BOBBYCAST – Aaron Watson: Infamous Feud, Country Radio Blitz, Social Media Redemption & The Crazy to Be Great Philosophy

Podcast: The Bobby Bones Show – Bobbycast
Host: Bobby Bones (A)
Guest: Aaron Watson (E)
Date: October 31, 2025
Episode: #550

Episode Overview

This lively episode dives deep into Aaron Watson’s career as an independent country music artist, his infamous “feud” with Bobby Bones, the ins and outs of trying to crack mainstream country radio, and why Watson is set to “blitz” radio over the next five years. Watson opens up about viral social media moments, the lessons learned from past battles, the necessity of a little craziness (and delusion) for greatness, and his family Christmas touring tradition. Throughout, the conversation is unfiltered, full of humor and candid wisdom, with both men reflecting on how their old “outlaw” personas have shaped their jourhttps://ai.stackexchange.com/questions/55657/how-to-query-database-in-chatgpt-pluginseys.

Key Themes & Insights

1. Revisiting the “Feud” – Bobby vs. Aaron’s Memory Lane

• Opening Up Old Wounds—For Laughs (03:20):

  • Aaron Watson and Bobby Bones retell their infamous “feud,” sparked by a Facebook post and a surprise, unannounced radio station visit by Watson.
  • Watson frames it as, “It’s kind of our anniversary...The story gets better as time moves on” (03:11).
  • Both recall how small misunderstandings, competitiveness, and loyalty led to a local legend:
    • For Watson, it was about fighting for a spot as an indie in mainstream radio (“It was the first independent album to chart number one for a guy, and I was super excited about that.” – 07:45).
    • For Bones, it was defending his staff and pushing back against the Nashville “system.”

• Behind the Barbs – The Real Story (08:45–15:16):

  • Watson describes breaking into Bones’ building after being brushed off, channeling the Kris Kristofferson-Johnny Cash mythos—“I ought to show up at his place tomorrow...I gave the O and I caught the door before it closed” (10:08).
  • A “sweetheart” comment to Bones’ staffer lead to misunderstandings and anger.
  • The two laugh about how far both have come: “After we cooled off...the more I got to see what you’re all about, I was like, that dude's just like me, but he's got glasses” (16:04).
  • Bones admits, “The town hated my guts. I was a bull in a china shop” (16:36), while Watson reflects on being labeled the ‘bad guy’ from Texas.

Notable Quote

“Everyone talks about being some outlaws. Me and you. This is some outlaw.”
— Aaron Watson (15:16)

2. The Facebook Rant and the Radio Debate

• Reading the Post a Decade Later (30:54–33:54):

  • Bobby Bones reads his original Facebook post (from “his sleeping pill years"), which challenged the sentiment that album sales alone justified radio play:
    • “Radio is about hit songs, not hit albums...the cream always rises to the top.” (32:32)
  • Both realize their ‘feud’ was more about defending turf than personal animosity.

• Industry Evolution:

  • The episode discusses shifting landscapes in country radio, digital/streaming dominance (Bones: “I was really ahead of it...Let’s go, baby!” – 32:31), and how Texas/Red Dirt artists were (and still are) fighting for recognition.
  • Watson: “I wanted people to know not just about me, I wanted people to know about Texas music. Like it...I love country music.” (34:38)

Notable Quote

“Within any industry, the cream always rises to the top...I’m pro Aaron Watson. I’m just anti that his album sales have anything to do with radio being disconnected.”
— Bobby Bones, reading his Facebook post (32:34)

3. What Feuds Teach, and the Power of Grit

• Learning Curve (40:36–43:09):
  • Watson reflects: “If you live by the sword, you die by the sword...When I’m talking about another artist, I make sure that there’s no hatefulness behind it” (40:36).
  • Both agree their early years of fighting—against Nashville or Texas stereotypes—laid the foundations of their long-term success.
  • Watson shares about supporting his band and family: “There's a certain number I need to make a month so that I can take care of all my guys in the band and all the employees because they depend on me for that” (06:20).

