January 30, 2018 • 38 mins
Lines worth listening for: "He brings the THUNDA'" - "Man, whatchu holdin' my leg for?" - "She said it was too damn loud" - "Gangsta Bulldogs" and our favorite; "You went to the club in a U-Haul?" Jake's drummer Myron is full of them!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, this is Jake Owing and this is Good Company.
Good Company. Welcome to Good Company, a podcast where we
talk about everything under the sun, friends, good times company.
Now here's your host. What's up, y'all. It's Jake. I
(00:24):
am back with another episode of Good Company. I always
love coming to you guys with this podcast. This is
really cool. I was giving this awesome opportunity by my
friend Mr Bobby Bones. He told me, he said, you know,
I think Jake, your podcast would be a cool thing
for you to do outside the music because he said
he felt like I had some things to say, and um,
and I was not only flattered at that, but I
(00:44):
was excited because I feel like I do have some
things to say and have some great stories to share
with you. And this week we're coming at you actually
a little different. We're not in the studio back in Nashville.
I am on the road, So I'm coming to you
from this podcast from in a backstage dressing room in Canada,
just on the other side of the border of the States.
We are just right right near Niagara Falls, uh here
(01:08):
in Ontario. I am with someone this week that I
really am excited about chatting with because we have a
history together. We go way back. I think it's been
almost thirteen years we've played music together. So, without further ado,
let me go ahead and introduce you to one of
my best buddies in the world, Mr Myron Howe from Memphis, Tennessee.
(01:28):
What's up, my Iron Canada. I'm here, baby, we got
Myron here. Mayron Howe plays drums in the band with us.
He has since the day one, and the only reason
he's missed any shows has been, uh, because why Myron,
Because you couldn't get into Canada. Couldn't get into Canada.
But what where are we now? Mama might yeah you here,
(01:54):
we're here today. Yeah, so yeah, Mayron, my mom listens
to this this podcast too, man. So we'll we'll keep it.
We'll keep it good in PG. We've got a good
following on this thing. So but man, you know what,
this is something I was thinking about each week. I
think about who I'm gonna interview next and who I
want to talk to. And one of the reasons I
was excited about talking to you is, man, because we
do we have a we have a great history together.
(02:15):
You know. I talked to Greg Fowler a couple of
weeks ago who's the legendary tour manager that we've had
for all these years. But to a manage Jesus too.
He's gonna listen to this, and uh, probably don't think
that's funny, But here we are backstage dressing room, Canada,
Niagara Falls. Mayer and I just thought it'd be cool
to kind of go ahead and kind of introduce everyone
(02:37):
to who you are and where you're from, and we'll
get to how we met. As I said, you're from Memphis, Tennessee.
And if you don't mind, man, go ahead and and
tell everybody out there kind of how you grew up
there in Memphis and what got you into playing drums,
and we'll kind of get that, get into how that
led you and I to play in music the last
thirteen years together. Well, Americans and Canadians. My name is
(03:01):
Myron and I have been with Jaco Onen for a
nice long time, uh since two thousand and six six, right.
We Over the years we have shared a lot of
funny intimate moments and it's been nothing but a blast.
First of all, when to say there's been none but
(03:22):
the blast. Have been hanging with you for all this time,
and be honest with you, I don't think I could
see anything else happening with anybody else I would think
I could have this much fun with So get that
out there. I appreciate that. Man, I don't I don't
see you. I don't foresee myself playing any music U
without without you beating the skins behind us. Man, you shouldn't.
You know you shouldn't, because you know you got somebody
(03:44):
from Memphis and he brings that thunder. You know, so
now you've been But I gotta give it to you, Mario,
Like I mean, throughout the years, not only have you
been a great drummer in the band, but you've brought
such a charismatic impact of what we do on the road.
I mean, yes, you play drums, and people that watch
(04:04):
our shows come to me constantly and tell me, Man,
you don't I mean, you don't realize how good Myron is. Man,
you're so lucky to have Myron. And I hope you
do know. I do know how lucky I am to
have you. And we all know that just the charismatic
person that you are, your your your personality shines through
when you're playing drums. People love you. I mean, we uh,
we go back in a long ways. And I know
(04:25):
we're getting off target here, but I think it's important
to tell people. As you were saying, you grew up
in Memphis, Tennessee. Uh would you what would you remember?
What you know? How old you were the first time
you picked up pair of drumsticks and started playing. I
was too, And yeah, I was two years old when
I picked up some sticks. And when they want sticks,
they was like spoons. And my my mom would told
(04:47):
me the story. She was like, look, Melvin, you're gonna
get this boy some drums because I'm gonna kill him
for killing messing my pots up. So they see, you know,
I got some drums. So that's what that goes to. Yeah,
and Melvin, Melvin's dad, huh yeah, that's my dad is
a little gangster himself, the Gangster ship. And your dad,
actually we've learned this about you over the year. So
(05:07):
your dad was a great drummer. Your dad played with
all kinds of folks, right, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, he
uh he did his thing with spinners and shoot he Uh.
My dad was a jack of all trades, dude. He
was like dead hair and did all types of stuff.
So he used to do hair with James Brown and
Jackie Wilson and a lot of folks. And I thought
(05:30):
my dad was just running his mouth or to my
mom and show me some pictuls. I was like, damn
you for real, wasn't he? Your dad had a pretty
sweet mustache too, Yeah yeah, yeah, my my my man,
so uh my d oh No. They used to call
you him, you know Sam, and is Sam because as
mustache coming down like that, I'm like, many, you better
(05:50):
leave my dad alone. It's his mustache. You said, your
dad's bustas used to go over his lip, right, Yeah. Yeah,
he used to go all the way down his chin.
So when he would eat, he would take his hand
and raise it up and then put his food in
his mouth and then let the curtain back down. I've
been lucky enough. I got to meet Myron's mom years back,
and we we played a show together. And I don't
know where that was. Was it in Memphis with Jason
(06:13):
al Dean? Was it al Dean? Or was a Keith Urban? No? No, no,
I was Aldine Jason Alde. I'll never forget. I'd heard
so much about your mom, Marin. What's your mom's name? Thelma,
Thelma Melvin and Thelma right, that's awesome bulldogs. So I
got to I got to meet Thelma and uh, she
came before the show and she said, oh, Jake, it's
(06:34):
so nice to meet you. I've heard so much about you.
And we went out there and played that show that night.
We were opening for Jason Aldan, and I was excited, man,
I was excited for her to see you play. I
was excited for her to see us play. And you know,
being the guy that is the singer out there, I'm
able to leave the stage, you know, right as the
songs are ending, as the guys are playing out on
(06:54):
the outro. So I was the first one to walk
off the stage, and I was walking back to the bus,
and I'm walking on the bus, I could see Thelma,
your mom, she was already walking up the ramp to leave.
And uh yeah she had enough. She she had enough.
He just I love this, but y'all, oh the good
just a two damn loud. I'm like, I said, Marie,
(07:18):
why is your MoMA leaving already? Even get a chance
to say by? She said? She said it was too
damn loud. Yeah, she couldn't take it. She was like,
I got to go. That's awesome man. So U you
grew up in Memphis. You started playing drums at an
early age. You played football too? You did? You played
football in high school? Yeah? Don't played ball in high school,
(07:38):
playball in high school, junior high and and fiddled my
way on through and started playing drums and not being hurt. Right,
So was what was your first gig that you remember
where you actually made money playing playing music where you realize, like,
you know what, this might be my job for the
rest of my life, you know what? Dude? Uh? And
(08:00):
you got me on that one. That was I think
oh I was nine and before all the R and
B stuff came out, it was me playing at this church.
And then my dad was like, hey, start wasting your
time with all them folks. You know, I'm not giving
your money for your for your gift, like what you're
talking about. I'm just like playing drums. Oh, you can
make change with this, Like okay. So finally, you know,
(08:24):
my mom kinda talk to this church and she's like, hey,
when John my Son plays drums and he's really good,
and pay him some money. So okay, well cool, And
I started making forty dollars and forty dollars at nine
years that's a lot of money. First of all, I
didn't even realize that that churches pay the musicians to
play there. I didn't know that. Yeah, but I did
(08:46):
know one thing. Playing in a church band, uh was
something I didn't do growing up. I didn't get into
music till later in life, when I was in college.
But from what I've heard from folks like yourself and
other people I know that have played in churchman's is
really where you get your chops and you start learning
how to really not only play, but play with other
people that are great. Right man, little church. Okay, people
that are Christians out here, please do not take what
(09:07):
I'm gonna say the wrong way. I have no idea
what but in church, you know, it's all about the
good news and yes and this and that up man,
church musicians with some of the most gangster dues in
the world. Like they was out for your job. And
when you was a little kid growing up trying to
be a drummer, and then some other older kid comes in,
(09:29):
it was waxing my butt and it's like now you
it forced you to have to get better because you
want to get better, and to take his job because
he took your job. You know, that's where a lot
of a lot, Man, I owe everything learning stuff in
church really because I mean you you have all kinds
of people singing up and then some volcane sing You
(09:49):
got some guys that plays play guitar, played piano that
can't play. Or you get on church drums and you're
sitting on the stool. It's got one screw holding the
throne together and you're about to fall on your what
and it's just terrible. So you you learn to have
to learn to everybody. Yeah, man, you gotta get it
in there. That's that's funny. So you you played a
church and uh, this is after you played football. You're
(10:11):
you're not played in church. You're out there when you say,
you're nine years old at this point, so that you
hadn't really gone through high school yet or anything like that.
