Cowtown Society of Western Music ‗2009 Publication - Joe Baker
Cowtown Society of Western Music ‗2009 Publication - Joe Baker
Cowtown Society of Western Music ‗2009 Publication - Joe Baker
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<strong>Joe</strong> <strong>Baker</strong><br />
Publisher<br />
Est. January, 2007<br />
Howard Higgins,<br />
Co-Founder & Advisor<br />
<strong>Joe</strong> <strong>Baker</strong>, Co-Founder<br />
& Publisher<br />
Totsie Slover, Editor<br />
mtdradio.com<br />
backfortybunkhouse.com<br />
nchacutting.com<br />
mtdradio.com<br />
backfortybunkhouse.com<br />
westernmusic.com<br />
wsmss.com<br />
cowtown-swm.org<br />
Backforty Bunkhouse Newsletter<br />
<strong>Cowtown</strong> <strong>Society</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Western</strong> <strong>Music</strong> <strong>‗2009</strong> <strong>Publication</strong> <strong>of</strong> the Year‘<br />
Distributed by BACKFORTY BUNKHOUSE PRODUCTIONS<br />
106 Roswell St., Ruidoso, NM 88345 (575) 808-4111<br />
Home <strong>of</strong> Backforty Roundup and CD Chorale<br />
Backforty Bunkhouse Publishing BMI<br />
Venue / Show Productions <strong>Western</strong> <strong>Music</strong> Radio Marketing<br />
www.Backforty Bunkhouse.com <strong>Joe</strong>@BackfortyBunkhouse.com<br />
www.MySpace.com/BackfortyBunkhouse Twitter.com/backfortyBH<br />
The Backforty Bunkhouse Newsletter is sent to over 900 email subscribers periodically and is growing every day. There are<br />
DJs, artists and fans whose interest are <strong>Western</strong> Swing, Cowboy Poetry, Cowboy Heritage and Texas Honky Tonk music genres.<br />
We solicit your comments, suggestions and ways we may better serve you. If you do not want to receive this newsletter<br />
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<strong>Joe</strong> <strong>Baker</strong>'s Top 20 – July, 2010<br />
<strong>Western</strong> Swing<br />
1. Asleep At The Wheel & Leon Rausch, It‘s A<br />
Good Day<br />
2. Tony Harrison & Hot Texas, Swingin‘ Big<br />
3. Rebecca Linda Smith, True Love<br />
4. Gayla Earlene, Traditional Sugar<br />
5. Tom Houston, Tuxedo Country, Vol.#2<br />
6. Lone Pine WS Band, Goodbye Liza Jane<br />
Hello<br />
7. <strong>Western</strong> Swing Gena Roberts, Shuffle Back<br />
To Me<br />
8. Amber Digby & Justin Trevino, Keeping Up<br />
Appearances<br />
9. Jerry D. Hobbs, <strong>Baker</strong>sfield<br />
10. Carolyn Martin, Cookin‘ With Carolyn<br />
11. Brady Bowen In My Spare Time, Vol.#5<br />
12. Johnny Lyon, Wynn Stewart Fav, Vol.#2<br />
13. Johnny Gimble, Celebrating With Friends<br />
14. Cornell Hurd, A Bad Year For Love<br />
15. Billy Mata, This Is Tommy Duncan Vol.#1<br />
16. Willie Nelson, Willie & The Wheel<br />
17. Rachael Hester, Only Time Will Tell<br />
18. Chuck Cusimano, Swing me A Song<br />
19. Steel Country, Country Hard As Steel<br />
20. Jerry Webb, Live At Pearl‘s Dancehall CD/<br />
DVD<br />
<strong>Western</strong> <strong>Music</strong>/Cowboy Poetry<br />
1. Yvonne Hollenbeck, Sorting Time<br />
2. Bar-D Roundup, Vol.#5 CowboyPoetry.com<br />
3. Larry McWhorter, Cowboy Poet (Prescott<br />
<strong>Music</strong>)<br />
4. Mark Compere, Cowboy Songs<br />
5. Patty Parker, Southwest Serenade<br />
6. Lynn Anderson, Cowgirl II<br />
7. Fred Hargrove, My Sacred Ground<br />
8. Ken Cook, Cowboys Are Like That<br />
9. Stardust Cowboys, Ridin‘ Back To You<br />
10. Chuck Woller, (D. Johnson Vocals) Desert<br />
<strong>Joe</strong> <strong>Baker</strong>‟s Backforty Bunkhouse Show is broadcast on 100,000 watt KNMB, 96.7FM “New Mexico Bear” & 100,000 watt KWMW, 105.1FM, “Regional<br />
Radio W-105” every Saturday morning 6 am to 10 am in Ruidoso, New Mexico covering New Mexico & West Texas. Member: <strong>Western</strong> <strong>Music</strong> Broadcasters<br />
Association (WMBA). Also available „Streaming live‟ 24/7 on the internet at W-105<br />
1<br />
Moon<br />
11. Steve Anderson, Old Man Talking<br />
12. Gil Prather, Last Of The Border Cowboys<br />
13. Frank Fara, Songs Of The Untamed West<br />
14. Horse Crazy, Daughters Of The West<br />
