Thursday February 25th, 2016 COUNTRY MUSIC CLASSICS

COUNTRY MUSIC CLASSICS

Doug Davis
Owner/Publisher/Manager/Editor/
Writer/Gopher/Chief Cook & Bottle Washer

Thursday February 25th, 2016

Email: djdclassics@gmail.com


STORY BEHIND THE SONG

According to Eddy Arnold – one of the biggest surprises of his career was how
many people were aware of his singing and his records back in those early days!

During a 1980's interview – Arnold commented about being surprised in meeting
his idol – Gene Autry – during a train trip to New York City early in his
career.

He remarked, "This was in 1946 and Gene Autry was just out of the service. He
was on his way to New York for an appearance at Madison Square Garden and I was
going up there to record. The train left Nashville about 4:00 in the afternoon
to go to Cincinnati, Ohio. He had gone to Cincinnati for some kind of business
meeting and got on the train there for New York. After the train pulled out I
walked up to the Club Car and there sat Gene Autry. He was already a big star
and was my idol. I had bought his records out of the Sears Roebuck catalog back
when I was a kid on the farm. I admired him for the way he conducted his
business. So I walked over to him and introduced myself. I was pleasantly
surprised – even amazed – that he knew about me – he knew about my music - and
even knew about – and liked – the record I had out at the time "That's How Much
I Love You," which was already a big hit on the jukeboxes. He was very nice to
me and we became good friends."

Eddy Arnolds RCA Victor single "That's How Much I Love You" was written by
Arnold, Wally Fowler and J. Graydon Hall. It came on the charts October 12th,
1946 and peaked at number 2 where it stayed for four weeks. It was his 3rd
charted song and was on the charts for 17 weeks.

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MORE STORAGE ROOM FINDS:

Eight and ½ x 11 inch - 465 page hardback "Dick Clark's The First 25 Years Of
Rock & Roll." Features and photos beginning in 1955 with capsules of news events
and fads of the early days – plus profiles and career summaries of rock & roll
performers of each of those years- including some names recognized by classic
country fans – including: Carl Perkins – Jerry Lee Lewis – Buddy Holly – Everly
Brothers – Roy Orbison – Ricky Nelson – John Denver – Linda Ronstadt – etc.
Paper cover is crimped but book is in mint condition. $45.00 - Check – Money
Order or PayPal and I'll pay Media Mail shipping. Email to
djdclassics@gmail.com

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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q: According to my daughter - they've named a spider after Johnny Cash. What
is that all about?
A: The black spider is named Aphonopelma johnnycashi. Chris Hamilton - a huge
Johnny Cash fan and other researchers at Auburn University and Millsaps College
closely examined tarantulas found throughout the southern United States (west of
the Mississippi River) and collected nearly 3,000 specimens in multiple states.
The spider named Aphonopelma johnnycash was found in Folsom, California.

Q: There was a short mention in our newspaper about Joey and Rory receiving
some kind of music award from Indiana. Do you have any information?
A: Joey & Rory have received the "Sagamore of the Wabash Award" from Joey
Feek's home state of Indiana. Joey Feek's father, Jack Martin, accepted the
award on behalf of his daughter and son-in-law from Indiana Reps. Bruce Borders
(R-Jasonville) and Melanie Wright (D-Yorktown). The Sagamore of the Wabash Award
is the highest distinction in the state of Indiana.

Q: The radio guys mentioned some kind of Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton
anniversary. Do you know what that is about?
A: February 19th, 1974 was the day that Dolly Parton announced that she was
ending her long-standing partnership with Porter Wagoner, after more than seven
years together. The Tennessee native began working with Wagoner after he offered
her a coveted spot on both his weekly TV program, The Porter Wagoner Show, and
his traveling show in 1967. Parton ultimately decided to part ways with Wagoner
in order to launch out on her own.

Q: I heard on the radio that Kenny Rogers was given a lifetime achievement
award. Do you have any information?
A: Kenny Rogers will be presented with the Tony Martell Lifetime Entertainment
Achievement Award during the TJ Martell Foundation's 8th annual Nashville Honors
Gala on February 29th. The TJ Martell Foundation was founded to assist in
funding research to help fight leukemia, cancer and AIDS at hospitals across the
U.S., including at the Frances Williams Preston Laboratories at the
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Music City. The Honors Gala is the one of the
foundation's biggest events, having raised over $3.5 million for the cause since
2009.

Q: My brother told me about something that was mentioned on the radio about a
connection that a Gatlin Brothers song had with Johnny Cash. Do you have any
details?
A: Larry Gatlin received a phone call from Johnny Cash in 2003 when June
Carter Cash was terminally ill. Cash reportedly told Gatlin that June had
requested The Gatlin Brothers sing the song "Help Me" at her funeral. Eight days
later the Gatlins did just that and a few months later they sang the song at
Johnny Cash's funeral and they have sang the song at every concert since then.

Q: Do you know when Little Jimmy Dickens joined The Grand Ole Opry?
A: Little Jimmy Dickens joined The Grand Ole Opry on February 21st, 1948. He
was introduced by Roy Acuff and performed "John Henry" and "I Dreamed Of An Old
Love Affair."

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A T T E N T I O N: R A D I O S T A T I O N S:
Our short form daily radio feature, "Story Behind The Song" is now
available to radio stations at no
charge.

