In this episode of Circling The Drain, Johnny B, Jay Harper, and Jim McCarthy dive deep into the evolution of media: from old-school radio and movie theaters to long-form podcasts and YouTube creators. They talk Joe Rogan’s three-hour conversations, why podcasts feel more authentic than corporate radio, the rise of independent creators, and how celebrities have lost their monopoly on “cool.”

Along the way, they share classic Nashville industry stories, memorable movie-theater moments, and real talk about niches, sponsors, and the future of podcasting. If you love behind-the-scenes media talk, Music City lore, and smart banter about where content is headed, this one’s for you.

Timed highlights (chapters)

00:00 – Why long-form podcasts work and the Joe Rogan effect

01:00 – Welcome to Circling The Drain and hitting 1,000 Facebook followers

02:15 – Live event plans, swag, and possible dancing “girls”

03:10 – Why podcasts feel more real than corporate radio

05:35 – Borrowing the casual Joe Rogan-style intro for their own show

06:50 – Saving Nashville’s stories so they don’t “circle the drain”

08:50 – Donald Trump, Joe Rogan, Bill Clinton, and the politics of “being cool”

12:00 – How podcasts bypass mainstream media gatekeepers

13:55 – Relaxed rooms, real stories, and uncensored guest moments

14:58 – Sponsors, networks, and the cost of giving up independence

16:40 – Indie podcasters, Casey Anthony, and what you can’t air

18:30 – Releases, legal gray areas, and learning from Howard Stern

21:25 – Does a podcast really need video to succeed?

22:50 – Radio faces, self-deprecating humor, and old radio war stories

24:20 – Too many podcasts? Why niche and interest-based content win

27:15 – The decline of movie theaters and the streaming habit

28:50 – Marvel, Star Wars, and the magic of audience reactions

31:20 – Missing the big moment because you had to hit the bathroom

32:40 – Jaws, The Exorcist, and when movies truly scared people

33:45 – What we lose when we lose the shared theater experience

34:55 – New media vs Hollywood and the Markiplier “Iron Lung” moment

38:00 – How TV shows like “Nashville” reshaped the city’s image

40:20 – Behind-the-scenes Nashville TV stories and diva moments

45:00 – Reese Witherspoon, Music Row, and early film memories

50:20 – Modern TV, Law & Order, and aging into “get off my lawn”

51:40 – Schitt’s Creek, Christopher Guest mockumentaries, and Spinal Tap 2

53:00 – What podcasts the guys actually listen to

55:20 – Interest-based media, Gary V, and why you must aircheck yourself

56:40 – Joe Rogan, business pods, and the power of authenticity

58:00 – Johnny B’s favorite artist podcasts and “jacking around”

58:45 – Launching a niche redfishing podcast: Setting The Hook

1:00:10 – Fly fishing shows, sponsors, and how deep niches can go

1:00:46 – Why most new podcasts never make it past a few episodes

1:02:00 – Insurance, bowhunting, and how to find a money-making niche

1:03:26 – Knowing your audience and just letting proven talent work

1:04:30 – Who actually listens to Circling The Drain

1:06:08 – Why these stories matter and where to find the show

Follow Johnny B:

https://www.facebook.com/john.e.bozeman

Follow Jay Harper:

https://www.facebook.com/harperjeff

Follow Jim:

www.jmvos.com

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

www.itsyourshow.co

Fresh off a nasty Nashville ice storm, Johnny B, Jay, and Jim unpack winter chaos, government blame, and why people still run to live talk radio when things get dangerous. From Phil Valentine tornado stories and Sheryl Crow calling out NES, to THC cookie misadventures, potholes, the Cherokee Nation fixing roads, and the slow death of music radio, this one is equal parts war story and radio therapy.

Highlights:

– Ice storms, tornadoes, and staying on the air when everyone else is stuck

– Sheryl Crow vs NES, cloud-seeding conspiracies, and Trump as scapegoat

– TDOT, busted axles, and how a tribe fixed what a city wouldn’t

– THC cookies, on-air paranoia, and learning your limits

– Being undervalued by management and realizing your leverage in radio

– Why talk radio may be the last moat left in broadcasting

Follow Johnny B:

https://www.facebook.com/john.e.bozeman

Follow Jay Harper:

https://www.facebook.com/harperjeff

Follow Jim:

www.jmvos.com

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

www.itsyourshow.co

What happens when your life flips upside down at 50? Former Oak Ridge Boys insider and Nashville industry pro Brenda Golden joins Circling the Drain to talk about starting over in her golden years.

Brenda shares how a painful divorce, a cross-country move to Austin, and a complete career reboot led to her new book, “Now What?”. Along the way, she pulls back the curtain on life with William Lee Golden, working around Garth Brooks at his peak, the impact of Pam Lewis and Lib Hatcher (Elizabeth Travis), and how a little movie called “God’s Not Dead” became a turning point.

