it. Yeah, thrift. And I'm kind of more about like, let's just write 60, 70 songs and hope that 10 of them, you know, are worth a crap. Well, do y'all do a, the democratic way majority rules on which song you select for the album? Yeah. We've been pretty lucky. I'll be honest. I mean, I think since we started, I don't think we would have made it this far as a band to be honest, if we didn't have that kind of sort of mutual agreement and same taste really. I mean, we really, when all three of us, you know, raise our hands on a song, that's when we know it's something special. I mean, we've done that. I mean, American Honey was one of the first outside songs we cut and all three of us were flipping out about that. I mean, we've always been on the same page. I mean, obviously, sometimes someone will champion something maybe a little bit more and just say, hey, why don't we give this a shot in the studio, but, you know, for us to make it on our record, you know, put it out to radio, be playing it every night. We all have to be totally on board. It's just not, it's just not fun if you're not excited about. We lean on our, on our team a lot too. I mean, I, you know, we've, we've always been like, listen, I mean, you know, because sometimes you get so in your head, like, you're, you're listening to yourself, especially if you wrote it and you think it's a smash and, you know, if you play it for 10 people and only one of them responds, it's probably not special. And so, I mean, I go back thinking about needs you now. That was one of the last, we had this little crappy work tape we had of that song. It was one of the last songs we even played for our label and, and these two, these two girls in A&R, Autumn House and Melissa Spillman were like, there's something in there. And we were like, really, I don't know. And they're like, just try, just work it up. And if it wasn't for that, if we had been, you know, just this dictatorship of like, you know, we pick the songs, we never would have cut need you now. So, I, I think that kind of set us off to really lean and hard on our team and big machine over there. Jimmy Harnan, I mean, he listens to every song we sent him. And immediately, like, responds back five minutes later. And I'm like, I've never had that close of an interaction with a labelhead in my life. And it was really, it's been really cool. I mean, they're super passionate about our music. And you could tell when they raise their hand on something, like, what a song could do is one of those were, they all just unanimously, like, that's, that's the one. So, you know, that's great. Do y'all do that same kind of process on other decisions? Like, do we want to play this show? Do we want to do this award show? Oh, yeah. Okay. Yeah. And, and a lot of it to what we've learned. And especially just because of hitting every major live milestone together, you know, throughout these last 15 years of marriage and children and, you know, just all of the different highs and lows. Like, we have really made an effort to, to communicate as, as clearly and as transparently as possible of just that work and life, like home life balance. And so we do have the hardest load. I mean, be in the female. And, you know, it's just, it's just, it's just, and she's got the most kids. But I think it's easier for Dave and Akas. We're like, well, we know we've got our, you know, our spouses at home and the mother is at home. It's just a little different thing. You know, it's like kids can be away from their father. And that's not as big a deal. But for mothers, it's tough for, and so I will say we, you know, we kind of literally a lot of the times let Hillary, like, is this something you, you feel comfortable doing? You think we can do this. And then, you know, so, so I will say when it comes to a lot of those logistical decisions, it's kind of like, hey, if Hillary's in, I'm in, let's do it. Well, and longevity is such a huge goal of ours, you know, wanting to just continue to do this and make music and play shows. And so we said it a few years ago, I think when all of our kids were just young, it's like they're only little for a little while. And then they're in school and they don't need you as much or they just need you differently. And, and so, you know, I think we, we're really looking at it as a long game of, we might have to, you know, get creative with scheduling in these few years right now when our little ones are just really in those formative places. But then, I mean, we'll be good to go forever, you know, and I think just keep in that communication open is what has helped us stay healthy as friends and as co-workers and bandmates. I've always wondered, people will ask me, if