Wow.

Thank you so much.

What a lovely group of people you are.

My name is Gary Nichols, and I'm here on behalf of the Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival with some amazing talent.

We have the Burney Sisters here in the center.

You're going to enjoy them so much.

Also, longtime buddy and bluegrass sensation, my friend Billy Droze.

[crowd applause] I have ah, I drew the short straw, which means I will sing the first song and I will check the temperature of the room.

As we say.

The first one I'm going to sing for you.

I wrote with Malachi Mills and Logan Simmons of the band Lula.

Currently signed to Warner Brothers Nashville.

And, it's a murder ballad now.

I know thing.

Why would you want to do that?

Well, I learned that murder ballads were a thing when I was in the bluegrass world.

And see if if someone does you some kind of way you can get them back by just hurting them in a song.

No one really gets injured.

There's no hospital expenses, no funeral bills.

You don't go to jail, and then you can sing the song the next day and the day after and hurt them every day.

So this particular the victim of this song was a mean old husband.

He was.

It was doing his woman two wrong and she finally was fed up with it.

It's called the Marshall County man.

[bluegrass guitar intro] Black leather jacket.

El Dorado to match blue jeans.

James Dean looking like a photograph I would have said those vows quicker.

But I was just 16.

I wish that preacher.

Could have seen the future, would have warned me.

I was married to the devil.

At first I didn't know he drank holes in all the bottles.

I just did what I was told.

The only way he touched me was with an open hand.

So I went outside and found a place to hide.

Six foot two tall man from Father Forgive me of my sins.

I know just what I did.

I earned the consequence, momma Warned me bout daddies kind she's in tuckwiller doing time.

I thought i'd never get to see her again.

But then I fell in love with the Marshall County man.

He stumbled in the kitchen to pour another drink.

My hands in soapy water, dirty dishes in the sink.

He never saw the blade.

I was clenching in my fist.

So I called him to the counter and I asked him for a kiss.

His last breath was labored.

I could tell he was surprised.

All he saw was a wooden handle of a kitchen knife.

So I sat down at the table.

I rolled a cigaret.

Slow sipped.

on his whiskey made sure that he was dead.

Father, forgive me of my sins.

I know just what I did.

I earned the consequence momma warned me about daddy's kind.

She's in tuckwiller doing time.

I thought I'd never get to see her again until I fell in love with the Marshall County man.

[guitar solo] Black leather jacket, Eldorado.

To match blue jeans.

James Dean lookin like a photograph.

Come on.

Thank you so much.

Thank you so much yall.

It's my honor to pass it over to this wonderful duo.

The sisters, the Burney sisters, everybody.

Once again, we're the Burney sisters.

We are, in fact, sisters.

I don't know why we get that question a lot.

It's in the name of the band.

But we're going to play you a song.

We co-wrote with a friend named Chloe Fredericks, who's from Nashville, Tennessee.

Look her up.

If you don't know her.

[slow guitar intro] Why the long face, darlin?

I know it's our apartment.

But I've got to go my own way I feel a new world calling me tonight.

My wish on this star rings true I wish I could stay with you.

But maybe one day you walk right in and I will ask you.

how you been.

Hold me close one last time before we say goodbye.

We walked in April showers we left when they brought flowers.

When winter came we stayed the same.

But I knew it was time for me to go.

If someday you feel the same.

Then I won't have to settle down.

Alone Hold me close.

One last time before we say goodbye.

Hold me close.

One love us.

Before we say goodbye.

Before we say goodbye.

Why the long face, darlin I know it's our apartment.

But I've got to go my own way I feel a new world calling me tonight.

Is Sunday.

You feel the same.

Then I won't have to settle down alone.

[crowd applause] Thank you guys so much.

Thank you.

I generally a lot of people that know my music.

I generally sing a lot of sad songs, but, this, producer guy came to me and said, please write something that's not sad.

And I said, okay.

And, I did, and, it's a song about a truck.

And I never thought I would do that, but, I figured I would lighten the mood and let y'all see why the Bernie sisters are so amazing.

