pod615 - Episode 1 - Link Detten
Link Detten [00:00:00] JD had eaten a meal and he went after soundcheck and he went to go lay down and Elvis called him up about a half hour later and he said, J.D. said, Meet me downstairs. Let's get something to eat. And he said, Well, Elvis, I just ate a little bit ago. And I just laid, I wanna lay down a little bit before the show and he said, Come down here, meet me and let's get something to eat. He said, Elvis, I just had a you know, a lot of. My food was going to lay down. And he's like, J.D., get down here now. And he said, Elvis, I had no idea how hungry I was!
Theme Song [00:00:40] Up and Down on Broadway across the avenues East Nashville to West End, Bellemeade and Bellevue.
Theme Song [00:00:48] Midtown Franklin Green Hills, Brentwood, Donelson and Hendersonville. The people, the places, the lifestyle, livin', lovin' in the 615...
VO [00:01:12] Hello! Welcome to the pod615 with your host, William Kitchens, your Nashville music, dine shop arts and entertainment podcast. This episode features session and touring musician Link Detten. Link currently performs with the Frontmen of Country. The group features the popular 90's country music superstars Larry Stewart with Restless Heart, Richie McDonald of Lonestar and Tim Rushlow from Little Texas. William sat down with Link to discuss not only his current gig with these hitmakers, but to share stories from his entire career. These include iconic award winning musicians such as Jeff Cook from Alabama, James Burton, guitarist with Ricky Nelson and Elvis Presley, and even a stage appearance with Sir Brian May of Queen.
William Kitchens [00:01:52] Link how are you?
Link Detten [00:01:52] Doing? Good, buddy. How you doing?
William Kitchens [00:01:53] Man I am doing fantastic and you've been doing so much. Tell us about this, the gig you have with the Frontmen. These guys are fantastic. Got the the Frontmen of Country is Larry Stewart, Richie McDonald and of course, Tim Rushlow with Little Texas, Lonestar and Restless Heart Link, how's that tour going? You guys are doing a lot of dates this fall.
Link Detten [00:02:13] Yeah, man, we got we got really lucky with especially we just coming out of the pandemic and things opening back up again. So we this year we'll probably do 35 or 36 dates by the end of the year.
William Kitchens [00:02:25] And some of these are full band productions and some are acoustic.
Link Detten [00:02:28] Yeah, some require some acoustic and and also full band. But next year they're going to be planning on having just they want full band. They don't, you know, when R.K. and Matthew isn't there, it's just that it's not the same, you know? I mean, Larry, after the shows like, man, we need we need the guys. And I'm like, no kidding. So next year, they're planning on doing all band dates.
William Kitchens [00:02:46] Good. Yeah. Full disclosure, I've known Link for. For many, many years. I know his history. I met him first doing stand up comedy at the what was the theater called?
Link Detten [00:02:54] The Stardust Theater.
William Kitchens [00:02:56] Stardust Theater on Music Valley Drive. First time I met him, the guy was a riot. He was tearing up the house. He was opening for himself. Basically, he was on the show.
Speaker 2 [00:03:05] Right?
William Kitchens [00:03:05] So he came out and he did the warm up for him, for himself and then then came out and played guitar with the tribute band there. But tell us about comedy. How did you get involved in comedy? Your father was a professional comedian, right?
Link Detten [00:03:16] Yes, he was a comedy writer. Frank Link was a professional comedian and musician. And I kind of grew up just basically grew up around it. And I found out that you can be funny and then play a song and be funny and play a song and make a living off of that. So I'm like, hell you know, it beats saying paper or plastic.
William Kitchens [00:03:34] And your mother was a big part of that influence as well, right?
Link Detten [00:03:38] Gosh yes she she absolutely was well, she's like the unsung hero, you know, she taught me how to sing harmony. And she was my biggest fan, bought me my first acoustic when I was nine, got me my first ah I remember coming home from my garage band. They're like, I'm showing up in a garage band with with a Yamaha acoustic and with a microphone up to it, playing through an eight inch speaker and it was awesome. And they're like, You need an electric guitar. And I'm like, Well, what do I get? And they're like, Get you a Fender Stratocaster. And I'm like, Sure. So she's like, written down Fender Stratocaster. And I came home from school like two weeks later, and there it was on my bed and got me a little amp to go with it. And you started me off. I mean, she was at every gig she was because top 40 bands followed later on.
William Kitchens [00:04:21] So she didn't mind you taking that eight inch woofer out of her Magnavox stereo Wi-Fi right.
Link Detten [00:04:27] Out of the.
William Kitchens [00:04:27] Hot roding it into the Radio Shack.
Link Detten [00:04:30] And the back of her Honda Civic.
William Kitchens [00:04:35] Yes... 8 inch speaker. Yeah, your Dad right, though. He was on Carson. He wrote for.
Link Detten [00:04:40] Well, he wrote a joke for Carson. Yeah. Back in those days, you could in the seventies, you could be a ghostwriter on some stuff. So he knew the guys, some of the guys in the band. He used to hang out with Tommy Newsom in in L.A. and go down to this jazz club and get up and sing, he was also amazing singer too. He did a merv Griffin. He was on there were Dom Louise and Kaye Ballard and I think 74 ish. And but yeah, he wrote a joke for Carson and got it in during the the gas crunch.
William Kitchens [00:05:09] Okay. So right now you're touring the Frontmen of Country, great group. That's Larry Stewart from Restless Heart.
Link Detten [00:05:14] Richie McDonald from Lonestar.
