Dates of Note in Country Music, October 16-31

Category: News

October 16:

Jim Ed Norman born in Ft. Myers, Florida, 1948 (now 59)
Stoney Cooper born in Harman, West Virginia, 1918 (died 1977)
Doyle Wilburn died (cancer), 1982 (was 52)
Don Reno died (post-operative complications), 1984 (was 58)
Ralph Stanley Museum opened, 2004

October 17:

Earl Thomas Conley born in Portsmouth, Ohio, 1941 (now 66)
Alan Jackson born in Newman, Georgia, 1958 (now 49)
Tennessee Ernie Ford died (liver disease), 1991 (was 72)
Jay Livingston died (pneumonia), 2001 (was 86). Among the songwriter's many credits were "Bonanza!," which Johnny Cash recorded, and "The Hanging Tree," which Marty Robbins recorded.
Bashful Brother Oswald (Beecher Ray Kirby) died (cancer), 2002 (was 90)

October 18:

Chuck Berry born in San Jose, California, 1926 (now 81). Among the rock and roll legend's hits that have made it to the country chart are "Memphis" (#10 hit for Fred Knoblock, 1981), "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" (#3 hit for Waylon Jennings, 1970), "The Promised Land" (#3 hit for Freddy Weller, 1970), and "Johnny B. Goode" (#1 hit for Buck Owens, 1969).
Keith Knudsen of Southern Pacific born in Ames, Iowa, 1952 (now 55)
Harty Taylor of Karl & Harty died (stroke), 1963 (was 58)
Hank Williams married Billie Jean Jones, 1952. After Williams' death, she would marry Johnny Horton.
Don Hecht died (heart attack), 2002 (was 72)

October 19:

Arthur E. "Uncle Art" Satherley born in Bristol, England, 1889 (died 1986)
Charlie Chase born in Rogersville, Tennessee, 1952 (now 55)
Don Parmley of the Bluegrass Cardinals born in Oliver Springs, Tennessee, 1933 (now 74)
Ebo Walker (ne Harry Shelor) of Bluegrass Alliance and New Grass Revival born in Louisville, Kentucky, 1941 (now 66)
Jeannie C. Riley born in Anson, Texas, 1945 (now 62)
The first CMA Awards program was held, 1967. It was not televised.
Grant Turner died (heart failure), 1991 (was 79)

October 20:

Stuart Hamblin born in Kellyville, Texas, 1908 (died 1989)
Grandpa Jones born in Niagara, Kentucky, 1913 (died 1998)
Wanda Jackson born in Maud, Texas, 1937 (now 70)
Merle Travis died (heart attack), 1983 (was 65)
Rounder Records founded by Ken Irwin, Bill Nowlin, and Marian Leighton, 1970. Mr. Nowlin says this "birth" of Rounder is based on the date of their first invoice.

October 21:

Owen Bradley born in Westmoreland, Tennessee, 1915 (died 1998)
Bill Black died (brain tumor), 1965 (was 39)
Mel Street born in Grundy, Virginia, 1933 (died 1978)
Mel Street died (suicide), 1978 (45th birthday)

October 22:

Leon Chappelear died (suicide), 1962 (was 53)
Shelby Lynn born in Quantico, Virginia, 1968 (now 39)
Dorothy Shay, the "Park Avenue Hillbillie," died (heart attack), 1978 (was 57)

October 23:

Dwight Yoakam born in Pikeville, Kentucky, 1956 (now 51)
Junior Bryant of Ricochet born in Pecos, Texas, 1968 (now 39)
Mother Maybelle Carter died (respiratory arrest), 1978 (was 68)
Merle Watson died (tractor accident), 1985 (was 36). His father Doc's long-lasting tribute to his late son is the annual bluegrass event known as "MerleFest."
Rusty Kershaw died (heart attack), 2001 (was 63)

October 24:

Jiles Perry "The Big Bopper" Richardson born in Sabine Pass, Texas, 1930 (died 1959). Among his songwriter credits is "White Lightnin'" by friend George Jones and Hank Snow's "Beggar to a King."
Mark Gray (former member of Exile) born in Vicksburg, Mississippi, 1952 (now 55)
Kirk McGee died (natural causes), 1983 (was 83)
Rosey Nix Adams, daughter of June Carter Cash, died (carbon monoxide poisoning), 2003 (was 45)

October 25:

Mark Miller (Sawyer Brown) born in Dayton, Ohio, 1958 (now 49)
Jeanne Black born in Pomona, California, 1937 (now 70)
Cousin Minnie Pearl born in Grinders Switch (actually, Centerville), Tennessee, 1912 (died 1996)
Chely Wright born in Kansas City, Missouri, 1970 (now 37)
Roger Miller died (throat cancer), 1992 (was 56)
Johnnie Lee Willis died (heart ailment), 1984 (was 72)
Johnny Cash's last concert performance, Flint Michigan, 1997

October 26:

Keith Urban born in Whangarei, New Zeland, 1967 (now 40)
Hoyt Axton died (heart attack), 1999 (was 61)
Statler Brothers' final concert in their hometown of Salem, Virginia, 2002

October 27:

Snuffy Jenkins born in Harris, North Carolina, 1908 (died 1990)
Floyd Cramer born in Campti, Louisiana, 1933 (died 1997)
Dallas Frazier born in Spiro, Oklahoma, 1939 (now 68)
Ruby Wright born in Nashville, Tennessee, 1939 (now 68)
Lee Greenwood born in Southgate, California, 1942 (now 65)
Allan "Rocky" Lane died (cancer), 1973 (was 72). He is mentioned in the Statler Brothers' "Whatever Happened to Randolph Scott."
Grand Ole Opry debuts at the Hillsboro Theater, 1934

October 28:

Bill Bolick of the Blue Sky Boys born in Hickory, North Carolina, 1917 (now 90)
Charlie Daniels born in Wilmington, North Carolina, 1936 (now 71)
Brad Paisley born in Glen Dale, West Virginia, 1972 (now 35)
Jimmy Skinner died (heart attack), 1979 (was 70)
Mel Foree died (cancer), 1990 (age unknown)

October 29:

Albert E. Brumley born in Spiro, Oklahoma, 1905 (died 1977)
Ramblin' Jimmie Dolan born in Gardena, California, 1916 (died 1994)
Sonny Osborne born in Hyden, Kentucky, 1937 (now 70)
Fred Maddox died (heart disease), 1992 (was 73)
Charlie Monk born in Noma, Florida, 1938 (now 69)

October 30:

Patsy Montana born in Hope, Arkansas, 1908 (died 1996)
Timothy B. Schmit of Poco and the Eagles born in Sacramento, California, 1947 (now 60)
T. Graham Brown born in Atlanta, Georgia, 1954 (now 53)
Clifton Clowers born in Wolverton Mountain, Conway County, Arkansas, 1891 (died 1994)
Kitty Wells and Johnnie Wright married, 1937 (70 years!!)

October 31:

Kinky Friedman born in Chicago, Illinois, 1944 (now 63)
Dale Evans born in Uvalde, Texas, 1912 (died 2001)
Carl Belew died (cancer), 1990 (was 59)
Bob Atcher died (unknown causes), 1993 (was 79)

Bye Bye Miss Americana Pie

Category: Opinion

I have credentials to attend the Americana Music Association conference in Nashville at the end of the month. I'm very excited.

So, what exactly is "Americana?"

That's a good question!

I know, that's a bad answer.

