{"id":16305,"date":"2019-06-29T22:00:01","date_gmt":"2019-06-30T04:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cmt.com\/news\/?p=1808611"},"modified":"2019-06-29T22:00:01","modified_gmt":"2019-06-30T04:00:01","slug":"cole-swindell-remembered-on-36th-birthday-for-his-no-1-parties","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/music-news\/cole-swindell-remembered-on-36th-birthday-for-his-no-1-parties\/","title":{"rendered":"Cole Swindell Remembered on 36th Birthday for His No. 1 Parties"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/cmt.mtvnimages.com\/uri\/mgid:ao:image:cmt.com:675293?width=1200&amp;height=675&amp;.jpg\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\"><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"byline\">by <span class=\"author\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.cmt.com\/news\/author\/morrise\/\" title=\"Posts by Edward Morris\" rel=\"author\">Edward Morris<\/a><\/span> <span class=\"date\">30m ago<\/span><\/span> <\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a grievous slight from which I may never fully recover, but <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cmt.com\/artists\/cole-swindell\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Cole Swindell<\/a> failed to invite me to his 36th birthday celebration on Sunday (June 30). My sense of self lies shredded.<\/p>\n<p>Now I don\u2019t mean to imply that Swindell and I are drinking buddies. The fact is I\u2019ve never even shaken his sceptered hand. But I\u2019ve covered so many of his No. 1 parties \u2014 including one that nearly led to my being drowned \u2014 that I feel a certain level of intimacy with the lad.<\/p>\n<p>He and I first consumed free liquor in proximity on Tuesday, May 27, 2014, at a party on BMI\u2019s capacious sixth-floor balcony overlooking downtown Nashville. The afternoon was sultry, and I was a bit sulky, owing to my longstanding aversion to direct sunlight. But Swindell was rockin\u2019, absorbing a barrage of praise for \u201cChillin\u2019 It,\u201d his first No. 1, both as a writer and as a recording artist.<\/p>\n<div class=\"deferred_content\">Embedded from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Mh-eN--JK8Q?feature=oembed\">www.youtube.com<\/a>. <noscript class=\"deferred_content\" data-deferred-info=\"{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;iframe&quot;}\"><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Mh-eN--JK8Q?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\">[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><\/noscript><\/div>\n<p>Cheering him on was his mentor and musical brother, Luke Bryan, who initially took him on tour to sell merchandise, but who had, by this time, tapped him as an opening act. He\u2019d also recorded several of Swindell\u2019s song. Bryan joked that in those early days together, Swindell would run up an $80 bar tab while selling \u201cmaybe $120 worth of merch.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Also in the crowd was Brian Kelley of Florida Georgia Line, who\u2019d recorded Swindell\u2019s co-write, \u201cThis Is How We Roll.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"deferred_content\">Embedded from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/CbxuXq_981s?feature=oembed\">www.youtube.com<\/a>. <noscript class=\"deferred_content\" data-deferred-info=\"{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;iframe&quot;}\"><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/CbxuXq_981s?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\">[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><\/noscript><\/div>\n<p>Circling so high overhead that it looked like a mosquito, a drone shot video of the festivities for Bryan to show at his concerts. For Swindell, it was a classic career launch.<\/p>\n<p>Once he gained momentum, there was no stopping him. Swindell was so productively busy that his next three No. 1 singles came and went with no time for individual celebrations. That\u2019s why, on Monday, Sept. 12, 2016, BMI and ASCAP, the performance rights organizations, arranged a \u201cpub crawl\u201d to honor Swindell and his six co-writers of \u201cHope You Get Lonely Tonight,\u201d \u201cAin\u2019t Worth the Whiskey\u201d and \u201cLet Me See Ya Girl.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"deferred_content\">Embedded from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/W10EJnhrkv8?feature=oembed\">www.youtube.com<\/a>. <noscript class=\"deferred_content\" data-deferred-info=\"{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;iframe&quot;}\"><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/W10EJnhrkv8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\">[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><\/noscript><\/div>\n<p>For the uninitiated, a pub crawl is a vicious institution that involves you walking into the first of a series of bars and crawling into the last one, all in the name of having a good time. It\u2019s also known as a \u201cMusic Row Death March.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"deferred_content\">Embedded from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/i8rMpN4o-b0?feature=oembed\">www.youtube.com<\/a>. <noscript class=\"deferred_content\" data-deferred-info=\"{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;iframe&quot;}\"><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/i8rMpN4o-b0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\">[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><\/noscript><\/div>\n<p>Fortunately, Swindell\u2019s crawl involved only three bars, all within the same block. We began toasting the honoree, his co-writers and anything else that moved at a saloon simply called \u201cSouth.\u201d There Swindell was congratulated for \u2014 among other glories \u2014 having been a celebrity judge in the Miss America pageant.<\/p>\n<p>An obviously happy Swindell told the crowd that he grew up being a fan of songwriters, such as those who were then sharing the spotlight with him. \u201cThe power of music is real,\u201d he proclaimed. \u201cWhen I say I\u2019m living the dream, I honestly don\u2019t know how it can get any better.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"deferred_content\">Embedded from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/EQY87ZICa9E?feature=oembed\">www.youtube.com<\/a>. <noscript class=\"deferred_content\" data-deferred-info=\"{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;iframe&quot;}\"><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/EQY87ZICa9E?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\">[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><\/noscript><\/div>\n<p>It did get better \u2014 or at least more adjective-strewn \u2014 as the party rocked on to the Dawg House saloon. There, Swindell\u2019s label head called him \u201ca songwriter of consequence\u201d who had a lot more \u201cshades of artistry\u201d to discover.