[upbeat guitar intro] she drove a 1999 Cadillac car her daddy must of handed down looking like a girl on a magazine cover standing out in the crowd.

Me?

I was a long haired hippie kid.

Broke down truck sitting on the side of the road, and she pulled up to help me out and she said, leave that thing.

Let's go.

Well, I don't care if you're rich or poor.

It ain't about the money you made.

it's a feeling that you get when you kiss her lips.

And the whole world fades away.

Yeah, you can live on the lonely sea.

Ain't got a thing to do about love.

So thank God for pretty girls.

Cadillac cars and rusted and broken down trucks.

Come on, Gary.

[guitar duet] Gary Nichols on that guitar, y'all.

They say opposites attract one another like a moth to a burnin flame like a fork needs a spoon The sun needs a moon.

And the dark needs a light of day.

When you think about a good old boy and a pretty city girl.

You know.

Think about him running away.

But we did.

And here we are.

It ain't nothin ever gonna change.

Well, love don't care if you're rich or poor.

It ain't about the money.

You made it's the feeling that you get.

When you kissin her lips.

And the whole world fades away.

You can live over for long.

That say ain't got a thing to do.

about love.

so thank God for pretty girl Cadillac cars and rusted and broken down trucks.

We kept the 1999 Cadillac car.

The county came and got the truck and we moved to a little bitty house in the country like Alan Jackson livin on love.

It's been 15 years ago this morning.

I made a lot of money since then, Lord, but she's still loves that long haired hippie.

She said she do it all again and again.

Well, love don't care if you're rich or poor.

It ain't about the money you made It's a feeling that you get When you kissing her lips and the whole world fades away.

You can live on up alone.

they say it ain't got a thing to do about love.

So thank God for pretty girls.

Cadillac cars and rusted and broken down trucks.

So thank God for pretty girls.

Cadillac cars and rusted and broken down trucks.

Country music for you.

[crowd applause] [soft guitar intro] A thousand miles a melody mapped out in my mind.

Another fixed fantasy I'm chasing all the time I want to find some solid ground.

Settle down but I never Seem to stay.

The longer that I hang around.

Harder I am to hold you knew.

I was leaving kind, I always told you so.

But you try so hard.

Love me.

You lost yourself when I found the fire escape.

I know my heart is on the highway.

Running wild and running free.

Oh, I don't know where I'm going.

But I'm only taking me.

Yea I get lonely sometimes especially.

when it's cold.

something about those winter nights.

Make me want someone hold.

So I'll find another volunteer to pass.

The time till i'm ready for the road.

Because my heart is on the highway.

Running wild and running free.

Oh, I don't know where I'm going, but I'm only taking me.

You know I'm searching for certain soul to come and save me.

Ease the hurt that keeps me far from free She's gonna knock down all the walls that try to keep me lonely Stop the car and.

Take away the keys, please.

Till then my heart is on the highway.

Running wild and running free.

I don't know where I'm going.

But I'm only taking me.

I'm only taking me.

[crowd applause] Thank you folks, thank you so much Thing I love about country music is.

I mean, if you've lived it, you can write about it, you know, and or I can.

If I never lived it, I can't write a song about it.

But I live this one.

And, this is on the.

I've been in bluegrass for about the last ten years, but, I wanted a little break from the banjos and all that good stuff, and, I got me a brand new country record, and we're very excited about it.

And you'll be hearing it all over the world, hopefully real soon.

And, I wrote this record at a really, crazy time in my life.

And, I hope you, maybe it'll help somebody.

If someone's caught.

I can lie to me.

I hope you like it.

Well, she started her new life without me.

Moved to the city in a new house with the kids.

I never dreamed this is where I'd be Because everything she asked for, I did.

But she didn't care to break my heart to pieces.

So tell me, why the hell am I still hanging on?

I'm glad she's gone.

It feels good.

Moving on.

it don't bother me.

Not even in the least.

I'm okay I'm doing well.

