Bonus: Thank You, Mister Rogers: Music and Memories Feat. Jon Secada, Lee Greenwood, Jaci Velasquez,

Welcome to The Neighborhood, a Mr. Rogers tribute podcast. I'm your host, Rick Lee James, and I am so glad that you can be here with us today for a very special bonus episode of the podcast. You know, usually on Welcome to the Neighborhood, we focus in on a different theme of Fred Rogers' life, but today we're going to be focusing in on one of my very favorite subjects: the music of Fred Rogers. There's a wonderful new album called Thank You, Mr. Rogers: Music and Memories. Where Fred Rogers songs are being performed by award-winning artists. And we are going to be having some visits today with many of these award-winning artists. Today you'll get to hear from Jackie Velázquez, from Tom Bergeron, from Lee Greenwood, from John Secada, and even the producer of this album, Dennis Scott. This album is amazing. It's a very very special compilation album, and I just can't wait to share some of the music and some of the great conversations that I was able to have with these amazing people. Not only are they wonderful artists, and not only do they all have unique skills in the various things that they do, but they are just wonderful people, and it was a real honor to be able to schedule some time for a visit with each of them. So sit back today and enjoy this very special musical edition bonus podcast of Welcome to the Neighborhood, a Mr. Rogers musical tribute podcast.

Be my neighbor, won't you be my neighbor?

For the past 20 years, Dennis Scott has been writing and producing original music and songs for television, recordings, video, radio, and theatrical events He is the recipient of a Grammy, an Emmy, and the Parents' Choice Award. His songs have been recorded by artists such as Ray Charles, Faith Hill, Crystal Gayle, the Charlie Daniels Band, Kathy Lee Gifford, Glen Campbell, Tanya Tucker, Loretta Lynn, the Muppets, and many more. He's the producer of the new album, Thank You, Mr. Rogers: Music and Memories. Dennis Scott, welcome to the neighborhood.

Thank you. Glad to be here.

You know, as I was looking at your website, before we get into anything too in-depth about the album itself, I went to DennisScott.net and I see that it appears you are the owner of a Shih Tzu dog. And I have one of those too who is asleep on the floor right next to me today.

That's right. That photo was taken of me in my recording studio. I affectionately called our dog the studio manager. He would greet any musicians and singers that came in and they all loved him, so he deserved to be in the photo.

Well, that's perfect. Usually when I'm recording, mine is sleeping on the floor next to me and sometimes snoring, so I have to kind of watch the audio volume. But anyway, my faithful companion is here with me and I'm so glad you stopped by for a visit today. I really enjoy the new album, Thank You, Mr. Rogers, and it's a pleasure to get to to speak with you about that today.

Likewise, thank you.

Well, some of our listeners might not know this, but this new album, Thank You, Mr. Rogers, is kind of a follow-up to your Grammy Award-winning album Songs from the Neighborhood, which also featured an all-star cast of musical guests. Would you mind sharing about how that first album came about and why 2019 seemed like a good time for a follow-up album?

Well, that's a great question. Um, the first album was a happy coincidence. I, uh, as you mentioned, I do a lot of work in children's music, and I happened to just be home and I had the TV on and they were still showing reruns of Fred Rogers' Show, and I saw him on the screen. He was singing this beautiful little song and I was wondering about that song as to whether anybody else had ever recorded it besides Fred. And I started researching that, and lo and behold, Fred was the only one who actually had a recording of that song. And I began to wonder a little bit more about his songwriting. In fact, at that point, I didn't know he wrote 200 songs that were on his TV show. So I started to delve a little bit more into his musicianship and found that he really was a very gifted songwriter, very knowledgeable about the craft of songwriting. And I looked at his body of work and I said, "These songs really deserve to be heard on a larger scale, or at least in a different forum." And I started I don't want to say obsessing, but getting very involved in, in trying to create an album that would feature Fred's songs with new arrangements of them and treating them as if they were any great song from the American Songbook. And that, uh, that's really how it started. It was a, it was a 2-year labor of love, uh, because at first I, I felt I, I wanted to have the blessing of the Fred Rogers production team And at that point, Fred had already passed, and Joanne Rogers was still in charge of that. And she had some people working with her, helping her, and I had to convince them that these treasures of Fred's would be in safe hands. And it took a while, even with the credits that I have in working in the industry, it took a little while to get them comfortable. But once that happened, we became good friends, and I visited Pittsburgh and and hung out with them, and they came on board and were very supportive. And when it was all over, I was still a little nervous because nobody had ever heard Fred's songs done except in the style that Fred had done them. So I submitted the album to them, my knees knocking together, and then I got a call from Joanne Rogers, and she said, well, I just heard it, And I love it, and Fred would have loved it. And that was really all I needed to hear.

Well, that's terrific. And, and you know, you had expressed in a call that we had a couple weeks ago together, uh, just how much it means to Joanne that we're kind of keeping his music alive too, and that you're doing that through this album. Because you're right, I, I don't know that a lot of people really think about the songs as much as they do the show, but he was a very prolific writer. So how significant was that for you personally, just to hear that you really did have Joanne's blessing?

Well, it's very significant, uh, because, you know, nobody knows Fred's mind and heart like Joanne does. And so, uh, I wanted to honor Fred and his music and make sure that I was treating it well. And she kind of gave me the official and unofficial go-ahead to, to do my best doing that. I think that's what we've accomplished in this new album.

That's terrific. Well, take us behind the scenes a little bit. How do you go about assembling a roster of artists like you did for this album? Because, because there's just an amazing group of musicians from all different music genres. I think of everybody from John Secada to Kelly Pickler, Lee Greenwood, Tom Hanks's wife Rita Wilson. What goes into just assembling all these people together?

Well, you have to take a deep breath, and then you have to drink tons of coffee, and then you have to prepare yourself for a mountain of rejection. And I don't mean that in a bad way necessarily. It's just that all these artists have their own schedules or they're out of town, or they just recorded an album, or they're, they're busy with something. So even ones that are interested in doing it are not always available. That's provided you can get to the artist, and because all of them have managers and people that answer for them. And sometimes I feel that the, the invitation to work on an album such as this maybe doesn't get to the artist the way we hope that it would.

Yeah.

So you have to get past that. That, in fact, I'll tell you something not too many people know because this just happened a week ago. I started pursuing artists, oh my gosh, at least a year and a half ago, and I just got a last-minute message from George Benson's people who said George would love to do the album. It's too late. And I said, well, it's too late for this particular album, but let's keep talking and see what else, because when somebody like that comes along and has the heart to do it and wants to do it, I would love to make that happen.

Definitely. Well, wouldn't that be amazing? Well, hopefully they'll just be— I mean, there certainly are plenty of songs to choose from with over 200 written by Fred, so maybe we'll just keep doing this again and again.

That's true. And you mentioned the songs, that's part of the process, trying to decide what song is best for a particular artist. And that's, I try to give the artist ownership in that decision, although I guide them through it so that they don't have to listen to 200 songs.

Sure. Well, let's get in with your producer hat. Put on your producer hat for a minute because I know a lot of our listeners who are listening to this show today, they may have heard that term producer before, but may not know what all goes into something like this. And you've shared a bit about assembling the artists and things like that. But what I'd love to know is, when a producer is working on a project— and I know you've done so many over the years— there seems to be in many projects kind of a magical moment that happens on certain songs, and I know that those become favorite memories of producers. Do you have any favorite moments like that on this recording that you can think of that just stand out to you personally, and you go, wow, that's going to be a really special moment on this Thank You, Mr. Rogers project?