you couldn't have been a singer, what would you want to be? But I'm going to say, if this ended today, and you couldn't sing, what would you be? That's deep, that is deep. Well, I mean, it's just retiring and being lazy and playing golf every day in Austin because that was that's kind of what I'm just going to do. Like, I'm like, seriously, after this pandemic and stuff, everything's been so hard. I'm like, I just kind of want to like just, you know, go to Bahamas, write songs and join myself and not have the stress of trying to, because it's just such a, it's been such a head jerky year. It's like, all right, we're ready to go. Oh, wait, now there's another varying out there. Okay, we can't do this. Oh, we're ready to go. Oh, well, now, you know, and so it's this whole like knee jerky thing. So, yeah, I would probably go to the Bahamas and just write songs and take a sabbatical. Take a sabbatical. I think I would probably just focus on my little girls, my family, for the first little bit. And, you know, I have learned over this past year and a half that the happiest people I know in my life are forever students. Like, they're always learning something new. They're always reading a new book or trying something new. And so, I think, I mean, maybe go back to school. I don't know, like, I think I, because I'm halfway, I'm more than for sure to quit. Yeah and I might actually go back like one class at a time over the next few years like and try to get it get it get my diploma because because I'm more than halfway done and I'm like I can finish up. We had gotten a record deal off her and she was like I don't know my grandma is going to kill me I said Hillary we just got a record deal offer you're dropped out of school. She didn't talk to me for like a month but it's she got over it. What she heard the first thing on the radio it was all cool. Was that Miss Rose? Yes. Oh my gosh. Oh my God. I tell y'all know every. Oh yeah. I mean I was going to say that you've been playing Reba everyone on stage. Oh yeah. Carly and I have been doing we've done does he love you a couple times. Yeah. And Carly's mom. I'm you and Carly's mom. You got to send me a video. It's all yeah. It's online. I'll go on it. Yeah. Come on. I will get on the web and find it. Yeah. Well I've been a little bit busy Charles. Yeah. I was about to say getting asked all these fun questions. They've had about you. What would you do? Oh my goodness. You know probably a bodybuilder something like that. You know I don't know. I mean it wasn't a accountant before. I was in accounting in like computer stuff and I'm not you know very proud of it but I don't think I could go back. I think I could go back. I mean I could find myself this is not trying to like pander but maybe doing some philanthropy work or finding something to plug into that I don't know I just think we're like at a phase in life too we're giving back is really rewarding and you know it's kind of like that sort of like second half of life where you want to sort of give as opposed to just get get get so I think finding a way to give back would would be something that would you know I'd want to get up for every morning. Perfect. Well that lead right into your lady A efforts that you're going to doing right now. Tell us about that. Yeah we started on lady A 10 years ago. Yeah. And it was just you know within this country music community it's like it's almost kind of a non-negotiable like your involvement with St. Jude and with radio thorns and helping really people who need help and using our platform to do it and so I feel like it was one of those things that not only did our parents and still that in us growing up but I think when we became a part of the country music community it was like no this is what you do and and we were happy and willing and have loved it. I mean I think some of my most favorite memories over the years the ones that are the most like burned in my mind and and clear are the things that we've been able to do you know philanthropically and so we decided as a band that the one thing out of all the the causes we wanted to to be a part of helping it was children it was children who are fighting illness it was children having access to you know all of just their most basic needs on a local national and global scale and so that was really where it all started and so we've been a part of a handful of organizations over the course of the last several years and and a portion of our ticket sales go to the lady aid fund and then we kind of give it away when you know at the end of every year which has been awesome. It's it's pretty rewarding yeah it's growing a lot this year too. Yeah I mean it's sort of been yeah kind of like a