COUNTRY MUSIC CLASSICS
Doug Davis
Owner/Publisher/Manager/Editor/
Writer/Gopher/Chief Cook & Bottle Washer
Thursday March 16th, 2017
Email: djdclassics@gmail.com
STORY BEHIND THE SONG
Several hit songs did not hit with their first release - which was the case for
Tennessee Ernie Ford's hit "Sixteen Tons."
Merle Travis wrote the song from his memories of the days of his father and his
brother working in the coal mines in Kentucky.
Travis recorded the song in his 1947 "Folk Songs Of The Hills" album - the
story of a miner who loaded 16 tons of coal a day but still could not break
even.
Eight years later - Tennessee Ernie Ford performed the song he had just
recorded on the Labor Day edition of his NBC Television show.
His Capitol Records single "Sixteen Tons" came on the country music charts
November 12th, 1955 snd made it to number one – where it stayed for ten weeks.
The single also made it to number one on the pop charts and stuck there for
eight weeks.
Tennessee Ernie Ford placed 29 songs on the country charts between 1949 and
1976. He was inducted into The Country Music Hall Of Fame in 1990. He died in
1991.
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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q: Exactly when did Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs split up?
A: The two went their separate ways March 11th, 1969 - ending a musical
partnership that spanned 25 years.
Q: The radio guys were talking about the first time the Bellamy Brothers heard
themselves on the radio. Did you hear about that?
A: According to David Bellamy - he and brother Howard were home in Florida at
the time. The two were riding around in Howard's 1949 Buick when they first
heard "Let Your Love Flow" on the radio.
Q: I have heard about a new Joey Feek album being released. Do you know
anything about that?
A: Joey Feek's "If Not For You" album was recorded in 2005 and will be
released April 7th.
Q: Did Patsy Cline ever record "Your Cheatin' Heart?" My mom says it was on
the radio years ago.
A: Patsy's version of "Your Cheatin' Heart" is in her 1964 "The Patsy Cline
Story" album
Q: There was a song on the radio back in the 60's by Willie Nelson called
"Johnny One Time." Later I heard the song by Brenda Lee. I thought it was one of
the best ever written. Do you know who wrote it?
A: "Johnny One Time" was written by Dallas Frazier and "Doodle" Owens.
Q: I remember a song on the radio years ago by Waylon Jennings about "Green
River." Do you know anything about that song?
A: "Green River" was written by Harlan Howard and scored a number eleven hit
for Waylon in 1966. It was also used in the movie "Nashville Rebel" starring
Waylon Jennings
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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
1947
So Round, So Firm, So Fully Packed - Merle Travis
1955
In the Jailhouse Now - Webb Pierce
1963
The Ballad of Jed Clampett - Flatt & Scruggs
1971
I'd Rather Love You - Charley Pride
1979
Golden Tears - Dave & Sugar
1987
Baby's Got a New Baby - S-K-O
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TODAY IN COUNTRY MUSIC HISTORY
Courtesy: Bill Morrison.
1906 - Buddy Starcher, singer, songwriter was born Oby Edgar Starcher, in rural
Ripley, West Virginia.
1922 - WSB 750 AM went on the air in Atlanta, Georgia.
1942 - Jerry Jeff Walker, was born Ronald Clyde Crosby in Oneonta, New York.
1943 - David Briggs, singer, songwriter, publisher, and session musician, was
born in Florence, Alabama
1943 - Shug Fisher joined the "Sons of the Pioneers" as Pat Brady's replacement,
after Brady was drafted into the military.
1946 - Grandpa Jones played the Grand Ole Opry for the first time this evening.
1951 - Ray Benson founder of "Asleep At The Wheel," was born Ray Benson Siefert,
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania..
1951 - Hank Williams recorded "Hey Good Lookin'," and "I Can't Help It."
1954 - Tim O'Brien, award winning singer. session player, and
multi-instrumentalist, born in Wheeling, West Virginia.
1957 - Tommy Collins released "All The Monkeys Ain't In The Zoo."
1959 - Stan Thorn, keyboards, of "Shenandoah," was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
1962 - Marty Robbins released "Love Can't Wait" b/w "Too Far Gone."
1965 - Waylon Jennings recorded his first session for Chet Atkins, and RCA.
1965 - Michael Halpin "Tramp" Lawing of the "Cactus Brothers," was born in
Marion, North Carolina.
1967 - Ronnie McCoury of the "Del McCoury Band," was born today.
