With Christine Albert, former National Board Chair of The Recording Academy(R), at a benefit for her Swan Songs foundation.

“. . . world-class musicians . . . playing with heart, integrity and respect for the music . . . (in ‘Miss Otis Regrets’), we hang on every word.”

-- Christine Albert, singer/songwriter and national Board vice-chair,
The Recording Academy® (Grammy.org)

2012 children's album cover. Order the album HERE.

A Julian Beever pavement chalk drawing, as if tailor-made for the Talkin' Junebug Blues (see LYRICS page)!
Can you tell whether or not the child is real? See more at Julian Beever's website.

Click here to order any CD! (Blues for Lost Dreams release January, 2013)
Preview samples FREE on our LISTEN page.

Campbell Family Picker Festival near Fredericksburg, Texas

I was noodling around at a little coffeehouse in Llano, Texas, when these two people,
Judith & Clayton, came in, listened awhile, mentioned that they had a car full of guitars,
and invited me to come with them to a little gathering 'way out in the country.
They didn't look like kidnappers or serial killers, so I went.
Turns out, the Campbells have been hosting this gathering for some 35 years.
Mine is the cutaway with the armrest, looking out of place among the Martins.

Denis Solee, outstanding sax & clarinet	Etta Britt & Vickie Carrico, trying to keep a straight face for "That's All Right, Jack"	Smilin' Mike Douchette, steel & blues harp
Smilin' Dow (bass) and Smilin' Bill (lead guitar)	The Fewer Sorrows Glee Club overdubbing "In the Jailhouse Now"	Bill & John Nicholson, Head Engineer
Bill (with the beard) and Vickie	Eddy Anderson, doing a lot more than keeping time	Bill & Bill. Any idea what he builds as a hobby?
Bill Hullett producing, John Nicholson recording & engineering	Clayton (piano) & Glen (fiddle), trying to forget something	Bill Hullett & Vickie going over a chart

Mississippi Guitar Pull, March, 2012

This is the only guitar pull I know of with a Hall of Fame DJ emcee (Romeo Sullivan)
and a world famous guitar picker caught wearing shorts (Woody Wood).

Nashville, Hillside Studios, February - June, 2011, recording Country Blues and Story Songs

Bill Hullett, session leader, with his indestructible vintage telecaster	Running through charts at Hilltop (from left: Dow Tomlin, Clayton Ivey, Bill Hullett, Tommy Wells, Bill Reid, Mike Douchette. Not pictured: Glen Duncan, Brian Collins)	Dow Tomlin riffing for the camera
Clayton Ivey, who's played on more gold records than anyone I know of	Hilltop Studios, Nashville; scene of the crime, run by proprietor & super engineer, John Nicholson	Michael Douchette running through a chart on harp & steel; Bill Hullett in the background.
Glen Duncan in the fiddle room	Glen (left) & Clayton	In the vocal booth
Tommy, Brian Collins, Bill H. & Mike working on the chart for "Passin' Through"	Tommy Wells ("Tommy Boom," a fine hockey coach, too)	John at his A console
	"Nashville Nightengale" J'Nae Fincannon

Performances & Venues

Picks in Nashville (Photo by Brian Collins)

Pecan Street Brewing, Johnson City (Photo by David Weber)

Poodies Hilltop, Austin, TX (Spicewood), with Mark Allan Atwood on blues harp
(Photo by Denise Henry)

Brian Collins at On The Rocks, 2010	Pampell's, Kerrville	Opening night headliners, On The Rocks, 2010

Bill and guitar player extraordinaire Chris Reeves, April, 2008

The Junebug Special, named for granddaughter June Peterson, was made possible by a bequest from Lucile Reid Brock (thanks, Mom) and commissioned to Taylor Guitars in the summer of 2010. This unique guitar is made of hand-picked rosewood and cream cedar, with both Taylor-styled and custom green heart abalone inlay (including the "Moon-Over-Texas" cattle brand on the back of the headstock, registered by my great-great-grandfather Jesse Taylor Reid in Gonzales County, Texas, in 1867). It has an integrated koa armrest, koa and abalone trim, Gotoh 510 tuners, and bone & ebony in all the right places. The photos immediately below are of Taylor's J.R. Robison (left) and Joe Bina showing us wood samples (my wife Elise is on the right), and the partially-finished neck and headstock (inlay by Larry Breedlove). Those farther down are of the finished guitar, now being played daily (but not taken to gigs in sleazy bars).