This broken heart don't feel like hell.

I'm not begging God down here on my knees.

If she can lie to herself.

Then I can lie to me.

Well I'm doing things I never thought I could do.

I'm finally the man I want to be.

Without her here turning down all my I love yous I finally started thinking about me.

Was your leaving just a way to make me better.

Or was it just as selfish as it seems?

I don't know, but I'm glad she's gone.

It feels good.

Moving on.

It don't bother me.

Not even in the least.

Well, I'm okay, I'm doing well.

This broken heart don't feel like hell.

I'm not begging God down here.

On my knees.

If she can lie to herself.

Then I can lie to me.

If she can lie to herself.

Then i can lie to me.

[guitar outro, crowd applause] Thank you.

She is a Texas based songwriter and artist.

I played my very first round with her last, last Pensacola songwriter fest.

Do we have a mic?

And we wrote our first songs in January of this year, and we haven't been able to stay away from each other very much at all since then.

This is, the very talented, amazing Kenzie Coppin, and I'm a little nervous.

Hi, everybody.

I get a little flustered when she's also my girlfriend.

If you haven't figured it out by now, I still get a little nervous when she shows up, but I'm going to let you talk about the song for a second and then we'll sing it.

So I had this idea a few years ago, and I sat down with a couple girlfriends and, pitched this idea to them, and we wrote a few lines and it kind of just got it got stored away and forgotten about.

And, the week that I wrote, I don't know, we, I think we wrote seven songs in seven days or something like that.

This was the second song that we wrote, and I pulled out my notebook and I looked and that song popped out at me.

And so we ended up finishing the song.

But it's it brought a lot of memories back.

This is called eyes of a child, and it's just a very special song about remembering your childhood.

[Guitar intro] If I could turn back time and rewind see things from a different view.

I'd be nine, riding my bike nowhere to be.

Nothing to prove.

Wind in my hair.

Feeling free.

Living in a fantasy of innocence and confidence and spirit running wild.

Painted scenes and daydreams coming to life.

Magnificence and magic.

The way it was designed.

Lord, I miss seeing life.

Through the eyes of a child.

daddy gave me my first set of keys when I was three.

He said I was a big boy.

To a Fisher price.

plastic jeep it was blue and green.

I could have swore it was just a toy.

Weekends he would let me steer his truck.

I miss those days so much since I've grown up.

The innocence, the confidence.

Imagination.

runnin wild, painted scenes and daydreams coming to life.

The magnificence and magic.

The way it was designed.

Lord, I miss seeing life through the eyes of a child.

I didn't know it then how much I miss being a kid.

Now I just reminisce on all the bliss And thank God I'm remembering.

The innocence.

The confidence.

Imagination.

Running wild.

Painted scenes and day dreams coming.

to life magnificence and magic.

The way it was designed.

Lord I miss seeing life.

Through the eyes of a child.

The most beautiful view of life.

Is through the eyes of a child.

[guitar solo] Oh, yeah Kenzie copping on.

Thank you so much.

Thank you for joining me with that.

[crowd applause] So far, so good.

Kenzie's voice is like an angel.

I hear your laugh In the checkout line.

It sends me back tumbling through time.

I know I shouldn't look.

You read me like a book.

We wrote together.

Is it closed forever?

I spend all day holding back the tide.

I fight the pull till the moon is high.

Memories come in.

Waves I'm lost inside a maze.

That's never ending.

But when I stop pretending.

You're the only one A creature of my kind I habit that I just can't leave behind a hold i'll.

Never shake a bond too strong to break.

You're the only creature of my kind.

wooo ooo oooo wooo ooo oooo We burn so bright.

Hotter than the sun.

Too close, too fast.

We saw the damage done.

I lost you in the smoke.

But still my foolish hope is like an amber.

Does your heart remember?

Remember.

You're the only one.

A creature of my kind I habit that I just can't leave behind.

A hold i'll never shake.

A bond too strong to break.

You're the only creature of my kind.

wooo ooo oooo wooo ooo oooo AAAaaaa aaaAAaaaa You're the only one.