15. Linda Lee Filener, One Life To Live<br />
16. Backforty Roundup Vol. #45<br />
17. Almeda Terry, Voices From The Range<br />
18. Troy Bateson, Midnight Moon<br />
19. Chuck Cusimano, Wind Blow My Blues Away<br />
20. Brenn Hill, Equine<br />
"Swingin' West"- Mike Gross<br />
WVOF-FM<br />
July 1, 2010<br />
Songs<br />
1. Oklahoma- 1955- Les Gilliam<br />
2. That‘s What I Call Cookin‘- Carolyn<br />
Martin<br />
3. Lonestar Ladies- Ray Sanders<br />
4. California Mountains- The Stardust Cowboys<br />
5. What I Like About Texas- Marshall Ford Swing<br />
Band<br />
6. I Wouldn‘t Trade You for a Farm in Georgia-<br />
Ray Kayanek<br />
7. Night Coach Out <strong>of</strong> Dallas- Jake Hooker<br />
8. Don‘t Let the Devil Dance- The Captain‘s Crew<br />
9. Over the Hill- River Road Boys<br />
10. Tacos, Enchiladas and Beans- Buck Pizzarelli<br />
& West Texas Tumbleweeds<br />
Albums<br />
1. Oklahoma- 1955- Les Gilliam<br />
2. Cookin‘ With Carolyn- Carolyn Martin<br />
3. Celebrating with Friends- Johnny Gimble<br />
4. Goodbye Liza Jane Hello <strong>Western</strong> Swing- Lone<br />
Pine <strong>Western</strong> Swing Band<br />
5. <strong>Western</strong> Bling- Stephanie Davis<br />
6. Houston- River Road Boys<br />
7. Live at Pearls- Jerry Webb<br />
8. Swing Me a Song- Chuck Cusimano<br />
9. Lost Along the Way- Jake Hooker<br />
10. Whatever You Want Me to Be- Eddie McAlvain<br />
swinginwest.com
awaawards.org<br />
nwwsms.org<br />
westernswingsociety.org<br />
ifco.org<br />
swinginwest.com<br />
demingradio.com<br />
realwestoldwest.com<br />
cowboypoetry.com<br />
kalhlp@earthlink.net<br />
cowboysymposium.org<br />
LEESWING TOP 12 CDs &<br />
SONGS<br />
Lillies Ohlsson<br />
Kountry Korral Magazine<br />
Bennerstigen 120<br />
SE-733 95 SALA * Sweden<br />
CDs<br />
Bill Snow Jr. - No Ryman, No Reason<br />
Bobby Koefer – Thumbin´ It<br />
Buck Pizzarelli – Diggin´ Up Bones<br />
Carolina Cotton – Yodeling Blonde Bombshell Vol. 2<br />
Chuck Cusimano – Swing Me A Song<br />
Country Night Live – The Right Five – Vol.1<br />
Eddie McAlvain – Whatever You Want Me To Be<br />
Gaylynn Robinson – Love & Heartache<br />
Hunter Erwin – Back To You<br />
Retta – They Took The Stars Out Of Heaven<br />
Shoot Low Sheriff – Mockingbird Sessions<br />
Wayne Glasson & Friends – Dedicated to the Memory<br />
<strong>of</strong> Bobby Boatright<br />
Songs<br />
Carolina Cotton Calls # 89 – Carolina Cotto<br />
Diggin´ Up Bones – Buck Pizzarelli<br />
Does My Baby Call Me Honey, Yes Sir – Retta & The<br />
Smart Fellas<br />
Over The Hill – River Road Boys<br />
Shuffle Back To Me – Gena Roberts & Country Night<br />
Live Band<br />
Sing Faded Love Dayna Gayle – Dayna Wills<br />
Southland – Bobby Koefer<br />
Stampede – Bill Snow Jr.<br />
Swing Me A Song – Chuck Cusimano<br />
Talk Back Trembling Lips – Eddie McAlvain<br />
Traditional Sugar – Gayla Earlene<br />
Wabash Blues – Wayne Glasson & Friends<br />
www.123minsida.se/scowswing<br />
www.LeeSwing88.se<br />
All Things Country Top 10 CDs<br />
Rowena Muldavin<br />
1. Malpass Bros. – Hillbilly Fever<br />
The Way It Was<br />
2. Miss Leslie – Wrong Is What I Do<br />
Best<br />
3. Merle Haggard – I Am What I Am<br />
4. Ron Williams – The Longer You‘re Gone<br />
5. Cornell Hurd – A Bad Year For Love<br />
6. Carolyn Martin – Cookin‘ With Carolyn<br />
7. Quebe Sisters Band – Timeless<br />
8. Lisa And Her Kin – Two Weeks In Texas<br />
9. Juni Fisher – Let ‗Er Go, Let ‗Er Buck, Let ‗Er Fly<br />
10. Brett Neal – Honky Tonk Roadmap<br />
rowena@hpr.org<br />
2<br />
Hugh McLennan‘s<br />
The Spirit <strong>of</strong> the West<br />
Kamloops Country Radio 103<br />
Kamloops, BC<br />
June 26, 2010<br />
1. Take Me Back to My Boots and<br />
Saddle - Hayes County Gals<br />
2. When The Rains Came - Jean Prescott<br />
3. God Must Be A Cowboy At Heart - Chris Schauer<br />
4. Hearts & Horses - Lorraine Rawls<br />
5. Women Of The Wind - Journey West<br />
6. Molly & The Kid - Mereline Griffith<br />
July 2, 2010<br />
1. Blue Prairie - Old West Trio<br />
2. Wild Horses - Fred Doberstein<br />
3. The Cowboy Song - Hank Cramer<br />
