It might make others really stop and think honestly about where they are in life and where they’d like to ultimately end up.

Maybe you’re in I.T.

Maybe you’re pursuing your rock and roll dream.

Or maybe you really like your job, but you know there’s more to you and to life than what you do from 9-5.

No matter where you are in your pursuit, I’d like to encourage you to consider what Jon Murray, the Founder of Kase X Noko in Nashville, Tennessee, told me during one of our interviews for Unbreakable, which can be seen on Amazon Prime, Tubi, and multiple other streaming services (https://pickrelay.com/app/t/49by-4qfm?source=search_results).

He said, “If I could give anybody any advice on who’s chasing something, whether it’s the restaurant business, whatever it may be, you want to be a painter, you want to be an actor, you want to be a doctor, fear is fake. Fear is not real. Fear is self-made. You’re gonna die one day. I’m gonna die one day. And why the hell would we do anything in life that’s not worthwhile, that doesn’t light a fire under us?”

FEAR.

In my opinion, that’s what typically stops people in their tracks.

Fear of failure.

Fear of rejection.

Fear of being laughed at.

Fear. Fear. Fear.

Fear is real for most of us.

People with a family may fear pursuing a dream because they have bills to pay.

That’s legit.

There are a lot of very real reasons why fear can creep in and keep a person from “going for it.”

However, I can tell you from experience, once you get over that fear, your chances of making your dream come true improve exponentially.

In Jon’s case, he had a pretty good thing going before Kase X Noko, but he knew deep down there was more to him than he was tapping into.

He says, “The last company I was with, I was with them for almost 11 years. I started as a server, came all the way to the COO of the company. It’s an amazing company. The founder of that company is still one of my best friends, if not my best friend. You get these feelings of like, man, there’s something that I haven’t tapped into that I need to. And to be honest with you, I was scared to death.”

But sometimes a burning desire to do something can trump fear.

“I knew that I wanted to bring something to life,” says Murray.

“I knew that I wanted to do it the way that I wanted to do it, without any restriction.”

So he went for it.

Now he runs an award-winning restaurant that is gaining recognition far and wide. Here’s a current list of some of Kase X Noko’s accolades.

• Best New Restaurant: Named Best New Restaurant by the Nashville Scene in their 2025 awards.

• Top 10 Sushi Bars in America: Recognized by Time Out as one of the top 10 sushi bars in the United States.

• James Beard Award Semifinalist: Executive Chef Dung “Junior” Vo was named a 2025 James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef: Southeast, making him the youngest chef in Nashville to receive the honor.

• Southern Charm Award: Received a debut Southern Charm award from Modern South Magazine.

Having tasted their food and interacted with their entire staff, I feel confident in saying the awards are going to keep on coming.

It’s easy to tell others to take risks, make bold moves, and bet on themselves.

But I’m not writing this from the sidelines. I’ve lived it.

When I was pursuing a career in TV news, I had a very defined list of goals I wanted to achieve.

I wanted to:

✓ Work in my hometown. Check.
✓ Travel with a professional sports team (the Bengals). Check.
✓ Co-host an NFL show. Check.
✓ Stay around family. Check.
✓ Report on a national news network. Check. Check. Check. Check.

And the list went on and on.

I was making a really good living and had zero reason to start thinking about what else I might be able to do.

Most importantly, I really didn’t think I could do much else.

I went to college to learn how to be a broadcast journalist. That’s pretty much all I knew.

I’m certainly not the type of guy that can do things with his hands, and I was never the “sell insurance” type (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

What I found out, though, was that when doors opened, more often than not, I chose not to walk through them.

Why?

Fear.

Fear of not having what it takes to do my own thing.

Fear of family not understanding.

Fear of not being able to support my wife and children.

I actually agreed to a job in a different state—only to call my future boss and tell him I couldn’t make the move.

Why?

I chickened out.

Sad.

But true.

Little did I know that once I got the courage to “go for it” and “fear not”—one of the most repeated messages in Scripture—my wife (a former TV meteorologist) and I would go on to run our nationwide video production business for 20 years (this month!) and start a second business in the media and entertainment industry.

But enough about me.

What I’m trying to say is, if your stomach is churning or your mind won’t let you sleep at night because you’ve got a great but scary idea, maybe it’s time to stop letting fear make the decision for you.

Always remember what Jon Murray says, “FEAR IS FAKE.”

Pretty bold claim even by rock and roll standards, right?

Well, after witnessing the event last weekend, you’ll get no argument from me.

The folks who put Mountain Music Festival together, turning the usually quiet mountains of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, into a rock-and-roll playground for three days, absolutely nailed it.

There wasn’t just great (and extraordinarily loud) rock and roll.

The people-watching? I mean…it doesn’t get much better than this!

And that’s saying something coming from me.

After a couple of years at the Texas Renaissance Festival, I thought I’d pretty much seen it all. Exhibits A & B below.

What I like most, though, about both events is how comfortable these people are in their own skin.

My kinda people.

The colorful and raucous music fans who attended the three-day event came in droves and they epitomized what rock and roll is all about.

They were loud.

Fun.

All ages.

Carefree.

And didn’t give “AF” what anyone else thought.

I loved that part of it.

A lot.

Some even brought props along for the ride and made sure those props pre-gamed like the rest of us!

We had a chance to see several bands.

Sebastian Bach?
The voice—and his off-the-charts energy—is still all there.

Lita Ford?
Good lord. Phenomenal.

Night Ranger?

There are a few more miles on the faces (yep, same here), but their sound?

Still pure ’80s rock and roll.

And by all accounts, John Waite, Rick Springfield, and on and on and on, all crushed it.

The best part?

No one seemed too worried about who they weren’t seeing on any given night.

They were having a blast with pretty much whoever was on stage.

I also loved checking out all the rock memorabilia on display and wandering through the swag and merch vendors scattered throughout the convention center.

But one of my favorite parts was all the various swag & other merch vendors and watching the “So You Think You Can Shred” contest.

The people who had the guts to step up and play in front of legit rock stars (Chet Roberts among them), comedian Don Jamieson, and the rest of the panel really let it all hang out.

Some more than others.

But you’ve got to give every one of them credit.

It takes some serious cojones to grab a guitar and put your chops on the line in front of that crew—and then face the music, literally, as the panel weighs in on your shredding skills, occasionally with absolutely no mercy!

To their credit, they took the hits, kept smiling, and rocked on.

Then another activity caught our attention:

Painting with the rock stars.

We watched Chet Roberts, a 3 Doors Down veteran of more than a dozen years, sit shoulder-to-shoulder with fans—painting, swapping stories, laughing, and just hanging out.

A few early-morning mimosas loosened up the paintbrushes and the nerves.

A little whiskey later loosened up pretty much everything else.

The whole crew took a group picture, grabbed a few autographs, and went on with their day.

I didn’t really know what to expect from my first Mountain Music Festival.

But I know what I didn’t expect—to leave already wanting to come back.

The folks behind this festival have figured out how to make some pretty big rock stars feel accessible, make the fans feel like they’re part of something, and keep the whole thing from taking itself too seriously.

That’s not easy to pull off.

Well done, Mountain Music folks.

Well done.

That may be the perfect way to describe what happened at Live Oak in Nashville on Tuesday night.

From the very first note, every artist who took the stage brought their A game.

We knew something was brewing when we watched the bands during soundcheck before the doors opened.

Several of us just looked at each other and said, “Oh!”

For Graham Hannan and his Louisville based band, HANNAN, there was one big unknown heading into the night: How would a Nashville crowd respond to a full-on hard rock show?

They got their answer pretty quickly.

“From the first note, our nerves were put to ease. The atmosphere was electric, the crowd was utterly amazing and the night blew away any preconceived notions we may have had.”

But Graham also pointed to something that became a theme throughout the night. It wasn’t really about rock versus country or one artist versus another.

It was about shining a light on great artists across genres and proving that good music doesn’t need to fit into one box.

“The love in that room from the crowd and the camaraderie of the bands showed what this industry is all about. So much talent across genres that we are lucky to be a part of. We will always be humbled and grateful for what we experienced.”

Nobody seemed to care what box the music was supposed to fit into.

They just wanted to experience it.

That was one of my favorite parts of the night.

You had artists with different sounds, different audiences and different stories sharing the same stage — and instead of feeling disconnected, somehow it all worked.

Ryan Daniel felt it too.

“Anytime we get to play music for the fans is a blessing! But Tuesday night was definitely something special! To bring multiple acts from different genres shows that music has the power to unite! This event was one for the books and I can’t wait to see what the future holds!”

There’s a tendency in music to put everything into a category.

Country goes here.

Rock goes there.

Singer-songwriters over here.

That night, none of that mattered.

Good music was good music.

And the crowd was there for all of it.

Sir Charles opened the night and described a moment that I think every performer spends their career chasing.

That moment when everything clicks — the music, the crowd, the energy — and you know you’re part of something special.

“There was a moment last night when I looked out at the crowd and thought, this is exactly where I’m supposed to be. You spend so much time writing, rehearsing and working behind the scenes, and then you get a night like that where everything connects. That feeling is hard to put into words.”

You could feel that connection from the other side of the stage, too.

This wasn’t a crowd politely watching a lineup of performers.

They were into it.

Sir Charles may have said it best:

“It wasn’t just people watching a show, it felt like everyone was part of it. I walked off that stage completely fired up and incredibly grateful. I’m ready for the next one.”

Timothy Chance took the stage performing songs from his “Book of Timothy” album, and played the “Let Me Be Myself Remix” with Chet Roberts — one of the guitarists who performed with 3 Doors Down for more than a decade— right there beside him.

As Timothy put it:

“It felt like we was flyin’, with Chet Roberts on stage for the ‘Let Me Be Myself Remix.’ Brad Arnold & the fellas were definitely honored at this event.”

That moment carried a little extra weight considering what everyone had watched later in the evening.

The nightcap happened with the premier of Chet Roberts’ documentary called,

Unbreakable.

The documentary follows Chet Roberts and his life’s journey — the road that eventually led him to 3 Doors Down, what happened after the death of the band’s lead singer, Brad Arnold, but also the life, people, experiences and challenges surrounding that chapter of his story.

We intended to show a preview to the VIP crowd to open then night. But a technical glitch forced us push it back to the end of the evening.

As it turns out, whether we showed it at the beginning or the end of the night, people were locked in.

And watching people watch it in person was something I won’t forget.

That’s my favorite memory.

Chet was there.

His mom was there.

