When I wrote Strait Time, I wrote it as a novelty tune. I was working in a factory in Jackson, TN at the time. They sent us home on Monday and Tuesday due to lack of work. Then on Thursday, the boss comes and tells us we will have to work on Saturday...not for overtime but for straight time. My exact words were "to heck with straight time". So from there, the song Strait Time was born, as a fun, lighthearted tribute to one of my heroes, George Strait. The first time I played Strait Time at a songwriter round, the response was overwhelming. People LOVED it. I knew that we had to record it. It has become a favorite of our fans and is requested at every show we play. On July 17th, this last Friday, it finally released. Bryan Hayes did a phenomenal job bringing it to life at Farmhouse Studios and it turned out better than I could've ever imagined. Then, on Saturday, July 18th, we celebrated the release at Corinth VFW. It was an awesome night. So many folks came out to support us, despite the current Covid- 19 situation. It was a great night.
One thing that made this weekend particularly special to Kaitlyn and I, and all the band, was our friends Joey and Sharon Ketchum driving all the way up from Shreveport, Louisiana to be with us this weekend. Joey is the Senior Pastor at Western Hills Baptist church in Shreveport. He came across my songs a couple years back and reached out in support. Since then, Joey has become a great friend and a source of encouragement and wisdom in life of my family. Joey and Sharon, with their amazing church, support mission trips, feed the homeless in their community every week, and strive to serve a diverse community in every way they can. They are an inspiration. I sit here at my kitchen table tonight with a full and thankful heart that God saw fit to have our paths cross. I'm forever grateful for His blessings.
God bless,
John