"A Walk in Romeo Vaughn's Shoes"

Summary

Summary: "A Walk in Romeo Vaughn's Shoes"

Podcast: takin' a walk (iHeartPodcasts)
Host: Buzz Knight
Guest: Romeo Vaughn, Mexican American country artist
Date: September 5, 2025
Duration: Approximately 12 minutes (excluding ads and outro)

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on the personal and artistic journey of Romeo Vaughn, a Mexican American country musician. Host Buzz Knight joins Romeo for a metaphorical "walk," exploring the city that influences Romeo's music and identity. The conversation delves into family, creativity, community, and the challenges faced by veterans, all set against the backdrop of Romeo’s latest single, "Big Dreams from a Small Town."

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Romeo Vaughn’s Identity and Family Roots

• Opening Statement (00:00): Romeo asserts his identity: "I know my truth. I know what I am and who I am. And I know that I am a Mexican American country artist."
• If You Could Walk With Anyone (02:19):
  • Romeo would choose his grandfather, Grandpa Lupe.
  • He explains the absence of a grandfather figure during his upbringing due to early deaths in his family.
  • Quote: "I never had a grandfather growing up... I don't remember him, but I would love to meet, like, walk with him." (02:34)

2. Creativity Through Walking and Nature

• Buzz asks about inspiration from walking (03:08):

  • For Romeo, being in nature brings him closer to God and sparks creativity.
  • He finds musical inspiration in natural sounds during walks, especially on Two Rivers Parkway.
  • Quote: "He makes music with the trees and the water and the sounds... that brings me closer to my craftsmanship." (03:36)

• Buzz recalls Walden Pond (04:34):

  • Draws a parallel to Henry David Thoreau’s mindful walks, recommending Romeo visit Walden Pond.

3. Nashville’s Music Community and Identity

• Describing Nashville’s energy (05:34):

  • Romeo highlights the inclusive, family-like atmosphere in local Nashville venues (The Local, Losers, Music City Bar, Live Oak, Nashville Palace).
  • The community is supportive across lines of background and ethnicity.
  • "We're just all artists, and we're all songwriters. And that vibe, that family, you mess with one of us, you mess with all of us..." (06:01–08:04)
  • Acknowledges the music industry is tough: "Is it all rainbows and butterflies? No, this is the music business. Cutthroat. Right."
  • Explains "demo jail": where musicians repeatedly share their song demos with friends, bonding over their craft.

• Shared Dreams (08:24):

  • Most in Nashville "have big dreams from a small town," coming from across the country to pursue music.
  • "But at the end of the day, nobody can ever take away from us that we gave it our best shot."

4. Romeo’s Service and Message to Veterans

• Honoring Service (09:17):
  • Buzz thanks Romeo for his military service.
• Romeo’s Message to Veterans Facing Trauma (09:24–11:05):
  • Urges listeners not to feel shame or guilt, and to reach out for help—through friendship, faith, or community.
  • Quote: "You're not alone and people love you and you're not a monster. People love you and you're, you're a hero. Call somebody. And whatever you do, whatever you're thinking, don't do it because we love you." (10:05)

5. Looking Forward

• Buzz’s praise (11:05):
  • Commends Romeo for his inspiration and transparency.
  • Congratulates him on "Big Dreams from a Small Town."
• Romeo on the Future (11:35):
  • Expresses gratitude to his team and excitement about upcoming projects.
  • "We got some cool stuff up our sleeve and working with a really cool team... excited to see what we got going." (11:35)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Romeo Vaughn on his artistic identity:

  "I know my truth. I know what I am and who I am. And I know that I am a Mexican American country artist." (00:00)

• On creativity and nature:

  "He makes music with the trees and the water and the sounds... that brings me closer to my craftsmanship." (03:36)

• On Nashville’s inclusive community:

  "We're just all artists, and we're all songwriters... you mess with one of us, you mess with all of us..." (06:01–08:04)

• Explaining 'demo jail':

  "Demo jail is where, like, you cut a demo and then you, like, making all your friends hear it, like, what you did." (07:58)

• Message to struggling veterans:

  "You were doing what the 1% of Americans do and that's fighting for freedom. You're not alone and people love you and you're not a monster. People love you and you're, you're a hero. Call somebody..." (10:05)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Romeo on identity: 00:00
• If you could walk with anyone (Grandfather): 02:19–03:08
• Inspiration from nature/walking: 03:36–04:34
• Buzz on Walden Pond: 04:34–05:31
• Nashville’s community/spirit: 05:34–09:17
• Romeo’s message on service, trauma, and seeking help: 09:24–11:05
• Romeo’s optimism for the future: 11:35–12:01

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Tone and Style

• The episode is heartfelt and intimate, with Romeo’s openness about his heritage, artistry, and challenges.
• The conversation is uplifting but candid, especially about struggles faced by musicians and veterans.
• Buzz Knight maintains a tone of admiration and curiosity throughout.

