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Circling The Drain

Circling The Drain

By: John E. Bozeman & Jay Harper
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Circling The Drain is a show about the current state of the music and radio businesses as well as culture in general! Hosted by John E. Bozeman and Jay Harper along with Jim McCarthy as Co-Host/Executive Producer. John has had a storied career in music and talk radio, most notably as the Executive Producer for the late and legendary Phil Valentine. Jay also has has a long career in radio as Announcer, Play-by-Play, Voice and On-Camera Actor. He was also an Artist Rep for MCA records. Jim McCarthy ALSO has had a tremendous career in radio since 1996 and has since brought his consulting/producing skillset to the podcast world. Circling the Drain is produced by ItsYourShow.co2025 Music Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Hit Songs, Phil Valentine Memories, Trump Stories & “Arlington” w/Trace Adkins Pt. 2 :: Ep 44 Circling the Drain Podcast

    Hit Songs, Phil Valentine Memories, Trump Stories & “Arlington” w/Trace Adkins Pt. 2 :: Ep 44 Circling the Drain Podcast
    Jun 24 2026
    In Part 2 of our deep-dive with country icon Trace Adkins, we get the stories behind his most emotional and controversial songs, from “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” to “You’re Gonna Miss This” and “Arlington.” Trace shares powerful memories from Arlington National Cemetery, his candid take on Donald Trump, and the radio days with Phil Valentine that almost got people fired.We also dig into his acting career, how he met his wife on a movie set, the wild origin of his dog “Gary Busey,” and why he believes live shows are now the only truly “real” part of the music business.0:43 – If Trace had to be in a tribute band forever, who would he choose? 1:36 – Waylon Jennings’ “Honky Tonk Heroes” and how it inspired Trace’s “Dangerous Man” album cover 3:25 – The grind of album photo shoots and making a real, gritty cover shot 4:12 – The Phil Valentine show, stepdad life, and getting sick of “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” 5:44 – Why “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk” is cleverly written, not just a novelty hit 6:42 – How the song became the most-played country song in strip club history 7:44 – The backroom label deals behind certain cuts and how “You’re Gonna Miss This” started as a wedding song 9:00 – “I thought it was too sappy” – Trace misjudges a song that becomes a massive number one 10:26 – Ashley Gorley’s hit-making juggernaut and why everyone wants one of his songs 11:04 – Writing “American Made” for the country’s 250th anniversary 11:38 – “Arlington” and “An Empty Chair” – songs that choke him up on stage 12:04 – Performing “Arlington” at Arlington National Cemetery and barely getting through it 12:43 – Why Trace only does “Arlington” for the right audiences (and never for drunks or festivals) 14:04 – The true story behind “Arlington” and Lance Corporal Patrick Nixon 16:26 – Playing “Arlington” on air, Phil Valentine’s reaction, and the emotional weight of the song 17:04 – Remembering Phil Valentine: sparring on-air, sharp wit, and real friendship 18:34 – A hilarious voicemail from Trace and joking about “your little radio show” 19:22 – Rodeo memories, FCC close calls, and the infamous “hot and juicy” weather report 21:18 – Live radio chaos: open mics, cussing and thinking they’d be fired 22:16 – Trace’s new production company “Fifth Rodeo” and its cowboy-with-a-fifth-of-whiskey logo 23:14 – Why Trace doesn’t want the pressure of doing a podcast 24:07 – From tractors to Lululemon and voiceovers: “degradation” of the conversation 24:19 – “Ultimate Cowboy Showdown,” real cowboys and concern for the horses 25:25 – Why some ranch work still has to be done on horseback 26:08 – Trace’s Christmas show: Celtic vibes, stories behind songs and gospel roots 27:32 – Feeling good about the Christmas show vs. “I’m sorry, Lord” after “Badonkadonk” 28:08 – Is memorizing dialog hard? How years on stage made acting easier 28:58 – Directors who demand word-for-word delivery vs. those who allow improvisation 29:46 – Meeting his wife on the set of “The Virginian” in Vancouver 30:21 – How his wife writes, acts and why their dog is named Gary Busey 31:50 – The Christmas parade, a weird looking puppy and the Gary Busey hair and teeth 32:05 – Writing a song for the 250th and the Freedom 250 concert controversy 32:48 – PBS Fourth of July, Trump’s event, and shifting TV schedules 34:02 – The best Trump impressions Trace has heard and how Trump exaggerated his own persona 35:43 – Riding in Trump’s limo and getting asked: “Are you reasonably faithful to your wife?” 36:55 – Trump Jr. explains his job: “I follow him around and put fires out” 37:42 – Wanting to be Ambassador to Australia or the “Office of Hell No” 38:00 – How Trace judges Trump: “He’s a rich old asshole, not evil” 39:11 – New York real estate, DC politics, and why Trump didn’t need to run 40:00 – Meeting Trump on the plane: funny, warm, and totally different from the public caricature 40:31 – Touring Trump’s penthouse and offices: proud of what he’s built 41:04 – Negotiating through hyperbole: Greenland, Canada, and “shooting for the moon” 42:23 – Dave Chappelle’s take on Trump’s debate moment about tax loopholes 43:07 – Rand Paul vs. Trump on stage and how one debate moment flipped opinions 43:54 – Label history: Capitol, Show Dog, Broken Bow, Verge, and coming back “home” to MCA 45:22 – Why this next MCA album might be Trace’s last 45:32 – New artists he likes (Ella Langley) and why she “has every tool” 46:12 – Betting whether Ella Langley will stay country or go pop 46:42 – Not knowing many of today’s artists and thinking “Shaboozy” was a whiskey brand 47:32 – Loving traditional country and hopes for a pendulum ...
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    57 mins
  • Trace Adkins: Near-Death Stories, Oil Rigs, And 30 Years In Country Music :: Ep 43 Circling the Drain Podcast

