This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed human. Let's go! Our iHeart radio music awards are coming back. Thursday, March 26th, live on Fox. Watch as we honor the biggest stars from all genres of music that you loved listening to all year long on your favorite iHeart radio station and the iHeart radio app. Hosted by Budakris. Icon award recipient John Mellencamp. Innovator award recipient Miley Cyrus. With performances by Alex Warren, Kaylani, Laeni Wilson. Budakris. Ray. TLC. Salt and pepper. And Invoque. What a man, what a man, what a man, what a man. Plus Taylor Swift makes her first award show appearance this year. I cry, I cry. A blue with a blue Taylor. A blue with a blue Taylor. Also gold medal Olympian Alyssa Liu. A blue with a blue Taylor. A blue with blue Taylor. Watch live on Fox Thursday, March 26th at 8, 7 central and listen to I heart radio stations across America and the free I heart app. Hey there, this is Josh from stuff you should know with a message that could change your life. The stuff you should know. Think spring podcast playlist is available now. Whether spring is sprung in your neck of the woods yet or not, the stuff you should know think spring playlist will make you want to get your overalls on, get outside and get your hands in the dirt. You can get the stuff you should know think spring playlist on the I heart radio app, Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Taking a walk now, Phil. Obviously, when they hear the song and they look at me, they're not going to be like, Oh, this guy made it. It happened so easy for him. You know, when they see the video and they hear the song, it'll give them hope. Today I have with me Romeo Vaughn, a Mexican American country artist originally from Santa Rosa, Texas, who blends country soul and Latin pop and his music. He has been in Nashville since 2016 and his story as one you don't want to miss today. Welcome to taking a walk Nashville Romeo. How are you? Good. How are you? Thanks for having me. Of course. Thank you for being here. So just to let listeners know a little bit about your background, you are a US Army veteran and thank you so much for your service. Thanks for your support. Yeah. Of course. And I'd like to know, were you a performing musician prior to serving in the army or did you get into music perhaps after that? No, so yeah, so I did do music before the army when I was a kid. I have a cousin of mine named Jesse Turner. He has a band called Signal. They're a Grammy Award winning band. And so when I was younger, he took me under his wing and I performed with him. And then AP Kintania, which is Selena's the late Selena, great late Selena died. It was her brother started a band called the Kumi Kings and from there, A.B. started a band called Big Seatle, which is like a upbeat Mexican American, but it was strictly Spanish. It was strictly Spanish music. And so I was in my teen, when I was a teenager, I mean, we got signed the Capitol EMI. And so like we, we were doing the music. I mean, I was 15 years old and I performed in Monterey, Mexico in front of 94,000 people. You know, so I mean, we weren't the headliners, but I mean, we got to perform on the stage, you know. I was on international television, you know, back in the, I don't know, maybe my, if you have a Spanish listeners listening, and if you don't, it's fine. But we got Saulo Gigante, Disperta America, which is the equivalent of like Disperta America is Univision's Good Morning America. Saulo Gigante is like, is the American Jimmy Fallon show. Like, so I was like, on doing all that at 14, 15, 16, 17 years old, performing all over. I mean, I've been to, I've been to all 48 states before I was 18, you know, and performing all over Mexico and South America, you know. So it, yeah, it was, it didn't just start. I've been doing this for a long, long, long, but never in my own, never like my own truth, never. I was always, you know, in somebody else's band or, or a band that I was a part of. It was never like my truth, and my like who, who I am. Right. Yeah. So you're doing music for as long as you can remember. Right. Yeah. And then when you permanently moved to Nashville to continue pursuing your dream of music, you faced homelessness for 16 weeks. And eventually you found support through the VA and the nonprofit organization Matthew 25. Yes. What does this Nashville nonprofit mean to you? Everything. Like everything. I would not be here talking to you if it wasn't for God working through Matthew 25. I mean, they took me in out of, out of, out of, let me tell you the process and how it's like really cool. I'm dead out of my car. I'm just like, I'm under this bridge and I'm just eating like out of a garbage can and there's ants on my food. And it's just like rind tomatoes and I don't know. That's why in my burgers now it's everybody. I only want meat and cheese, like a five year old, right? But because of that experience. So I finally, my brother actually was like Romeo, what are you doing, man? Because my brother's also a veteran. So is my dad. He was like, you need to call the VA because we weren't. I didn't