William Kitchens [00:05:16] And Tim Rushlow from Little Texas. That's a lot to say and that's a lot of hits
Link Detten [00:05:23] There.. It's 90 minutes, a number ones, man. And they they have over 30 million records sold between all of them and 17 number ones is just ridiculous.
William Kitchens [00:05:31] And we talked before the show and the taping and you told me that I mentioned songs that aren't even in the top ten hits are not even in the show. It's incredible that you can do 90 minutes and still leave out.
Link Detten [00:05:44] Oh, yeah. And that many me at least not nine or ten other huge hits, you know, not counting top ten hits or top 20 hits.
William Kitchens [00:05:50] Who's the first guitar player you heard made you go, Hey, I want to do that?.
Link Detten [00:05:56] George Benson.
William Kitchens [00:05:56] OK.
Link Detten [00:05:56] That was my first concert.
William Kitchens [00:05:59] Your first concert was George Benson.
Link Detten [00:06:00] Yeah.
William Kitchens [00:06:01] George Benson alright now tell me, because I remember my first concert was Glen Campbell.
Link Detten [00:06:04] Oh, wow!
[00:06:05] At the Charlotte Convention Center at Charlotte Arena Coliseum. Yeah. In Charlotte when I was like 12, 13 years old. So where was George Benson for you?
Link Detten [00:06:16] Bayfront Center in St Pete, Florida. St Petersburg, Florida. Yeah, man. I remember working at Publix Bakery, washing dishes in the bakery and saved up my money and and went down there. I was just blown away. I mean, just no effects, no delay, no verb just a Ibanez is plugged into whatever he was plugged into and just I don't know why, but I attribute that to my mom and dad because they love cool music. They grew up with like Blood, Sweat and Tears and Carole King and the Fifth Dimension and Bread and just just a whole just a whole big grab bag of stuff.
William Kitchens [00:06:54] Oh, it's true. We we grew and having had the better bands.
Link Detten [00:06:57] Oh, you kiddin me call me old, whatever, you know.
Link Detten [00:07:01] Old.
Link Detten [00:07:01] You can keep your keep your bands of today and I'll I'll you know, I'll stick I'll stick with it
William Kitchens [00:07:05] So what was the song that made you want to go here George Benson? Do you have a favorite? But for me, Glen Campbell, it was Galveston.
Link Detten [00:07:11] Oh, absolutely.
William Kitchens [00:07:12] So what was the George Benson song that you were sitting in the seat.
Link Detten [00:07:16] Masquerade, Masquerade or the instrumental stuff like off his Affirmation album, Affirmation or 24, Was it 6 to 4 was a song called 6 to 4. But I used to go to bed every night with a Bell and Howell tape recorder next to my head and just hit play and turn it down like on three and just lay on the side, man, and go to bed to that. Steve Martin Comedy albums and Richard Pryor comedy albums.
William Kitchens [00:07:41] Steve Martin. So there's an influence right.
Link Detten [00:07:44] Obviously funny and funny and music. There you go
William Kitchens [00:07:47] You just chose guitar instead of banjo.
Link Detten [00:07:49] Yeah, yeah. And not a lot of work.
William Kitchens [00:07:51] There's a lot of comedy in banjo right there, I'm sure. What's your favorite banjo joke? I know you've got one.
Link Detten [00:07:57] I've got two. Yeah, there's a million of them. I just have to say. Oh, man, what does a tornado in a in a banjo solo have in common?
William Kitchens [00:08:05] What?
Link Detten [00:08:05] You can see in both common is not a damn thing you can do about it.
William Kitchens [00:08:11] I mean, we don't have full production here. We're having to use in, like our own sound effects here. Can you give me a rim shot?
Link Detten [00:08:21] Yeah.
William Kitchens [00:08:22] Thank you. You've been on the road with a lot of people. Jeff Cook in the Country Music Hall of Fame. And he's also working with James Burton, Elvis's guitar player, Rick Nelson.
Link Detten [00:08:31] You know, everybody...
William Kitchens [00:08:32] who's in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. So you you've had the pleasure of working with two Hall of Fame members, one in country and one in rock and roll. Let's talk about Jeff Cook first. Tell us about that experience.
Link Detten [00:08:43] Yeah! Pretty much a third of my life. I mean, the last five or six years, he hasn't been able to play because of Parkinson's, which is just tragic. And even, you know, it blows my mind to see somebody who was just at the top, you know, and slowly taken away. But for 16 years, 16 years, man, all over the all over the United States. And doing we did a lot of studio work. We did some Alabama songs for our projects and stuff and got to when you get to play with your heroes, you know, it just is surreal. And then when when they become dear friends, because a lot of people that I played for, you know, you know, you keep that, you know, you're the band and they're the artist. And but he and I just hit it off with funny and guitars from day one. And I mean, dear friend.
William Kitchens [00:09:32] And I know this and I want you to share it with the listeners today. Tell us about getting Cooked. What does it mean to get Cooked by Jeff Cook that's you share that joke and he ah
Link Detten [00:09:43] Oh Yeah Oh yeah.
Link Detten [00:09:44] He would poker face he would I'd tell him the joke I was his ghostwriter for 16 years on stage. I could literally lean in his ear and go, you know, whatever I would say. And then he'd walk up to the microphone and say it, and then he'd get the laugh in in like, look at me. Like what? And I'm like, is my line, dude, it's my line again. And we'd be sitting at dinner 20 people and I lean over and say something in his ear, and then he'd look at me like poker face and not laugh, and then turn to everybody and say the same thing, the joke or whatever it was and kill it never gave me credit. Oh yes. It became like an inside thing after a while.