His sister was right beside her.

There was laughter.

And there were tears.

A 4th Door Kleenex box would have certainly helped everyone in the room.

Chet, who didn’t want to see the episode until that night told me afterwards, “That was incredible. It’s so humbling. Watching that episode really highlighted how fast life is going by. It’s all a flash. I Felt a wave of pride come over me as the night unfolded. Proud to first know all of the exceptional people involved and second to be making a difference in music!”

You could hear a pin drop in the room during some of Chet’s very personal reflections as they unfolded on the big screen.

I saw Chet tearing up and that forced me to look away or I was going to lose it!

The Right People in the Room

HANNAN drummer Dean DuFresne noticed something else that’s hard to manufacture.

“What really struck me was the overall vibe of the event — it was really positive. You only get that vibe when the right people are in the room and that’s what happened that night.”

Perfectly said: the right people in the room.

You can book a venue.

You can build a stage.

You can get the sound right.

You can put together a lineup.

But you can’t put “magic” on a production schedule.

Dean also gave some well-deserved credit to Live Oak and the crew, including the front-of-house sound (thank you Marshall Bastin), which he said was “perfect” — something he heard people mentioning throughout the night.

More importantly, though, he felt the support in the room.

“A lot of times these types of events can come across as being ‘stuffy’ but everyone was there in support and it created a magical vibe that was palpable and to me, that’s what made the night special.”

Exactly.

It wasn’t stuffy.

It wasn’t transactional.

It didn’t feel like people were standing around waiting for their turn to talk about themselves.

People were watching.

Listening.

Cheering.

Supporting.

And having a hell of a good time.

When we started putting this night together, we obviously wanted it to be successful.

You always do.

But success can mean a lot of things.

A full room is success.

A great performance is success.

People enjoying themselves is success.

Watching Chet and his family experience Unbreakable together moved me.

Watching artists from completely different corners of music cheer each other on was special.

Watching performers come offstage buzzing because they knew something had clicked.

That’s the stuff you remember.

Dean called the night “truly unforgettable.”

Ryan called it “one for the books.”

Sir Charles walked offstage ready for the next one.

Graham and the guys in HANNAN left humbled by the reception.

And I think everybody involved walked away feeling some version of the same thing:

We need to do this again.

Thank you to each and everyone of you who came out to support us, including Megan Ruger (Season 6 “The Voice”) and Bryan Hopkins who both took the stage as well.

And thank you to Chet and every 4th Door band and teammate who did all the hard work behind the scenes, including our very special sponsor, Contec Services.

I truly wasn’t “ready for this…” but I’m glad I got to witness it and play a small part in it.

Like, deep down.

What gets you up in the morning?

What excites you?

What is the “must have” in your life?

These are questions that, understandably, some people find difficult to answer.

That’s because sometimes the world is spinning so fast it’s all we can do to hang on.

In short, we can take so many punches over the course of a day, a week, a month, or a year that it’s easy to lose sight of what brings us joy.

Sometimes, it feels as though the world is trying harder to break us than to remind us what we’re capable of.

Maybe that’s why I’m so passionate about our passion project, Unbreakable, now streaming on Amazon Prime and several other platforms. The series has reached audiences around the world, from the U.S. and Canada to Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. In fact, the UK has become our #1 international audience, with nearly 5,000 streams and counting. It’s incredibly rewarding to see a project that means so much to us connect with viewers across the globe.

I’m no different than you.
I take punches all the time.
I have for years.
They used to hurt.
Now, I punch back.
Maybe a better way to say it is: I bend, but I don’t break.

I recently asked members of 4th Door Media’s 4 bands (HANNAN, Ryan Daniel, Timothy Chance, and Sir Charles) what being unbreakable means to them.

Their answers varied.

Of course they did.

They’ve all had very different experiences.

They’ve all taken roundhouse punches from every angle for years.

But here they are.

Still doing what they love.

Pursuing their joy.

Graham Hannan, the frontman of the Louisville-based rock band HANNAN, puts it this way:

His words are as spot on as the many songs he’ll be performing at Live Oak on Music Row in Nashville next Tuesday, August 18th.

I asked the same question to acclaimed country music artist, Ryan Daniel.

God, country, family, and music. What you see is what you get with Ryan.

Is he unbreakable?

What do you think?

Timothy Chance, a Nashville-based singer, MC, writer, and hip-hop/country producer, puts it this way:

Sometimes the most profound comments are the simplest.

I get it.

Makes perfect sense.

By the way, wait till you hear his newest album, “The Book of Timothy.” I’m wearing that bad boy out.

Last, but certainly not least, Sir Charles weighs in with his definition of unbreakable:

I absolutely love this quote.

I can relate to it in so many ways.

Sir Charles pours everything he has into his music.

He’s the kind of musician who will play at an upstairs bar at 11:30 p.m. on a Tuesday night and give it everything he’s got whether one person shows up or a thousand.

In fact, all the 4th Door bands are that way.

They’re all gamers.

It’s one of the things I respect most about each of them.

So, I’ll ask you again.

What is it that lights your fire?
Like, deep down?
I hope if you haven’t discovered it yet, you find it soon.

I’ll tell you this.

You’ve got it inside you somewhere.

All you have to do is dig deep, pursue your passion relentlessly no matte what anyone else thinks, and surround yourself with people who will lift you up and believe in you—even when others write you off.

Go have yourself a great weekend, and thank you so much for reading my Friday morning musings.

SPECIAL NOTE!

We just found out today that Season 2 of Unbreakable has passed QC!

That means the process of submitting both episodes to distribution channels will begin immediately. Stay tuned!

Also, you can see every artist mentioned in this article perform live at Live Oak on Music Row in Nashville on Tuesday, August 18.

General admission and a limited number of VIP tickets—which include a three-hour open bar—are still available. Purchase them here! https://www.tixr.com/groups/liveoaknashville/events/unbreakable-featuring-chet-roberts-200481

The live event will also feature a special showing of Unbreakable, featuring Chet Roberts to VIPs upstairs at Live Oak starting at 6pm.

And a special thank-you to Contec Services for sponsoring the event!

Trying to narrow down the reasons you should be at Live Oak on Music Row in Nashville on August 18th to just five was like trying to pour a 32-ounce beer into an 8-ounce can.

It wasn’t easy.

It got messy.

And there was way too much good stuff left over.

Here’s why.

There are concerts.

There are documentary and movie premieres.

There are parties where you walk in and pretty much know what to expect.

August 18th at Live Oak in Nashville is none of those things.

Fourth Door Media & Entertainment is taking over Live Oak for one night of music, film, friends, special guests, a few surprises—and, for our VIPs, three glorious hours to enjoy the open bar.

If you’ve been wondering whether you should grab a ticket, allow me to make this ridiculously easy for you.

Here are the Top 5 Reasons You Need to Be at Live Oak on August 18th.

1. You’ll See Unbreakable Before Everyone Else

The doors open at 5:00—and we’re off to the races.

Just like the Kentucky Derby, once that gate opens, there’s no easing into it.

The drinks start flowing, conversations get going, cameras start flashing, and the step-and-repeat comes alive with meet-and-greets.

Friends, artists, special guests, and a who’s who of familiar faces start filling the room.

At 6:00, the night truly begins.

VIPs will be upstairs as we turn down the lights.

That’s where we’ll showcase a special screening of Chet Roberts’ 30-minute documentary, Unbreakable.

It’s an up-close and deeply personal look at Chet’s story.

We’ll take you all the way back to Chet’s childhood and teenage years, through the odd jobs and unexpected turns that shaped him, and into the moment he was asked to join “that legendary band he was in.”

Then, everything changes.

You’ll see the day Chet’s life turned upside down, followed by a series of devastating family and personal struggles that would test him in ways the music business never could.

We should probably put a Fourth Door Media Kleenex box on every table, because when Chet opens up about his beloved father’s failing health—and, as Chet puts it, “dealing with his mortality”—there may not be a dry eye in the room.

You’ll hear not only from Chet, but also from members of his family, famous band and others in the music industry.

We filmed much of the documentary on Music Row, inside the historic RCA studios.

Chet fit right in there.

There’s a full-circle kind of moment for Chet there, but we’ll let him tell you himself during his episode.

I do know this.

His story of resilience will inspire you.

As the Executive Producer of the documentary, I’ll guarantee it.

2. Four Fourth Door Artists. One Stage. One Night.

Immediately after the episode, downstairs takes center stage.

That’s where four 4th Door artists will let it all hang out in this order.

🎸 Sir Charles
🔥 Timothy Chance
🤘 HANNAN (with an appearance by Chete Roberts joining the band)
🎤 Ryan Daniel (with an appearance by Chet Roberts joining the band)

Four completely different personalities and sounds.

All performing live at Live Oak.

This is a chance to experience what Fourth Door has been building all in one room, and trust us, these guys were not assembled for a quiet evening.

In fact, they have all talked privately about how hard they are going to BRING IT that night.

Come early.

Stay late.

Wear comfortable shoes.

3. The Guest List Is Getting a Little Ridiculous

Here is some late breaking news for ya.

Some very talented and nationally known artists are also expected to join us as VIPs for the night.

Megan Ruger, who you may remember from Season 6 of The Voice, is among them.

We’re also told country rap artist, SMO is stopping by to say hello.

Every time we think we know who’s coming, another name gets added—and there are a whole lot of names we haven’t mentioned yet, including Comedian Stevie D, Thomas Gabriel (Johnny Cash’s grandson), and Raelyn Nelson (Willie Nelson’s granddaughter).

All have confirmed their appearances.

At this point, we’re not sure who you’ll bump into at the bar, but keep your eyes peeled.

That’s pretty cool.

Come one, come all!

4. VIP Means OPEN BAR. For THREE HOURS.

We probably could have buried this farther down the article.

But why would we?

VIP guests get a three-hour open bar.

Three.

Hours.

We believe if you’re going to call it VIP, you’d better make it feel VIP.

Thanks to our sponsor, Contec Services, we’re doing exactly that.

So grab your friends, get there early, have a drink, meet some celebs, watch the documentary, catch the performances, and enjoy this rare Tuesday night vibe.

VIP tickets are….wait for it….

Just $25.00!

Seriously?

Start hydrating now.

Your next morning is between you and your coffee maker.

5. Because This one is For You.

How many times do music fans say they want to go to an event, get up close and personal with the artists, and be able to afford the darn ticket to get in.

That’s one of our goals at 4th Door Media.

We want to get back to the basics.