tell my brother until the end of my homelessness. And I didn't tell my parents until after I got out of Matthew 25. They had no idea. Oh, so my brother's like, you need to call the VA. So I said, OK, so I, I was like, well, can you pay my phone bill this month? Like, because I'm not going to have a phone. And at that time I had cricket, you know, so we could get, you know, you got, you know, beggars can't be choosers. So my brother, my brother paid the $50 a month for me because my phone was about to be disconnected like the next day or something. So my brother paid my phone bill and he was super mad at me that I didn't tell him that I was homeless. Right. And so I call the VA. Well, I call them and I'm like, I'm homeless. Like I've been out here for four months. Like it's bad. Like, you know, and they came. They literally from the time I called them to the time they picked me up was probably 20 minutes. They were there fast and in a hurry. They got there. They took me in. They took me to the mental health annex. And so from there, they showered me. You know, and I got to shower. Not that I wasn't showering because I have a friend of mine. His name is Juan Hernandez out of Laredo, Texas. He's a truck driver. So he would lend me his points once a week so I could go shower at the loves of Trinity Lane. But it was always a struggle to get there. But anyway, so I go to Matthew 25 on the mental health annex. They call Matthew 25. I got I didn't have anything but my bags and they wash my clothes. They put me in a bed in a room. They fed me. They intake. They did the whole intake process. They also for while you're there, you have to do like an intake process. And then you have to do chores. You can't drink. You can't do drugs. You have to report. And when you like, they help you get a job. And thankfully, I ended up getting a job at our back steakhouse while I was there because I was about to lose my car. That's what helped me was it's about to lose my car. But my parents found out that I was homeless and I hadn't been paying my car. I don't know if he did it for me or if the car was daddy post on it. So he's like, oh, no, I got a favor for you. You pay my car and I was able to keep my car. I ended up going to to work. I stayed at Matthew 25 for as long as I needed to. I was grateful that I was there, but I didn't want to be there. I will, you know, I didn't want to be there. And because I because the thing about Matthew 25 is it could it's the biggest blessing in the world, but it can also be an Achilles because they do everything for you. So do you take this to better your life or do you take this to be lazy? You know, so all I needed was the help. And from the time I got there, six weeks later, I was on my own. That's wonderful. Yeah. Because, you know, there's some people that will be there for a long time, you know, but it's nothing bad to anyone. The thing is a lot of the people, a lot of the men that are there, they're older, you know, they got they got disabilities or they got they don't they can do that. They need that. But I was I'm young. I am driven like what there was the excuse, you know, it was great. Matthew 25 means everything to me. That's why last year for my birthday, you know, I always tell everybody like I always give a shout out to Chulis, that Tex-Mex restaurant, because they donated all the food so I could go and feed them at Matthew 25 this year. It was scoreboards when we went to shoot the music video. Also, my parents last year came to Nashville to be with me for my birthday because my birthday is August 16th. And so my parents came for my birthday and we got we were able to get like 15, 75 gallon bags full of clothes. And for my birthday, we went to go donate that as well. And so Matthew 25 is everything to me. And I think I believe it. And I will tell you that God willing, my star rises and the more my platform allows me to do more, the more I will do with Matthew 25. I think the plain the easiest way I can say it is when I make it, Matthew 25 makes it they will never need anything ever again. I love that. And I love that they were able to support you through your hard times. And now you're shining a light on this organization. And you feature Matthew 25 and the music video for your upcoming single, Big Dreams from a small town. Yeah. Yeah, I just got to say, Romeo, I haven't seen a music video so authentic in a long time. You see a lot of videos now on social media out there that's all like glitter and glam. But this video really gives listeners a look into who you are, where you came from. And it's just so authentic and real. And I really appreciate that. So did you come up with the vision for this music video? Yes, I literally wrote the entire treat like I the director. I went to him, his name is Carl, and I love him to death. I went with it in my I have the video in my head. Years before we made the video. So I knew like I even I remember there was a when I was eating at Matthew 25. And I know that I don't remember his name, but there was a guy next to me that was eating with me, we were eating. And I said, before I die, I'm going to