Maggie’s Journal -Disc 1

One Sheet ~ Radio Release: January 1, 2026
Maggie's Journal (page 1 of 4)
Label: Bell Buckle Records
℗ ©Valerie Stevens 2023, All songs are Copyright 2023
© Buckle Down Music Publishing (BMI)
Produced by Donna Ulisse
Genre: Roots, bluegrass, Grassicana, Americana, blues, musical,folk, historical content
Journal: Written by Margaret Attebury Brooks-McCamis
Script: Developed & written by Valerie Smith & Donna Ulisse
Instrumental background tracks for speaking parts recorded
& engineered by Tim Carter, Tree House Studio, Ridgetop, TN
Vocals and instruments for song tracks recorded & engineered
by Scott Vestal / Digital Underground / Greenbrier, TN
Mixed and mastered by Chris Latham at The Gorilla’s Nest,
Ashland City, TN
Album artwork and design by David Lynch |
Photos of Maggie – credit unknown, used with permission | Photo of Valerie Smith by Joe Zauner | Portrait of Valerie Smith by John Murray
Catalog # BR20250 UPC: 085218111151

“If I could dream up a project to set my imagination aflame, let it dance about in the most colorful, heart-wrenching compositions with a voice I admire beyond words, it would be this very collection of songs!" Donna Ulisse – Producer

"Each note feels like a collaboration with Maggie, a woman I never met but whose spirit guided me through this 12-year journey. I hope this album speaks to you, inviting reflection on our shared history and the enduring power of courage and compassion. With gratitude, Valerie Smith"

Maggie’s Journal (Bell Buckle Records) is a profound and heartfelt musical narrative that brings to life the raw, emotional story of Margaret Attebury Brooks-McCamis, the great-grandmother of bluegrass luminary Valerie Smith. The result of a 12-year labor of love, this ambitious 30-track album blends roots, bluegrass, and Americana music to create a sonic tapestry that pairs original songs with spoken-word excerpts from Maggie's journal, a handwritten "Car Load Tablet," which Smith's cousins Fonda Wells and Kathy Jones Eads found hidden in an attic trunk. Unveiling a life untold, the journal reveals Maggie’s early years in post-Civil War rural Missouri—married young to a violent man, her hardened exterior masking a kind, gentle soul. Her story, personal and unflinching, is a masterpiece of resilience, offering timeless insights into American history, women’s and children’s rights, education, and the enduring human spirit.
Crafted with deep reverence, Maggie’s Journal is in many ways a collaboration between Smith and her great-grandmother, whom she never met. From the haunting “That Was A Long Time Ago” to the tender “Alva’s Lullaby” and the stark “Jim O’Dell, Straight From Hell,” the album's tracks weave a narrative of struggle and grace, rooted in the storytelling traditions of folk and bluegrass. Smith’s evocative lead vocals, embodying Maggie’s voice, are complemented by rich harmonies from Donna Ulisse, Josie Smith, Mike Rogers, Rosa Vestal, and Aaron Vestal. The instrumentation—featuring Cody Kilby (acoustic guitar, mandolin), Stephen Burwell (violin), Evan Winsor (upright bass), and Scott Vestal (banjo)—pulses with life, capturing the raw emotion of Maggie’s world. Produced by Donna Ulisse, whose songwriting partnership with Smith (along with writers Daniel Crabtree and Ann Miller) shaped the album’s lyrical depth, Maggie’s Journal was masterfully recorded and engineered at Tim Carter’s Tree House Studio in Ridgetop, TN, and Scott Vestal’s Digital Underground in Greenbrier, TN. Smith’s artistry shines through, building on her legacy of Grammy, IBMA, and Dove Award nominations.
Renowned American bluegrass and roots artist Valerie Smith is celebrated for her powerful vocals and insightful songwriting. A Midwest native, she holds a bachelor's in music from the University of Kansas City and taught music in Missouri and Tennessee. Smith's debut album, Patchwork Heart (2001), featuring the hit "Red Clay Halo," was followed by multiple acclaimed releases including Turtle Wings (2000), No Summer Storm (2003), Here’s a Little Song (2013 w/Becky Buller), Wash Away Your Troubles (2014), Small Town Heroes (2016), "From a Distance" (#2 song 2020 FAI Chart,) and Renaissance (#2 album, #2 artist 2021 FAI Chart). Smith earned two IBMA Recorded Event of the Year awards (2001, 2006,) contributed to the Grammy-nominated Clinch Mountain Sweethearts with Dolly Parton and Ralph Stanley, has been a key voice in the Daughters of Bluegrass series, leads her acclaimed touring band, Liberty Pike, wrote the musical Maggie’s Journal, toured globally and performed on PBS’s Bluegrass Underground and RFD-TV. As the owner of Bell Buckle Records and a producer through Bell Buckle Productions, she remains a key advocate for acoustic music's evolution while captivating audiences worldwide.
Bell Buckle Records – Contact:
bellbucklerecords@gmail.com| www.bellbucklerecords.com | Valerie Smith Music | PO Box 94 Somerset, VA 22972
Maggie's Journal by Valerie Smith – Annotated Track Descriptions (Page 2 of 4)

