I Don’t Know What She Did to Deserve Me, But It Must Have Been Pretty Bad

            The first time I ever saw my wife Cyndi, I think I lost both of my shoes. I had never seen anyone or anything as pretty as her. She and I met at probably the worst time possible. We were both getting a divorce, and both of us probably had plans of moving on with our lives. But things don’t always work out as planned. They never did for me anyway.

            She and I have been together for over 21 years now, and these days I feel like I keep falling deeper for her. Honestly, I worry about it sometimes because I’m not sure that it’s healthy to want to be around someone as much as I do her. The thing is, I honestly worry about the day that I have to leave this world and I won’t have her by my side. If Heaven is perfect, I don’t know how it could be perfect if she’s not there with me.

            Through the years, I have written songs, written cards, and bought jewelry as well as flowers trying to remind her of my feelings. I will be the very first to acknowledge that she should have ended up with a much better looking, cooler and suave man. But the thing is, I’m quite the talker when I set my mind to it, and I put my mojo into overdrive as I talked her into marrying me. I don’t know exactly what I said, but it must have been brilliant. I lay in our bed this morning as the sun came up, and I marveled at her angelic beauty. I walked into the restroom to brush my teeth and chuckled as I looked in the mirror. She married a troll!

            Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, I was talking about how awesome it is to be married to Cyndi. She has changed me. She has gently made me want to be a much better man. She has encouraged me to be healthy. She has given me the power to believe in myself. She has given me two perfect little girls that are just as pretty as their mother. And she laughs at my incredibly stupid jokes almost every time. She loves country music, but she rocks to AC/DC. I’m telling you this woman is perfect. She and I enjoy coffee on the porch in the mornings when we both have time. We sit there staring out across the countryside talking about our kids or our parents. Our dog Maggie sits out there with us, and both barn cats come up to the house to hang out as well. Those mornings are some of my favorite times.

 

            I don’t know what the future holds. I’m sure there will be storms though. We will most likely feel the sting of death as it takes family members we have loved all of our lives. We will get older and start to fail ourselves. Yes, I’m sure those storms will come, but life has always been about receiving and losing, laughing and crying, living and then dying. I’m sure as long as I have her next to me that we can face it as it comes.

            To learn more about country artist Scott Coner, visit http://www.Facebook.com/ScottConerMusic, http://www.ScottConer.com, and http://www.YouTube.com/user/ScottConer.

Old Dogs and Children, and Watermelon Wine

By Scott Coner

Country Artist and Author

            The first lyric to a song I ever wrote was...

                        Here I am it’s at least 2:30 and I’m still up and awake

                        I can’t sleep for the guiltiness in my heart

                        Should I open the door for her?

                        Or just lie here in the dark?

                        Somebody tell me, tell me what to do….

            I was probably 12 or so. I didn’t know anything. I didn’t know girls much less women. I hadn’t had my heart crushed by some evil seventh grade girl yet. And I had probably never seen 2:30 in the morning in my life.

            What I did have going for me though was lots of music. I have already shared my exposure to early pop and rock records, but there was an extreme amount of country music in my house. My mom and dad had one of those giant record player consoles that kind of resembled a casket, and they weren’t scared to play it. As adults, I don’t think we think about what we subject our kids to enough. But I am so thankful that my parents were huge country music lovers. I heard all of the really good stuff. I was exposed to albums, not singles. And I heard it in stereo with that cool vinyl crackle in between songs.

Scott Coner (second from left) works with fellow musicians in Nashville (Photo by Cyndi Coner)

            My young soul probably wasn’t prepared for the grown-up antics of Tammy Wynette singing about divorce or Loretta singing about the pill. But I drank the Kool-Aid to the last drop. I knew all about “Watermelon Wine” and wondered what happened “Behind Closed Doors”.  To this very day, I enjoy nothing better than listening to The Statler Brothers as I have biscuits and gravy on a Saturday morning. It just doesn’t taste as good without “Susan When She Tried”.

            Man, that was good music! I always laugh a little bit though when I hear some of those Conway songs like “You’ve Never Been This Far Before” or “I’d Love to Lay You Down”… Really? In curlers?... What?... But make no mistake about it. I love Conway Twitty, but if I sang something like that, I’d end up on a registered offenders list or something these days.