If you’ve ever lost a job, a marriage, or a sense of who you are and thought, “Now what?”, this conversation is for you.

Timed highlights:

1:10 Brenda’s book origin story and turning 50 in chaos

2:40 Moving from Nashville to Austin and finding an arts-first city

3:55 South by Southwest and representing artists at the festival

5:10 Brenda’s early music-business days and Nashville connections

6:40 How she met William Lee Golden and joined the Oak Ridge Boys

8:30 Marriage, family life, and their son Solomon’s path to medicine

9:40 Why Solomon chose EMT/paramedic work over music

11:55 Ongoing ties with the Oak Ridge Boys and concern for Richard Sterban

13:20 Joe Bonsall’s passing and helping him land his first book deal

14:30 Crossing paths with Jay at MCA in the mid-80s

15:10 Becoming William’s personal assistant and the MCA solo record

16:00 Meeting powerhouse publicist/manager Pam Lewis

17:30 Hitting rock bottom financially and asking Pam for a job

19:00 “Do you want a career or a paycheck?” – Pam’s tough-love moment

20:10 Learning PR, marketing, and sponsorships around Garth Brooks

21:35 How that mentorship permanently changed Brenda’s career

22:30 Reinventing at 50 and reaching out to Lib Hatcher (Elizabeth Travis)

24:00 Lib’s advice: “You’re going to have to reinvent yourself”

25:40 The film “God’s Not Dead” and its unexpected impact on Brenda

28:00 Feeling seen by God in the middle of a breakdown

30:30 Lib’s own reinvention and success in film and Pure Flix

32:40 Moving to Austin, turning 62, and what life looks like now

34:10 Meeting and briefly working with Frank Stallone

36:40 Longstanding friendships and business ties back in Nashville

38:30 Why Brenda wrote “Now What?” and who it’s really for

40:40 Finding hope, purpose, and community after major life changes

42:40 Two-stepping in Texas, strong dance partners, and playful banter

43:40 Wrap-up, where to find “Now What?”, and Circling the Drain outro

Follow Johnny B:

https://www.facebook.com/john.e.bozeman

Follow Jay Harper:

https://www.facebook.com/harperjeff

Follow Jim:

www.jmvos.com

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

www.itsyourshow.co

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

Follow Johnny B:

https://www.facebook.com/john.e.bozeman

Follow Jay Harper:

https://www.facebook.com/harperjeff

Follow Jim:

www.jmvos.com

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

www.itsyourshow.co

Johnny B, Jay Harper, and Jim McCarthy dive into their most memorable celebrity encounters from decades in radio, records, and concert production.

You’ll hear stories about:

• The gherm-iest radio promo guy in a stained satin jacket
• Delivering a giant get‑well card to Amy Grant in a dying station vehicle
• Glen Campbell shredding in an Opry dressing room and cracking jokes at the urinal
• A Steve Earle meeting that went from dream chat to guarded on‑air interview
• Hank Thompson’s rough day and sincere later apology
• Why Raul Malo and The Mavericks should have been massive
• Boarding Donald Trump’s private plane during the 2016 campaign
• Jerry Lee Lewis at the Stockyard, an impatient Kenny Rogers backstage,
  Trace Adkins calling in after a rant, plus memories of Jimmy Dean, Roy Clark, and more

A funny, honest look at how fame collides with real human moods—and why backstage is usually the worst place to watch a show.

Follow Johnny B:

https://www.facebook.com/john.e.bozeman

Follow Jay Harper:

https://www.facebook.com/harperjeff

Follow Jim:

www.jmvos.com

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

www.itsyourshow.co

In this episode, country artist and hit songwriter Deborah Allen joins the Three J’s for a warm, funny, and deeply personal conversation.

Deborah shares:

• The story and long tail of her signature hit “Baby I Lied”
• Early days at Opryland, touring Russia with Tennessee Ernie Ford, and how Shel Silverstein nudged her into songwriting
• Growing up in Memphis around the sounds of Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Willie Mitchell, Al Green, and the Hodges brothers
• How she wound up sleeping on Elvis’ tour bus and later cutting pioneering overdub duets with Jim Reeves as “The Mystery Girl”
• Getting a brand-new song from Prince after a brief meeting at Sunset Sound
• A major health scare, surgery at Vanderbilt with Dr. James Netterville, and why she says “the devil’s not stealing my smile”
• Celebrating her mom’s 100th birthday, her mom’s younger boyfriend Ed, and the belief that every person you meet is a gift