All songs Copyright (P) © Valerie Stevens 2023
Journal: Written by Margaret Attebury Brooks-McCamis
Script: Developed and written by Valerie Smith
and Donna Ulisse
Produced by Donna Ulisse
Mixed and mastered by Chris Latham at The Gorilla’s Nest, Ashland City,TN |
Genres: roots, bluegrass, folk, blues, Grassicana, Americana,
musical, historical content
* Instrumental Background tracks for speaking parts recorded and engineered by Tim Carter / Tree House Studio / Ridgetop, TN
# Vocals and instruments for song tracks recorded and engineered by Scott Vestal / Digital Underground / Greenbrier, TN
Performer Credits:
Cody Kilby: Acoustic Guitar, Mandolin – All tracks
Steve Burwell: Violin – All tracks
Evan Winsor: Upright Bass – All tracks
Scott Vestal: Disc 1: 7,11,13 | Disc 2: 2,4,10,12 |
Valerie Smith: Lead Vocal – Disc 1: 3,5,7,9,11,13,15 | Disc 2: 2,4,6,8,10,12,14 |
Valerie Smith: Maggie's Voice – Disc 1: 1,2,4,6,8,10,12, 14 | Disc 2: 1,3,5,7,9,11,13,15 |
Harmonies: Donna Ulisse – Disc 1: 1,2,4,6,8,10,12,14 |
Disc 2: 1,3,5,7,9,11,13,15 |
Mike Rogers – Disc 1: 3,5,7,11,15, Disc 2: 2,4,6,8,10,12,14 |
Josie Smith 9 | Rosa Vestal 9 | Aaron Vestal 9

All Tracks FCC Compliant
Note: Some of the readings in the journal and associated song lyrics that describe the neglect or physical abuse / violence that Maggie experienced at the hands of her parents and first husband Jim O’Dell may be disturbing to sensitive listeners. Disc 1: Tracks 3,4 | Disc 2 tracks 3,4,8,9,10,11 are marked S for Sensitive.
Disc One

1. Introduction: The Dream Story (1:21) * ISRC: QMEU32503242 | Written by Valerie Smith and Edited by Donna Ulisse (Buckle Down Music Publishing /BMI) (Uncle Hadley Music/ASCAP) Valerie Smith sets the stage for Maggie's story with a dreamlike narrative, introducing the emotional and historical depth of Maggie's journal. Her spoken word, backed by gentle acoustic instrumentation, draws listeners into the post-Civil War “Old West”, the former frontier area of northwestern Missouri, in her journal, revealing that she lived on a farm near Gower, MO in the 1880s.

2. Maggie’s Reading: Part 1 (2:13) * ISRC: QMEU32503243 | Margaret Attebury Brooks-McCamis (Buckle Down Music Publishing /BMI) Maggie’s voice emerges through her journal, painting a vivid portrait of her life as a sharecropper’s daughter in Missouri. Her words introduce her family and the rugged world that shaped her, setting a poignant tone for the struggles to come.

3. That Was A Long Time Ago (4:53) # S (Slow, ballad, bluegrass, folk) | ISRC: QMEU32503244 | Valerie Smith and Donna Ulisse (Buckle Down Music Publishing /BMI) (Uncle Hadley Music/ASCAP) A poignant bluegrass ballad reflecting on Maggie's memories of her life on the farm, describing the window, the curtains, the smells of the harvest, and the painful past struggles. This was somewhat easy for me to imagine; I kept dreaming of the window in my grandparents' house and the white lace curtains. It seems like it was just yesterday, smelling the fresh-cut hay, hearing the farm sounds outside on a mild spring day.

4. Maggie’s Reading: Part 2 (1:30) * S ISRC: QMEU32503245 | Margaret Attebury Brooks-McCamis (Buckle Down Music Publishing/BMI) Maggie's narrative continues, deepening her story of survival and inner strength. She describes her daily work as a child and the strict discipline from her father. She builds up to the conclusion that she "Started Wrong in Life”.

