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I was spending more and more time with Hoss, writing music, hitting the clubs, and being introduced to some of the country music industry’s biggest names.

One of my favorite persons I met during this time period was a woman by the name of Toni Wine. When I first met Toni, her name was not familiar to me, and I had no idea who she was. I just knew that she was wickedly funny, kind, and was genuinely interested in my situation with Atlantic Records. She dispensed a lot of valuable advice and wisdom.

I first began to realize that she was someone that I should have known by name while attending the movie “Jerry Maguire.”

You may remember the scene from the movie in which Chad, the Nanny, holds up a Miles Davis cd and declares it to be the best recording in history. Toni leaned over and whispered to me, “My ex-husband played on that record.”

After the movie, we headed back to Hoss’ house for margaritas and I asked Toni exactly where in the music food chain she fit in. I was not exactly prepared for her response.

She laughed and said, “You’re pretty young. The only thing you probably know about is this: Meow Meow Meow Meow…” she sang the Meow Mix commercial jingle. I laughed and said, “Are you serious?”

Hoss interjected, “Yes that was her. But Toni, you might be surprised what Paul knows. He knows more old music than I do.”

Toni said, “Ok, do you know the song Black Pearl?” I said, “Which version, Horace Mann?” Toni’s eyes grew a bit wide, obviously surprised that I knew the song, “It doesn’t matter which version. I wrote it.”

“Cool!” I said.

Hoss jumped in again, “Toni, tell him.”

“Oh, all right. Paul, have you ever heard of Tony Orlando and Dawn?”

“Of course,” I responded.

“Ok, I was one of ‘Dawn.’ How about the Archies?”

“Definitely,” and then I started singing ‘Sugar Sugar.’

Toni broke into song, too… doing an exact take of the line “I’m gonna make your life so sweet…” and she said “I was the voice of Betty AND Veronica.”

I was stunned into silence, as of course I had known that song my entire life, and you know that line is the HIGHLIGHT of the entire song.

Hoss started laughing and said, “She’s also leaving out that she’s the most successful songwriter in BMI history. You know the group The Mindbenders from the 60’s?”

“Yeah,” I said. “They did that song ‘Groovy Kind of Love.’”

Hoss said, “Yeah. Toni sang on that record, and she wrote that song with Carole Sager. You can also hear her singing with Willie Nelson on ‘Always on My Mind.’ ”

I totally geeked out in my head for a while, I couldn’t even look at Toni for a few minutes. When I finally managed to say something, it was something feeble along the lines of “My parents are going to shit when they hear about this.”

A few weeks later, I was invited to Toni’s birthday party. I can’t even tell you who was in attendance, because I was a bit overwhelmed by the sea of recognizable faces. I was used to meeting celebrities by now, but that had always been in a one-on-one situation. A room full of people that I had sang along with, or watched in films and videos was out of my comfort zone. I stuck pretty closely to Devon O’Day, Hoss and Mama Sharon.

Near the end of the party, the crowd insisted that Toni sing some of her songs. There was a keyboard set up and several microphones at the end of the room. Toni took her place behind the keyboard and asked Devon, Hoss and I to come up to sing with her. Devon and Hoss needed no introduction to the people in the room, but when I stepped up she introduced me as one of her favorite new friends and quickly explained to the crowd that I was in talks with Atlantic Records.

And then she started playing songs that I had forgotten that I knew. All of them had been written by her. Devon, Hoss and I sang harmonies and backups.

I even got to sing a lead verse on ‘Groovy Kind of Love.’