In one regard, you certainly cannot get a definition by looking at some of the artists scheduled to appear or showcase. Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart, and Laurie Lewis are scheduled to be there. They're all bluegrass. Lyle Lovett is a keynote performer. He's...well, he's Lyle, a man who can perform country that would do George Jones proud and do big band jazz that'd make Glenn Miller happy. Webb Wilder, one of the best "roots rock" performers on earth, will be there (he's not country, but It Came From Nashville, from 1986, is an absolute must-have album!). Steve Forbert, a folk-rocker, will be there. He wrote "Samson and Delilah's Beauty Shop," which Wilder covered, and "What Kinda Guy?" that became "What Kinda Girl?" on Rosanne Cash's Seven Year Ache album. (He also got the career "kiss of death" by being tagged "the next Dylan" when his first album, Alive on Arrival, was released.) The Gougers, an alt-country band, will be playing at the all-day barbecue. Peter Case has the conference on his schedule. He was the lead singer of the early 80s rock band the Plimsouls before creating a masterful solo career with outstanding folk-rock albums such as The Man With the Blue Postmodern Fragmented Neotraditionalist Guitar and (one of my favorite album titles ever) Peter Case Sings Like Hell (which is a collection of old folk and country songs such as "Down in the Willow Garden").

Other than looking suspiciously very much like my record collection, there aren't a lot of clues from the artist line-up to define "Americana."

But on the other hand, that speaks volumes as to what Americana is. My favorite quote, one I have in practically all my profiles, is a remark from Sir Paul McCartney that I read in a 1974 issue of Hit Parader: "I just like good music. And, you know, you've gotta search for it." That sounds like an apt description of Americana music. Americana is Dale Watson bemoaning the fact that "rock and roll back in the 70s sounds like the country (crap) today" in "Nashville Rash." It's Webb Wilder singing Sonny Landreth's "Meet Your New Landlord" alongside covering Waylon Jennings' "Nashville Rebel." It's Uncle Tupelo singing the Louvin Brothers' "Great Atomic Power." It's Steve Earle singing "Copperhead Road," which he described when I saw him perform it live shortly before the album came out in 1987 as "the first heavy metal song written on the mandolin." It's good music, performed by artists who want to be good first, and if they sell, that's a bonus. These are the men and women who are just as much at home on a front porch pickin' as they are in a hot venue performing for their fans. Oh, and they most likely have time to shake their fans' hands at the end of the day, too.

If you're in Nashville, I hope to see you at the Americana Music Association conference from October 31 through November 4. It might not all be "country music," but I'll bet you a pile of Monopoly money it WILL all be good music.

Grascals, Lawson Among IBMA Winners

Category: News

The 17th annual International Bluegrass Music Association Awards were presented in Nashville on Thursday (10/4/07) at the Grand Ole Opry House. The awards featured some old favorites and new -- and unusual -- winners.

The Grascals, who began their career with the 2005 Emerging Artist award, won "Entertainer of the Year" for the second consecutive year. The band, featuring members who are veterans of Lonesome Standard Time, the Osborne Brothers' band, and Garth Brooks' band, is riding high on the success of its second Rounder album, Long List of Heartaches.

Another perennial winner is Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver. The legendary group picked up their seventh consecutive Vocal Group of the Year award, and their fifth Gospel Recorded Performance award for "He Lives in Me."

Singer/songwriter/guitarist/DJ Chris Jones picked up two awards as well, one as co-writer of Song of the Year "Fork in the Road" (recorded by the Infamous Stringdusters, the band awarded the Emerging Artist of the Year award), and one as Bluegrass Broadcaster of the Year for his nightly show on Sirius satellite's bluegrass channel.

Rob Ickes, who played in the Whitstein Brothers band with Jones in the mid-90s, was named Dobro Player of the Year for the ninth time. This makes him the most honored musician in IBMA history. (In the 17-year history of the awards, there have only been three recipients of the Dobro Player honor: Ickes, Jerry Douglas, and Phil Leadbetter.)

Blind fiddler Michael Cleveland was named Best Fiddler for the fifth time. Sam Bush, who hosted the awards ceremony, was named Mandolin Player for the fourth time, while Tony Rice picked up his sixth Guitar Player of the Year award. Missy Raines was named Bass Player of the Year for the seventh time, while the instrumental awards were rounded out by first-time winner Tony Trischka as Banjo Player of the Year.

Trischka's project on Rounder Records, Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular, was honored as the Recorded Event of the Year. This award means that actor/comedian Steve Martin has an IBMA trophy, as he was one of the banjo players on the project.

The program also inducted two legends into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame. Howard Watts, who performed under the name Cedric Rainwater (1913-1970), was a member of the "classic" Blue Grass Boys line-up behind Bill Monroe that featured Chubby Wise, Lester Flatt, and Earl Scruggs. He also played bass with Hank Williams' Drifting Cowboys and Hank Snow. Carl Story (1916-1995) was also a member of Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys before entering the service during World War II. It is his post-Monroe work that earned him the title "Father of Bluegrass Gospel Music" and his place in the Hall of Fame.

The IBMA Awards conclude the annual IBMA World of Bluegrass Convention, which is geared toward bluegrass performers and industry professionals. A three-day "Fan Fest" concludes the week-long event.

Sista Smith crows about her husband's award

Forgotten?

Category: Opinion

RFDTV is a blessing for fans of older country music, as they show The Porter Wagoner Show (with both Norma Jean and Dolly Parton as the featured "girl singer") and The Wilburn Brothers Show (their "girl singer" was a gal by the name of Loretta Lynn), as well as other shows featuring live performances.

At least RFDTV hasn't forgotten the Wilburn Brothers. It appears everyone else has.

CD Universe shows a whopping one Wilburn Brothers collection available. That's woeful for a duet that recorded with Webb Pierce and Ernest Tubb, had over thirty charted songs, started the career of Patty Loveless, and had their own highly successful syndicated television show. There are artists who've recorded less music in their entire career who have more CDs available than the Wilburn Brothers. That's downright pitiful.

Without question, Teddy and Doyle Wilburn were not the best-liked individuals in Nashville. Their reputations as SOBs (and that does not stand for "Southern Ohio Businessmen"!) is sadly well-known. Their Sure-Fire Music publishing company owned the rights to Loretta Lynn's songs, and for years she refused to perform her own self-written tunes so as to not give a penny to the company (and, by extension, the Wilburns). The Wilburns and Lynn played a game of suit/countersuit in the early 70s. There's nary a mention of them in the biopic Coal Miner's Daughter.

However, much the same can be said of Webb Pierce. Pierce had a nasty habit of claiming half songwriter's credit for changing an article in a song or a note. It was no coincidence that, even though there was ample opportunity for the CMA to honor him during his lifetime, Pierce died without being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. (In fact, a cancer-stricken Pierce admitted in an interview in the summer of 1990 that he was hoping to live to see the CMA awards in October, certain that he was going to be the Hall of Fame recipient [no doubt based on the "dead and dying" notion -- die (e.g., Patsy Montana, Tammy Wynette) or have serious health problems (e.g., Marty Robbins, Tennessee Ernie Ford) and your chances for induction increase dramatically]; however, the 1990 inductee was another seriously ill performer, Tennessee Ernie.) Pierce was not inducted for ten years after his death despite having more #1 hits in country music than anyone in the 1950s, and when he was inducted, it was with nine other acts, so he never received the singular spotlight. That's a long time to carry a grudge.

Doyle Wilburn died of cancer in 1982. When Teddy died, days short of his 72nd birthday in 2003, I truly expected the ill feelings to be buried with him. Alas, it has not happened as of yet. Loretta Lynn has (to date, unsuccessfully) sued Sure-Fire to recover the songs she wrote while under contract to them. Teddy's family was none too pleased with his will establishing scholarships for college students but passing nothing around to his relatives.