            I remember my mom playing the radio as she made my breakfast before school. For some reason, obvious reasons really, I remember how The Gatlin Brothers sounded so smooth and perfect as they sang about a broken lady waiting to be mended. These are sweet memories to me, and I wouldn’t trade them for any money. Those songs, those artists will always be alive in my heart. We all have that soundtrack to our lives. I am so glad and so proud that my mom and dad watched "Hee-Haw" instead of "Lawrence Welk".

Scott Coner works with Logan Schlegal (Photo by Cyndi Coner)

            I get it that the music has changed with the times. I am okay with it, but I will always remember those songs with great fondness. I will also feel some strange responsibility to make sure that those that are in my life are exposed to as much of it as possible. I heard Jack White and Jimmy Page talking about the importance of the Delta Blues in order to better understand rock. I believe that this is true as well. I also believe that we need to bathe ourselves in earlier country music if we truly want to feel where we came from and maybe get a clearer vision for where we can go.

            Scott Coner is a country/Americana artist and author who has worked with legendary artists such as Tanya Tucker and T. Graham Brown. Scott's latest video, "Sweet Mary", has been downloaded more than 125,000 times on Facebook since Oct. 6. To learn more about country artist Scott Coner, visit http://www.Facebook.com/ScottConerMusic, http://www.ScottConer.com, and http://www.YouTube.com/user/ScottConer.

'Sweet Mary'... a Wrinkle in Time

By Scott Coner

Singer/Songwriter/Author

         The years have virtually flown by haven't they? I look in the mirror these days, and I barely recognize the man that stares back. There was a time though, and that time has long since passed, that I remember with great fondness. As a kid, I was blessed with the great fortune of growing up around a very tight-knit family. My dad and his brothers, as well as one sister, had all moved from Kentucky to Indiana in order to get better-paying jobs. This being said, I found myself in Kentucky quite a bit, and it was here, deep in the heart of southeastern Kentucky, that I discovered the 45rpm record, "Sweet Mary".

The single I played on my Aunt Janice's farm in Kentucky.

         My dad's youngest sister Janice was just out of high school during this time, and when she got married, she left behind a pretty nice record collection and a small, simple, stereo. I remember the sun shining through the old farmhouse window as I shuffled through the records. I don't remember all of the songs, but I do remember looking at a Beatles record that had a green apple on it with the other side showing the apple sliced. Creedence Clearwater Revival was in the stack, Andy Kim was in the stack, as well as The Lemon Pipers and lots more. What I remember most was a record called "Sweet Mary", recorded by a band that called themselves "Wadsworth Mansion". I don't have a definitive answer for why the song attached itself to me, but I suspect it was the repetitive construction of the song itself. It was simply loaded with simple and happy hooks.

         Years have passed, loved ones have passed, and much of my memory seems more like a dream than a reality. But there are certain parts of my childhood that have remained alive and well in my heart. I am certain that the song has found residence in my mind after all of these years because it simply represents a warm and happy moment in my life. I write my own songs these days and this has given me a tremendous amount of joy. I'll tell you, for me, there is nothing like taking a song from a private moment of writing all the way to its fullest interpretation in the studio. It is very rewarding and hard to put into words, but I think it has something to do with completing something from my soul that will last after I'm gone. But, there is another side of me that wants to share other music with people. This music I didn't write, but I want you to listen just the same because they are a part of me, a part of my make-up. I want the listener to hear and feel what I did so long ago. 

Country artist Scott Coner

         In the past few years, I have recorded several of the songs I grew up loving. And although it's true that I have given the songs my own "feel" and interpretation, I have truly tried not to rattle the integrity of the song. A few weeks ago I recorded "Sweet Mary". I usually find a deep sense of calm while working in the studio, but this time I found myself nervous and unsure. To me, the song seems to take part of my life full circle, and I couldn't help but wonder if this didn't somehow represent a larger, more looming type circle than I was aware of. I had originally hoped to reach out to the writer and original singer of the song, Steve Jablecki, and ask if he would enjoy being a part of this recording. Sadly, I found out that he had passed away some years back. But it was fantastic to talk with his sons Matt and Marc, as well as other friends from the Rhode Island area. It was important to me that these people know, especially Steve's son's, that their dad had truly been a blessing to me even after all of this time.