Well, it's, it's, uh, what do I call it? It's, it's the chill factor. It's the goosebump factor when you're, uh, it kind of hits you unexpectedly when the, either when the band is recording the song and everything's kind of working and it's just the way you envisioned it would be, then all of a sudden you get a little chill. And it sounds like I would— I'm patting myself on the back, but I don't mean it to sound that way. It just means that, uh, all the stars are aligning. And, uh, I'm trying to think on this album, there were so many of those moments that, that did happen.

Yeah.

I think, uh, I think there was a big chill moment when Vanessa Williams was singing Many Ways to Say I Love You. Um, uh, the— of course, with each of these artists, I— you and I could be on the phone for the next 6 hours because the— every, every artist, getting them in the studio and what happened in the studio and how it came to be is a story unto itself. And if you really want the insider scoop on, on this one, Vanessa Williams was originally scheduled to sing. Well, actually, Vanessa Williams came to the, the table a little on the late side. We were already out in California working with, uh, with Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, and it turns out that they have the same management company as Vanessa Williams. And as I was out in California, I got a call saying Vanessa would love to be on the album, but she only has 3 days in her schedule, uh, coming up to do it in the next 3 days. And we didn't have a song selected, we didn't have a musical track created for— we didn't even know what key she would sing the song in.

Wow.

Uh, so on the same trip, serendipitously, I got a call from Sandy Patty, who is a great singer in the Christian world, well, any world actually for that matter. True. I mean, her nickname is The Voice, and rightly so. So I got a call from her manager as I was in California waiting to take a plane to go to Oklahoma City to record with Sandy, and her manager said, Sandy's taken ill. She has this tooth infection. She can't sing. So it occurred to me, I wonder if they would be willing to let Vanessa Williams borrow Sandy's song. Oh, and we can reassign a different song to Sandy. And by the way, this is the short version of this, of this story, uh, but let it be said that, um, their— Sandy's people agreed. So 2 days later, we, we found a studio in New York, we got plane tickets, and we used the track that was going to be for Sandy, and we— and Vanessa Williams sings sang it. And maybe that's part of the chill factor because it was such a good fit for her. I mean, you never know really until somebody tries on a pair of pants whether they fit or not, but in this case, she started singing that song and it was just gorgeous. So there were several bumps in the road leading to that moment, and there were moments when I didn't think it was going to happen because there was too much to do and there wasn't enough time to do it in. But that, that added to the, the just reward of hearing Vanessa Williams do a beautiful rendition of that song. How's that for a long-winded answer?

No, that's exactly what we're looking for. That's a great story, and she really does do a wonderful job on the album with that. And you know, someone like you who has worked as a producer with, or even a songwriter for, so many artists— and we named several of them at the top top of our conversation together. What is it about Fred Rogers as a songwriter that, you know, really makes him stand out to you as someone who maybe has his own unique flair for writing? Because obviously, if, you know, you're producing somebody like Charlie Daniels Band, you're going to handle his songs differently than, let's say, a Fred Rogers song, because there's just something you know, different about each artist and what they bring. What is it to you that makes the, the writing of Fred as a songwriter so significant?

Well, I admire the fact that Fred, although he was writing in a, a stage and a specific goal of reaching children, but there was a universal— universality about his writing that made some of his life lessons appropriate for adults too. And that, which is why in part I felt that these songs can have a wider audience than just people thinking, "Oh, it's just a song on Fred Rogers Show, so it's for the kids." Well, no, not really. If you listen to "Many Ways to Say I Love You" or "Please Don't Think It's Funny," These are messages that we could all learn from. And, and from a, a musician point of view, I, I think it's not that Fred is underrated, it's just he's— people haven't listened closely enough to really get what he's doing. He, um, and that includes me. I, I, I, I, on the first album, I, I thought 'Well, these are nice songs. Let's see what we can do with them.' But, uh, I kind of had an epiphany, uh, on this last album. I, I started listening with different ears because I— on the first album, I knew we could, we couldn't reimagine them and it would be good. But in this one, I was taking a closer listen to his songs and his craft and just getting blown away by The little turns of phrases that he used, he really had a good sense of lyric and he used tricks of the songwriter's craft to accomplish them that only somebody who understood the craft of songwriting can appreciate or knows what to do.

Sure.

And I'm digressing for a second to make a point, and that's that I play in a Beatles band when I'm not doing this other stuff because I love the Beatles. Nice. And what we— what my bandmates and I have discovered, even in their earlier works, that when you listen to the recordings, every time you hear something else, that like, oh, what was that? What was that chord? And did you see what they did there? And we— and it's amazing how many times we'll listen to the same song and find something new. And that's what I'm finding out about Fred's songs. I'm hearing words go by that had this alliteration that happens two lines down later. And I said, wow, he, he really— that's not a coincidence. He knew exactly what he was doing there.

Yeah, and I think that's true. The more that I learn about Fred Rogers, he was very careful and calculated about everything, from the scripts of his shows. And it's, it's funny to read some of the stories by some of the people who kind of helped write the scripts for the shows with him, and how meticulous he was about every single word and the way that it needed to be accessible to children. I imagine he took that same approach with his songwriting as well, like you just said. And, you know, it's interesting, there are some days that— you said it— they're for adults too, that I will find myself needing to hear one of his songs. Maybe it's on a melancholy day, or, you know, needing to be reminded that there are many ways to say I love you, or You know, even at night before we go to bed, one of our bedtime rituals with our son is almost every night we sing "Goodnight God and thank you for this very lovely day." You know, we'll sing that with him at bedtime, and it's sort of become part of our family ritual, I guess, that we do together. I wonder if for you, is there any song or maybe even a couple songs that you have personally just really come to love that you've find are special to you?

Oh, good golly. That's like asking me which is my favorite Beatles song.

It's not an easy question, I know.

I think it's rotating. I'm just, as we're talking, I'm just glancing at the song list to refresh my memory. And good golly, it's really like trying to choose between your children. Funny as it may sound, I'm just really delighting in the new Spanish lyric to "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" And the way that John Secada performs it. I wish you— well, there's a short promo of him doing it and you'll see the power behind his voice and everything is sung exuberantly from the heart, and it just, it's just amazing to see this. And I, and it, of course, if you didn't know it was a Fred Rogers song, you'd say, wow, this is, this is a great song for the Latin American community as well as the rest of the world.

Sure. And I'm really glad that you were able to do that, and this time do it in Spanish with him. And having talked to him for this show, I know that was significant for him to be to record that and to be the first one that we know of anyway to record that song in Spanish. And I think that captures a lot of what Fred Rogers Show was about as well too, because it was always important to him that, you know, in the different segments of the show, if they went to a certain bakery that say the owner was Hispanic, or if they went to, you know, the different characters on the show that they represented people from all different cultural backgrounds. And so I think that's a wonderful wonderful and very important thing that you were able to do on this album.