But after playing football in high school, you realize that
playing drums was something that seemed like that could be
a legitimate job for you. Yeah, yeah, I did, you know,
And I finally started. I was seventeen and I got
(10:31):
my first club gig. And was this in Memphis on
Bill Street or something. Yeah, it was just a club
called the Ritz Punk do still owe me money? But
that was that was the way to hear that. A mean. So,
but now that was my first gig playing down there,
and it was actually pretty cool. I made like two
hundred dollars that and I was like, man, this is
actually pretty cool. So trying to be a musician and
(10:54):
in Memphis too, I mean, you're growing up in Memphis.
That's some of the most famous musicians of all time
in for Memphis. Obviously you know Elvis, you hear about Elvis,
but I mean all these blues musicians who would you
believe be Kings from Memphis. I played with him too,
Albert King from from I don't think so. I played
with the girl that he used to dad. Her name
was Shirley Brown. She was a blue singer to uh.
Eric gales Um dude one of the greatest guitar players
(11:17):
that you could possibly ever hear, I mean, and the
funniest dude ever want to meet and talk to? So
can I wait to meet y'all? Y'all introduce you. I've
never met him. I just know him through his music
and how great guitar players. For those out there that
aren't failiar with what we're talking about make sure you
do yourself a favor and check out Eric Gales. I mean,
I would say, from what I've heard, he's one of
the closest guitar players you'll hear to somebody like Jimi Hendrix. Innovative, correct, totally, totally.
(11:39):
I mean, heck, we were in high school together and
our c A. I think that's who he was with.
So he got signed in high school. Yeah, he got signed.
And he's one of these guys that he's like like
Hendricks played the guitar upside down, upside down, look like
him left handed. I mean all that they made him
quit school to make him do records, and they was
hiring tutors to make him, you know, pass his stuff.
(12:02):
But he was on the road in high school and
we never saw him ever at school. He was always
on TV somewhere. But the guy's amazing guitar player. Wow. Funny,
so so yeah, so all these guys that I mean
growing up in Memphis, I'm assuming. I mean, it's funny, man.
I I say this as and and you're a humble
guy sometimes but because you know, you know, you're you know,
(12:24):
like what you bring to the table when you play
drums but man, I think when I watch you play,
it's amazing to me and I think all of us
when we realize just your natural ability when you like
sit behind those drums, how it just seems like it
just it emots from you. You you just it's it's
like it's it's like an extension of who you are
playing drums and I and there and the times that
(12:45):
we have been here to Canada without you. No offense
to guys like Keio Stroud shout out to Kia who
who who have saved us many times playing drums with this,
But when you get used to playing with somebody that's
back there playing the way you do, it's interesting when
someone else comes in. It's it's kind of you have
you get used to the differences and what that that's
all about. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean I I appreciate
(13:08):
that too, by the way. Uh, thank you Keio Stroud
Black and I'm Stroud. I appreciate you, man um. But seriously,
yeah you do. And you know and and like I
said that, you know, it starts from my mom and
daddy because he's like and my mom and dad is
everything to me, by the way, But uh, you know,
I would watch them at home, and my mom and
(13:28):
dad were such bulldogs to the point one when they
get to argue with I'm talking about it was like
two pit bulls fighting each other. They would argue, and
me and my little brother being that currant like why
y'all CRD what y'all argued? And they arguing. But the
point of making is that my dad and my mom
instilled in us to be aggressive about what you're trying
to do. It. If you don't believe it, ain't nobody
else canna believe it, you know what I mean. So
(13:50):
one of my favorite one of my favorite things, I've
learned a lot from you, Myron, over the years. And
we'll get to this, but one of the things I've
always loved about you is the sayings and stuff that
you have that that and you've always referenced your mom
and dad growing up. And I love that because I
think for those out there to listen to this podcast
and have heard me talk a lot, you all know
how much I speak of my mom and dad a lot,
and and and being out here on the road having
(14:10):
these guys in the band, it's like an extinction of
your family. We all are in a way family members
We talked to each other about a lot of things.
But over the years, Marine, you've had these sayings that
you've come up. One of my favorite one was and
you can you can tell everyone. I believe it was
your mom who told you in life you got to
make sure that you keep your grass right. Yeah, now,
my dad, that was my dad right there. And so
(14:31):
I'm fixing to let America know something that don't Harley.
People don't know nothing about this. So my nickname at
home was called Bean. Why because I had a big
head when I was a little kid. So everybody was like, oh, Bean,
come in, Bean, come in. You know. So anyway, my
dadda said, hey, Bean, come here. When you get out
(14:52):
there and play drums, you need to keep your grass
cut low. I'm like, Dad, what this the hell does
that mean? You know, I'm not gonna say that to him,
but what's that? Yeah, when you keep a grass cutted low,
you know what your snakes at. It's like, hmm, that's right.
Metaphorically speaking, I understand what do that mean? Oh? Wow,
that's right. And now you'd be out here on the
(15:13):
road and you know where your snakes are. That's cool, man. Yeah,
I've got a lot of Uh, I've got a lot
of sands like that throughout the years that I've that
I've that I've kind of picked up from you. And
also Gregg Fowler back again, shout out to Greg Fouller. Greg,
we have a book full of foalerisms that that he
that he said over the years. But um, so we'll
get back to how I met you, you know, being
(15:34):
a kid that just got a record deal, moved here
from I say here, we're sitting in Canada. But I
moved to Nashville, Tennessee, dropped out of college UM at
Florida State University. And what was so crazy for me
was I had this kind of slam together band that
we used to play cover songs and stuff and uh
at Florida State at a place called pot Bellies, and um,
(15:58):
when I moved to Nashville, I move done my own.
So I was kind of at a point when I
got a record deal it was time for me to
put together a band. At that time, a guy um Victor,
our bass player. He I guess y'all had played shows
together in Memphis. So Victor came to me and at
the time Jimmy Ritchie, who was producing my record and said, hey, man,
(16:18):
I uh, I don't know how you feel about this,
but there's a guy from Memphis. I know, um, he's
not a Nashville guy, but he's from Memphis and he's
interested in going out on the road and playing some
country music. And I said, man, I'm I'd love to
hear him play. And he talked about how great you were.
So I took Victor's word for it, and next thing
I know, I met you for the first time on net. Dude.
(16:39):
I can remember like it was yesterday. I remember I
pulled up to sound check over off a cow On
Street in Nashville, which is right near where the new
um Top Golf is now, and you were there, as
you are daily. You had a phone stuck between your
ear and your shoulder and you were like, what's up, man,
I'm Iron, And I was like, what's up, my Iron, Jake,
(17:00):
And uh So, the first time I met you, you
were on the phone. And I'm actually surprised you're not
on the phone right now while we're doing this interview.
No no, because Canada want let my phone work. They
charge you extra, charging me extra, Smaran, So what the heck?
You know? At that time, when I met you, What
was it that made you decide you wanted to leave
(17:22):
Memphis for the time being and come out on the
road with some First off me, you didn't even know
who I was. You know, I never even had a
record out. But what was it that you said? You
know what, I'll go out on the road and play
country music. Because, as I've laughed at you over the years,
you've never didn't grow up listening to country music. You
know nothing, you know nothing about country music. I still
don't know nothing about country music. I don't do you
(17:42):
like it? I do? What do you? What do you
like about country music? You know what? I like the
stories that they tell. I like how funny and dumb
some of the songs are, but they have a great
groove to them. But as far as to answer your question,
I've I've never played country before, and I've always been
(18:03):
a guy that want to try new stuff. You know,
because you played with I mean, you played with a
bunch of people before you ever played with me. And
you mentioned, you know, Justin timber Lakes from Memphis. You
played some gigs with Justin Timberlake, and uh, anybody else
you want to shout out to the Franklin. I heard
I heard of her. I heard of him. Yeah yeah,
uh Louisy b B. And hey, I played with Jane,
(18:26):
and I played with Patty, and play with Steven's gun,
play with shoot and one of my who's the guys?
Who's the guy that you were playing with? Was it
at bb Kings or something? You sat up and jumped
up with that? You said, what said the most gangster thing?
Do you know? That's that's that's that's a little jim
And he's a blues guitar player, which is actually Eric
gails brother. Yes, so tell everybody you gotta you gotta
(18:47):
hear this is great. Oh my god. So okay, like
I said, Eric Gails is the character, but all his
brothers are characters. All of them are the same. So
we were playing the show and this guy walks up
to a Little Jimmy with it. That's his name? Was
his name is? It's not Eugene um um? What is
the name? I forget? Anyway, his stage name was Little Jimmy.
