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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.

March 1, 2026 Mamie Smith: February 6, 1890 – February 13, 1911 I knew my dad was from Anderson, Alabama. That was about it since the Smith family moved to a house on a hill off Savannah Highway in Florence later on – the house I identified with when it came to visiting my Smith grandparents and relatives. About the only other thing I knew about Anderson was that it was home to the Fish Creel – a favorite restaurant of ours that Dorinda and I visited many times. But last week

(First appeared in the Baldwin Times for Gulf Coast Media, Feb. 27, 2026) Crowds line Alabama 59 during the Gulf Shores Mardi Gras parade on Fat Tuesday. (Wayne Smith photo) By Wayne Smith Gulf Shores Media Contributor The sign stopped me. It was my first time inside The Hangout, a few steps from the Gulf. I was there for a benefit Fat Tuesday breakfast hosted by the restaurant and the Rotary Club of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. You may be familiar with the words on the sig

(First appeared in the Baldwin Times for Gulf Coast Media, Feb. 20, 2026) Dorinda and Wayne at the Braves’ first game in their new spring training complex in North Port, Florida, Feb. 22, 2020. (Wayne Smith photo) By Wayne Smith Gulf Shores Media Contributor Author's note: Part 2 of 2. Spring training games begin today in Florida and Arizona. It’s a sign that spring is near. That winter is loosening its grip. And the first pitch gives me a perfect place to finish this Valenti

(Feb. 23, 2026) A friend of mine went to see Heart in Huntsville on Sunday night. He called me this morning to tell me how much he enjoyed it. Then he added he’d never been around so many old rockers — both in the audience and on the stage. But make no mistake, Ann and Nancy Wilson still rock. Heart in Huntsville on Feb. 22. Still rocking. Ann is 75 and recovering from cancer. Nancy is 71. “Close your eyes,” my friend Gary told me, “and they sound just like they do on the rec

Gulf Shores, Alabama —Fat Tuesday Sometimes the slow moments fill the whole day.

(First appeared in The Baldwin Times/Gulf Coast Media, 2-13-26) Entrance to Page & Palette in Fairhope. (Photo by Wayne Smith) By Wayne Smith Gulf Shores Media Contributor Author’s note: Part 1 of 2. I’ll label this one as Part 1 of 2 because it wraps around Valentine’s Day, before and after. It’s another one of those difficult firsts for me since losing Dorinda in April, a hard column to write. But I envisioned her sitting beside me in what could have been one of her dream p

Valentine's Day, Gulf Coast sunrise. No edits needed. Some mornings the story is already written in the sky. Santa Rosa Island - Feb. 14, 2026 — Wayne Double W Wordsmith

(Feb. 12, 2026) Dorinda and Rhys during a 3 Doors Down concert at The Wharf in Orange Beach, Aug. 16, 2023. (Photo by Wayne Smith) Brad Arnold died Feb. 7 of kidney cancer. He was the voice of 3 Doors Down , one of our favorite bands — part of the post-alternative sound that helped define the early 2000s. His death stirred another poignant memory: seeing the band Aug. 16, 2023, at The Wharf in Orange Beach. Dorinda. My grandson, Rhys. And me. A memorable night. Some of those

“Here I am, on the road again, There I am, up on the stage Ah, here I go, playin’ star again, There I go, turn the page.”* Bob Seger, “Turn the Page” Rick Murphy performs one of Bob Seger’s classic rock hits during the Hollywood Nights concert Feb. 9 inside the Erie H. Meyer Civic Center in Gulf Shores. (Photos by Wayne Smith) By Wayne Smith A talented musician and his band from New Jersey brought the sound of Bob Seger to Gulf Shores last night. Two snowbirds from Wiscons