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Glenn's Show Prep

Aaron Watson Poised to Hit #1 With New 'Vaquero' Album

March 02, 2017
Staff

WRITER

You might not know who Aaron Watson is yet but you can be sure the major record labels have him on their radar. The country musicians has been burning up the country charts and has hit number one and is within striking distance of nabbing the top overall spot - all without a label.

The independent musician joined The Glenn Beck Program Thursday and his excitement couldn't be contained on the final day to push his album to number one.

"I don't know. I'm telling you right now, it's the ninth inning. There's two outs. Our album, Vaquero, just to kind of get you up-to-date, it's currently number two on all genres on iTunes. It's number one on country," Watson said.

He may be lacking a major label but he's got something even better on his side.

"And what we have on our side is, first of all, we don't have a major record label. But we have an awesome God. And all things are possible through God. He's blessed us with the best fans in the world."

Listen to this segment from The Glenn Beck Program:

GLENN: Aaron Watson is on the phone. Are you going to be a cutting a song with Pat, Aaron?

AARON: Absolutely. First of all, good morning, boys. It's good to hear from you.

GLENN: Thank you, sir.

AARON: And Pat is one of my new best friends.

PAT: Uh-huh.

AARON: And I know from listening to y'all throughout the past that Pat used to not like country music.

PAT: Uh-huh.

AARON: But I found a little chink in his armor, a little soft spot in his heart last week, and I think I may have made an impact on Pat.

PAT: You definitely did, Aaron.

GLENN: If you could have some sort of a guitar rift, like -- that sounded like Boston in all of your songs, he would --

PAT: That would be great.

GLENN: He would love it.

PAT: So are you going to be number one this week? Is it going to happen?

AARON: I don't know. I'm telling you right now, it's the ninth inning. There's two outs. Our album, Vaquero, just to kind of get you up-to-date, it's currently number two on all genres on iTunes. It's number one on country.

PAT: Nice.

AARON: You guys made a huge. We had a big hiccup when it came to our distribution. You know, we're not a major label. We don't have a major record label, so we don't get the perks and distribution. But, you know what, today is a big day. I mean, everybody knows today is Texas Independence Day. And what we have on our side is, first of all, we don't have a major record label. But we have an awesome God. And all things are possible through God. He's blessed us with the best fans in the world.

And what we've got in honor of Texas Independence Day, we have an entire nation that's filled with people that have a Texas-like swagger, spirit, and attitude. And they believe that this country was built on the freedom to dream big dreams. And right now, there are major -- there are bigwigs at major labels right now scratching their head wondering how some small town businessman that had the band named Aaron Watson is outselling the major label pop acts that they're pumping major bucks into. And, man, we give God all the glory. And I wish I was there to hug you guys right now.

GLENN: Well, we could probably live without that.

PAT: Yeah.

(chuckling)

GLENN: But I tell you, Aaron, when are you performing at the -- when is the Houston rodeo? Is that next week?

AARON: So the Houston rodeo is on Tuesday, March the 7th. We're actually recording a live CD, DVD. There's still some tickets left. You can get them online. But, man, it's just been an incredible week, boys. I'm telling you right now.

GLENN: It's Tuesday, we should go. We should go. What time is that? We should go.

AARON: I think we kick off around 8:00-ish.

GLENN: Oh, that's way past -- that's like four hours past our bedtime.

PAT: We probably would have to stay the night and do the show in Houston.

GLENN: Yeah.

AARON: Hey, I will get y'all -- hey, I'll have a tour bus take y'all back home.

(laughter)

GLENN: We might take you up on that.

PAT: Yeah. It would be fun.

GLENN: We might go.

AARON: You know, I have to thank y'all. We have been -- I have not had -- we've not been doing anything other than this week than pounding the pavement. We've been selling CDs out of the bus. And I've had -- the most exciting thing for me is I've had people come up to me who, before you guys started talking about the record this week, they had never heard of me. And now they're downloading my entire back catalog. And they've -- overnight. And you guys as listeners -- my music and your listeners go together like peanut butter and jelly. And I'm telling you, right now, this is my battle cry. I mean, I'm on the warpath. I mean, if we -- we want to stick it to the man. I want people around the country -- I want that number one record.