Are these bitter feelings, some of which stretch back to the 1970s, keeping the Wilburn Brothers out of the Hall of Fame? More significantly, are they keeping the Wilburns' music out of the CD bins? There would be few things more sad than to think that the world is being deprived of some of the greatest country music of the 1960s because people are still burdening themselves with resentment.

A Loving Tribute

Category: Review

One listen to most of the songs on Charlie Louvin's eponymous new album and it is painfully obvious that his voice is way past its prime. Louvin must be aware of this, as he has enlisted a number of artists as diverse as George Jones and Elvis Costello to help him through eleven old songs, most of them Louvin Brothers classics such as "When I Stop Dreaming" (where Costello shines and proves that he could have had a great career in country music) and "Must You Throw Dirt in My Face."

The other major problem with the new CD is that a number of these songs have been on every album Louvin has released in the past 20 years. "When I Stop Dreaming" has appeared on Louvin's last four releases, including two back-to-back albums he did with Charles Whitstein. Louvin has commented on a number of occasions that he feels he, not Ira, should've handled lead vocal chores on the Louvin Brothers' 1955 breakthrough hit, and apparently he's out to reissue the song on every album for the rest of his life in an attempt to prove his point. (Louvin first recorded a solo version of "When I Stop Dreaming" in 1967 on I'll Remember Always.)

With all its flaws, Charlie Louvin contains an absolute gem: "Ira," the only new song on the CD. On this song, Charlie pays tribute to his late brother (as he did on the title track of I'll Remember Always). In this case, his frail voice actually enhances the song. The old man singing the song is looking back on a long life, better of half of which has been spent without his only brother (the Louvin Brothers were the only two boys out of a family of seven children). The memories obviously haunt him ("Your voice is strong even though you're gone, 'cause I still hear your part"), and he sings as though he's getting a weight off his shoulders. This is obviously something Charlie had to sing, a mixture of praise for his late brother ("You had a way of writing songs from the heart") and acknowledgement that his own career is nearing its end ("One day soon I'll sing with you and the angels"). Charlie Louvin has been nominated for Grammy awards and his solo career generated better sales than the Louvin Brothers enjoyed during their career; however, he has never had a moment in his solo life to equal this.

For all the weak versions of Louvin Brothers classics on the CD Charlie Louvin, the song "Ira" is an must-hear. It is a loving memorial to one of the greatest singers and songwriters country music has known, performed by the only person who could deliver it with such emotion and heart.

The "Ira" video

Dates of Note in Country Music, October 1-15

Category: News

October 1:

Skeets McDonald born in Greenway, Arkansas, 1915 (died 1968)
Bonnie Owens born in Blanchard, Oklahoma, 1932 (died 2006)
Kelly Willis born in Lawton, Oklahoma, 1968 (now 39)

October 2:

Jo-El Sonnier born in Rayne, Louisiana, 1946 (now 61)
Tammy Sullivan born in Wagarville, Alabama, 1964 (now 43)
Chris LeDoux born in Biloxi, Mississippi, 1948 (died 2005)
Chubby Wise born in Lake City, Florida, 1915 (died 1996)
Gene Autry died (lymphoma), 1998 (was 91). The "Singing Cowboy" owned the Anaheim Angels, who dedicated their 2002 World Series victory to his memory.
Elvis Presley played the Grand Ole Opry, 1954

October 3:

Joe Allison born in McKinney, Texas, 1924 (died 2002)
Woody Guthrie died (Huntington's disease), 1967 (was 55). Among the folk singer's compositions were the Maddox Brothers and Rose's hit "Philadelphia Lawyer."
Del Wood died (stroke), 1989 (was 69)

October 4:

Leroy Van Dyke born in Spring Fork, Missouri, 1929 (now 78)
Larry Collins of the Collins Kids born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1944 (now 63)
Greg Hubbard of Sawyer Brown born in Orlando, Florida, 1960 (now 47)
Jerry Rivers died (cancer), 1996 (was 68)
A.L. "Doodle" Owens died (heart attack), 1999 (was 68)
Tammy Wynette claimed to have been kidnapped and beaten, 1978

October 5:

Radio station WSM born in Nashville at 650 on the AM dial, 1925 (now 82)
Margie Singleton born in Coushatta, Louisiana, 1935 (now 72)
Johnny Duncan born in Dublin, Texas, 1938 (died 2006)

October 6:

Kendall Hayes born in Perryville, Kentucky, 1935 (died 1995)
Tim Rushlow of Little Texas born in Arlington, Texas, 1966 (now 41)
Ted Daffan died (natural causes), 1996 (was 84)

October 7:

Dale Watson born in Birmingham, Alabama, 1962 (now 45)
Uncle Dave Macon born in Warren County, Tennessee, 1870 (died 1952)
Gordon Terry born in Decatur, Alabama, 1931 (died 2006)
Hugh Cherry born in Louisville, Kentucky, 1922 (died 1998)
Buddy Lee born in Brooklyn, New York, 1932 (died 1998)
Jim Halsey born in Independence, Kansas, 1930 (now 77)
Kieran Kane born in Queens, New York, 1949 (now 58)
Johnny Darrell died (diabetes complications), 1997 (was 57)
Jimmie Logsdon died (unknown cause), 2001 (was 79)

October 8:

Ricky Lee Phelps of the Kentucky Headhunters born in Paragould, Arkansas, 1953 (now 54)
Susan Raye born in Eugene, Oregon, 1944 (now 63)
Lynn Morris born in Lamesa, Texas, 1948 (now 59)
Jackie Frantz of Dave & Sugar born in Sidney, Ohio, 1950 (now 57)
Pete Drake born in Atlanta, Georgia, 1932 (died 1988)

October 9:

Goebel Reeves born in Sherman, Texas, 1899 (died 1969)

October 10:

John Prine born in Maywood, Illinois, 1946 (now 60)
Tanya Tucker born in Seminole, Texas, 1958 (now 49)

October 11:

Gene Watson born in Palestine, Texas, 1943 (now 64)
Paulette Carlson of Highway 101 born in Northfield, Minnesota, 1952 (now 55)
Dottie West born in McMinnville, Tennessee, 1932 (died 1991)
Rex Griffin died (tuberculosis), 1958 (was 46)
Tex Williams died (cancer), 1985 (was 68)
T. Tommy Cutrer died (heart attack), 1998 (was 74)

October 12:

Shane McAnally born in Mineral Wells, Texas, 1974 (now 33)
John Denver died (plane crash), 1997 (was 53)

October 13:

Rhett Akins born in Valdosta, Georgia, 1969 (now 38)
Lacy J. Dalton born in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, 1946 (now 61)
Anita Kerr born in Memphis, Tennessee, 1927 (now 80)
John Wiggins born in Nashville, Tennessee, 1962 (now 45)
Hoarce Lee Logan died (respiratory disease), 2002. The founder of the Louisiana Hayride also coined one of the most oft-repeated phrases in American popular culture: trying to calm down an audience after one Louisiana Hayride performer wowed the crowd, Logan announced, "Elvis has left the building."

October 14:

Kenny Roberts born in Lenoir City, Tennessee, 1926 (now 81)
Melba Montgomery born in Iron City, Tennessee, 1938 (now 69)
Bing Crosby died (heart attack), 1977. The legendary pop crooner has the distinction of being the first artist to have a #1 single on Billboard magazine's Country and Western charts ("Pistol Packin' Mama," 1944).

October 15:

Dean Miller born in Los Angeles, California, 1965 (now 42)

Sick Call: Hairl Hensley

Category: News

I read in Sista Smiff's blog that Hairl Hensley, Sirius Roadhouse host and former afternoon DJ and "Early Bird Gets the Bluegrass" host on Nashville's WSM-AM, is recovering from a heart attack and subsequent bypass surgery. My prayers certainly go out for a speedy recovery.