make a video here at Matthew 25. And he and I always like I had it all in my head. And Carl just helped me bring it to life. Amazing. Yeah, I hope every Nashville local come out to support Matthew 25 and volunteer and help them in need as well. And I want to touch on your previously released single over. And it's about the struggles you faced with alcohol addiction. So now that you've overcome homelessness and you're sober, would you say the music you write now is a lot different than maybe the music you were writing 10 to 12 years ago? Yeah, yeah, most definitely. That's a good question. For sure, because the music I was writing back then. I was drinking and partying. You know, I also struggled with drugs, you know, as well, you know. And so it was more when I would write songs and stuff, it was or record songs. And it was more of like I'm trying to get a girl or, you know, right? Let's party and let's do this and let's do that. And now it's not I like that. I mean, I'm still going to make songs like that because nobody wants to hear depressing songs. Right. But I think the writing has changed because the man has changed. Yeah. And I'm sure it's very healing for you to write about the struggles you have been through and overcome. For sure. You know, like I actually just wrote a song the other day called Wild Bill's Nights and I just wrote it. But the second verse says those days have come and gone. But the memories we made, I've put in this song. So it's Wild Bill's was a bar that we all used to. It's a hometown bar back in Harnage in Texas. But Miss the Wild Bill, the Mr. Bill, he was our biology teacher in high school. We, we, all of us went to Wild Bill's and we just, it kind of, Wild Bill's kind of, you know, gave me that hope when I got into country music, it was Wild Bill's where I went because it was a country Western saloon. And I'm definitely different now because I'm for one, I sober, you know? And so I'm clean, clear minded and I can look back and and remember the times that we had and I think that's what's going to make the music great. Because even when I don't write about like overcoming struggles or overcoming this, like Wild Bill's Nights is such a great song, you know, because it's it's almost like nostalgia for like people that because it even says if you have to be there to understand those Wild Bill's Nights, you know, but in your hometown, you have a Wild Bill's. It might not be called Wild Bill's, but there's a Wild Bill's, you know? And I think everybody's going to relate and big dreams from a small town. Everybody's going to read. Everybody has and being having big dreams, you know, it's not that everybody wants to be a country music artist, you know, people want you want to podcast, people want to be doctors, people want to be lawyers, people want to be general, people want to be district managers at Publix, you know, people want it. And there's nothing wrong with that. People people have dreams or not all of music. But if they can hear a song like Big Dream from a small town and be like, you know what I am from, I always mention Burlington, Colorado, because I have some family there and it's smaller than Santa Rosa. But there's this place called Burlington, Colorado. Whether you're from Burlington, Colorado or somewhere in Kansas or somewhere a small town in Utah, you're like, man, how could I ever go from this to, you know, being the district manager of Waterberger or whatever the case may be. I'm from a small town that doesn't happen to people like me. I'm just going to be the cashier forever, you know? But they hear Big Dream from a small town and they're like, you know what? Yeah, I you know what? I can do this, you know? And like the song in Big Dream that says whoever said it wasn't easy wasn't telling a lie. So obviously when they hear the song and they look at me, they're not going to be like, oh, this guy made it. It happened so easy for him. You know, when they see the video and they hear the song, it'll give them hope, I believe. I think so too. Yeah, I think your whole message with the song will give people hope and know that it's not easy, but, you know, they can do everything they can to overcome their struggles. Yeah, we are struggles. And I think I think it's going to be I think it's great because, I mean, what what would life be if it was just easy? You know, we're like because that's where, you know, our faith comes in and our hope comes in. And the hope that, you know, that hope and faith that Jesus did come and die for us and that he did rise again and that he's coming back and that he's always with us. I even think about Jesus when not because, you know, we're human. Not everybody's going to like my song. Not everybody's going to like the message. Not everybody's going to like the way I dress, the way I look, the way you look, the way you dress. You know, it's just it is what it is. But I think about when I think about Christ, I'm like, they killed him for being perfect. Who am I? They think that they won't judge me. And I think that that helps me. Thank you so much for sharing your message, Romeo. And I just kind of want