GLENN: All right.

AARON: I want it. Not -- let's get it!

GLENN: Aaron, good talking to you, brother. We'll -- we'll call you back later today. Maybe we'll -- maybe we'll see you down in Houston at the rodeo.

AARON: Hey, Pat, our album that we're going to record is called Divorces and Horses.

JEFFY: Nice! Nice.

PAT: I like it. I like it.

GLENN: All right, brother. Thanks so much.

AARON: God bless, y'all.

PAT: You too.

GLENN: God bless you. Aaron Watson. The reason why we are -- I mean, he's a really good guy.

PAT: Yeah, nobody deserves this more than he does.

GLENN: Yeah. Yeah. But he is a guy who the record company tried to change. He wouldn't do it. He stays out on his own. He listens to his dad's advice that says, "Listen, you might be 40 before you hit it. But if you love it, that's what you'll do." And he spent the last 20 years just working so hard. It is only his fans that have made him this way, not radio, nothing. Just his fans have given him a number one record. The music industry discredited it last time and said, "Well, he had no competition. And that's not possible." If he's number one again with this record, it will be huge.

And today is the last day that it counts for that number one status. And the name of the CD is Vaquero, just download it now. You'll love it. It's really good.

[break]

GLENN: We're just sitting here talking about Aaron Watson again and the record companies and how these gatekeepers like to keep people down.

PAT: And how nobody -- nobody has called him. He had the number one record in the country as an independent artist. And nobody called and said, "Hey, you know what, we can use you."

GLENN: Yeah, I'm not sure he would go.

PAT: I'm not sure either.

GLENN: Nobody would do it. And now there's -- nobody is helping him on his -- on his album. And he's just this underdog that is out swinging against these giants. And I love it. I love it.

PAT: Yeah, it's great. Because you've done the same thing. You've done the same.

GLENN: Yeah, and nobody -- you know, no cable company said, "No, look at what Glenn Beck is doing. We should put him on."

PAT: Yeah.

GLENN: No, they didn't do it.

Right. Some tried not to, just out of spite.

GLENN: Yeah, you could make the case -- I don't know if very convincingly, but you could make a case almost collusion with us and Aaron Watson to keep it down.

PAT: Yeah.

Without civic action, America faces collapse

JEFF KOWALSKY / Contributor | Getty Images

Every vote, jury duty, and act of engagement is civics in action, not theory. The republic survives only when citizens embrace responsibility.

I slept through high school civics class. I memorized the three branches of government, promptly forgot them, and never thought of that word again. Civics seemed abstract, disconnected from real life. And yet, it is critical to maintaining our republic.

Civics is not a class. It is a responsibility. A set of habits, disciplines, and values that make a country possible. Without it, no country survives.

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Civics happens every time you speak freely, worship openly, question your government, serve on a jury, or cast a ballot. It’s not a theory or just another entry in a textbook. It’s action — the acts we perform every day to be a positive force in society.

Many of us recoil at “civic responsibility.” “I pay my taxes. I follow the law. I do my civic duty.” That’s not civics. That’s a scam, in my opinion.

Taking up the torch

The founders knew a republic could never run on autopilot. And yet, that’s exactly what we do now. We assume it will work, then complain when it doesn’t. Meanwhile, the people steering the country are driving it straight into a mountain — and they know it.

Our founders gave us tools: separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, elections. But they also warned us: It won’t work unless we are educated, engaged, and moral.

Are we educated, engaged, and moral? Most Americans cannot even define a republic, never mind “keep one,” as Benjamin Franklin urged us to do after the Constitutional Convention.

We fought and died for the republic. Gaining it was the easy part. Keeping it is hard. And keeping it is done through civics.

Start small and local

In our homes, civics means teaching our children the Constitution, our history, and that liberty is not license — it is the space to do what is right. In our communities, civics means volunteering, showing up, knowing your sheriff, attending school board meetings, and understanding the laws you live under. When necessary, it means challenging them.

How involved are you in your local community? Most people would admit: not really.