For information, email me at djdclassics@gmail.com

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NUMBER ONES ON THIS DATE

1952
Give Me More, More, More (Of Your Kisses) - Lefty Frizzell
1960
He'll Have to Go - Jim Reeves
1968
Skip a Rope - Henson Cargill
1976
Good Hearted Woman - Waylon & Willie
1984
Stay Young - Don Williams

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TODAY IN COUNTRY MUSIC HISTORYTop of Form
1927
Born on this day in Southwest Virginia, was Ralph Stanley also known as Dr.
Ralph Stanley, bluegrass artist, known for his distinctive singing and banjo
playing. His work was featured in the 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou?, in
which he sings the Appalachian dirge "O Death." That song won him a 2002 Grammy
Award in the category of Best Male Country Vocal Performance.
1932
Born on this day in Shreveport, Louisiana, was Faron Young, singer and
songwriter from the early 1950s into the mid-1980s. The honky tonk singer scored
hits including "Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young" and "If You Ain't Lovin' (You
Ain't Livin')". Depressed that the music industry had turned its back on him,
Young shot himself on December 9, 1996 and died in Nashville the following day.

1981
Country music winners at the 23rd Annual Grammy Awards held at Radio City Music
Hall in New York City included; Best Country Vocal Performance, Male - George
Jones for "He Stopped Loving Her Today", Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo
or Groupwent to Emmylou Harris & Roy Orbison for "That Lovin' You Feelin'
Again"and Willie Nelson won (songwriter) for "On the Road Again."
1992
Johnny Cash was awarded the Grammy Legend Award, "for ongoing contributions and
influence in the recording field." The award was presented by the National
Trustees at the 34th annual awards.
1998
Johnny Cash's album, Unchained, won a Grammy Award for Best Country Album. The
album had been a critical success but was largely ignored by mainstream country
radio, a fact Cash and producer Rick Rubin picked up on when they purchase a
full-page advertisement in Billboard magazine. The ad, which appeared in March,
featured a young Cash displaying his middle finger and sarcastically "thanking"
radio for supporting the album!

2014
Loretta Lynn suffered minor burns following a fire at her home. The singer was
at home watching TV when a candle burning in the sunroom toppled over, setting a
chair on fire. Loretta discovered the blaze when she went to investigate a
crackling sound and the singer used a pillow to beat down the flames.

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ANOTHER COUNTRY MUSIC STORY.
By: Jack Blanchard

Rusty Nozzle was a country singing star...
at least that's what he told people.
It wasn't a lie because Rusty believed it.
He considered himself Outlaw Country
because he wore open-toed cowboy boots,
had a tattoo of Richard Nixon,
and held his toupee on with duct tape.

His desire to be different often made the little kids cry.
He had to sell his horse
because it would get a look at him over its shoulder and go nuts.

He was ugly as a stomped frog on toast,
and seldom found the note he was trying to sing.
The only thing he didn't lack was confidence.

His talent was making other people think of him as a star...
people with money.
He was never short of financial backers.

When he released his first album "Scum of the Earth"
no radio station would play it,
so he advertised it on late-night television
and sold over a million.

His singing was so bad
the younger audience thought it was a new kind of music.

He had just purchased an estate
with a hog shaped swimming pool,
a nine-hole golf course, and a stable of rodeo horses,
when he accomplished his untimely death.

Early one April morning
he was sneaking up on his new horse,
so it wouldn't get a look at him and panic,
when the animal turned its head around and saw him.
Its eyes went buggy and it went berserk.

Rusty was trampled flat,
and was slid under the bunkhouse door by a ranch hand
who thought it was an unattractive throw rug.

This was the best career move of his life.
The radio stations began playing recordings
of "The Late Great Rusty Nozzle".
Other artists released "tribute" recordings.

And that just one of the million stories ..
and maybe the dumbest.

Jack Blanchard
http://jackandmisty.net

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VIEW FROM THE FRONT PORCH
By: Stan Hitchcock

I'll have to admit, listening to my first Epic Record, and remembering made my
eyes water a little. What years those 50's and 60's in Nashville when we were
all building a new Nashville Sound every time we came into the studio. Sonny
James was a Star...I was a new kid...he took time for me just as all the
musicians and other songwriters did. Mort Thomasson, the Engineer at the Quonset
Hut came to me quietly and showed me how to work the mike...the background
voices watched every move my lips made to follow me perfedtly...and Don Law the
Grand Old Englishman, sitting behind the sound board believed that I had
something special and gave me confidence to try to find it. That was the
beginning of a Life In Music, and now, I have been doing it since 1959. Friends,
just let me say...I did not quit the Music...the Music Biz quit me and went in a
direction that I could not and would not follow. Thank you all for letting me be
what I could be...and sing what I could sing.
Just got the word about the death of Sonny James. It is another heart breaker
with the loss of this great man. Sonny had 17 straight number one records in the
50's 60's and 70's and was still one of the nicest men I ever knew. He was truly
straight arrow in all his dealings.
Sonny, when I was getting ready to record my first record for Epic, brought me a
song he had written called, "I Had Heaven In My Hands" and it was my first
release in 1961. We did many, many shows together in the 60's and 70's and he
was the just the best.
A man of great Faith, who walked the walk and was an inspiration to all who knew
him, and I admired him greatly.

Stan Hitchcock
www.hitchcockcountry.com -

http://www.hitchcockcountry.com



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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as
faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they
should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they
should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be
praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and
ever. Amen.
– 1 Peter 4:10-11 (NIV)

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