A creature of my kind.

A habit that I just can't leave behind.

A hold i'll never shake a bond too strong to break.

You're the only creature of my kind.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

This particular song, is a snapshot in time when one might have just given up on the idea of love.

As you can see from the last song, my mind has been changed again.

But when I wrote the song, I didn't want no part of it.

It's called Love is Lonesome, Billy.

You can sing on this one too, if you like.

If you know this is my favorite song, of yours dude.

[soft guitar intro] Love is lonesome when the one you've been wanting is always running the other way.

The heart gets heavy unsure and unsteady.

Won't stop till its ready It'll take all it can take.

And it's a constant craving.

It'll make you go crazy.

That feeling of aching never goes away.

Oh love is lonesome.

Love's misleading, unfair and uneven.

It's a hurtful feeling, happy.

Crying in the dark.

One's always leaving the other still believing.

Slaps a hell of A feeling.

on a soul, that's scarred It's a constant craving.

it'll make you go crazy.

That feeling of aching never goes away.

Oh love is lonesome.

[guitar interlude] It's a constant craving.

it'll make you go crazy.

That feeling of aching.

never goes away.

Love is lonesome when the one you've been wantin Is always running the other way.

The heart gets heavy unsure an unsteady won't stop till it's ready.

It'll take all it can take it's constant craving.

It'll make you go crazy.

That feeling of aching never goes away.

And I'll take all that my heart can take But love is lonesome.

Yes love is lonesome.

Oh yeah.

Thank you so much.

All right.

This song we co-wrote with a guy named Scott Mulvihill.

He's an artist based out of Nashville as well.

We do a lot of our co-writes in Nashville because that's that's where the writers are.

And muscle Shoals as well.

But I have this little guitar part, and I was waiting for the right person to write this song with, and I really felt like Scott was that person.

And I started playing it, and he was like, I should have been born a bird and bell.

And I just looked at each other and we were like, all right, yeah, maybe we'll leave, you know, maybe this isn't the one.

But then we actually we waited like 10s.

We were like, actually, that's pretty.

We can do something with that.

So we wrote the song and it was kind of about, it's not about a bird, but it starts out like that.

And at some point somebody was like, do y'all think there's a bird God?

We were like, yeah, there's a bird God.

And then somebody said it backwards on accident.

gird-bod And we were like, working on our gird-bod for the summer.

And that's literally what the demo was named for, like three months.

Good-Bye, God.

We had to eventually change it because we were like, we can't be sending this to professionals.

They're going to be like, I love your song bird, but we're like, oh, that's nice.

I really like the song, but I don't know about the title.

I don't think I can work with you on this one.

But this is great.

But now this is how can I hold on?

[soft guitar intro] I should have been born a bird sailing through the sky.

Scaling walls of wind.

Not a question.

Why why I'm falling.

Why I'm falling.

I wouldn't be wasting words I'd only speak in song.

You finally hear my voice echoing beyond.

You could hear my song.

You could hear my song.

Where do I belong?

Where did I go wrong.

Tethered to the earth.

How can I hold on.

[soft guitar solo] I haven't felt like myself.

Maybe I never did.

When I look in the mirror I still see a kid I can feel her calling out my name.

Somewhere she is searching for the flame.

where do I belong?

Where did I go wrong.

Tethered to the earth.

How can I, hold on.

ooOOoo ooOOoo how can I hold on ooOOoo ooOOoo ooOOoo [soft guitar outro] Thank you so much.

That was.

How can I hold on?

Our new friend, Billy.

Droves.

[upbeat guitar rythm] One,Two [western style guitar intro] You can hear the truth a thousand times.

it can fly right over your head.

Till you get tired of the same old lines.

Suddenly the truth starts making sense.

don't grow weary.

My wayward friend.

Life's too short to lay down.

and die.

You keep on walking.

keep on looking ahead.

It all gets better with time.

It all gets better with time.

I don't cry about.

The things I used to when I was young.

