10/07/2024
https://www.podpage.com/icouldneverdothat/gary-burr/
A couple of weeks ago, I had the honor of interviewing one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Gary Burr.
If you’ve listened to music of ANY genre then you’re familiar with his work. He is behind hit songs for artists like Kelly Clarkson, Kenny Chesney, Lady A, The Oak Ridge Boys, Tim McGraw, Reba McEntire, Juice Newton, Christine Aguilera, Garth Brooks, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Carole King, and Ringo Starr…and seriously…that’s the tip of the iceberg here.
He's had 14 #1 hits in total (so far), 24 top 10s, and 32 top 40 hits to his name - a master of the 4-minute story arc known as a song.
But, while I could talk to him for years about his songwriting career, I reached out to him about something else — his foray into fiction. On July 5th, 2024, Gary released his first novel called, "Reunion - A Rock-n-Roll Fairy Tale" and it is his take on the question…"What if?" What if John Lennon wasn’t assassinated? Could they ever come together again and play as a band? And, as a reader, can you let your imagination even go there?
I talked to Gary about the process of writing a fairy tale novel. How is it different (or similar) to writing songs? How did he take four of the most famous people in history and script an alternative story? Why tackle someone like the Beatles? Did he know from the outset how it would end? And, most importantly — what does Ringo (who Gary has worked with for the past 20 years) think of the book?
We often think about “what ifs” in our own lives and I ask myself a lot, "What if dreams do come true?" Well, getting to interview Gary proves that they do!
Listen at the link above or wherever you listen to podcasts.