4. Mamma Cow Blues - Charlie Ewing<br />
5. Right Back Down The Trail - Tony Reed<br />
6. He Taught Me - Lloyd Dolen<br />
July 10, 2010<br />
1. Mail Order Bride - Tony Glen<br />
2. The Brazos - Cowboy Celtic<br />
3. Roll On Cowboys - R.J. Vandygriff<br />
4. Spell <strong>of</strong> the Cariboo - Alan Moberg<br />
5. Twilight On The Trail - Nat King Cole<br />
6. Ridin‘ Blind - Kelly Buelow<br />
July 17, 2010<br />
1. Cowpoke - Johnny <strong>Western</strong><br />
2. Itchin‘ For ABritchin‘ - Ben Crane<br />
3. Jack Link - Ian Tyson<br />
4. Red River Rose - Red Steagall<br />
5. Melody <strong>of</strong> the Plains - Rex Allen<br />
6. FireFighters - Doris Daley<br />
www.hugh-mclennan.com<br />
Graham Lees Top Ten CDs & Songs<br />
HWD Radio - United Kingdom<br />
Top Ten CDs<br />
1. Marshall Ford Swing Band - It‘s<br />
About Dam Time<br />
2. Elana James - Elana James<br />
3. Quebe Sisters Band - Timeless<br />
4. Bobby Flores - Just For The Record<br />
5. Cornel Hurd Band - A Bad Year For Love<br />
6. Jennifer Lind - Cowboy State Of Mind<br />
7. Jean Prescott - Ranch Life 101<br />
8. Don Edwards - Goin‘ Back To Texas<br />
9. Gary Allegretto - Harmonicowboy<br />
10. Lynn Anderson - Cowgirl<br />
Ruidoso, New Mexico mountainannies.com
adioksey.com<br />
waynettawwr@aol.com<br />
wswing.home.texas.net<br />
sblackwell18<br />
@comcast.net<br />
cdtex.com<br />
texascountyline.tv<br />
gabeandtony.com<br />
MineralWellsTX.com<br />
Top Ten Songs<br />
1. Quebe Sisters Band- Across The Ally<br />
From The Alamo<br />
2. Cornel Hurd Band - A Date With Her<br />
Memory<br />
3. Marshall Ford Swing Band - Marie<br />
4. Jean Prescott - One Cowboy Left<br />
5. Bobby Flores - I‘d Fight The World<br />
6. Brenn Hill - Hell On Yer Women<br />
7. Chuck Cusimano - That‘s Why There‘s<br />
Honky Tonks In Texas<br />
8. Jennifer Lind - Fair and Tender Ladies<br />
9. Stu Davis - Land, Sky and Water<br />
10. Gary Allegretto - Mind Your Own Business<br />
graham@grahamlees.com<br />
Ken Bass<br />
KALH - VARIETY 95.1<br />
Serving<br />
Alamogordo - La Luz<br />
Holloman AFB &<br />
Tularosa, NM<br />
TOP 20<br />
01. Little Big Town– Little White Church<br />
02. Teea Goans - He'll Be Back<br />
03. Sebastian Roberts & Lorrie Morgan -<br />
Dress For The Rain<br />
04. Georgette Jones - I Still Believe In Fairy<br />
Tales<br />
05. Roys - Beautiful<br />
06. Du West - Bible And The Belt<br />
07. Kellie Pickler - Makin' Me Fall In Love<br />
Again<br />
08. Robert Poe - Bad Reputation<br />
09. Bellamy Brothers - Jalapenos<br />
10. Mary Chapin Carpenter - I Put My Ring<br />
Back On<br />
11. Darryl Worley - Keep The Change<br />
12. Lowcash Cowboys - Here Comes Summer<br />
13. Billy Dean - Wave On Old Glory Wave<br />
On<br />
14. Bridgett Tatum - That's Love Y'all<br />
15. Buck McCoy - Man Of The Law<br />
16. Bad Boy Leroy - I'm Playing This Song<br />
For You<br />
17. LeVee Town - Hallabaloo<br />
18. Rebecca Linda Smith– Lady Warrior<br />
19. Billy Currington - Pretty Good At Drinkin' Bee<br />
20. Grascals - Last Train To Clarksville<br />
kalhp@earthlink.com<br />
Listen to <strong>Joe</strong> <strong>Baker</strong>‘s<br />
Backforty Bunkhouse Radio Show<br />
www.backfortybunkhouse.com<br />
Saturday 6:00 til 9:00 AM<br />
3<br />
6/26/10, If Cowboys Were Meant To...<br />
Andy and Jim Nelson<br />
C. O. W. Radio<br />
4 Week Playlist<br />
Bar J Wranglers: Mama Don't Allow<br />
Sourdough Slim: Ridin' Down The Canyon<br />
Ken Maynard: Home On The Range<br />
KG and the Ranger: Down The Trail To San Antone<br />
Jerry Brooks: Badger Clark's "The Legend Of Boastful Bill"<br />
TJ Casey: Get Along Little Dogies<br />
6/19/10, Father's Day<br />
Brenn Hill: Still Your Little Cowgirl<br />
Dave Stamey: That Silver Haired Daddy Of Mine<br />
Rex Allen and Rex Allen Jr.: Last Of The Silver Screen Cowboys<br />
David Anderson: It's Been A While<br />
Randy Rieman: Badger Clark's "The Married Man"<br />
Sons and Brothers: Measure Of A Man<br />
6/12/10, Top TV <strong>Western</strong> Series<br />
Johnny <strong>Western</strong>: TV Series Medley<br />