5. Started Wrong In This Life (3:45) # (Mid – tempo, bluesy, folk, Grassicana) ISRC: QMEU32503246 | Valerie Smith and Donna Ulisse (Buckle Down Music Publishing /BMI) (Uncle Hadley Music/ASCAP) A raw reflection on Maggie's beginnings in the brutal culture and everyday life on the farmland of western Missouri. Smith's soulful vocals, backed by Ulisse and Rogers, convey pain and perseverance over a driving blues rhythm.

6. Maggie’s Reading: Part 3 (2:10) * ISRC: QMEU32503247 | Margaret Attebury Brooks-McCamis (Buckle Down Music Publishing /BMI) Maggie's journal entries reveal more of her emotional struggles. At an early age, she was made to help with the chores including raising siblings—trudging through the cold snow to gather water, washing clothes, and doing dishes. The cold Missouri winters and family offered no warmth to her body or soul.

7. Warm My Feet And Cry (3:46) # (Mid-tempo, bluegrass, folk, roots) ISRC: QMEU32503248 | Valerie Smith and Donna Ulisse (Buckle Down Music Publishing /BMI) (Uncle Hadley Music/ASCAP) A heartfelt song about seeking solace amid hardship inspired by my personal experience living in a family that gathered wood in the wintertime. I recall my grandparents having an old cast-iron stove in the family home's kitchen, and trying to warm my hands after hauling wood. I could only imagine Maggie's pain from the brutal winters of Missouri. I wrote the song with feelings of her great pain and sadness in a young life that seemed to present little hope for escape, according to my grandmother’s words.

8. Maggie’s Reading: Part 4 (1:52) * ISRC: QMEU32503249 | Margaret Attebury Brooks-McCamis (Buckle Down Music Publishing / BMI) Maggie's narrative deepens, exploring her inner world and societal challenges. Oh my, how this part of the journal got me —being a former school teacher, education is close to my heart. I have spoken with many people about this track, and each person tells me their educational experience. I realized that the fundamental right to learn is deeply intertwined with our self-worth and identity.

9. Oh Dear Reader (2:43) (Slow, ballad, acoustic, folk, Grassicana) # ISRC: QMEU32503250 | Valerie Smith and Donna Ulisse (Buckle Down Music Publishing /BMI) (Uncle Hadley Music/ASCAP) Maggie laments for the education denied to her and other girls. The most powerful verse ends with "Where were you God, the day that I was born, you left me here alone in this place that I would call home” Ralph Stanley inspired the soulful, melodic feel; he always conveyed such a deep longing in his voice and phrasing. The tender melody came to life under Cody Kilby's strong sense of arrangement. My daughter, Josie Smith, sings with me on parts of this song. This track gets me and I will treasure it for the rest of my life.

10. Maggie’s Reading: Part 5 (1:17) * ISRC: QMEU32503251 | Margaret Attebury Brooks-McCamis
(Buckle Down Music Publishing /BMI) Maggie introduces her feelings towards her older sister, Nora, and the sense that Nora may have been her mother's favorite. Any of you with siblings may relate to this portion of Maggie's story.

11. Jealous (4:03) (Up-tempo, bluegrass, folk) # ISRC: QMEU32503252 | Valerie Smith (Buckle Down Music Publishing /BMI) This track explores envy and the emotional turmoil it causes within all of us. What is jealousy? Are we jealous, envious, or are we truly being mistreated or unequally treated? It is one of the most complex emotions. Smith's vocals, with Ulisse and Rogers' harmonies, resonate over a rich bluegrass arrangement.

12. Maggie’s Reading: Part 6 (2:25) * ISRC: QMEU32503253 | Margaret Attebury Brooks-McCamis (Buckle Down Music Publishing /BMI) Maggie reflects on her fourteen-year-old self and introduces Jim O'Dell, who came to work on the farm. Her father disapproved of her dating Jim because of the way he treated the farm's animals. Her mother, Bell, encouraged the relationship. This is where Maggie's life takes a turn of confusion – the mysteries of boys, and the innocence of experiencing love.