Hairl Hensley has a very warped sense of humor. One of my favorite tales about him is a slight re-write he did of tractor maker Massey-Ferguson's commercials on the Grand Ole Opry. He didn't mean any harm, he just did an abbreviation. Massey-Ferguson officials reportedly weren't that appreciative to hear Hairl saying, "Make sure you stop by your local M.F. dealer." Not the best way to sell a tractor, perhaps, but very funny.

I've met Hairl a few times. He's a fun and funny, gracious gentleman who is a treasure chest of country music knowledge. Here's hoping he's back on Sirius Roadhouse (channel 62, or 6062 on Dish TV satellite) soon!

Kentucky's Music

Category: Tourism/Opinion

You take a K and an E,
An N and a T, a U and a C-K-Y,
That spells "Kentucky"
But it means paradise
--Merle Travis, "Kentucky Means Paradise"

Kentucky is probably not destination number one in a music travelogue. That's a shame, and I blame our tourism department for failing to acknowledge the vast and varied contributions this state has made to the world of music. They are making strides, but it's going to take some time for Kentucky's tourism to crow about Central City and Van Lear the way Tennessee boasts about Nashville and Memphis.

Bluegrass music should be hyped to no end in Kentucky. After all, Bill Monroe could have named them the "Hoosier Boys" instead of the "Bluegrass Boys" (his festival was in Bean Blossom, Indiana, after all). Sad to say, local bluegrass shows are not well attended. A three-day "Bluegrass On the Ohio" (BOTO) festival held in 2006 was cancelled in 2007 (lack of funds according to their web site, which usually means "bad ticket sales"). That makes me want to cry. People will travel from all over the world to attend a bluegrass show (the International Bluegrass Music Association's annual convention and Fan Fest were held in Louisville from 1997 through 2003, and people did travel from all over the world to attend), but people in the state that gave the world the "Father of Bluegrass" cannot drive five miles to support the music. IBMA's Museum and Hall of Honor is also in Kentucky, located in Owensboro. The city was the one-time home of IBMA's offices and the original home of the IBMA convention and Fan Fest. Everything except the museum has since moved to Nashville.

Thankfully, the eastern Kentucky region, which has provided so many country greats, has taken great strides to promote the region and the stars who came from there. US Highway 23 has been renamed "Country Music Highway." Eastern Kentucky is the home of Loretta Lynn, Crystal Gayle, Dwight Yoakam, Ricky Skaggs, the Osborne Brothers, Hylo Brown, Keith Whitley, the Judds, Patty Loveless, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Gary Stewart. (Tom T. Hall is from nearby Olive Hill, Kentucky; however, Route 23 does not run through that city, so he is not included in the road markers.) Good for eastern Kentucky!

The western region of Kentucky could do something similar. Merle Travis and the Everly Brothers are from the same part of Kentucky (the area John Prine immortalized in "Paradise"), not too far from where Bill Monroe was born. In the same region is Madisonville, where the famed Southern Gospel great group the Happy Goodmans was formed. Niagara, Kentucky (in Henderson County) is the birthplace of Grandpa Jones.

Then there's the largest city in Kentucky. According to Randy Atcher's biography, Louisville rivaled Nashville in the 30s for country music supremacy. Pee Wee King was headquartered here. Randy and his brother Bob, regulars on WLS's "National Barn Dance" throughout the 30s, were Louisville natives (and Randy returned to the Derby City after his stint in the service during World War II to become a local legend). The local television program Hayloft Hoedown (which Atcher hosted on WASH television) featured numerous national country performers. Even as late as the 1960s, Opry star Stu Phillips taped his syndicated television show at the studios of WAVE.

And I've not mentioned Skeeter Davis (born in Dry Ridge), Stringbean (Annville), John Conlee (Versailles -- yes, we have a Versailles here; also Paris, London, and Brandenburg!), folk singer Mary Travers of Peter, Paul and Mary (Louisville), Vince Gill's first band, the Bluegrass Alliance (Louisville), Red Foley (Berea), the late Boots Randolph (Paducah), and George Clooney's aunt, Rosemary (Maysville), who did a very good version of Carl Smith's hit "If Teardrops Were Pennies" (in fact, Porter and Dolly's version is closer in arragement to her upbeat rendition than Smith's original).

We now have a Kentucky Music Hall of Fame, located in Renfro Valley. The Hall of Fame and Museum is young, a work in progress, but it is a welcome -- and long overdue -- acknowledgement of the vast wealth of musical talent that has emerged from the Bluegrass State.

Three cheers for Kentucky, a definite vacation spot for fans of country and bluegrass music. Maybe one day you'll drive past Rosine on the Bill Monroe Parkway or get off I-65 to head to western Kentucky on the Everly Brothers Parkway. Right now, those parkways are all named for state politicians, but perhaps one day the politicians will stop patting themselves on the back and name these highways for the legends who took their talents to the world and, in the process, put "the dearest land outside of Heaven to me" (as Karl Davis wrote in the song "Kentucky") on the musical map.

International Bluegrass Music Museum/Hall of Honor Site

Kentucky Music Hall of Fame and Museum site

Bluegrass Musician Larry Fuller Dies

Category: News

Bluegrass musician Larry Fuller, well-known in Kentucky and throughout bluegrass, was killed Saturday (9/22) when fire engulfed his tour bus. He was 58.

The fire broke out on Fuller's tour bus, which was parked next to his home in Richmond, Kentucky, about 2 AM Saturday morning. He was scheduled to play in Williamstown, Kentucky Saturday evening. Flames spread to his house, but no one in the house was injured.

Fuller was inducted into the George D. Hay Hall of Fame in Arkansas last year in honor of a career that began in the 1970s while Fuller was a coal miner. A mining injury left him unable to work in the mines any longer but also allowed him to pursue music full-time.

Richmond Register story

WTVQ Lexington story

WKYT story

Larry Fuller's web site

Who is Bobby Braddock and Why Am I Saying All These Nice Things About Him?

Category: Personal

The chorus of an old Freddie Hart song sums up how I feel about this past Saturday: "I just took a trip to heaven, I didn't even have to die."

Sharon Cobb asked me to cover Bobby Braddock's appearance at the Country Music Hall of Fame's Ford Theater for her blog (which I did). The experience was beyond description. Braddock, a Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer, discussed his autobiography Down in Orburndale: A Songwriter's Youth in Old Florida (published by LSU press, 2007) and many of the songs he has written. If you have listened to country music in the past 40 years, you've heard a Braddock composition. In fact, he has contributed two songs to pop culture, songs that people who don't even know or care about country music have heard (or at least heard of): "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" by Tammy Wynette and "He Stopped Loving Her Today" by George Jones. Other Braddock hits: "Her Name Is...." (Jones), "I Wanna Talk About Me" (Toby Keith), "Time Marches On" (Tracy Lawrence), "Bleep You" (Cal Smith), and "(We're Not) The Jet Set" (Jones and Wynette), a song that's become part of a Chevy commercial (with Dale Earnardt Jr. driving in a convertible singing along to the song's punch line, "We're not the jet set, we're the old Chevrolet [pronounced shev-ro-LET] set, but ain't we got love").

