30 Plus Days Living in a Car

It's kind of sad for me to see this.  I didn't shoot it.  I'm not sure that I would have, or that I would have published it if I had.  Vernon has four songs on major label records right now, but he is living in his car parked beside a Walmart somewhere in Nashville, Tennessee.



He won't collect any royalties on the songs for a few months, yet he won't get out of his car and walk into Walmart and ask for a job.  Same for Helen who is sitting next to him shooting this video, and living with him.  They subsist off of gifts from folks who care, and free meals and laundry services from churches and aid organizations around Nashville.


"We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless.  The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty.  We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty." - Mother Teresa

Nashville New Years Eve 2011

It was a long and chilly cold New Years weekend shooting Nashville Wild Child. The somewhat depressing sight of my old friend, Vernon Rust, living in his car beside a Walmart in Nashville was depressing. Vernon was disheveled, had not shaved in a while, and stinking of alcohol and body odor when we caught up to him.

Although he has a new single, A Lot More Jesus, out now on Amazon.com, he is at least six weeks away from receiving any remuneration from it.


I don't usually like large crowds, but juxtaposed against the gritty, mean, environment where we found Vernon and his friend, Helen, it was a relief to get into a large, more upscale crowd.  We went downtown and recorded some of the traditional New Year's festivities, Nashville Style. Southern Rockers, Lynyrd Skynyrd closed out an evening of performances at the end of Broadway in Nashville. Then the lighted guitar drops down the scaffolding, and fireworks erupt. Skynyrd came back on stage for a rousing 15 minute Free Bird encore.

New Song Released

Vernon's new song, A Lot More Jesus, is finally available on Amazon, iTunes, CD Baby, and others.  Please check it out.  Although he is homeless, Vernon has decided to donate a portion of the proceeds from this to the Red Cross.  Vernon has formed a new record company, Broken Boat Records, and released this first single, from his home office, which is parked outside a Walmart in Nashville, Tennessee.



We had a great, but troubling shoot in Nashville this weekend, more on that later.

Shooting Nashville Wild Child

We didn't get funded through Kickstarter. Not even close, only 20% pledged and Kickstarter is, all or nothing", so we get nothing.

We leave for Nashville in the morning to shoot New Years Eve celebrations downtown, and to check on Vernon and Helen who have been living in his car in Walmart parking lots, waiting. Waiting for royalty checks from the songs he co-wrote with Keith Urban that were recorded and released last year, and waiting to launch his own label, Broken Boat Records, with the release of Vernon's latest effort, A Lot More Jesus.

I'm looking forward to seeing my old friend.

Happy New Year!

Broken Boat Records

Our Kickstarter.com fundraiser for the documentary, Nashville Wild Child, ends in 24 hours. What a great experience that has been! I've learned a great deal and met many surprise new friends. Thanks to everyone who participated.


Even as that fundraiser that we have all lived with for the past two months ends, it is exciting because we will be traveling to Nashville to shoot more music with Vernon, and hear about his new venture, Broken Boat Records, and the digital release of a new song.  All launched from his home office, parked in a Walmart parking lot somewhere in Nashville.  I'll be posting updates from the road, and sharing videos from behind the scenes as we move forward with Nashville Wild Child in 2012.

Happy New Year!

I Got a Note Today

"John- I'm concerned and amazed at the tepid response from Kickstarter. My pledge is good whether you reach your KS goal or not. best wishes for a great new year. bo"

This is a quick note I got from Bo, an unknown supporter on Facebook today.  It's frustrating for our supporters, who love the story, and want to find out what happens next.  I feel frustrated too.  Where is the funding?  Where is the support form better placement on Kickstarter?  Should I have waited until after the holidays?  Why don't we get any support from Nashville? (I think I know the answer to that)

Less than 48 hours to find funds for this, or we lose all that is pledged.  More than 1100 fans on Facebook.  But only 22 supporters willing to pledge.  Grateful for those who supported us.  Wishing I could do more.

Tonight, Vernon and Helen are sitting in their car in a Walmart parking lot, somewhere in Nashville, Tennessee.

I Need Your Help (60 hours left)

Late in the summer of 2011, we found Vernon living a homeless lifestyle on the streets of Nashville, unaware that one of his Keith Urban co-written songs, "Homespun Love", had been released in January, on the hot new country duo, Steel Magnolia's self titled CD. Vernon would later learn that the Oak Ridge Boys had included his song, "Louisiana Red Dirt Highway", in their new CD, It's Only Natural, which was released in September, 2011. Vernon was later very surprised to learn that another Keith Urban co-write, "Walk in the Country", had been included in the debut CD by 2010 American Idol winner Scotty McCreery. McCreery's album, Clear As Day, debuted at number 1 on Billboard's Album Chart selling 197,000 units in the first week of October, 2011.

Kickstarter will not release our funds unless we are fully funded in the next 60 hours.  Please follow the link to our Kickstarter page and make a pledge?  $10 would help.  $25 pledges are rewarded with a signed DVD.