You can't deny that Jimmy Fortune has good fortune.  He chronicles his rise from clubs, to landing a spot in the Statler Brothers, writing #1 songs, and entering the Country Music Hall of Fame in this episode hosted by Duke FM's Tom Baldrica. VIDEO HIGHLIGHT How did Jimmy Fortune get his gig in the Statler Brothers?  He chronicles it step by step in this highlight clip.

This sit down with Collin Raye actually happened a few years ago during his 25th year in the business of Country Music.   Collin's stories about his songs (he had a huge impact with socially relevant songs), his Mom (She sang with Elvis), and his inspirations (Glen Campbell, The Eagles) are too strong not to post in full length interview form however.  Enjoy!

John Michael Montgomery stepped into Duke's Audio Vault hosted Tom Baldrica.   He talks about his rise to fame and where he goes from here.

Sit down with Lee Greenwood in this extended interview with Duke FM's Tom Baldrica.

Janie Fricke's professional voice career began as a jingle singer. From there it went to the moon... literally. Janie tells us about a jingle she did for Apollo 12 plus shills for Red Lobster, Coca-Cola, and more in this Duke FM exclusive interview hosted by Tom Baldrica. HIGHLIGHT CLIP So what did Janie Fricke do with all her awards?

Baseball was T. Graham Brown's first love until an opportunity sing and get paid for it came up. He went to his coach about it. "All I ever wanted to do was play ball" he told his coach. "But I've got this offer to sing and make some money doing it. He put his hand onto my shoulder and looked into my eyes and said, If I was you I'd go sing." T. Graham Brown said that was the best advice he'd ever gotten during this exclusive Duke FM interview. Although what that said about his baseball skills is a gray area. But he went on to sing at night, attend the University of Georgia by day, and "make more money than we could spend" at that time. T. Graham Brown tells the full story of his career path in this full interview with Duke FM's Tom Baldrica. HIGHLIGHT CLIP Singing jingles and demos got T. Graham Brown noticed.  Eventually he even became the TV face of Taco Bell.  Watch him tell the story...

We sensed a little frustration from Charley during this exclusive Duke FM interview session. His life story is worthy of a movie, and Paramount was supposed to put one out in 2008. After all, movies about Country legends can win Oscars. Think Coal Miner's Daughter about Loretta Lynn or Walk the Line about Johnny and June. But it has yet to come out. Who would play Charley? The early names were Terrence Howard and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. It's all in limbo, but it's not dead. Currently the project is in capable hands including Randy Jackson from American Idol and Charley waits it out. Once thing for sure is he wants a cameo. Hear about it in this log form sit down with Charley hosted by Duke FM's Tom Baldrica. VIDEO HIGHLIGHT Charley first thought baseball would get him out of the cotton fields...

Sylvia lays out how she broke into the music business and how "Nobody", her career smash hit came about in this exclusive sit down with Duke FM's Tom Baldrica. HIGHLIGHT CLIP Sylvia tells the story behind her career defining hit.

Moe Bandy has had quite a ride.  First there was a crossroads moment when he was working construction to support two children and a wife.  He had to hock furniture and borrow money to follow the dream of being a Country star.  He told Duke FM, "I was just at the end you know, financially, where I just couldn't afford to be a Country singer. But I had to go back and do it one more time." That 'one more time' was the tipping point and the ride began.  Eventually it would lead to a Presidential friendship.   Hear Moe tell the story of how he got from the crossroads to the White House in this Duke FM Audio Vault Podcast hosted by Tom Baldrica. HIGHLIGHT CLIP "His dream came true," that's what Moe Bandy would title the movie of his life. And it has. Music has taken this former construction worker far, forming two pivotal friendships along the way. One with Joe Stampley, and the other with none other than President George H.W. Bush. Hear Moe tell the stories behind these two friendships in this Duke FM exclusive...

