Album Notes

Last year, I met fellow songwriter George Wells, who introduced my husband & producer, Doug Budzak & me to a song that he co-wrote with his lifetime friend Billy Stone, called Puppy Dogs & Country Girls. A few months later, George introduced us to Billy, who was writing this book, which would take us even further into the life of Julie Leigh. I was so taken by the imagery & warmth in Billy’s story that I really wanted to sing Julie’s song.

When I first moved to North Alabama in the early 1980’s, I was invited to stay with a family friend in the Paint Rock River valley. It was such an incredible place to come home to at night. The people were God-fearing, hard-working & down to earth, and the natural beauty of the countryside was so unspoiled. Billy’s story takes me back to my own days in The Ben’. My husband & I still take long weekend drives there, and whenever we go, we can almost hear Julie Leigh’s voice, reminding us that there really is no place like home, and that "Puppy Dogs & Country Girls don’t belong on city streets…"