1971 - The 13th Annual Grammy Awards were held this evening in California.
Winners in the Country Music category include: Best Female Country Vocal
Performance "Rose Garden" by Lynn Anderson; Best Male Contemporary Vocal
Performance "Everything Is Beautiful" by Ray Stevens; Best Male Country
Performance "For the Good Times" by Ray Price; Best Duo or Group "If I Were a
Carpenter" by Johnny Cash & June Carter; Best Instrumental Performance "Me &
Jerry" by Chet Atkins & Jerry Reed; Best Country Song "My Woman, My Woman, My
Wife" Marty Robbins songwriter; Best Gospel Performance "Talk About the
Good Times" The Oak Ridge Boys. This was the first time the show was broadcast
live on TV.
1974 - With President Nixon and the First Lady of the United States in
attendance, the first show at the New Grand Ole Opry House was presented to the
world. This was the first time a sitting President of the United States appeared
on stage at the Grand Ole Opry. Thirteen large dressing rooms were used for the
first time. Dressing Room #1, permanently assigned to Roy Acuff displayed a
small plaque on the door. The plaque, hung on the door by Mr. Acuff stated'Ķ.
"Ain't nothin' gonna come up today that me and the Lord can't handle."
1974 - Nelson King voted America's best country DJ for 8 consecutive years, died
at age 59. He was inducted into the CMDJHF in 1975.
1976 - Pure Prairie League's RCA Victor album "Bustin' Out" was certified Gold
by the RIAA.
1984 - Shug Fisher 1907-1984, of the Sons of the Pioneers, singing cowboy,
songwriter, and actor died at age 76.
1987 - George Strait's MCA album "Ocean Front Property" was certified Gold by
the RIAA.
1991 - Seven members of Reba McEntire's band, and her tour manager, died in a
plane crash near San Diego, California. The crash was attributed to Pilot error.
Musicians who died: Chris Austin, Kirk Capello, Joey Cigainero, Paula Kaye
Evans, Terry Jackson, Michael Thomas and Tony Saputo.
1999 - The RIAA initiated their Diamond Awards for record sales of singles and
albums of 10 million units.
2003 - The North American Country Music Association, International, "NACMAI,"
inducted The Bellamy Brothers, Ferlin Husky, Razzy Bailey, Carol Lee Cooper, Don
Helms, and Donnie Sumner into their Hall of Fame.
Courtesy: <http://www.talentondisplay.com/countrycalendar.html>
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LESTER PARKER.
By: Jack Blanchard
We lost track of him for many decades,
and recently read of his death in the Boston area.
A musician that knew him wrote this in his obituary:
"You always knew Lester was in the building when you heard the
sound of a saxophone emanating from the men's (or sometimes
the ladies) room. The next thing you knew he was strutting
towards the bandstand all hunched over with his right hand doing
that shaking thing of his, playing all the way. He didn't seem to
care if the guys in the band welcomed him or not."
Flashback to Miami, 1960s.
We were taken by a friend to meet a sax player for her combo,
and when we knocked on the apartment door, this Dustin
Hoffmann guy answered in his boxer shorts. Our friend said to
Lester Parker "Go put your pants on!"
He was an unusual character, the best sax player in Miami,
and a pretty good chess player.
We became close friends.
The Misty Morgan group, with Lester Parker,
packed 'em in at a popular Miami club,
and they had fun working together.
He could be gruff with other people, but not with Misty.
The name Lester Parker
was a combination of Lester Young and Charlie Parker, jsax legends.
"Swing like Lester, burn like Parker",
said Sam Rivers, famous jazz bandleader and arranger.
The following writings from various other musicians
seem to tell this story best:
"The first time I saw him, with his King Super 20 tenor....Black
shirt, Black tie , slicked back hair....he looked like something
outta the 1940s."
"Educated musically on the bandstand via the school of hard
knocks, Lester had a rough as nails front. He could verbally level
ya in a heartbeat, but once you got past that....he was a good
guy... all about the music."
"In the 50's Lester traveled with George Wallington,
the bop pianist. Lester worked the joints in Boston, but more
importantly.... he was a master of the standard song form.
He practiced at least 4 hours a day, sick or not."
"He came to NYC lookin' for an old metal Berg (saxophone).
He was told by a shop outside town that they had drawers full.
So....we trecked out in my car... Lester was smokin' so much
that the Lincoln tunnel smelled good."
"He'll tell ya.....' Look ...its either 4 hours minimum or I ain't
bringin out my artillery.'"
