We've had many conversations during my second act podcast about the state of the music and touring industry during a pandemic, which is new to everybody, from artists to management to venue owners to music fans.

It's a new landscape that truly Donna has not even begun to correct itself because there's

so many different moving pieces and variables.

Yeah, it's going to be a while. In the conversation that we had with Mark Wills,

which you're getting ready to hear, he talks about a lot of it. And he's very honest and open

about the fact that music is different. The state of the music industry is very different

than what it looked like pre-pandemic.

There's money at stake. There's personal connections. There are positive things that you'll hear Mark talk about during a pandemic, like being home with his wife Kelly and his two daughters

that you're going to hear him talk a lot about.

It's a very honest but positive conversation about the music business and touring industry,

specifically.

Mark Wills is a multi-platinum selling country artist.

A handful of number one hits, 19-something,

was his biggest, spent six weeks at number one, the top country hit of 2002 and the second most played song of the decade.

In 2009, other hits include Don't Laugh at Me, Wish You Were Here.

Mark Wills joins the My Second Act podcast.

I want to start Mark Wills by jumping back a year to this time, 2019.

What was going on and where were you?

2019 in October. We What was going on and where were you?

2019 in October.

We were basically sitting around with our booking agent talking about how big 2020 was going to be.

I mean, that's really the truth. We were sitting, you know, we were sitting in

...