Frankie Lane: Rawhide<br />
Roy Rogers: Happy Trails<br />
Don Edwards/Rich O'Brien: Gunsmoke<br />
Rex Rideout: When Bob Got Throwed<br />
The Cincinnati Pops: Medley Of TV <strong>Western</strong> Themes<br />
6/5/10, Top TV <strong>Western</strong> Movies/Mini-series<br />
Cowboy Celtic: Ballad Of Nate Champion<br />
Theme From Monte Walsh<br />
Bill Hayes: The Ballad Of Davie Crockett<br />
Leon Littlebird: Sally In The Canyon<br />
Red Steagall: The Fence That Me And Shorty Built<br />
The Cincinnati Pops: Theme From Lonesome Dove<br />
cowboy poet@wyoming.com<br />
The Big Fred Walker Show<br />
WOES 91.3 FM<br />
Mid-Michigan<br />
TOP TEN SONGS<br />
01 Eddie McAlvain – Shame, Shame On<br />
You<br />
02 Chuck Cusimano – Let Me Off In<br />
Texas<br />
03 Rebecca Linda Smith – Yrue Love<br />
04 Hermann Lammers Meyer – Do What<br />
You Do, Do Well<br />
05 Ray Sanders – Walk On By<br />
06 T.J. Casey – (My Only) Turtle Dove<br />
07 Ann Pascoe – Treat Me Like A Lady<br />
08 Dayna Wills – It Was Just Like Taking Candy From A Baby<br />
09 Glrn Lenderman – Here‘s To You<br />
10 Liz Talley – Bump Bounce Boogie<br />
TOP TEN CD<br />
01 Eddie McAlvain – Whatever You Want Me To Be<br />
02 Rebecca Linda Smith – True Love<br />
03 Chuck Cusimano – Swing Me A Song<br />
04 Frank Fara – Song‘s Of The West<br />
05 Ann Pascoe – The Best Of Ann Pascoe<br />
06 T.J. Casey – Blue Montana Skies<br />
07 Ray Sanders – Funny How Time Slips Away<br />
08 Liz Talley – More Than Satisfied<br />
09 Gunsmoks – Tradition<br />
10 Leon Seiter – Nashville Memory<br />
djcountryone@charter.net
Waynetta‘s Roundup on LIVE 365<br />
Waynetta Ausmus<br />
KJIM, 1500AM<br />
Sherman/Dennison TX<br />
From Whence Came The Cowboy – Sons <strong>of</strong><br />
The San Juaquin<br />
Cowboy Lessons – Teresa Burleson<br />
Pioneertown Phantoms – Tom Hiatt<br />
Joy Is A Choice – Ken Cook<br />
My Life‘s Been A Pleasure – River Road Boys<br />
The Wayward Wind – Due West Trio<br />
Old Folks Rodeo – Yvonne Hollenbeck<br />
Saturday Night in a Cowboy Town – David John And The<br />
Comstock Cowboys<br />
Good Dog – Doc Mayer<br />
Damn Dog – Donnie Blanz<br />
Cowboy <strong>Music</strong> Soothes My Soul – Jim Reeder<br />
The Boots Her Daddy Wore – Jean Prescott<br />
Beatitudes – Bob Upchurch<br />
Adios to the Cowboy – Way Out West<br />
Swing 42 – Rich O‘Brien<br />
Arizona April – Way Out West<br />
Deb‘s Café – Mike Puhallo<br />
You‘re the Reason God Made Oklahoma – Barry Ward<br />
I Saw the Light – Don Edwards<br />
The Sick Mule – Jerry Clower<br />
www.waynettaausmus.com<br />
Wyn Machon<br />
Oamaru Heritage Radio 88.3 & 107 FM<br />
5 Lowther St. Oamaru 9400<br />
Whitestone City, New Zealand<br />
The Browns, Everybody's Darlin' Plus Mine<br />
Serenaders, I Wrote A Letter<br />
Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer, My Prairie Home<br />
Rockin' Sidney, Bayou Cruise<br />
The Whites, There Ain't No Binds<br />
The Johnson Mountain Boys, Blue Yodel<br />
Mary Kaye, Love Has Come To Settle Down<br />
Johnny Chester, My Sweet Janie<br />
Robert Ellis Orrall, It's My Lucky Day<br />
Kevin Collins, Long Gone Are The Days<br />
Coldwater Canyon Band, Nobody Knows<br />
Bobby Dean, Enough To Lease<br />
Slim Dusty, Old Time Christmas<br />
Ann Kirkpatrick, Old Sunlander Van<br />
Grayson Crossno, Rodeo Queen<br />
Tracy Killeen, Drivers Seat<br />
Ann Brown, Beneath A Painted Sky<br />
Judy Welden, Little Girls , Boys And Puppies<br />
Lisa Mcttugh, Old Fashioned Girl<br />
Sherry Kennedy, Don't Touch Me<br />
Merle Haggard, Someday We'll Look Back<br />
Pussycat, It's The Same Old Song<br />
The Nashville Sessions Players, Day By Day<br />
Peter Small, In My Arms<br />
Mike Lane, Just Like Old Times<br />
wynjoy@orcon.net.nz<br />
4<br />
The Real West from the Old West<br />
Totsie Slover<br />
AM1230 KOTS<br />
DemingRadio.com<br />
Top 20 CDs<br />
Cookin‘ With Carolyn - Carolyn Martin<br />
Way Out West - Richard Lee Cody and Mary<br />
Kaye<br />
Route 66 On The Road - Oklahoma Stomp<br />
Cross Halo - Paul Harris<br />
It‘s A Good Day - Asleep At The Wheel & Leon Rausch<br />
