Mottley James Radio

12/05/2025

A few highlights from Tulsa and Stillwater. Leon Russell and Jimmy Lafave are memorialized in OK, Leon is buried in Tulsa, and Jimmy is memorialized in the new Block 34 Walk of Fame.

12/05/2025

He made it!

Lyric video for "When I Get to Heaven" off of 'The Tree of Forgiveness'Tree of Forgiveness available here: https://found.ee/uuFMSOFOLLOW JOHN:Website: https:...

12/05/2025

Here is the new movie I have been talking about this morning...

The stars align to honor a songwriting legend You Got Gold: A Celebration of John Prine is a star-studded tribute concert film, captured in October 2022 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, honoring the legendary songwriter's enduring legacy. Featuring heartfelt performances and behind-the-scenes stor...

12/04/2025

Another episode of “Mottley James -Southern Routes” is coming to the airwaves on WOMR Friday at 6:00 am! I will be live from the School House Studio in Provincetown! I am just back from a week in Oklahoma, and have songs and stories to share from Ground Zero of the “Red Dirt” sound. I will also share a preview of my upcoming Holiday Music show for later this month, featuring a bluesy, southern take on some holiday classics! There is a Cape Cod thread in the mix! Tune in and see if ayou can Identify it! There will be prizes for the correct guess!😉!
Dial us in on the Cape at 92.1 or 91.3 FM, or listen online at WOMR.org orclick here to download the app! https://apps.apple.com/us/app/womr-community-radio-app/id1641143623

11/21/2025

Lyrics to remember Todd by:
Story 'bout a failed trip to Luckenbach

Old Miss Virgie tended bar
At this shack out in the hills
It never made her no money, boys
But it paid up of all her bills
Well, now she must have been eighty years old
But her heart was warm and her beer was cold
She gave away more than she ever sold
Just smilin' all the time

I used to sing off in the corner
Every Friday night
There's a loud crowd of cowboys
And bikers and barroom fights
Now they was drinkin' beer and carryin' on
Not a one of them'd listen to one of my songs
But old Miss Virgie sang along
She said she knew 'em all by heart

And then one night after closin'
She poured me a beer
She said, "Come over here and sit down you little s**t
I got somethin' you need to hear"
She said, "Life isn't easy gettin' through
Everybody's gonna make things tough on you
But I can tell you right now, if you dig what you do
They'll never get you down"

She said, "Life's too short to worry"
She said, "Life's too long to wait
And it's too short not to love everybody
And life is too long to hate
Yeah, I meet a lot of men who haggle, finagle all the time
Tryin' to save a nickel and make a dime"
She said, "Not me, boy, no sir-ee
No, I ain't a-got the time"

Now I ain't seen Ol' Virgie
I guess it's been about ten years
I've been bummin' around this country
Singin' my songs for tips and beers
Now the nights are long, the driving's tough
Hotels stink and the pay sucks
But I can't dig what I do enough
So it never gets me down

I say, "Life's too short to worry
Life's too long to wait
Well, it's too short not to love everybody
And life is too long to hate"
"I meet a lot of men who haggle, finagle all the time
Just tryin' to save a nickel and make a dime
Not me," she said, "No sir-ee
You know I ain't a-got the time"
That's right

11/21/2025

How cool was this?!?!

11/21/2025

Todd Snider -I Was A Nervous Wreck

A couple of years ago, my buddy, Todd Fox and I followed Todd Snider around Memphis. It was pretty much a homecoming for him and it seemed like a good chance to make a documentary. In the spirit of Les Blank, the whole thing was held together with duct tape, chewing gum and good intentions.

Todd Fox and I filmed everything in 3 days on cheap cameras and zero budget. I spent about 80 bucks a night at a Motel 6 and we ate at Waffle House. Nothing but the best for us. I spent about two weeks editing it together and it was done.

Snider kept asking me if I thought anybody would watch it. A fair question. The film world is full of talented NYU film school graduates with trust funds and famous last names who never manage to find anywhere to show their films.

But that ain't us.

I told him, we're buskers standing on the street corner. We don't need some big company to give us permission to make art. We'll just make it and take it directly to the people. And that's what we did.

I knew that we could get maybe 20k people to watch it if I put it on my YouTube channel. Imagine how many movie theaters you would need to find seats for that many people. It might take a year or two, but people will watch it and then recommend it to a friend. Todd was really excited about the idea of just making stuff and just putting it out into the world, warts and all. So, that's what we did.

We put a message in a bottle and threw it into the proverbial ocean to see if anyone might find it.

The people found it.

The point of all of this is, our film reached 100k views last night. I know Todd would be really proud of that and I know I am.

Like I said before, the entire film was shot by me and my buddy, Todd Fox. I'll put a link in the comments down below, so you can watch it for free.

Thanks for giving a damn,
-Otis

07/04/2025

Jeff Thibodeau Wind! On the air right now!
WOMR.org WOMR 92..1 WFMR91.3