"He'd pass out lead sheets. As the song was goin' he'd pull the
sheet off the stand and yell "PLAY!" He had an odd way.....but
he was real. Lester would throw a kid's "REAL BOOK" on the
floor and say..... " your not playin WITH the band..you're relyin'
on that book." Old school yea...but.......the results were there, if
you tried. He cared."
"He bought a mint condition King Super 20 (sax) as a back up.
It was amazing. He had the bread saved to buy a newer car,
but he went for the SUPER 20. His comment was...
" Hey......the sled (car) I can get any time...
those pieces of junk are everywhere...
The Super 20....is ART" .
"His was the first Christmas card I'd ever recieve. ( over...30
years of them too !!!) When I wasn't home he'd talk to my mom
or in later years my wife. A different kinda cat."
"I never knew him well. In fact for the last thirty years I avoided
him because everyone I knew would never go to a gig or
session if they even thought he was going to show up because
he "terrorized" the bandstand.The very least we can say is that
he was a legend here in Boston. Characters like him are getting
rarer and rarer."
"I never met Lester personally, but spoke to him many times on
the phone. He'd call Ralph's shop, rather regularly--- and I'd
know it's him--- He'd snarl into the phone "Tell Ralph it's his
brother-in-law!" lol- of course they weren't related First time I
ever talked to him, scared the crap outta me! Yeah, he had that
gruff exterior, in your face and the language, but I soon came to
know him as very generous and very knowledgeable and we've
got this recent picture of him blowing his horn on the wall,
black hair still slicked back."
And another musician wrote this:
"I told Roberto today...about Lester and his eyes teared up."
Where ever Lester Parker is
I'm sure there is a song in the air.
Jack Blanchard
http://www.jackandmisty.net
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View From The Front Porch-Stan Hitchcock
"The Old Farm House…."
For 97 years I have stood on this rise above the Chuckling Creek, giving shelter
to the families that call me home. I was built in 1920, of solid Oak studs and
rafters and joists, with some Yellow Poplar underpinings, placed on choice
stones from the creek for pillars at the corners. My interior walls are heavy
tongue and groove oak planks, on either side of the oak studs, then covered with
plaster. The exterior coverings are of Cypress Siding, brought all the way from
Louisiana, on a barge up the Mississippi and Cumberland Rivers, because Cypress
continues to harden as it ages and makes a shell of protection from the
elements.
I was never built to be anything fancy, I'm a Farm House, built for working
folks, who needed sturdy shelter to raise their families. My four fireplaces
kept them warm when the cold winds blew down from the North country, and my 10
foot high ceilings and numerous windows, open to the Summer breezes, kept them
cool in the Warm times.
I was built in the times of Coal Oil lamps, and at times some folks say they can
still catch a whiff of the old lamps. They did not wire me for electricity till
I was almost 15 years old, and even longer than that for the indoor toilets that
the Mistress of the house finally insisted on.
They placed me on this rise, facing the Chuckling Creek, and directly toward the
Eastern sky, so the Master of the House could sit on my Front Porch and watch
the Sun come up as he had his coffee of a morning, and to give neighbors a place
to sit and talk, like folks used to do when I was young. The Porch became a
favorite gathering place, and also a place where the young men and women could
leave from, on the way to whatever War was happening at the time. And a place
for Mothers to stand and watch the Old Car pull away with the sons and daughters
that they had birthed, tears dimming the eyes, and wiped away with the ever
present Apron, the dust of flour from the making of morning biscuits a testament
of her love.
I have stood the Winds Of Time, when the storms would beat against me, blowing
others away, but my solid rock foundation gripping and holding, to protect the
families inside. I've heard the cries of newborn babies, and the cries of
despair when some Mother would get the news from some Battlefield, and I've
heard the shouts of jubilation when a loved one would return home. And it has
been good to stand and shelter all these years.
So, I'm just an Old Farm House, built for Shelter not for Show, getting close to
the Century Mark of Age. The Master Of The House likes to sit on my front porch
with his dog and coffee, the Mistress Of The House keeping me spiffed up and
looking good, and managing to look good herself while she is doing it. My old
wood is weathered, some of my joints creek when you walk on them, but I notice
that the Master has that problem his own self….so I reckon we kinda go together,
the House built for Shelter, and the folks that live here, seeking that for
which I was built. And it is Good.
stan
www.hitchcockcountry.com -
http://www.hitchcockcountry.com
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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not
for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the
Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
– Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV)
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