13. I Never Learned To Love Him (3:21) (Mid-tempo, bluegrass, acoustic, country, folk) # ISRC: QMEU32503254 | Valerie Smith and Donna Ulisse (Buckle Down Music Publishing /BMI) (Uncle Hadley Music/ASCAP) A somber ballad about Maggie's loveless relationship with Jim O'Dell which describes her mother's secret plan get her out of the house. I will never forget harmonizing with Donna Ulisse in a beautiful, lush duet with an undertone that expresses the
confusion of Maggie's adolescent emotions. Thank you, Donna, for your beautiful harmony that added so much to this song. (Page 3 of 4)
14. Maggie’s Reading: Part 7 (2:23) * ISRC: QMEU32503255 | Margaret Attebury Brooks-McCamis
(Buckle Down Music Publishing /BMI) Maggie expresses so much regret and pain about this momentous event in her life. This made me so sad for her, being tricked into marriage by her mother and knowing that she had caused great pain to her father. I thought about the historic information she shares about taking a train from Plattsburg, MO, to the courthouse in Leavenworth, KS. She describes the brutal experience of coming back home to her father. Sad. Most young girls look forward to this special day with a grand celebration. I can't imagine this being how the day she was supposed to be married transpired—her life of strife.

15. My Life Of Strife (3:39) # (Mid- tempo, driving, bluegrass, folk, Grassicana) ISRC: QMEU32503256 | Valerie Smith, Donna Ulisse, Daniel Crabtree (Buckle Down Music Publishing /BMI) (Uncle Hadley Music/ASCAP) (Three Girls I Work For/ ASCAP) A gripping song about Maggie's story about returning from Leavenworth, KS, after being married to Jim O'Dell. Maggie realizes that her mother had deceived her father and lied about Maggie's marriage to Jim. Melodically and rhythmically, my goal was to depict the fight and the tension felt by two men who hated each other. Daniel Crabtree adds his lyrical sense to the fight scene with Ulisse and Rogers' harmonies, vividly conveying struggle.

Disc Two

1. Maggie’s Reading: Part 8 (:58) * ISRC: QMEU32503257 | Margaret Attebury Brooks-McCamis (Buckle Down Music Publishing /BMI) Maggie describes the poverty that she and Jim experienced in their first year of marriage. I grew up around many cornfields, and having that experience I could not imagine living in them! The rows of stalks are hot and dirty, and I remember encountering small snakes. Her home was a cornfield. Just imagine!

2. Misery Of Green (3:48) (Slow, ballad, folk) # ISRC: QMEU32503258 | Valerie Smith and Ann Miller (Buckle Down Music Publishing/ BMI) (Jewels of Jane Adelle Publishing / BMI) A haunting track about the experience of Maggie's first year of marriage, living in the Missouri cornfields. Oh, what misery it must have been!

3. Maggie’s Reading: Part 9 (1:08) * S ISRC: QMEU32503259 | Margaret Attebury Brooks-McCamis (Buckle Down Music Publishing /BMI) Maggie's story deepens in pain and abuse as she describes Jim's infidelities as "Running around town with strange women." She does not directly define Jim's issues as being syphilis, along with the abuse of opioids (the blue bottle of magic potion in the day) and alcohol addiction.

4. Blue Bottle Of Bad (3:46) # S (Slow, driving blues, Grassicana, folk) ISRC: QMEU32503260| Valerie Smith (Buckle Down Music Publishing /BMI) Describes the abusive treatment from Jim during his addiction to opioids and alcohol. A stark blues song about despair, delivered with raw intensity in the vocals, supported by Ulisse and Rogers' harmonies. This song allowed me to showcase my inspiration from Billy Holiday's soulful delivery in blues music.
5. Maggie’s Reading: Part 10 (2:08) * ISRC: QMEU32503261 | Margaret Attebury Brooks-McCamis
(Buckle Down Music Publishing /BMI) Maggie's journal reflects on her firstborn child, Alva, who was born with the described disease of "Jim's sin of being with unclean women," syphilis, which eventually took their baby's life.

6. Alva’s Lullaby (3:47) (Slow, ballad, folk) # ISRC: QMEU32503262 | Valerie Smith and Donna Ulisse
(Buckle Down Music Publishing /BMI) (Uncle Hadley Music/ASCAP) A tender lullaby for Maggie's child, blending love and sorrow. This song has an aria-like quality in this musical, showcasing the pain of Maggie's loss, loneliness, and sadness.