    Trace Adkins: Near-Death Stories, Oil Rigs, And 30 Years In Country Music :: Ep 43 Circling the Drain Podcast
    Jun 17 2026
    Country legend Trace Adkins joins Circling the Drain for a raw, funny, and unfiltered conversation about survival, success, and the scars he picked up along the way.Trace opens up about growing up in small-town Louisiana, singing bass in church, working dangerous oil rigs in the Gulf, getting shot by an ex-wife, flipping a tractor, multiple open-heart surgeries, and why he still prefers hard work on the farm to life on the tour bus. He also talks about his breakout in Nashville, label politics, 30 years in country music, and how acting and voiceover work have kept him relevant.Along the way you’ll hear wild stories featuring Gene Simmons, Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, Donald Trump, Blake Shelton, and more – plus why the national anthem still makes him nervous every single time.This is Part 1 of our Trace Adkins series on Circling the Drain.1:56 – Trace walks in like a superstar and why everyone respects him 2:26 – The only “tangible result” of being on stage: applause and then back to the bus 3:03 – Farm life, physical work, and needing something real to show for the day 3:50 – Taking down massive ash trees and chasing a chainsaw voiceover gig 4:30 – Losing a Steel commercial because he didn’t wear gloves 6:09 – 12+ years as the voice of Firestone and other national campaigns 6:42 – KFC, Farmer Boys, and ongoing work with Wounded Warrior Project 7:30 – Five daughters, Lululemon bills, and the idea of Trace voicing an athleisure brand 8:01 – Intimidating the boyfriends: hunting on his land and the “I could bury you here” moment 9:47 – Telling a boyfriend he “wasn’t going to make it” and helping him cut his losses 10:25 – Five daughters, three ex-wives, and being “five times more confused about women” 11:10 – Growing up in church: singing beside his granddad with that rich bass voice 11:40 – Discovering that “chicks dig the bass” in a gospel quartet at 17 12:43 – Hayrides, jamborees, and covering Haggard and Buck Owens 13:20 – Working offshore on a drilling rig and singing in the wheelhouse after 12-hour shifts 14:08 – Winning the Wild Turkey Battle of the Bands and coming to Nashville 15:00 – Club circuits, drugs, booze, and learning “everything you’re not supposed to do” 16:08 – Getting his first guitar at 10 and taking lessons in Spring Hill, Louisiana 16:42 – Why he calls himself a “lazy guitar player” and just plays enough to accompany himself 17:11 – Cutting off a finger and the chords he can’t play anymore 17:40 – The shooting: getting shot by an ex-wife and why he didn’t press charges 18:52 – Bullet through the heart and both lungs, Life Flight, and Vanderbilt saving his life 19:45 – Bleeding on the floor, protecting the new carpet, and passing out in the atrium 21:04 – Being 32, strong, and why that’s the only reason he survived 21:39 – Scars from construction work, broken arms and legs, ribs, and flipped tractors 23:15 – Tractor roll-over, crushed sternum, and calling a neighbor with a backhoe to save him 24:16 – Trauma surgery vs. scheduled open-heart surgery and the pain difference 25:14 – Why he doesn’t write songs about his craziest life events 26:00 – Capitol Records, meeting Scott Hendricks at baggage claim, and getting offered a deal on stage 27:06 – Being a big, striking presence and coming from a tall family 28:21 – Shrinking from 6'6" to 6'5" and feeling it in the joints 28:52 – Label politics after Scott leaves Capitol and refusing to go back into the building 29:29 – Almost throwing an executive out the window and the Patsy Cline “she’s dead” story 31:02 – New leadership, Mike Dungan, and how Tim DuBois helped push Trace’s career forward 32:17 – The Chrome era, bikes, and typecast biker roles in movies 33:00 – Deepwater Horizon, playing a furious parent, and Peter Berg demanding more intensity 35:30 – Manhandling Mark Wahlberg on set and the behind-the-scenes story 35:59 – Meeting Kurt Russell and seeing oilfield authenticity on screen 36:38 – Why that movie got the oilfield details right 37:01 – Taylor Sheridan, Land Man delays, and writers chasing the next “shiny toy” 38:53 – Yellowstone, spinoffs, and the risk of losing momentum between seasons 40:04 – Getting tricked into a faith-based movie (Mom’s Night Out) and only reading his sides 41:23 – Peeing fire as a demon in a field and calling it his greatest scene ever 49:00 – Gene Simmons on Celebrity Apprentice and how he changed the rules of the game 52:01 – Turning hot dogs into $5,000 donations and reshaping the show around charity money 53:07 – The mysterious “go to my room” invitation and the producer’s warning 53:52 – What Trace really thinks of Gene Simmons and his magnetism 54:08 – His take on Donald Trump and how “what you see is what you get” 54:34 – Why the ...
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    1 hr
  • Life on the Road with David Allan Coe: Outlaws, Wigs, Boats and Blues :: Ep 42 Circling the Drain Podcast

