Don’t Die Truck!!!
Barefoot Joe lifts up the curtain for a behind the scenes look at the making of ‘Don’t Die Truck’ the song and music video!
Well, it’s time to see if hard work pays off, or if I’m just out here spinning my wheels! It’s a long hard climb as an independent artist, and this Friday 2/28/25, my new single ‘Don’t Die Truck’ finally comes out! I’ve worked so hard getting this song ready for you to enjoy!
RECORDING ‘DON’T DIE TRUCK’
I recorded ‘Don’t Die Truck’ back in October 2024 at Hilltop Recording Studio in Nashville, TN. It wasn’t originally slated, but after I wrote it a couple weeks before my session, I knew that it was a priority to record! It’s definitely one of my favorite songs that I’ve written to date, so I hope you enjoy it as much as me!
MAKING AN ALBUM COVER!
‘Don’t Die Truck’ Album Cover
After picking my release date of 2/28/25, it was a matter of working backwards to get ready for a successful release! First thing first, I knew I needed a good album cover, but the season’s heavy snow was getting to be a pain in the butt. “Screw it!”, I said. I’ll just have to take a picture in the snow. I contacted my friends Stacey and Phil from the Woods Tree Farm in Amelia. They had an old red Custom F150 that I was considering for the music video. It was going to need a lot of work to get running, but it was ideal for an album cover!
CASTING MY LEAD - LOGAN
Logan Behind the Wheel (photo by J. McMinn 2025)
Next, I needed to plan a music video! In the song, I’m a country boy trying to get to the city to see my girl. But as the primary videographer for my music video, it’s hard to feature myself as a lead role in a video. So, I had the idea of gender swapping the characters. I had been wanting to feature my friend Logan Brocklehurst in a music video, and thought that she would be perfect for ‘Don’t Die Truck'. Thankfully, she was so excited to play the part. She’s an incredibly talented and beautiful actor and friend.
I NEED A DAMN GOOD TRUCK
Logan and Blue (photo by J. McMinn 2025)
Now that I had my lead actor secure, I needed to find her co-star; a vintage F150! I put out a casting call on Facebook and quickly had several truck owners contact me, but one truck stood out above the rest! Chase Whitehurst from New Kent reached out to me with his baby blue patina 1979 Custom F150, which I named “Blue” in my music video treatment. I drove out to New Kent to meet Chase and “Blue.” Blue was everything I dreamed of and more. I asked Chase if there were any old roads with little-to-no traffic around the area we could shoot at. We drove around to scout the area and found a perfect location. After scouting the area, I was thinking that I needed to purchase a drone to capture overhead shots of the truck. To my surprise, Chase already had one that he used for his business, and he was quite a skilled pilot! The stars were aligning!
DAY 1 OF THE MUSIC VIDEO SHOOT
We shot the music video over two days, and thankfully, the weather was perfect; no snow in sight. On day 1, early in the morning, Logan and I shot a few establishing scenes at my buddy Daniel Hambright’s house in Mechanicsville. Then we drove out to New Kent to shoot video with “Blue” at the garage and at the road location. To avoid the mid-day sun, we grabbed a bite to eat, and then we wrapped up our shoot at the road location, taking advantage of the golden hour sunset. I snapped some great pictures of Logan with “Blue” that came out wonderfully.
DAY 2
Because “Blue” was an antique, driving her on the highway downtown to the Richmond Marriott was not an option, so we had the idea of shooting the valet scene at the Rosie’s in New Kent. We just pulled the truck up to the front of the casino and pretended like it was the Marriott. Sometimes you just have to be creative! The final shots of Day 1 that evening were at the Marriott, where we met Kai, the valet attendant. He was kind enough to let us film him taking the keys from Logan as she walked into the hotel. Finally, I filmed Logan arriving at the hotel room, where yours truly finally made his appearance in the video.
On Day 2, Logan and I met at CMart in Amelia, along with my best bud, Danny Kensy. I casted him to play “Al”, the convenience store attendant! After we finished shooting in Amelia, I wished Logan and Danny farewell, and I headed back to Daniel Hambright’s in Mechanicsville! We had the idea of shooting my performance shots in his garage. I was going to pretend to work on Daniel’s 1990 F250, “Old Faithful” as I sang my song! His girlfriend, Amber, was so generous and made great snacks that we munched on during the shoot. I couldn’t ask for better friends! I wrapped up Day 2 that night and rushed home, spending the next two days editing the music video! It came out great and I can’t wait til you see it!
