{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"What’s Up, Wake","title":"From Small Town to Stardom: BJ Barham's Musical Journey with American Aquarium","html":"<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"180\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless src=\"https://share.transistor.fm/e/2f53a0d6\"></iframe>","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2682,"description":"Join us as we dive into the incredible journey of BJ Barham, the founder of American Aquarium. In this episode, BJ shares his personal and professional evolution from a small-town North Carolina boy with dreams of becoming a lawyer to a celebrated musician with 17 albums. Discover how he created the highly popular annual music festival Roadtrip to Raleigh and hear about his transition from songs about bars and breakups to meaningful tracks on grief, parenting, and sobriety. Stay tuned for an intimate conversation that explores his love for North Carolina, the challenges and triumphs of his music career, and what it truly means to live a life dedicated to storytelling through music.00:00 Raleigh Traditions and Local Pride01:41 Meet BJ Barham: The Journey Begins02:25 From Law Aspirations to Music Dreams03:26 Discovering the Raleigh Music Scene04:49 The Courage to Pursue Music06:15 The Reality of a Musician's Life11:41 Songwriting and Sobriety24:55 Reflections on Hard Work and Success25:53 The Roadtrip to Raleigh Festival26:40 Challenges and Growth in Raleigh's Music Scene27:54 The Impact of Roadtrip to Raleigh28:37 Personal Life and Family Stories29:36 Celebrating Raleigh and Its Culture32:04 Inviting Other Musicians to Roadtrip to Raleigh36:07 Future Plans and Vision Board37:47 Lightning Round Questions","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/3FPpkJ7JIRSxqmup6bUJfqr8_rMrqpK7grf9C8PwVsk/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9iNmM5/OWRmY2Y4NDg0ZDEy/YjlmZjdkZDdhNDI2/OTJiZC5qcGVn.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}