Wadsworth Mansion back in 1971 (photo from the Steve Jablecki family)

         As you listen to the song, I hope it brings you the joy that it brings me. I hope you will download the song and crank it up real loud in your car, your house, and your headphones. I hope that Steve's family and friends like what we have done with the song, and I hope to come up to their neck of the woods and lift "Sweet Mary"  towards heaven all the way to Steve Jablecki.

         Before I go, I wanted to thank my aunt, Janice Coner Dye, for the songs she left behind for me to enjoy at that old farmhouse. The cool thing is she still has all of those records today! Those records are a snapshot of my life, and I will always be thankful for that moment in time.  

         To learn more about country artist Scott Coner or to hear his music, visit www.Facebook.com/ScottConerMusic, www.ScottConer.com, or www.YouTube.com/user/ScottConer.

'It's Always About A Blonde'

By Scott Coner

Singer, Songwriter and Author

            It’s funny how so many of our current interests are carried over from our childhood. Like I’ve already said several times, my interest has pretty much always been music, and I started early. It’s just when you connect the dots to something from years ago, it begins to make sense in different ways.

            My first exposure to a piece of music that I loved was a song called “Dizzy”. I don’t remember specifics because I was somewhere around 5 years old, but I’m pretty sure my mom may have given me the 45 when I learned how to make my bed by myself. The song had cool breaks in it that utilized a snare drum, and it made me pretty happy. I think the artist's name was Tommy Roe, but I’m not even sure about that. Things get pretty hazy thinking that far back.

            I remember swinging in the glider on my swing-set singing “Dang Me” by Roger Miller with my big sister as loud as I could. I remember listening to The Archies singing, “Sugar, Sugar” as I rode in our '63 Impala. I also remember my aunt explaining to me that The Archies weren’t real and it was actually some guy named Andy Kim. I remember I didn’t like that. 

Scott Coner performs at "Tunesmithing" in Nashville. (Photo by Cyndi Coner)

            There was a weekday afternoon I remember sitting out front of my sister’s elementary school in the same Impala. In those days, we didn’t wear seat belts, so I kind of walked around the back seat in my Hush Puppies. That afternoon it was sunny outside, and Sonny and Cher were singing “I Got You Babe” on the radio. I was standing back there eating one of those orange, crappy tasting, “marsh-mallowly” Circus Peanuts. Anyway, as I’m back there rocking out, I witnessed an awesome blonde in a purple mini-skirt walking down the sidewalk. This was an important day because this was the day that I realized I would need a blonde just like that one when I got old enough to tie my shoes.  I wasn’t sure what I would do with her when I got her, but I sure liked thinking about it as I sat there in kindergarten eating my paste and thinking about the future. (I really didn’t eat my paste, just trying to paint a picture here.)

            Some years later, I got stung by a bee at our family’s farm in Kentucky. I became very sick from the sting, ended up in the hospital, and found out I was allergic to bee stings. That summer was spent following my mom to yard sales on Wednesday mornings instead of playing with my cousins because I needed to get my resistance built up with weekly shots before I could be released again into the wild. Mom gave me a $4 a week allowance and I spent it every week at the garage sales. I either bought comic books or 45’s. I would take those records home and listen to both sides. I had everything from The Everly Brothers' “Bird Dog” to Little Eva's “The Locomotion” (which I recorded myself later). I had stacks and stacks of records, and I would sit in my room and imagine I was a DJ playing really cool music for all of the people in the world that I didn’t even know.  We didn’t have digital music back then or even walkmans, but it didn’t matter. By the time I got better from the bee stings, I had every song I loved tattooed to my brain, and I listened to them all the time. I’m listening to them now….

            To learn more about Scott Coner or to hear his music, visit http://www.Facebook.com/ScottConerMusic, http://www.ScottConer.com or http://www.YouTube.com/user/ScottConer.

Scott Coner works with sound engineer Logan Schlegal. (Photo by Cyndi Coner)

Scott Coner: Probably Not Too Sexy for My Shirt

By Scott Coner

Country Artist (and fitness advocate)

         I have not always taken good care of myself. When I was a kid, I think I must have stayed up nights trying to think up new ways to kill myself. But that was a long time ago. These days I find myself considering every meal, my protein, my carbs. I think that little by little, I have turned the whole workout thing into some kind of weird game with myself.

