If you find yourself in the audience for any show involving the funky and soulful Jimmy Hall, odds are you won’t stay in your seat for very long. You’ll likely be dancing in the aisles with a massive grin on your face, as one usually does at a Hall concert. After all, one of his most memorable musical moments from Wet Willie was a hit aptly titled, “Keep on Smilin’.” You’ll also likely find yourself feeling a renewed sense of inspiration, motivation, and happiness as you watch Hall perform.
Let’s face it: the man is joy personified.
But even for the effervescent and sunny frontman, rain clouds still form in life from time to time. He’ll be the first to admit that pulling yourself out of the valleys isn’t always easy, but it’s a heck of a lot easier when the journey back to the peaks is fueled by gratitude.
“Well, now I’m not ‘mister-smile-on-my-face’ and upbeat a hundred percent of the time. I mean, I get down,” the Alabama native admits to 100.9 The Creek’s Sam Stephens in a recent interview.
“But, I try to keep things in balance and I always go back to the things that bring me joy,” he revealed.
And gratitude… and that is a long, long list of things for Hall. Obviously, his life in music is one of them. Hall considers it a gift to be able to sing, tour, and still get the opportunity in this season of life to do it for the folks he loves so dearly: his fans, or as he calls them “my people.”
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When the crowd is happy, so is Hall.
“I can’t help but just have fun when I know that these are my people . . . I look out and see so many of my friends and my wife and just people that I’ve loved for a long time. I feel real relaxed. I’ll start telling jokes and just throw out some funny things as I go and make people laugh,” he said.
“I can’t think of a more joyful or positive or uplifting or exhilarating feeling or experience than doing what I do for a job. It’s my joy in life.”
Also on the long list of things that bring great joy is Hall’s family. His children and his bride are immense sources of pride and joy for the singer. When speaking of his wife of 40-plus years, Karen, Hall is quick to credit her as a muse for his songwriting and their marriage as both beautifully grounding and foundational to his success in life, onstage and offstage.
“We figured a lot of things out, but we have fun together and we’re in it to win it to the very end,” he said.
As for his musical talents? For those, Hall is quick to credit a Higher Power.
“I really know that I was given a gift and I do know the Good Lord for some reason chose me. And with that thought, I just get chills about it. I think He gave it to me, so I’m going to use it.”
“It’s my joy in life.” – Jimmy Hall on making music and performing
At the end of the day, Hall is aware of all his blessings and makes it a priority to count them often. It’s perhaps the surest way to lead with gratitude as you walk through life. Hall’s journey personally and professionally is yet another shining example of the power of partnering great effort with great gratitude. Yes: his home life, his road life, his sheer stamina, agility, and vocal prowess and excellence after 50 years in show business could all be attributed to fate, or the many things in this world we can’t explain away.
Or maybe, just maybe, they are his reward for a lifetime of great effort with great gratitude. Either way, Hall will take them as the gifts they are and no matter what, he’ll “keep on smilin’.”
Wet Willie will join Marshall Tucker Band tonight for a one-of-a-kind, Capricorn, southern rock reunion at Macon City Auditorium. The show kicks off at 7:30 PM and tickets are still available HERE.