Civics is learned in practice. And it starts small. Be honest in your business dealings. Speak respectfully in disagreement. Vote in every election, not just the presidential ones. Model citizenship for your children. Liberty is passed down by teaching and example.

Samuel Corum / Stringer | Getty Images

We assume America will survive automatically, but every generation must learn to carry the weight of freedom.

Start with yourself. Study the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and state laws. Study, act, serve, question, and teach. Only then can we hope to save the republic. The next election will not fix us. The nation will rise or fall based on how each of us lives civics every day.

Civics isn’t a class. It’s the way we protect freedom, empower our communities, and pass down liberty to the next generation.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

PHILL MAGAKOE / Contributor | Getty Images

Kirk’s tragic death challenges us to rise above fear and anger, to rebuild bridges where others build walls, and to fight for the America he believed in.

I’ve only felt this weight once before. It was 2001, just as my radio show was about to begin. The World Trade Center fell, and I was called to speak immediately. I spent the day and night by my bedside, praying for words that could meet the moment.

Yesterday, I found myself in the same position. September 11, 2025. The assassination of Charlie Kirk. A friend. A warrior for truth.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Moments like this make words feel inadequate. Yet sometimes, words from another time speak directly to our own. In 1947, Dylan Thomas, watching his father slip toward death, penned lines that now resonate far beyond his own grief:

Do not go gentle into that good night. / Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Thomas was pleading for his father to resist the impending darkness of death. But those words have become a mandate for all of us: Do not surrender. Do not bow to shadows. Even when the battle feels unwinnable.

Charlie Kirk lived that mandate. He knew the cost of speaking unpopular truths. He knew the fury of those who sought to silence him. And yet he pressed on. In his life, he embodied a defiance rooted not in anger, but in principle.

Picking up his torch

Washington, Jefferson, Adams — our history was started by men who raged against an empire, knowing the gallows might await. Lincoln raged against slavery. Martin Luther King Jr. raged against segregation. Every generation faces a call to resist surrender.

It is our turn. Charlie’s violent death feels like a knockout punch. Yet if his life meant anything, it means this: Silence in the face of darkness is not an option.

He did not go gently. He spoke. He challenged. He stood. And now, the mantle falls to us. To me. To you. To every American.

We cannot drift into the shadows. We cannot sit quietly while freedom fades. This is our moment to rage — not with hatred, not with vengeance, but with courage. Rage against lies, against apathy, against the despair that tells us to do nothing. Because there is always something you can do.

Even small acts — defiance, faith, kindness — are light in the darkness. Reaching out to those who mourn. Speaking truth in a world drowning in deceit. These are the flames that hold back the night. Charlie carried that torch. He laid it down yesterday. It is ours to pick up.

The light may dim, but it always does before dawn. Commit today: I will not sleep as freedom fades. I will not retreat as darkness encroaches. I will not be silent as evil forces claim dominion. I have no king but Christ. And I know whom I serve, as did Charlie.

Two turning points, decades apart

On Wednesday, the world changed again. Two tragedies, separated by decades, bound by the same question: Who are we? Is this worth saving? What kind of people will we choose to be?

Imagine a world where more of us choose to be peacemakers. Not passive, not silent, but builders of bridges where others erect walls. Respect and listening transform even the bitterest of foes. Charlie Kirk embodied this principle.

He did not strike the weak; he challenged the powerful. He reached across divides of politics, culture, and faith. He changed hearts. He sparked healing. And healing is what our nation needs.

At the center of all this is one truth: Every person is a child of God, deserving of dignity. Change will not happen in Washington or on social media. It begins at home, where loneliness and isolation threaten our souls. Family is the antidote. Imperfect, yes — but still the strongest source of stability and meaning.

Mark Wilson / Staff | Getty Images

Forgiveness, fidelity, faithfulness, and honor are not dusty words. They are the foundation of civilization. Strong families produce strong citizens. And today, Charlie’s family mourns. They must become our family too. We must stand as guardians of his legacy, shining examples of the courage he lived by.

A time for courage

I knew Charlie. I know how he would want us to respond: Multiply his courage. Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins. Out of darkness, great and glorious things will sprout — but we must be worthy of them.