This was a two-for-one special, as I found myself sitting right behind another living songwriting legend, John D. Loudermilk (who wrote "Waterloo," "Abilene," "Break My Mind," 2003 bluegrass song of the year "Blue Train [of the Heartbreak Line]," "Talk Back Trembling Lips," and a list of songs longer than Braddock's only because he had a ten-year jump on Braddock). Bob McDill (writer of "Amanda," one of the most beautiful love songs you'll ever hear, "Catfish John," and a few hundred others) was also in attendance, as was cult singer/songwriter Marshall Chapman (author of the title track from Jimmy Buffett's album Last Mango in Paris). When songwriters show up on a beautiful late summer afternoon to listen to "one of their own," it speaks volumes to the respect Bobby Braddock has in the Nashville community.

As well he should have. Appearing almost shy and, by his own admission, a little nervous, he performed five of his songs ("I Lobster and Never Flounder," "Time Marches On," "I Wanna Talk About Me," "The Nerve," and "He Stopped Loving Her Today") and shared stories of his life as a songwriter, band member (his Nashville career began playing piano for Marty Robbins, and Robbins was the first to record a Braddock composition), and now author and producer (he produces Blake Shelton's albums and can be seen in two of his videos, "Ol' Red" and "Some Beach"). He talked for over an hour and a half, dosing out a healthy amount of humor. (The funniest moment was Braddock recounting a program director being offended by Braddock's song "Dolly Parton's Hits" ["bouncing up the charts" as the lyrics say] and telling him so, to which Braddock replied [complete with self-editing], "Well, perhaps you'll like my next song. It's called 'Porter Wagoner's blank.'")

While the Ford Theater only held about 200 people (it was full), this should have been held at Adelphia Stadium -- with the stadium filled to capacity. Bobby Braddock, although still relatively young (he just turned 67 in August, and certainly looks much younger than his years), is a certified legend in country music. While he joked that he was "always open to getting things I don't deserve," in truth he deserves the attention. "I Wanna Talk About Me" hitting #1 made Braddock one of the very few songwriters to have #1 hits in five decades. Unless things change, we're not likely to see that quality and quantity of songwriter in country music again.

Thanks, Sharon, for asking me to cover the event; and thank you, Bobby Braddock, for all those incredible songs.

An Exhibit or a Taste of Things to Come?

Category: Opinion

This weekend I went to the Country Music Hall of Fame for the first time since the day the new location opened in 2001. A scary sight greeted me: a Ray Charles exhibit. Something tells me this is a lobbying effort of sorts to get Charles inducted into the Hall of Fame, as I have heard people asking for Charles to be inducted for at least ten years. With every fiber in my country-loving soul, I beg those anonymous voters: DON'T DO IT!!!!

Ray Charles was an absolute certified legend. NO question. Anyone who thinks otherwise simply does not know music. That is not my concern, lest anyone think otherwise.

No, my issue is that the great Ray Charles is not a country legend. Oh, yes, he recorded Don Gibson's "I Can't Stop Loving You" on his landmark 1962 album Modern Sounds in Country Music. One album or song, however, does not a Hall of Famer make.

First, Ray Charles was not the first non-country performer to do a country song. In fact, the very first song to top the Billboard "Hillbilly and Western" singles chart in 1944 was Bing Crosby and the Andrew Sisters' rendition of Al Dexter's "Pistol Packin' Mama." That's right, a pop cover hit #1 before Dexter's own version. Crosby was also referenced in Hank Thompson's "Wake Up, Irene" ("Even Crosby too, with his boo-boo-ba-boopty-doo / Tried to get Irene to hit the hay"). Neither of these facts makes Bing Crosby Country Music Hall of Fame material.

Other non-country acts have done country albums or performed duets with country artists. Gene Pitney did two albums of duets with George Jones (and a third country duets album with Melba Montgomery). Elvis Costello has performed with everyone from Ricky Skaggs to Charlie Louvin, and Johnny Cash has covered his songs. Costello's Almost Blue album would be banned by modern country radio for being TC (Too Country). None of this makes them worthy of induction (although if one wants to put a rocker in, Costello is most qualified).

Second, Ray Charles was not country. Check out his show-stopping "Shake a Tail Feather" in The Blues Brothers, and if you think that's country I'll eat your cowboy hat at Hank Williams' grave. Good? Without question. That number and Aretha Franklin's "Think" are worth the price of admission alone. But COUNTRY? Not even by today's standards.

Third, other halls of fame do not induct people outside the genre unless there is a legitimate reason to do so. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, for instance, has inducted a number of country artists -- as early influences on rock and roll. Only Johnny Cash (a rockabilly pioneer) has been inducted as a performer. I don't see the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tripping over themselves to induct Don Gibson because he wrote "I Can't Stop Loving You." And, you know what? They shouldn't. Yes, Gibson made the pop charts (he had four top 40 hits, the biggest in terms of chart success being "Oh, Lonesome Me" in 1958), but that doesn't make him a rock and roll legend. It takes a career, not a flash.

Fourthly, there are numerous people who cannot by any stretch of the imagination be considered anything except country who have yet to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Al Dexter, Pop Stoneman, Ferlin Husky, Jean Shepard, and Hank Locklin are long overdue for induction. It's bad enough that Elvis Presley was inducted before these people (even though there is far greater a legitimate argument for Presley's inclusion than for the induction of Ray Charles). Let's get the country people in first, then we can debate people like Ray Charles, Gram Parsons, and Bob Dylan and whether they belong.

Finally, consider public perception. The only hall of fame that wants you laughing as you leave is the Comedy Hall of Fame. When you mention Ray Charles to the overwhelming majority of people, they associate him with R&B or rock and roll, not country. (Sure, he did a duet with Willie Nelson, but who hasn't? If a duet with Willie Nelson makes one "country," the Hall of Fame needs to start setting up the Julio Iglesias exhibit!) People would scratch their head over a Ray Charles Country Music Hall of Fame induction the same way they would -- and rightfully so -- if a jazz hall of fame inducted Danny Davis and the Nashville Brass or Barry Manilow was put in a heavy metal hall of fame.

I mentioned in an earlier piece ("SIRIUS Problems") that people seem determined to redefine country music in ways that the people they're trying to redefine as country never imagined. I pointed out that some people today consider Lynyrd Skynyrd "country," while the band themselves never considered themselves anything but a rock and roll band. Ray Charles is an R&B legend and an American treasure. What he is not was Country Music Hall of Fame material.

Dates of Note in Country Music, September 16-30

Category: News

September 16:

Ralph Mooney born in Duncan, Oklahoma, 1928 (now 79)
David Bellamy of the Bellamy Brothers born in Darby, Florida, 1950 (now 57)
Sheb Wooley died (leukemia), 2003 (was 82)

September 17:

Hank Williams born in Mount Olive, Alabama, 1923 (died 1953)
John Ritter born in Burbank, California, 1948 (died 2003)
Steve Sanders (William Lee Golden's one-time replacement in the Oak Ridge Boys) born in Richland, Georgia, 1952 (died 1998)
Bill Black born in Memphis, Tennessee, 1926 (died 1965)
RCA's 33 1/3 RPM "long-playing" (LP) record born, 1931

September 18:

Ervin T. Rouse born in Craven County, North Carolina, 1917 (died 1981)
Priscilla Mitchell born in Marietta, Georgia, 1941 (now 66)
Carl Jackson born in Louisville, Mississippi, 1953 (now 54)

September 19:

Clyde Moody born in Cherokee, North Carolina, 1915 (died 1989)
Trisha Yearwood born in Monticello, Georgia, 1964 (now 43)
Red Foley died (heart attack), 1968 (was 58)
Gram Parsons died (drug overdose), 1973 (was 26)
Skeeter Davis died (cancer), 2004 (was 72)
Slim Dusty ("Australian king of country music") died (cancer), 2003 (was 76)

September 20:

Pearl Butler born in Nashville, Tennessee, 1927 (died 1988)
Karl Farr died (heart attack), 1961 (was 52)
Steve Goodman died (leukemia), 1983 (was 36). The folk singer/songwriter was posthumously awarded a Grammy for "Best Country Song" for Willie Nelson's version of "City of New Orleans."

