Volume MMVI • Number 2 • April-June 2006 - Nashville Musicians ...

April-June 2006 The Nashville Musician 11
. . . A new Musicians Hall of Fame for all music genres
In 1991, Chet Atkins, accompanied by Sony
Music’s James Carlson, autographs
a guitar for Chambers (center) in store.
(Continued from page 1)
For inclusion, Chambers has conducted interviews
with different musicians, and contacted
artists who have committed different
pieces of memorabilia and equipment in
years to come. For instance, Scotty Moore
plans to lend numerous artifacts, among
them his Gibson guitar.
“Joe’s got a lot on his plate, but it’s
something that definitely needs to be done.
Joe’s doing it for the musicians,” continues
Mandell. “It’s a multi-million dollar attraction.
What Joe did was buy two buildings
three years ago, and combined them. It’s a
multi-puprose complex. There’s a performance
theater that seats 350 people, a state-
. . . Hall of Fame fiddler dies
(Continued from page 1)
Terry wrote and recorded “The Ballad
of J.C.” (a tribute to Johnny Cash) in 1970,
which charted Billboard five weeks (lifting
its tune from Jimmie Driftwood’s “Battle
of New Orleans”) for Capitol Records.
A native of Alabama (born Oct. 7, 1931,
the son of Stella and Floyd Terry), Gordon
quit school, played in his father’s country
band, and also worked in the cotton mills.
After making his way north, Gordon
joined Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys in
1950, at a time when Monroe first started
using double and triple fiddles in his group
(including Bobby Hicks and Red Taylor).
Terry departed the band because he was
being inducted into the Army (during the
Korean War).
While a GI, he hooked up with fellowsoldier
Faron Young, playing fiddle with his
Special Services unit band, the Circle A
Wranglers.
Following his 1954 discharge, Terry
joined Young’s touring band, when they
were hitting heavy with such singles as “A
Place For Girls Like You” and “If You Ain’t
Lovin’ (You Ain’t Livin’).”
In 1956, Terry set out on a solo career,
though he continued to do session work.
One of his first major label solo recording
stints was with Columbia Records, though
it was not the success he hoped for.
Terry then recorded as Archie Bleyer’s
first country artist on Cadence Records in
1957, cutting the songs “Johnson’s Old Grey
Mule,” “Service With a Smile” and “Black
Mountain Rag.” (Bleyer, who had been
Arthur Godfrey’s 1950s’ music director,
scored a #2 hit single himself “Hernando’s
Hideaway” and helmed label successes for
the Everly Brothers, Julius LaRosa and Bill
Hayes.)
Among Terry’s solo albums are “Square
Dance Party” (RCA, 1962); “Tennessee Hot
Rock” (Plantation, 1979); and “Rockin’
Fiddle” (Plantation, 1981).
In California, Gordon joined guitarist
Clarence White on the Marshall Brickman-
Eric Weissberg landmark album “New Dimensions
in Banjo & Bluegrass” (Elektra,
1963). He was equally proud of his work
on Merle Haggard’s Capitol salute to Bob
of-the-art recording studio, soundproof
booths, a small screening theater, the Hall
of Fame museum and a (non-profit) School
of Music.”
We asked how many would be inducted
in the first year?
“I don’t know that that’s been decided
yet. (Although an earlier published report
stated 50 musicians for each instrument, as
nominated by a board yet to be chosen.)”
So what procedures are in place to continue
the costly operation should something
interfere with Chambers continuing as its
curator?
“That’s a good question. And I don’t
know if that’s been addressed yet,” concludes
Mandell.
The new facility will be only a short
distance from the Country Music Hall of
Fame, and the forthcoming Schermerhorn
Symphony Center.
Chamber of Commerce president Butch
Spyridon publicly voiced approval: “The
museum is great . . . I can’t believe Joe took
this on. It is the perfect complement to the
flagship Country Music Hall of Fame and
the pending Gospel Music Hall of Fame.”
(Editor’s note: The Nashville Musician
newspaper will strive to bring readers further
information, as well as pictures of the new Musicians
Hall of Fame, when it opens to the
public this summer. For those interested in
contacting the facility, call (615) 244-3263.)