William Kitchens [00:10:23] Your favorite, favorite Alabama song.
Link Detten [00:10:27] My Home's in Alabama.
William Kitchens [00:10:28] There you go. Favorite venue you ever played on all these tours that you've done, what's the best way he ever played.
Link Detten [00:10:35] The best.
William Kitchens [00:10:36] Or your favorite.
Link Detten [00:10:37] Play? Well, playing the Ryman. Playing the Ryman in 2001 with Dobie Gray was 13 minutes of amazing that I'll never forget.
William Kitchens [00:10:45] That's pretty much the trump card right there. Your songwriting now, too, with Duane Hitchens, who wrote huge Rod Stewart hits what, Young Turks Do You Think I'm sexy and...
Link Detten [00:10:56] Infatuation?
William Kitchens [00:10:57] Infatuation?
Link Detten [00:10:57] Yeah. He co-wrote all those. Yeah.
William Kitchens [00:10:58] And now you're writing with him. You've written a new song, a song you came up with called Race in the Rain. Yeah. That you just co-wrote with Dwayne.
Link Detten [00:11:07] No, actually, I had the here's the magic of Don Goodman, who was the other writer on it. Don wrote or read for George Jones and then, of course, Blake cut it in Shelton. And it was his first number one. But when I brought the song idea and I had the first verse written, I had the melody I had, and he liked my first verse. Except the opening line is living on the edge of Watertown Town. And I had me and my family are on solid ground. And he said and then in the next couple of lines he liked and wanted to keep. But he said, what if we take that second line and we flip it and we go, I ain't never been on solid ground. Which gives you. In racing, the rain is like a metaphor for whatever whatever you're racing and you know, you're staying, trying to stay ahead of, you know, whatever that is in your life, you know, whatever that problem is. So just by doing that switching that line changed the entire song for what it needed to be. You know, it was just and what a cool cat, he's been he's been around for 50 years and down, you know, with everybody.
Watertown Plays [00:12:15] Living on the edge of Watertown. Ain't never been on solid ground. Daddy worked hard every day. 60 hour week for 40 hour pay. Everytime was time the sun tried to shine on us. Out of the blue, a storm came up. Shower turned into a flood. Left everything we owned in the Tennessee mud..
Watertown Plays [00:12:55] I keep racing the rain... but I just can't seem to win... I keep chasing the flame. The clouds keep rollin' in... love like them blue skies are subject to change. I keep praying for sunshine... and racin' the rain.
Watertown Plays [00:13:20] First time love ever came around. Some good bad girl from Watertown. Night before our wedding day. She showed me how her heart could play.
Watertown Plays [00:13:46] I keep racin' the rain but I just can't seem to win. I keep chasing the flame but the clouds keep rolling in. Love like them blue skies are subject to change I keep praying for sunshine and racing the rain.
Watertown Plays [00:14:36] I'll keep racin' the rain, until I finally win. I'll keep chaisin' the flame, I ain't never givin' in... love like them blue skies, are subject to change I'll keep prayin' for shunshine, and racin'' the rain.
Watertown Plays [00:14:53] Living on the edge of Watertown, Ain't never been on solid ground.
William Kitchens [00:15:17] All right. That's a beautiful song Link. Tell me about how that what inspired that idea.
Link Detten [00:15:23] Going down 40, 40 East and, I've seen the sign Watertown for you know forever passing it and for some reason I just I went living on the Edge of Watertown.
Link Detten [00:15:36] And then that the only line I had enough and I like that melody and I like that because there's a Watertown any in the United States in every state there's a Watertown somewhere. So I thought that, you know, there could be a good connection for folks to relate to. And then when I took it in to the guys, to Don and to Duane, Don turned it around and said, you know, I've had this hook forever called Racing the Rain. What if we make it about Watertown? But we don't leave that as the hook and use, you know, racing the rain as a hook and see if it works. And it it did. And I'm I'm proud of it, man.
William Kitchens [00:16:09] James Burton, Rock Roll Hall of Fame. Tell me about that. What's that like? He still out there giging, doing things you just played with him, not recently. Well right before the pandemic. T PAC, right? His.
Link Detten [00:16:22] No, we were at the Schermerhorn. The Nashville Symphony Center.
William Kitchens [00:16:25] Yes. Okay.
Link Detten [00:16:26] With those those those guys. What's his name? Oh, Brian May.
William Kitchens [00:16:29] Oh, that guy?
Link Detten [00:16:31] Yeah, and Joe Walsh, let me say more gratuitous name dropping. It, it got ridiculous!
William Kitchens [00:16:38] Was there a Skunk in the house?
Link Detten [00:16:39] There was a Skunk Baxter there was a Skunk sighting. There was Joe Walsh, there was Sammy Hagar, there was Steve Cropper, Paul Shaffer, Jason Scheff from Chicago. Mickey Dolenz
William Kitchens [00:16:51] Who wasn't there?
Link Detten [00:16:53] Yeah, right.
William Kitchens [00:16:54] Me!
Link Detten [00:16:54] My agent.
William Kitchens [00:16:58] That's the James Burton. So that's his charity thing, is. Is that going to happen again soon or...
Link Detten [00:17:04] Yes, and as a matter of fact,.
William Kitchens [00:17:04] Scheduled?
Link Detten [00:17:05] We picked a couple of times this week together. We picked for about 2 hours on last Wednesday and last Thursday we picked for a couple of hours. And because he hurt it, he hurt his hand last month, he fell and the man's 82 and plays his rear end off like I mean, just still the top of his game. It's quite amazing actually how healthy he is and how just smooth he is and his tone and it just ridiculous.
