Thursday April 13th, 2017 COUNTRY MUSIC CLASSICS

COUNTRY MUSIC CLASSICS

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

Thursday April 13th, 2017

Email: djdclassics@gmail.com


STORY BEHIND THE SONG

A lot of songs have been written on airplanes and according to Marty Robbins -
such was the case of his 1976 number one "El Paso City."

Marty commented, "I was usually sleeping each time I flew over El Paso and I'd
usually wake up when the pilot would announce "And off to your left is the city
of El Paso. And I had it on my mind to write that song for a long time - so
finally - during one trip when I heard the pilot make that announcement - I
asked the stewardess for a pen and some paper and I wrote "El Paso City" before
we got to Los Angeles."

Marty Robbins Columbia Records single "El Paso City" came on the country music
charts April 17th, 1976 and made it to number one - where it stayed for two
weeks.

It was his 72nd charted song and was on the charts for sixteen weeks.

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STORAGE ROOM FIND:

346 page oversize "GRAND OLE OPRY" by Chet Hagan – published in 1989 – The
complete story of the great American institution and its stars – over 100 photos
in color and black & white. Mint condition - $20.00 and I'll pay shipping. -
PayPal – Check or Money Order – reply to djdclassics@gmail.com

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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q: According to my dad, Willie Nelson has a video tribute to Merle Haggard. Do
you know anything about it?
A: Willie Nelson has released a video for his tribute song to Haggard, titled
"He Won't Ever Be Gone. "The video contains footage from both Nelson's recording
of "He Won't Ever Be Gone" along with clips from when he and Haggard recorded
their collaborative album "Django & Jimmie," which gave Haggard his final No. 1
album.

Q: Happy to hear that Jerry Reed is going into the hall of fame but I think
that several other artists should have gone in before him. Do you agree?
A: I think there are several other artists who should be in the hall of fame
but not necessarily before Jerry Reed. And I think Jerry Reed should have been
in long before now.

Q: Years ago there was a comedy song on the radio about "Freddie Feelgood And
His Funky Little Five Piece Band." Do you know who had that record?
A: That song was in Ray Stevens' 1974 "Boogity Boogity" album.

Q: My brother-in-law says that Jim Reeves and Patsy Cline recorded an album
together. Is that true?
A: Reeves and Cline never recorded together but their voices were merged
electronically for the 1981 "Greatest Hits" album.

Q: The old Jim Reeves record "Mexican Joe" is still my favorite. Do you know
who wrote that song?
A: Reeves first charted song was written by Mitchell Torok

Q: Years ago there was a song on the radio by a boy/girl duet about "Wrong
Company." Was that Porter and Dolly?
A: "Wrong Company" was a # 26 hit for Wynn Stewart and Jan Howard in 1960

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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

1951
The Rhumba Boogie - Hank Snow

1959
White Lightning - George Jones

1967
Walk Through This World with Me - George Jones

1975
Always Wanting You - Merle Haggard

1983
We've Got Tonight - Kenny Rogers & Sheena Easton

1991
Down Home - Alabama

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TODAY IN COUNTRY MUSIC HISTORY
Courtesy: Bill Morrison.

1936 - Milton Brown 1903~1936, age 32, Western Swing superstar, and band leader
of the Musical Brownies, died in Crystal Springs, Texas, as the result of a car
wreck he was involved in five days earlier.

1946 - Red Foley debuted as host of the Grand Ole Opry' s Prince Albert show.

1951 - Hank Snow topped the charts with "The Rhumba Boogie."

1952 - Sam Bush, Bluegrass master musician, born Bowling Green, Kentucky.

1959 - Johnny Horton's Columbia single "The Battle of New Orleans," / "All for
the Love of a Girl," was released today. The record charted two weeks later, and
went to #1 in mid-May and held on for 10 weeks.

1959 - George Jones topped the charts with "White Lightning."

1963 - Bill Anderson' s "Still," went to #1.

1963 - Buck Owens first #1 hit "Act Naturally," charted.

1964 - Roger Miller won five Grammys, at the Seventh Annual Grammy Awards.

1967 - George Jones' single "Walk Through This World With Me" was #1.

1967 - Johnny Cash recorded "Cisco Clifton's Fillin' Station" in Nashville. Dow
Law produced the session, and Cash wrote the song. Session personnel included:
Johnny Cash~vocals & guitar; Luther Perkins~guitar; Marshall Grant~bass; W.S.
Holland~drums; Bob Johnson~banjo; The Carter Family~backing vocals.

1970 - The Academy of Country Music awarded Marty Robbins, their "Man of the
Decade Award."

1975 - Merle Haggard topped the charts with "Always Wanting You."

1981 - Guy Willis 1915~1981, of The Willis Brothers, died at age 65. The Willis
Brothers, Guy, Skeeter, and Vic joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1946. They were
originally called The Oklahoma Wranglers, and backed Hank Williams on his first
ever-recording session in Nashville. Guy Willis was laid to rest in the Middle
Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery, in Nashville.

1985 - TNN debuted "Grand Ole Opry Live" on television.

1986 - Johnny Dollar 1933~1986, singer, songwriter, and guitarist died at the
age of 53.