Well, thank you. And I, uh, I like the diversity of the album, and I, I like the eclectic nature of it. I didn't want to— because that's what Fred was doing as well. He was bringing, he was bringing the world to our homes. And the fact that we have such different artists doing things in such different styles, to me, the mark of a of a great song is one that can be performed in lots of different styles. And I think I, I'm, I'm on a new kick now. In fact, I haven't even said this to anybody yet, but it just sort of happened over the past few days. I'm on a kick to see if we can get Fred, uh, and his music into what they refer to as the Great American Songbook. Yeah, because, uh it deserves to be there as much as Richard Rodgers and Gershwin and other people. Sure, his style is different, his writing is different, but they're all different. And who could be more of an American than America's favorite neighbor?

Yeah, definitely. Well, I applaud that effort for sure.

Well, let's get your listeners to join the campaign.

Join the campaign. That's right. And I, you know what, and our listeners are wonderful. They interact all the time with me on Twitter and occasionally I'll get an email. I know they are going to really love this album. Some of them have already got it and have been posting pictures of it on our Mr. Rogers Say Twitter account. So I know there's a lot of excitement building, and I think that would be wonderful because I think that as unassuming as Fred was, and I don't know that he ever sought out really fame or anything like that. In fact, it seems like everything he did would have been the opposite of that, but there was something so real and authentic about him that his legacy just continues to last. And I am so grateful for the way that you've helped to continue to capture some of his songs in new ways. Before we end our conversation together, is there anything that we haven't talked about today together that you would really like our listeners to know about this new project? Thank you, Mr. Rogers.

Oh my!

I'm not sure what the best answer for that is, which means it must be a great question if I can't answer. No, I'm just very— I'm just delighted to hear that it's been received in such a positive way and that people are— with all that's going on, this rebirth of interest in Fred Rogers, that they're now getting a complete picture of who he was. And I would say, if as a songwriter, I understand the mindset of various songwriters, people that I work with, and, and when you have a songwriter's heart, it's, it's really in your blood. And you can tell from his music how important music was to him. Yeah. So I think when we think about Fred, I think it's great now that in addition to the movies and the documentaries and everything else, that we keep in mind that not only was he a great educator and a kind soul, but all of that comes out in his music.

Yes, yes, definitely. Well, Dennis Scott, thank you for taking some time to visit with us today, and I hope that all of our listeners will go out if they haven't done so already and grab a copy of Thank You, Mr. Rogers! Music and Memories. It can also be streamed from their favorite music services as soon as that becomes available. And you've really created something special here in assembling all these amazing artists, and I just want to thank you for helping to preserve the musical legacy of Fred Rogers for generations to come. So—

Well, I should be thanking you because that's what you do, and I appreciate it. And by the way, my My social media guy would be hitting me on the head if I didn't say, please, when you check out Thank You, Mr. Rogers, please do a hashtag, Thank You, Mr. Rogers, or an at sign, whatever they do.

Yes, I believe it is hashtag Thank You, Mr. Rogers. And of course, we've talked on my podcast a number of times now about the different things that thankyoumisterogers.com has. It's not just music, but they want to hear from listeners who will share memories, and they're even trying to get Mr. Rogers Day days around the U.S. to be instated.

Oh yeah, thank you for reminding me. Next November we hope will be Thank You, Mr. Rogers Month.

Yes, and that would be amazing. And so I know a lot of our listeners and people who follow on the Twitter page, they have been really excited about that as well.

Call your congressman.

Yes, for sure, call your congressman. Well, Dennis Scott, thank you for stopping by our podcast neighborhood for a visit today.

It's an honor. Thank you so much.

Amigos.

Es un día precioso la vecindad, día muy lindo para la amistad. Pudiera contar con tu amistad. Pasó un día amistoso en este rincón, un día de amigos que vendrían son, pudiera contar con tu amistad. Yeah, siempre soñaron estar así como tú, siempre soñaron vivirse de cara de alguien como tú. Yeah.

With a career spanning over 2 decades, 3 Grammy Awards, 20 million albums sold, and starring roles on Broadway, The acclaimed music of John Secada has resulted in numerous hits in English and Spanish, establishing him as one of the first bilingual artists to have international crossover success. Adored by millions around the world, he's recognized as an international superstar by both fans and peers alike for his soulful and melodic voice. On the new album, Thank You, Mr. Rogers: Music and Memories, Secada has the unique honor of releasing the first known Spanish version of the song "Won't You Be My Neighbor." Here to talk with us today is our new friend and neighbor, John Sakata. John, welcome to the neighborhood.

Thank you very much. It's great to be a part of the, part of the, the show.

Well, we are certainly honored to have you here, and I'd love first just to know how you came to be involved with this new project.

Well, this is a, it's a revisit of a relationship. I guess it started a few years ago when I was first involved with my initial participation in a project that honored the music of Mr. Rogers. And so it's great to be able to at this point reconnect with this new project, kind of tying some of the pieces that that maybe we didn't get to in the first set of recordings and really keeping such a legendary figure alive in a way that it should be. So, it's again, once again, it's a great honor.

Well, you know, I think all of us have a Mr. Rogers story about the way that he influenced us in some ways or how he affected our life. I wonder what your Mr. Rogers story is.

Well, for me, I, when I first really was aware of any type of programming that dealt with educational programming at that level, when I first came to this country, I didn't know how to speak English. So I remember early on as a kid kind of seeing Mr. Rogers on television, and even though I didn't know English at the moment, I could still, the simplicity and transparency of the message was so honest, it's great, and at the same time very real, that I could understand and could just kind of go through and see one of the shows and pick up on so many things that in my subconscious was helping me learn English. But I think it dealt with just again the clarity of how he presented any type of subject or any type of topic. And I think that's what made him very, very special and music being a part of it and all those things that are the memories that I have.

Well, that's wonderful. And you know, you just mentioned a moment ago that you didn't speak English when you first came to the country and that the show was part of that. Did you appreciate when you would watch the show the way that there were— there wasn't a lot of diversity on the program and there were times when he'd go down the street to different places with people who weren't white or people who didn't speak only English and would have different conversations in that way. Was that a help to you as well?

Maybe if I didn't know it at the time, I definitely understood now years later when you kind of revisit and really kind of know more of the history of of what he did at the show and how he went about kind of connecting the dots with people. And so the young people would understand the importance of diversity, ethnic respect, and all those things that I think that made him special. Yeah, it's now in retrospect, it's great to be able to know that that was— that's what really the show and what he was all about too.

Well, you know, I'm interested in hearing your thoughts because you are such a gifted and acclaimed songwriter yourself, and music was so important to Fred, obviously. And there's just a wealth of songs that I think we could revisit and make several more albums of, I'm sure. But I'd love to know what you think we could learn about the type of music that Fred was writing, because it was pretty complex music.

Well, it was, but at the same time, it was the message was so, just hit home with young people and young brains. And that's the main thing. I mean, that's a part of music, how you eventually, you want to connect and really identify with the audience that you're trying to get to. And that's what he did. And all the, and all the twists and turns of all these songs that he would write. And there was, again, there was a lineage there that was very— it was meant to be understood in a way to make sure that it was clear, that it was relatable, and also rememberable, that people could understand and remember what music is supposed to do, which is kind of make you sing along and have a musical understanding of messages and things that only like a songwriter can do, I guess.

Yeah.

Well, and you know, one thing that I really loved about it too was even though the songs were often aimed at children, because of course it was a children's show, I mean, John, Johnny Costa, the piano player on that show, and just the amazing jazz music that they played. It really wasn't music that was just made for kids. It was, it was some really incredible musicianship all throughout that show. And I think that translates well to children, you know. It's sort of like the, the Charlie Brown cartoons that had all this jazz music in the background that you wouldn't think would be just for kids. But I think that comes through a lot in, in the way that Fred approached writing songs because he loved jazz music so much.

