NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Just past a pair of doors in Madison is where RW Groom has written dozens upon dozens of songs.
"Easily, right?" wife Pam Groom asked her husband, RW. "100 songs or more."
Pam shared she and RW met when they were both teaching at Antioch High School. RW taught English.
"The kids giggled a bit because they thought we liked each other," Pam smiled.
One of the elements they truly connected on was being fans of a group.
"I think there's just a soul in the music that is hard to put your finger on," Pam explained. "We both grew up as kids listening to the Beatles. The lyrics just kinda shaped our youth."
"'Abbey Road's' definitely our favorite album, wouldn't you say?" she asked RW.
Of course, they've taken a visit to the crosswalk.
"For us it was magical," Pam said, holding up a picture of she and RW visiting the famous crosswalk featured on the "Abbey Road" album cover.
RW also spread that love for the Beatles to best friend Bob McCracken — engineer, producer, and musician. This was Bob's home studio in Madison where RW's done all that writing. There was this one song recorded there about 20 years ago that jumped out.
"I thought he was crazy when he came in and said, 'I've written a song using all Beatles titles!'" Bob laughed. "I said, 'No, we're not doing that!' He started playing it for me, singing it for me, and I thought, 'It's really a song!'"
The past five years have been difficult.
"RW, who's this lover of words and prolific writer, teacher, he started to drop ordinary words," Pam explained. "Primary progressive aphasia is this neurodegenerative disease that affects the left side of your brain and hits the language. It's been hard to lose words, things he loves. You don't improve, but you do your best just to maintain."
Pam turned her attention to a sign across the room.
"RW bought me that sign a couple of years ago when he could still drive and get out and about," she said.
The sign reads "The Last Word Is Love."
Bob and Pam said now's the time they'd like to share that special song, the one dedicated to musical inspirations. They have some big hopes for it.
"I can be super obvious to say for Paul McCartney to hear the song!" Pam smiled. "Oh, wouldn't that be something."
There's something else they'd like for you to take from it.
"The genius of my best friend," Bob said.
"I think the one joy in life is art and music," Pam said. "Something about it sets your soul a flight."
To hear RW's full song, listen here.
Do you have a positive, good news story? Email me at forrest.sanders@newschannel5.com.
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