(19:10):
And this guy says, oh my god, man, oh my god, dude,
the way you play guitar was amazing. And that blue song,
the way you played the blues was awesome man, and
he looks at it. He says, m but the question
is did you learn something? And he was like he
was stuck. He couldn't say nothing. He was like, yeah,
(19:32):
but did you learn? But did you learn something? And
he and he had his long curl. He says, he
always says, but did you learn something? That guy was
like he was, yeah, yeah, I didn't learn something. We
was looking at each other like, man, that was the
most gangst thing I've ever heard right there. Ever. So
(19:53):
then here's Gary Eric Gails. He plays guitar upside down,
and so he says, and Eric Gails comes on stage
and says, that's right, everybody, that's right. I'm Eric Gails. No,
you're not looking at no camera tricks or no smoking mirrors.
I'm playing this cocksuckle upside down. We was like and
(20:16):
he said, now let's get the rock and rolling. Dude.
It was like, that's only people that can come up
with that type of stuff. Yeah, that is pretty funny. Yeah,
and you you were good enough, but you you kind
of self edited that before you said it. So for
those autums I heard that. Yet we're good. We're not
you know, being guys on the road, being musicians out here.
You know, we're not always perfectly you know. And plus,
(20:36):
this is a podcast, it's it's it's it's for those
that want to tune in, for those that don't, don't
you know what I mean? So you know, let me
let me cut you off. And then the back up
when you asked me that why and what and what
made me? My mom and dad instilled in me a
book of good character, I mean character, judge of character.
That's it. And I'm what you call one of those
(20:57):
guys that do not hide his feelings. Well, and if
I'm not feeling you, I don't mess with you. But
when I got here in those six it's something in
my heart said, this is where you're gonna stay for
a long time. You really think in two thousand six
you would have thought in two thousand eighteen you would
(21:18):
still be playing drums for this kid who just got
a record. I mean, you really don't know. But in
your heart, man, if if it's like it's just like
the same thing how you felt when you said, look,
I'm not gonna stay in school longer. I'm gonna go
do this. You know, Yeah, you you feel what you
feel in your heart. You gotta do it. And that's
what I felt in my heart man, when just rocking
(21:39):
with you said, man, this is my dude. I'm I'm
I'm gonna ride the ties off of this mug here
and we're gonna go to the top. Then we met
Greg Fowler and Greg told me, he said, look, I
don't know what's gonna happen, but me and you were
gonna take Jake Owen to the top. And I want
you to be here as long as I'm gonna be here.
And I told him I would and I'm still here
and and Fouler still here yep. So that's cool man.
(22:01):
And well, you you have no idea how much I
appreciate you. I know, we talked about that all the time,
and I tell you, but uh what I mean, man, like,
you have no idea how much I appreciate And I'm
playing music man, just what I've learned from you over
the years. And and really that's what I wanted to
do by introing you to those out there through this
Good Company podcast. Is that, um and and and it's
(22:22):
great to me to hear you talk about your family
like that, because I really strive with this podcast to
talk about positive things and the things that have influenced
us over the years. And man, I mean we've already
been talking for you know, fifteen twenty minutes here and
and um, we could talk for hours about how we
got two minutes. Okay, So I'll check this out one
story and I'm gonna tell about Jake ohen Um, I
(22:44):
don't know. So this is where Jake didn't realize what
kind of guy I am, you know. Um, And for
all those that that have met me at these shows,
you know, potitive reasons why we we we do what
we do is because we love what we do. But
we want to make you guys, forget about problems and
issues and whatever that's going on in your life, to
make you just forget and just have a good moment
(23:05):
with us. But if you ever see us out on
the road, don't be afraid to say something. Say something.
This we help because of you, you know what I mean.
Thank you all for coming up to me. And hey,
I'm just trying to get y'all to be part of
my world, you know. But anyway, now with that being said, Jake, oh,
and we were This was two thousand and eight and
(23:28):
Jake was moving out of his house into a new place,
and Jake said, hey man, I don't have about it
to uh help me move. I said, okay, well do that,
I'll help you. Cool. So it's joker. He goes and
rents a U haul trip And this was doing the
CMA Fest time, so that Jake was in and out,
in and out. I said, dude, go do your thing.
(23:51):
I'll move everything and whatever I can get, you know,
and I'm moving for you, which I did, and I
did it all by myself. And so later on Jake
and Brandon says, hey man, we gotta go down to
uh we gotta go down to the LP field and
you know, peer down there. Blah blah blah. Man, I'm
gonna send a car and pick you up. I said, dude, no,
I don't worry about it, going do your thing. I'm
(24:12):
gonna be this wait wait, wait, wait, let me stop
you for a second. This is at a time too
when I was moving. I was moving from the little
apartment I lived in and I moved into that house,
that blue house over there that you came. And at
the time, my iron was riding a bus. I was
running the Greyhound with homeless people and that piece you
hear me, you're riding a Greyhound bus. Man. We'd come
home off the road. You'd ride the Greyhound from Nashville
(24:35):
back to Memphis, and then when it's time to leave again,
you'd get back up on a Grayhound bus right it
all the way back to Nashville, just to get on
another bus to go back out on the road. So
so the reason I bring that up is so when
you're in Nashville and you've ridden the bus there, you
didn't have a car or anything. So when we told
you we'd send you a car to come down to
LP Field, you were said. I was like, mann, hey,
(24:55):
I'm cool. Yeah, I'm straight. So I get into U
haul and put some cool clothes on and go to
the little and then do something. Jake says, wait a minute,
what did you go? I said, I went to the
club in the in the U haul. He said, you
went in the U haul. I'm like, yeah, it's got
ties on it. I'm gonna drive it, you know. So
people pull when I pull up in the U haul
and I'm getting out the truck and these girls are
(25:16):
walking by, and it was like, man, this dude drove
to you hall to the clue and I'm like, I
sure did. It's got ties on it and and I'm gonna drive.
We need to write a song about that, man, like
a rap tune about man driving a U haul to
the club. I've never heard a song like that. Or
drive to U haul to the ball to get your
butt light. That is hilarious. We have, man, we have
some funny stories. When we moved into that house, I said,
I said, when I'm moving to that house, I asked Myron.
(25:36):
I was like, man, you're going back and forth so
much on this Greyhound. If we only have a few
days here and there where we're not go you know,
not going back out on the road, or we are
going back out on the road, mayn't you stay at
the house and leave your stuff here? Man, you can
stay take the room upstairs. And so we kind of
became roommates there for a couple of years. And uh,
how about the time man, that it's snowed in Nashville
(25:58):
and I had that black tip. So this dude here
is okay. So who all know Jake Ole and Jake
Owen has exquisite taste. Okay, So Jake go and had
That's two stories. This comes from. So when one time.
I was getting off the bus and him and Kimdall
Martin were in the in the truck together. So yeah,
Mark Marvel uh and Jake had these uh black timehole
(26:23):
tened black. I mean, I'm talking about the jet black.
You couldn't see in the nothing, so in the chocolate
world you would see the black tahole. Black folk would
automatically think that's the police or the vice. Right. So
I'm walking out the door at the I was at
the bus stays up at the bus stays So Jack
pulls up. Yeah, so Jake said, hey, man, come on.
(26:45):
So the black dudes outside was like, hey, man, don't
get in that truck. That's the vice. They're taking you
to jail. I'm like, man, now these are my guys.
May don't trust them, Man, don't trust them. So anyway,
Jake has now. Jake got all these rims and everything
put on this truck. We go driving on the street.
Everything was cool, so Jakes, we get to the bottom
of the driveway. That driveway was straight. It was stupid steep.
(27:08):
So Jake said, hey, you think I can make it.
My dummy bus said you can make it. We could
do it. Joe. He hears the gas go up to
hill and he started sliding. I started sliding sideways. But
you know, if we would have slid off that hill man,
the where it was, I mean it was like down
a mountain side. It was down the mountain slab. But
he gonna grab me like he was a seatbell. Oh
(27:29):
hold me, I'm like doing. If you hold man, we
tumble over. There ain't none you know I'm gonna do.
I gonna keep me stick my hand on Myron's leg
just to make sure he wanted to fall out of something.
He's like, man, what you hold my leg for? It
ain't gonna stop nothing. That's hilarious, man. I uh, I
think to something important to touch on, you know, And
I only I want to bring this up because because
(27:50):
it's something that's important right now in our world in
America and stuff is. I've watched you iron for all
these years, coming into the world of country music, which,
as you know, is per dominantly you know, uh listened
to by white white folks and uh, and I've watched
you over the years. You know. It's funny this in
(28:10):
these this day and age, what you see exploited on
the news about the black white things like that what
you've always brought to the table. Man, I've respected so
much about you is that has never affected you. Man,
and I've I've watched it. I've watched people, uh white
folks be blatantly racist uh to you. And I cannot
(28:31):
commend you enough man. And we don't need to get
into it as far as the yeah, but the times
that like it's happened, Man, I've watched you, you know,
from times where we were at the hotel and the
guy tried to accuse you of stealing something at the
hotel and uh. But Man, without getting into all that,
I want you to know that you, man are are
(28:52):
are the reason that people like you, you said an
example man in so many ways that I wish those
out there in the world. That's why I wanted to
have you on your two is like you and I
are coming from totally different backgrounds that travel this country together. Um.