RNDNMUP - T. J. Casey And Jim Reader<br />
Swing Me A Song - Chuck Cusimano<br />
Sweethearts In Carhartts - Jean Prescott<br />
Hank Did It This Way - Les Gilliam<br />
Here, There And Anywhere - Rod Taylor<br />
In My Spare Time Vol. 5 - Brady Bowen<br />
Let ‗Er Go, Let ‗Er Buck, Let ‗Er Fly - Juni Fisher<br />
This Is Tommy Duncan Vol. 1 - Billy Mata<br />
Still Ridin‘ - Jim Jones<br />
Swingtime In The Rockies - Open Range<br />
Bar-D Roundup Vol. 5 - CowboyPoetry.com<br />
Festival Favorites - Bobby Flores<br />
Waltz Of The Rainbows - Eddy Harrison<br />
Tuxedo Country Vol. 2 - Ton Houston Orchestra<br />
A Bad Year For Love - Cornell Hurd Band<br />
realwestoldwest@live.com<br />
Bill McCAllie‘s Cowboy Jubilee Radio Show<br />
Classical 90.5 WSMC-FM<br />
Chattanooga, TN<br />
I got a nice start this month with a western swing CD from Chuck<br />
Cusimano called "Swing Me A Song," which was the title cut from<br />
the CD. I also played one called "Baby Buggy Boogie," and "Let<br />
Me Off In Texas." I used to see Chuck at the National Cowboy<br />
Symposium in Lubbock every year and he's a fine fellow along<br />
with being a good musician and song smith. I put the "Old Night<br />
Hawk" written by Bruce Kiskaddon and recited by master poet<br />
Waddie Mitchell, into a segment with Don Edwards and "Deep<br />
Water Ice And Snow," "Cattle Call" and "The Campfire Has Gone<br />
Out." Father's Day special music was provided by Emmylou Harris<br />
with "Precious Memories," Lester Flatt's "Fathers Table Grace"<br />
and Lynda Colosimo and Reese Hullander provided a live studio<br />
production <strong>of</strong> a Father's Day song called "We Have This Light." I<br />
did some traveling this past month up to <strong>Joe</strong>lton, Tennessee,<br />
which is north <strong>of</strong> Nashville, and had a great afternoon visiting<br />
Carolyn Martin and her husband Dave. I got the "Cook‘s'' tour <strong>of</strong><br />
the studio. I had my old pal, fellow musician and barber Keith<br />
Woods with me and he and I both were fascinated with the Martin's<br />
studio. Dave says the studio is "one heck <strong>of</strong> a commute<br />
every morning"...it's all <strong>of</strong> 100 yards from the house. The studio is<br />
equipped with all the latest and has a 54 channel board to get the<br />
great sound on Carolyn's new CD "Cooking With Carolyn". I got a<br />
nice, two-part interview with Carolyn and played cuts from her CD<br />
after the interview played. "Cookin With Carolyn," "Straighten Up<br />
And Fly Right" and "It's All About You." We motored on to Nashville<br />
and got interviews with the Time Jumpers Band and were<br />
treated to a stellar performance by the group. <strong>Joe</strong> Spivey, fiddler<br />
for the group, gave me a nice rundown <strong>of</strong> the players and talked
about the history <strong>of</strong> the group. After the interview with <strong>Joe</strong> I<br />
played "Stompin‘ At The Station," "Sugar Moon" and "Fiddlin‘." I'll<br />
play more interviews from the Station Inn gang next month. The<br />
Time Jumpers are always consistent in their music and Vince Gill<br />
has moved up from part-time Jumper to full Time Jumper and<br />
guitarist/vocalist for the group, which makes the group even<br />
"MOBETTER." The Quebe Sister's Band‘s new CD has been on<br />
the play list for the past several months. This month we played<br />
"Shame On You'', "Take The A Train" and "There's A Rainbow<br />
Over The Range." California song bird Suzie Glaze added to the<br />
mix this month with "Back Home," "Blue Eyed Darlin‘,‖<br />
―Albuquerque" and my favorite "Cody Brown"...I think we'll<br />
be hearing more from Suzie in the months to come. We did some<br />
patriotic pieces to celebrate the July 4th holiday. Jimmy Stewart<br />
did some excerpts from the movie "Shenandoah," John Wayne<br />
did John Mitchum's great poem "America Why I Love Her" and<br />
Johnny Cash did "Ragged old Flag." I did some research on John<br />
Mitchum and shared with my audience the fact that John Mitchum<br />
was Robert Mitchum's brother. You remember Robert Mitchum<br />