Gordon Terry
Wills, “A Tribute to the Best Damned Fiddle
Player in the World” (#2, 1971). Ironically,
he and Bob Wills were the first two inductees
into the Fiddlers' Hall of Fame in 1981.
From 1963-’66, he had operated
Terrytown, an amusement complex, in
Loretto, Tenn. He also appreared in the independent
film “Girl From Tobacco Row,”
shot on location in Nashville, and earlier did
acting stints in the popular Sky King TV
series and a trio of Republic Studios’ quicky
Westerns.
After having toured four years with
Cash’s show, Gordon hit the road again with
Merle Haggard’s Strangers, and also performed
with Neil Young's troupe. He would
often perform in later years at Nashville area
shows, and particularly for ROPE programs.
Terry and his wife Virginia were helpful
to a young unknown Barbara Mandrell,
when she first came to Music City. She recalled,
“They let me live with them and their
two daughters . . . At all the important times
in my life, Gordon has been there for me.”
In his honor, a portion of Alabama Highway
24 was named the Gordon Terry Parkway.
Survivors include wife Virginia, daughters
Mitzi Winter and Rhonda Thorson; and
grandchildren Dustin Smith, Lorin Smith,
and Lars Thorson. Funeral arrangements
were handled by the Parkway Funeral
Home. An April 12 service at Trinity Baptist
Church in Trinity, Ala., had Larry Thomas,
Paul Mason and Zachary Terry officiating.
Nephews served as the Pallbearers.
Johnny Cash, the ‘Man in Black.’
Rare cuts by Cash surface
By WALT TROTT
Hot on-the-heels of the acclaimed biographical
motion picture and soundtrack
“Walk the Line,” there’s been a preponderance
of Johnny Cash product made available.
Among those compiled recently: The 3-
CD set “Johnny Cash: The Complete Sun
Recordings (1955-’58),” the double Sony
CD “Essential Johnny Cash,” the 104-track
“Johnny Cash, The Legend,” an 18-track
“Johnny Cash: The Mercury Years,” and
Sony’s “Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash:
16 Biggest Hits.”
Now come’s a double album truly offthe-beaten-track,
Sony/Legacy’s “Johnny
Cash/Personal File” featuring Cash singing
songs of his youth, those he became fond
of later, others he wrote and hymns to inspire
him. It’s due to hit the street, May 23.
The beauty of this set is it’s an unfettered
Cash, who sings 48 songs, and recites
Robert Service’s classic 1907 poem “The
Cremation of Sam McGee,” accompanied
only by his guitar. Occasionally he offers
anecdotes about the why and wherefore of
his recordings.
As Johnny points out, “Far Away
Places” (popularized by such as Margaret
Whiting and Bing Crosby) was the first song
he performed in public for a talent contest
“as a kid in Blytheville, Ark., and I got two
votes . . . maybe it was my selection of material.”
He warbles “Galway Bay,” an Irish ballad,
also a Crosby hit, and traditional tunes
“Farther Along,” “The Engineer’s Child,”
and “Drink To Me Only With Thine Eyes.”
Like Cash, some of these songs we heard
from family members, passing along
oldtimers like “My Mother Was a Lady”
(popularized in 1897 by Dan Quinn), “I’ll
Take You Home Again, Kathleen” (recorded
in 1912 by Will Oakland), and “The Letter
Edged in Black” (a 1925 hit for Vernon
Dalhart).
Johnny picks The Original Carter Family
(his in-laws) successes “The Way-Worn
Traveler” and “The Winding Stream.” Some
he chose are covers of songs cut earlier by
other artists: Johnny Horton (“When It’s
Springtime in Alaska”), Eddy Arnold (“Jim,
I Wore a Tie Today”), Ira & Charlie Louvin
(“When I Stop Dreaming”), Doug Kershaw
(“Louisiana Man”), Lefty Frizzell
(“Saginaw, Michigan”) and John Prine
(“Paradise”). Other songs Cash admired and
put to tape were Kris Kristofferson’s “Lights
of Magdala,” stepdaughter Carlene Carter’s
“It Takes One To Know Me” (also included
on “Johnny Cash, The Legend,” referred to
above), and (former son-in-law) Rodney
Crowell’s “Wildwood in the Pines.” Of
course, his own secular creations include
“Girl in Saskatoon,” co-written with pal
Johnny Horton, “It’s All Over,” “I Wanted
So,” “Tiger Whitehead” and “Virgie,” lovingly
penned to salute a beloved relative.