And the things that I've seen you handle, but you've
handled them in such a just a professional way, in
a way that not only is professional, but in a
(29:14):
way that I wish the rest of the world sometimes
would view it as. And quite frankly, there's been so
many times that I've been disappointed, um for those And
as I said, not to make this like some black
white thing, but but it's important, man, because you and
I are like best buddies. Man, We've been this way forever.
And when I see this, we see this stuff on
TV that talks about hatred and stuff like that, I
(29:34):
think it's important for us to show that that's that's
not what it's like, you know what I mean. But
the way I've seen you handle situations that you've been
put in that I know for a fact made you uncomfortable.
Uhcomfortable Hell, I mean, I mean just to just to
to talk about it. We we were in Corpan, Kentucky, Kentucky. Yeah, man,
this girl had my blood boiling like like hot fish grease,
(29:57):
you know what I mean. But what's crazy about it? Uh?
And I'm gonna say this to everybody. Everybody has a
choice to make. You could either be that hood or
redneck or whatever what have you. To handle what you
handle the way you handle it. My thing is, my
(30:17):
name is not what you call me. That's what my
mom didn't give me that name. So why should I
answer to somebody that's calling me out of my name?
You understand what I'm saying so, but with anything and
everybody like with like like like like to this, like
to this day, kids are walking around LM filming fights
all the time. You know, either you got a choice
(30:38):
to be dumb and filming or you'd be smart and
break it up or just walk away from it, you
know what I mean. So we're in corporate Kentucky and
this one lady says, how hey, how are you, babe.
I'm like, I'm good. So Greg Fowler is being funny
because we were in a small town, little white town,
like really small. Like it was like like, yeah, you know,
(31:01):
is that type of smile? So Gregg says, man, don't
look like it's that man in black folk here my
and I said, yeah, I don't look like it. She said,
oh no, we got three of them. They're work in
the kitchen. I'm like, strike one. Then she says, okay,
what do you want to eat fried cheecken or you
want some sweet tea? Like babe, Strike two. So then
she comes back out and says, yeah, and the first
(31:22):
of the month we always have KKK marches. I'm like,
you know what, I'm not even hungry in them all.
You have a great day. So yeah, and and and
you got up man, and you walked out. And I'll
tell you all of us, Uh I still remember that day.
And uh I'm disappointed and sometimes in ourselves that we
all just didn't stand up and walk out. But the
way you handled that, and the way you've always handled
(31:43):
you know, just diversity in this country. And and quite
frankly to use the word racism, um, it still does exist.
It does. It's unfortunate that it exists. But what I
love hearing you say is what you just said is
that it's about choices you make, you know, And unfortunately
there's those out there that are just they're just ignorant
people on both sides of the fence. And and it
takes someone like yourself to be strong enough to walk
(32:06):
away from a scenario like that and turn your cheek
to it and be strong enough to show that that
kind of thing is not gonna bother you. I mean,
just just to summing up how you say it, the
best thing to say is for men, you know, how
we have an ego and a macho thing. Just because
you turn the other cheek doesn't mean that it makes
you a punk because you walked away. If somebody wants
(32:26):
to fight you, and then you know they're being belligerent
or whatever case, walk away, dude, just to think about
it this way, I'm going to live to fight another day.
And you're stronger as a person, and you're than that
person by being and actually you win the fight by
walking away, you know what I mean? Because nothing, there's nothing,
there's nothing that that you're gonna cure by getting into
some sort of argument with something. But that ignorant. But
(32:47):
here's the thing though, some of them be begging for
that ass whooping noh, but God bless and it's man,
it's hard boy, because I want to give it to
him because I got bricks in my hand. I want
to hear him in the mouth, you know. But it's
not gonna solve nothing. And then on top of that,
for instance, say like the lady in in Corpora, Kentucky,
if I'd have went off on her like I could have,
which I had every right to, we probably would never
(33:09):
get paid because that was a promoter his wife, you
see what I'm saying. And we would have been well
Jake Old's crew turned out some latest restaurant. Oh, because
she was Nah, it's a choice. You got a choice
to do it, Man, walk away, And it's no big deal.
Just because I about to call you out your name,
You don't mean it definds with who you are. You
know what I mean. You're right. I'm a nice guy. Sweetheart,
(33:29):
chocolate sweet you are Man, you are you. You're one
of the nicest people I know and I've loved over
the years. And get to know you and play music
with you and and laugh. Man, You've made me laugh
harder than anyone that I've known a long time. Oh
and uh, the songs that make the meat taste good
Aprons are coming out two thousand eighteen. Just look out
for that. Well. Uh, there's so much that we can
(33:53):
talk about, Man, we can go on and on, but
really the purpose of this podcast for me is to
talk to people that It's called good company. It's about
the good the company you keep. And I'm proud to
have you with us. Man. I want to keep doing
this with you as long as possible. Uh. You know,
for those out there they're listening that have come to
come to the shows, make sure you say hey to
(34:13):
Meyron Myron's I gotta I gotta give one's last tour
before we get out of here. That I think is great.
When Myron first started playing with us on the road,
he used to die is goatee bright red, remember that,
and use every every show or two he would take
red die and he would die his uh goatee. And
so while you were playing on stage, I think will
(34:35):
be dripping wet and your shirt would be cool aid
on it from dripping from your from your goateee. But
one of the funniest things we are for one of
the first tours we were ever out on was with
Kenny Chesney and Kenny one of Kenny Chesney stage managers.
You used to wear this bright yellow shirt all the
time with your red goatee, and then you wore those
(34:57):
bright yellow goggles. Those goggles too, by the way, Yeah,
you did bring those back. Mayrone used to wear goggles
all the time, and he'd either wear them while he
was playing or he'd put them on top of his head.
And I'll never forget the stage manner for Kenny Chesney.
One day Mayron went walking by and he had the
bright he had yellow short song, yellow bright yellow shirt,
bright yellow goggles with this mirrored tint in his red goateee.
(35:21):
And he goes damn, aren't like a top water fishing lure.
That was one of the funnier things ever. Right, But
thank you Mayron for all the laughs over the years.
Thank you for uh teaching me life lessons man. Thank
you for telling those out there um and sharing your
story with them. And uh, I say this all the time,
(35:42):
but the reason this show is called Good Company because
of people like you. You're definitely a good company man,
and I'm proud to have you as a friend, and
I appreciate you coming on here today. Well, I'm telling
people out there when you come to the show, I'm
gonna start having story time with all the drunken's. Okay,
we're gonn I'm gonna read. I'm gonna reach stories to
you and the poonies come pick you up and taking
you to the wagon and make you sober up. Alright, John,
(36:05):
I'm gonna make it cut again. I can't thank you enough,
you guys for tuning in. It's been another great episode
of Good Company with Jake. That was my buddy Mayer
and how from Memphis, Tennessee. We've shared a lot of
years together. We didn't even we didn't even scratch the
surface on on the stories and times we've had together,
but uh, looking for getting me on a day on
mechanical bull that was never How about the time that
(36:28):
we got you we were in Devor, we took you,
We got you, wrapped you up in that burrito thing
that on that thing that that that hoisted us up
literally like a thousand feet in the air and dropped.
Damn that will never happen again. Oh okay, here's another
thing that's fine too, in black folks. What about the
time that you that I took you to ky Just
when I say, man, gat me. I just bought some
(36:48):
brand new shoes that day, and Jake was like, hey man,
we're gonna go kayak dot. What is that? Oh yeah,
we're just getting booked. You know. Just ride on down man.
No about two seconds and the water. This is also
when you were you were about a hundred pounds heavier,
a hundred and thirty pounds heavier fired And I was like,
(37:09):
you want to we can just get a canoe, man,
You and I can get in the canoe or instead
of having our own kays. He's like, no, man, we
didn't get in no canoe together. I'll be getting my
own guy. So I got my I got my kayak.
I'm like, all right, man, so I get my kayak.
I'm starting paddling on the river and waiting on myron.
He's over there trying to trying to shove himself inside
this Uh at the time, how much did you wear
there at the time, Like threes three, three fifties something
(37:32):
like that, was trying to get inside this kayak and uh,
I had about an inch of clearance from the top
of the boat to the top of the water. Like
just one false move and you flipped it right there.
It wasn't ten ft from the docks, but y'all see.
But it is what pissed me off that day. First off,
I can swim. Let's get the stigmatism Black folk can
(37:54):
swim because I can. Okay, let's get that out of
the way. Number two, Jake says, hey man, it's only
gonna be two feet of water. Boom, And water was
all the way past my head. And you know how
you you know you do this and go down and
get your run and start for putting your feet. You
don't like getting the water. You can't see the bottom.
Oh man, snakes, beavers, everything to be in. And I
(38:16):
was like, no, man, I can't believe Jake got beavers,
Sir Beavers, No, sir, I won't. I won't be doing
this no more when we might, we might have to
revisit this podcast at some point, man, get you back
on here. We uh we ran out of time today,
but again, thank you guys, y'all give it up for Myron.
