Chance Meetings and Nashville Memories

I messaged a Heart of Texas Records friend, Tracy Pitcox, on Facebook, hoping we’d cross paths during our uncoordinated Nashville visits. Little did I know God had plans to weave old friends and new moments together in Music Valley Drive—a corner of Music City that still feels like home.

Nashville’s changed since my youth. High-rises have replaced old landmarks, but Music Valley Drive, tucked near the Opryland Hotel, holds some of its feel. The hum of country music lingers here, even if only in visitors’ memories. This is where I first brought my band, The Peachtree Pickers, in the early 1980s for a bluegrass festival at the KOA Campground. We returned in 1984 to perform at the Grand Ole Opry’s 59th Birthday Celebration nearby. Over time, the Ernest Tubb Record Shop’s stage, and later its Texas

Troubadour Theater, became my venues for Midnight Jamboree performances. In 2011, I filmed scenes for Lukewarm nearby. Every visit stirs memories. I even brought my youth mentees here to meet Grand Ole Opry star Jesse McReynolds. After eating at Shoney’s, we jammed with the legend in the parking lot—a moment captured in my documentary The Road to Nashville, proof that music flows freely on Music Valley Drive.

This trip, I’d come for a TV appearance on the AM Kevin Club with Kevin Shorey, arranged by long-time friend Ruth Brown, and a major 8 Track Entertainment “Sunday in the South”  event for Shenandoah, Jason Aldean, and Luke Bryan and a debut event for Ira Dean’s “I Got Roads.” 

Arriving early for a lunch meeting, I wondered. At Cooter’s Dukes of Hazzard store, I grinned at General Lee memorabilia, recalling friends like Sonny “Enos” Shroyer, a steadfast supporter in my acting career. Nearby, I paused at cement footprints from stars who left them in the ‘80s and ‘90s—friends like “Doc” Tommy Scott, now gone, their signatures a quiet testament to Nashville’s past.

I headed to Cracker Barrel, a spot steeped in memories. In the ‘90s, I’d lunch there with Opry friends like The Whites or share a moment with Garth Brooks and his then-wife Sandy at nearby tables. Once, fans mobbed me for photos—a humbling blessing—and the manager comped our meal.

On this day, as I reached the Cracker Barrel porch, the stars aligned: Tracy Pitcox, a DJ and country music promoter, stepped out with artist Justin Trevino and young steel guitarist Jack Phillips. I waited for Tracy to finish a call, then called his name. We swapped stories, grinning ear to ear, our shared history in country music sparking laughter.

Just then, a country music mainstay arrived—Joyce Jackson, a friend from the ‘90s when she worked with Mae Boren Axton, the songwriter behind “Heartbreak Hotel.” Joyce joined our chat, and we snapped photos before she and I settled inside. Over lunch, she shared her book, My Memories of Jim Reeves and Other Celebrities, and I was touched to find myself mentioned in its pages. It’s a heartfelt glimpse into classic country’s inner world—well worth a read.

That day reminded me: when you set your heart on connection, God often nudges the right people into your path. Music Valley Drive, with its echoes of my past, became the stage for new memories with old friends. It’s a lesson in faith and fellowship I’ll carry forward.