you know like a tie for us on a ticket sale we sort of you know have a small fraction of each ticket sale that we just set aside into this fund and so you know and even you know recently like for flood relief and wave relief Tennessee and just other things that pop up you know it's rewarding to at least have somewhere we can pull from and just direct those funds somewhere we're doing some education scholarships right now as well and I don't know it's just it's fun to watch it grow and like Hillary and Charles were saying I think it's some of our most rewarding work I mean that's really we feel blessed to have a platform I know you feel the same way and you want to do good and you want to share positivity and love and and you know share some light so that's it's a big priority for us. I remember when y'all got together to form your group I'm so proud of your y'all are y'all are grown up your adults you're you're taking responsibility of things when y'all first got started did you think you would be where you are today. I don't know I mean you dream big but I mean I think I don't know if I ever dreamed that we'd be playing like amphitheaters you know I mean my big dream was you know to go and sell out clubs and just you know travel around and but we were also like I'll speak for myself I was I was a big realist you know I'd seen kind of the history of bands is they last about seven years and they either implode or people just lose interest and and so you know I that was it was always in the back of my mind that you know all right we've got a good seven-year run let's just you know let's just hit it as hard as we can and the fact that we're still here doing it 15 years later and honestly have way much more communication together and respect and a lot more in common I think too I think kids have done that it's it's kind of settled us down it's it's definitely you know smooth some of my edges off you know that I've had over the over the years of this journey and so I'm super proud of that so yeah I wouldn't say I ever could have predicted that we'd be still doing this to this level 15 years later I don't think I ever thought about you know being able to go around the world and play country music I know you've done that a lot too isn't it mind-blowing when you show up in like the Netherlands or Germany and people just love country music I mean that's been something that you know I guess I kind of thought in my head maybe one day will be like this awesome regional band in the southeast and we can play all through Georgia and you know where we grew up but I mean to to travel the world I mean Australia and Europe and we haven't been to Japan but to hear about people concern consume your music is really wild I mean it's hard once need you now started taking off I mean that was just wild to watch the number of places that sort of took hold in just different markets so that that blew us away I mean that blew me away that was probably the number one like wow people are really listening around the world and I remember when we were in those initial conversations with you know our booking agency and management and promoters and I mean reba you Kenny Rogers yeah Gars dolly doll like y'all are the names that were brought up of how you paved the way how y'all set out and went I mean I know my parents went on tour with you in Europe and in Australia and it was like that was you know just it proved that that there was a fan base that was possible for country music you know around the globe and so I just I just as you were saying that I'm like it's because you did yeah thanks because you went and and planted those roots with country music all over the world well thanks yes and it just goes back to that song that you guys and the album what a song can do yeah that just catapulted your career and and then you follow up with another great song another great song and then you continue on and to be able to see the world it's it's such a gift yeah it really is and that y'all are giving back I'm just so proud of y'all I can't hardly stand it thank you it's a lot of fun they tuned after the break we'll be right back with more hey y'all want to play game sure all right I love to play games I'm in the rummy cube right now me too and for a while me too we love it my wife and I play all the time what is the rummy cube oh oh yeah it's you kind of have it these tiles it's a tile game yeah it's a tile game my wife and I play like you get a count all the time yeah sponsor by rummy cube yes if they're money involved and if there is Charles will do yeah I said if I can't bet on it I'm not gonna I'm not gonna play it well this game we're gonna be playing okay is called the lady ABC oh I got it