    Life on the Road with David Allan Coe: Outlaws, Wigs, Boats and Blues :: Ep 42 Circling the Drain Podcast
    Jun 10 2026

    Veteran bassist and author Mickey Hayes joins Circling the Drain to pull back the curtain on the wild, brilliant and chaotic world of country legend David Allan Coe. From blacked‑out tour buses and outlaw bikers to wigs, panthers, boats and hit songs, Mickey shares what it was really like to live on the edge with one of country music’s most controversial figures.


    Mickey talks about joining Coe’s band in 1979, surviving the Outlaws MC, refitting buses and boats in the Florida Keys, the truth behind the “death row” myth, and why Coe was the PT Barnum of country music. He also dives into Coe’s overlooked Columbia catalog, the making of “The Ride,” working with Warren Haynes, and how those years inspired his book “My Life on the Road with David Allen Coe” and a late‑career songwriting burst.


    If you love outlaw country, road stories, and unfiltered music history, this episode is packed with stories you won’t hear anywhere else.


    Timed highlights


    02:56 Miami club gig and the four‑barrel derringer on the monitor board

    04:55 Flying into David Allan Coe’s world and first impressions at the compound

    07:04 The purple house, refitting buses and boats, and riding in like a circus

    10:16 Swamp-ass on black buses with no A/C and building the outlaw image

    13:17 Ad break: Milltown Bikes in Columbia, Tennessee

    16:01 Coe’s later years, health, and the line “I just don’t want to die alone”

    20:02 Leaving the spotlight, finishing the book, and writing 35–40 new songs

    21:38 Playing Coe’s deep cuts, Columbia catalog, and early classic albums

    22:18 Rewriting “Stand By Your Man” as “Stand By Your Band”

    23:32 The birth of the wigs and why David named one after Mickey

    24:57 TV appearances, Farrah Fawcett hair and multiple wigs on Ralph Emery

    26:24 Rusty Spur stories, lost wigs and using heartbreak as stage patter

    26:55 Earning Coe’s respect by standing up to him over an out‑of‑tune guitar

    29:32 Outlaw caravans, smoking and drinking on the road in a fake Packard

    33:21 The real story behind Coe’s “death row” legend

    34:55 Controversy, X‑rated albums and why Coe welcomed being talked about

    41:04 Kris Kristofferson’s advice on songwriting and “Sunday Morning Coming Down”

    45:19 Dealing with labels and the infamous record‑exec table story

    47:20 Pink Nudie suit, “family” crowd shock and Coe’s onstage antics

    50:00 Ruskin Cave, Loretta Lynn tours and getting kicked off the bus route

    51:39 Why David Allan Coe belongs in the Country Music Hall of Fame

    54:00 Sinking the 50‑foot “pirate” boat and losing everything with no insurance

    55:00 Outlaws MC, being hung over a balcony and “you can’t testify if you don’t know”

    58:31 Calling Coe a legend and the unmatched volume of songs he wrote

    59:54 How Nashville remembers Coe and what happens after you die in this business

    1:02:08 Billy Joe Shaver standing up to Waylon and how an album got made

    1:07:00 Touring with a black panther, monkeys and other road “pets”

    1:11:18 Quitting Coe five times and sending him the tire bill

    1:18:00 Austin City Limits, “My Girl,” and how Coe gamed the taping

    1:19:49 Mickey on Coe’s legacy, the kids, the widow and posthumous releases

    1:20:31 Outro: Where to find Mickey’s book and how to follow the show



    Follow Johnny B:

    https://www.facebook.com/john.e.bozeman

    Follow Jay Harper:

    https://www.facebook.com/harperjeff

    Follow Jim:

    www.jmvos.com


    Circling The Drain is produced by It's Your Show dot Co

    www.itsyourshow.co
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 20 mins
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