Notable Quote

“You didn’t do anything wrong by sticking up for your person, and I didn’t do anything wrong for sticking up for the family business...You have to be willing to do that. If you want to be successful in any facet of your life, you have to be willing to do that.”
— Aaron Watson (41:59)

4. Social Media Redemption & The Viral Baby Jesus Story

• Social Media as a Career Lifeline (43:09–49:56):
  • Watson describes “becoming irrelevant” during two vocal surgeries and how he’s “blitzing” social media now: “In the last five months, we’ve had more growth than we had the previous five years.”
  • A playful TikTok video about fans throwing things at him (including baby Jesuses) backfired/fueled fan enthusiasm as fans rained “baby Jesuses” on him on stage—“I got a fine collection of baby Jesus now!” (42:00).
  • Bones praises Watson’s “consistent” and “compelling” social content: “Consistency is currency. And to watch you consistently be good on social media and be present again, I was inspired by it.” (49:56)

5. Being Crazy (and Delusional) Enough to Be Great

• Embracing Delusion & Setting Big Goals (61:57–66:32):
  • “You got to have a bit of delusion to be good. You got to have a whole lot of delusion to be great.” (61:59)
  • Watson reveals he’s going to “blitz” country radio with singles for five years (62:05), with his upcoming album Horse Name Texas planned for March.
  • Emphasizes that believing in yourself is essential: “That’s not being arrogant. That’s called believing in your guys, working hard, rehearsing. Also. We have been doing this for forever. We should be. We should have been the best band.” (59:14)

Notable Quotes

“If you don’t believe in you, nobody else will.”
— Bobby Bones (76:02)

“I want my kids to see me win.”
— Aaron Watson (53:57)

6. Family, Fatherhood, and The Christmas Tradition

• Parent-Artist Balance & Generational Legacy (51:33–64:24):

  • Watson discusses the joys and challenges of having teen children who now participate in his family Christmas shows: “We integrate, you know, traditional songs, you know, songs about Jesus, songs about Santa. We have Santa show up. It is so much...Now my kids, they can’t wait to go.” (69:36)
  • Touching on life beyond music—selling his beloved Z28 after becoming a dad, coaching baseball, and mentoring his son Jake (19), who tours and plays guitar with him.
  • Parental pride and generational wisdom: “...you have to be a little crazy to do the things that you and me are doing. You have to have a bit of delusion.” (61:57)

• YouTube Series & Paying It Forward (58:01–58:57):

  • Watson’s “Good Song” initiative: spotlighting doing kind things through music, inspired by family and personal tragedy (loss of daughter in 2011), and marked by community acts, such as supporting a handicapped child in Illinois.

Timestamps for Important Segments

• The Feud Retold: 03:06–22:00
• Bobby Reads the Original Facebook Post: 30:54–33:54
• What Makes a Radio Single? Music Industry Rants: 34:27–38:00
• Lessons Learned from the Feud: 40:36–43:09
• Social Media, Virality, & Career Revival: 43:09–49:56
• Being ‘Crazy’/Delusional Enough for Greatness: 61:57–66:32
• Family, Fatherhood, and Christmas Shows: 51:33–71:41
• Future Plans—Blitzing Country Radio, YouTube Series: 62:05–79:19

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• On why Aaron broke in:
  “You hear the legendary stories about Kris Kristofferson, like, renting a helicopter and flying into Johnny Cash's compound...I based my whole attack on that. And it was pretty funny.” (10:14)

• When family trumps everything:
  “I forgot about the car. I never cared about the car again.” (52:10, on becoming a dad superseding previous dreams)

• Consistency is currency:
  “Anybody can do anything great a couple of times. But the hardest thing in the world is to do anything consistently. Consistently. To me, consistency is currency.” — Bobby Bones (49:56)

• On believing in yourself:
  “I tell people we are good. I think we are the best band in country music. And that's not being arrogant; that's called believing in your guys, working hard, rehearsing.” — Aaron Watson (59:14)

• Bittersweet on aging and fanbase:
  “Grown women walk up to me. Grown women. And they'll say, oh my gosh. When I was a little girl, my dad used to listen to you in the truck...And then I start doing the math.” (68:44)

Conclusion & Takeaways

Bobby Bones and Aaron Watson turn a decade-old “feud” into a lesson-filled, candid conversation about ambition, reinvention, and standing by your principles and your people. Through stories of family, social media blunders, music industry frustrations, and mutual respect, both show how a little outlaw spirit, some thick skin, and a bit of delusion are necessary not just to survive, but to thrive—independently or otherwise—in country music.

For more on Aaron Watson’s tour, Christmas shows, and music, visit AaronWatson.com and check out his YouTube series “Good Song”. Follow him on Instagram: @AaronWatsonMusic.