okay I'm gonna ask you a multiple choice question and each of you're gonna tell me what you would pick option a b or c is that plain as mud oh yeah okay good the lady ABC all right here we go you're on the road and you're hungry what fast food is worth stopping the tour bus for and what are you ordering a Chick-fil-a b in an outburger or c sonic hey hey but b is a close second close second but yeah especially on the west coast in a now he depends what time of night you know late at night that in an outburger ooh that one hits nice about midnight after a couple of days also hit nice you know what we used to do after we get out of out of the arena wherever we were playing get back on the bus we couldn't wait for Larry Jones to say all right we're gonna stop out here and fuel yeah well common sense would have said you should have fueled while we were in the concert but we were thrilled to death he didn't because we wanted to stop at a truck stop and go in and my favorite was a greasy truck stop cheeseburger with fries oh yeah love love love love I did after that show that was back in the 80s that was back in the the good old days when you can stop and have fun and all right here's your next one you're down an internet rabbit hole at two o'clock in the morning how did you get there a youtube b netflix c instagram a for me okay youtube yeah I go on like watching old videos of stuff - Concerts and stuff. - Yeah, all kinds of stuff. - I would probably ashamedly say Instagram. - Yeah, I'd have to go, I'd have to go YouTube. - I'm on it too much. - I'll go YouTube, I mean, 'cause the videos they pull up to, you're like, you just can't stop clicking. - Yeah. - Yeah. - Yeah, they know what they're doing behind the scenes. - I went down and a Michael Bolton YouTube binge the other night. (laughs) I don't know what made me do it. I was like, 'cause we, during our VIP thing. - Oh, I mentioned it. - She had mentioned me, you wanted me to sing Soul Provider. And I don't know what made me do it that night. And I went down and I was like, gosh, Michael Bolton's one of the greatest singers of all time. - He is, I love his singing. - I know, yeah. - People like to hate him, Michael Bolton. - I'm a big Netflix person. I mean, every time we go out to dinner with anybody, I'm saying, what are y'all watching now? - I don't know what you're watching. - I'm not in my phone. - Yeah, what are you watching? - Right now we're watching non-perfect strangers. Nicole Kidman's show, I love Ted Lasso, especially since he mentioned me on the show the other night. - Yeah. - Can't wait for Ozark to come back. - Oh yeah. - Succession. - Mm-hmm. - And you're deep in everything. - Pinky Blinders. - You're really into it, wow. - I just got finished. - Pinky Blinders is my jam. - Oh, love Pinky Blinders. Have you watched Boardwalk Empire? - I have not. - Yeah, that was good. - I saw part. - I saw most of it. - Yeah, that one's HBO. Yeah, that one's great. - Yeah, that's great. - And then we just got through with the two seasons of Mark Cherry's "Why Women Kill." Ooh. I don't think that's on Netflix, but it's still good. All these great men will need to talk about how much TV or what. - Yeah, yeah. - She knows how to talk with you. - I watch a lot of shows. - She knows how to dispose of a body. - That's amazing. - That's what she does. - Yeah. - It's all for information and creativity and research. - Absolutely. All right, here's a good one. If you could raid one of the following musical icons, closets, who's would it be? A, Dolly Parton, B, Elton John, C, Share. - Oh. - Lots of divas. - Man. - I was saying, can I choose neither? None. - Oh, now come on, John. - I would say. - Well, no, they all got, but I'm like just being a, you know. - I mean, Elton John would be fascinating. - It would. But he would probably be my type. - Oh, yeah, just to be honest with you. - Yeah, just to be honest with you. - I thought were you talking about to wear yourself? - Awesome Blazers. Oh no, I would wear Elton John. - Oh, yes, okay. - I would say Dolly's wouldn't fit me in a certain area. So I'd have to not say hers. And yeah, Elton John, the Blazers, the Feathers, all of like, yes. - Just, yeah, I'll choose that too. But I would do D if it was for me to wear Tim McGrawl. He always dresses so good. So I'm not choosing D, but I'll go Elton. - Elton John's sunglasses alone would be a trip just to see how many he chooses from during the day to wear. - Yes. - Even at performances, much less throughout the day. - Yes. - All right, here's your last one. You have to cover one of the following artists song at a sold out Madison Square Garden show. Which artist would you choose and what song would you perform? A, the