William Kitchens [00:17:29] Ricky Nelson to Elvis Presley.
Link Detten [00:17:30] Yeah, right.
William Kitchens [00:17:31] To Susie Q...
Link Detten [00:17:33] Absolutley,.
William Kitchens [00:17:33] Yeah.
Link Detten [00:17:33] You know, you know, and the opening lick on on Hard Working Man for Merle that opening telecaster that's James. I mean, it just goes on that guy's just ridiculous. But they're working on something in England right now. First, because we were supposed to go over in 2020 into England because we did in 2019 November. So when everything hit, you know, four months later with the pandemic, that was all put on the backburner. But now they're talking about it again. To do with it.
William Kitchens [00:18:02] What's with the event called it's James Burton's All Star...
Link Detten [00:18:06] Yeah, James Burton and friends.
William Kitchens [00:18:07] James Burton and Friends...
Link Detten [00:18:07] Yeah.
William Kitchens [00:18:10] And so this year it'll be overseas.
Link Detten [00:18:11] Yeah. Those are going to do it at an Albert Hall.
William Kitchens [00:18:16] You're going to get to go play at Albert Hall?
Link Detten [00:18:18] And they're talking about Robert Plant. They're talking Pete Townsend. they're talking Paul McCartney. They're talking to all the.
[00:18:26] Sir Paul McCartney?
Link Detten [00:18:26] I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I should genuflect when I say that.
William Kitchens [00:18:29] Oh, man. Yes, I'm jealous. But yeah. So the event on him in Nashville was incredible. Yeah, it was a star studded night. And you got to... tell us the Brian May story because I've heard this story I want the listeners to hear. But your encounter with.
Link Detten [00:18:46] Oh, Mr. May?
William Kitchens [00:18:46] Mr. May!
Link Detten [00:18:47] Oh, my goodness. Wow. Okay. We're, we're doing our segment in the show because I brought Larry and Larry Stewart from Restless and Greg Jennings from Restless Heart, and they wanted to do a tribute to Glen Campbell because James played on all Glen Campbell stuff. So we were the Inspirations. We I had to leave the band and go up to the center in this half moon of chairs. Just made my knees knock and Brian is sitting at rehearsal. He's sitting all by himself in the center of the theater, this 4000 seater theater, and he's sitting by himself and that white hair is hands, resting on his hands. I mean, it had resting on his hands and just listening
William Kitchens [00:19:25] Like a college professor with tenure...
Link Detten [00:19:28] Yeah, but no. No handlers, no entourage, just his by himself. Just by himself, just hanging out. And I'm like, Dude, go to lunch. Because, you know, I touch back here and there's Skunk Baxter and look over here and there's Sammy Hagar. And everybody's watching us rehearse, you know? And I'm like, just trying to get through it. And so we break for lunch and I go and I'm. I'm eating a sandwich, and he walks in a room and I go, There is. And he's getting closer.
Link Detten [00:19:54] He's getting closer.
Link Detten [00:19:56] And then he walks up and he goes, I can't do a British accent but he's like, Link. And I'm like, he remembered my name and you're the guy. And he goes.
Link Detten [00:20:07] He goes, so he says he says, Your high, your high, airy, wispy harmonies are essential for any band harmony to work. And I'm just like. Looking up at him and I say thank you. He said, Your voice is beautiful. And I said, Thank you. And he said, Your guitar playing is amazing. And I'm like, What can you, you know, write that down? So when I tell people that, you know, they believe me. And he goes, he said, I know you from somewhere. And I'm like, Let's see. Was it Live Aid? No. no...let me think, was, you know where La Hacienda is? No Mexican restaurant I played. No.
William Kitchens [00:20:44] The one over there by the
Link Detten [00:20:44] Let's see was it.
Link Detten [00:20:46] Wembley Stadium was it. No. I'm pretty sure you don't know me, dude. I'm pretty sure you don't know me. And he goes, I know you from somewhere. I'm like, okay, cookoo you know, you don't know me from anywhere, sir. And I'm like, Remember that one time you were in Queen? Yeah, yeah.
Link Detten [00:21:02] No, no. What then?
Link Detten [00:21:04] So an yway, he walks on and he goes, We'll talk later. And I was like. So I went in the bathroom, had a moment and came back out and went back to rehearsing. And there he was again. I'm like, You guys are killing me. So real quick, we're doing 25 or 6 to 24 with Jason Scheff... Jason comes out with him sing 25 or 6 to 4. And so Brian supposed to come out and play a solo on it. And so wha na na na, wna na na na is happening at rehearsal. And so. But he doesn't know the breakdown.
Link Detten [00:21:38] Sitting cross legged on the floor... 25 or 6 to 4... He doesn't know that section at all. So at rehearsal he just turns and looks at me and his eyes are really big and and I go because it's so loud. All the guitars are happening. I just scream. I'm like.
Link Detten [00:21:51] F, C, G and another F, and that's it. There's only two sections, sir. and he went Thank you and I'm like you're welcome!
Link Detten [00:22:03] He walked, turned around, started playing well. He does another verse, Jason sings, and then that section comes up again. He turns around same look.
Link Detten [00:22:12] And F, C, G another F and that's it, sir. There's only two sections. So he's like, Thank you, thank you!