from all the great westerns he did and for his song and movie<br />
"Thunder Road." Don Edwards rounded out the month with<br />
songs from his "West Of Yesterday" CD, "Gypsy Davey" and the<br />
title song "West Of Yesterday." We'll get the Time Jumpers on<br />
the playlist for next month along with another interview and Jody<br />
Nix and Bobby Flores are always in the wings for some western<br />
air play next month. I‘m going to Round Rock, Texas and rent a<br />
Harley Davidson and ride out across Texas Hill Country next<br />
month and hopefully I'll get an interview with some interesting<br />
characters for the show.<br />
We're here at 90.5FM every Sunday evening at 6 pm EST<br />
and stream to the internet @ www.wsmc.org with 100,000 watts<br />
<strong>of</strong> boot kickin‘ power with a range <strong>of</strong> 90 miles for you area listeners.<br />
Broadcasting from beautiful downtown Collegedale, Tennessee..."where<br />
the air always smells like a big oatmeal cookie."<br />
We'll see you next month and remember what Mark Twain<br />
said over a hundred years ago..."Politicians and baby diapers<br />
need to be changed <strong>of</strong>ten ...and for the same reasons." Think<br />
about it, November's not that far away. Be safe and stay healthy.<br />
Bill McCallie<br />
Cowboy Jubilee Radio Show<br />
WSMC Public Radio 90.5<br />
www.wsmc.org<br />
Airs: Sunday @ 6 pm EST<br />
Cowboy Poetry<br />
at the BAR-D Ranch<br />
by Margo Metegrano, Editor<br />
CowboyPoetry.com<br />
Summer is full <strong>of</strong> cowboy poetry and music events, and among<br />
the August happenings are: Michael Martin Murphey‘s Westfest;<br />
the 25th Annual Montana Cowboy Poetry in Lewistown; the 23rd<br />
Annual Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering in Prescott; Nevada‘s<br />
5th Annual Reno Cowboy Poetry and <strong>Music</strong> Gathering; California‘s<br />
11th Annual Big Bear Cowboy Gathering; Colorado‘s 13th<br />
Annual Wet Mountain <strong>Western</strong> Days; Utah‘s 12th Annual <strong>Western</strong><br />
Legends Roundup; Wyoming‘s 4th Annual Ride A Horse Feed A<br />
Cowboy event; and Alberta‘s 18th Annual Stony Plain Gathering.<br />
British Columbia cowboy and poet Mike Puhallo—the Academy <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Western</strong> Artists' 2009 Cowboy Poet <strong>of</strong> the Year—is featured at<br />
Alberta‘s 18th Annual Stony Plain Gathering, August 13-15, 2010<br />
(stonyplaincowboypoetry.com). Since 1998, Mike‘s been writing<br />
5<br />
weekly ―Meadow Muffins,‖ short poems, for three weekly newspapers,<br />
a dozen magazines and more blogs and websites than he<br />
can count.<br />
A few years ago, Mike sold his interest in the ranch he shared with<br />
his brother, and now is doing what he says he always wanted to<br />
do: just cowboy. While many <strong>of</strong> his poems draw on his ranching<br />
and cowboying experience, this gem sparkles in its vision <strong>of</strong> poetry<br />
itself:<br />
JUST WORDS<br />
Words, are about as durable,<br />
As campfire smoke,<br />
Scattered by breezes<br />
As quick as they‘re spoke.<br />
Yet, when captured like dewdrops...<br />
On cobweb <strong>of</strong> rhyme,<br />
Some words,<br />
Turn to diamonds,<br />
Preserved for all time.<br />
© 2010, Mike Puhallo, All Rights Reserved<br />
One <strong>of</strong> Mike Puhallo‘s most famous poems is no doubt ―Man in<br />
the Moon,‖ which he wrote in 1993, inspired by the 25th anniversary<br />
<strong>of</strong> the moon landing. Mike says, ―It got me thinking about<br />
where I was when man first set foot on the moon and how surreal<br />
it seemed, to be in a cow camp with no electricity or phone, listening<br />
on a radio to a man who was walking on the moon!‖ The poem<br />
was recited at the NASA launch <strong>of</strong> the Clementine Mission in<br />
January <strong>of</strong> 1994, a photographic mission that was the only lunar<br />
project during the 25th anniversary year. The recording is also on<br />