         I started lifting weights off and on about 10 years ago, and these days, I'm pretty committed to it. If I'm home, I walk my dog Maggie every single evening. And I'm a member of two different fitness clubs.

         It has occurred to me that this whole working out thing allows me to listen to music, work on songs, pray, and plan. Yup, it's all about me, and this isn't so bad. We all need to have time alone thinking about how we carry on with our lives, don't we? After all, we are only here for a little while, so it is a positive thing to take care of what God gave us. I was talking with my publicist the other day, and he mentioned I should write about this topic. So, if you think it sucks, it's not my fault.

Scott Coner takes a break after walking his dog Maggie (Photo by Cyndi Coner)

         Here is the sad truth: I am 51 years old, and I am probably in the best over-all physical shape I have ever been. I am not really proud of this because it means I have spent the last four decades-plus living stupidly and keeping the "Little Debbie" people afloat. I just happened to realize that I craved sugar, slowed down at every Dairy Queen, and wanted chocolate so bad that the woman at the local drug store began to give me funny looks. So some things had to change.

         I started lifting weights out back in my barn. At the time, I wasn't too comfortable with going to a gym because I had never really done it before as an adult. I began to realize that I needed more support through a better diet, and a better understanding of where I wanted to end up. I read about men my age (what's needed to be in tip-top shape), and slowly I began to understand what it was I wanted to do. I started eating the calories for my target size. I began adding lots of protein to my diet, mixed in some kick-boxing and other cardio, and walked as often as possible. Because I'm such a spaz, I have never been overweight, but I certainly have been out of shape. Now, I'm not telling this story because I have mastered anything. I just wanted to share something pretty personal with you because I thought it might encourage someone in some way.

         Here is the deal: If you spend at least 30 minutes a day doing something healthy, your life gets better. Don't drink too many pops, don't eat out too often -- get that heart rate up -- and things just change. This is not some prison sentence that means you have to get rid of all the comfort food. Instead, this approach allows you to truly enjoy those special moments... when it's just you in your truck driving some back road singing at the top of your lungs (with ice cream all over your head). Now, of course I never do this... I just thought you might.

         These days, I have joined two fitness facilities, and I truly enjoy going. I hoped I could make new friends, but I cry a lot during the cardio, and I think it may scare people off. I eat pretty sensibly, and I don't ever give up. It really is pretty simple if you do it enough that it becomes a habit. I am including a small list of things that work pretty well for me in case anybody is interested.

          1. I buy Brooks shoes. They resemble clown shoes, but they truly support my knees and feet.

          2. Premier Protein shakes are outstanding and can be bought at Sam's Club.

          3. Drink water! Keep it around at all times. I try to get around a gallon down a day. I have met every tree between here and Nashville up close and personal.

          4. Pick up an occasional fitness magazine. Honestly, I haven't found much usable information out there, but it does help keep your mind focused.

          5. Eat some type of protein within 30 minutes of your workout.

          6. Plan your meals when you can.

          7. If you miss the boat one day and accidentally eat three pizzas, no problem. Just get back on track the next day, and don't beat yourself up.

          8. Back off of the carbs. We all need a reasonable amount, but I really like doughnuts (and this is a problem for me).

          9. Keep healthy snacks around at all times. I hate Greek yogurt, but my wife got me these new Greek yogurt "whips", and it has slowed my gag reflex down quite a bit.

          10. Sleep is very important. Your body and your mind need proper rest.

         As a kid, I had two posters in my room. One poster was O.J Simpson, and the other was Bruce Jenner. Looking back now, I realize I just had poor role models.

         I hope this helps somebody. (Next week I plan on discussing my adoration for puppies, so please stay tuned.) 

          To learn more about Scott Coner or to hear his music, visit http://www.Facebook.com/ScottConerMusic, http://www.YouTube.com/user/ScottConer, or http://www.ScottConer.com.

 

All I Ever Wanted And Then Some!

By Scott Coner

Country/Americana Singer-Songwriter

         I don't really remember not being drawn to music. Honestly, it's all that I have ever wanted. Through the years, I have had many unforeseen blessings come my way, including my wife, my kids, my appreciation for life... But all the time, music has been alive in my heart. The draw of writing a song (the need to play the guitar alone somewhere) has always been part of my makeup.

