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We sit down with Mike Walker to honor Nashville’s legacy, compare it with Branson’s stage craft, and tell the truth about karaoke, covers, and the business behind a music career. Along the way, Mike shares the heart behind his new single and the values that keep him grounded.

• respect for Music City and its legacy
• Mike Walker’s career path across Nashville and Branson
• new single It’s Been a Ride and why it matters
• karaoke as training vs industry stigma
• tracks vs live bands and arrangement discipline
• originals vs covers on Broadway
• residencies, venues, and quiet red tape
• lost industry hangouts and what they meant
• talent shows, streaming, and the end of monoculture
• failure, work ethic, and showmanship
• treat your dream like a business
• faith, family, and staying the same on and off stage
• time as the most valuable currency

You can find me on Facebook and at mikewalkermth.com (site under rebuild). My new single is called It’s Been a Ride—find it on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music. If you want to support my music, check it out and share it. You can find us at After Nashville—we have a group and a page.

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What happens when the Nashville dream doesn't play out exactly as planned? Is it failure, or just a different kind of success? In this raw, unfiltered debut episode of After Nashville, hosts Darrell "D" White and Jack Christopher pull back the curtain on the music industry's uncomfortable truths.

Drawing from decades of Nashville experience, the hosts tackle provocative questions: Does karaoke have any legitimate place in Music City? Is it ever appropriate to tell someone they simply don't have the talent to achieve their dreams? Have shows like American Idol damaged the industry by prioritizing backstories over ability?

The conversation deepens when former boxing champion Homer Lee Gibbons calls in to share his perspective on fame and success. "If I did anything before I could become rich, I wouldn't do it at all. It's about the lives that I impact," he reveals, offering a powerful counterpoint to the "fame at any cost" mentality that drives many artists.

Singer, Songwriter and Nashville recording artist Robert Burgeis calls in while out on the town and reveals the artist he thinks deserves more respect in Music City!

Working musician from Branson Sharpie joins the discussion, revealing the gritty realities behind the glamour. They explore the delicate balance between persistence and knowing when to pivot, and how redefining success might be the key to long-term happiness in the industry.

This podcast isn't just for musicians – it's for anyone who's ever chased a dream and wondered if the conventional definition of "making it" is really what they should be pursuing. After Nashville reminds us that sometimes life's greatest success comes from knowing yourself well enough to choose the right path, even when it diverges from what everyone else expects.

Theme song and break music "It's A Trip" provided courtesy of Ronnie Pittman

Subscribe now to join the conversation, and visit our website to participate in future episodes. Your dream deserves an honest roadmap – After Nashville is here to provide it.

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