For musicians and their fans.

We feel like our little coming out party absolutely accomplishes that.

We cordially invite you to join us that night and moving forward.

So… Are You Coming?

August 18th. Live Oak. Nashville.

🎬 Unbreakable — the Chet Roberts documentary
🎸 Chet Roberts
🎸 Sir Charles
🎸 Timothy Chance
🎸 HANNAN
🎸 Ryan Daniel
⭐ Megan Ruger
🥃 Three-hour open bar for VIP guests

One night.

A whole lot of rock & roll, country, and rap.

And probably a few things we haven’t told you about yet.

Get your tickets, grab your crew, and meet us at Live Oak on August 18th.

We’ll see you on Music Row. 🤘

Get your tickets here!

https://www.tixr.com/groups/liveoaknashville/events/unbreakable-featuring-chet-roberts-200481

VIP is filling up fast, but a limited number of upstairs tickets still remain!

General admission is just $10.

Special thanks again to our sponsor, Contec Services, for helping make this special night possible!

You can most definitely hear it.

When you meet Thomas Gabriel, his voice, his demeanor, his everything, screams Johnny Cash.

Yes, that Johnny Cash.

The resemblance is undeniable.

But even Thomas is occasionally caught off guard by it.

“Sometimes I’ll hear a recording and think, ‘Is that him or me?’”

Listen to Thomas’ version of Folsom Prison Blues and you’ll understand exactly what he means.

His journey, though, has taken him through places no one would envy—tour buses with music royalty, prison cells, addiction, operating rooms, recovery meetings—and pretty much everything else a tough life can throw at a person.

Thomas doesn’t romanticize growing up as Johnny Cash’s eldest grandson.

His very first memory is one most people could only dream about.

He was just three years old, backstage at Caesars Palace.

“I’ll never forget it. It was bigger than anything I’d ever seen... the lights, the colors... the excess, I remember thinking, ‘I don’t want to leave this place.’”

Throughout much of his childhood, Thomas toured alongside his grandparents, Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, watching two of country music’s biggest icons from just offstage instead of from the audience.

Yes, there were Christmases that included the likes of Tom Petty, Elvis Costello, Anthony Kiedis (Red Hot Chili Peppers), and other household names.

He admits some holidays felt “larger than life.”

During one family Christmas, Thomas took center stage.

He nervously played one of his original songs for his legendary grandfather.

Halfway through, Johnny Cash started laughing.

Thomas was crushed.

After the song ended, Johnny clarified his reaction.

“I wasn’t laughing at your song,” he told him. “I was laughing because it made me happy to see you playing.”

There was another time when young Thomas handed his grandfather a cassette, convinced the “Man in Black” would love the new song he had written.

Instead, his grandfather gave him an answer he wasn’t expecting.

“You don’t have enough life experience yet.”

Not exactly the praise a 19-year-old aspiring writer and musician had hoped for.

Years later, Thomas learned there was more to that conversation than he realized.

His grandmother, Vivian Liberto Cash, Johnny Cash’s first wife, had watched firsthand what fame and the music business had done to her husband and she sure as heck didn’t want that to happen to young Thomas.

“My grandmother Vivian... was scared to death of the music industry because she saw what it did to my grandpa. She called him and said, ‘I don’t want you pushing him with this. I don’t want him going down the road,’ because I already had substance abuse problems.”

Thomas says Johnny Cash was caught between a rock and a hard place.

Still, his grandfather never stopped asking about his music.

Then, shortly before he died, Johnny left Thomas with one final piece of advice.

“Remember your music... and push it.”

But the “life experience” Johnny Cash talked about early on was already on its way.

As Johnny Cash famously sang, “the train was a-comin’, it’s rolling ’round the bend.”

Thomas acknowledges that growing up in the Cash family certainly had its perks.

But it wasn’t always easy.

As it turned out, growing up on tour buses, often feeling like the forgotten kid hiding in the background, wasn’t so cool.

Back then, music often represented instability.

So much so, he admits he spent years resenting the music industry.

“I avoided it.”

His struggles with addiction became severe.

Years of substance abuse eventually led to a lengthy arrest record and time behind bars.

That’s something he doesn’t shy away from and takes full responsibility for.

Ironically, prison became the place where he finally discovered who he was.

That’s when Thomas finally stopped fighting it.

He embraced his musical legacy and knew he’d finally found his place.

“This is the only job I don’t get nervous on.”

After turning his life around, Thomas finally leaned into the calling he’d spent years trying to outrun.

In 2018, he released his debut album, Long Way Home.

The title couldn’t have been more fitting.

Songs like “Slipping Away” confront his battle with addiction, while tracks like “1-9-7-4” and “Cell” pull directly from his experiences behind bars.

Years later, another opportunity would connect Thomas to his grandfather in a way few people ever could.

Johnny Cash had started writing a song called “Room 1702” but never finished it before he died.

Thomas did.

He completed the song and recorded it himself.

It’s mesmerizing—raw, Johnny Cash-esque, and utterly captivating.

He didn’t know it then, but life was about to give Thomas Gabriel the real life experience his grandfather said he lacked.

A few years ago, Thomas suffered what doctors call a widowmaker heart attack.

That’s doctor-speak for you probably shouldn’t have survived.

As ominous as that sounds, he didn’t even know it was happening.

He went to the gym.

Moved furniture.

Walked into the hospital, grabbed a bag of chips, and sat there ready for a quick checkup.

As it turns out, there was nothing quick or routine about what would happen next.

Doctors took some bloodwork and told Thomas he was in the middle of a massive heart attack caused by a 99-percent blockage.

Everything after that became a fight.

Double bypass surgery.

Five stents.

Five lung surgeries.

A medically induced coma.

Learning how to walk again.

Today he calls himself “a walking miracle.”

Surviving all of it changed him.

He found a new sense of purpose.

Thomas now speaks openly about addiction and recovery, encouraging others who find themselves where he once was.

He’s written a children’s book series built around preserving innocence and values before the world has a chance to take them away.

You can hear that same sense of purpose in his music.

Today, Thomas Gabriel is doing what his grandfather encouraged him to do all those years ago.

He’s pushing his music.

Thomas is touring venues across North America, sharing songs that are built from a life that’s been tested, broken, rebuilt, and redeemed.

Looking back now, Thomas sees his family’s legacy differently than he once did.

“It’s a family business. If my grandpa would’ve been a store owner or a farmer... I’m just carrying on the family business after he’s gone. I’m blessed. I really am. And for a long time, I didn’t realize that.”

Thomas Gabriel will always be Johnny Cash’s grandson.

He’ll continue to be asked about the uncanny resemblance.

But after spending time with him, that’s no longer the interesting part to me.

The interesting part is watching a man who was broken become unbreakable.

4th Door Media is proud to say that Thomas Gabriel will be among our special VIP guests at Live Oak on Music Row in Nashville on August 18.

The event will feature a 30-minute VIP screening of the documentary Unbreakable, featuring Chet Roberts, along with performances by Sir Charles, Timothy Chance, HANNAN, and Ryan Daniel.

Doors open at 5:00 p.m.

Seating is limited.

General admission price: $10.00

VIP Tickets (includes documentary screening, meet and greet, and 3 hour open bar) $25.00 thanks to our sponsor, Contec Services. For tickets, visit fourthdoormedia.com.

When we launched UNBREAKABLE Season One, we hoped people would connect with the stories.

They did.

From the very beginning we said if one of these stories helps just one person it’s worth doing.

We weren’t paid to shoot and produce these episodes.

This whole thing started as nothing more than a passion project.

The result has been rewarding in ways money can’t buy.

As it turns out, we were able to reach our wildest dreams with the success of Season One of UNBREAKABLE, as it is streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Tubi, and Spark TV.

It’s been viewed around the world.

When I saw that folks from as far away as Ireland were digging our series, I just smiled and felt an incredible amount of gratitude.

As I write this, Season Two is making its way through the streaming distribution process, and I honestly believe these may be among the most powerful stories we’ve ever told.

One of them belongs to Chet Roberts.

For more than a dozen years, Chet toured the world with one of modern rock’s biggest bands. He played sold-out arenas, shared stages with rock legends, and lived the dream most musicians spend a lifetime chasing.

Then life changed.

A family breakup.

A family death.

A band member & dear friend passes away.

His studio shuts its doors.

Chet was smack dab in the fire.

As Chet tells us in the film:

“I was just like God, why? What did I do? How do I stop all this stuff? You feel helpless.”

The other story follows Kevin Sucher, founder of the Las Vegas headlining Yacht Rock Band, The Docksiders.

Kevin spent decades hearing “no.”

No record deal.

No breakthrough.

No easy path.

Until one day, entertainment icon Tony Orlando looked him in the eye and said:

“Your talent will make you unbreakable.”

In our interview with Tony, the entertaining legend describes Kevin with words that made him a perfect fit for our series.

“Kevin Sucher is an example of what this documentary is all about. He’s unbreakable.”

One thing that really struck me as I traveled to Las Vegas, Nashville, and Oklahoma to tell these stories, is how much in common these two incredibly talented performers have in common with every person in Season One of our series.

Both men found themselves at a crossroads, wondering if the careers they had dedicated their lives to were coming to an end.

Perhaps Kevin says it best:

“The only way you’re breakable is if you quit.”

And maybe that’s why these stories resonate so deeply with people around the globe.

Whether you’re a musician, a business owner, a parent, or someone simply trying to figure out what’s next, we’ve all had moments where quitting felt easier than continuing.

Thankfully, these artists didn’t.

As Season Two finds its home with streaming audiences (fingers crossed), we’re reminded why UNBREAKABLE exists in the first place.

It’s not as much about the fame as it is a celebration of perseverance.

We can’t wait to share both these episodes with the world.

We’ve had to overcome a number of obstacles that have delayed the release of these episodes but we’re getting there now! As it turns out, we too, are unbreakable!

We hope Season 2 moves you as much as they moved me.

Here’s a sneak peak at the trailer for Season 2.

(If you’d like a sneak peak at Chet’s episode, you can purchase a $25 VIP ticket and join us upstairs at Live Oak on Music Row in Nashville here: https://www.tixr.com/groups/liveoaknashville/events/unbreakable-featuring-chet-roberts-200481

VIP Tickets are selling fast and will sell out. Get your tickets today!

I’ve got August 18th circled on my calendar.

I hope you do too.

That’s the night the founding members and entire team of Fourth Door Media & Entertainment will showcase what our company is all about.

