Jerry Broadway + ‘Amazing Grayson’: A Story of Faith, Humility and Redemption

11/26/20 • 31 min

Country music is built on stories of humility, faith and redemption and this week’s guest has a good one. If you’ve ever taken a relationship for granted or if you’ve ever looked at the best thing that ever happened to you and thought “meh, what else is there?” you’ll relate to author Jerry Broadway.

Maybe you know him best as just Broadway, part of the nationally syndicated Bud and Broadway radio show but before that in institution at radio stations across the southeast and Midwest in markets like Tulsa and St. Louis. He’s an ACM and CMA winner and a familiar face to famous country stars like Keith Urban and Brad Paisley. But today, Broadway is just Grayson’s dad.

The book is called Amazing Grayson after his teenage son Grayson, who’ll get to know in just a second. But really it’s one man’s story of redemption and the family that stood by him through often fatal impulses, like infidelity, ego and selfishness. Throw in some testicular cancer, a special needs child and the fragile nature of jobs in this industry and you see why this combustible story could easily have been a tragedy. But it’s not, thanks to one person. Well, thanks to God and one person.
Note: Days after recording this interview, Oklahoma City radio station KXXY announced they were bringing the syndicated Bud and Broadway Show.
Read: Amazing Grayson on Amazon
Learn More: Bud and Broadway Show's Homepage
Contest: The Eric Church ViewFinder I'm giving away. Tweet about the show with the #CMMP hashtag for a chance to win.

Previous Episode

Tom Roland: Could TikTok Be Country Music’s Great Equalizer?

Artists like Priscilla Block, Andrew Jannakos and Elvie Shane are using TikTok to tilt the playing field to their advantage. Freelance journalist Tom Roland explains how and why it's working.
Is TikTok for real, or is the social media platform another flash in the pan that promises more wannabe country music stars than actual stars? Recently, Tom Roland wrote an article for the Billboard Country Update called TikTok’s Timely Rise In Country Music.
If you don't understand the platform, don't worry. If you're deep in a TikTok wormhole, you'll appreciate what Tom says about the path artists are taking and why it's legit.
Read: TikTok's Timely Rise In Country Music
Contest: The Eric Church ViewFinder I'm giving away. Tweet about the show with the #CMMP hashtag for a chance to win.
Bookmark: Roland Note, The Ultimate Country Music Database
Listen: Andrew Jannakos, "Gone Too Soon"
Listen: Elvie Shane, "My Boy"
Listen: Priscilla Block, "Just About Over You"
Listen: Priscilla Block, "Thick Thighs"

Next Episode

Chase Rice, the Pandemic + Navigating Dolly Fever

Ironically, the pandemic may be to blame for Chase Rice's unsavory tweet in support of his new radio single.
Also this week, how to navigate Dolly Parton pandemonium if you're a journalist who's just interviewed Dolly Parton. Plus, why it's not fair to say the lack of Black and Latino artists is simply a numbers game.
Contest: The Eric Church ViewFinder I'm giving away. Tweet about the show with the #CMMP hashtag for a chance to win.
Read: Emily Lordi's, "The Grit and Glory of Dolly Parton" in the New York Times.
This week's show notes:
2:00 Morgan Wallen gets a second life
7:59 Are Tyler, Brian and Florida Georgia Line being honest with us?

11:20 Live Nation is doubling down on live country music, but I’m not buying it.

16:40 Sara Evans has a real sad COVID-19 story.

18:07 Taylor Swift’s high class drama is robbing her of country credibility.

19:02 Dolly Fever and how to make sure your story gets seen.

21:45 Here’s why Luke Combs was snubbed at the 2021 Grammy Awards

25:30 The CMAs had all the time in the world to be inclusive but couldn’t get it right.

34:36 How coronavirus left Chase Rice acting like a fool on Twitter