7. Maggie’s Reading: Part 11 (3:57) * S ISRC: QMEU32503263 | Margaret Attebury Brooks-McCamis
(Buckle Down Music Publishing /BMI) Maggie introduces another child, Mildred, who suffered from the same effects as Jim's sinful disease. She describes one of the most violent moments of her abuse by Jim. She also brings back Nora, her sister, who saves her from being starved and drugged to death by Jim and a live-in lady friend. This reading is a challenging listen, for it is unbelievably violent and sad. It describes the toughness of the West as men wearing kerchiefs around their faces with guns in hand are fighting for Maggie's life.

8. Jim O’Dell, Straight From Hell (3:23) # S (Up-tempo, driving bluegrass, blues, Grassicana) ISRC: QMEU32503264 | Valerie Smith and Daniel Crabtree (Buckle Down Music Publishing/ BMI) (Three Girls I Work For/ASCAP) A fiery driving bluegrass track depicting Maggie's abusive husband, Jim. A blend of blues and bluegrass, padded by the award-winning Scott Vestal's banjo track and bolstered by Daniel Crabtree's dash of lyrical penmanship, this track comes across as gritty and honest. Maggie begins to build up toughness and “fight” in herself. I can feel the birth of her determination in this song.

9. Maggie’s Reading: Part 12 (3:00) * S ISRC: QMEU32503265 | Margaret Attebury Brooks-McCamis (Buckle Down Music Publishing /BMI) Maggie's journal, spoken by Smith, reflects on the final scene of abuse scene in her words; how she would "Stand no more", and tells of her escape by the use of two loaded revolvers. She escapes, but to where? What resources were there for women during those times in Missouri?

10. What A Shame For A Girl Like Me (3:52) # S
(Up-tempo driving bluegrass, Grassicana) ISRC: QMEU32503266 | Valerie Smith and Donna Ulisse (Buckle
Down Music Publishing /BMI) (Uncle Hadley Music/ASCAP) I wrote the song to invoke feelings of escape and running, along with the frustration of disappointing her mother, loss, fear, and sadness. I could not imagine feeling all of those emotions at once in the middle of winter, running away from the danger that Jim put on her and her disabled child, Mildred. This part of the journal highlights the effect and importance of having our mothers' approval in our young lives, what we do to please our mothers, & how we gain love.

11. Maggie’s Reading: Part 13 (2:07) * ISRC: QMEU32503267 | Margaret Attebury Brooks-McCamis (Buckle Down Music Publishing /BMI) Along comes another child, named Arzilla. Maggie's narrative continues, describing how she ended up living at home with her parents. Her pay came from washing clothes for others. She also explains how women had few career, education, and job options. She has left Jim and is starting a new life.

12. When You Ain’t Got Nothin’ (3:35) # (Mid-tempo, driving, Grassicana, Blues) ISRC: QMEU32503268 | Valerie Smith and Donna Ulisse (Buckle Down Music Publishing /BMI) (Uncle Hadley Music/ASCAP) A gritty, uplifting anthem of survival, with Ulisse and Rogers' powerful vocals and harmonies over a lively Grassicana mixed with a rock arrangement. Money is a matter of perspective. Maggie was earning very little, but she felt rich on her newly found independent path.

13. Maggie’s Reading: Part 14 (:43) * ISRC: QMEU32503269 | Margaret Attebury Brooks-McCamis (Buckle Down Music Publishing /BMI) This part of Maggie's final journal entry really touches the deepest part of my soul. The big question of life is Why? What is our purpose? These are the questions we all ask ourselves at some point in our lives. What is our worth? My answer for Maggie is that because of her strength, my grandmother (her daughter) lived, gave life to my father, thus giving me life along with his other siblings and cousins and their children. Never assume your life does not mean anything in this world.

14. A Raggie Thing Like Me (3:30) # (Slow, ballad, folk, acoustic) ISRC: QMEU32503270 | Valerie Smith and Donna Ulisse (Buckle Down Music Publishing /BMI) (Uncle Hadley Music/ASCAP) The final song, my aria in honor of Maggie, a moving reflection on Maggie's self-worth, she asks God "What was your purpose for my pain and strife?" A Raggie thing like me…..

15. Maggie’s Final Thoughts – The End (1:09) * ISRC: QMEU32503271 | Margaret Attebury Brooks-McCamis (Buckle Down Music Publishing /BMI) Maggie's closing reflections, spoken by Smith, conclude her story with hope and resilience, describing her newfound love and children. She continues to search for the meaning of love. She also adds a biting tag about her mother, Bell, arriving on her doorstep in need of a home

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Bell Buckle Records | bellbucklerecords@gmail.com| www.bellbucklerecords.com | Contact Valerie Smith Music | PO Box 94 Somerset, VA 22972