This has been a long time coming, and there’s still plenty of work to do before the lights come on.

That being said...

We wish the event was tonight.

We’re downright giddy about what we’re about to do.

Here are just a few reasons why.

The Venue

Live Oak on Music Row in Nashville is the ideal place to introduce the world to Fourth Door Media.

It’s a venue with a rich history of showcasing serious up-and-coming talent, not just the bands playing for tips on Broadway (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

When I say “serious” up-and-coming talent, consider this...

Ella Langley and Sara Evans are among the artists who have graced the Live Oak stage on their rise to stardom.

This setting couldn’t be more perfect for the four artists who are about to show up and show out that night.

More on who will be taking the stage in just a minute.

The evening begins with an exclusive VIP screening of the 30-minute documentary UNBREAKABLE, featuring Chet Roberts.

Chet’s episode will be screened upstairs before an impressive VIP guest list of industry executives, artists, comedians, radio personalities, and other special guests.

Here’s the best part.

You can be in that VIP screening room upstairs with us.

All you have to do is grab a $25 ticket and you’re in.

That $25 gets you the complete All-Access Experience, including:

• Exclusive screening of UNBREAKABLE (30-Minutes)

• Meet & Greet with the artists

• Photos & autographs

• Exclusive upstairs access

• An OPEN BAR FOR THREE HOURS (Thanks to our friends at CS Contec!)

General admission pricing is just $10.00.

That gets you in the door to hear all four bands and turn an otherwise normal Tuesday into a night to remember!

The Music

After the premiere, we’ll be showcasing four (there’s that number again) Fourth Door Media artists throughout the evening.

We’re putting the finishing touches on a deal with the artist who’ll kick things off with an acoustic set when the doors open, and we can’t wait to tell you who it is.

The announcement is coming very soon, and suffice it to say...this is someone you’ll want to follow.

We’ve also heard rumblings that this artist will soon be hitting the road with a major household-name band, so keep an eye out for that.

The second artist to take the stage is Timothy Chance.

If you haven’t experienced Timothy Chance yet, hold on tight.

Actually, get your popcorn ready.

Chance doesn’t ease his way on stage.

He grabs it by the throat.

Chance has carved out a style all his own, blending country, rock, reggae, hip-hop, and soul into a sound that’s impossible to put in a box.

Over the years, he’s shared the stage and collaborated with artists including Wyclef Jean, members of The Wailers, Big & Rich, and Kid Rock, building a reputation as one of music’s most versatile performers.

He’ll also be giving fans an exclusive preview of songs from his highly anticipated new album, The Book of Timothy, making this one of the very first opportunities to hear the music live.

Next up...

HANNAN.

HANNAN delivers the kind of performance that has people asking,

“Who ARE these guys?” before the first set is even over.

Fronted by Graham Hannan, the band has built a loyal following with soaring vocals, infectious hooks, and a modern rock sound that blends arena-ready energy with heartfelt songwriting.

The Louisville-based band has shared the stage with nationally recognized artists, toured throughout the country, and continues to earn the respect of fans everywhere they play.

Then we shift gears.

Because we promised you a night that doesn’t fit neatly into one genre.

After HANNAN lights up the stage, Ryan Daniel takes over with a set packed full of big hooks, heartfelt lyrics, and plenty of Nashville flavor.

Think of Ryan as the next generation of country artists.

Ryan has been Certified Gold & Platinum on Spotify for 1,000,000 Streams and 2,000,000 Streams.

The dude is also as real as they come.

Authentic.

A regular guy.

His relatable lyrics and engaging stage presence have earned him a growing fan base while opening doors throughout the country music scene.

Here’s another bonus.

Chet Roberts will also join Ryan Daniel and HANNAN on stage during their sets, and there are even rumors he may take a little trip down memory lane for a song or two...

We’ll just leave it at that.

The Team Behind the Music

Behind every great band or event is a talented team that often goes unnoticed.

Not here.

Marshall Bastin, a Nashville-based recording engineer and technician who has worked alongside his longtime friend and collaborator Chet Roberts—as well as artists including 38 Special and many others—will also serve as Front of House for the evening.

He’s the guy making sure every guitar, every vocal, and every note sounds exactly the way it should.

Marshall is a pro’s pro.

The perfect fit for what we expect will be a perfect night.

Why We’re Doing This

At Fourth Door, we’ve always believed music is about more than just songs.

It’s about stories.

Relationships.

Conversations.

Community.

That kinda sums up Fourth Door and August 18th.

It’s a chance to pull back the curtain and invite you into the room with the artists, the people behind the music, and the team working behind the scenes to make it all happen.

That’s what this night is really about.

It’s our chance to showcase our artists and bring you, the music fan, into the room.

If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to be part of the music community instead of just watching it from the outside...

This is your invitation.

We honestly don’t know if we’ll ever recreate a night exactly like this again.

Different artists.

Different conversations.

Different stories.

That’s what makes live experiences so special.

So if you’ve been thinking about coming...

Come.

Bring a friend.

Grab a drink.

Smoke a cigar.

Stay after the music.

Talk to the artists.

Ask questions.

Make some memories.

We’ll save you a seat.

I’ve got August 18th circled on my calendar.

I hope you do too.

Interested in joining the party?

Get tickets here!

https://www.tixr.com/groups/liveoaknashville/events/unbreakable-featuring-chet-roberts-200481

Special thanks to our sponsor, https://www.contecservicesinc.com/ We couldn’t do this night without you!

When you find a good one, hold onto them!

The best hairstylists seem to know what to do, what to say, when to listen, and when to let you get back to your day.

That’s how I would describe Tracey Nauman, aka the Hairdresser to the Rock Stars.

Born and raised in Hawaii, Tracey's journey took her from island life to Maryland, and ultimately backstage with rock royalty.

She’s been trusted to cut the hair of some of the most iconic bands in rock history, including Cinderella, Poison, Creed, Skid Row, 3 Doors Down, and countless others.

Tracey is the kind of person who, when you meet her, you feel her undeniable energy.

She’s a lot of things.

Sassy.

Talented.

Confident.

No nonsense.

Fun.

The kind of person with that contagious energy you want to have a beer with.

Her personality today was forged at a very early age when things almost went sideways.

“I was a really nice kid,” Tracey laughed. “Until I was about 13... then I became an absolute nightmare.”

Like most great rock stories, Tracey’s started with rebellion.

Growing up in Honolulu, Hawaii, she was into New Wave before the big-hair ‘80s bands completely hijacked her musical taste.

“Once I heard rock and roll,” she said, “that was it.”

Like for most teens, music was everything.

But her other passion, even then, was hair.

As a little girl, she once wandered away from her mom, squeezed through a crowd, and curiously watched a hairstylist cutting hair live on stage.

In typical Tracey form, she took charge and yelled, “Can you cut my hair next?”

He heard and he did.

Tracey says that was kind of her Wayne’s World moment.

The scene where Wayne sees the white guitar in the music shop.

She instantly knew, “This is what I’m going to do with my life.”

Years later, she still remembers the smell of the coconut mousse and watermelon hairspray from that stylist’s salon.

“I wish I knew his name,” she said. “I’d love to thank him because he inspired my whole life.”

A True Cinderella Story

Tracey loved rock and roll, but she was obsessed with one band in particular.

Cinderella.

She watched Headbangers Ball.

She even sewed a Cinderella patch onto her denim jacket as a teen.

She knew every riff, every video, every move Cinderella’s Jeff LaBar made on stage.

Years later...

A friend invited her to one of their shows.

She met the band.

Jeff LaBar asked what she did for a living.

She said, “I’m a hairdresser.”

LaBar said, “Cool. I need a haircut.”

That was it.

After one appointment, Jeff looked in the mirror and said...

“Holy shit... you’re good.”

From that point on, he started driving more than two hours just to have Tracey work her magic.

Then one day he called Tracey with a simple request.

He said, “I’m going on tour. Come to Vegas.”

As it turned out, it wasn’t just for one haircut.

Tracey ended up riding the Cinderella tour bus to shows all across the country.

Who’s That Girl?

In rock and roll, word travels fast.

Especially if you don’t screw up someone’s hair.

Jeff introduced her to Poison.

Poison introduced her to other bands.

Those bands introduced her to more bands.

Before long, her client list looked like this:

• Cinderella

• Poison

• Skid Row

• Creed

• Finger Eleven

• Candlebox

• 3 Doors Down

...and plenty more.

The Mohawk

If you’ve followed Chet Roberts, the likable former guitarist of 3 Doors Down, for any period of time, you probably know him as the guy with the signature mohawk.

Tracey is the woman behind that cut.

She laughs remembering the day she finally shaved the sides of his head completely down.

Chet wasn’t worried about how it looked.

He was worried about how it felt.

“He said his head couldn’t decide if it was hot or cold.”

Turns out exposing skin that’s been hidden by hair for decades feels pretty strange.

She even gave him makeup to tone down the bright-white sides of his freshly shaved head.

That haircut soon became a brand.

Fans started recognizing Chet on a completely different level.

They would say, “You’re that mohawk guy from 3 Doors Down.”

That hairstyle had become part of Chet’s identity.

Something Tracey is proud of to this day.

More Than a Hairstylist

Still, not every hairstylist—even the best in the business—gets the call to join a tour.

Tracey is the exception.

She keeps getting that call.

When I asked her why, she didn’t really talk about her talent first.

She talked about trust.

Somewhere along the way, she stopped being just “the hairdresser” and became part of the inner circle for many of rock’s biggest bands—the person artists could relax around, vent to, and laugh with without worrying those conversations would ever leave the room.

They knew what was said on the bus stayed on the bus, or something like that.

In fact, she’s so loyal that she once drove from Maryland to Nashville just to color Chet Roberts’ hair before his first comedy show.

So, how do you earn the trust of rock stars?

That’s how.

Dive Bars Over Stadiums

One of my favorite moments of our interview came during a list of rapid-fire questions.

Here are my questions and her responses.

Big hair or mohawk?

“Depends on the band.”

Leather or denim?

“Leather.”

Stadiums or dive bars?

“Dive bars.”

Why?

“Because that’s where the camaraderie is.”

That’s Tracey in a nutshell.

She loves the music.

But spending time with people she likes and trusts?

That’s everything.

Still Chasing Perfection

Here’s the part that didn’t really surprise me at all.

After decades of working with some of rock’s biggest names, Tracey is still trying to up her game.

She still watches haircut videos every single day.

She still studies techniques.

She still wants to learn.

That’s probably why the phone keeps ringing.