September 21:

Faith Hill born in Jackson, Mississippi, 1967 (now 40)
Dickey Lee born in Memphis, Tennessee, 1936 (now 71)
Ronna Reeves born in Big Spring, Texas, 1966 (now 41)
Ted Daffan born in Beauregard Parish, Louisiana, 1912 (died 1996)
Walter Brennan died (emphysema), 1974 (was 80). Among the actor's charted hits were "Old Rivers" and a version of Bill Anderson's "Mama Sang a Song."
Kenny Starr born in Topeka, Kansas, 1952 (now 55)

September 22:

Debby Boone born in Hackensack, New Jersey, 1956 (now 51). The "You Light Up My Life" singer is Red Foley's granddaughter.

September 23:

Roy Drusky died (emphysema), 2004 (was 74)
Bradley Kincaid died (natural causes), 1989 (was 94)
O.B. McClinton died (cancer), 1987 (was 45)
Jimmy Wakely died (emphysema), 1982 (was 68)

September 24:

Rosalie Allen died (congestive heart failure), 2003 (was 79)

September 25:

Royce Kendall born in St. Louis, Missouri, 1934 (died 1998)
Larry Sparks born in Lebanon, Ohio, 1947 (now 60)

September 26:

Marty Robbins born in Glendale, Arizona, 1925 (died 1982)
David Frizzell born in El Dorado, Arkansas, 1941 (now 66)
Lynn Anderson born in Grand Forks, North Dakota, 1947 (now 60)
Carlene Carter born in Madison, Tennessee, 1955 (now 52)
Doug Supernaw born in Bryan, Texas, 1960 (now 47)

September 27:

Uncle Josh Graves born in Tellico Plains, Tennessee, 1928 (died 2006)
Charlie Monroe died (cancer), 1975 (was 72)

September 28:

Johnny Mathis born in Maud, Texas, 1933 (now 64). Because of the rise of a pop singer by the same name, Mathis became known as "Country Johnny Mathis."
Jerry Clower born in Liberty, Mississippi, 1926 (died 1998)
Ronnie Reno born in Buffalo, South Carolina, 1947 (now 60)
Tommy Collins born in Bethany, Oklahoma, 1930 (died 2000)
Mandy Barnett born in Crossville, Tennessee, 1975 (now 32)
Joseph Falcon born in Rayne, Louisiana, 1900 (died 1965). Falcon is credited with the first Cajun recording (1928).
Jim Boyd (of Bill Boyd and the Cowboy Ramblers) born in Fannin County, Texas, 1914 (died 1993)
Laurie Lewis born in Long Beach, California, 1950 (now 57).
Johnny Horton married Billie Jean Williams (widow of Hank Williams), 1953

September 29:

Jerry Lee Lewis born in Ferriday, Louisiana, 1935 (now 72)
Gene Autry born in Tioga Springs, Texas, 1907 (died 1998)
Bill Boyd born in Fannin County, Texas, 1910 (died 1977)
Tillman Franks born in Stamps, Arkansas, 1920 (died 2006)
Wesley Tuttle died (natural causes), 2003 (was 85)
Mickey Newbury died (lung disease), 2002 (was 62)

September 30:

Richard Bowden born in Linden, Texas, 1945 (now 62)
Deborah Allen born in Memphis, Tennessee, 1953 (now 54)
Marty Stuart born in Philadelphia, Mississippi, 1958 (now 49)
Mary Ford died (diabetes complications), 1977 (was 53)
Billboard magazine changed the name of the "Hillbilly and Western" chart to the "Country and Western" chart, 1950. Ernest Tubb is considered by many to be responsible for this, claiming that "hillbilly" was a derogatory term.

Dates of Note in Country Music, September 1-15

Category: News

September 1

Boxcar Willie born in Sterratt, Texas, 1931 (died 1999)
Johnny Mack Brown born in Dothan, Alabama, 1904 (died 1974). The western actor was the namesake of Lester "Roadhog" Moran and the Cadillac Cowboy's Live at the Johnny Mack Brown High School album.
Conway Twitty born in Friars Point, Mississippi, 1933 (died 1993)

September 2

Johnny Lee Wills born in Jewell, Texas, 1912 (died 1984)
Charline Authur born in Henrietta, Texas, 1929 (died 1987)
Grady Nutt born in Amarillo, Texas, 1934 (died 1982)

September 3

Tompall Glaser born in Spalding, Nebraska, 1933 (now 74)
Jimmy Riddle born in Dyersburg, Tennessee, 1918 (now 89)
Hank Thompson born in Waco, Texas, 1925 (now 82)

September 4

Shot Jackson born in Wilmington, North Carolina, 1920 (died 1991)
Dottie West died (injuries from a car wreck), 1991 (was 58)
Carl Butler died (heart attack), 1992 (was 65)

September 5

The Country Music Association was founded, 1958

September 6

Mark Chesnutt born in Beaumont, Texas, 1963 (now 44)
David Allan Coe born in Akron, Ohio, 1939 (now 68)
Jeff Foxworthy born in Atlanta, Georgia, 1958 (now 49)
Mel McDaniel born in Checotah, Oklahoma, 1942 (now 65)
Zeke Clements born in Warrior, Alabama, 1911 (died 1994)
Ernest Tubb died (complications from emphysema), 1984 (was 70)
Autry Inman died (unknown cause), 1988 (was 59)
Roy Huskey Jr. died (cancer), 1997 (was 41)

September 7

Ronnie Dove born in Herndon, Virginia, 1940 (now 67)
Hubert Long died (brain tumor), 1972 (was 48)

September 8

Milton Brown born in Stephenville, Texas, 1903 (died 1936)
Patsy Cline born in Winchester, Virginia, 1932 (died 1963)
Harlan Howard born in Lexington, Kentucky, 1929 (died 2002)
Jimmie Rodgers born in Meridian, Mississippi, 1897 (died 1933)

September 9

Freddy Weller born in Atlanta, Georgia, 1947 (now 60)
Rodger Dale Tubb died (car wreck), 1938 (was 7 weeks old)
Bill Monroe died (stroke), 1996 (was 84)

September 10

Tommy Overstreet born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 1937 (now 70)
Rosie Flores born in San Antonio, Texas, 1956 (now 51)
Luke Wills born in Memphis, Texas, 1920 (died 2000)

September 11

Jimmie Davis born in Beech Springs, Louisiana, 1899 (died 2000)
Randy Hughes born in Gum, Tennessee, 1928 (died 1963)
Lorne Greene died (pneumonia), 1987 (was 72). The actor's recitation "Ringo" was a top 25 country hit in 1964.
Leon Payne died (heart attack), 1969 (was 52)


September 12

George Jones born in Saratoga, Texas, 1931 (now 76)
Helen Carter born in Maces Springs, Virginia, 1927 (died 1998)
Rod Brasfield died (heart failure), 1958 (was 48)
Johnny Cash died (Shy-Drager syndrome complications, diabetes, lung disease), 2003 (was 71)
John Ritter died (heart ailment), 2003 (was 54). The actor was the son of Western legend Tex Ritter.

