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(First appeared in The Baldwin Times for Gulf Coast Media, May 29, 2026.) The author with his best friend and wife, Dorinda, in 2011. By Wayne Smith Gulf Coast Media Contributor The famous sports writer Red Smith — no relation — was once asked if it was hard to write a daily column. His reply: “Writing a column is easy. You just sit at your typewriter until little drops of blood appear on your forehead.” This, my friends, is one of those columns. And it’s about friends, some

(First appeared in The Baldwin Times for Gulf Coast Media, May 22, 2026.) A view of the Seattle waterfront and Public Market at sunrise from a hotel rooftop. (Photos by Wayne Smith.) By Wayne Smith Gulf Coast Media Contributor “In the pines, in the pines, where the sun never shines …” My dad used to sing those words when I was a boy. Not loudly. Just every now and then, usually sitting on the tailgate of his truck near the backside of property he owned outside Florence in the

(First appeared in The Baldwin Times for Gulf Coast Media, May 15, 2026) Liza Subik sits in the dugout at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, where she threw out the first pitch for the Mariners game against the Braves on May 4. (Photos courtesy of Liza Subik.) By Wayne Smith Gulf Coast Media Contributor You may never get the opportunity to meet Liza Subik. But her story is one worth discovering, one where she is circling as many bases in her life as possible. Her goal is simple in con

(First appeared in The Baldwin Times for Gulf Coast Media, May 8, 2026) A view from the seats before the first pitch of Atlanta’s game April 26 against the Philadelphia Phillies. (Wayne Smith photo) By Wayne Smith Gulf Coast Media Contributor “America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers… but baseball has marked the time.”— "Field of Dreams" There are places in a ballpark where the game slows down a little. Where time stands still. At Yankee Stadium, it’s Monument Park.

Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge performs Sunday night at the Coca-Cola Roxy in Atlanta. Guitarist Mark Tremonti is in the background. (Photos by Wayne Smith.) By Wayne Smith Music, by some familiar favorites and a couple of new ones, did some heavy lifting for me throughout a difficult weekend. It started with a new album from my favorite band, Foo Fighters. Their music has helped me through tough times over the years—songs that don’t just play, but build, rise and say somethin

(First appeared in The Baldwin Times for Gulf Coast Media on April 17, 2026.) The Artemis II launch is captured by NASA engineer and photographer Chris Baker from approximately 5 miles away. (Photo by Chris Baker.) By Wayne Smith Gulf Shores Media Contributor Before heading off to school on the morning of April 7, my oldest grandson sat on my lap as we watched recorded videos of Artemis II launching a few days earlier. With the countdown underway, Rhys joined in. Ten, nine, e

(First appeared in The Baldwin Times for Gulf Coast Media, April 10, 2026) Lisa Williams-Manning shares part of the approach she credits in her cancer journey, while noting it may not be for everyone. (Photo courtesy of Lisa Williams-Manning.) By Wayne Smith Gulf Shores Media Contributor Sometimes, a story just finds you. I met Lisa Williams-Manning in March through a friend at a restaurant in Orange Beach. We met again later, and I spent about an hour listening to her talk a

(First appeared in The Baldwin Times for Gulf Coast Media, April 3, 2026.) Dorinda celebrates a 10-inning Braves’ win in 2023. (Photos by Wayne Smith.) By Wayne Smith Gulf Shores Media Contributor “People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.” — Baseball Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby My love of baseball goes back a few decades. I can point to the exact time — getting a copy of Street and Smith’

An exterior view of Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Sheffield, 3614 Jackson Highway. (Photos by Wayne Smith.) (First appeared in The Baldwin Times for Gulf Coast Media, March 27, 2026) By Wayne Smith Gulf Shores Media Contributor “We started to hear this sound coming out. There was an amazing feel, kind of magnetic I suppose in a way, sound wise. Then after a while, this word, ‘Muscle Shoals’ comes into the picture. And you put two and two together and that’s when I said, ‘If w

The NASCAR circuit rolls into Martinsville today. It takes me back to 1989. I was the NASCAR writer for the Spartanburg (South Carolina) Herald-Journal. I covered the race, riding in the pace car with Elmo Langley before the green flag. The field was stacked up behind us, engines rumbling, waiting. Then, Dale Earnhardt gave us a little bump. Not hard. Not reckless. Just enough to let you know he was there. I looked over at Langley—maybe a little surprised—and he just smiled.