Talent gets you in the room.

Humility and a relentless hunger keep you there.

Final Cut

So, the next time you go watch your favorite band, enjoy the show.

And know there’s someone behind the scenes who helped create the image standing on stage.

For decades, Tracey Nauman has quietly left her fingerprints all over rock and roll.

She has that rare ability to make people believe they’re exactly who they were meant to be… one snip at a time.

Read more

It was a pretty typical day at church on the Fourth of July weekend.

My wife and I went to the 9:30 service, served as greeters before the second service, and had some idle chat with other churchgoers before heading home for a family cookout.

It was your garden-variety day at church until it wasn’t.

One of the people we were chopping it up with was an officer our church hired who is among the first people guests see when they arrive.

He’s always there.

Pleasant.

Quiet.

Unassuming.

Present.

We have exchanged pleasantries before, but nothing too in-depth.

Out of nowhere, he asked us what we did for a living.

We told him we started a video production business 20 years ago this August after spending the first half of our careers in TV news.

His ears perked up.

Not in a “I’m impressed” kind of way.

In a, ‘I want to try something different too but I don’t know where to start’ kind of way.

He wondered how we made the transition from worker bees to starting our own business.

I explained that very few people believed we could do it, and in fact, many even tried talking us out of it.

We had no real “start your own business” kind of experience.

No real money to put into it.

No staff.

Zero idea where to start.

However, we told him we believed fully in our idea and that our biggest reason for wanting to start our own thing was so we could spend more time with our kids, who were very young at the time.

TV news means nights, early mornings, weekends, holidays, and on and on.

We aren’t opposed to work.

Far from it.

But the way we looked at, money comes and goes.

Time with your kids doesn't.

You only get one shot.

The way we saw it, the freedom to break away on any given day to go to a ball practice, a swim meet, or a dance recital meant more to us than anything TV news could provide.

Then, just as we were ready to head home for lunch, it happened.

Out of nowhere.

The officer’s eyes began to well up.

Fast.

Then he broke down.

I mean, BROKE DOWN!

Uncontrollably.

I was stunned and honestly didn’t quite know what to do or say.

I put my arm around him, the two of us walked outside, and then he told me what was going on.

Both of his parents had recently suffered heart attacks.

His mom had hers just last week.

They live in California.

He lives in Texas.

His voice cracked as he said, “I can’t just leave.”

His job doesn’t work that way.

He couldn’t just book a flight, spend a week or so with his mom, help around the house, or simply sit beside her.

That tore him apart.

His duties as an officer had to take precedence.

Like most people in any job, taking time off isn’t always easy.

The one or two weeks of PTO allotted by many employers is what it is.

Oftentimes, it’s unforgiving.

It’s a reality that millions of people face every single day.

I get it. We’ve been there.

All the officer could think about was the time he couldn’t get back.

Not being there for his mom right now in Riverside County darn near broke him.

I looked at him and said, “You know, I think you’re at the very least the second most important person in this church.”

At that point, he sniffled a bit, wiped his eyes, and looked directly into mine.

I told him our pastor feeds people spiritually, but he provides something many at the church are thankful for but may take for granted.

Safety.

Peace of mind.

If something terrible happened during a service, people would instinctively look for our officer friend to handle it.

As we talked, I told him there are times in life when God puts us in places where He needs us most.

Sometimes it doesn’t make any sense.

In his case, clearly, at least right now, he was supposed to be in Texas, not California.

Maybe he needed this feeling of longing to be somewhere else to take action to try to get there.

Then we talked about fear.

Not the kind police officers face every day.

That’s real fear.

We talked about the fear of thinking outside the box and going for something that may seem impossible but is definitely worth pursuing.

He kept asking questions about how and where to start.

He didn’t know where to begin.

He wasn’t even sure what “it” might be.

Few of us actually do.

Sometimes just starting works, and then figure out the rest as you go.

That’s what we did—-and still do at times.

At that point he started to calm down.

He kept saying, “I needed to hear this. The timing is perfect.”

I told him a simple truth my wife and I discovered as we started our business journey 20 years ago.

There are no guarantees.

Just start somewhere.

Take your idea, believe in it more than anyone else, and execute your vision one day at a time.

Have a good product your proud of.

Do business right.

Don’t overcharge.

Treat your co-workers the way they deserve to be treated.

Solve your customers’ problems with something unique to your idea.

And have fun if you can.

He took another breath.

Several, actually.

His eyes dried.

He shook his head up and down.

Smiled.

Sort of.

And just said again, “Thank you. I needed to hear that.”

Before we left, we prayed together.

Right there near the church parking lot.

We prayed for him, his parents, and for wisdom.

We prayed that, whatever God has planned for him next, he'd have the courage to say yes—or at the very least, give it serious consideration.

I don’t know whether that officer will start a business someday.

Maybe he will.

Maybe he won’t.

But I do know this.

His heart is stirring.

I can’t wait to see where it takes him next.

I couldn’t wait to talk with comedian Steve Dupin.

I hate to even type his name that way.

He’s the likable, hair-flipping, Trans Am-loving, fiercely American “Stevie D” to those who watch him perform.

I’ve seen his act a couple of times in Nashville.

Both times I laughed until my face hurt.

I definitely have a feel for Stevie D the comedian.

He’s ALWAYS worth the price of admission.

But as usual, I want to find out who people are when they’re not on stage and figure out what makes them tick.

When I interviewed him just before the Fourth of July weekend for 4th Door Media, I introduced him as a comedian, author, cancer survivor, husband, father, and—most importantly, perhaps—a Trans Am owner.

I asked him if I was missing anything.

His answer?

“You should start with the Trans Am. That’s the lead. That’s my identity... that and the hair flip.”

Fair enough.

Check out his social media and you’ll see him driving or standing proudly beside his beloved Trans Am (or his “Kentucky Porsh,” as the license plate says below).

He says his obsession with the Trans Am began as a kid watching Smokey and the Bandit with his dad.

“Ever since that scene where the Trans Am rolls off the back of the 18-wheeler... boom. I was like, ‘That’s my jam.’”

Even after moving to California, he proudly called himself:

“The Hollywood Hillbilly with the Trans Am.”

He says he’s a “T-tops-off and 8-track-rockin’” kind of guy.

As for his style and his comedy, Stevie D says:

“Either you get it or you don’t. You’re my people or you’re not my people.”

That’s Stevie D in one sentence.

Ten pounds of authenticity in a five-pound bag.

There Was Never a Plan B

A lot of people dream about Hollywood.

Very few actually leave home with no safety net.

Stevie D did.

Growing up in Kentucky, factory work was simply what everyone around him did.

In fact, his mom worked in one for 45 years.

But Stevie D couldn’t stop watching television.

Even as a kid, he watched shows with a childhood curiosity about how they were made.

He discovered The Dick Van Dyke Show and became fascinated with writers.

He watched Dick Clark getting paid to talk about music and thought:

“That’s all I wanted to do... talk about music, be funny, cause trouble and do hair flips.”

Weeks after high school graduation, he did what a lot of teenagers dream of doing but rarely act on.

Instead of attending Western Kentucky University, he drove straight to Panama City Beach!

I’m wondering why on earth I never thought about doing that.

Anyway, he became a DJ at the famous (to spring break types) Spinnaker Beach Club.

It’s the same place he visited as a high school junior over spring break.

Afterwards, he went back to school telling anyone who would listen that one day he'd move there and become a DJ at that very club.

He says, “And that’s what happened. Too bad I didn’t visit the White House!”

Then Stevie headed west with no connections, no backup plan, and little money—but a whole lot of belief.

“I’d never been to California. No Plan B.”

You hear stories about people who do that, but you rarely meet someone who actually has the guts to go for it.

“You just have to believe in yourself. It doesn’t have to be, ‘I’m going to be famous.’ It can be all about doing what I love to do.”

A Throwback Who Sees the Positive in Difficult Situations

What was it like for young Stevie D growing up?

“We didn’t have air conditioning. We didn’t have a car. We were on food stamps. I had a single mom... but we were happy.”

He says he didn’t waste a whole lot of time focusing on what his family lacked.

Instead, he remembers BMX bikes.

Jumping trash cans.

Raising hell.

Being a kid.

“It doesn’t take a lot to make me happy.”

That philosophy still holds true today.

He says he starts every day thinking about what he’s grateful for.

“I’ve got a beautiful family. I’m grateful. I’ve got a Trans Am. I can tell jokes. Sometimes I get paid.”

That may be the most Stevie D sentence ever spoken.

The California Girl Who Balanced the Hollywood Hillbilly

You’ve heard the saying:

“Behind every successful man is a strong woman.”

For Stevie D, that’s his wife, Katie.

They met at the legendary Comedy Store on the Sunset Strip.

She worked in an upscale Beverly Hills art gallery.

He walked in carrying what he believed was priceless artwork.

As it turns out...

Not so much.

“It was a terrible folk art picture of Elvis looking at a cross in the sky with a tear coming out of his eye.”

He proudly paid $25.

Katie politely told him...

“The frame may be worth $25.”

Twenty-six years later, they’re still laughing, still living, and taking nothing for granted.

But as much as the California girl loved her roots, the beautiful beaches, and everything Southern California had to offer, it was no longer the right fit for the Dupin family.

Like many others, they traded California for a simpler life.

Katie followed her Hollywood Hillbilly to Hendersonville, Tennessee.

Turns out...

She loves it.

It’s home now.

Comedy Isn’t About Talking

I asked Stevie D where he finds inspiration for his jokes.

The answer?

“I’m observational.”

He basically observes everything everywhere he goes.

He believes great comedians say the things audiences are already thinking.

“A good comic should say something out loud that you’re thinking.”

Even failed jokes, he says, aren’t failures.

They’re workshops.

“When that happens... you’ve got to address it.”

People don’t necessarily care when a joke bombs, he says, but they will notice how you handle it.

Cancer Changed the Story... Not the Man

In his early 40s, Stevie D was diagnosed with prostate cancer after an earlier doctor failed to order routine bloodwork.

Time to get serious, right?

He decided to write...

Wait for it...

...a funny cancer book.

“My twisted mind said, ‘I’ve got cancer... now I can write a funny cancer book.’”

Only Stevie D could say that.

He’s quick to point out there’s nothing funny about cancer, and he applauds everyone who has had to heroically deal with the disease in one way or another.

His book, The Trans Am Diaries, became an Amazon bestseller.

Then life rewarded him with one of those moments you simply can’t script.

