MSM 90s Country: Gary Baker, Greg Barnhill
8/20/26
By Monica Collier
Good morning, my dear MSM family!
Isn't it the darndest thing how we created new memories this past week at the Muscle Shoals Meets the 90s Country concert using familiar songs that are forever etched upon our hearts? It was the perfect new experience celebrating the timeless treasures that made us who we are today. Talk about comfort music, y’all. Now, that's the way you put on a show.
It’s funny how sometimes we have no idea (real time) a hit song has a Muscle Shoals connection. Case in point: Alabama’s “Once Upon a Lifetime.” What a great song, y’all. Back in the early 1990s, though, I had no idea it was written by Gary Baker. How cool is that? It’s even cooler that Gary performed “Once Upon a Lifetime” for us one week ago today during the MSM 90s Country concert. We must be living right, friends.
I have to say: There's nothing quite like a songwriter standing before a crowd sharing the story/stories behind their songs. How great was it having Greg Barnhill join Gary on stage, y’all? He told us how “Walkaway Joe” just came to him but then some time passed after he wrote it before it became a Trisha Yearwood sensation. Can you imagine if a song like that had just stayed on the shelf?
Watching Gary watch Greg tell the story of “Walkaway Joe” made me think about how our heroes have heroes, too. (BTW, I’m pretty sure Gary said “Walkaway Joe” is his favorite song.) Isn’t it weird/cool how success looks and feels differently even to those walking shoulder-to-shoulder down the same proverbial road? Yeah, I have to say that the mutual respect and support amongst songwriters and music professionals in the Shoals is what struck me most about the MSM 90s Country concert.
It was a very powerful night. It was so fun, but it was emotional, too. I was moved to tears during the Walt Aldridge tribute, friends. Hearing Gary talk about Walt as his best friend and mentor was both heartwarming and celebratory. We all have a Walt story, don’t we?
My Walt story is about how he opened my eyes. I talked with Walt many years ago when he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriter’s Hall of Fame. Talking to Walt that day was the first time I truly understood how songwriting is a career choice -- it's a skill that can be taught. Of course, just like Walt, I still believe great songs are divine, but he taught me many of them don't just materialize out of thin air. Songwriting can be hard work. Not just that, songwriting is a legitimate career choice, friends – especially if you live in the Shoals.
Speaking of Walt’s many talents and especially his affinity for teaching, one of the most striking parts of MSM 90s Country concert was how Shoals rising stars were sprinkled into the lineup. Fostering new talent -- whether in the classroom or in the studio or just in his daily walk -- was just part of Walt’s nature. He would have loved seeing Ty Moore performing “How Do You Like Me Now?” and Jacob Feltman giving us a spirited rendition of “Boot Scootin’ Boogie.”
Yes, Muscle Shoals Meets helps remind us all that the Shoals is a multifaceted and multigenerational community of working artists doing what they love.
Stay tuned. More to come.
Dig Worms.
*Photo by: Devona Hawkins