Bobby Bare tells a good story!  His past is full of story fodder actually.  Hear Bobby recall the fun of running around Nashville with legendary artists and songwriters in this Duke FM exclusive podcast hosted by Tom Baldrica. Highlight Clip Because of the intelligence of Bobby Bare's classic lyrics, he was once referred to as the 'Springsteen of Country'. Bobby told us, "I don't know where the Springsteen of Country came from. I never did figure that out." But he did praise the creative energy in Nashville at the time, and the song writing legends he hung out with. "I could get off the plane here at the airport," he said, "and they would open the door of the plane and I would step off, and you could feel the energy in the air... I could actually feel the energy, and it made you want to do something."

We knew some things, but we learned some things too when we opened the mics and let Crystal Gayle speak.  Did you know that she would have liked to have been an FBI Agent if the music thing didn't work out?  Hear it all in this sit down interview hosted by Duke FM's Tom Baldrica. HIGHLIGHT CLIPS

Not to mention the catalog of hits, there's a current radio show, his annual turkey fry for the underprivileged, and that time the music industry stood up for him in the midst of a cease and desist from a major label.  But there's more.  Enjoy a full half-hour sit down with Tracy Lawrence hosted by Duke FM's Tom Baldrica. VIDEO HIGHLIGHT Of all thing things he has accomplished, Tracy Lawrence is most proud of this...

There was a whole process behind the 2015 Oak Ridge Boys induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. They had to keep it a secret along the way, even to their wives. Enjoy our full session with The Oaks in this Audio Vault podcast hosted by Duke FM's Tom Baldrica. HIGHLIGHT CLIP What would you call the Oak Ridge Boys' life story?   Duke suggested calling it 'Roots', but that one is already taken. It would make sense though, and not just for the obvious tree reference. The roots of the Oak Ridge Boys run deep into the 1940's when Wally Fowler and the Georgia Clodhoppers formed and eventually became the Oak Ridge Quartet. Duane Allen goes back into those roots, in this Duke FM exclusive, when asked what the story of their life should be named if made into a movie. They came short of suggesting a title but did dish that a TV series of their story was once on the table.

Little Texas' monster run in the early 90's was far from an overnight success story according to front man Tim Rushlow. It was a grind to get there. "A roller coaster ride for sure," said Rushlow in a Duke FM exclusive video session. They first buckled in for the ride eight years out. Four years in they were hitting every twist and turn as a bar band according to Rushlow. "Four years, playing six night a week, six sets a night, driving 1,000 miles on Sunday, setting up and doing it again in another bar." If that's overnight, than that's a pretty long night. And the days were long too. They rehearsed four hours a day. "The daytime was about writing, fine tuning our original songs, working up a couple new covers." The moment when they felt they had something special, says Rushlow, "(Was when) we found a way to make people quit dancing, and quit drinking, and just stop and watch. That was probably the point where we went, wow, no one's moving around. They're watching us. Okay, we're doing something right."  Enjoy our full session with Tim Rushlow in this Audio Vault podcast hosted by Duke FM's Tom Baldrica. HIGHLIGHT CLIP Tim Rushlow describes how a solo hit took on a higher purpose

The first time Duke was all ears, it was just his awkward coming of age phase.  His voice was cracking too.   Seriously, Roy Clark is a legend's legend, and just like you'd expect, his stories are epic.  Hear what it was like behind the scenes at Hee Haw, his trip to Russia in the 70's, what he would like his legacy to be, and much more in this Duke FM exclusive full length interview hosted by Tom Baldrica.

It's fun to hear Tanya Tucker talk us through her rise to fame in the beautiful husky voice that made it all possible.  Hear it in this Duke FM exclusive interview with Tanya hosted by Tom Baldrica.

We asked Mark Chesnutt what he'd like his final legacy to be.  "He started Country, he stayed Country, and he never moved out of Texas," was the answer.  A general theme of keeping his Texas traditional roots flows in and out of this Duke FM exclusive interview with Mark Chesnutt hosted by Tom Baldrica.

T.G. knows how to take a person through a story, and given what he has accomplished in life, he has plenty to tell.   Hear how it all began, about his famous friends, and what he'd like his legacy to be in this Duke FM exclusive interview hosted by Tom Baldrica.