         I am a middle-age man these days, and I can tell you that nothing has changed in my heart. I find myself turning off the stereo in my truck as I drive down some highway and think about a song or some other part of this business. For those of you that have heard my story in the song "Nashville Song", I don't guess that this news comes as a surprise. But, I am the man that must live with the choices I have made. Through the years, I have walked away from all kinds of business opportunities that would have caged me in somehow, and I have been fortunate in the fact that I came out unscathed. But I will go to my grave knowing the truth to be something I find difficult to live with. 

         Music has been the mistress in my life that I have loved with my entire being, but she has been a self-centered wretch to be honest. She has kept me awake countless nights as I have worried about the business dealings she has brought my way. She has left me frozen in time as I have been given one bad deal after another. She has also given me some of the sweetest moments I have ever known. She has blessed me with so many friends, so many chords, so many words, so many dreams...

         The simple truth is that given another life (another clean slate), I would probably do it all over again. I don't want to be the guy that stands in his barn and drinks beer until its time to stumble up to the house to an annoyed woman. I don't want to be the guy that buys the big sports package for his television and waits for the next car race or football game. That type of life would be like a bullet to my soul. I cannot imagine the musical backdrop of my day being staged by some lame classic rock station as it plays another cut from its 30-album library. No, that existence just couldn't work for me.

         Music offers more dimensions than what the world offers. Music is my therapist. Music has given me courage when I had none. She has given me lyrics to share my feelings and commitment when I simply wanted to run away. Music gave me my wife, my kids, and my whole little world. It's true that through the years I have had a few bloody cuts from Nashville, as well as other parts of the world. But with age comes clarity, and I have realized that all of it has had purpose, and the purpose was to give me strength and appreciation. I will forever be grateful for what I have been given by music, and if anyone ever found me even a little bitter, then they didn't know me at all.

(Scott Coner is available for concert bookings. To learn more about him and hear his music, visit http://www.Facebook.com/ScottConerMusic, http://www.YouTube.com/user/ScottConer, or http://www.ScottConer.com.)

Labels and Bad Coffee: Slow Down A Little Bit

         It’s odd how we all want to put a label on every type of music there is. We stick our little labels on this and that, but it doesn’t always describe the artist or the band.

         Somebody wrote back to me earlier this week in reference to my Molly Hatchet blog and said today's country is just yesterday’s Southern rock. I appreciate the input, and it kind of got me to thinking. Of course there may be some Duane Allman or  Toy Caldwell peppered into this or that, but today's music is simply music that represents who and where we find ourselves today. The sad truth is, I think we might need a sticker that says, “disposable” or “forgettable”. It’s probably not that the music isn’t good or even great in some instances, but our world has become like that bitter instant coffee you may find in your break area at your place of work. We just move so fast that we forget how to slow down and listen.

         I don’t mean to preach, but yesterday I bought the new Warren Haynes album, “Ashes and Dust”. I had dinner, then went to my studio alone to listen to his newest masterpiece. It was a pretty cool experience as the needle glided through the vinyl taking me to places I hadn’t been yet. Each note was new and fresh, and I just sat there alone very happy and content. It was soothing to just listen for a change with no cell phone, no computer, and no one around. If I had to label Warren Haynes, I would simply give him a “smiley face” sticker because his music just makes me pretty happy.

         I have always hoped more than I can say that people might simply give me 40 minutes of their time and just listen to whatever project I have just recorded and released. I can think of no higher calling than to have my music, my songs, be the backdrop of someone’s dinner, their drive time, or even their thoughtful times. I wonder what type of label sticker I would get. Would they call me country? Southern rock? '70s pop country? I have no idea. I may not even deserve a label.

         But let me tell you something that matters: Slow down a little bit and don’t forget why we’re here in the first place. We don’t have to sip out of styrofoam cups and drink bad coffee. Find something new and interesting that you can be passionate about, and get off of this giant wheel we have become too accustomed to riding. 

         Learn more about country artist Scott Coner and hear his songs at www.ScottConer.com. Follow him at www.Facebook.com/ScottConerMusic and www.Twitter.com/ScottConer. Subscribe to his video channel at www.YouTube.com/user/ScottConer.