How Myron I won't live to see We love you guys,
(38:37):
Good company Podcasts with Jake will catch you next time
and uh, we'll see that. And thank you guys saying
bad time, saying batch help
Hey, this is Jake Owing and this is Good Company.
Good Company. Welcome to Good Company, a podcast where we
talk about everything under the sun, friends, good times company.
Now here's your host. What's up, y'all. It's Jake. I
(00:24):
am back with another episode of Good Company. I always
love coming to you guys with this podcast. This is
really cool. I was giving this awesome opportunity by my
friend Mr Bobby Bones. He told me, he said, you know,
I think Jake, your podcast would be a cool thing
for you to do outside the music because he said
he felt like I had some things to say, and um,
and I was not only flattered at that, but I
(00:44):
was excited because I feel like I do have some
things to say and have some great stories to share
with you. And this week we're coming at you actually
a little different. We're not in the studio back in Nashville.
I am on the road, So I'm coming to you
from this podcast from in a backstage dressing room in Canada,
just on the other side of the border of the States.
We are just right right near Niagara Falls, uh here
(01:08):
in Ontario. I am with someone this week that I
really am excited about chatting with because we have a
history together. We go way back. I think it's been
almost thirteen years we've played music together. So, without further ado,
let me go ahead and introduce you to one of
my best buddies in the world, Mr Myron Howe from Memphis, Tennessee.
(01:28):
What's up, my Iron Canada. I'm here, baby, we got
Myron here. Mayron Howe plays drums in the band with us.
He has since the day one, and the only reason
he's missed any shows has been, uh, because why Myron,
Because you couldn't get into Canada. Couldn't get into Canada.
But what where are we now? Mama might yeah you here,
(01:54):
we're here today. Yeah, so yeah, Mayron, my mom listens
to this this podcast too, man. So we'll we'll keep it.
We'll keep it good in PG. We've got a good
following on this thing. So but man, you know what,
this is something I was thinking about each week. I
think about who I'm gonna interview next and who I
want to talk to. And one of the reasons I
was excited about talking to you is, man, because we
do we have a we have a great history together.
(02:15):
You know. I talked to Greg Fowler a couple of
weeks ago who's the legendary tour manager that we've had
for all these years. But to a manage Jesus too.
He's gonna listen to this, and uh, probably don't think
that's funny, But here we are backstage dressing room, Canada,
Niagara Falls. Mayer and I just thought it'd be cool
to kind of go ahead and kind of introduce everyone
(02:37):
to who you are and where you're from, and we'll
get to how we met. As I said, you're from Memphis, Tennessee.
And if you don't mind, man, go ahead and and
tell everybody out there kind of how you grew up
there in Memphis and what got you into playing drums,
and we'll kind of get that, get into how that
led you and I to play in music the last
thirteen years together. Well, Americans and Canadians. My name is
(03:01):
Myron and I have been with Jaco Onen for a
nice long time, uh since two thousand and six six, right.
We Over the years we have shared a lot of
funny intimate moments and it's been nothing but a blast.
First of all, when to say there's been none but
(03:22):
the blast. Have been hanging with you for all this time,
and be honest with you, I don't think I could
see anything else happening with anybody else I would think
I could have this much fun with So get that
out there. I appreciate that. Man, I don't I don't
see you. I don't foresee myself playing any music U
without without you beating the skins behind us. Man, you shouldn't.
You know you shouldn't, because you know you got somebody
(03:44):
from Memphis and he brings that thunder. You know, so
now you've been But I gotta give it to you, Mario,
Like I mean, throughout the years, not only have you
been a great drummer in the band, but you've brought
such a charismatic impact of what we do on the road.
I mean, yes, you play drums, and people that watch
(04:04):
our shows come to me constantly and tell me, Man,
you don't I mean, you don't realize how good Myron is. Man,
you're so lucky to have Myron. And I hope you
do know. I do know how lucky I am to
have you. And we all know that just the charismatic
person that you are, your your your personality shines through
when you're playing drums. People love you. I mean, we uh,
we go back in a long ways. And I know
(04:25):
we're getting off target here, but I think it's important
to tell people. As you were saying, you grew up
in Memphis, Tennessee. Uh would you what would you remember?
What you know? How old you were the first time
you picked up pair of drumsticks and started playing. I
was too, And yeah, I was two years old when
I picked up some sticks. And when they want sticks,
they was like spoons. And my my mom would told
(04:47):
me the story. She was like, look, Melvin, you're gonna
get this boy some drums because I'm gonna kill him
for killing messing my pots up. So they see, you know,
I got some drums. So that's what that goes to. Yeah,
and Melvin, Melvin's dad, huh yeah, that's my dad is
a little gangster himself, the Gangster ship. And your dad,
actually we've learned this about you over the year. So
(05:07):
your dad was a great drummer. Your dad played with
all kinds of folks, right, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, he
uh he did his thing with spinners and shoot he Uh.
My dad was a jack of all trades, dude. He
was like dead hair and did all types of stuff.
So he used to do hair with James Brown and
Jackie Wilson and a lot of folks. And I thought
(05:30):
my dad was just running his mouth or to my
mom and show me some pictuls. I was like, damn
you for real, wasn't he? Your dad had a pretty
sweet mustache too, Yeah yeah, yeah, my my my man,
so uh my d oh No. They used to call
you him, you know Sam, and is Sam because as
mustache coming down like that, I'm like, many, you better
(05:50):
leave my dad alone. It's his mustache. You said, your
dad's bustas used to go over his lip, right, Yeah. Yeah,
he used to go all the way down his chin.
So when he would eat, he would take his hand
and raise it up and then put his food in
his mouth and then let the curtain back down. I've
been lucky enough. I got to meet Myron's mom years back,
and we we played a show together. And I don't
know where that was. Was it in Memphis with Jason
(06:13):
al Dean? Was it al Dean? Or was a Keith Urban? No? No, no,
I was Aldine Jason Alde. I'll never forget. I'd heard
so much about your mom, Marin. What's your mom's name? Thelma,
Thelma Melvin and Thelma right, that's awesome bulldogs. So I
got to I got to meet Thelma and uh, she
came before the show and she said, oh, Jake, it's
(06:34):
so nice to meet you. I've heard so much about you.
And we went out there and played that show that night.
We were opening for Jason Aldan, and I was excited, man,
I was excited for her to see you play. I
was excited for her to see us play. And you know,
being the guy that is the singer out there, I'm
able to leave the stage, you know, right as the
songs are ending, as the guys are playing out on
(06:54):
the outro. So I was the first one to walk
off the stage, and I was walking back to the bus,
and I'm walking on the bus, I could see Thelma,
your mom, she was already walking up the ramp to leave.
And uh yeah she had enough. She she had enough.
He just I love this, but y'all, oh the good
just a two damn loud. I'm like, I said, Marie,
(07:18):
why is your MoMA leaving already? Even get a chance
to say by? She said? She said it was too
damn loud. Yeah, she couldn't take it. She was like,
I got to go. That's awesome man. So U you
grew up in Memphis. You started playing drums at an
early age. You played football too? You did? You played
football in high school? Yeah? Don't played ball in high school,
(07:38):
playball in high school, junior high and and fiddled my
way on through and started playing drums and not being hurt. Right,
So was what was your first gig that you remember
where you actually made money playing playing music where you realize, like,
you know what, this might be my job for the
rest of my life, you know what? Dude? Uh? And
(08:00):
you got me on that one. That was I think
oh I was nine and before all the R and
B stuff came out, it was me playing at this church.
And then my dad was like, hey, start wasting your
time with all them folks. You know, I'm not giving
your money for your for your gift, like what you're
talking about. I'm just like playing drums. Oh, you can
make change with this, Like okay. So finally, you know,
(08:24):
my mom kinda talk to this church and she's like, hey,
when John my Son plays drums and he's really good,
and pay him some money. So okay, well cool, And
I started making forty dollars and forty dollars at nine
years that's a lot of money. First of all, I
didn't even realize that that churches pay the musicians to
play there. I didn't know that. Yeah, but I did
(08:46):
know one thing. Playing in a church band, uh was
something I didn't do growing up. I didn't get into
music till later in life, when I was in college.
But from what I've heard from folks like yourself and
other people I know that have played in churchman's is
really where you get your chops and you start learning
how to really not only play, but play with other
people that are great. Right man, little church. Okay, people
that are Christians out here, please do not take what
(09:07):
I'm gonna say the wrong way. I have no idea
what but in church, you know, it's all about the
good news and yes and this and that up man,
church musicians with some of the most gangster dues in
the world. Like they was out for your job. And
when you was a little kid growing up trying to
be a drummer, and then some other older kid comes in,
(09:29):
it was waxing my butt and it's like now you
it forced you to have to get better because you
want to get better, and to take his job because
he took your job. You know, that's where a lot
of a lot, Man, I owe everything learning stuff in
church really because I mean you you have all kinds
of people singing up and then some volcane sing You
(09:49):
got some guys that plays play guitar, played piano that
can't play. Or you get on church drums and you're
sitting on the stool. It's got one screw holding the
throne together and you're about to fall on your what
and it's just terrible. So you you learn to have
to learn to everybody. Yeah, man, you gotta get it
in there. That's that's funny. So you you played a
church and uh, this is after you played football. You're
(10:11):
you're not played in church. You're out there when you say,
you're nine years old at this point, so that you
hadn't really gone through high school yet or anything like that.
