Jon Latham has been a fixture in the East Nashville music community, a talented songwriter, performer and friend to many, for about a decade now. After seeing the destruction in his own community from tornadoes in March of 2020, he felt compelled to help our neighbors to the north after the recent tornadoes that caused widespread damage in Kentucky. Tommy Womack, a long time Nashville resident is originally from Sturgis, Kentucky and was a founding member of Government Cheese. The band. Not the block of dairy product distributed by the U.S. government to schools, welfare beneficiaries, elderly folks on social security and the military from the 1950s into the 90s. Formed in Bowling Green, Kentucky in 1985, they disbanded in 1992 but regrouped in 2015 for a new album called The Late Show. Womack continues to release music as a solo artist, (his latest album, I Thought I Was Fine came out last fall), and as a member of Daddy with Will Kimbrough.
Jon Latham on how this project came about:
"Back in December, just shy of the Christmas holiday, a string of tornadoes had us hunkered down in our basements in the wee hours of the morning. The next day, word had spread that our friends and neighbors in Kentucky had taken a direct hit. Having witnessed such devastation here in East Nashville in March of 2020, I felt a need to try and help in the best way I could. The Monday after the storms, the Lifers and I came to Trace Horse studio in Nashville and recorded a tune with our friend Tommy Womack, a rock and roll jam from Tommy's band Government Cheese. Our bud Grimey came by, as did Madison Thorn. All proceeds will benefit the Team Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund set up by the Governor."
Jon told me he wanted to record a rock song with his band The Lifers to help Kentuckians hit by the storms and that “C’mon Back to Bowling Green and Marry Me” just made sense. It sounds like everyone had a blast! The song is on the Café Rooster Records Bandcamp page, with all proceeds benefiting the relief fund. You can also hear the song on The Local Brew Hour at 8am Sunday, or Monday at 7pm and (after Monday) streaming here on the Roots Radio Replays Page at wmot.org.
Here's a short clip about the recording of “C’mon Back to Bowling Green and Marry Me” by Jon Latham & The Lifers featuring the song’s writer, Tommy Womack:
Jon Latham: guitar, vocals, piano
Tommy Womack: guitar, vocals, "Keef" harmonies
Andrew Leahey: guitar
Cory Nichols: Bass
Raun Shultz: Drums, Tambourine
Party-Hard BGV's: Mike Grimes, Madison Thorn, Preston Cochran, Raun Shultz
Recorded at Trace Horse Studio in Nashville, TN by Scottie Prudhoe & Preston Cochran
Engineered and Mixed by Scottie Prudhoe
Mastered by Chris Frasco