Van Halen's 1986 album 5150 was released March 24, 1986. It was re-released as an expanded edition this week. It showed up on my screen this week — Van Halen’s 5150 (Expanded Edition) — releasing again on March 27. Forty years. I had to stop for a second. Because I’m not sure where those 40 years went. And then again… I am. They’re in every mile. Every memory. Every song that somehow stayed with me all along. With 5150, Diamond Dave was out. The Red Rocker was in. I rocked wi

The author’s Honda Passport rests against the center guardrail after a crash on I-65 near Evergreen on March 7. The driver’s side of the SUV was destroyed in the collision. (Photo by Wayne Smith.) (First appeared in the Baldwin Times for Gulf Coast Media, March 20, 2026.) By Wayne Smith Gulf Shores Media Contributor I knew I needed to stop. I even told myself I would pull off at the next exit. I never made it that far. Instead, I dozed off for just a couple of seconds. That’s

(Photos by Wayne Smith.) Sunrise on the Gulf. Music at Oso by Dangerous Curves. Sunset at the marina. A good day.

(First appeared in the Baldwin Times for Gulf Coast Media, March 13, 2026) A beautiful pastel sunrise over the Gulf State Park Pier. Chris Baker said, "I utilized a 30-second-long exposure with my camera mounted to a tripod to smooth the water and give the image a softer, more peaceful mood." (Photos courtesy of Chris Baker.) Given the natural beauty of the Gulf Coast — and the cameras built into today’s smartphones — most of us can capture a decent sunrise or sunset. But giv

Dorinda and Rhys at the Wharf in Orange Beach for a 3 Doors Down concert in August 2023. (Photo by Wayne Smith) The photo still makes me smile every time I see it. Dorinda sitting beside our grandson Rhys, then 2, at a 3 Doors Down concert at The Wharf in Orange Beach in August 2023. Rhys had oversized headphones on to protect his ears while Dorinda sang along to one of her favorite songs by the band — When I’m Gone . I even captured a short video of her singing it that night

Guitarist Travis Wammack, known for his energetic playing style and long connection to the Muscle Shoals music scene. (Photo courtesy of Jay Johnson.) Sometimes stories arrive when you aren’t looking for them. I had been writing recently about the old Smith homeplace in Anderson, Alabama — about family roots and the quiet men who shaped our lives without much fanfare. Then my cousin Jay Johnson commented on the post. Jay is the son of Jimmy Johnson — one of the original membe

Cover art from Don't Look Back (1978) by the band Boston. Sometimes a song doesn’t just take you back. Sometimes it brings someone back with it. That happened to me this week while driving, with SiriusXM playing through the speakers. A familiar guitar sound came on — that soaring, unmistakable sound of the band Boston. The song was “ Don’t Look Back .” Boston’s music has been back in the news following the death this week of vocalist Tommy DeCarlo, who joined the band after

(First appeared in the Baldwin Times for Gulf Coast Media, March 6, 2026) On the beach with Dorinda in Gulf Shores, March 2, 2025. (Photos by Wayne Smith.) By Wayne Smith Gulf Shores Media Contributor “You belong among the wildflowers. You belong in a boat out at sea … You belong somewhere you feel free.”— Tom Petty, Wildflowers I spent most of the last week of February in North Alabama. I was there working on my future and looking back on my past. I’ll explain that later. Bu

March 7, 2026 Early Friday morning I was reading the printed newspaper version of my latest column, “A year ago: A memorable beach day.” As I read it, a song came through my earbuds from Spotify — “ New York Minute ” by Don Henley. The timing stopped me for a moment. The song carries a simple reminder: “In a New York minute, everything can change.” Co-written by Henley and two others, the song appeared on his 1989 album The End of the Innocence. Many of Henley’s songs from hi

Feb. 4 - The sun sets over Gulf Shores on World Cancer Day. (Photos by Wayne Smith) Feb. 1 - A full moon rises just above the Lodge at Gulf State Park. Feb. 2 - The sunrise as seen from Cotton Bayou Public Beach. Feb. 4 - Gulf Shores sunset. Feb. 3 - Beyond the dunes. Feb. 3 sunset: The space between. Valentine's Day sunrise, Langdon Beach, Pensacola. Valentine's Day sunrise - Flying together. Langdon Beach, Pensacola Feb. 17 - A monster in the sky to close Fat Tuesday. Feb.