to switch gears now to a fun topic. So you design all of your stage wear and you worked with Nashville Celebrity fashion designer Manuel, who's outfitted the likes of Johnny Cash and Elvis. So what got you into sewing clothes and fashion? I love my contact. My I have an aunt of mine, my aunt, Lisa, we call it the Alisa. He's a seamstress. And so she does like all like the like the little girls cheerleading outfits. When I was when I was younger, my dad took me to McAllen, Texas to be a to do a talent show. And and then I won that one. But then my aunt, Lisa, my aunt, Lisa in La Feria, which is like six miles down the road from Santa Rosa, they were having another talent show. And I was going to do Michael Jackson. But I did the other time show. I didn't have the jacket and I needed I wanted the the rhinestone jacket. And the gloves and my Dialisa made it for me. And in she and I helped her and I kind of like really like me down. And then when I came to Nashville, it wasn't so like twenty nineteen or twenty like covid almost covid times. I was at I was at 10 roof in Cool Springs, 10 roof, two. And I was with a friend of mine and this guy said, hey, man, you got to meet my uncle. So I was like, OK, cool. I'll go meet him and I went to meet him and I never left. And it was a great time, you know, in my life. But, you know, like anything else, you got to move on. And and but I learned a lot and I'm very thankful to Manuel for teaching me what they taught me and and I got to hang out with them a lot. And I got to see the man that the the star, you know, and spend a lot of time together. But, you know, like anything else, you know, you got to make your own path and make your own way. And so I took what he taught me. I took what my idea taught me and and and, you know, here we are patching stuff up. Very cool. You are definitely multi talented and I love that you design your own clothes. It's so fun. Yeah, it is. My last question for you, we are on taking a walk Nashville. So I'd like to know what is your favorite place or where is your favorite place to take a walk in? I could. Wow. That was that instantly. I go every day. I go every day to Rivers Parkway. I take my dog. You know, two Rivers Parkway is that right? The Big Bridge and stuff. Yeah, yeah, I've been on that many times. So at 5 30 day breaks. So I wake up around I wake up every morning at like around 3 3. 15 2.45 to 3.15. I'm up and so I do my little morning routine and then I try to be at two Rivers Parkway by 5 30 when day breaks and I'll go run my I'll run the five miles. I usually go around and then I go to the airstrip. You know, there's an airship out there. And I'll run that and I'll do five. I make it five miles no matter what way I go. I make it I make it five miles and then I come home. I take a shower and do all the morning stuff again. And then I take Braxton, my dog and we go to two Rivers Parkway again. And he can't he's a little Boston Terrier. No, but so he can't do five miles. But he does, you know, but and so two Rivers Parkway is my favorite place to take a walk in Nashville. I absolutely love it. I go every day of my life. There's not a day that goes by. If I'm in if I'm in Nashville, I'm there every morning. I love that. Yeah, there's so many great places and paths to take a walk and run in Nashville. Well, Romeo, thank you so much for being on the show today. It was a pleasure. And we are looking forward to your new single release, Big Dreams and a small panel available everywhere. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. I'll go hear it. Thanks for listening to Taken a Walk Nashville with singer songwriter Sarah Harrelson and check out our other podcasts, Music Save Me, Comedy Save Me and Taken a Walk available on the I Heart Radio App, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, there, this is Josh from Stuff You Should Know with a message that could change your life. The Stuff You Should Know Think, Spring Podcast playlist is available now. Whether Spring has sprung in your neck of the woods yet or not, the Stuff You Should Know Think, Spring playlist will make you want to get your overalls on, get outside and get your hands in the dirt. You can get the Stuff You Should Know Think, Spring playlist on the I Heart Radio App, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. On Fox. Watch as we honor the biggest stars from all genres of music that you love listening to all year long on your favorite I Heart Radio station and the I Heart Radio App. Hosted by Ludacris, Icon Award recipient John Mellencamp, Innovator Award recipient Miley Cyrus with performances by Alex Warren, Kehlani, Lainey Wilson, Ludacris, Ray, TLC, Salt and Pepper and Invoke. Plus, Taylor Swift makes her first award show appearance this year. I cry, I smile, it's a big Taylor. It's a real deep, it's forever. Also, Gold Medal Olympian, Alyssa Lu, Neo, Nick Coleshaar, Singer, Nikki Glazer, Sombra, Weezer and more. Watch live on Fox Thursday, March 26th, Teddy 7th Central and listen on I Heart Radio stations across America and the free I Heart App. This is an I Heart podcast. Guaranteed human.