MUSIC VIDEO PREMIER THIS THURSDAY
‘Don’t Die Truck’ comes out this Friday 2/28/25. However, this Thursday, I will be teaming up with Kickin’ Country Line Dancin’ at Great American Ranch in Midlothian to debut my music video for all my friends! Logan will be there too! Thank you all so much for supporting my music journey! I will need your help to push this song to the masses, so please share it with your friends, comment, like, and stream the heck out of this one! Love ya’ll!
-Barefoot Joe
God’s Got HIs Cowboy - Song of the Year!
On Sunday, Oct. 27, the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville hosted the 10th annual Josie Music Awards (the JMAs), a music awards ceremony that honors the best in the independent music industry. (A. Gibbs, Nashivlle Tennessean)
This year, I was nominated for a number of awards at the Josie Music Awards in Nashville, TN, including Album of the Year (Modern Country), Artist of the Year (Modern Country), Song of the Year (God’s Got His Cowboy), Video of the Year (Performance-focus, God’s Got His Cowboy), and Duo of the Year (DANJO)!
Barefoot Joe, Josie Music Awards 2024
Grand Ole Opry House
A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE
Three years ago, I attended my first Josie Music Awards. Sitting there in the audience at the Grand Ole Opry in 2022, I set a personal goal to produce and release my debut album and to win album of the year in 2024. I put my heart and soul into my album, and I am incredibly proud of it! So naturally, I was ecstatic to learn that my album was nominated in 2024.
THE BAD NEWS
Unfortunately, I did not achieve my goal. It’s incredibly disappointing. But, art is subjective. Congratulations to Andy Davis, The River.
THE GREAT NEWS
While I did not win Album of the Year, I did win Song of the Year (multiple-writers) for the Toby Keith tribute God’s Got His Cowboy.
Song of the Year Country Male/JMA Alumni (Multiple Songwriters) - Danny Kensy - God’s Got His Cowboy, SW: Danny Kensy, Joseph “Barefoot Joe” McMinn
It was surreal moment standing in the circle on the Grand Ole Opry stage. I let Danny Kensy do all the talking, while I tried to just enjoy the moment. I had my DJI pocket camera and thought for sure I was recording the moment. I must have been nervous because, at some point before I got on stage, I accidentally stopped recording - talk about a fail!
David G. Baker Photography, 2024
opening for drew baldridge
It was a wonderful experience to open up for Drew Baldridge in the same week that his hit song, She’s Somebody’s Daughter, climbed all the way to the top of the country music charts! Drew Baldridge is an inspiration for all independent artists, as he is the first indie artist to self-fund his song to number 1 on the Country Aircheck/Mediabase charts (American Songwriter).
I kicked off the entertainment both nights at Wind Vineyard in Tappahannock and Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia on Sept. 7 and 8, respectively. The crowds were awesome, singing along to several of my songs, including Just Plain Crazy and Play a Slow One. I even debuted a couple unreleased songs, Soulmate and One That Got Away. I can’t wait to share these with you in 2025!
Following me was my bud, Danny Kensy; I stayed up on stage and played acoustic guitar on his set. The crowd had a blast, especially when he debuted his unreleased song, Toilet Seat.
After his set, we let the band take a break and we performed an acoustic tribute to our fallen country music hero, Toby Keith. The crowd sang along word-for-word as we covered Toby hits like Red Solo Cup, As Good As I Once Was, and Should’ve Been a Cowboy. But we touched many hearts when we performed Danny Kensy’s God’s Got His Cowboy, which we wrote together.
Finally, we surprised everyone with the performance debut of the dynamic party-tonk duo, DANJO. I donned a cowboy hat and black western country shirt, while Danny sported his vintage members-only jacket! We played a few country favorites like Hillbilly Bone and Save a Horse. But the crowd had the most fun listening to our originals like Redneck Style and Get Laked. We also debuted our upcoming single release (Sept. 27) Girls On The Dance Floor.