Link Detten [00:22:21] And so we finish the song. So we get through. And in the show, there's there's footage. It's just. I wish you could see his face because he turns. He turns to me on stage when we're doing 25 or 6 to 4 and nobody, all you see is me laugh and everybody's like, Why are you laughing at Brian, May? Like, I'm not laughing at him. I'm laughing at the face he made. He turns to me, and when he gets to that section, he's playing an F chord. And he like.
Link Detten [00:22:48] Like say, I got it. They play the C, and he's like, Look at that.
Link Detten [00:22:53] I got it. I remembered what you said. I remembered, you know. And then he gave me a wink and did his rock and roll thing that he does, you know, that iconic, you know, fist in the air. And I'm like, I had the country music measles. I mean, I did. I did. It was I was like, wow.
William Kitchens [00:23:09] So the day Link Detten did and gave Brian May guitar lessons.
Link Detten [00:23:15] No, I just I just yelled F, C he knew the chords....
William Kitchens [00:23:19] Like you were playing the second floor at Tootsies
Link Detten [00:23:22] Alright man, I'm telling you...
William Kitchens [00:23:22] I know, I know...
Link Detten [00:23:22] And i also went...
[00:23:24] yelling out the numbers then...
Link Detten [00:23:25] You're right.
William Kitchens [00:23:26] If you yelled out an F, F at Tootsies, They'd look at you like... where you from boy?.
Link Detten [00:23:35] You ain't from around here are ya...
William Kitchens [00:23:35] That ain't a...
Link Detten [00:23:36] That's a 4 son!
Link Detten [00:23:40] You pack your stuff and get out of here.
VO [00:23:45] Hope you're enjoying this episode of The pod615 with William Kitchens. Be sure to follow this show on your favorite social media platform and podcast listening service. Oh, and by the way, if you're looking for a great advertising opportunity, be sure to check out the advertising section on our website. Visit us online at pod615.com. We'd love to feature your business here.
William Kitchens [00:24:09] So your relationship with James brought you to this? How did that start with the James?
Link Detten [00:24:14] With my old country partner, Gary Bridges, who produced the show and got me in the All Star Band. And I played for James and James. We hit it off and then the next thing you know, I'm.
William Kitchens [00:24:25] So you're just hobnobbing around with let's see Brian May, Jeff Cook, James Burton, Larry Stewart. You and Larry have became really good friends.
Link Detten [00:24:38] Absolutely... he, he wouldn't tell you that.
William Kitchens [00:24:39] Richie McDonald.
Link Detten [00:24:42] Mr. McDonald.
William Kitchens [00:24:43] Eating wings on the bus... I don't know. Just having a good time, man. That's pretty much the life. Is that what you grew up wanting to do?
Link Detten [00:24:50] Yes, absolutely.
William Kitchens [00:24:52] and It came true.
Link Detten [00:24:53] It did.
William Kitchens [00:24:53] And did you ever think when you were hearing Bohemian Rhapsody?
Link Detten [00:24:57] No. Playing it with the tennis racket. I used to have dress rehearsal like everybody did, right?
William Kitchens [00:25:02] Yeah.
[00:25:02] In your bedroom, when you're 15, 16, you have dress rehearsal, you know. And I had an electric guitar that wasn't plugged in. That was my dad's, one of my dad's friends guitars. And then that went away. So we had to go back to tennis racket. But I played a pretty good tennis racket.
William Kitchens [00:25:19] We had a broom. We had a broom and a hairbrush for a mike.
Link Detten [00:25:21] Nice I see.. I used to screwdriver.
Link Detten [00:25:23] Screwdriver for a microphone.
Link Detten [00:25:25] Not to drink an actual. Yeah, yeah.
William Kitchens [00:25:28] Yeah. Oh yeah. Which reminds me too. Your brother owns a liquor store somewhere lately. We should give him a plug. He's getting a free plug for every. What part of Kentucky.
Link Detten [00:25:36] Louisville, Kentucky.
William Kitchens [00:25:37] In Louisville. If you're up in Louisville, you got to go to where?
Link Detten [00:25:40] You know, I don't know the name of his liquor store?
William Kitchens [00:25:42] Oh, it's embarrassing. He's going to hear this.
Link Detten [00:25:43] It's horrible. Uh.
William Kitchens [00:25:46] We're trying to get lots of liquor to put it in the show notes.
Link Detten [00:25:49] Lots of Liquor
William Kitchens [00:25:50] Lots of liquor. That's good. I did a commercial for a for a I wrote a jingle for a liquor store in Columbus. And I should preface that. I got a call from radio station. They said, Hey, we need you to write a jingle for this company. We've got a company that wants a jingle called Kickin Chicken. And I'm thinking Kickin Chicken? That's what barbecue, you know some kind? No, it's a liquor store in Columbus, Georgia. Kickin' Chicken.
Link Detten [00:26:15] Kicken, Because you think liquor. You think there was just two shows up, the one in Wisconsin last Friday and Saturday, we were in Springfield, Missouri, with the Frontmen thing. And there's a liquor store there in Wisconsin. And the name of it was Liquor and Cheese.
William Kitchens [00:26:33] I'm not connecting those dots. I'll let you. I'll let you do it.
Link Detten [00:26:38] I swear to God. Wow. You get two things.
William Kitchens [00:26:40] Not wine and cheese, but liquor.
Link Detten [00:26:43] Liquor and cheese. There you go.
William Kitchens [00:26:46] All right. Once again, we're here with Link Denton, Nashville, session player, musician, songwriter, comic, a little bit of everything. One of the coolest thing he's ever told me is he's had a chance not only working with James Burton, but you've worked with Charlie Hodge and some of the guys and.