Remember when I said he had originally planned to attend Western Kentucky University but bolted to sunny Florida instead?

Well, his very first book signing took place...

You guessed it...

...at Western Kentucky University.

“Bro... I’m a little late for class,” he deadpanned.

Hope

More than anything else, one word kept coming up during our conversation.

Hope.

You may have noticed I write a lot about what it takes to be “unbreakable” in this wild and wacky world we live in.

When I asked Stevie what being “Unbreakable” meant to him, his answer was no joke.

“As long as you have hope and faith... it’s all good. If you lose hope... that’s when it gets dark.”

That’s coming from a man who has battled cancer, built a career in one of the toughest industries in the world, raised a family, reinvented himself time and time again, moved across the country, and still, somehow through it all, remains relentlessly positive, grounded, and grateful.

The Dream Isn’t the Destination

We all chase dreams.

Not all of us achieve them.

But dreams change.

Circumstances change.

Priorities shift.

So what do you do?

“You pivot,” he says.

And that’s okay.

Because, as Stevie says:

“Happiness is the journey. The dream is the journey—not the destination.”

As we wrapped up our conversation, he shared one final thought that I’m going to steal and try to focus on from the moment I wake up tomorrow morning.

“Open your eyes with gratitude. What are you grateful for?”

Not bad, Stevie D.

Not bad at all.

Just so you know...

This Hollywood Hillbilly is grateful for a whole bunch.

His career.

Family.

Faith.

Hope.

A Trans Am.

And without a doubt...

One more hair flip that will no doubt make someone, somewhere, laugh out loud.

Hey paid subscribers!

This is just for you.

Keep an eye out tomorrow for my next article featuring comedian Stevie Dupin (Stevie D).

I interviewed him today and he was funny, introspective, talked about his journey, his family, his bout with cancer, and living his dream. Here’s a sneak peak.

Read more

If you've spent any time on YouTube lately, there's at least a decent chance you've stumbled across Thomas Gabriel, Johnny Cash's grandson.

That’s what happened to me.

I watched him jam to some of his grandpa’s songs and all of them sounded just like him.

I mean, SPOT ON!

It was intoxicating.

I couldn’t stop watching his videos.

That’s why I was so thrilled to have the chance to talk with him, along with Chet Roberts and other members of the 4th Door Media team yesterday.

Thomas now lives right down the road from Chet, so the two were hanging out at Chet’s home studio, just catching up on life.

They had met years ago—even attended rival high schools. They started making music together back in the day and are now looking to pick up where they left off.

Life gets busy, right?

Our team was so interested in Thomas’s story that we asked him so many questions I’m surprised he didn’t feel like he was being interrogated!

He was incredibly gracious with his time as we talked about everything from second chances, life and death experiences, creativity, life’s purpose, and what comes next.

Though he’s incredibly proud of his family heritage, he’s not sitting around trying to ride on his grandpa’s coattails.

He’s been building a variety of projects that are entirely his own.

He shared updates on several exciting projects currently in the works, including his third studio album, continuing to front The Tennessee Four, and making his acting debut as King Ahab in an upcoming film based on the story of Jonah.

He said they were looking for a bid scary looking guy.

He joked, “They chose the right guy.”

His schedule is packed.

So the fact that he made time for us was deeply appreciated.

I also had no idea that he is on the cusp of releasing his first children’s coloring book, expected to launch in the coming days.

The book grew out of his popular Monday Motivations series on Facebook and was inspired by lessons from his own sobriety journey.

Rather than writing another autobiography or self-help book, Thomas wanted to create something families could enjoy together while quietly encouraging hope, resilience, and positive choices before life has a chance to take young people in the wrong direction.

We also talked about the future.

Though we can’t get into too much detail right now, he may be collaborating with Chet and the 4th Door team very soon.

We even talked about the possibility of rediscovering older, unfinished songs and documenting the creative process as Thomas and Chet bring them back to life.

How fun would that be?

There was also lots of laughter.

Lots.

And yes, rubber chickens even entered the conversation, because of course they did.

What really impressed me though, was Thomas’s humility.

He’s authentically and refreshingly open about his struggles, passionate about encouraging others, and genuinely excited to create meaningful work.

Whether he’s making music, acting, writing books, or speaking to audiences about recovery and faith, his focus remains on making a positive impact wherever he goes.

We’d like to invite you to join Thomas and the 4th Door crew as he joins us for our live YouTube broadcast Tuesday, June 30th, at 8:00 p.m. Central, where we’ll dive deeper into his new projects, the coloring book release, life after addiction, music, family legacy, and plenty of stories you won’t hear anywhere else.

It’s gonna be fun.

Fun.

That’s something Tuesdays aren’t necessarily known for.

Let’s change that together.

Here’s the link to join the party:

https://www.youtube.com/@fourthdoormedia

We hope you’ll head over to our page right now, like the channel, and subscribe.

That way when Tuesday gets here, you’ll be ready to rock.

Hope to see you live Tuesday night at 8:00 p.m. Central!

If you’ve ever seen comedian Courtney Cronin perform, you know this much.

She has the funny gene.

She sees humor, sometimes clean, sometimes not so clean, in just about everything.

This isn’t a new development.

It’s something she says she discovered very early on.

“I guess, like most comedians, I was a goofy, nerdy kid,” says Cronin. “I was always drawn to comedy.”

“When I was younger, at sleepovers, my girlfriends would want to rent rom-coms and things like that. I wanted to rent comedy specials. I was watching comedy, and I always thought it was so hard. I wondered, ‘How do they come up with that?’”

But unlike many comics who describe themselves as class clowns, Courtney says her humor came more from curiosity and an endless fascination with the people around her.

“I’ve always enjoyed that connection, I guess. I’m chatty. I like connecting with people.”

Her father recently reminded her that she’d been doing exactly that since she first started forming complete sentences.

“I would be two years old and just talking to people all the time.”

Comedy wasn’t necessarily the goal at first.

In fact, it almost happened by accident.

At age 13, there was an acting competition.

Yep.

An acting “competition.”

There was only one problem.

She needed a comedy monologue for the audition.

“I was like, ‘Oh my God, I don’t know where to find a monologue.’ So I wrote one.”

She apparently wrote a really good one.

The judges loved it.

Before she knew it, she was competing in comedy categories throughout high school.

“That’s how it all kind of got rolling.”

Courtney Behind the Curtain

During my recent 40-plus-minute conversation with Courtney, I quickly discovered that the Boston-born comedy writer, stand-up comic, and Emmy-nominated television writer definitely loves comedy, but she doesn’t have to be front and center on stage to find joy in it.

She’s perfectly content behind the scenes helping others shine.

She spends hours crafting jokes, sharpening punchlines, and helping everyone from television hosts and comedians to rock stars find their funny.

She’s written for comedy veterans like Wayne Brady, Chelsea Handler, Jay Mohr, Ken Jeong, Dee Snider, Donald Faison, and dozens more.

She’s also written jokes for the likes of Chet Roberts of 3 Doors Down fame and Raelyn Nelson—yes, Willie Nelson’s granddaughter—for her popular passion project known as Punchlines & Backlines, a live show where rock musicians attempt stand-up comedy for the first time.

The concept grew out of an uncomfortable experience while producing celebrity roasts.

After witnessing one performer leave a comedy roast genuinely hurt, Courtney began wondering if there was a better way.

“How do we make this as fun as a roast, with the jokes and everything... but not mean?”

The answer became a format where musicians could tell stories, share personal experiences, and connect with fans through comedy.

Cronin laughed when talking about how she and Don Jamieson helped Chet Roberts bring a funny story to life with punchy lines about the time Chet literally messed his pants but still posed for photos with fans before heading back to his hotel room to change.

“Chet gave us so much to work with.”

She says, “Don and I are writing partners on this, and we both agree 100% on loving a good sh*t-your-pants story. Because who cannot relate to that, whether they want to admit it or not?

“And it’s funny. We joke that in your 20s, sh*tting your pants is mortifying and horrible, but in your 50s, it’s a minor inconvenience.

“We had so much fun coming up with all the stupid ways to say ‘sh*t your pants.’ We were like, ‘Shart my shorts,’ and ‘I got a dingle dangler in my Wranglers!’ ‘3 Doors Brown!’

Having been in the crowd that night, believe me when I say those lines hit hard.

The Punchlines & Backlines show has become a staple of the Monsters of Rock Cruise and continues to expand across the country.

“We used to have to beg people to do the show.”

Not anymore.

“I have to thank Kip Winger for that,” says Cronin. “Because Kip agreed to do the show early on. Once people saw that Kip said yes and that he trusted us, people were like, ‘Oh, I want to do it!’”

Courtney has worked on more than 45 television pilots and countless comedy projects, yet she still talks about comedy the way a fan talks about their favorite band.

Like many aspiring entertainers in LA, Courtney has more than paid her dues.

The road to her writing career included countless hours waiting tables.

Lots of them.

“I waited tables for a really long time,” she said. “I worked during the day. I did comedy four or five nights a week.”

For six years, she balanced work and comedy before landing her first professional writing job at age 28.

“I’ve been writing professionally ever since.”

Ask Courtney about her favorite writing accomplishment, and she doesn’t hesitate.

The answer comes immediately.

“I got to write a sketch for Kermit and Miss Piggy with Wayne Brady.”

The sketch featured Miss Piggy, Kermit, and Wayne Brady performing “Brick House.”

What made it even sweeter?

“It’s one of the only scripts I’ve ever gotten back that said, ‘No notes.’”

She still has it framed.

“No notes,” she says. “That never happens.”

Monsters of Rock Cruise

I asked Courtney to tell me more about the Monsters of Rock Cruise, and I’m glad I did.

She calls it “the most glorious event.”

She lights up when discussing it.

“It’s like all those things we loved as young people. All those posters on our wall have come together on one boat.”

She believes it’s impossible for music fans to fully appreciate the cruise until they’ve experienced it themselves.

“All those concerts we traveled around to see for 20 years are all in one place.”

The cruise has also become the perfect environment for her comedy shows.

“The audiences love deep, weird references. They love it.”

What people may not know about Courtney is how deeply she cares about the people she works with.

I mentioned that I noticed how carefully she introduced guests and how much effort she put into making first-time performers feel comfortable.

She genuinely wants every performer to succeed.

“I love the show. I want everybody to kill it.”

That generosity extends far beyond the stage.

When she talks about her friends, fellow comics, musicians, and collaborators, she leaves her ego at the door and somehow manages to fit 10 pounds of enthusiasm into a 5-pound bag.

