Gerry House - Country Music Broke My Brain: A Behind-the-Microphone Peek at Nashville’s Famous and Fabulous Stars

PRAISE FOR

Country Music Broke My Brain

Sharp, witty, insightful, opinionated, passionate, and always unpredictable... is how one would best describe Allyson House. Oh, what? Gerry wrote this book? Well, you couldnt be married to all those qualities without some of it rubbing off!... You could? (Gerry, I love you like a brother. I got the top bunk though!)

Keith Urban,
singer/songwriter and American Idol judge

There was never a time Gerry House wasnt in my house or in my car when he was on the radio and I was in Nashville. Id listen just so I could steal his stuff. Seriously, he is such a funny, talented, and good human being. I always loved going to the radio station and visiting with him, and I always felt so good for hours after I left the station, just basking in my Gerry glow. I cant wait to read this book and I bet you cant either.

Dolly Parton

Ive known Gerry for almost 20 years. In that time he has made me laugh out loud 15,602 times, give or take a few. Hes a great man and a great friend.

Martina McBride

Only once in my 30 years in Nashville have we been blessed with what I would consider true talent on the airwaves. I, like most everyone in town, would look forward to waking up and tuning in to the humor, quick wit, and reflective wisdom of Gerry Househe was always far more than a jockhis timing was impeccable, but the cards that he brought to the table were Will Rogers good! He bailed on us and left a void on the radio that may never be filled.

Kix Brooks,
singer/songwriter and nationally syndicated radio host

Gerry House, radio personality, a songwriter of note in the Nashville recording community. So now my friend Gerry writes a book... (insert cricket sounds here)... No doubt the closest thing to a death blow the literary world will have suffered to date.

Michael McDonald,
Grammy Awardwinning singer and artist

Theres nothing more uncomfortable than being around someone that tries to be funny and isnt. Gerry House IS f***ing funny!

Ronnie Dunn

Gerry is the funniest, most knowledgeable, creative, and interesting person I know. From the day we met, he has made me think, laugh, and stare in amazement at the way he can make the simplest things in life interesting and compelling. Hes traveled the world, sat with sinners and saints, cheated death when no one thought he could, and made a name for himself like no other. He became an icon to an industry that often forgets fast about the great people that built Country music and radio. He is in the Hall of Fame for a lot of reasons (an even bigger honor because hes still alive), but even if he werent, he would definitely be at the top of my ballot every time!

Clay Hunnicutt,
Executive VP of Programming, Clear Channel Media & Entertainment

Gerry is simply the very best at what he does. The radio sounds lonely without him on it.

Jay DeMarcus, Rascal Flatts

Ive spent more than 20 years building a reputation as a trusted, responsible leader. And now Ive thrown that away overnight by admitting that I know Gerry House.

Dave Ramsey,
New York Times bestselling author
and nationally syndicated radio host

Gerry House is a personal friend of mine. I cannot think of another single person with as much talent and imagination as he possesses. We have been friends for many years. He has written things for me to use on television and in my road shows. When we get the chance to go out and have dinner together, I can verify that his table manners are impeccable. He married pretty well, too.

Barbara Mandrell, recording and television star

Copyright 2014 by Gerry House

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

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First e-book edition: March 2014

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

House, Gerry.

Country music broke my brain / by Gerry House.

pages cm

ISBN 978-1-939529-90-9 (trade cloth) ISBN 978-1-939529-91-6 (electronic) 1. House, Gerry. 2. Disc jockeysUnited StatesBiography. 3. SongwritersUnited StatesBiography. 4. Country musiciansUnited StatesAnecdotes. I. Title.

ML429.H78A3 2014

781.642092dc23

[B]

2013037796

Editing by Erin Kelley

Proofreading by Michael Fedison and Jenny Bridges

Indexing by Jigsaw Information

Cover design by Ty Nowicki

Text design and composition by John Reinhardt Book Design

Printed by Bang Printing

Distributed by Perseus Distribution

www.perseusdistribution.com

To place orders through Perseus Distribution:

Tel: 800-343-4499

Fax: 800-351-5073

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Significant discounts for bulk sales are available.

Please contact Glenn Yeffeth at or 214-750-3628.

This book is for Allyson, Autumn and Shane, Willa and Holland, Lucy and Desi, and Charlene.

Contents

ILL NEVER FORGET the first time I met Gerry House.

I was doing a radio interview with him in the 80s. He had on a white shirt and a bow tie. It was fairly early in the morning. I was wondering after a few minutes of talking with him, Has this guy been up all night?

After leaving the interview, I told my publicist, Janet Rickman, That guy wont be around very long. Little did I know, not only did he stay in the radio business for many years, I would also be recording a fun, toe-tapping song he had written, called Little Rock. And I certainly didnt know we would go on vacations together, us, along with Gerrys wife, Allyson, and my husband, Narvel, and surprisingly enough, we all became close friends.

Gerry is a very talented writer with a cool sharp wit. I love to listen to his stories. They can hold me captive for hours. When I hosted the Academy of Country Music Awards, Gerry helped me with my scripts. I couldnt have done it without him.

In 2003, he scared me to death when he had to have brain surgery, but I think it helped. I love Gerryalways willand cant thank him enough for sharing his warped sense of humor with me, his lovely wife, Allyson, and their daughter, Autumn. They have always been a tight familya great example for all of us to learn from.

I invite you to sit back and read all the silly, funny, heartfelt things Gerry has to say. I know youll be thoroughly entertained, as usual.

Love ya,

Red (aka Reba)

IT BEGAN IN KENTUCKY in 1958. I was ten. At the time, I was little more than a life-support system for freckles. Looking back at pictures of that era, I had the exact physique of a praying mantis. All I really cared about was the Cincinnati Reds batting averages and my pets, Petey and Thumpera parakeet and a rabbit. Both were lost in tragic freezing accidents. I do remember Petey being more fun postmortem than when he was with us on Earth. I could hop him around easier.