Link Detten [00:27:03] J.D. Sumner, the Stamps.
William Kitchens [00:27:04] And are in the best story ever. The Elvis spaghetti story.
Link Detten [00:27:10] Oh, yeah. Where he.
William Kitchens [00:27:11] You gotta tell me the Elvis story
Link Detten [00:27:12] Well they, they get they get into Houston to do a show. And J.D. had eaten a meal and he went after soundcheck and he went to go lay down. And Elvis called him up about a half hour later. And he said, J.D. said, meet me downstairs, let's get something to eat. And he said, well Elvis I, I just a little bit ago. And I just laid, I wanna lay down a little bit before the show and he said, Co me down here, meet me and get, let's get something to eat.
Link Detten [00:27:40] He said, Elvis, I just had a you know, a lot of food, I was gonna lay down Can I? And he's like, J.D. Get down here now! And he said, Elvis, I had no idea how hungry I was!
Link Detten [00:27:57] He said. It's the one when he when he puts it like that, you go. I said, Did you eat? He said, Yeah, I eat again. I was miserable.
Link Detten [00:28:05] He made him eat!
William Kitchens [00:28:06] And Elvis say that effect on people from what I understand. Charlie Hodge. Give me your favorite Charlie Hodge story. And for those of you who don't know, Charlie Hodge was the man who played acoustic guitar with Elvis.
Link Detten [00:28:16] Yep.
William Kitchens [00:28:16] And handed him his famous scarves. So if any of you, after you have a have an Elvis scarf, it first came from Charlie.
Link Detten [00:28:23] Yeah. My one of my favorite stories from him was the infamous day where Elvis bought 5, 5 cars in one day, 5 Cadillacs in one day, and he passed them out to friends. And Charlie was one of them. And Charlie, if anybody knows, Charlie was a little guy. Charlie was you know, probably 5' 3", 5' 4", I mean, you could see his feet and his driver's license picture. He's a little dude.
Link Detten [00:28:47] He's a little dude.
Link Detten [00:28:50] And he said that Elvis gave him the Cadillac and he come up the driveway at Graceland. And Elvis just saw his knuckles as he was driving on the steering wheel.
Link Detten [00:29:01] And he said he was going to take the car back. And he's like, I begged him. He's like, Elvis. Please don't take this car back.
Link Detten [00:29:07] So Charlie went and got a couple of phone books and sat on the phone books to make himself look taller, so Elvis wouldn't take the car from him, and he still had that to do pretty much up until he died. He had the Cadillac he had it in storage.
William Kitchens [00:29:20] That's a great story. What's your favorite road story? You got one. You've you've been you've been so many places before. Some of you have a favorite story that stands out.
Link Detten [00:29:32] Actually, I do. Our mutual friend, Mr. R.K. Brown.
William Kitchens [00:29:36] Oh, this is going to be great. For those of you don't know, R.K. Brown is a, uh, another well-respected musician here in Nashville from Atlanta. He used to tour with, he played with Jeff Cook as well, and a few tours with Curtis Mayfield.
Link Detten [00:29:49] Oh, my goodness. Yeah, he goes way back.
William Kitchens [00:29:52] We won't tell his age, but.
Link Detten [00:29:54] He's the same age. We're 8 hours apart.
William Kitchens [00:29:55] That's right, you guys.
Link Detten [00:29:56] Same day, same year.
William Kitchens [00:29:58] What's your R.K. story?
Link Detten [00:29:59] Oh, man, is. This is all in love R.K. this is all love, brother. We get off the bus with Cook and we're in somewhere. And we went to this place to get something to eat. And for those who don't know R.K., R.K., is visually impaired. So. So we get off the bus and we're he's looking up and the lady said, Can I help you? And he's like squinting, looking at that at the menu. And he's like, Well, he's squinting really hard. And he goes, I think, I think I'll have a burrito supreme and two soft tacos, please. And she says, Sir, you're at Wendy's.
Link Detten [00:30:37] And I'm like, Here's the part that throws me. You looked up there and saw a Burito Supreme two soft tacos and they're not up there or or my other favorite, where we go to that, we're playing Branson and don't tell anybody. And so we go to breakfast. They cook us breakfast and R.K. And they had like a banquet thing. We walked up, you know, get everything buffet style. So R.K. comes back. And he loved it. He loves orange juice. He used to drink it with every meal. And so he sits down, he's got a styrofoam cup and he's sitting there and he takes a drink out of his cup, spits it out everywhere. And I'm like, What's wrong? He said, This orange juice is bad. And it was waffle batter.
Link Detten [00:31:33] So for the for the rest of that through the rest of that weekend, I was like, hey, batter, batter, hey, batter... drink!
William Kitchens [00:31:44] Okay. We can't tell the the hot fudge Shoney's story, can we? We can't.
Link Detten [00:31:49] No, no, no, I don't. I think we're going to leave that out. Yes.
William Kitchens [00:31:54] You see, Link on the road somewhere. Pull him aside. He'll tell you the story.
Link Detten [00:31:58] For a small fee.
William Kitchens [00:31:59] We can't tell about the Carpenter's song either can we? Can we? Is it? No, I don't think there's a no. No, we can't do that one either. No, there are so many great stories. We'll have to we'll have to have a different episode for with a disclaimer.
Link Detten [00:32:11] Right. Sure.
William Kitchens [00:32:12] Warning labels attached to it. Is there anyone you'd love to perform with that you haven't had a chance to yet?
Link Detten [00:32:18] Wow.
William Kitchens [00:32:21] Living today.