September 13

Bill Monroe born in Rosine, Kentucky, 1911 (died 1996)
Bobbie Cryner born in Woodland, California, 1961 (now 46)
U.S. Postal Service issues a Roy Acuff postage stamp, 2003

September 14

John Berry born in Aiken, South Carolina, 1959 (now 48)
Mae Boren Axton born in Bardwell, Texas, 1914 (died 1997)
Don Walser born in Brownfield, Texas, 1934 (died 2006)
Vernon Dalhart died (heart attack), 1948 (was 65)

September 15

Roy Acuff born in Maynardsville, Tennesssee, 1903 (died 1992)

Dates of Note in Country Music, August 16-31

Category: News

August 16:

Elvis Presley died (heart failure), 1977 (was 42)
Kathie Lee Gifford born in Paris, France, 1953 (now 54). The TV icon was once one of the "Hee Haw honeys."
Billy Joe Shaver born in Corsica, Texas, 1939 (now 68)
Vassar Clements died (lung cancer), 2005 (was 77)

August 17:

Wayne Raney born in Wolf Bayou, Arkansas, 1920 (died 1993)

August 18:

Johnny Preston born in Port Arthur, Texas, 1939 (now 68). The singer's biggest hit, "Running Bear," featured guitar work and backing vocals by George Jones.
Hank Penny born in Birmingham, Alabama, 1918 (died 1992)
The Louvin Brothers play their last official show as a duo (opening for Ray Price) in Watseka, Illinois, 1963. According to Charles Wolfe's biography, the duo that once commanded over $1100 per show as headliners received $250 for the performance.

August 19:

Eddy Raven born in Lafayette, Louisiana, 1944 (now 63)
Clay Walker born in Beaumont, Texas, 1969 (now 38)
Lee Ann Womack born in Jacksonville, Texas, 1966 (now 41)

August 20:

Rudy Gatlin born in Olney, Texas, 1952 (now 55)
Jim Reeves born in Galloway, Texas, 1923 (died 1964)
Justin Tubb born in San Antonio, Texas, 1935 (died 1998)

August 21:

Harold Reid born in Staunton, Virginia, 1939 (now 68)
Sam McGee died (tractor accident on his farm), 1975 (was 81)

August 22:

Holly Dunn born in San Antonio, Texas, 1957 (now 50)
Collin Raye born in DeQueen, Arkansas, 1959 (now 48)
Rod Brasfield born in Smithville, Arkansas, 1910 (died 1958)
Connie B. Gay born in Lizard Lick, North Carolina, 1914 (died 1989)
Floyd Tillman died (leukemia), 2003 (was 88)

August 23:

Rex Allen, Jr. born in Chicago, Illinois, 1947 (now 60)
Woody Paul born in Nashville, Tennessee, 1949 (now 58)
Tex Williams born in Anvil, Illinois, 1917 (died 1985)
Kitty Wells became the first woman to hit #1 on the Billboard singles chart with "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels," 1952. The song was very controversial in its day, with many country stations refusing to play the song and the Grand Ole Opry management prohibiting Kitty from performing the tune.

August 24:

Fred Rose born in Evansville, Indiana, 1897 (died 1954)
Jerry Clower died (complications from heart surgery), 1998 (was 71)
Nat Stuckey died (lung cancer), 1988 (was 54)

August 25:

Jerry Rivers born in Miami, Florida, 1928 (died 1996)
Elvis Costello born in London, England, 1954 (now 53). The punk pioneer and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member is a die-hard country music fan who recorded an album of old country songs, Almost Blue, and has performed with numerous country legends including George Jones, Ricky Skaggs, Emmylou Harris, and Charlie Louvin. Johnny Cash recorded Costello's song "The Big Light" on Johnny Cash is Coming to Town.
Billy Ray Cyrus born in Flatwoods, Kentucky, 1961 (now 46)
Jo Dee Messina born in Holliston, Massachusetts, 1970 (now 37)
Cliff Bruner died (cancer), 2000 (was 85)

August 26:

Don Bowman born in Lubbock, Texas, 1937 (now 70)
Wilma Burgess died (heart attack), 2003 (was 64)

August 27:

J.D. Crowe born in Lexington, Kentucky, 1937 (now 70)
Jimmy C. Newman born in Big Mamou, Louisiana, 1927 (now 80)
Carter Stanley born in Dickenson County, Virginia, 1925 (died 1966)
Jim Denny died (cancer), 1963 (was 52). The Country Music Hall of Famer is most infamous for telling a guest arist after an appearance on the Grand Ole Opry, "You ain't goin' nowhere, son. You ought to go back to driving a truck." The person on the receiving end of Denny's criticism was Elvis Presley.

August 28:

Billy Grammer born in Benton, Illinois, 1925 (now 82)
LeAnn Rimes born in Jackson, Mississippi, 1982 (now 25)

August 29:

Shawn Camp born in Perryville, Arkansas, 1966 (now 41)
Archie Campbell died (heart attack), 1987 (was 67)

August 30:

Kitty Wells born in Nashville, Tennessee, 1919 (now 88)
Jim and Jon Hagar born in Chicago, Illinois, 1946 (now 61)

Whitstein Brothers' Father Dies

Category: News

Roy C. (R.C.) Whitstine, the father of Rounder Records artists the Whitstein Brothers, died Saturday, August 11, at his home in Colfax, Louisiana. He was 83.

R.C. was a local musician in his youth and passed along his love of country music to his sons. His two oldest sons, Robert and Charles, became Grammy-nominated performers. They played on the Grand Ole Opry first as teenagers, then frequently in the 1980s and 90s as guest performers. Robert died in 2001.

R.C.'s popularity as a musician never went outside the central Louisiana land where he lived his entire life, but his sons took the music they learned at his knee to the world.

Hall of Fame Inductees, 2007

Category: News/Opinion

The three inductees for the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007 have been announced. They are:

MEL TILLIS. A prolific singer/songwriter who penned such hits as "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" and "Detroit City" as well as his own long string of hits is inducted for contributions to country music from World War II to 1975

VINCE GILL. The singer/songwriter who got his start as a member of Louisville's Bluegrass Alliance before moving to Pure Prairie League then a long and successful solo career is being honored for contributions to country music since 1975.

RALPH EMERY. From his longtime duties as disc jockey on WSM radio, where he hosted a Monday-Friday interview show with country music stars, to the host of Pop! Goes the Country (which can still be seen weekly on RFD-TV) and Nashville Now, to author of two best-selling autobiographies (Memories and More Memories), Emery is inducted in the non-performer category.

Now, here's the problem...

In music, timing is everything. The timing for the music inductions is way off. Tillis' induction is way overdue; Gill's comes too early. And Ralph Emery? Well...

Mel Tillis was probably kept from induction for so long because the people who put on the TV show were scared of his legendary stuttering lengthening a five-minute acceptance speech into a three-hour affair. (In actuality, Tillis' stuttering is now an act, as he successfully overcame it with speech therapy. And a bit of trivia: Tillis, in the liner notes to Jim Reeves' album Missing You, credits Reeves with offering to pay for speech therapy for Tillis when the latter was a young, struggling songwriter.) Tillis' songs are all over the place. Stonewall Jackson and Ray Price have recorded their fair share of Tillis compositions, and "(Sweet) Mental Revenge" has been recorded by acts as diverse as country's legendary outlaw Waylon Jennings to rock and roll's Long Ryders. "Heart Over Mind" was a hit for Ray Price and an early Tillis composition. Simon Crum (Ferlin Husky's alter ego) even recorded a Tillis song ("Stand Up, Sit Down, Shut Your Mouth") on his one album, The Unpredictable Simon Crum. "Lonely Street" is a gem in Tillis' songwriting repertoire. And this is saying nothing of his long performing career on his own. He had an early hit with "Sawmill" (which later became a top three smash for him in 1973) as a duet with Bill Phillips (who went on to some success with "Put It Off Until Tomorrow"). His band is called the Statesiders, after a minor 1966 hit ("Stateside"). He is so deserving, but this is so overdue.