Charlie Kirk lived defiantly. He stood in truth. He changed the world. And now, his torch is in our hands. Rage, not in violence, but in unwavering pursuit of truth and goodness. Rage against the dying of the light.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck resurrects the 9-12 Project to support Charlie Kirk's family

Glenn Beck is once again calling on his loyal listeners and viewers to come together and channel the same unity and purpose that defined the historic 9-12 Project. That movement, born in the wake of national challenges, brought millions together to revive core values of faith, hope, and charity.

Glenn created the original 9-12 Project in early 2009 to bring Americans back to where they were in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. In those moments, we weren't Democrats and Republicans, conservative or liberal, Red States or Blue States, we were united as one, as America. The original 9-12 Project aimed to root America back in the founding principles of this country that united us during those darkest of days.

This new initiative draws directly from that legacy, focusing on supporting the family of Charlie Kirk in these dark days following his tragic murder.

The revival of the 9-12 Project aims to secure the long-term well-being of Charlie Kirk's wife and children. All donations will go straight to meeting their immediate and future needs. If the family deems the funds surplus to their requirements, Charlie's wife has the option to redirect them toward the vital work of Turning Point USA.

This campaign is more than just financial support—it's a profound gesture of appreciation for Kirk's tireless dedication to the cause of liberty. It embodies the unbreakable bond of our community, proving that when we stand united, we can make a real difference.
Glenn Beck invites you to join this effort. Show your solidarity by donating today and honoring Charlie Kirk and his family in this meaningful way.

You can learn more about the 9-12 Project and donate HERE

The critical difference: Rights from the Creator, not the state

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) recently delivered a lecture that should alarm every American. During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, he argued that believing rights come from a Creator rather than government is the same belief held by Iran’s theocratic regime.

Kaine claimed that the principles underpinning Iran’s dictatorship — the same regime that persecutes Sunnis, Jews, Christians, and other minorities — are also the principles enshrined in our Declaration of Independence.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

That claim exposes either a profound misunderstanding or a reckless indifference to America’s founding. Rights do not come from government. They never did. They come from the Creator, as the Declaration of Independence proclaims without qualification. Jefferson didn’t hedge. Rights are unalienable — built into every human being.

This foundation stands worlds apart from Iran. Its leaders invoke God but grant rights only through clerical interpretation. Freedom of speech, property, religion, and even life itself depend on obedience to the ruling clerics. Step outside their dictates, and those so-called rights vanish.

This is not a trivial difference. It is the essence of liberty versus tyranny. In America, rights belong to the individual. The government’s role is to secure them, not define them. In Iran, rights serve the state. They empower rulers, not the people.

From Muhammad to Marx

The same confusion applies to Marxist regimes. The Soviet Union’s constitutions promised citizens rights — work, health care, education, freedom of speech — but always with fine print. If you spoke out against the party, those rights evaporated. If you practiced religion openly, you were charged with treason. Property and voting were allowed as long as they were filtered and controlled by the state — and could be revoked at any moment. Rights were conditional, granted through obedience.

Kaine seems to be advocating a similar approach — whether consciously or not. By claiming that natural rights are somehow comparable to sharia law, he ignores the critical distinction between inherent rights and conditional privileges. He dismisses the very principle that made America a beacon of freedom.

Jefferson and the founders understood this clearly. “We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights,” they wrote. No government, no cleric, no king can revoke them. They exist by virtue of humanity itself. The government exists to protect them, not ration them.

This is not a theological quibble. It is the entire basis of our government. Confuse the source of rights, and tyranny hides behind piety or ideology. The people are disempowered. Clerics, bureaucrats, or politicians become arbiters of what rights citizens may enjoy.

John Greim / Contributor | Getty Images

Gifts from God, not the state

Kaine’s statement reflects either a profound ignorance of this principle or an ideological bias that favors state power over individual liberty. Either way, Americans must recognize the danger. Understanding the origin of rights is not academic — it is the difference between freedom and submission, between the American experiment and theocratic or totalitarian rule.

Rights are not gifts from the state. They are gifts from God, secured by reason, protected by law, and defended by the people. Every American must understand this. Because when rights come from government instead of the Creator, freedom disappears.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.