Drew Baldridge and his bandmates were all so very kind and humble. I enjoyed sitting back as a fan and watching them rock the night away! It was such an amazing experience that I will cherish forever!
MusicRow Top 100 and climbing!
It’s been a slow BUT steady climb on the MusicRow radio charts! Just Plain Crazy has finally broke the top 100! Thank you to all the radio stations across the nation that continue to add, convert, and support this wonderful song, including, but not limited to:
WVNW - Lewistown, PA
WUCZ - Carthage, TN
WKHK - Richmond, VA
WCJW - Warsaw, NY
KKMV - Rupert, ID
KBRX - O'Neill, NE
WPPL - Blue Ridge, GA
Barefoot Joe - The album
The wait is over! Barefoot Joe’s debut album is out, featuring 11 awesome tracks! You can get your hands on the physical CD release (limited supply) by attending a live Barefoot Joe performance. Or, stream it live on your favorite steaming service!
“Thank you for listening and allowing me to share the gift of music with you! That is all this humble singer-songwriter could ask for.” -Barefoot Joe
Barefoot Joe and Garret Doll, K95 Richmond at Great American Ranch
Photo by Lora Humphreys Photography, 2023
Track list:
Bad Day Not to Be Here
Country Folk
Just Plain Crazy
All Eyes on You
Leave the Light On (feat. Andrea Pearson)
Play a Slow One
Song About Songs
Stumblin’ Man
We’re So Drunk (The Trailer Bar Song)
Marlboro Blues
Redneck Style (album version - only available on CD for now)
Album art, Barefoot Joe
What folks are saying:
“I’m addicted to this album! It’s just so good.”
“It’s hard to pick a favorite song, but “Play a Slow One” definitely gets stuck in my head!”
Welcome to Music Row
Hello friends! Just wanted to leave you all with a few updates.
1) In case you missed it, on June 1, I teamed up with Kickin’ Country Line Dancin’ and Great American Ranch to debut the music video for Just Plain Crazy! In just over a week, we already have over 5000 views and counting! Be sure to go to YouTube and leave a LIKE and a COMMENT; super important for the algorithm and my mission for world domination ;-)
2) Just Plain Crazy also made its debut on the Music Row Charts, with WVNW Star Country 96.7 being the first Music Row station to break the record! So, thank you so much Star Country! It’s such a great honor to be added there in Lewistown, PA! I’ll be working hard to move up the chart, but I’m with some good company, hanging out with the likes of Hardy and Hannah Dasher. As a side note, I absolutely love me some Hannah Dasher! Be sure to check her out. (06/14/21)
3) Just Plain Crazy makes its debut on the Music Row Charts in Tennessee! Climbing from 207 to 187! Thank you Dennis Banks at WUCZ in Carthage, TN! Hope to see you soon! (07/20/23)
3) Yesterday, Tuesday 6/13, I released to digital, my summer time feel good record, Bad Day Not To Be Here. “Bad Day” was written by award winning songwriters Corey Lee Barker and Tim McGeary! It was recorded at Hilltop Recording Studio when I recorded Just Plain Crazy and the unreleased record Country Folk last year. It features some of Nashville’s best musicians, including Austin Crum (lead guitar), Wilton Houchens II (organ/keys), Seth Taylor (acoustic guitar/banjo), Justin Schipper (pedal steel), and Kiley Phillips (background vocals). Be sure to steam and share it!
4) Finally, I’ll be taking a bit of a vacation to Italy with my family from June 17-28, so be on the lookout for some pictures from abroad.
There’s a couple of other things I have in the fire, so keep it locked here for those updates when I’m ready to share. Love you all! Thank you so much for continuing to support me on this journey!
Just Plain Crazy - Song of the year?
Barefoot Joe’s debut single, Just Plain Crazy, gets officially nominated for the 2023 Josie’s Music Awards Song of the Year Modern Country!
Official Nominee: Josie Music Award Song of the Year Modern Country - Just Plain Crazy
Exciting news to share with you all today! Just Plain Crazy has been officially nominated for the Josie Music Awards Song of the Year Modern Country! Just Plain Crazy already won a Josie Music Awards Song Achievement Award in 2022, as well as being a 2023 semi-finalist for the International Songwriting Competition (ISC).