But after playing football in high school, you realize that
playing drums was something that seemed like that could be
a legitimate job for you. Yeah, yeah, I did, you know,
And I finally started. I was seventeen and I got
(10:31):
my first club gig. And was this in Memphis on
Bill Street or something. Yeah, it was just a club
called the Ritz Punk do still owe me money? But
that was that was the way to hear that. A mean. So,
but now that was my first gig playing down there,
and it was actually pretty cool. I made like two
hundred dollars that and I was like, man, this is
actually pretty cool. So trying to be a musician and
(10:54):
in Memphis too, I mean, you're growing up in Memphis.
That's some of the most famous musicians of all time
in for Memphis. Obviously you know Elvis, you hear about Elvis,
but I mean all these blues musicians who would you
believe be Kings from Memphis. I played with him too,
Albert King from from I don't think so. I played
with the girl that he used to dad. Her name
was Shirley Brown. She was a blue singer to uh.
Eric gales Um dude one of the greatest guitar players
(11:17):
that you could possibly ever hear, I mean, and the
funniest dude ever want to meet and talk to? So
can I wait to meet y'all? Y'all introduce you. I've
never met him. I just know him through his music
and how great guitar players. For those out there that
aren't failiar with what we're talking about make sure you
do yourself a favor and check out Eric Gales. I mean,
I would say, from what I've heard, he's one of
the closest guitar players you'll hear to somebody like Jimi Hendrix. Innovative, correct, totally, totally.
(11:39):
I mean, heck, we were in high school together and
our c A. I think that's who he was with.
So he got signed in high school. Yeah, he got signed.
And he's one of these guys that he's like like
Hendricks played the guitar upside down, upside down, look like
him left handed. I mean all that they made him
quit school to make him do records, and they was
hiring tutors to make him, you know, pass his stuff.
(12:02):
But he was on the road in high school and
we never saw him ever at school. He was always
on TV somewhere. But the guy's amazing guitar player. Wow. Funny,
so so yeah, so all these guys that I mean
growing up in Memphis, I'm assuming. I mean, it's funny, man.
I I say this as and and you're a humble
guy sometimes but because you know, you know, you're you know,
(12:24):
like what you bring to the table when you play
drums but man, I think when I watch you play,
it's amazing to me and I think all of us
when we realize just your natural ability when you like
sit behind those drums, how it just seems like it
just it emots from you. You you just it's it's
like it's it's like an extension of who you are
playing drums and I and there and the times that
(12:45):
we have been here to Canada without you. No offense
to guys like Keio Stroud shout out to Kia who
who who have saved us many times playing drums with this,
But when you get used to playing with somebody that's
back there playing the way you do, it's interesting when
someone else comes in. It's it's kind of you have
you get used to the differences and what that that's
all about. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean I I appreciate
(13:08):
that too, by the way. Uh, thank you Keio Stroud
Black and I'm Stroud. I appreciate you, man um. But seriously,
yeah you do. And you know and and like I
said that, you know, it starts from my mom and
daddy because he's like and my mom and dad is
everything to me, by the way, But uh, you know,
I would watch them at home, and my mom and
(13:28):
dad were such bulldogs to the point one when they
get to argue with I'm talking about it was like
two pit bulls fighting each other. They would argue, and
me and my little brother being that currant like why
y'all CRD what y'all argued? And they arguing. But the
point of making is that my dad and my mom
instilled in us to be aggressive about what you're trying
to do. It. If you don't believe it, ain't nobody
else canna believe it, you know what I mean. So
(13:50):
one of my favorite one of my favorite things, I've
learned a lot from you, Myron, over the years. And
we'll get to this, but one of the things I've
always loved about you is the sayings and stuff that
you have that that and you've always referenced your mom
and dad growing up. And I love that because I
think for those out there to listen to this podcast
and have heard me talk a lot, you all know
how much I speak of my mom and dad a lot,
and and and being out here on the road having
(14:10):
these guys in the band, it's like an extinction of
your family. We all are in a way family members
We talked to each other about a lot of things.
But over the years, Marine, you've had these sayings that
you've come up. One of my favorite one was and
you can you can tell everyone. I believe it was
your mom who told you in life you got to
make sure that you keep your grass right. Yeah, now,
my dad, that was my dad right there. And so
(14:31):
I'm fixing to let America know something that don't Harley.
People don't know nothing about this. So my nickname at
home was called Bean. Why because I had a big
head when I was a little kid. So everybody was like, oh, Bean,
come in, Bean, come in. You know. So anyway, my
dadda said, hey, Bean, come here. When you get out
(14:52):
there and play drums, you need to keep your grass
cut low. I'm like, Dad, what this the hell does
that mean? You know, I'm not gonna say that to him,
but what's that? Yeah, when you keep a grass cutted low,
you know what your snakes at. It's like, hmm, that's right.
Metaphorically speaking, I understand what do that mean? Oh? Wow,
that's right. And now you'd be out here on the
(15:13):
road and you know where your snakes are. That's cool, man. Yeah,
I've got a lot of Uh, I've got a lot
of sands like that throughout the years that I've that
I've that I've kind of picked up from you. And
also Gregg Fowler back again, shout out to Greg Fouller. Greg,
we have a book full of foalerisms that that he
that he said over the years. But um, so we'll
get back to how I met you, you know, being
(15:34):
a kid that just got a record deal, moved here
from I say here, we're sitting in Canada. But I
moved to Nashville, Tennessee, dropped out of college UM at
Florida State University. And what was so crazy for me
was I had this kind of slam together band that
we used to play cover songs and stuff and uh
at Florida State at a place called pot Bellies, and um,
(15:58):
when I moved to Nashville, I move done my own.
So I was kind of at a point when I
got a record deal it was time for me to
put together a band. At that time, a guy um Victor,
our bass player. He I guess y'all had played shows
together in Memphis. So Victor came to me and at
the time Jimmy Ritchie, who was producing my record and said, hey, man,
(16:18):
I uh, I don't know how you feel about this,
but there's a guy from Memphis. I know, um, he's
not a Nashville guy, but he's from Memphis and he's
interested in going out on the road and playing some
country music. And I said, man, I'm I'd love to
hear him play. And he talked about how great you were.
So I took Victor's word for it, and next thing
I know, I met you for the first time on net. Dude.
(16:39):
I can remember like it was yesterday. I remember I
pulled up to sound check over off a cow On
Street in Nashville, which is right near where the new
um Top Golf is now, and you were there, as
you are daily. You had a phone stuck between your
ear and your shoulder and you were like, what's up, man,
I'm Iron, And I was like, what's up, my Iron, Jake,
(17:00):
And uh So, the first time I met you, you
were on the phone. And I'm actually surprised you're not
on the phone right now while we're doing this interview.
No no, because Canada want let my phone work. They
charge you extra, charging me extra, Smaran, So what the heck?
You know? At that time, when I met you, What
was it that made you decide you wanted to leave
(17:22):
Memphis for the time being and come out on the
road with some First off me, you didn't even know
who I was. You know, I never even had a
record out. But what was it that you said? You
know what, I'll go out on the road and play
country music. Because, as I've laughed at you over the years,
you've never didn't grow up listening to country music. You
know nothing, you know nothing about country music. I still
don't know nothing about country music. I don't do you
(17:42):
like it? I do? What do you? What do you
like about country music? You know what? I like the
stories that they tell. I like how funny and dumb
some of the songs are, but they have a great
groove to them. But as far as to answer your question,
I've I've never played country before, and I've always been
(18:03):
a guy that want to try new stuff. You know,
because you played with I mean, you played with a
bunch of people before you ever played with me. And
you mentioned, you know, Justin timber Lakes from Memphis. You
played some gigs with Justin Timberlake, and uh, anybody else
you want to shout out to the Franklin. I heard
I heard of her. I heard of him. Yeah yeah,
uh Louisy b B. And hey, I played with Jane,
(18:26):
and I played with Patty, and play with Steven's gun,
play with shoot and one of my who's the guys?
Who's the guy that you were playing with? Was it
at bb Kings or something? You sat up and jumped
up with that? You said, what said the most gangster thing?
Do you know? That's that's that's that's a little jim
And he's a blues guitar player, which is actually Eric
gails brother. Yes, so tell everybody you gotta you gotta
(18:47):
hear this is great. Oh my god. So okay, like
I said, Eric Gails is the character, but all his
brothers are characters. All of them are the same. So
we were playing the show and this guy walks up
to a Little Jimmy with it. That's his name? Was
his name is? It's not Eugene um um? What is
the name? I forget? Anyway, his stage name was Little Jimmy.