I agree. It was all in there, but consciously, subconsciously, you were being introduced and fed some wonderful music and in a way that it was, yeah, that you could kind of really appreciate it. Even though you didn't even know what you were listening to or understand the complexity of it.

Yeah, exactly. Well, I'm excited for you in this new album because as far as we know, this is the first Spanish version of "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" And I'm afraid I'm going to say it wrong, but "¿Podemos ser amigo?" because my Spanish is horrible. Did I say it correctly?

That was pretty good, man. Pretty close. Well, then you said amigos. Yes, we can.

Yeah.

Well, you do a beautiful job with it. No surprise to anyone that you did a beautiful job with it on the album, but it really does come through. And I'd love to know, what does it mean to you to be the first to record "Won't You Be My Neighbor" in Spanish?

Well, you know, I look at it the same way. Thank God that I've been able to be very thankful and appreciate so many things in my career that dealt with crossing over, being raised in a community and environment that was very natural for me to think in two languages and then eventually to make my music the same way and to adapt songs from English and Spanish and vice versa. And so I— it was great. And I— a blessing to be able to sing such an iconic song and make it have life in my first language. And so it was It was a wonderful experience attached to, again, just the beauty of the way that my career, thank God, the way that it worked out for me since I began to do records.

Well, we all know that Fred Rogers really was a figure of kindness in the world, and he showed us a lot of what it meant to be a person of welcome and to care for others. And I know that you two have done a lot of good work over the years, and it might be a little more behind the scenes than people sometimes know, but I know that in 2016 you were acknowledged as Humanitarian of the Year by the Muhammad Ali Foundation. I wonder, would you mind just sharing a little bit with us about what that was like and to be honored in that way?

Well, it was Muhammad Ali, he was one of the greatest athletes that ever existed. At the same time a tremendous example of what it is to be a humanitarian, to stand and support the principles that really that you believe in and not to be swayed in any other way. And so it was a tremendous honor to be there and be introduced to his family. It was a wonderful evening, it was a wonderful couple days. That we were part of. And so again, in honor, one of the greatest things really that, and privileges and blessings to be able to be even mentioned the same breath as his name.

Mm-hmm. That's amazing. Well, you know, as I think too just about the many different things that you've been a part of over the years. You're a singer and a producer, and you've been on Broadway, but you've also written a book a few years ago that came out about your life. And I was pleased to see that you started making some, some YouTube videos, and, and there was one that I had found recently that's, that's kind of about the, the changing social media environment and the ways that we're all really trying to find to adapt to it.

Right.

But it's a very funny video. I love the song that you put online.

Thank you.

Just kind of the way that you're expressing what I think many of us feel. And I wonder, I've asked other guests this on this special, you've done so much, and I wonder, is there anything that you're still hoping to try to accomplish through music or through any other avenue that you haven't yet kind of gotten into yet, but you're hoping to in the coming days?

Just, well, at this point, I'm just, thank God that I'm still enjoying what I do and then keep working with them. With so many ever-changing trends, especially the social media and the power of it, the significance. And as a recording artist, as a public figure, that's something that is a big— needless to say, it's a big deal, especially if you come from a world and from a time that maybe it didn't exist. It's a work in progress, learning and working with, really the biggest challenge for me is embracing it, working with it, because that's how we listen to music, that's how generationally we have to work with in terms of connecting with people, music, how they listen, people listen to it, how they buy it, how they kind of just are in touch with what they everything with their lives. And so, that's for me, I guess that's really the biggest connection of moving forward. Still loving what I do though in the end, thank God, of writing songs, performing live. Some of those things will never change for as long as I live, just enjoying the process of creating new music. But, Definitely embracing the way that we connect with people.

Yeah.

Well, I hope there'll be a lot more great music to come. We've appreciated the work you've done over the years, and I know that you've got a lot more in you, and so we're excited about what's ahead in the coming days. I want to point all of our listeners to johnsacata.com, where you can find out much more about John Sacata, and I'm really excited about this new album and all of the wonderful artists that are on it, and you are one of the top on the album for sure. I want to thank you for spending a few moments in our podcast neighborhood today and stopping by for a visit.

My pleasure, Rick, and looking forward to the process of the project being out there and letting people know about it. So that would be great.

Sure thing. Well, it's been a real pleasure and I hope we can do this again sometime. Take care.

Sounds good, man. Thank you.

Some things I don't understand. Some things are scary and sad. Sometimes I even get bad when I'm mad. Sometimes I even get glad. Why does a dog have to bark? Why does an elephant die? Why can't we play all the time in the park? Why can't my pussycat fly? Why, why, why, why, I wonder why. Why, why, why, why, I wonder why.

Well, everyone knows Tom Bergeron as a favorite television personality, spokesperson, and a funnyman. As host of Hollywood Squares, America's Funniest Home Videos, and currently Dancing with the Stars, Tom is one of the most recognizable faces in broadcasting. Along with his many accomplishments, Tom is also a 2-time Emmy Award winner. What might surprise you about Tom is that he also loves to sing. And he shows off his musical chops on the new album, Thank You, Mr. Rogers: Music and Memories, a tribute album to the musical legacy of Fred Rogers, featuring some of the most talented people in the music business. Tom Bergeron, welcome to the neighborhood.

Thank you very much. Pleasure to be here.

Tom, it's great to have a few minutes to visit with you today, and I would just first love to know how you became involved with this project, this new album, Thank You, Mr. Rogers.

Well, it took a somewhat circuitous route actually to get me to the point where I was singing and whistling on this, on the album. The original idea was to have the album of music and then almost as a sidebar to that, a little documentary, sort of a making-of piece that I agreed to host. And when so many artists wanted to be part of the, the musical album, Dennis Scott, the producer, decided to turn the focus solely on that. He just sort of emailed me and said, "Do you happen to sing?" I've done musical theater and things like that in my past. I was in the parking lot of a grocery store when I read that email. I thought, "Yeah, I should send him something." So I brought up some Mr. Rogers lyrics on my iPhone and sang them a cappella into my voice memo. And sent that to him, and he liked it enough to offer me 3 options. The song I chose was a lovely song called, uh, Some Things I Don't Understand. And then my wife had suggested, because she knows how much I love to whistle and sort of jazz whistle, that I suggest I add that to the track. And, uh, I suggested it to Dennis. He said, all right, give it a go. And it turned out to be part of it now.

That's terrific. And as they say about you, they say you did your whistling with an expertise that would put the Andy Griffith theme to shame.

Well, that was high flattery. And funnily enough, on my Instagram page, because I had posted a bit of me improv whistling to the title track of the album, which I did in addition to the song I did it. And somebody suggested I try the Andy Griffith Show theme. So in my dressing room at Dancing with the Stars, I just recorded that as well and put that up.

That's terrific. What a great story to share. Well, I wanted to ask you about the song Some Things I Don't Understand, because originally it was performed on an episode that had to do with the death of a goldfish on the Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood show. And at that time, it was kind of a song that was trying to help children, but I think really any of us now, deal with our different emotions, whether it be happiness or sadness or even confusion. And it takes a much more, I guess, downbeat feel on the show. But tell me about the choice to make this really kind of a snappy, happy jazz song.