the first edition <strong>of</strong> The BAR-D Roundup from CowboyPoetry.com.<br />
Mike Puhallo is the long-time president <strong>of</strong> the British Columbia<br />
Cowboy Heritage <strong>Society</strong> (BCCHS), the home <strong>of</strong> the popular<br />
Kamloops Cowboy Festival. That event celebrates its fifteenth<br />
year, March 10th - 13th, 2011.<br />
Find more about Mike, his poetry, books, and CDs<br />
at mikepuhallo.com.<br />
Learn more about the gatherings mentioned above at CowboyPoetry.com,<br />
where you‘ll also find hundreds <strong>of</strong> cowboy poets and<br />
<strong>Western</strong> musicians and their works. It's an on-going gathering,<br />
with continual news, features, poetry, lyrics, gathering reports,<br />
and an extensive event calendar. Come by and stay a while.<br />
margo@cowboypoetry.com<br />
Cowboy Jam Session:<br />
<strong>Western</strong> Culture News & Reviews<br />
- by Jeri L. Dobrowski<br />
Haste Makes Waste<br />
When folks give me a CD for consideration,<br />
I‘m up front with them. It‘s likely going<br />
to be several weeks before I give it a<br />
listen. I like to play submissions from start<br />
to finish, devoting my full attention to the<br />
task at hand. It seems that I am invariably interrupted at<br />
home. Turns out, the best place for serious listening is in<br />
my car. A recent road trip provided the necessary quiet<br />
to get through several items.<br />
While in Elko at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, I<br />
picked up Michael Martin Murphey‘s Buckaroo Blue
Grass and an advance copy <strong>of</strong> Buckaroo Blue Grass<br />
II: Riding Song. Many associate Murphey with the pop<br />
hits ―Wildfire‖ and ―Carolina in the Pines,‖ but he is the<br />
#1 best-selling cowboy music singer in the world. Murphey‘s<br />
association with the cowboy genre began in 1990<br />
with Cowboy Songs, which achieved Gold status. Not<br />
since Marty Robbins had a western album seen such<br />
popularity.<br />
Buckaroo Blue Grass I and II (track lists at michaelmartinmurphey.com)<br />
include a good many <strong>of</strong> Murphey‘s<br />
most recognizable compositions spanning the four decades<br />
he has toiled as a singer and songwriter. Mandolin,<br />
fiddle, banjo, bass, and guitar meld the collection. It‘s<br />
easy to see why Buckaroo Blue Grass was nominated<br />
for a Grammy!<br />
I gleaned several things from the liner notes: At 19 years<br />
<strong>of</strong> age, Murphey wrote ―What Am I Doing Hangin‘<br />
Around?,‖ which was recorded by the Monkees. He<br />
penned ―Backslider‘s Wine,‖ made famous by Jerry Jeff<br />
Walker. The station in ―Cherokee Fiddle‖ is the Durangoto-Silverton<br />
Narrow Gage Railroad Station, the starting<br />
point for one <strong>of</strong> the most spectacular rail excursions you<br />
can take.<br />
Buckaroo Blue Grass and Buckaroo Blue Grass II: Riding<br />
Song are priced at $15.98 each + shipping. Order<br />
online from murphsranchmarket.com; 877-734-2724;<br />
Wildfire Productions, Inc., 2516 Cedar Elm Lane, Plano,<br />
TX 75075.<br />
A respected horseman, singer, and songwriter, Mike<br />
Beck‘s latest album is entitled Feel. The clean lines <strong>of</strong><br />
the handsome cover are indicative <strong>of</strong> the 12 tracks, performed<br />
by Beck with solo acoustic guitar accompaniment.<br />
The cover illustration, ―A California Buckaroo,‖ is<br />
by the late Jo Mora.<br />
Beck wrote all but ―Poncho‖ (alternatively ―Chopo‖),<br />
credited to Jack Thorp; co-writing ―In Old California‖ with<br />
the legendary Ian Tyson. That song and ―Don‘t Tell<br />
Me‖—also on the album—were included in a list <strong>of</strong> ―The<br />
13 Best Cowboy Songs <strong>of</strong> All Time‖ appearing in the<br />
April 2009 issue <strong>of</strong> <strong>Western</strong> Horseman. (Find lyrics to<br />
both at cowboypoetry.com/mikebeck.htm.)<br />
Born and raised in Monterey County, California, Beck worked on<br />
the nearby Dorrance Ranch. ―Patrick,‖ written as a tribute to the<br />
late Bill Dorrance, came from that experience. Today, Beck conducts<br />