Well demons.

Don't say goodbye.

But I still became the man I wanted to become.

But yesterday was yesterday.

Today I'm feeling fine.

It all gets better with time.

[upbeat guitar duet] Fear is fake.

Until you make it real.

It's hard for us to sit down and sing lord then it really comes alive.

God's forgiving.

My insanity.

And then he opened up my eyes.

Don't grow weary.

My wayward friend Life's to short to leave with a lie Don't let him tie you praying.

Hands under your bed.

It all gets better with time.

It all gets better with time.

I don't cry about the things I used to when I was young.

The demons don't say goodbye.

But I still became the man I wanted to become.

But yesterday was yesterday.

Today I'm feeling fine.

It all gets better with time.

I'm gonna try to play this one.

Sit down.

It's gonna be hard.

[upbeat guitar duet] You can hear the truth a thousand times.

Fly right over your head.

Do you get tired of the same old lines?

Suddenly the truth started making sense.

One.

Two.

Three.

[musical outro] Three.

Ha ha!

[crowd applause] Thank you so much.

So when I was growing up in North Alabama, I attended church services every Sunday morning, every Sunday evening, every Wednesday night.

If there were revivals, we were there as well.

My mom still is a saint, and I'm so thankful for her.

But I had another relative who had this gift.

I'm not sure if you know anybody like this.

She had a superpower where she could walk into any room, church, any sort of event, picnics, birthday parties, and she could tell you, Billy, who was going to make it to heaven and who wasn't.

who was going to make it to heaven and who wasn't.

And she had good reason behind it.

And I disagreed with that right away.

You know, as a young man and she's a sweetheart, I think she might have she might have changed a little bit by now, but I spent some time in some interesting places.

You know, I've been I've been spent time with doctors and lawyers and police officers and attorneys and, police officers and attorneys and, done all sorts of things.

And, and I've met some of the nicest people I know.

You're going to not believe me when I tell you, but when I spent a few months in the Lauderdale County Detention Center, North Alabama.

And I truly believe if there is a beautiful place called heaven, we're going to be surprised at the people that we run into, and they're going to be some people that are surprised they didn't make it.

So this is a song.

It's a sing along song.

Don't care what you believe.

Afterlife?

No afterlife.

I'd like for you to sing along if you feel like it.

The only words you need to know are nobody knows.

It's all you got to know.

And I'd like an audience members participation.

You like a nice man.

And you can forgive me later.

Hopefully.

Could I get a name?

You don't have to give me your real name or government name, but just give me a name.

Something I can rhyme to later.

Joe, I'm going to go with Joe.

Are you ready to give it up for Joe?

Are you ready to give it up for Joe?

So who gets to heaven?

Nobody knows.

This world is full of lovers, losers and winners.

Sinners that smoke, drink or snort too much.

Crank.

Jesus.

I wonder who'll be there if I get to glory.

It probably won't be who you think.

My best friend's mother, Kate, is mad because she's gay, but she's been married 47 times.

Well, she's a church Christ and a one time preacher's wife.

She's been hoeing around with a log stuck in her eye.

So who gets to heaven?

Nobody knows who gets to heaven.

Nobody knows who gets a mansion on the street paved with gold.

Who gets to heaven.

Nobody knows.

Nobody knows.

My good best buddy.

Joe's got money.

He likes to blow, so he sometimes pays for strippers and cocaine.

Sorry, Joe.

His new girlfriend, Marlen.

She's a dancing queen.

She'll be twerking on a fire pole somewhere on a Saturday night.

Who gets to heaven nobody?

knows.

Who gets to heaven?

Nobody knows who gets a mansion on the streets paved with gold Who gets to heaven.

Nobody knows.

Nobody knows.

It's important.

I'll let y'all know.

I doubt his name is Joe.

And I doubt he's ever, ever paid for strippers or cocaine.

Just fun part of the song.

But if you did or anybody, any one of y'all did, you can sing this last verse and might save your soul one day before you go to bed, kneel down and bow your head and ask him for forgiveness for your sins.

