LUTZ, Fla. — "Kick off your boots, Give a holler and a hoot. Yeehaw! Easy country living in beautiful downtown Lutz."
If you're from Lutz, you've probably heard the classic song all about this country town.
"If you like a place with nothing, you'll say man Lutz is really something. What do you get something for nothing in beautiful downtown Lutz."
The song was written by John "Lutz" Ritter many years ago. The song started on a local radio show, which back then was called Q Morning Zoo.
We spoke to Ritter at his studio in St. Pete.
"I played that and did all their parodies and it was great. And he goes you're from Lutz, aren't you? And I said yeah, he goes want to write a song about Lutz? So I did and he played that song, 'Beautiful Downtown Lutz' all around the state," explained Ritter. "It became a state hit song. And to this day, I can meet somebody from Lutz and they'll sing me the chorus you know, so it's, it's lasted the lasted through all the years."
Ritter, of course, spent a lot of time in Lutz while attending USF.
If you listen to the lyrics, you may think a lot of this slice of Tampa Bay has changed.
"You know, growing up in Lutz I was an entertainer then also going to school and writing those Q Morning Zoo jingles. I remember coming home at you know, midnight, or 12:30 in the morning as the only car on the road," said Ritter. "I mean, there was nothing out there. You took 41 to get out to your house so it was quiet and you know what? I'm still a Lutz kind of guy. I like slow towns. I like people that when they talk to you, they're sincere. I like going to mom-and-pop shops and like talking to people. So that's what I always loved about Lutz."
Ritter is now the host of a nationally syndicated radio show called Rise Up Country. It's locally broadcast on WQYK. He spends his time interviewing country music celebrities and spreading inspirational messages.
"I'm glad that music touches so many hearts. And we hope that even with Rise Up Country, that's what we're trying to do is trying to give you that that message that you're not stuck with you, you can change. We say don't give up. Just rise up," said Ritter.
Oh and if you didn't know, he also wrote the Bucs fight song. He says then owner, McKay, said if he could get people to sing it, they'll play it. So Ritter rented some trucks, circled the stadium and sang the song the whole time.
"Hey, we're the Buccaneers. Whoa, whoa, whoa, we're the Buccaneers. Offense defense now we're here to say make the Rams walk the plank throw them in Tampa Bay. Make the Rams walk the plank throw them in Tampa Bay. "