Eagles, B, Harry Styles, C, Johnny Cash. - Probably A, we'd do a lot of the Eagles. - I'd say we're really influenced by them. - Yeah, that was your first concert. - That was my very first concert was the Eagles. Yeah, I mean, I think, I mean, we've done take it easy. Yeah, it was. That's a pretty solid first concert. But yeah, I mean, we, I don't know. We try to emulate so much of their harmonies in the style and musicianship. - Yeah, you do a good job, man. - We can get down with some watermelon sugar though. - Oh yeah. - I don't agree with you. - I love Harry Styles. - Yeah, Charles, who are you? - I was A all the way. Yeah, I mean, I love all those artists. He goes, okay, I'll all go on the Eagles. - But Eagles, we definitely have a lot of that. - Me too. Hillary, who was your first concert? - It may have been you. - That's what I'm saying. (laughing) - I'm thinking it'd be you too. - She was. - She's staring at her first concert. - I mean, I feel like I have a picture of when I was a baby and mom, I think must have booked a festival that George Strait was headlining and there's a picture of him holding me as a baby. - Oh my gosh. - But the first show that I remember, the first show that I remember is the tour where the band came out in a taxi cab and you came out in a jet on the runway and the arenas. What was the name of that tour? I can't remember the name of it. But it was when Fancy, like you had a decoy, Fancy, it was the one of the biggest crazy shows of- - That's about to say. We're kind of, but y'all had Buku budget. - That tour. - And that is the show that I remember, like- - I'd say 96. - Yes, 95 or six. - And when he thinks his name is John, there was the big quilt that came down. Like there was like all the names of people and what that song means and yeah, that's the one that I remember. - Yeah, that was a great one. That was, I don't know how many clothes changes that was. - Oh my gosh. - Tilted dress flying everywhere. - Yes, and truck so much fun. - How many 18 wingillers did y'all have? I mean, y'all had to have had 20. - We had 21. - Oh my gosh. - How do you make any money with 21 trucks? - Oh, we don't make a dime off that. - Well, we look good. - The 90s were that was the, they always say that, like Alba sales, I remember when we first came out and they were like, oh my gosh, need you now. They were like, if this was back in the 90s, y'all would have sold 40 million. It was like, don't tell me that. That was when you got Garth and it was like y'all, if you came out with that album, it was like first day, million records, boom. - It's amazing. - Everybody gets it for free and you're lucky if you can sell 100. - Yeah, exactly. - Sell 100. - And I remember too, I don't know if it was that tour, but red egg ends opened up. - Oh, that's great. - I remember, and then I remember the co-head line, the Brooks and Dunn co-head line tour that y'all did. That was so good. - That was fun. - I mean, y'all, you truly, some of my most favorite shows. I mean, they're just, they're the best. - Thanks. - Thanks so much. - I just spent a lot of fun over the past 40,000 years and get that form and stuff. - Well, I hope y'all have another 40, 50 years as long as you wanna perform. I hope that's as long as you get to. - Thank you so much. - Thank you. - Thank you. - Stay safe. I love all three of you and your families and give you kids a big hug for me. - I will. - Thanks for joining me today. I really appreciate it. - I love you. - Love you so much. - Love you so much. - Love you so much. - Love you so much. - Love you so much. - I'm intrigued now. - It's so fun, y'all. - Well, have a tournament. - Yeah. - Hey, when y'all get on stage tonight, tell everybody in Oklahoma high for me. - We do it. - We will. - We will. - Absolutely. - Thank you. - Stay safe. - Thank you, bye. - Bye bye. (upbeat music) - Oh man, that was fun. I love those three wonderful people. Well, that wraps it up for this segment of Ruben Mack and Tyra Living and Learning. I hope y'all were entertained, learned something, and just totally understood why we love the music business as much as we do. I pray that you're safe, healthy and happy, and continue that way. And we'll see you next time. Bye bye. (upbeat music) Well, thanks for listening to Living and Learning with Ruben Mack and Tyra, a Spotify original production. Our lead producer is Dylan Rupert with producer Baron Farmer. Our executive producers are Gina Delvack, Yassie Solick, Danny Trebatch, and Justin Mackintosh, Editing by Cheryl Crosby, Original Music by Doug Seismore. Special thanks to Lida Edwards, Robert Adler, Casey Simonson, and Kala Canaro. I'm your host, Ruben Mackintosh. Follow us only on Spotify. (upbeat music)