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This summary captures the major themes, moments, and insights from "A Walk in Romeo Vaughn's Shoes," making it accessible and meaningful for anyone interested in music, personal stories, or the Nashville scene.

Transcript

[Romeo Vaughn]

Taking a Walk. I know my truth. I know what I am and who I am. And I know that I am a Mexican American country artist.

[Buzz Knight]

What if the map of your life was written on the streets that you wandered? I'm Buzz Knight and in this special Taking a Walk episode, we're gonna lace up our shoes and our stories as Romeo Vaughn takes us on a stroll through the city that has shaped his music and his soul. The sidewalks echo with memories and melodies. Sometimes it's a simple act of walking along someone that reveals the journey beneath the surface. So step out with us as we discover where the road, both literal and lyrical, takes Romeo.

[Romeo Vaughn]

Next, this is an iHeart podcast.

[Chase Sapphire Reserve Announcer]

This episode of Taking a Walk is brought to you by Chase Sapphire Reserve. Whether I'm booking my next vacation or going to a concert, Chase Sapphire Reserve is my gateway to to the world's most captivating destinations. When I use my Chase Sapphire Reserve card, I get eight times points on all the purchases I make through Chase Travel and even access to one of a kind experiences like music festivals and sports events. And that's not even mentioning how the card gets me into the Sapphire Lounge by the club at select airports nationwide. No matter where I'm walking, travel is more rewarding with Chase Sapphire Reserve. Discover [e-mail] Sapphire Reserve cards issued by J.P. morgan, Chase Bank, N.A. member FDIC, subject to credit approval terms apply.

[Romeo Vaughn]

Please welcome aboard the Johnson family.

[Johnson Family Member]

The whole fam's here for the Disney cruise. So you know we came to play. And listen, the adults are gonna have a ball. First we're chilling in the infinity pool, on to massages at Sense's Spa, then gliding into Star Wars Hyperspace lounge for a toast. We're even gonna kick back with Mickey on Disney's private island. That's how we get down. Cause Disney Cruise line is where we came to play.

[Romeo Vaughn]

Taking a walk, Romeo?

[Buzz Knight]

Thanks for being on Taking a Walk.

[Romeo Vaughn]

Thanks for having me. I appreciate it.

[Buzz Knight]

So if you could take a walk with someone living or dead, do you know who you would take a walk with and where you would take that walk? Now it can be someone musical, Romeo, but it doesn't have to be. It's up to you.

[Romeo Vaughn]

Yes, I would go take a walk with my grandfather who I don't remember but his name is. He was Grandpa Lupe. I would love because I never had a grandfather growing up because my mom's dad passed away when she was five and my grandfather died when I was a baby. So I never. I don't remember him, but I would love to meet, like, walk with him.

[Buzz Knight]

And I know you're a fan of places to walk and to reflect and to think about things. Um, we're going to talk about your. Your new single, Big Dreams from a Small Town, and the creative process behind it. But when you're out and you're walking, what does that take you towards creatively as a person and an artist?

[Romeo Vaughn]

It brings me. It makes me real creative. It takes me closer to God and seeing all of his creativeness and his majestic ways of the trees and the hills and the levees and just everything that he created that I believe that he created. And so I look at his craftsmanship, and he makes music with the trees and the water and the sounds. And so it just is craft and music with the birds chirping and the water going, and. And that brings me closer to my craftsmanship. And I can get home and write a song and. Or I can get home and come up with the melody from the melodies that I hear when I go to Two Rivers Parkway. That's where I go.

[Buzz Knight]

That's so beautiful. The way you described it, as you were describing that feeling, it actually. It took me back to the first episode of Taking a Walk that I did at one of my. My favorite places in the world. It's right near me. I live outside of Boston. Actually. The place I'm speaking of is Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts, where Henry David Thoreau found the movement of mindfulness and meditation and taking in the universe and realizing it's a special place. So thank you for the way you shared that. You took me back to a pleasant place and a memory of somewhere that, in fact, I would say, Romeo, if you could ever walk there, go to. Go to Walden Pond. You'll feel that energy, you know, it's amazing.

[Romeo Vaughn]

Yeah, I would love to go to Walden Pond.

[Buzz Knight]

What about the energy of Nashville? If. If I step back as someone who doesn't live there and who visits Nashville, it really does epitomize, in its own way, your single big dreams from a small town, when you think about it. But tell me about the energy creatively and spiritually that you feel from the Nashville community.

