COUNTRY MUSIC CLASSICS
Doug Davis
Owner/Publisher/Manager/Editor/
Writer/Gopher/Chief Cook & Bottle Washer
Thursday March 3rd, 2016
Email: djdclassics@gmail.com
STORY BEHIND THE SONG
A lot of recording artists do not hesitate to tell you that it's the song that
makes a hit record while others are convinced it was the arrangement or perhaps
a special instrumental break or lick in the right places that made the hit.
Although Hank Locklin never argued this way or that – he was convinced that the
little Floyd Cramer slip note went a long way in making his 1960 RCA Victor
single "Please Help Me I'm Falling" a hit record.
Hank commented, "You know that little slip thing that Floyd played on the piano?
Well when we decided to record "Please Help Me I'm Falling", I told Chet Atkins
that if we could get Floyd to play that little slip note thing of his – I
thought we'd have a hit record."
"So Chet gave Floyd a copy of the tape and we recorded the song the next day.
Before the session – Chet, Floyd and I went over the song to decide where Floyd
would put his licks – the Jordanaires were on that session too. We only did the
song one time – one take and that was it."
Hank Locklin's RCA Victor single "Please Help Me I'm Falling" came on the charts
March 7th, 1960 and made it to number one. It was his 9th charted song and was
in the number one slot for 14 weeks and on the charts for 36 weeks.
Hank Locklin joined The Grand Ole Opry in 1960. He died in March 2009.
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MORE STORAGE ROOM FINDS:
Have some extra copies of a few Grand Ole Opry History Picture Books - from 1976
(156 page 50th Anniversary Issue) - 1969 (144 pages) –1979 (156 pages) – and
1966 (132 pages) PLUS a 1979 Hee Haw History Picture Book – information and
dozens of all color photos of cast members on the set. Package of five books for
$50 including Media Mailing – inside the U.S.A. PayPal – Check OR Money Order
–email to: djdclassics@gmail.com
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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q: You had mentioned a Willie Nelson Luck Reunion and lately I've heard that
it will feature a bunch of artists. Do you have any more information?
A: The 2016 Luck Reunion is scheduled for March 18th. The music portion of
SXSW 2016 runs March 15-20 in Austin, Texas. In addition to those playing at
Nelson's event, Kacey Musgraves, Maren Morris, Lanco, Loretta Lynn, Whitney
Rose, Bobby Bare Jr. and more country, folk, Americana, bluegrass and
alt-country acts will perform during the annual festival.
Q: I remember when Johnny Cash visited San Quentin Prison in 1969 but my son
in law says it was earlier than that. One of us is wrong. Can you clear that up?
A: Johnny Cash recorded his At San Quentin album on February 24th, 1969 but
had visited the prison in January 1959.
Q: Ronnie McDowell is one of my favorite singers and I heard the radio guys
talking about him writing a book about his life. Do you have any information?
A: "Bringing It To You Personally" is Ronnie's new autobiography. To order -
go to: RonnieMcDowellBook.com
Q: I just heard that Merle Haggard is sick again.Do you have an update?
A: Haggard is reportedly back in the hospital due to double pneumonia and has
again been forced to cancel all of his March tour dates — a total of 10 shows,
including a two-night stand at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. He is in a
California hospital for treatment, and doctors would like him to take one more
month off the road.
Q: A few days ago the radio folks were talking about Willie Nelson on the
Muppets TV show. Do you have any information?
A: Willie sang "On The Road Again" during the March 1st Muppets season
finale.
Q: My grandpa used to sing a song about "You Broke My Heart In Three Places."
He said it was on the radio many years ago. Have you ever heard of such a song?
A: That was a number three hit in 1944 for The Hossier Hot Shots - a Fort
Wayne Indiana novelty band who were regulars on the WLS National Barn Dance from
1933 to 1942 and also appeared in several western movies.
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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
1950
Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy - Red Foley
1958
Ballad of a Teenage Queen - Johnny Cash
1966
Waitin' in Your Welfare Line - Buck Owens
1974
Another Lonely Song - Tammy Wynette
1982
Lord, I Hope This Day is Good - Don Williams
1990
No Matter How High - The Oak Ridge Boys
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TODAY IN COUNTRY MUSIC HISTORYTop of Form
1909
Born on this day in Tifton, Georgia was Johnny Barfield a country and old-time
music performer, best known for his 1939 recording of "Boogie Woogie", the first
country boogie. He died on 16 January 1974, aged 64.
1963
Patsy Cline performed at a benefit at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall,
Kansas City, Kansas, along with George Jones, George Riddle and The Jones Boys,
Billy Walker, Dottie West, Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins. The concert was in
aid of the family of disc jockey "Cactus" Jack Call who had died in an
automobile crash a little over a month earlier. This was the last perfomance by
Cline who died in a plane crash two days later.
1970
Born on this day, was John Carter Cash American country singer-songwriter,
author and producer, the only child that Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash had
together. His half siblings include Rosanne Cash, Carlene Carter and Rosie Nix
Adams. He began his work as a music producer with his mother June Carter Cash on
her album, Press On, which won a Grammy in 1999, then went on to work under Rick
Rubin as Associate Producer on his father Johnny Cash's Grammy winning records
American III: Solitary Man and American IV: The Man Comes Around, the latter
receiving three CMA awards.
