Howdy Folks!  Wow!  What an incredible Summer!  I’ve been so blessed to be at my granddaughter, Leila Grace Dixon’s, first birthday party.  Pretty nice gig.  That’s right I played at her party and… she danced.  I don’t have the words.  Nothing better than that!  Then,  the next day Pastor Paul Johnson in Jacksonville, FL, dedicated her and also my grandson, ‘Lenny,’ to the Lord.  What a wonderful family time that was.  After that we were all off to our daughter, Miss Haley, and Mr. Jake Johnson’s wedding.  I don’t have the words for that either.  It was also a great gig.  That’s right,  I played but so did my brother Aubrey,  and Jimmy Capps and Hoot Hester from the Grand Ole Opry.  Jimmy’s wife, Michelle, (you can see them on RFD’s Larry’s Country Diner) also sang and we had a great performance out of our little German neighbor Lisa Mc Garvey.

So this was also just another gig.  Right? NOT!  When Haley and Jake left in their little London taxi (that’s right… in Nashville), the look on their faces was absolutely priceless!  Then, they really were off to London for their honeymoon, where our friends, Robert and Mary Wilson, had arranged for them to be picked up and chauffered around in a Bentley.  Who can afford that!  Well,  I suppose this was from years Haley going over and playing shows with me for minimum pay for, and she did a lot of things there just to be a blessing.  I suppose it payed off in a way she’d never dreamed.  They had full run of the Knebworth mansion as a huge music festival was going on and they of course got in free.  God is good!

I had a great time playing at the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society Convention recently.  Hoot Hester played fiddle with me and my new son-in-law, Jake, played upright bass.  We had a blast.  Our friends, Kelly Kantz and Johnny Parker, were there from RFD and NorthStar Studios in Nashville.  Our new TV show is finally shaping up, and we should start taping the first of September.  I’m so excited about this as I’ll also get to enjoy some fine guitar picking from some of the world’s finest players.  My friend and partner in this venture, Mr. Neal Ferry, and I have worked relentlessly for a year now.  Our belief is when you build something right from the ground up, it will stand.  We’re looking forward to years of enjoyment and blessings from our new show.  The folks at Taylor Guitars as well as other sponsors (to be announced soon) are excited to offer something brand new to the television audience as well as to promote our favorite thing…Guitar Pickin’!  Again, more on this very soon.

I have a number of “Master Classes” going on in our Summer Tour schedule.  This is something I’ve done in the past but have gotten away from because of the growing crowds in our clinics.  Mike Robertson (my agent) and I have found a way to schedule more up-front and personal events such as this, as well as branching out into new venues and formats for our concert schedule.  Of course,  I’ll always play in churches so keep up with my tour page on the site and by all means… come out and see me!  If you plan to attend one of my Master Classes,  bring your guitar!

So, thanks for letting me pop the chest buttons off my shirt and bragg a little on my family.  I really am blessed and thankful for them.  Music is a huge part of my life, but it still isn’t the most important part of my life.  My relationship with God and my family is.  I’ll never forget Eric Johnson saying to me that he felt my greatest blessing in life was my family.  He’s right.  What a wonderful compliment.  Eric also recently told me that he was going to get serious again with his guitar playing.  What great news to us mere mortals!  He should know!  Poor guy.  His playing and his tone has only been ‘unbelievably incredible’ lately, and I suppose to him he thinks he’s slacking off.  Seriously, I can’t imagine why he’d say that because when Eric plays, you could also say there are ‘no words’ to describe it, and it’s the most incredible thing you’ve ever seen… but then again,  you haven’t seen my little granddaughter Leila Grace dance!  Knowing Eric, he would agree.

Love to you all…

DD