And Then There’s Rainy

Of course, no profile of Courtney would be complete without discussing the true star of the household.

Rainy.

A rescue dog she saved from what she described as deplorable conditions.

The dog that was once brutally neglected is now the undisputed king of the castle.

She says she and her husband take Rainy kayaking and make sure his life is filled with adventure.

“It’s obscene what we do with this dog.”

Ol’ Rainy apparently has female admirers, too.

I wondered who received more attention—Rainy or her husband.

The answer didn’t take long.

“Oh, Rainy,” she deadpanned.

Toward the end of our conversation, I asked Courtney what she hopes people will say about her career ten years from now.

Her answer was straightforward and to the point.

“I hope people think that I never bullsh*tted them.”

That’s probably the simplest way to explain Courtney Cronin.

Whether she’s writing television, helping rock stars tell jokes, producing live comedy shows, or standing on stage herself, authenticity matters.

She cares.

And she wants the people she works with to know it.

“I spend weeks on my set so that people notice that I’m taking the time because I care.”

That’s no joke.

That’s who Courtney Cronin is.

Follow Courtney

“Please go to my Instagram because I need some heat, y’all,” she joked. “I am tepid as a Mofo on there.”

That may be the funniest thing she said all day.

You can find Courtney at courtneycronincomedy.com and on Instagram at @courtcrodold, where you’ll find upcoming dates, comedy appearances, Punchlines & Backlines events, and—if you’re lucky—a few photos of Rainy stealing the spotlight.

Chet Roberts, one of the former guitarists for the band 3 Doors Down, was at a crossroads when the band came to an end following the untimely and heartbreaking passing of its lead singer, Brad Arnold.

The 4th Door represents Chet’s “next door” beyond 3 Doors.

But make no mistake—the 4th Door represents so much more than Chet or any of us who work with him.

It’s about YOU.

Maybe you’ve gone through a breakup, had a job go sideways, dealt with a family member who just won’t play along, experienced a death in the family, received an unfortunate diagnosis, or faced any other life-altering event that has stopped you in your tracks.

Maybe one door after another just keeps closing in your face.

Life happens.

That’s where our brand comes in.

The patriotic logo on the shirt below says “#4.”

But what it really says is:

I’m ready to turn the page.

I’m moving on.

I’m going to kick the next door down and get on with my life.

That’s what the 4th Door is all about.

It’s about acknowledging the hurdles in front of you and jumping over them.

It’s a statement to the world that you aren’t stopping.

You aren’t giving up.

To borrow a word that I produced an entire series about for Amazon Prime, it tells both you and the world that you’re UNBREAKABLE.

The 4 and the U (in Unbreakable) should be interchangeable.

In fact, maybe we should create a shirt or hat that simply says, “4U.”

Our goal isn’t just to sell swag. Do we appreciate every one of you who has supported our efforts by visiting our Spotify shop (https://fourth-door-media-and-entertainment-2.myshopify.com/products/old-fashioned-speakeasy-4dme-happy-hour-tee-limited-edition?variant=43870285004878) and purchasing one of the shirts you see below?

Absolutely.

We’re incredibly grateful for all of you.

But we want to make one thing perfectly clear:

Our swag is your swag.

We hope that when you put on a Bloody Mary “Breakfast in a Glass” or an “Anyhow” shirt that it makes you smile.

Your shoulders relax.

You just feel better.

And if you wear the #4, you walk with a little more pep in your step, feel some of the pressure dissipate, and embrace your next pursuits with confidence and fearlessness.

We all know that we feel different depending on what we wear.

The clothes we wear can not only make us feel better, it also tells the world who we are and how we feel about where we’re going.

If something’s not working for ya, let’s brush it off and get back on track.

Let’s bring a little of that weekend energy to the first part of your week.

To borrow a popular beer company slogan (sort of):

“This 4’s for you!”

It’s a time to celebrate every dad who understands what it means to be a father, a friend, a discipliner, a role model, a shoulder to cry on, and the person who will always be there when your children and family need you most.

If you’re like me, you probably feel the same way I do.

It’s never about us.

It’s about them.

Never in a million years would I ever have imagined that God would have given me a chance to even be a dad, much less to the three wonderful children I have.

There’s Samantha.

She’s a breath of fresh air and brings joy, happiness, and smiles to everyone wherever she goes.

The kind of person you want to kiss on the cheek every time you see her (and I do).

She’s relentlessly family.

God-focused.

A gentle soul to everyone she comes across.

A phenomenal pre-school teacher and loving wife.

There’s Arianna.

A true light to the world, God-fearing, a biblical counselor, a friend to the lost, a loving, devoted wife, caring daughter, and one of the strongest, most genuine, loving, and toughest people I’ve ever known.

She’s a gifted artist, was once a junior olympic swimmer, and was hired to act in national commercials and movies when we lived in Southern California.

None of that even comes close (or matters) to the person she is on the inside.

And then there’s Carson.

My only son.

6’5” of steel.

A gentle heart of gold.

A sincere friend to the least among us.

The kind of guy you can count on.

An A-list person and ballplayer who helped win a Gold Medal for Team USA at the age of 12 in Taiwan.

From high school on, he’s had everyone from the Dodgers, Yankees, Red Sox, and many other MLB teams following him, reaching out, asking him questions about why he does what he does and what he sees himself doing in the future.

He played for the #1 D1 college team in the country (University of Texas) as a freshman, but one week before the season started, he broke his foot in his final outing of the spring during an intra-squad scrimmage.

It broke his (and our) heart.

It set him back.

Big time.

The broken foot healed—the road to recovery began.

He comes back.

Then.

He tears his UCL.

Tommy Johny surgery.

Other issues are discovered in his arm.

Woof.

Two years trying to recover.

Everything is fixed.

All good.

By the grace of God, somehow, after all the injuries, the following big league clubs still follow him.

Too little, too late?

Maybe.

We’ll see.

He’s still playing.

Summer ball is going well.

I’ll NEVER bet against him or any of my kids.

Bottom line?

Baseball is a game.

Life is so much bigger and more meaningful than any sport.

Proud dad?

You bet.

Proud of all of them.

I’m no different than most every other dad out there.

We’re all proud of our kids.

They are our world.

I now know why my mom and dad used to look at me and my siblings the way they did.

They knew time was fleeting.

They knew nothing lasts forever.

They knew we weren’t guaranteed tomorrow.

I get it now.

Time flies.

Kids grow up.

Moms and dads look on and wonder where the time went.

It’s a timeless tradition.

I may not know where the time went.

But I do know it went by really fast and it’s not slowing down any time soon.

But I’m still here.

I don’t take a minute of it for granted.

I hope you love your children like I do.

As for me, Father’s Day is awesome.

I’m grateful we celebrate it.

But it will never be about me and will always be about them.

They make being a dad pure joy.

If you’re a father, I hope you love your kids as much as I do mine.

I will always be their number one fan.

The climb.

It’s what Echostone, the popular Carolinas-based rock band, finds itself doing day in and day out, week after week, year after year.

Like every band fighting to rise above the noise, Echostone is chasing every opportunity to prove they belong on bigger stages.

While they continue to prove it to their loyal followers and those who discover them at venues across the Southeast, they don’t have to prove anything to some of the biggest names in the industry.

Household names like Chris Daughtry, the late Brad Arnold (3 Doors Down), and Scott Stapp (Creed), have all taken notice of the band and haven’t been shy about shouting them out.

They’ve all publicly praised Echostone, shared their music with fans, and in Stapp’s case, invited them to open multiple shows for him.

That’s a dream scenario for any emerging band.

“He lit a fire under us and really gave us a different kind of confidence than we had going into it,” says Wes DeLoach, Echostone’s lead singer.

DeLoach adds, “Nothing really compares to getting that kind of respect and nod from your idols, the guys we consider to be a big part of the reason we’re doing this in the first place.”

Guitarist Will Driver agrees.

“When you can take the people who wrote the soundtrack to your life and then they become your peers, that means something, right? Outside of friends and family, to get those types of encouraging words from the people that you look up to is special. There were nights where Scott would talk to us backstage and tell us, ‘You’ve got to run this like a business.’ He gave us some of the pointers we really needed to hear. These types of things just don’t happen every day.”

Echostone has also opened for major acts including Filter, Everclear, Ashes to New, Trapt, and Gavin DeGraw.

But that doesn’t mean there still aren’t some backstage jitters before the band takes the stage.

Driver says, “It’s still a big ball of nerves, man. You do all the preparation, you spend so much time rehearsing the songs and trying to get in the right mental state. But it’s indescribable to walk into some of these big venues and think about all the greats you grew up listening to who performed on that stage. Now you’re not just the guy in the crowd anymore. You have the opportunity to be on the stage. There’s a lot that goes on mentally, but you’re also trying to calm your nerves so you’re in a confident headspace. There are so many different emotions, but when you get out there and start playing, you feel like you know everybody in the crowd because they’re having a good time right there with you. It’s a fun time. It really is.”

DeLoach agrees.

“I’d say from the time we have all our gear moved into the venue until we hit that first chord of the first song, it’s a good kind of nervous. It’s the butterflies. Right now I’m the guy in charge of getting all the gear set up, including our in-ear monitor system. I’m making sure everything’s plugged in, nothing’s going to come unplugged, and everything’s taped down. So I’m always thinking about what could go wrong. But I promise you, as soon as I hit that first chord, I’m in it. Everything I was worried about goes out the window, and I’m ready to roll. It’s a blast for me.”

The 9-to-5 Grind

But for all the excitement surrounding Echostone’s rise, there’s a reality that most fans will never see.

Just like the rest of us, they have bills to pay.

Yes, they too do the 9-to-5 grind.

“We all work day jobs,” DeLoach told me. “It’s a grind. But it’s a grind we wouldn’t wish away.”

That attitude is something that stood out to me during my 45-minute interview with DeLoach and Driver.

They’re not the complaining type.

They embrace the grind.

Working all day means they get to work at night.

That’s been their mentality for the past five years.

During our conversation, Driver told me something I hadn’t heard before about the band’s origins.

He spent two decades behind a drum kit before stepping away from music when his daughter was born.

During that time, he picked up a guitar and started writing songs because he says he

wanted to “create something that would outlive me.”

Watching a close friend battle cancer forced Driver to confront the reality that life is temporary.

He wrote three songs.

Then someone suggested he send them to a local recording engineer named Wes DeLoach.