In contrast, the only reason I can think of for Vince Gill's early induction is the political machine of the Country Music Association. (If you think "politics as usual" just happens in Washington DC, you are sadly mistaken, because I think it is safe to say that you haven't seen politics till you've seen Nashville music politics!) Vince Gill was host of the CMA Awards (as in, Country Music Association, the people who vote on induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame) for 13 years. Is it any coincidence that he's the third youngest living person (behind Cash at 48 and Atkins at 49) to be inducted?

Please do not misunderstand me. Vince Gill is one of the truly nice guys in the world, a gentleman's gentleman who loves his fans and has all the time in the world for them (I remember him being so patient with a Japanese couple who could not get their camera to work for a picture one night at the Opry). He is also a staunch supporter of traditional country music and the history of this wonderful genre. I would not argue his credentials; however, my question is the antithesis of the Tillis question: instead of "why so long," I'm wondering "why so soon?" And I cannot help but believe that the CMA is patting itself on the back with his induction because of his years of hosting their awards show instead of truly honoring Gill for his accomplishments.

And, as usual, the announcement of the inductions brings up a long list of HWAs (that's short for "Hey! What About....?"):

Ernest V. Stoneman. I told Harold Bradley (himself a Hall of Famer) this earlier this year, and I would walk into a room full of voters and say it to their collective faces: every year that passes without Pop Stoneman's induction makes the voters look more and more uninformed about the music they're supposed to know. This man was so vital to country music in the 1920s and 1930s. His recording of "The Great Titanic" is a masterpiece.

Al Dexter. If you open a Billboard magazine and see a "Country Singles Chart," you can thank Al Dexter. The popularity of Al Dexter and His Troopers in the early 40s caused Billboard to create the "Hillbilly and Western" singles chart in 1944, where the first two #1 songs were Al Dexter tunes ("Pistol Packin' Mama" -- first by Bing Crosby and the Andrew Sisters, then Dexter's own recording). In 1997, Billboard charts guru Joel Whitburn listed Dexter as the #117 singles artist of all time -- a man who had not had a charted hit since 1948 ranked that high!

Hank Locklin. "Please Help Me I'm Falling" was the third biggest hit of the entire decade of the 1960s. Locklin (who will be at least 90 before he's inducted, assuming he is alive and inducted next year) began his career in 1948 and had his first #1 hit in 1953.

Jean Shepard. She scored top ten hits in three different decades and is still a popular figure on the Grand Ole Opry. Her contributions to country music, not to mention females in country music, are immense.

Ferlin Husky. The last of the superstars of the 50s who is not in, his megahit "Wings of a Dove" is entry number one on his resume for induction, followed closely by the #2 hit "Country Music is Here to Stay" by his good friend Simon Crum.

Stonewall Jackson. Here is a golden opportunity for the CMA to prove that there is NOT a game of politics going on: induct Stonewall Jackson. His career is worthy. The fact that he currently has a lawsuit against the Grand Ole Opry for age discrimination should not enter into the picture. How I would love to be proven wrong in the case of believing it's all politics, and the best way to prove that is to see Stonewall's plaque go up next year!

The Wilburn Brothers. One of the things that kept Webb Pierce out of the Hall of Fame for so long was the fact that he was loathed by more than a few people in Nashville. The same can be said of Teddy and Doyle Wilburn, who were so ruthless in their business dealings in their publishing company Sure-Fire Music that Loretta Lynn, under contract to Sure-Fire, reportedly refused to do songs she had written so as to not put any money in the Wilburns' pockets. (And, ironically, she was the "girl singer" on their TV show!) But now that Teddy has died (he died in 2003, just days short of his 72nd birthday), it's time to bury the bad feelings and recognize the music these two men made.

The Statler Brothers. When a country song is part of pop culture, it needs to be recognized. That is true of the Statler's first hit, "Flowers on the Wall" from 1965 (which was also a top five pop hit). The Statlers had a long career of hits and a very popular television series on the Nashville Network. They are legends and icons of country music, and their induction, like Tillis', is long overdue.

Bill C. Malone. Next year is the 40th anniversary of the publication of country's "bible," Country Music U.S.A. (which will be celebrated at next year's ICMC conference). No better way to celebrate the anniversary of the publication of this landmark, vital work on country music than to induct its author.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has a controversy brewing because the Dave Clark Five received more votes than Grandmaster Flash, but the powers that be decided to put Grandmaster Flash in anyway. I would hate to see the Country Music Hall of Fame suffer a shameful decline with such a beautiful building, but the fact is that the people who vote for induction need to either do their homework on the music and induct people who are long overdue for the honor (such as Mel Tillis or last year's inductee, Sonny James) or submit their resignation from voting and turn voting rights over to someone who will do their homework.

Dates of Note in Country Music, August 1-15

Category: News


August 2:
Hank Cochran born in Isola, Mississippi, 1935 (now 72)
Betty Jack Davis died (car wreck), 1953 (was 21)


August 3:
Randy Scruggs born in Nashville, 1953 (now 54)
Gordon Stoker born in Gleason, Tennessee, 1924 (now 83)
Little Roy Wiggins died (heart disease and diabetes complications), 1999 (was 73)


August 4:
Louis Armstrong born in New Orleans, 1901 (died 1971). The legendary jazz trumpet player and singer recorded with the Father of Country Music, Jimmie Rodgers.
Carson Robison born in Oswego, Kansas, 1890 (died 1957)


August 5:
Bobby Braddock born in Lakeland, Florida, 1940 (now 67)
Terri Clark born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 1968 (now 39)
Vern "The Voice" Gosdin born in Woodland, Alabama, 1934 (now 73)
Sammi Smith born in Orange, California, 1943 (died 2005)
Luther Perkins died (injuries from a house fire), 1968 (was 40)


August 6:
Patsy and Peggy Lynn born in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee, 1964 (now 43)
Lisa Stewart born in Louisville, Mississippi, 1968 (now 39)


August 7:
Rodney Crowell born in Houston, Texas, 1950 (now 57)
Raul Malo (of the Mavericks) born in Miami, Florida, 1965 (now 42)
B.J. Thomas born in Hugo, Oklahoma, 1942 (now 65)
Homer Haynes died (heart attack), 1971 (was 51)

August 8:
Jamie O'Hara born in Toledo, Ohio, 1950 (now 57)
Mel Tillis born in Tampa, Florida, 1932 (now 75)
Webb Pierce born in West Monroe, Louisiana, 1926 (died 1991)

August 9:
Merle Kilgore born in Chickasha, Oklahoma, 1934 (died 2005)

August 10:
Jimmy Dean born in Plainview, Texas, 1928 (now 79)
Jimmy Martin born in Sneedville, Tennessee, 1927 (died 2005)

August 11:
John Conlee born in Versailles, Kentucky, 1946 (now 61)

August 12:
Mark Knopfler born in Glasgow, Scotland, 1949 (now 57). The lead singer of the rock band Dire Straits won a "Best Country Vocal Collaboration" Grammy with Chet Atkins in 1990 for the song "Poor Boy Blues."
Porter Wagoner born in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, 1927 (now 80)
Buck Owens born in Sherman, Texas, 1929 (died 2006)

August 14:
Johnny Duncan died (heart attack), 2006 (was 67)
Connie Smith born in Elkhart, Indiana, 1941 (now 66)

August 15:
Bobby Helms born in Bloomington, Indiana, 1933 (died 1997)
Lew DeWitt died (complications from Chron's disease), 1990 (was 52)
Will Rogers died (plane crash with Wiley Post), 1935 (was 55)