(DOUG JESSOP, ABC4 NEWS – SALT LAKE CITY, UT) According to Chris Petersen,
“every phrase has a melody.” In this episode of Jessop’s Journal I had the opportunity to sit down with singer/songwriter Chris Petersen.
We talked about the first song he wrote. Surprise, surprise…it was a song about a broken heart. The catch was he really didn’t want anyone to hear it because it was personal. Lucky for country music lovers, his friends convinced him to share it and the “rest is history.”
I was a radio DJ for a number of years before moving to the TV side. One of my gigs was being a country music DJ. In my personal opinion, country music is one of the most authentic venues for storytelling. Chris certainly has some good stories to tell. I’m glad to say that Chris also gave us a taste of his singing in this interview and will be featured in an upcoming “Jessop’s Jukebox” music performance.
You may have seen a viral video with Chris and his dog singing on America’s Got Talent. Come to find out that his dog likes country music. I was able convince Chris to perform one of his dog’s favorite songs in this interview.
One of my favorite stories is about how the song “Four Wheel Drive” came to be. It’s true that Chris drives a four-wheel drive RAM truck, but it’s not the right answer. Here’s a hint for you…it is combination of a pocketknife and a dishwasher. You’re going to have to watch the full interview to get the answer. I’m pretty sure it will make you smile.
One of the albums he recorded in Nashville is called “Cowboy Coming Home.” Chris teamed up with renounced producer Trent Willmon. Why is that important? Trent brought Reba’s guitar player, Josh Turner’s band leader and other professional studio musicians to make the magic.
Think about this for a minute…what draws you back to who you are? For Chris it’s home and usually based on someone. It was fun to tease Chris about the music video for the title track song, “Cowboy Coming Home”. There is a scene is the song with Chris and a cute girl that cuddle. I did have fun asking him if the girl was someone he knew or just a casting thing.
With the wonderful world of COVID Chris said sometimes he wants to hunker down and “Lock the Whole World Outside.” It certainly makes for a nice song of the same day. As he put it, “this world can be callous and cold as a November storm.”
Here’s a suggestion – get someone you care about and take a listen by going to Chris’s website at www.CPcountry.com
I strongly feel that “stories have power”. Chances are that if you are going through something, that someone else probably has as well. The shared experiences we humans have can help each other. That my friend makes the point that stories “help us understand each other.”
You don’t have to agree with everyone, but in my opinion, if people would take more time getting to knowing more about others and where they are coming from, we just might find out that we have more similarities than differences.
Please consider following me at www.DougJessop.com, www.YouTube.com/dougjessop , www.Facebook.com/dougjessopnews, www.Instagram.com/dougjessopnews and www.Twitter.com/dougjessopnews
Jessop’s Journal is something special when it comes to broadcast news. I have the honor of being able to do longer in-depth interviews that you don’t normally see with people from all walks of life.
A big shout out goes to my collaborator, Ed Wilets, who does a great job as my videographer/editor for all my stories. I invite you to watch each episode of Jessop’s Journal at www.ABC4.com/Journal and share these stories with your friends and neighbors. Your feedback is always welcome at DJessop@abc4.com
Other episodes of Jessop’s Journal can be seen at www.ABC4.com/Journal and are made possible by the generous support of Rustico, Tailor Cooperative, JW Custom Hats, Ogden’s Own Distillery and XLEAR.
You can also see my positive business profiles called “Utah Success Stories” every Sunday in the ABC4 News at 10 p.m. or online at www.ABC4.com/Success
Stories have power. They help us understand each other. With another entry into Jessop ‘s Journal, I’m Doug Jessop , ABC4 News.