The songs landed in Wes’ inbox.

A few months later, Echostone was born.

What started as a studio project quickly evolved into a real band, eventually adding drummer Bill Celestino and bassist Shawn Kowalski to the lineup.

For nearly two years, they focused almost entirely on recording music and producing videos.

Then opportunity knocked.

In 2023, they landed an opening slot with Ashes to New.

Before long, they found themselves opening for Scott Stapp.

Multiple times.

But ironically, one of the hardest periods for Echostone came right after touring with Stapp.

They thought the touring floodgates would open wide.

Instead, no flood.

Not even a drip.

Nothing was happening.

Shows weren’t materializing.

Why?

It’s the reality many up and coming artists discover pretty quickly.

Venues get booked months in advance.

Sometimes way in advance.

If you don’t get in early, you miss opportunities.

Unfortunately, Echostone missed plenty.

The Video Shoot & The Funeral

But missing an opportunity for a gig is one thing.

Missing your father is something entirely different.

Earlier this year, Wes’ dad passed away.

He was more than a proud parent; he was one of the band’s biggest champions, encouraging them every step of the way.

He would comment on every post, celebrate every milestone, and constantly remind his son and his bandmates that bigger things were coming.

Just one day after his funeral, Wes had a difficult decision to make.

A music video shoot for their song Better Days had already been scheduled.

Out of love and respect, everyone involved offered to postpone.

But here’s the thing.

That song happened to be the last one Wes would ever share with his father.

And in his heart, he knew exactly what his dad would have wanted.

“He would have wanted us to shoot the damn thing,” Wes told me.

“We had the funeral, and then I came home and dealt with that for a few hours. Then I started figuring out which guitar I was going to bring with me the next day. It was a lot, but we did it. I was able to put a lot of that into the performance the next day. I think what helped me get through it was seeing everybody and doing something fun with my friends that I love.”

Driver says, “It wasn’t until the day of the video shoot that I was able to see him, and I could tell in his heart that he was ready to do this and had his reasons for doing it. We were going to do whatever it took to make it happen. I’m glad we did because it’ll be something he can always look back on and remember what he was going through when he performed it. You never want to experience what is probably the hardest thing you’ll ever have to do, but damn, it’s been a wild ride.”

Echo Army

When our conversation turned to their fans, there was an unmistakable sense of gratitude in their voices.

They’ve built an incredibly loyal fan base known as the “Echo Army.”

Their supporters have watched them play small local gigs and then graduate to bigger venues, including House of Blues stages throughout the South.

Most recently, the band played what they describe as their best show yet at House of Blues Orlando.

“Magical, magical, man. It was great,” says DeLoach. “It was our second time at the House of Blues in Orlando. I don’t think we expected just how awesome it would turn out. The crowd was there for us, and we had a cool connection with everybody there. We had a 30-minute set planned, but we’re buddies with the staff over there. We talked them into giving us an extra five minutes, and then we ended up going another five. We played about 40 minutes. We’re starting to get to the point where we’re recording and releasing more and more music. Now our catalog is so big that it’s tough to whittle it down to four or five songs if you have a 30-minute slot. We fought to get an extra song or two in there, and it worked out in our favor. We had a blast.”

The Future

Echostone has a number of tour dates on the schedule for the remainder of 2026.

What do Wes and Will hope people will say about their band a decade from now?

Wes says he hopes people say they “paid their dues and did it the right way.”

Will hopes the band achieves the kind of success where people are still talking about them ten years from now.

“Hopefully they’re like, ‘Hey, we’re going to see Echostone play Madison Square Garden.’ I hope people appreciate that these guys wrote timeless songs. Songs that came from a real place. Songs that are just as valid today as they were back then.”

Driver isn’t shy about saying he hopes Echostone becomes the biggest band in the world.

It doesn’t hurt that the band is collaborating with Chet Roberts, the former guitarist for 3 Doors Down and current co-owner of 4th Door Media.

“I love the conversations we’ve had with Chet Roberts so far,” says DeLoach. “Right now, we’re bouncing ideas off each other. It’s almost like we’re in a pre-production phase. Chet’s great, man. He’s got a lot of experience, a great set of ears, and he’s so musically talented. He’s also just a fun dude to shoot the shit with and talk music on the phone. It’s all conversation right now, but we’re looking forward to getting in there and actually working together.”

There’s even serious talk of Roberts joining the band onstage at a future show. Imagine Roberts playing alongside Echostone as they pay tribute to 3 Doors Down, something the band does regularly.

“Just the thought of that blows my mind,” says Driver. “Wes and I have had the conversation plenty of times that one of the bucket-list things we wanted to do was open for Three Doors. We knew it was a possibility. Brad said he’d love to have us if we ever did. Unfortunately, that can’t happen now. But to be onstage with Chet and play a couple of those songs? That’s just as good. As far as I’m concerned, that’s another one of those boxes you check.”

Echostone is checking a lot of boxes these days.

And there is little question, “Better Days” are right around the corner.

To learn more about Echostone, listen to their music, or see upcoming tour dates, visit:

Echostone Official Website

Once again, a HEARTY thank you for supporting our Substack articles!

It brings me great joy to do this and it means the world to me that you care enough to even read my stuff, so again, a huge high-five and THANK YOU for being there for us!

As a paid subscriber, I want to get better at offering you more unique insights into the people we feature—-and keep you up to date on what we’re working on next.

Tonight, I’m interviewing the boys from the band, Echostone. They have been shouted out by none other than Brad Arnold (3 Doors Down), Scott Stapp (Creed) Daughtry, and many others.

Read more

How does a high school dropout end up working for Prince and touring the world with the likes of Rob Zombie, Dave Matthews, and some of the biggest names in the music industry?

I recently posed that question to Carrie Charbonneau, the newly appointed Director of 4th Door Live, the live entertainment arm of 4th Door Media & Entertainment.

Her reply?

“It’s all I know how to do.”

Charbonneau dropped out of high school during her senior year because, in her words, “I just wasn’t into school.”

She did, however, get her GED and hopped right into the world of music.

It all started when a friend working at a Detroit radio station encouraged her to come on board as an intern.

She took the position and, as she puts it, “from there, I just kept going.”

Carrie says she dug the music side of the business.

But living in Detroit?

Not so much.

So she did what a lot of people do when they aspire to jump into the world of entertainment.

She moved to L.A., grabbed a coffee shop gig, and just tried to figure it out from there.

A short time later, she received a call from none other than Rob Zombie’s production team.

Yes, that Rob Zombie.

His team had heard about Charbonneau through industry connections she’d made while working shows in Detroit.

They invited her to meet with the band’s tour manager.

They hired her in part because, “I was willing to work cheap.”

Finances may have played a part, but make no mistake.

Her industry chops, even at that young age, made her extremely desirable.

What followed was more than two decades on the road.

Her résumé?

Mind-numbing.

It reads like a rock-and-roll Hall of Fame backstage pass:

Tour Manager for Prince’s Welcome 2 America Tour, Production Coordinator for Dave Matthews Band, Assistant Tour Manager for Jane’s Addiction’s Jubilee Tour, Production Assistant for Rob Zombie’s Demon Speeding Tour, and a key member of Poison’s Hollyweird Tour team overseeing travel, hospitality, and logistics.

That list only scratches the surface.

Heck, Carrie even says Prince—an artist she described as amazing, awesome, complicated, and demanding, including of himself—once asked her to be his personal assistant.

She said no.

“I loved working with Prince, but I didn’t want to move to Minneapolis or work at Paisley Park,” she explained.

What she did say yes to, though, was learning every aspect of the business she could behind the scenes.

Everything from touring and production to logistics, artist relations, hospitality, and the thousands of unseen details that determine whether a show succeeds or fails.

Over the years, Charbonneau built a reputation as someone artists and crews could trust.

Put simply, that’s not something that can be learned in a classroom.

It’s earned one show, one bus ride, and one challenge at a time.

But—and stop me if you’ve heard this before—life on the road often comes with a cost.

By 2020, she knew something had to change.

Yes, the world was shutting down, but her decision wasn’t solely driven by the pandemic.

It was personal.

After years of touring, she stepped away.

“I was done. Mentally, something had to change,” Charbonneau says.

She continues: “My mental health was deteriorating.”

The COVID shutdown canceled tours and forced Charbonneau—and the rest of us—to step back and take a break from our routines.

As bad as COVID was, there was at least one upside: what she describes as a timeout that was “helpful.”

That pause led to another major life decision.

It was time to get out of L.A.

So she packed what mattered, buckled in her Shih Tzu, “Hey You,” (which, interestingly enough, is also the title of a Pink Floyd song) and hit the road for Tennessee.

“Not Nashville. Not Vegas,” Charbonneau says.

Knoxville.

Her goals?

Simplify her life.

Slow down.

Collect herself.

She worked at the Tennessee Theatre.

Then, in 2023, a music opportunity knocked again.

She went back out on the road with Pink for her Summer Carnival Tour.

An experience she called “amazing.”

She was responsible for keeping a 150-person crew moving, handling hotels, buses, and just about anything the band and entourage needed along the way.

Since then, things have quieted down.

She’s been living quietly in Knoxville on her savings and spending quality time with what she lovingly calls her support dog.

When mutual friend Tracey Nauman (known as the hair stylist to the rock stars) introduced Carrie to Kevin Harold at 4th Door Media & Entertainment, who also lives in Knoxville, she was cautious.

“I was reticent, for sure.”

Understandably so.

But as conversations continued at XUL Brewery something felt different.

She said what she heard about the 4th Door culture sounded “too good to be true.”

But she heard enough to dig deeper.

She liked what she heard.

“It’s going to take me a minute to process this whole thing,” Carrie admitted during a recent conversation. “I’m always learning.”

She’s always learning, but her real value may come from what she can teach 4th Door artists and everyone working behind the scenes of the company.

She specifically mentioned her desire to help 4th Door artists & Peyton Cullen, the talented social media expert at 4th Door.

Peyton is bright, young, and full of ideas.

Charbonneau wants to make sure Peyton doesn’t go through some of the things she’s had to endure in her career.

That’s meaningful to her.

As Director of 4th Door Live, she will help guide artist development initiatives, live-event opportunities, venue relationships, and touring strategy while serving as a trusted advocate for the artists who become part of the 4th Door family.

Most importantly, she’ll help shape a culture centered around humanity, communication, and long-term sustainability in an industry that too often forgets those things matter.

And if her track record is any indication, 4th Door Live just got a whole lot stronger.