1973
Country music winners at the 15th Annual Grammy Awards (the first to be
broadcast live on CBS), included; Best Country Vocal Performance, Female - Donna
Fargo for "Happiest Girl in the Whole USA", Best Country Vocal Performance, Male
- Charley Pride for Charley Pride Sings Heart Songs, Best Country Vocal
Performance by a Duo or Group - The Statler Brothers for "Class of '57", Best
Country Instrumental Performance - Charlie McCoy for Charlie McCoy/The Real
McCoy, Best Country Song - Ben Peters (songwriter) for "Kiss an Angel Good
Mornin'" performed by Charley Pride.
1974
Johnny Cash was a special guest in an episode of the TV decective series Columbo
staring Peter Falk entitled Swan Song. Cash played the role of a musical star
who murdered his wife, an evangelist who has been exploiting his talent to
finance her own religious crusade.
1979
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) telecasted an entire Saturday Night Live
from the Grand Ole Opry for the very first time. The show featured many acts
including Del Reeves, Barbara Mandrell, Bill Monroe, Hank Snow, Roy Acuff,
Minnie Pearl, Don Gibson and many others. The telecast became the most popular
one of the year for PBS, and was a part of their March fundraising campaigns.
2002
George Strait played at the Houston Livestock & Rodeo Show concert held at
Houston's Astrodome, to more than 68,000 fans. He dedicated "Love Without End,
Amen" to George and Barbara Bush, who are part of the crowd. The rodeo has drawn
some of the world's biggest recording artists, including Elvis Presley, Bob
Dylan, Brooks & Dunn, George Strait, Garth Brooks, Keith Urban and Willie
Nelson.
2002
American songwriter Harlan Howard died aged 74. In a career spanning six
decades, Howard wrote songs, recorded by a variety of different artists
including "Fall to Pieces", co-written with Hank Cochran and recorded by Patsy
Cline. Howard was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1997.
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YOU HAVE TO LAUGH.
By: Jack Blanchard
Misty and I once bought a raggedy old limousine for $90.
We needed transportation and would rather look eccentric than poor.
To add to the effect,
we colored it powder blue with house paint and a brush.
At a gas station two tough guys said they knew the car
and we owed big money there.
We'd never been there before in our life!
I floored it and sped away at four miles an hour.
Nashville, 1970's...
We played a couple of weeks at The Four Guys' Harmony House.
All our friends from Nashville packed the place to see us.
Bob Neal had been our manager for two years
and had never seen our show.
He came in on our last night and said,
"Wow! I didn't know you folks could do all that! I'm impressed!"
I said, "Bob, don't you think it's a little late?"
We left Neal and went with Bill Hall.
Miami, early 1960's...
Misty and I were just coming off being homeless and on the street,
when a couple of musicians who had always snubbed us
asked us to fill in on their gig
because they had to do something else to do for two nights.
It was in Hialeah near the race track and a winner came in
and tipped us $100.
We almost passed out!
We never told those guys about the tip. Why make them cry?
A former associate of ours once kept our new Corvette
locked in his garage in New Mexico, and wouldn't let us have it.
We called a friend in Massachusetts and he flew out there,
broke into the garage, and stole it back for us.
We have always gotten by with help from our friends.
When I left Buffalo they had just started building the beltway.
The next time I got back the beltway was worn out.
I never got to enjoy it in its prime.
And it never got to enjoy me in mine.
While I'm here doing stuff, The Golden Girls is on in the background.
Eddie Bracken is the guest star.
He was a famous comedic movie star and then on a lot of TV shows.
Misty and I met him in a pizza bar in Juneau, Alaska.
I've been barred from Friday night Bingo,
just because I like to stand in the back of the room
and yell out random numbers.
We have neighbors from New England.
They drive golf cats.
Nick next door has an herb garden.
Misty says they give her energy.
I don't know if that's true, but she's out chasing cars.
They say that in case of severe storms
you should go into an interior room.
In a mobile home that's the refrigerator.
Misty just came from Publix.
She told me a guy said this to her:
"I saw you over there giving the bananas a dirty look."
She said to the guy, "They started it."
I like to go to quilting on Monday night
and wait for the fights to break out.
I said, "What are we having for supper?"
Misty said, "A pile of debris."
I said, "A French dish."
I'd better go now. The nurses are stealing my shoes.
Jack Blanchard
http://jackandmisty.net
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VIEW FROM THE FRONT PORCH
By: Stan Hitchcock
View From The River Bank-Stan Hitchcock
As we near the coming of Spring ...it is difficult for me to think of anything
except the return of Fishing!
I long to move back into the far reaches of the American waterways, away from
Political Hollering and Bickering, away from the challenges of every day life,
away from an old man's aches and sit in the Freedom of Nature's beauty, the warm
Sun on my back, a fresh breeze in my face and my favorite rod in my hands, with
fresh line and new lures tied on...casting to a special pool of water, waiting
for the arm jarring strike of a game fish and the struggle of man and
fish...ahhhh yes...it is times like that which keeps a man going strong.
There were times when I felt that sense of Freedom on the Open Road, traveling
from town to town and across to other Countries, with my guitar and songs, or
when I was in the start-up phase of some Cable Television Network...the World
was my Ripe Tomato and I loved to pick it...and those adventures were good and
fulfilling, but today, at this stage of the Trail, it is the Peace Of Nature
that I crave, and the enjoyment of writing my stories about it all. I have been
much Blessed, getting to participate in adventures far more than I ever dreamed
as a boy in the Ozarks. Every morning, it is now my Prayer that God Will Use Me
For Good in some way...to use me and wear me out in following His Will. For it
is by Being Used For Good that makes Life Worth Living. God Bless Us All Today.
Stan Hitchcock
www.hitchcockcountry.com -
http://www.hitchcockcountry.com
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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value
others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to
the interests of the others.
– Philippians 2:3-4 (NIV)
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