Bill Cuomo: From “Bette Davis Eyes” to Barbra, Skynyrd & Studio War Stories :: Ep 22 Circling the Drain

Legendary keyboardist, writer, and producer Bill Cuomo joins Circling The Drain to share six decades of music-industry stories. From crafting the iconic intros to “Bette Davis Eyes” and “Oh Sherrie” to working with Alabama, Trace Adkins, Herb Alpert, Barbra Streisand, Little River Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd**, and more, Bill walks through the evolution of recording from analog to digital, lawsuits with major brands, and why he prefers the studio over the road.

He also opens up about surviving Catholic school, building a dome house in the forest, moving from LA to Nashville, and what AI means for today’s musicians. Candid, funny, and brutally honest.

**Episode Highlights:**

- 0:04:18 – Leaving LA and choosing Nashville

- 0:06:31 – Building a 5,500 sq ft Arrington home and basement studio

- 0:09:37 – Alabama, Trace Adkins, and “firing” himself from country

- 0:15:43 – Becoming “the intro guy” and tape-era risks

- 0:16:20 – Crafting the “Oh Sherrie” intro at home

- 0:21:57 – Analog vs. digital and why he kept his console

- 0:29:38 – Watching Little Richard destroy pianos nightly

- 0:32:58 – Why he prefers the studio to the road

- 0:38:24 – “Welcome to Tennessee” and handshake deals

- 0:40:07 – Suing Ford and J. Walter Thompson over “Oh Sherrie”

- 1:02:27 – Gospel work and being a “recovering Catholic”

- 1:10:36 – Trace Adkins and Nashville’s work ethic

- 1:13:05 – Inside the Barbra Streisand / Kim Carnes duet

- 1:24:54 – Reimagining “Bette Davis Eyes”

- 1:30:23 – AI, voices, and the future of music

- 1:33:30 – Skynyrd, Ed King, and “Sweet Home Alabama” money

Listen and subscribe at www.circlingthedrain.net

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Circling The Drain is produced by It's Your Show dot Co

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