Link Detten [00:32:23] Paul McCartney or Garth? Yeah, that would be pretty amazing. Yeah.
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William Kitchens [00:33:03] All right. Once again, we're here with Link Detten, touring musician, session player, singer songwriter, comic extraordinaire. Tell us you've told us some funny stories on the road. What has been the strangest thing that's ever happened to you on the road?
Link Detten [00:33:20] Strangest? Well, I have to say, there was a. I when I was playing with this Elvis impersonator, who I. Gary Bridges, whose might turn out to be my country partner for like 12 years. I was in his Elvis show, and that's how I got to meet. He was like one of the number one impersonators in the country. So Charlie came out with us and Eddie, Nick and Larry Strickland and Kathy Westmoreland and everybody everybody came out. It was bizarre to hear their stories, but there was a fan at one of the shows and Bridge and I were talking right before the show. Of course, he wore a wig and he wore you know, he did all the makeup and the whole nine yards and he had the sideburns and the the jumpsuit, the whole I mean, it was Elvis. I mean, his voice was amazing. Still is. But a fan comes up and I was kidding around before we went on, and I was like, Hey, man, if I don't get a raise after this show, the wigs coming off right in the middle of the Trilogy. Okay, I'm popping the wig.
William Kitchens [00:34:14] You said that to...
Link Detten [00:34:15] To Bridge, to Gary Bridges. Yeah, to Bridge. I said, you know, give me a raise or the wigs off!.
William Kitchens [00:34:21] and the fan witnesses...
Link Detten [00:34:22] And dude a fan and I mean he got a all indignified. I mean, and he like, this is 1986, 87. And he looked at me and he goes, You ought not to talk about Gary's wig like that and I'm like excuse me? And he said, I'm gonna show you something.. So I'm like, okay. And he reaches in his pocket and he has a Polaroid of Bridge in the Elvis outfit, kissing this guy's wife on the cheek. And he goes, You see this? That's Elvis kissing my wife. And I'm like, the only thing missing here is a diminished is a diminished chord.
Link Detten [00:35:05] Yeah. Oh, only thing. Yeah.
Link Detten [00:35:09] I'm like. Sure it is. Yeah. Yes. Crazy person. There you go. Yeah. Bye.
William Kitchens [00:35:14] Tell me about the strangest request you ever got from a woman who came up to you. You told me this earlier.
Link Detten [00:35:21] I can't tell it...
William Kitchens [00:35:22] Yeah, you could. You could tell it. I mean, you know. Yeah. You could tell that story wasn't anything bad. It's just.
Link Detten [00:35:29] With the curse word. Her response occurs from the curse word.
William Kitchens [00:35:33] We'll bleep it out, go ahead.
Link Detten [00:35:36] Okay.
William Kitchens [00:35:37] Tell the story.
Link Detten [00:35:38] All right.
William Kitchens [00:35:38] She comes up to you, So you're standing on stage, I know you're playing. So you're doing a big event for. We won't say the company name or anything. We'll just say you're doing a big event, corporate event.
Link Detten [00:35:48] Right.
William Kitchens [00:35:48] and a lady comes up and.
Link Detten [00:35:50] Yes this southern, southern belle type woman, about 73, 74 had long gray hair, very well dressed and, you know, just, just real country just came up and she said, Baby, it's me and my mine husband's 45th wedding anniversary tonight and would you play something for us? And I'm like, Well, yes, ma'am. You know, the sweet little lady. And I'm looking at her, trying to think. And I said, Well, do you have any songs in mind? And she's like, I really don't. And so, you know, looking at her, you know, and I thought, well, I said, How about Wonderful Tonight? You know, Eric Clapton. And she said...
Link Detten [00:36:28] Oh, F hate that song! I F hate that song! And I'm like, Damn, Nana coming in hot. Okay. I mean, I think I could take her, but, I mean. She she looks she looks a little sturdy. But, a
William Kitchens [00:36:42] You know, all she had to do is say, give me a song.
Link Detten [00:36:45] Or go. No I don't care for that whatever. But no, you know, yell that at me. And I'm I would just I couldn't believe that came out of her face. And then she settled on No Woman, No Cry from Bob Marley to dance to your 45th wedding anniversary to.
William Kitchens [00:37:00] Well, that's great. Good for her. And you probably did it, didn't you?
Link Detten [00:37:03] I, well, yes, our keyboard player did. I didn't know.
William Kitchens [00:37:05] There you go.
Link Detten [00:37:06] I didn't know it.
William Kitchens [00:37:06] That's what we do. We'll do anything for $20.
Link Detten [00:37:10] That's well, that's...
William Kitchens [00:37:11] Well...
Link Detten [00:37:11] That's true.
William Kitchens [00:37:13] Yeah.
Link Detten [00:37:13] It's how I get most of my gigs.
William Kitchens [00:37:17] Have you've seen that T-shirt? 20 bucks is 20 bucks?
Link Detten [00:37:19] Yes. Yeah. Why do you ask?
William Kitchens [00:37:26] Something on Broadway, I would imagine. What's your favorite Broadway story when you used to perform down at Tootsie's one time or you were at Tootsie's, the band on the second level?
Link Detten [00:37:36] Yeah, yeah, the band, the band in the back. I was subbing for some guy and and the band down in front when the band in front got through with a song, we would play the exact same song.
Link Detten [00:37:47] And nobody noticed, but we were dyin. It's like, Should they get with the Fireman? We'd play the Fireman when Boot Scootin' Boogie we'd play Boot Scootin' Boogie, I mean, it's like back to back. Just 50 feet away.