Well, that was, that was sort of a collaboration. Dennis's instinct, I think, was spot-on. I, I didn't realize the original original airing of it was sort of, as you say, a very somber song. I think it was at the end of one of the Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood shows going back to the early '70s.

Mm-hmm.

And it was about loss and dealing with all the things in life that are tough to understand, especially from a child's perspective. So the first take that I did, I did it more like me doing it sort of as an ironic kind of thing. And Dennis said, "No, why don't we try it just sincere and keep the sort of jazzy lilt to it?" And I wanted to make sure we kept all of his original lyrics and didn't try updating anything like that. So that second pass-through, even though it's a jazzier version than certainly Fred's was in its original presentation, I think serves the whole idea of it pretty well.

Yeah, well, you did a great job and you felt like a natural. Have you done much singing in your past before?

You know, I was part of a musical trio in the years just after high school and then did some musical theater and things like that. In my radio days, I would occasionally record a parody song of— I know when the song Betty Davis Eyes was really big, I did a version of it called Marty Feldman Eyes, which was an anthem about caffeine addiction. And you can, you can hear that if you go to tombergeron.com. You can actually hear that from 19— I think it was 1981 or '82 that I recorded that.

Oh, that's terrific. Well, I would love to know, what did Fred Rogers mean to you? And I guess maybe as you think back now over the years, what, what do you think of when you think of Fred Rogers and sort of what he means to you?

Well, I think, I think the, the thing that resonates so much, uh, from Fred's personality— I think that's why the documentary was so big, uh, last year and why I, I'm so looking forward to seeing what Tom Hanks does in the movie coming out in December playing Mr. Rogers— but I think it, it speaks to our better angels, his personality. You know, I think that, uh, that sense of, of caring and empathy and being, uh, able to to be bigger than just yourself, and doing it all in that sort of gentle demeanor that I try and fail to replicate most days. I think all of that just shows us that we can be better than sometimes we think we can be. And he did it with amazing consistency over, you know, just several decades. And wrote all of the songs on this album are just sort of the tip of the iceberg of the over 200 that he wrote over the course of doing Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood.

That's amazing. Maybe they'll do a follow-up one of these days and invite you back to do another Fred song.

That would be great. I'd be happy to do it. And this actually is a follow-up to Dennis's original song, I mean album, which won a Grammy, which had a similar type of thing where different artists covered Mr. Rogers' tunes. So, so he's, he's got a good thing going with this.

Well, we are so happy for him, and it's great to— he's also on this episode that we're going to be airing, so I'm very excited to be able to talk to him some more too. Yeah, you know, I think that all of us who have watched you, Tom, over the years on television, we think of you as a very warm and kind person. Person who really creates a feeling of welcome on the shows that you've hosted over the years. And Fred Rogers was also, of course, a very kind television personality, and he gave us a sense that everyone was welcome when he was on the screen. I wonder, did you ever have the opportunity to spend any time with Fred at all? Because I feel like you would be kindred spirits.

Oh, thanks. Um, not a lot of time. I did meet him once when I was working in Boston television at the NBC affiliate in Boston years ago, and he was there doing, doing some interviews with the evening newscast. And so I got to just chat with him briefly, but even in that brief interaction, it was obvious that he was the genuine article. It wasn't like he was putting on a role to play Mr. Rogers on television. That's, that's really who he was.

Hmm, that's, that's amazing. And I really think it's a very special thing that you had a chance to interact with him too. That's going to be a memory that I'm sure you'll hold on to for the rest of your life.

Oh yeah, absolutely.

Did you learn anything about Fred Rogers in the course of making this album that you didn't know or that surprised you?

Not so much in the making of the album. In watching the documentary, I learned a lot about him. The one thing I learned in making the album was that he wrote all of the songs. But I think the documentary also touches on his background, just his incredible care and nurturing of the show over the years, how it adapted to the times and yet that was always consistently Fred. So I would recommend anybody, in addition to getting the album, check out that documentary.

Well, you know, from what I can see, you are definitely one of the hardest working people in show business. It seems like you're all over the place, and you're an actor and an author, a host, and a singer now. And I wonder— well, and I've even heard there was some mime There was some grooming in your past. Yes, there was.

It's hard to do in an audio interview, but yes, that's right.

Well, I'm just curious, are there still any challenges that you would like to tackle in show business that you haven't yet?

Nothing specific comes to mind, but I think this project, the Thank You, Mr. Rogers album, is a real indication that I'm at this point, having hosted various formats for years, I'm more interested in surprising people coming sort of out of left field. You know, people who didn't know I could sing, I hope enjoy my contribution to this album.

Well, you did a great job, as we said before, and I think it's a really interesting choice that they put you on the album, not just because of who you are as a TV personality But it seems like you have done a fair amount of sort of cultivating an appreciation of sort of old Hollywood, things like, you know, your call that you talk about with Larry and Moe of the Three Stooges is just, you know, just legendary. You know, it's a great story. And I want to point all of our listeners, if you haven't heard Tom tell this story, you can find it online at places like his website. But I think it's entirely appropriate that someone like you is helping to really cultivate the legacy of Fred Rogers, who is also such an amazing TV personality. I wonder what you personally think Fred's greatest contribution to television was.

I think the power of gentleness, really. When you think about it, I mean, what he was able to do, the subjects he was able to address just were amazing. I mean, just, uh, and he did it always with that gentle spirit, but also a gentle brave spirit, because he was, he was addressing things like racial inequality and, and, uh, violence in, in, in our society, and doing it all in a way that, that, that kids could understand. And I think that adults could take some comfort from Oh yes, definitely.

I, and I really don't think there's anything quite like him, uh, in television anymore. There are several good things that he's left behind, but he was just such a unique person and such a unique personality on the airways. But yeah, he was just such a comfort, as you had said, when you would turn on the TV and it was like an old friend that was welcoming you in with just consistency time and time again.

Absolutely.

Well, Tom, this has been so nice to get to just hear a little bit of your perspective on the making of this album and sort of behind the scenes. And I think if Fred were still with us today— and I sure wish he was— but I think he would tell you how proud he is of you. And I think that so many of us are proud of you as well. You're doing great work in the television world and, and all over, now even in music. And I appreciate you taking taking some time to visit today here in the podcast neighborhood.

Well, it's been my pleasure. Thanks for inviting me, and I encourage everybody to take a listen to the album and remind themselves why we need a Fred Rogers nowadays.

Well, thank you so much for stopping by for a visit today, Tom Bergeron.

Take care.

You can never go down! Never Go Down—never go DOWN The Train—you Can NEVER GO DOWN—Never Go DOWN—the TRAIN-you CAN NEVER GO DOWN—Never Go DOOWN-the TRANE—you CAN EVERGO DOUNN—NEVERR GODOUWN THE TRENK! Haha... ¡Qué puedo hacer por ti!

Jackie Velázquez is a multi-platinum selling, Grammy nominated artist who has recorded albums in English and Spanish and performed on stages around the world. From her debut at age 16, she has leaned full throttle into her God-given gifts, racking up 16 number one hits, penning 3 books, acting in 7 films, gracing 50 magazine covers and launching a nonprofit clothing line. On the new album Thank You, Mr. Rogers, she does an amazing job covering the Fred Rogers song You Can Never Go Down the Drain, and she's here today for a visit. Jackie Velasquez, welcome to the neighborhood.