<\/p>\n<p>Swindell was properly humbled by all the praise. \u201cI get plenty of credit out on the road,\u201d he said, But today\u2019s about my co-writers. \u2026 I love going out and making you proud. It wouldn\u2019t be worth doing if I didn\u2019t have people to share it with.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As we stumbled into the Tin Roof \u2014 our last arena of excess \u2014 enthusiasm was still high, but I discovered the notes I was taking now appeared to be written in Burmese. Swindell stayed on to the liquid end. He thanked the hardy survivors of the crawl for hanging on. \u201cI know there are a lot of other places you could be,\u201d he commiserated. Oh, yeah \u2014 like the emergency room.<\/p>\n<p>A month later, on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2016, the mood was somber when a crowd overflowed the Swingin\u2019 Doors bar in downtown Nashville to honor Swindell for \u201cYou Should Be Here.\u201d It was a tribute he co-wrote to his supportive father, who died shortly after Swindell signed his record deal in 2013.<\/p>\n<div class=\"deferred_content\">Embedded from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/K8WlCqZPTeg?feature=oembed\">www.youtube.com<\/a>. <noscript class=\"deferred_content\" data-deferred-info=\"{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;iframe&quot;}\"><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/K8WlCqZPTeg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\">[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><\/noscript><\/div>\n<p>\u201cIn a moment of darkness,\u201d Swindell\u2019s publisher said to him, \u201cyou allowed yourself to be vulnerable enough to give us so much light, so much peace.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Swindell, in turn, thanked those who\u2019d come to celebrate such a personal statement. \u201cI just can\u2019t believe I\u2019m here talking about the most special song in my life,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019ll never hear another song that means more to me than this one.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Swindell didn\u2019t write \u201cMiddle of a Memory,\u201d his subsequent chart-topper, but he was on hand at his record label\u2019s headquarters in Nashville on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017 when its writers, Ashley Gorley and Zach Crowell, were lionized.<\/p>\n<div class=\"deferred_content\">Embedded from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/PS9Wo0iQUsg?feature=oembed\">www.youtube.com<\/a>. <noscript class=\"deferred_content\" data-deferred-info=\"{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;iframe&quot;}\"><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/PS9Wo0iQUsg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\">[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><\/noscript><\/div>\n<p>It was a small and cozy occasion with only a few dozen in attendance. The fest was chronicled by two photographers who roam around the room, taking Polaroid pictures of the guests \u2014 some of whom posed with Swindell and the songwriters, some with each other. The pictures were presented as gifts in souvenir \u201cCS\u201d (Cole Swindell) folders.<\/p>\n<p>This would have been my chance to document my closeness to Swindell via a side-by-side shot. But when a lady of considerable charm moved in, I selected her for the photo instead. Well, what would you have done?<\/p>\n<p>A torrential downpour sloshed Nashville the evening of Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019 when a Lyft driver delivered me to The Cowan entertainment complex. Besides celebrating Swindell\u2019s latest hit, \u201cBreak Up in the End,\u201d the event involved a fan promotion, as well as Swindell\u2019s new affiliation with Sugarlands Distilling\u2019s Pre-Show Punch.<\/p>\n<div class=\"deferred_content\">Embedded from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NhTulKznx_Y?feature=oembed\">www.youtube.com<\/a>. <noscript class=\"deferred_content\" data-deferred-info=\"{&quot;type&quot;:&quot;iframe&quot;}\"><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NhTulKznx_Y?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\">[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><\/noscript><\/div>\n<p>It was dark when I arrived at the side door of the venue. Dozens of people were huddled and shivering under a pitifully small awning, waiting to get in for a promised Swindell mini-concert. Recognizing me as a journalist from my alcohol-deficient glare, the security guard waved me in while the huddled masses beamed venomous stares at the back of my head.<\/p>\n<p>Always generous in sharing the spotlight, Swindell stood to the side as the three writers of \u201cBreak Up in the End\u201d were honored. Once the ceremonies were over, the fans were let in while I headed for the exit, shielding my notebook like an infant against the storm.<\/p>\n<p>Without getting too maudlin or dramatic about it, on my drive home that night, as the downpour intensified, I drove into a pool of water on the road that turned out to be somewhat deeper than Lake Baikal. The water was up around my knees by the time my rescuers arrived to haul me out. I never saw my car again or the notebook on the back seat.<\/p>\n<p>But if my memory serves me as well as the bartender did that night, that Pre-Show Punch is dynamite and the ideal lubricant for a birthday bash.<\/p>\n<p>Guess we\u2019ll never know, will we? ?<\/p>\n<div class=\"author\">\n<div class=\"description\">Edward Morris is a veteran of country music journalism. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee, and is a frequent contributor to CMT.com.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.cmt.com\/news\/1808611\/cole-swindell-remembered-on-36th-birthday-for-his-no-1-parties\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: CMT News<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>by Edward Morris 30m ago It\u2019s a grievous slight from which I may never fully recover, but Cole Swindell failed to invite me to his 36th birthday celebration on Sunday (June 30). My sense of self lies shredded. Now I don\u2019t mean to imply that Swindell and I are drinking buddies. The fact is I\u2019ve [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-16305","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-music-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-12 10:15:33","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KRKY Ski Country","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16305","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16305"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16305\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16305"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16305"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/krky\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16305"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}