Spirit Magazine - January 2014 - (Page 82)

in Music City. But the pressures of self-promotion in such a bustling industry town ate at Robert's soul, and he missed South Beach. "I had to be someone I wasn't," he remembers. "My stomach was always growling and churning. I think I had ulcers. I didn't feel right." In one last effort, Robert pressed a new song into Cash's palm after another broadcast at the Ryman. Cash told Robert, "I'm writing all my own stuff now, buddy, but maybe this guy can help you out. He's a songwriter." Cash nodded to the man on his left, whom Robert already knew. "I'll never forget it," he says. "Johnny turned and gave him my lyric sheet. The guy seemed a little high or stoned or something. But he didn't say a word. He just took my song and stuck it in his right pocket." The lyric was untitled and without a copyright. "I just figured if he liked it, he would call me." Six months later, back in South Beach, Robert was listening to his WHAT STARTED AS A NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION HAS COVERED OVER 100,000 MILES. THAT'S A TRIP AROUND THE WORLD-TIMES FOUR. transistor radio when from out of its speaker came a brand-new Waylon Jennings record. It took Robert two lines before he recognized the words. Wait a minute, he thought. I know those lyrics. I wrote those lyrics. He sprinted back to his mother's apartment and, fingers shaking, dialed the radio station, thinking, This is it. I've finally made it. The radio DJ picked up, and, before he could even say hello, Robert interrupted him. "Who wrote that Waylon Jennings song you just played?" he asked. "Who's the songwriter?" The DJ told him the name, and it was not Robert Kraft. Without proof, Robert had no recourse-and his downward spiral began. "I became very angry, with a hair-trigger temper," he recalls. "I felt like everybody was against me. My father had left, my mom married the Eagle, my song was stolen-everything. Life was against me. I couldn't trust anybody." He started drinking and hanging out with unsavory characters. As Robert tumbled into depression, his song climbed higher and higher up the charts. Two years after his aspirational journey to Nashville, Robert was slumming it at the old pier in South Beach when "Bulldog," a Vietnam On Sale Now! 702.414.9000 or visit VENETIAN.COM Tickets start at $48.00 VIP Tickets available, which include a complimentary Gondola ride. http://www.VENETIAN.COM http://www.VENETIAN.COM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Spirit Magazine - January 2014

Spirit Magazine - January 2014
Contents
Gary’s Greeting
Gary’s Greeting en Español
Star of the Month
Freedom Story
From the Editor
Your Words
Your Pictures
Do Detective Work
Media Center
Eat Drink Sleep
Blend Bourbon and Bitters
Munch on Mozzarella
Rendezvous in Rosemary Beach
Wise Guide
Communicate With Confidence
Put a Stop to Stalling
The Numbers
Make or Break a Beauty Habit
Keep a Secret
Business
Plan a Day in Providence
Secure a Career Coach
Get in the Games
The Long Run
Your Adventure in Wichita
Promotional Series: New Year, New You
Calendar
Fun!
Spotlight
Community Outreach
Products & Services
Flight Service
Terminal Maps
Information
Rapid Rewards and A+ Rewards Partners
Route Map
The “If” List

Spirit Magazine - January 2014