Michael Ray Co-Hosts 1/15

Top 5: Whiskey & Rain

This week’s co-host is Michael Ray.  He begins by telling Lon he spent the holidays with his family in Florida.  “I got to see my nieces and nephews. It makes you fall in love with Christmas once again, I got to relive it with them.  They bring such a cool innocence to it.

The title song to Michael’s album Higher Education is a collaboration with Lee Brice, Kid Rock, and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top.  “When I heard this song I knew it gave me that ‘All My Rowdy Friends’ thing.  The writer was Tim Montana. and he knows everybody. First name that he suggested was Billy Gibbons, and so Tim called him and he said ‘I love it brother, I’m in.’    It just came to life.  To have those guys on one of my songs meant a lot to me.”

Michael volunteered one: “I have a funny story about Jon Pardi and Kid Rock. I’m a huge wrestling fan.  Everybody knows Rick Flair.  Kid Rock had a get together at his house.  I’m walking in, and there’s Kid Rock, Jon Pardi and Rick Flair talking in a circle. I ended up meeting him, and he did a promo for me on my phone. ‘Wooo it’s Rick Flair the nature boy.’ It was awesome.”