We relished his fun-filled “A Fast Song,”
which Cash recalled writing after attending
a Nashville concert at the Exit-In headlining
Cowboy Jack Clement and Chuck
Cochran. It seems on stage Clement kept
indicating to Cochran the need for a change
of pace number, though they never actually
did one.
Among Christian cuts Cash wrote and
recorded in “Personal File” are “Seal It in
My Heart and Mind,” “Look Unto the East,”
“What On Earth (Will You Do For Heaven’s
Sake),” “No Earthly Good,” “Sanctified,”
“What Is Man,” “Over the Next Hill” and
“A Half A Mile A Day.”
Together, he and June collaborated on
writing “Matthew 24” and “One Of These
Days I’m Gonna Sit Down and Talk To
Paul.” Hard to imagine a gospel song being
controversial, but Cash’s selection “If Jesus
Ever Loved a Woman,” focuses on a suggestion
that Jesus was in love with Mary
Magdalene. Actually, it’s not particularly
well-crafted, with pedestrian lyrics at best.
Sweetly interpreted though are the standards
“Lily Of the Valley,” “Life’s Railway To
Heaven” and “In the Sweet Bye and Bye.”
According to Grammy Award-winning
executive producer Gregg Geller, who
helped compile these revealing tracks,
“These personal files (which were found in
boxes marked ‘Personal File’), as it turns
out, consist of simple guitar and vocal renderings
of songs by Johnny Cash himself,
alone in his studio . . . ”
Many of the tracks were performed by
Johnny in July 1973, though he sat down
and strummed additional numbers in 1974,
’76, ’77, ’80 and 1982, all filed at his House
of Cash studio. It’s not unlike some of us in
our childhood listening to a favorite uncle
pickin’ and singin’ songs in the kitchen.
We’re not sure who made the tracks
available, but - just as Sony is banking on -
undoubtedly they will be welcomed and
treasured by a multitude of Johnny Cash
fans around the globe.
Reba Hancock, Cash sister, dies
Reba Cash Hancock, 72, died March 5,
following a lengthy illness. As sister to
Johnny Cash, she handled administrative
duties for him, as well as business at the
former House of Cash in Hendersonville.
She was preceded in death by son Ricky
Lynn Burlison and two granddaughters. Survivors
include sons Timothy Paul Hancock
and Donny Wayne Burlison; daughter Kelly
Leigh Hancock; brother Tommy Cash; sister
Joanne Cash Yates; grandchildren
Nathan Zachary Hancock, Ben Burlison,
Aaron Burlison, Carson Burlison, Ashley
McClendon and Daniel Shawn Burlison
Blackburn; and great-grandchildren Brooke
McClendon, Shelby McClendon, Alexa
Burlison and Katelyn Burlison.
Funeral services were conducted March
8 at Hendersonville First Baptist Church,
officiated by Harry Yates, with interment in
Hendrsonville Memory Gardens.
Pallbearers were Benny Burlison, Aaron
Burlison, Carson Burlison, Damon Fielder,
Jimmy Tittle, Marty Stuart, Jeff Ingle,
Danny Johnson and Bill Miller. Honorary
Pallbearers: Paul Garrett, Joanne Yates,
Harry Yates, Sara Ware, Kim Stone, Dr.
Ifeanyi Obianyo, Vicki Langdon, Sue
Langdon, Tommy Cash, John Carter Cash,
Rosanne Cash, Joe Garrett, Kathy Cash
Tittle, Cindy Cash, Tara Cash Schwoebel,
Carlene Carter, Rosemary Edelman and
Shannon Miller.