Hello, thank you so much for welcoming me to the neighborhood. I'm excited to be with you.

Well, we're excited to have you, and I'm so glad that you were able to take a few minutes today, and I'd love to know, as we begin, just a bit more about how you came to be involved with this very special album.

Okay, so this is gonna sound funny. Mr. Dennis Scott, who is the producer for this album, his wife is— she works at my son's school. So I have actually seen her at the front of the school since my oldest son was in kindergarten. So that was, you know, He's in 6th grade, so now, and so since kindergarten I have, I've had memories of Miss, Miss Laurie is her name. So one day I walked into the office to go take my kids lunch or something, and she said, hey Jackie, my husband was saying something about wanting to have you on a project. And I said, oh really? She goes, yes. And so I told Dennis, I know Jackie. And, and he goes, no, you know Jackie? She— he goes, yes. She goes, yes, our kids— her kids go to, uh, go to our school. And he goes, oh, oh great, will you ask her if she'll be on the project? And that's how it came to be, um, just by way of my children. And isn't that just perfectly planned? Because of the record that that I got to be involved in being all about children. Mr. Rogers, all about children. So my involvement came by way of children.

Oh yeah, I was gonna say that's— that actually is the perfect way, being that children are really what this is all about. I love how organically it just happened, and it seems like maybe a little bit of a God thing in there too, that you were able to be brought together like that.

For sure, that's a God thing, without a doubt.

Well, you know, everyone seems to have a different story of how Fred Rogers has had an effect on them in some way. And I wonder, did you grow up watching Mister Rogers' Neighborhood?

Okay, what's funny to me was this, um, I always looked forward to— okay, well, it's gonna sound bad, but it's a good thing. I used to look forward to being sick and having to stay home from school. Because I used to be able to watch Mr. Rogers' Welcome to the Neighborhood. I mean, you know, yeah, Mr. Rogers. But I'm just telling you, he, um, the effect that he's had on so many people's lives and on just— and he continues to have that effect. Yeah, because, um, of his incredible talent, but his heart more than anything. His heart for teaching kindness and goodness. I mean, that is just like, ah, it makes me tear up thinking about it. Yeah. But, um, I have another memory. One of my aunts, my mother's sister, her and her children had a really kind of tough life, kind of dealt with some abuse. And, um, and I remember at one point somebody asked my cousins they're much older now. They asked him when they were little, they said, um, what do you dream of? What do you wish for? What do you hope for? And all three of my cousins wished and hoped that their dad was Mr. Rogers.

Oh wow. Yeah, that is pretty intense. Yeah, yeah, it's a powerful thing. And well, you know, I run this Twitter account called @MrRogersSay where I just put up quotes from Fred Rogers. And I can tell you, we have like, I forget, I think it's around 44,000 people that follow that. And each day almost I will get a message from someone with a very similar story to that. It may not be that they wanted Fred Rogers as their dad, but just needing him and there were times that they were helped through because of him and times of darkness that he really was a great source of light. For those. So I love hearing stories like that, and his heart really was for children. And I know part of the reason that Fred wrote the song that you recorded, 'You Can Never Go Down the Drain,' was because he wanted to calm the fears of children about— really? Yeah, because he, he thought that things that could seem very trivial or not serious at all to adults were really truly scary to children. And I think he actually cited maybe a cartoon where somebody had pulled a plug in the drain and, you know, and everything went down the drain. So even the song that, that you recorded was sort of his way of reaching out to children and letting them know you don't have to be scared of going down the drain. So, so my question for you pertaining to that, I just wonder, I know I had things that as a child scared me that I would look at now and think, well, that's not rational. But is there any sort of childhood memory like that for you that as a, as a kid, you remember being like, wow, that was a real fear, and now it just seems silly. But, but, you know, Mr. Rogers took those things seriously.

For me, my biggest, my biggest fear as a child was probably sleeping by myself. So I— so sleeping alone and being in the dark, of course. So I used to sneak into my parents' bed, and I— and then they would pick me up and take me back to my bed, and then I would get out of bed, go back in my parents. It was like, for a lot of years Oh yeah, but that used to scare me. But, um, I didn't know that that was the story behind the song. That is so amazing.

Yeah, it's, it's pretty cool. He was just so intentional about everything he did, and he really— I think that he never forgot what it was like to be a child, you know? And I think a lot of us do as we grow up. But yeah, it's, it's really a special story. And you, you did a very cool rendition. And I do want to talk about sort of the arrangement of this. You know, the original version of "You Can Never Go Down the Drain," I guess I would almost maybe call it like a children's march, you know, because, yeah, you can never go down, you know.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, it was like a march.

Yeah. But you and Dennis, you really put your personal stamp on this, and it's really just this very fun kind of upbeat pop Latino feel. Tell me about just sort of the making of it, because it's a really fun feel to it.

Well, of course, Mr. Dennis, he did a fantastic job. He sent me a batch of songs. He goes, let's go through these, find one that you like. So when I came across You Can Never Go Down the Drain, I was like, huh. I was like, this is fun. I said, because I get this to a degree me, like I was thinking for my boys when I was potty training them, you know, they used to get kind of scared of the potty. Yeah. But I don't think I even realized that it could have been that they were scared of, you know, going down in the potty. So maybe subconsciously that was part of the reason for the song, for me choosing the song. I don't understand. I don't even realize it, but I didn't realize it, if you will. But, um, but I chose the song just because I was like, this is kind of different from what he typically does. So, um, so Mr.— I told Mr. Dennis the song that I would like to do, and so then he sent me— I guess because my last name is Velasquez, he was like, well, it's got to be Latin. So he sent me the track and he was like, do you like it? I was like, I love it, let's do it.

Yeah, so we did. Yeah, well, it's got a great— I mean, it's so upbeat. It's one of those— and it really is, I think it's number 2 on the CD. For those people that still use CDs in their cars like I do. But it has passed the 6-year-old test in my car because I have a 6-year-old that will listen to things, especially on the way to school. And last night we were on the way to his basketball practice and his comment was, "Oh, I love this song," and you know, as I was putting it in. So you have at least passed not only my test of being a good song and arrangement, my sons. And children are often the hardest to please when it comes to that. Oh, for sure.

But they're the only ones we should try to be pleasing, if you will.

That's true. And the fact that it does connect— and that was one thing that was so wonderful about Fred, was the way that he could connect with children and adults both. For sure. I love the way that people like you have really joined your voices and your talents on this album to preserve Mr. Rogers' songs, because I think most people don't realize maybe that he wrote over 200 songs in his life.

Isn't that crazy? And how talented, and, and what an ear he had for music.

Yeah, it's pretty incredible. And some, and some of it, I mean, you would know as a songwriter yourself, I mean, some of it technically is very difficult, you know, music. Yeah, it's jazz.

Yeah, a lot of the stuff that— well, most of the stuff that he had had written, it's all jazz inflections and jazz chording. Mm-hmm. So that is like, that's pretty, pretty intricate. Mm-hmm. Like, that's— you can't just pull somebody off the street and, hey, play this. Yeah, it's, it's pretty intricate.

So, and, and to be that way, to be— again, if you're playing it very technical but simple enough that you could remember the tunes and then for children to sing along. It's just really a cool thing. He had quite a gift.