(19:10):
And this guy says, oh my god, man, oh my god, dude,
the way you play guitar was amazing. And that blue song,
the way you played the blues was awesome man, and
he looks at it. He says, m but the question
is did you learn something? And he was like he
was stuck. He couldn't say nothing. He was like, yeah,
(19:32):
but did you learn? But did you learn something? And
he and he had his long curl. He says, he
always says, but did you learn something? That guy was
like he was, yeah, yeah, I didn't learn something. We
was looking at each other like, man, that was the
most gangst thing I've ever heard right there. Ever. So
(19:53):
then here's Gary Eric Gails. He plays guitar upside down,
and so he says, and Eric Gails comes on stage
and says, that's right, everybody, that's right. I'm Eric Gails. No,
you're not looking at no camera tricks or no smoking mirrors.
I'm playing this cocksuckle upside down. We was like and
(20:16):
he said, now let's get the rock and rolling. Dude.
It was like, that's only people that can come up
with that type of stuff. Yeah, that is pretty funny. Yeah,
and you you were good enough, but you you kind
of self edited that before you said it. So for
those autums I heard that. Yet we're good. We're not
you know, being guys on the road, being musicians out here.
You know, we're not always perfectly you know. And plus,
(20:36):
this is a podcast, it's it's it's it's for those
that want to tune in, for those that don't, don't
you know what I mean? So you know, let me
let me cut you off. And then the back up
when you asked me that why and what and what
made me? My mom and dad instilled in me a
book of good character, I mean character, judge of character.
That's it. And I'm what you call one of those
(20:57):
guys that do not hide his feelings. Well, and if
I'm not feeling you, I don't mess with you. But
when I got here in those six it's something in
my heart said, this is where you're gonna stay for
a long time. You really think in two thousand six
you would have thought in two thousand eighteen you would
(21:18):
still be playing drums for this kid who just got
a record. I mean, you really don't know. But in
your heart, man, if if it's like it's just like
the same thing how you felt when you said, look,
I'm not gonna stay in school longer. I'm gonna go
do this. You know, Yeah, you you feel what you
feel in your heart. You gotta do it. And that's
what I felt in my heart man, when just rocking
(21:39):
with you said, man, this is my dude. I'm I'm
I'm gonna ride the ties off of this mug here
and we're gonna go to the top. Then we met
Greg Fowler and Greg told me, he said, look, I
don't know what's gonna happen, but me and you were
gonna take Jake Owen to the top. And I want
you to be here as long as I'm gonna be here.
And I told him I would and I'm still here
and and Fouler still here yep. So that's cool man.
(22:01):
And well, you you have no idea how much I
appreciate you. I know, we talked about that all the time,
and I tell you, but uh what I mean, man, like,
you have no idea how much I appreciate And I'm
playing music man, just what I've learned from you over
the years. And and really that's what I wanted to
do by introing you to those out there through this
Good Company podcast. Is that, um and and and it's
(22:22):
great to me to hear you talk about your family
like that, because I really strive with this podcast to
talk about positive things and the things that have influenced
us over the years. And man, I mean we've already
been talking for you know, fifteen twenty minutes here and
and um, we could talk for hours about how we
got two minutes. Okay, So I'll check this out one
story and I'm gonna tell about Jake ohen Um, I
(22:44):
don't know. So this is where Jake didn't realize what
kind of guy I am, you know. Um, And for
all those that that have met me at these shows,
you know, potitive reasons why we we we do what
we do is because we love what we do. But
we want to make you guys, forget about problems and
issues and whatever that's going on in your life, to
make you just forget and just have a good moment
(23:05):
with us. But if you ever see us out on
the road, don't be afraid to say something. Say something.
This we help because of you, you know what I mean.
Thank you all for coming up to me. And hey,
I'm just trying to get y'all to be part of
my world, you know. But anyway, now with that being said, Jake, oh,
and we were This was two thousand and eight and
(23:28):
Jake was moving out of his house into a new place,
and Jake said, hey man, I don't have about it
to uh help me move. I said, okay, well do that,
I'll help you. Cool. So it's joker. He goes and
rents a U haul trip And this was doing the
CMA Fest time, so that Jake was in and out,
in and out. I said, dude, go do your thing.
(23:51):
I'll move everything and whatever I can get, you know,
and I'm moving for you, which I did, and I
did it all by myself. And so later on Jake
and Brandon says, hey man, we gotta go down to
uh we gotta go down to the LP field and
you know, peer down there. Blah blah blah. Man, I'm
gonna send a car and pick you up. I said, dude, no,
I don't worry about it, going do your thing. I'm
(24:12):
gonna be this wait wait, wait, wait, let me stop
you for a second. This is at a time too
when I was moving. I was moving from the little
apartment I lived in and I moved into that house,
that blue house over there that you came. And at
the time, my iron was riding a bus. I was
running the Greyhound with homeless people and that piece you
hear me, you're riding a Greyhound bus. Man. We'd come
home off the road. You'd ride the Greyhound from Nashville
(24:35):
back to Memphis, and then when it's time to leave again,
you'd get back up on a Grayhound bus right it
all the way back to Nashville, just to get on
another bus to go back out on the road. So
so the reason I bring that up is so when
you're in Nashville and you've ridden the bus there, you
didn't have a car or anything. So when we told
you we'd send you a car to come down to
LP Field, you were said. I was like, mann, hey,
(24:55):
I'm cool. Yeah, I'm straight. So I get into U
haul and put some cool clothes on and go to
the little and then do something. Jake says, wait a minute,
what did you go? I said, I went to the
club in the in the U haul. He said, you
went in the U haul. I'm like, yeah, it's got
ties on it. I'm gonna drive it, you know. So
people pull when I pull up in the U haul
and I'm getting out the truck and these girls are
(25:16):
walking by, and it was like, man, this dude drove
to you hall to the clue and I'm like, I
sure did. It's got ties on it and and I'm gonna drive.
We need to write a song about that, man, like
a rap tune about man driving a U haul to
the club. I've never heard a song like that. Or
drive to U haul to the ball to get your
butt light. That is hilarious. We have, man, we have
some funny stories. When we moved into that house, I said,
I said, when I'm moving to that house, I asked Myron.
(25:36):
I was like, man, you're going back and forth so
much on this Greyhound. If we only have a few
days here and there where we're not go you know,
not going back out on the road, or we are
going back out on the road, mayn't you stay at
the house and leave your stuff here? Man, you can
stay take the room upstairs. And so we kind of
became roommates there for a couple of years. And uh,
how about the time man, that it's snowed in Nashville
(25:58):
and I had that black tip. So this dude here
is okay. So who all know Jake Ole and Jake
Owen has exquisite taste. Okay, So Jake go and had
That's two stories. This comes from. So when one time.
I was getting off the bus and him and Kimdall
Martin were in the in the truck together. So yeah,
Mark Marvel uh and Jake had these uh black timehole
(26:23):
tened black. I mean, I'm talking about the jet black.
You couldn't see in the nothing, so in the chocolate
world you would see the black tahole. Black folk would
automatically think that's the police or the vice. Right. So
I'm walking out the door at the I was at
the bus stays up at the bus stays So Jack
pulls up. Yeah, so Jake said, hey, man, come on.
(26:45):
So the black dudes outside was like, hey, man, don't
get in that truck. That's the vice. They're taking you
to jail. I'm like, man, now these are my guys.
May don't trust them, Man, don't trust them. So anyway,
Jake has now. Jake got all these rims and everything
put on this truck. We go driving on the street.
Everything was cool, so Jakes, we get to the bottom
of the driveway. That driveway was straight. It was stupid steep.
(27:08):
So Jake said, hey, you think I can make it.
My dummy bus said you can make it. We could
do it. Joe. He hears the gas go up to
hill and he started sliding. I started sliding sideways. But
you know, if we would have slid off that hill man,
the where it was, I mean it was like down
a mountain side. It was down the mountain slab. But
he gonna grab me like he was a seatbell. Oh
(27:29):
hold me, I'm like doing. If you hold man, we
tumble over. There ain't none you know I'm gonna do.
I gonna keep me stick my hand on Myron's leg
just to make sure he wanted to fall out of something.
He's like, man, what you hold my leg for? It
ain't gonna stop nothing. That's hilarious, man. I uh, I
think to something important to touch on, you know, And
I only I want to bring this up because because
(27:50):
it's something that's important right now in our world in
America and stuff is. I've watched you iron for all
these years, coming into the world of country music, which,
as you know, is per dominantly you know, uh listened
to by white white folks and uh, and I've watched
you over the years. You know. It's funny this in
(28:10):
these this day and age, what you see exploited on
the news about the black white things like that what
you've always brought to the table. Man, I've respected so
much about you is that has never affected you. Man,
and I've I've watched it. I've watched people, uh white
folks be blatantly racist uh to you. And I cannot
(28:31):
commend you enough man. And we don't need to get
into it as far as the yeah, but the times
that like it's happened, Man, I've watched you, you know,
from times where we were at the hotel and the
guy tried to accuse you of stealing something at the
hotel and uh. But Man, without getting into all that,
I want you to know that you, man are are
(28:52):
are the reason that people like you, you said an
example man in so many ways that I wish those
out there in the world. That's why I wanted to
have you on your two is like you and I
are coming from totally different backgrounds that travel this country together. Um.