[Romeo Vaughn]

Nashville is amazing. Now, there's more to Nashville than the Broadway lights. And when you go to places like the Local in Westin, when you go to places like Losers in Midtown, and you go to places like Scoreboard in Music Valley or Music. When you go to Music City Bar. Music City Bar is my favorite, you know, to go. When you go to Live Oak, when you go to these places that There's. There's these riders and these writers rounds that are happening, and the community just embraces you. Because the thing about Nashville is I know my truth. I know what I am and who I am, and I know that I am a Mexican American country artist. But when you go to these places, like the local, like, Music City Bar, like Scoreboard, like Live Oak and the Nashville palace, when you go to these places and there's other artists there and other songwriters there, they're not. It's not, hey, this is the white singer songwriter. This is the Mexican country artist. This is the black country artist. We're just all artists, and we're all songwriters. And that vibe, that family, you mess with one of us, you mess with all of us type of deal that we have here, that little big town vibe and the family and, you know, we care for one another. Now, is it all rainbows and butterflies? No, this is the music business. Cutthroat. Right. But at the end of the day, when. When you go to those places and like, the local. I love that place because that's where the songwriters and the artists and they come, and they can be unapologetically themselves and talk about, you know, oh, man, I have this idea. And so we have this term here, it's called demo jail. So I don't know if you know what that is, but. So demo jail is where, like, you cut a demo and then you, like, making all your friends hear it, like, what you did. So, like, you know, you're just kind of, like, there.

[Buzz Knight]

You can't.

[Romeo Vaughn]

Like, you know, so we try not to put our friends in demo jail, but sometimes. But even if they don't want to. Even if they don't want to be in demo jail, they're not going to cut you off. They're going to hear the song. And I. And. And that community of just, you know, we're all. We all have big dreams from a small town because none of us are from Nashville. Some of us are from Oklahoma. Some of us are from Long Island, New York, you know, like, you know, and some of us are from California, so. But we all have big dreams from this, from our small town, and we come to Nashville to chase it, you know, but some catch it and some don't. But at the end of the day, nobody can ever take away from us that we gave it our best shot.

[Buzz Knight]

Oh, that's wonderful. I want to thank you for your service to our. To our country.

[Romeo Vaughn]

Thank you.

[Buzz Knight]

And I want you to talk to those out there listening who maybe have been in your position, serving our country and have been dealt with, you know, trauma and difficulties in their life. Some of those same themes that you talked so brilliantly on our Music Saved Me podcast with Lynn Hoffman. Talk directly, if you can, to someone who maybe was in your position, who's, who's listening, on how they maybe want to approach challenges that they're facing and get help for their situation.

[Romeo Vaughn]

I would say that you're not alone. There's no shame and guilt. You got to call somebody. I read the Bible and I call, I talk to God. But if that's not your faith, it's okay. Call somebody. Call, call your brother, call your sister. And if you don't have that, call somebody. Go somewhere because the world loves you. We love you. It's not your fault. You were doing what the 1% of Americans do and that's fighting for freedom. You're not alone and people love you and you're not a monster. People love you and you're, you're a hero. Call somebody. And whatever you do, whatever you're thinking, don't do it because we love you.

[Buzz Knight]

Romeo, you are an amazing inspiration and you are so giving. You are so transparent and you are so loving yourself. And I can't thank you enough for the great work you're doing. Congratulations on the new work, Big dreams from a small town and everything else that you're creating.

[Romeo Vaughn]

Thank you.

[Buzz Knight]

And we know we're going to continue to see big things from you. Extremely grateful for you taking the time on Taking a walk.

[Romeo Vaughn]

Thank you so much for having me and yeah, well, we pray and we pray that this gets going and, and we got some cool stuff up our sleeve and working with a really cool team and got some really cool people out of Scottsdale, Arizona that take a chance on this old boy. So we're excited to see what we got going.

[Buzz Knight]

Thank you, Romeo.

[Podcast Host/Outro Announcer]

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Taking a Walk podcast. Share this and other episodes with your friends friends and follow us so you never miss an episode. Taking a Walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts and wherever you get your podcasts.

[Chase Sapphire Reserve Announcer]

This episode of Taking a Walk is brought to you by Chase Sapphire Reserve. Whether I'm booking my next vacation or going to a concert, Chase Sapphire Reserve is my gateway to the world's most captivating destinations. When I use my Chase Sapphire reserve card, I get eight times points on all the purchases I make through Chase Travel and even access to one of a kind experiences like music festivals and sports events. And that's not even mentioning how the card gets me into the Sapphire Lounge by the club at select airports nationwide. No matter where I'm walking, travel is more rewarding with Chase Sapphire Reserve. Discover [e-mail] SapphireReserve cards issued by JP Morgan Chase Bank NA member FDIC subject to credit approval terms apply.

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[Romeo Vaughn]

This is an I Heart podcast.