The Lord is well aware of what y'all been doing over there.

Don't miss your ride.

When he comes back again, everybody help me.

now who gets to heaven?

crowd-No body knows Who gets to heaven?

crowd-No body knows who gets the mansion on the street.

Paved with gold Who gets to heaven?

crowd-No body knows Who gets a mansion on the streets?

Paved with gold I want a corner lot, billy and i want.

My momma to cook meatloaf on mondays Who gets to heaven.

crowd-No body knows [Guitar outro] [crowd applause] Thank you.

That's called nobody knows I also wrote that with the band Lulu and you can go stream it right now.

Thanks for hanging out.

My name is Gary Nichols.

For the last time tonight.

Back to the Bernie sisters.

I don't think we can top that, but we'll try.

[soft guitar intro] Last night, I had a dream about a movie.

I had a dream about a movie.

A movie that was played about my life.

It wasn't good.

It wasn't bad.

It was only alright.

Just the same old saying when I opened up my eyes.

It's like hanging up the phone when you wanna call'em back.

It's like saying, they're a friend, when there's so much more than that.

It's like giving up a promise when you can't stick to the vow.

Only living life.

How this life will allow.

When I was a child, I was a dreamer.

I thought I'd see the world and do it all.

Oh, but.

Waking early, working late.

Waking early, working late.

The day is drag on and on.

The day is drag on and on.

The time we think we have may soon be gone.

It's like watching from the sidelines.

It's like watching from the sidelines.

Cause you didn't join the band.

Cause you didn't join the band.

It's like wishing for a partner It's like wishing for a partner when you're sitting out the dance.

when you're sitting out the dance.

It's like writing words and burning them It's like writing words and burning them as soon as they're put down.

as soon as they're put down.

Only living life.

How this life will allow.

I know there's something out there, I know there's something out there, I feel it in my bones.

A hunger for the freedom A hunger for the freedom that I may never know.

that I may never know.

Oh, if I had the courage.

Oh, if I had the courage.

If I had the strength.

If I had the strength.

If I only dared to build the life I could create.

Who would I be.

If I was free?

Last night I had a dream Last night I had a dream about a movie.

A movie that was made about my life.

I finally feel awake again.

I finally feel awake again.

I've opened up my eyes.

Only living.

Only living.

I'm just beginning.

To try.

[crowd applause] Thank you, thank you.

[crowd applause] [bluezy guitar intro] Kentucky blue bird on the record I found Keith Whitney.

Soothes my soul on this road.

I'm walking down.

It ain't nothing new.

The same thing I did yesterday.

The same thing I did yesterday.

I'd like to leave this town.

But my heart don't know the way.

yeah but, i'll keep trying to dig out of this hole.

With the shovel in hand.

But the further I go down it feels like sinking sand.

All she left me here in Tennessee.

for somebody new and i'm Kentucky blue.

[guitar interlude] I thought she cared.

The artist clear to see.

She don't.

She said she'd always be around.

But I know now that she won't.

I guess i lose no winner either way I used to live for her.

Now I'm digging my own grave But I keep trying to dig out of this hole, with a shovel in hand.

But the further I go down it feels like sinking sand.

Oh, and she's somewhere in Bowling Green with her Somebody new.

And I'm.

Kentucky blue.

[guitar duet] How about the Bernie sisters, y'all?

How about the one and only one of my best friends in the world, Gary Nichols What about Billy Droze everybody Show some of that.

Show some of that Spanish stuff you got over there.

She broke my heart in Tennessee.

I'm Kentucky blue.

1,2,3 [Spanish style guitar outro] Thank you so much for.

[crowd cheers] Here I am, waiting for someone to listen up.

Where the stone meets the sea.

Where I come every day with a song I have written.

No one will hear it but me.

When I was a girl I had dreams of a lover.

Someone to take me away.

So I fell in the arms of a wandering sailor.

Who promised together we'd stay.

But I'm searching an empty horizon.

I'm alone long with the waves and their rising.