1987 - Johnny Cash released his debut album with Mercury Records "Johnny Cash Is
Coming to Town." Dropped by Columbia Records after almost three decades of hits,
John was happy to be back on a major label. This album became The Man In Black'
s 50th chart album, remaining on the charts for six months. John' s long time
friend Cowboy Jack Clement produced the album.

1992 - Liberty Records released Linda Davis' self titled album.

1999 - Sire Records released Mandy Barnett' s album "I' ve Got a Right to Cry."

2002 - Kenny Chesney' s "Young" debuted on the charts.

2002 - Diamond Rio's Arista Records single "Beautiful Mess" hit the Country
chart today. The song went to #1. Diamond Rio was the CMA Vocal Group of the
Year in 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1997. This very talented group became members of
the Grand Ole Opry in 1998.

2005 - Randy Travis won his sixth Dove Award from the Gospel Music Association,
when "Passing Through" was named Country Album of the Year.

Courtesy: <http://www.talentondisplay.com/countrycalendar.html>

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ONE OF MY STRANGE ABILITIES.
By: Jack Blanchard

One of my strange abilities is this:
I can stand or sit for long periods
giving no indication of being alive.
It's sort of a self-imposed coma
I seem to use when I'm thinking or bored.

When I was a department store Santa Claus,
I tried not to cough or blink when anybody was around.
I knew they thought I was a life size Santa doll.

One lady had been browsing
through the Christmas candy and toys at my feet,
when I moved a little.
She froze and stared at me for a long moment,
and then went back to looking at the toys
I coughed and she almost had a heart attack.

Another time, in another department store,
I was waiting at the bottom of an escalator
for Misty to return from shopping upstairs.
I was bored,
and drifted into one of my catatonic states.

I was wearing slim jeans,
cowboy boots and hat,
a denim shirt, and a leather vest
that was made for me at an Indian reservation
on one of our western tours.

A lady was looking at some dresses on my right,
and happened to glance in my direction.
She casually came over and examined me.
I knew what was up, and came back to reality,
but I was afraid to move.

She reached out and felt the leather of my vest
between her thumb and fingers.
I guess my eyes moved in response to her familiarity.
She seemed to go into shock,
and levitate a few inches off he floor.

She put her hand over her heart,
like Fred Sanford having the big one,
and said this to me:
"Oh, my God! You're alive! I'm SO sorry!"

I smiled and said, "No problem."
I was beginning to enjoy these weird episodes.
Is that sick or what?

So, if you happen to come to my funeral, do me a favor...
Poke me a couple of times just to make sure.

Jack Blanchard
http://www.jackandmisty.net

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View From The Front Porch-Stan Hitchcock

So, in the year 1960, Red Foley invited me to come perform with him at an
outdoor concert in Alpena, Michigan...boy, was I ever excited. The Red Foley
road show consisted of several Stars from the Ozark Jubilee, The Jubilee
Promenaders, and the band members, Speedy Haworth, on guitar and harmony vocals,
Bob White, Bass and harmony vocals and the Bandleader, Slim Wilson. When Slim
heard that I was gonna be on the show, he called and told me that I could ride
with he and the band. I met up with them at the Radio Station KWTO, and we
loaded everything up in Slim's station wagon and a small trailer. It was about
Midnight when we got ready to leave, Slim looked over at me and said, "Stan, why
don't you take the first shift...." He tossed me the keys and I got in behind
the wheel. Slim handed me the map with the route marked on it, and said to
holler if I got lost. Well, Slim, Speedy and Bob proceeded to immediately put
their heads back and went sound asleep. I pointed the car North and took off on
the almost 900 miles to Alpena. I drove all night, I drove all the next day...14
hours I drove, only stopping for gas and coffee, Slim only opening his eyes long
enough to hand me his credit card for the gas, and then passing into peaceful
oblivion. Since this was my first road trip, I didn't know how long a shift was
supposed to last....so, I just kept on a'hookin' it.

We finally got to the Fairgrounds where the show was to be held about 4:30 in
the afternoon, 14 1/2 hours later. By this time I was kinda in a stupor from
driving all night and day, but I woke up the guys and we got out and found the
rest rooms and dressing rooms and went about getting ready for the show and
setting up our instruments and amps.

We played to a huge crowd, the old Jubilee Show and the Stars from it were
really popular, and the Promenaders Square Dancers especially so. It was the
first time I had sung to a large audience before and I loved it. Red came out
and closed the show with his masterful talent, took a bunch of encores and the
show was over. After the show, we loaded up the station wagon and trailer
again...Slim looked over at me, tossed me the keys, and said, "Stan, why don't
you take the first shift"....

I drove all night and into the next afternoon, while the sounds of Slim and the
boys sleeping so soundly filled the car. As we pulled into Fair Grove, Missoiuri
on Highway 60, just about 30 miles from Springfield...Slim raised up, let out a
big yawn, stretched and shook himself awake and said, "Stan, pull'er over, son,
I'll dog it on in!" So went my initiation into the "Road" and all it's glory.
Slim laughed about pulling that on me for years after...the "green kid" on his
first show date, driving almost 48 hours while the old Master Musicians slept
like babies. Great teaching for what was to come the rest of my life. stan

www.hitchcockcountry.com -

http://www.hitchcockcountry.com



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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

Then Jesus told them, "This very night you will all fall away on account of me,
for it is written: "'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will
be scattered.' But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee."
Peter replied, "Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will."


– Matthew 26:31-33 (NIV)

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