A special thanks to my talented co-writers Corey Lee Barker, Danny Kensy, and Randi Driscoll. Also, much love to the epic producer Matt Huitt from Hilltop Recording Studios! I’ll be at the edge of my seat October 22 at the Grand Ole Opry House to see if we win! Wish me luck!
Josie Music Award Song Achievement: Country Folk
In other Josie news, I am excited to announce that I won a 2023 Josie Music Award Song Achievement award for my unreleased title, Country Folk! As the sole writer on this song, I am honored and proud to receive this tremendous achievement! I recorded this record at Hilltop Recording Studio last year, and I plan on releasing Country Folk early 2024 as a Spring-Summer release. So, stay tuned!
In Other Josie News
There are a few other songs and projects that I am a part of in collaboration with my good friend, Danny Kensy, that have been nominated for Josie Music Awards:
Josie Music Award Social Impact - Burns Like Salt (co-writer)
Josie Music Award Country Music Video - Good Thing About Boats (videography - Barefoot Bandit Productions)
Josie Music Award Country Music Video - Smoke with an Old Flame (videography - Barefoot Bandit Productions)
Congratulations Danny for all your Josie nominations including Fans Choice Male, Album of the Year Country, and Vocalist of the Year Modern Country! Proud of you, brother!
Still More Exciting Josie News (possibly)…
Stay tuned for more exciting news that may afford me the honor of performing with Danny Kensy at the historic Grand Ole Opry House!
Taking my music to radio
Today marks my first venture into radio as a country music artist. I launched an international country radio campaign with MPE Play today, dropping my debut single JUST PLAIN CRAZY in the inbox of country music radio stations around the world! I’ve teamed up with the well respected and proven radio promoter, Sarah Reed at REED PROMOTIONS to help grow the Barefoot Joe movement! This is just the first step of many to get Just Plain Crazy the wings it needs to fly and be heard world wide! Thanks to all of those that continue to support my music by spreading the word, streaming Just Plain Crazy, and through your friendship and encouragement!
Week 1 PLAY MPE RESULTS
Things are looking great in week 1 as Just Plain Crazy starts off strong in the Play MPE Country Top 20 for streams and downloads; ranked top 5 in streams and 9 for most downloaded country worldwide!
Return to Hilltop
On January 28th, 2023, I returned to Hilltop Recording Studios to cut three more songs; this time all written by me…
On Sept. 30 2022, I recorded three new songs at Hilltop Recording Studios in Nashville TN, including the debut single JUST PLAIN CRAZY (written by J. McMinn, Corey Lee Barker, Randi Driscoll, and Danny Kensy), COUNTRY FOLK (J. McMinn), and BAD DAY NOT TO BE HERE (Corey Lee Barker and Timothy McGeary).
On January 28th, 2023, I returned to Hilltop Recording Studios to cut FOUR more songs; this time all written by me, including ALL EYES ON YOU, LEAVE THE LIGHT ON, WE’RE SO DRUNK (The Trailer Bar Song), and SONG ABOUT SONGS.
It was such a great honor and privilege to record at Nashville’s oldest continuously running recording studio! They have recorded so many country legends, including Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, and Dolly Parton, to name a few. Matt Huitt, producer and engineer was an absolute professional, and the studio musicians and background vocalists (Andrea Pearson and Rod Ingle) were amazing, exceeding all of my expectations!
The session was full of pleasant surprises, as Liza Anderson from Music Row Magazine sat in for most of the morning session as we tracked out my songs. I hired Nashville’s Adam Settle to video the recording experience at Hilltop; you can watch the video above.
Liza Anderson, Music Row Magazine 1/28/23
Finally, during the background vocal session, my good friend and legendary producer, Clarence Jey, sat in on my session. He likened my performance on ALL EYES ON YOU to Lionel Richie, which was tremendously flattering. Humbly, if I ever live up to a tenth of the legendary Lionel’s talent, that would be amazing!
I can’t wait to share my next adventure and my new music with you! Until next time!