Buddy Jewell & JAM Reunion Cruise March 2026

How many of you recall this moment when the winner of the first Nashville Star was announced? I'll bet my wife remembers it vividly.

In a reunion of that Nashville Star finale, Buddy Jewell and I (and our wives, Tene and Yvonna) invite you to join our music, dining, and impromptu pickin' experience March 1-8, 2026. Only the top two finalists were included in this wonderful nautical event, so we regret that Miranda Lambert will not attend. We depart Miami for Puerto Plata (Dominican Republic), then travel sail to St. Thomas of the US Virgin Islands, and ultimately to Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis in the West Indies. Buddy invited everyone on his recent livestream to bring a musical instrument and voices! Yes, our wives, Yvonna Martinez and Tene' Jewell, will be part of the journey. We couldn't do this without them! Buddy and I were roommates on Music Row during the entirety of the Nashville Star Season I. He won first place and I came in second. Please share this with your friends and family; Nashville Star Message Board Family book your cabin now! Contact Christi Prosser Elliott, A Cruise Planners® Independent Franchise Owner

t. 813-445-8300; e. christine.elliott@cruiseplanners.com; www.whywaittravel.com

Buddy Jewell, Miranda Lambert, me, and Nancy O'dell at Opryland in Nashville (photo by John Russell)

Songwriters Meet-Up in Marble Falls, Texas at Brass Hall

Please mark every third Sunday, 4-7:00 p.m., on your calendars for a Songwriters Meet-up at Brass Hall, which will include the taping of a podcast with a special musical guest—Oct. 19 featured Gary P. Nunn, a Texas songwriting legend. Our intent is that these monthly gatherings will shed light on the musical legacy of Marble Falls, a Music Friendly Texas Certified Community. After the podcast taping, the meet-up will feature a songwriter’s open mic in a true listening environment. Our invitation goes out to all songwriters, aspiring or seasoned. Sign up for the songwriters open mic 3:30-4:00 p.m.

Many, even in our community, are not aware that Floyd Tillman, inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1984, resided in our area from the late 1970s to the 1990s. Why should he be remembered? He wrote songs that were recorded by country superstars (Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Ray Price, Dolly Parton, Patsy Cline, Eddy Arnold, Gene Autry, for example), pop icons (The Supremes, Bing Crosby, Marie Osmond, to name a few), jazz and blues legends (Ella Fitzgerald and Ray Charles), rock and roll stars (Les Paul & Jerry Lee Lewis), and folk heroes (John Prine and Bob Dylan). While he lived in Marble Falls, he co-founded Floyd Tillman’s Pickin’ in the Park.

Willie Nelson built his studio on the Pedernales in nearby Spicewood, and he sent his children to the Montessori school he and Annie Nelson founded, first in Spicewood then moved to Marble Falls. His children also went to Camp Champions on Lake LBJ. He dined at the Blue Bonnet Cafe just like the rest of us. Some of Willie's musicians, past and present, performed with local acts when they weren't on the road.

Oscar J. Fox, a well-known composer of Western songs, was born on a ranch in Burnet County. He set music to the cowboy songs collected by John A. Lomax. Fox’s best-known compositions were “The Hills of Home,” “Old Paint,” and “The Old Chisholm Trail.” Go to FiestaJAM.org to learn about past and future concerts in Marble Falls.