Highlights & Timestamps

• 0:40 – Introduction to Deborah & “Baby I Lied” on country, pop, and AC radio
• 7:35 – Opryland, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Russia tour & meeting Shel Silverstein
• 12:19 – Memphis influences: Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Willie Mitchell, Al Green
• 18:39 – Elvis’ bus at her parents’ shop & “I slept in Elvis’ bed”
• 23:10 – Overdubbing duets with Jim Reeves & the “Mystery Girl” campaign
• 29:30 – Pushing for her own songs at MCA & “Don’t Worry ’Bout Me Baby”
• 34:56 – Writing hits for others: Patty Loveless and “Hurt Me Bad (In a Real Good Way)”
• 35:06 – Prince writes her a song as Joey Coco after a Sunset Sound encounter
• 41:33 – Her mom at 100, Ed’s nightly visits, and Opry birthday roses
• 50:12 – Metastatic carcinoma scare, holistic support, and successful surgery
• 1:01:22 – How old friendships (doctors, musicians, neighbors) ended up saving her

Follow Johnny B:

https://www.facebook.com/john.e.bozeman

Follow Jay Harper:

https://www.facebook.com/harperjeff

Follow Jim:

www.jmvos.com

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

www.itsyourshow.co

In this deeply personal “Dads Episode,” the guys open up about the fathers who shaped their lives, careers, and love of music. From small-town country radio and booking legends like Roy Clark, to petrochemical plants, phone lines, and woodworking in retirement, each story reveals how complicated, flawed, and unforgettable dads can be.

The guys trace how certain songs became emotional landmarks—Merle Haggard concerts, Elton John story songs, and country classics about fathers and sons. They share how grief hit them when their dads passed, how music and video tributes helped them heal, and how late-in-life “I’m proud of you” moments still echo years later.

They also grapple with tougher truths: jealousy, absence, depression after loss, and generational discipline that would look very different today. Yet, through it all, there’s an undercurrent of gratitude for dads who showed love in their own ways—by working hard, building things, fixing cars, or just bringing their kids along for the ride.

Closing out, they reflect on the importance of reconciliation while there’s still time, and how politics and pride should never be allowed to permanently sever family ties.

The idea for the discussion came from Jim sharing the video he produced for his father's memorial service.

R.I.P. Justin J. McCarthy
1942-2006
https://youtu.be/XdRH-i5wt6A?si=6vveiKyDKuxq4Mh1

Timed highlights:

00:00 – Opening reflection on a complicated father who wanted the spotlight, and later pride in his kids’ careers
00:54 – Show intro: Circling the Drain sets up a special “Dads Episode”
02:20 – Gene Simmons jokes, radio banter, and shifting into the topic of dads and music
03:48 – Why there seem to be more songs about moms than dads, and the impact of absent fathers
04:10 – Classic dad songs: “Cats in the Cradle,” Waylon’s “Between Fathers and Sons,” Elton John’s AIDS story song, “The Living Years,” “Daddy’s Hands,” and more
06:10 – Johnny’s dad: country singer, radio station owner, and the man who ushered him into radio and country music
10:00 – Booking stars in the Midwest: Roy Clark, Hank Thompson, radio “appreciation shows,” and drawing 70,000 people in Kansas
12:22 – Roy Clark, Jimmy Dean, Patsy Cline’s fatal flight, and behind-the-scenes country music lore
15:19 – Growing up on small-town AM country radio; dads’ favorite artists and first concert memories with them
17:36 – Merle Haggard live in New Orleans and seeing a stoic dad finally hoop and holler
20:00 – Realizing “Dad is somebody” when Roy Clark brings him onstage to huge applause
21:13 – Mom and dad as a country duo, early radio at KMA, and the cost of dad’s jealousy on mom’s career
25:00 – Jim’s video tribute to his father and how music plus photos trigger powerful grief and healing
26:24 – Jim’s dad, Justin J. McCarthy: affection, pride, and a very different dad-son language of love
30:18 – Workaholic fathers, “Cats in the Cradle” parallels, and trying to balance work and family
31:38 – Losing mom at 16, dad’s depression and guilt, and the strain on father–son relationships
35:00 – How music bridges divides: Steve Earle, politics, and strangers getting along at shows
43:23 – “Good kid” confessions: sneaking out with the Cutlass, near accidents, and fear of disappointing dad
47:18 – Graduation night: a rare, direct “I’m proud of you” moment in the parking lot
49:44 – The “God thing”: Johnny’s last perfect evening with his dad—football, ice cream, and sudden death
53:25 – Writing and delivering eulogies, organizing thoughts through grief, and feeling dad’s approval
55:46 – Jim’s dad, multiple myeloma, the last Alaska dream trip, and choosing to stop treatment
58:45 – The handyman dads: furniture, music boxes, fixing everyone’s cars, and showing love through work
1:01:20 – Neighbors’ wreaths, mowing others’ lawns, and defying doctors after open-heart surgery
1:06:09 – Holiday tables that shrink over time and how quickly “big family” seasons vanish
1:07:02 – Families torn apart by politics and the coming regret of cutting parents off
1:08:00 – Final reflections: complicated fathers, cherished memories, and a plea to reconcile while there’s still time

---
Would you like a shorter, punchier show description tailored for podcast apps like Apple Podcasts and Spotify?