And the things that I've seen you handle, but you've
handled them in such a just a professional way, in
a way that not only is professional, but in a
(29:14):
way that I wish the rest of the world sometimes
would view it as. And quite frankly, there's been so
many times that I've been disappointed, um for those And
as I said, not to make this like some black
white thing, but but it's important, man, because you and
I are like best buddies. Man, We've been this way forever.
And when I see this, we see this stuff on
TV that talks about hatred and stuff like that, I
(29:34):
think it's important for us to show that that's that's
not what it's like, you know what I mean. But
the way I've seen you handle situations that you've been
put in that I know for a fact made you uncomfortable.
Uhcomfortable Hell, I mean, I mean just to just to
to talk about it. We we were in Corpan, Kentucky, Kentucky. Yeah, man,
this girl had my blood boiling like like hot fish grease,
(29:57):
you know what I mean. But what's crazy about it? Uh?
And I'm gonna say this to everybody. Everybody has a
choice to make. You could either be that hood or
redneck or whatever what have you. To handle what you
handle the way you handle it. My thing is, my
(30:17):
name is not what you call me. That's what my
mom didn't give me that name. So why should I
answer to somebody that's calling me out of my name?
You understand what I'm saying so, but with anything and
everybody like with like like like like to this, like
to this day, kids are walking around LM filming fights
all the time. You know, either you got a choice
(30:38):
to be dumb and filming or you'd be smart and
break it up or just walk away from it, you
know what I mean. So we're in corporate Kentucky and
this one lady says, how hey, how are you, babe.
I'm like, I'm good. So Greg Fowler is being funny
because we were in a small town, little white town,
like really small. Like it was like like, yeah, you know,
(31:01):
is that type of smile? So Gregg says, man, don't
look like it's that man in black folk here my
and I said, yeah, I don't look like it. She said,
oh no, we got three of them. They're work in
the kitchen. I'm like, strike one. Then she says, okay,
what do you want to eat fried cheecken or you
want some sweet tea? Like babe, Strike two. So then
she comes back out and says, yeah, and the first
(31:22):
of the month we always have KKK marches. I'm like,
you know what, I'm not even hungry in them all.
You have a great day. So yeah, and and and
you got up man, and you walked out. And I'll
tell you all of us, Uh I still remember that day.
And uh I'm disappointed and sometimes in ourselves that we
all just didn't stand up and walk out. But the
way you handled that, and the way you've always handled
(31:43):
you know, just diversity in this country. And and quite
frankly to use the word racism, um, it still does exist.
It does. It's unfortunate that it exists. But what I
love hearing you say is what you just said is
that it's about choices you make, you know, And unfortunately
there's those out there that are just they're just ignorant
people on both sides of the fence. And and it
takes someone like yourself to be strong enough to walk
(32:06):
away from a scenario like that and turn your cheek
to it and be strong enough to show that that
kind of thing is not gonna bother you. I mean,
just just to summing up how you say it, the
best thing to say is for men, you know, how
we have an ego and a macho thing. Just because
you turn the other cheek doesn't mean that it makes
you a punk because you walked away. If somebody wants
(32:26):
to fight you, and then you know they're being belligerent
or whatever case, walk away, dude, just to think about
it this way, I'm going to live to fight another day.
And you're stronger as a person, and you're than that
person by being and actually you win the fight by
walking away, you know what I mean? Because nothing, there's nothing,
there's nothing that that you're gonna cure by getting into
some sort of argument with something. But that ignorant. But
(32:47):
here's the thing though, some of them be begging for
that ass whooping noh, but God bless and it's man,
it's hard boy, because I want to give it to
him because I got bricks in my hand. I want
to hear him in the mouth, you know. But it's
not gonna solve nothing. And then on top of that,
for instance, say like the lady in in Corpora, Kentucky,
if I'd have went off on her like I could have,
which I had every right to, we probably would never
(33:09):
get paid because that was a promoter his wife, you
see what I'm saying. And we would have been well
Jake Old's crew turned out some latest restaurant. Oh, because
she was Nah, it's a choice. You got a choice
to do it, Man, walk away, And it's no big deal.
Just because I about to call you out your name,
You don't mean it definds with who you are. You
know what I mean. You're right. I'm a nice guy. Sweetheart,
(33:29):
chocolate sweet you are Man, you are you. You're one
of the nicest people I know and I've loved over
the years. And get to know you and play music
with you and and laugh. Man, You've made me laugh
harder than anyone that I've known a long time. Oh
and uh, the songs that make the meat taste good
Aprons are coming out two thousand eighteen. Just look out
for that. Well. Uh, there's so much that we can
(33:53):
talk about, Man, we can go on and on, but
really the purpose of this podcast for me is to
talk to people that It's called good company. It's about
the good the company you keep. And I'm proud to
have you with us. Man. I want to keep doing
this with you as long as possible. Uh. You know,
for those out there they're listening that have come to
come to the shows, make sure you say hey to
(34:13):
Meyron Myron's I gotta I gotta give one's last tour
before we get out of here. That I think is great.
When Myron first started playing with us on the road,
he used to die is goatee bright red, remember that,
and use every every show or two he would take
red die and he would die his uh goatee. And
so while you were playing on stage, I think will
(34:35):
be dripping wet and your shirt would be cool aid
on it from dripping from your from your goateee. But
one of the funniest things we are for one of
the first tours we were ever out on was with
Kenny Chesney and Kenny one of Kenny Chesney stage managers.
You used to wear this bright yellow shirt all the
time with your red goatee, and then you wore those
(34:57):
bright yellow goggles. Those goggles too, by the way, Yeah,
you did bring those back. Mayrone used to wear goggles
all the time, and he'd either wear them while he
was playing or he'd put them on top of his head.
And I'll never forget the stage manner for Kenny Chesney.
One day Mayron went walking by and he had the
bright he had yellow short song, yellow bright yellow shirt,
bright yellow goggles with this mirrored tint in his red goateee.
(35:21):
And he goes damn, aren't like a top water fishing lure.
That was one of the funnier things ever. Right, But
thank you Mayron for all the laughs over the years.
Thank you for uh teaching me life lessons man. Thank
you for telling those out there um and sharing your
story with them. And uh, I say this all the time,
(35:42):
but the reason this show is called Good Company because
of people like you. You're definitely a good company man,
and I'm proud to have you as a friend, and
I appreciate you coming on here today. Well, I'm telling
people out there when you come to the show, I'm
gonna start having story time with all the drunken's. Okay,
we're gonn I'm gonna read. I'm gonna reach stories to
you and the poonies come pick you up and taking
you to the wagon and make you sober up. Alright, John,
(36:05):
I'm gonna make it cut again. I can't thank you enough,
you guys for tuning in. It's been another great episode
of Good Company with Jake. That was my buddy Mayer
and how from Memphis, Tennessee. We've shared a lot of
years together. We didn't even we didn't even scratch the
surface on on the stories and times we've had together,
but uh, looking for getting me on a day on
mechanical bull that was never How about the time that
(36:28):
we got you we were in Devor, we took you,
We got you, wrapped you up in that burrito thing
that on that thing that that that hoisted us up
literally like a thousand feet in the air and dropped.
Damn that will never happen again. Oh okay, here's another
thing that's fine too, in black folks. What about the
time that you that I took you to ky Just
when I say, man, gat me. I just bought some
(36:48):
brand new shoes that day, and Jake was like, hey man,
we're gonna go kayak dot. What is that? Oh yeah,
we're just getting booked. You know. Just ride on down man.
No about two seconds and the water. This is also
when you were you were about a hundred pounds heavier,
a hundred and thirty pounds heavier fired And I was like,
(37:09):
you want to we can just get a canoe, man,
You and I can get in the canoe or instead
of having our own kays. He's like, no, man, we
didn't get in no canoe together. I'll be getting my
own guy. So I got my I got my kayak.
I'm like, all right, man, so I get my kayak.
I'm starting paddling on the river and waiting on myron.
He's over there trying to trying to shove himself inside
this Uh at the time, how much did you wear
there at the time, Like threes three, three fifties something
(37:32):
like that, was trying to get inside this kayak and uh,
I had about an inch of clearance from the top
of the boat to the top of the water. Like
just one false move and you flipped it right there.
It wasn't ten ft from the docks, but y'all see.
But it is what pissed me off that day. First off,
I can swim. Let's get the stigmatism Black folk can
(37:54):
swim because I can. Okay, let's get that out of
the way. Number two, Jake says, hey man, it's only
gonna be two feet of water. Boom, And water was
all the way past my head. And you know how
you you know you do this and go down and
get your run and start for putting your feet. You
don't like getting the water. You can't see the bottom.
Oh man, snakes, beavers, everything to be in. And I
(38:16):
was like, no, man, I can't believe Jake got beavers,
Sir Beavers, No, sir, I won't. I won't be doing
this no more when we might, we might have to
revisit this podcast at some point, man, get you back
on here. We uh we ran out of time today,
but again, thank you guys, y'all give it up for Myron.
How Myron I won't live to see We love you guys,
(38:37):
Good company Podcasts with Jake will catch you next time
and uh, we'll see that. And thank you guys saying
bad time, saying batch help
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