William Kitchens [00:37:59] Just the echo. Echo Set List.
Link Detten [00:38:01] There's a friend of mine. A funny story, and I'll leave his name out. He's a dear friend of mine. Use to anyway, I can't say that either you'd find out who he was, but he was playing and he was really not happy with the band. Not at all. In the back room at Tootsie's. So in the middle of middle playing like an hour and a half, 2 hours into it, he puts his guitar on stand and he said, I got to go to the bathroom. And he leaves and he walks out in front and gets in a cab and goes home...
William Kitchens [00:38:31] Just leaves and gets?
Link Detten [00:38:32] Just leaves his brother was on the gig. he knew that his brother would get...
William Kitchens [00:38:34] Take the guitar...
Link Detten [00:38:34] His brother would take his rig home. So he got in the cab and left. Like, how awesome is that? Just that disgusted with the band. Just put it down
William Kitchens [00:38:48] gotta go the bathroom.
Link Detten [00:38:50] I got to go to the bathroom., and then take off...
William Kitchens [00:38:51] Well I've actually had gigs where I've actually had to go the bathroom and been gone that long because you know, I'm at that age now. But they think, what did he do? Get in a cab? I don't know? Did anyone see an Uber, pull up. I don't know.
Link Detten [00:39:05] His he's still in there.
William Kitchens [00:39:06] He's been gone for a while. I don't know why that lady didn't want Wonderful Tonight?. I mean, that's that's the go to.
Link Detten [00:39:14] Wow, man, yeah she...
William Kitchens [00:39:15] That's the go to. I've never heard anybody react that way to "Wonderful Tonight"
Link Detten [00:39:18] Me neither, I mean she she there was.
William Kitchens [00:39:19] Other than other musicians in the band when you say, hey, we're going to do Wonderful Tonight.
Link Detten [00:39:24] Yeah, right
William Kitchens [00:39:25] and they had that response.
Link Detten [00:39:26] Yes, exactly. Yeah. That and Purple Rain. But yeah, she was upset. I mean, she had like bitter party of one your table is ready.
William Kitchens [00:39:34] Best tip you ever got playing down on Broadway. More than a $100?. Did you ever get more than a $100?
Link Detten [00:39:40] Yeah. There's OK, a guy. One night I was doing a gig up in Hendersonville doing my solo a comedy thing and the crowd nothing that I threw them had my tracks playing you know electric with it and from 7 to 11 and this is like 10:35 and I've thrown everything at them. I've thrown every country, every dance, Funky Music, Brick House, Brown Eyed Girl, whatever I could possibly. And these people just collectively did not care on this night. I mean, sometimes, you know, it's the crowd. Sorry. Sometimes it's a crowd, man. I mean, I threw everything at them and nothing. 10:35, now they're drunk, and now they wake up and I got 25 minutes left. Now they are dancing. Now I have to play all these songs over again because I already played them and now they're dancing so I'm
William Kitchens [00:40:30] Why you leaving? We just getting started!
Link Detten [00:40:33] Exactly so 11:00 comes and they're like, you know, and earlier this guy walks up like my second set, he walks up and he throws a $20 in my bucket. I'm gonna thank you, sir, very much. So 11:00 comes, I go, I time to go and oh and then the club owner went, you know, you play over extra if you want, you know, he take care of me. I'm like, sure, cool. Thank you. So I'm like, I'm here for and you know, likes a little bit and we got past that, you know, but take the jug around, you know, and here we go. If you're awake and drunk, then you can put money in this jar. So everybody passes it around and it was great and it comes back and I'm packing up as I'm packing up the guy that gave me the $20 earlier walks up and he goes, Can I get my $20 back, please? And I, I, I'm just wrapping a cord now. I... I go, how about yeah, man, you know. Yeah. You know.
William Kitchens [00:41:26] You need it more than me..
William Kitchens [00:41:27] Yeah, go ahead. Yeah, sure. I said yeah. Yeah. So he reaches in and gets his $20 and he throws a $100 in! He took it.
William Kitchens [00:41:35] Oh, you played those cards, correct.
Link Detten [00:41:37] Didn't know the card game.
William Kitchens [00:41:38] But you played it, correct.
Link Detten [00:41:40] Yeah, yeah right. He yes.
Link Detten [00:41:41] He goes you know, You need this you know.
William Kitchens [00:41:43] Well played sir. Well played. Yes!
Link Detten [00:41:45] In a test because, yeah
William Kitchens [00:41:46] It was.
Link Detten [00:41:46] Yeah.
William Kitchens [00:41:46] Absolutely was Link, great to have you, great to have you on the show. It's always good to see you. Always smiling, always happy. Great music, great song. Thanks for sharing that with us. Much success and I look forward to talking to you after the next encounter with Brian May.
Link Detten [00:42:05] Yeah, I hope that comes through!!
William Kitchens [00:42:07] All the way across the pond as they say.
Link Detten [00:42:08] Let's do it man!
William Kitchens [00:42:08] You've got to work on that British accent.
Link Detten [00:42:10] Thank you William!
William Kitchens [00:42:11] Thank you man, stay well!
VO [00:42:16] You've been listening to Link Denten on the pod615 with host William Kitchens. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast on this or your favorite listening platform for upcoming episodes Find us easily on the web and all social media apps with a quick search for pod615. That's POD and the numbers, 615. And hey, let us know what you think about the show and always support your local Nashville musicians, artists, venues and businesses here in the 615 and Middle Tennessee. Thanks for listening.
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