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Tydus Alley was a brilliant songwriter in Nashville who was at the top of his craft in the late 1990's.

He co-wrote often with some of todays top songwriters, who now have numerous high charting country hits, cut and under their belt. Brett Jones (Lee Ann Womack - A Little Past Little Rock), just to name one of the hit songwriter's Tydus wrote with ...

Tydus cut this rough, guitar / vocal demo of Nickels And Dimes at his homegrown studio on Fatherland Drive in Nashville.

Tydus was living with a life threatening illness and had to take a lot of medication to keep his illness in check. He was covered under Tennesse's TennCare for health insurance and prescription drug coverage and his health was holding out very well.

(By the way, Tydus Alley was not a drinker, nor did his illness have anything to do with being alcohol related - just wanted to clear that up because this is a 'drinking song'. It just goes to show that a great songwriter can write a drinking song, without being a drinker themselves).

In 1999, TennCare went on an all out campagn to cut their healthcare costs. Thousands of citizens of Tennessee were suddenly faced with their medicines being changed and their medical care being diminished to save TennCare and the state of Tennessee money on healthcare costs.

Tydus Alley was one of these citizens. When his doctor informed him that one of the medicines he was taking would no longer be covered by TennCare, Tydus told his doctor that he could not live without the medication.

The doctor attempted to convince Tydus that there was a cheaper alternative to the medicine he was taking and asked that he try the medicine. The doctor told Tydus that he would do just fine on the new, cheaper medicine. Tydus did not believe the new medication would work, (because he had already tried scores of medicines that didn't work), and told the doctor he had given him a death sentence.

Not long after his medicine was changed, Tydus slipped into a coma and died. There was nothing the doctors could do to save him.

This video is dedicated to the memory of the great Nashville songwriter - Tydus Alley.

If anyone is interested in this song for any commercial venture or wishes to perform it in public, please contact the producer of this video.

This song is protected by a United States Copyright. All Rights Reserved

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