Ask Bill – August 2, 2016

1) I’ve read that Wanted! The Outlaws from 1976 was the first country album to sell a million copies. How many copies were popular country records selling in the era when you had hit albums like I Love You Drops?

That’s a very interesting question, and I don’t know of a one-size-fits-all answer. My “Still” album and the “I Love You Drops” album you mentioned sold in the 3/4 million range when they first came out, but both contained cross-over songs. In other words, people bought those albums because of songs they heard on pop radio as well as country radio. Unfortunately, strictly country albums from those days, like “Bright Lights & Country Music,” didn’t sell quite that many.

2) Are you going to be on the new Match Game?

I would love to be on that show, but so far my phone hasn’t rung. I’ll  keep it in my pocket, though, just in case.

3) You and Vince Gill have talked about your return to songwriting in the mid 90’s with “Which Bridge To Cross – Which Bridge To Burn,” but did you write any songs at all between 1982-1983 or so? If so, were any recorded?

I talk about this at great lengths in my new book, but the short answer is yes, I did write a few songs during that time and, yes, some were recorded. “Southern Fried” and several of the songs I recorded on The Atlanta Sessions were from that period as was “Pity Party” which I recorded for Swanee. I can’t remember any that I wrote, though, that were cut by other artists. It was a pretty dry time.

4) Do you have your own music publishing company?

Yes, but only as a way to co-publish my own songs. I do not solicit or accept songs from other writers.

I always appreciate your questions and I hope you’ll keep right on sending them in. Write to me at whisperinbill@aol.com and watch for yours in this space in the months to come.

Thanks.