That doesn't happen. No, you know what I mean? Typically jazz, you know, styled music is not friendly to the ear. I mean, not, not, not friendly to the ear, not friendly to the— if you're not a musician's ear, it's hard to understand. But the way that he was able to break it down and turn it into and into like, you know, children's songs that kids— yeah, kids could sing along and like those, those messages could get planted in their hearts and in their minds. It's just incredible.

Definitely. Well, you know, you're, you're such a great songwriter and singer yourself, and you've become an actress over the years and an author of books, and you even have your own clothing line. I'm just wondering what's next on the horizon for you? You have any projects in the works right now that we can look forward to?

Well, I have a book that just came out called When God Rescripts Your Life. Um, it's, it's, it's part like taking stories of my life, but always leading back to the word of God and kind of flipping the script so people can take a look at what God is trying to show them through, you know, through bits of my story. So then— and our oldest son is autistic, so there's a lot of rescripting in my life that God has done there. I'm gonna— I'm working on some new music coming up pretty soon, so I'm looking forward to that. And yeah, but the, but the book is kind of my focus right now because because it just came out like 2 weeks ago or a week and a half ago. So, congratulations.

Yeah, well, that's terrific. We're gonna have to check that out, and it sounds like a wonderful book with some great stories in it. So I'm very interested in finding out more for sure.

Well, thank you.

Jackie Velázquez, it has been a joy to visit with you this morning for a few minutes, and I just want to thank you for dropping by our podcast neighborhood today.

Thank you so much for having me here.

When the day turns into night and you're way beyond my sight, I think of you. I think of you. When the night turns into day and you still are far away, I think of you. I think of you. When I am not here, we can still be so very near. I want you to know, my dear, I think of you. I think of you.

Lee Greenwood is undeniably an icon of country music Rick Lee James. With more than 30 albums, 7 #1 songs, 25 charted singles, and a platinum record to his credit, Lee has won numerous industry artist awards including Male Vocalist of the Year from both the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association. He's also won the CMA's Song of the Year for writing "God Bless the USA," the most recognizable patriotic song in America. Featured in film, TV, and covered by numerous artists including Beyoncé. On the new album, "Thank You, Mr. Rogers: Music and Memories," Lee shows both his singing and saxophone chops on Fred Rogers' heartfelt love song, "When the Day Turns into Night." We're honored that Lee has stopped by for a visit today. Lee Greenwood, welcome to the neighborhood.

And thank you for that great introduction.

It's my pleasure. It's good to have you today. And as we begin, I'd love to first just know How did you come to be involved with this great project? Thank you, Mr. Rogers.

I knew that there was a movie to be made, and there was already one CD that had been featured with other artists singing the songs from his famous television show, Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, which we all watched as, as kids. I will say kids, but when we had kids, mm-hmm. And, and you just kind of kind of, you settled down. It was a very easy show, very soft, and all the music really lent itself well to nurturing young kids. And so we encouraged our children to watch it, and we all kind of just hummed along with the music. And when it became obvious that you were making another CD and then a movie coming out in November 2019, We were certainly interested, and I was thrilled that I was invited to sing one of the songs.

Wow, that's amazing. Well, I'm so glad you did. It's a beautiful rendition of his song. And, you know, so far everyone who I have talked to on this project has their own Fred Rogers story of a way that he had an impact on them in some way. I wonder, do you have your own Fred Rogers story of kind of what he has meant to you?

Well, Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood and certainly Fred Rogers, I mean, it was an interesting time for us because I was really touring heavily. I mean, we were probably 300 days a year on the road. And when I would get a chance to be home with our kids who were very young, I opened my own theater in 1996 when our son, our first son, was only a year old. Hmm. So it was a time when we could all settle by the TV for just a moment together as a family. Our second son was born while we were at the theater and we closed in 2000. And then of course the attack on America which has spread fear among everybody. And so you go back and think about those days when you would just get in front of the television and we don't do that much anymore. We download movies and we go to movies and things. But that was just an interesting time when I think the world was a little more naïve. Certainly Americans were a little more naïve. About life. And we certainly needed the message that he delivered, and that is that peace, get along with everybody, and have a simple, simple approach to life. Don't be so complicated. So that was, that was my favorite way to connect, I think, with not only just my children, but keep me kind of level as I was touring so heavily and in the midst of the target.

Hmm, well, that's a great story. Thank you for sharing that with us today. You know, I just spoke with Dennis Scott a couple of days days ago, and we've been emailing back and forth some. And for listeners, Dennis is the producer of this album, and he said to make sure first to tell you hello, but also to make sure that we talked about your amazing saxophone playing on this song. And I wonder, how long have you been playing saxophone?

I started on piano first when I was probably 9 or 10. My mother was a piano player in the '40s, so we had a little spinet piano in our trailer which she never played anymore. So I could play it and just kind of get familiar with the notes. And I think there was a period there, right around I was 10 or 11 years old, and I just needed something more than that instrument to express myself. And so my mother just made the choice to bring me a saxophone. I don't know why. It could have been a clarinet, flute, or trumpet, which I ended up playing later. I took to the saxophone like a duck takes to water. It was so instant, the relationship between me and the horn. I guess it's that way with many musicians who find the instrument of their choice and then they become virtuosos. I never was that, but I used my saxophone as a commercial instrument and it also expressed my personality and my soul. A lot of people don't even know that I play saxophone because I've had such a celebrated career as a singer and a writer. Sure. But it's always fun to do it in my shows, and it was fun to do it on this album. I know I made this suggestion in the studio, and Venice was like, "You play saxophone?" Yeah. That was the awakening at that moment. Then when I started playing in the studio, I think people were just kind of surprised that I played that well.

Well, and it was a surprise to me as well. I had just found out about it, and I knew that you were an instrumentalist on several other instruments, but had no idea until I heard this song. But really, it fits so well because Fred Rogers was such a fan of so many styles of music, and especially on the show, I remember a number of times he would bring in players of different sorts of woodwinds or brass that would come in at different times. And I think it fits so well with this song, and it's such a unique song, really. I know from tinkering around with it on the piano at home that the verses are, you know, they're kind of based around this one chord moving into a flat 4 chord progression. And then like, I guess it's the bridge or maybe the chorus, I mean, it moves into some other, you know, into like a minor 5, then back to a minor 3rd. And it's not your usual song. And Fred was so, you know, children-minded when it came to the lyrics of the songs. But really, there was a complex musicality about him, wasn't there? —Oh, absolutely.

And you can go two ways when you write a song. You can write something that's kind of sing-along and everybody can just— they grasp it immediately. They understand what the chorus is. It's kind of sing-along and everybody can easily sing the melody. And that's kind of the way I wrote "God Bless the USA." It's based on thirds and fifths and people just— it goes immediately to the ear. It's easy to sing even if you're not a singer.— with this particular song, "When Day Turns to Night," the uniqueness of it is what made people pay attention to it and drawn to it. And to tell you, it was a little challenging at first to get my ear to adjust to those changes. They were a little odd. But it goes so slow and it is musical if you just kind of figure it out. It's mathematical, but it's musical. And then you've got to train your voice to sing those endings. Yeah, it was kind of fun doing that.

I bet it was, and really it turned out so well. I've been telling people that I think of all the songs on the album that this is the most moving song, and it's very rare that I will hear a cover of a song and think that was maybe better than the original, but I really do feel like this one has added something more to the original. So you did a great job on it. I would, I would love to get your reaction to something, and I don't know if you've heard this before,, but Joanne Rogers, Fred Rogers' widow, she actually wrote something very nice about this song, and I wanted to read it to you and just get your reaction to it if you haven't heard it before. She says this about this song: When the day turns into night and you're way beyond my sight, I think of you. One of my treasures is a photo of a sunset that Fred sent to me with those words from one of his songs on a little note that he put on the back. Fred had taken that photo when he was in Nantucket without me for a bit. He loved being on the other side of the camera, taking pictures. That photo and those few words have carried me through a lot of these days. In fact, I've put the photo in a frame, and I set that note in a corner right in front. Even though he's way beyond my sight, I'm still being nourished by his words. It's such a comfort to know that others are too. I just wonder what your reaction is to knowing what this song in particular means to Joanne.

Well, certainly heartfelt message, and I know that he meant that from his heart in order to comfort her while he was away. I'm away a lot, you know, and then sometimes I search for things to tell my wife while I'm gone beyond the 'I love you' and 'I miss you,' you know, 'I need you in my life,' and 'I hope you're doing okay,' 'How's your health?' 'How's your day?' Something that's a little bit more you know, and this was such a pretty phrase because when we get home, generally people who work 9-to-5 jobs and they get home, the comfort of their house and knowing they're going to be in their same bed every single night is security. And I think when we are away and we can't be secure for our mate or even let us feel secure about being home in our own bed, I think there's a certain longing— to say the right thing to someone else, to let them know you would rather be there than gone. That was put so well in "Day Turns to Night." I have a song I've written that has that phrase in it, very similar. "When night turns to day and day turns to night." It's just a phrase, but it's certainly said well, and I'm glad that she clinged to that for security.

Yeah, that's great. Well, I know if she hasn't heard it yet, I know she's going to just love your rendition of it as well. And, you know, I read somewhere that you had a grandmother, Lee, that said a very Fred Rogers type thing to you when you were 12 or 13 years old. And she said, "If you ever get to be known for something, make sure it's something that you're proud of." And, you know, I hear words like that and I think that sounds very much like something Fred said through the television set again and again. It's so important to find something you feel good about doing and to be proud of. And it really does make a difference in the life of a young person, doesn't it, to receive consistent messages like that from those people who have moral authority in our lives?

Yeah, I don't know where you heard that quote, but it is correct. Both my grandparents were guiders. I mean, they kind of— you know, with a young boy who's really hyper, and I was, it's hard to say no, or it's hard to say you can't do this or shouldn't do that. Or try to give them lessons of life, but you do try to channel their energy and try to point them in the right direction. I think that was one of the greatest pieces of advice I ever got because I never settled for mediocrity. I mean, I was always driven and I had a passion, but sometimes, you know, it's easy to sell out when you're about the end of your energy and you say, "Well, I can do better the next time, but I'm going to let this one go." I never did that, and I think those words from my grandmother were encouraging. And kept me on the right track.

Yeah, that's terrific. Thank God for, for good grandmothers like that. Well, well, I want to say congratulations to you because I know that just a few days ago it was announced that you're being appointed to the John F. Kennedy Center Board of Trustees. And I just— first of all, just, that's, that's quite an honor. So congratulations, sir, and we're all very proud of you in that.

Thank you. President Bush as 43 appointed me to the NEA, the National Endowment for the Arts Council, and I'm still there. This appointment is more about guiding the arts at the Kennedy Center, which is the most prestige performance venue in the United States. Sure. And if you're performing at the Kennedy Center for the Kennedy Honors, you, you have been invited to one of the most prestigious halls to play, and, and you will draw the audience who wants to see how really good you are So as we guide the Kennedy Center and I become one of the trustees, it'll be an honor to be on the same board with the First Lady, who is the chair.

Well, congratulations. We sure are proud of you in that, for sure.

Thank you.

Well, we're almost done today, but you know, you've had an amazing career as a singer and a songwriter and an author, and you're even an actor a bit in a TV and, and some movie roles. And I just wonder, what is next for Lee Greenwood?

Um, I have about 3 more years to tour as an artist, and then I will conclude that part of my entertainment life. I may settle back into writing more and certainly doing personal appearances, but I think as far as my touring schedule, that will cut back. Then I have a new 20-song CD that I've outlived the copyrights at my publisher, Universal. And so this 20-song CD will have all my originals that I really like, and some have been pre-recorded, but I've re-recorded them, and then 10 songs I think nobody's ever heard that I like that I've written. So it'll be an interesting release to show different sides of my musical background, because it's not just country. And I think people then would go, "Oh, I didn't know you liked that kind of music," you know. That's first on the horizon. Of course, I am writing more, but I'm also launching a new website. It comes out this week, as a matter of fact. Terrific. And lots of personal appearances that are kind of fun. I was just at the Volunteer game in Knoxville where we support the University of Tennessee. And it was the 150th year of the Pride of the Southland Band, and I sang with 1,100 musicians on the field. That was the normal band, which is almost 300 strong, and then 800 other players. It was pretty awesome. And then I sang for the President the other night at one of his rallies, and that's pretty cool because I walk out singing God Bless USA, which is Wakan song, and when people see me sing it live, it's kind of a nice little diamond. And then I'm at the Predators Smashville game coming up. We also have a charity that I support out of Houston called HelpingAHero.org, and we build homes for wounded warriors, and I'm doing a benefit for Seats for Soldiers for American Airlines. It's a tribute to them who are in San Antonio and wounded, and they bring them to Dallas and let them sit and watch a Mavericks basketball game. I will do that this week and sing at the game as well. So just a few things that are coming up, and then of course just take care of my family.

Well, that is terrific. And as you said when we first picked up the phone together, that you are covered up. I can definitely hear that you are. So, so we Well, I just want to thank you again for taking a few minutes to be here today. We love the new track. The new album, Thank You, Mr. Rogers, is terrific. And I just want to thank you again for stopping by our podcast neighborhood today for a visit. You're welcome.

I look forward to the movie coming out in November.

When the day turns into night—

Well, that is it for our very special episode of Welcome to the neighborhood. I hope you enjoyed every artist that we had on the show today.

I really had a great time meeting all these people.

It was a lot of work to get us all connected and to get the show edited properly, but I think it was worth it. And I hope all of you will get a copy of Thank You, Mr. Rogers Music and Memories. You can go to thankyoumrrogers.com and not just get music, but you can also find out how you can be a part of helping to create a Mr. Rogers Day next year in your state. There are easy links for you to go to where you can find out how to help with that, and I hope you will do that. Please, if you have a chance, make sure and leave us a review on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts through. That helps our visibility. I was happy to find out that we were up into the top 100 podcasts last week on iTunes, and that's just due to great listeners like you who have been listening. And the more reviews we get, the more visibility we have. So thank you so much for listening to Welcome to the Neighborhood. I appreciate you. And I have been your host, Rick Lee James. Our Mr. Rogers quotes Twitter account is @MrRogersSay. My personal Twitter account is @RickLeeJames. My website is rickleejames.com. And my other podcast is Voices in My In My Head, the Rick Lee James Podcast, and I look forward to being with you again next time. Until then, you make each day a special day. You know how? By just your being you. There's only one person in the whole world like you, and people can like you exactly as you are.

I think of you. When the day turns into night, and you're way beyond my sight, will I think of you.