horsemanship clinics across the West and abroad. He <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
plays a concert in conjunction with a clinic. Be on the lookout for<br />
him in Montana, as he has been known to spend time in the Big<br />
Sky Country. If you have a chance to catch Mike solo or with his<br />
band, The Bohemian Saints, don‘t pass up the opportunity. Either<br />
way, you‘re in for a grand evening <strong>of</strong> entertainment. (Check tour<br />
dates at mikebeck.com.)<br />
Preview Feel and/or order the album or individual tracks at<br />
www.cdbaby.com/cd/mikebeck4. The CD is priced at $12.97 +<br />
shipping; the album download is $11. Individual tracks are 99<br />
cents.<br />
While I‘ve yet to see Paul Harris perform in person, I‘ve<br />
heard a great deal about him from folks who have, and<br />
it‘s all been good. At the urging <strong>of</strong> one <strong>of</strong> those individuals,<br />
Harris sent me a copy <strong>of</strong> his Cross Halo album. He<br />
wrote or co-wrote 10 <strong>of</strong> the 11 musical selections; there<br />
are also three original poems. I was surprised to see that<br />
one <strong>of</strong> his collaborators is Randy Huston. Huston got<br />
6<br />
quite a bit <strong>of</strong> play on Willie‟s Cowboy Gathering when<br />
Eddie Kilroy hosted the show on XM Radio Channel 13.<br />
A native <strong>of</strong> Arkansas, Harris learned to play music in the<br />
bluegrass style from his grandfather. Drawn by the lure<br />
<strong>of</strong> cattle and horses, he made his way to the West as a<br />
young adult. Since then, he has worked as a packer and<br />
cowboy, most notably in Wyoming and New Mexico.<br />
(More at cowboypoetry.com/paulharris.htm.)<br />
Three songs stand out in my mind: the lively ―Kelly<br />
Green,‖ ―El Mejor Vaquero‖ with its moral <strong>of</strong> the story,<br />
and the celebratory ―It Took New Mexico.‖ They have a<br />
rich and authentic flavor seasoned with originality and<br />
creativity. Listen to a selection <strong>of</strong> full-length songs at<br />
www.myspace.com/tmf3ph.<br />
Cross Halo sells for $18; individual tracks are priced at<br />
99 cents each. Order from paulharriscowboymusic.com/<br />
home.cfm.<br />
jamsessions@robscabinets.com<br />
Headin' Down The Rodeo Road<br />
Cowgirl Sass & Savvy<br />
by Julie Carter<br />
It's the Fourth <strong>of</strong> July holiday and all<br />
roads lead to a rodeo arena somewhere.<br />
As we honor America, our<br />
freedoms, and the price paid for<br />
both, I find myself also giving some reverent honor to the cowboy<br />
as well.<br />
This particular holiday is his "Cowboy Christmas," the most lucrative<br />
run <strong>of</strong> rodeos for the season. Rodeo rigs are progressively<br />
bigger, fancier, and technology has kicked rodeoing up a notch<br />
from the days <strong>of</strong> standing in a pay phone booth to enter a rodeo<br />
or find out when you drew up. While so much is different, much is<br />
still the same.<br />
Rodeo roots run deep in the heart and soul <strong>of</strong> the American cowboy.<br />
It began as a good-natured competition among the working<br />
cowboys. During more than a century, it has evolved to be a major<br />
league sport complete with television media coverage, sponsors<br />
and big money. Today's rodeo, with the exception <strong>of</strong> the events<br />
themselves, resembles little <strong>of</strong> its beginnings on the open range.<br />
The cowboys have advanced to be defined athletes and fewer<br />
have ranch cowboy roots. The addiction to the adrenalin remains<br />
the same as does the dedication to the competition.<br />
One <strong>of</strong> the differences in the sport lies in the technology used to<br />
"phone home" reports from the rodeo (aka excuses, near death<br />
experiences at the bucking chutes, requests for money, etc.). Instead<br />
<strong>of</strong> using a pay phone at the local honky tonk, the cowboy<br />
now sends a text message to a loved one's cell phone or an email<br />
from just about anywhere he is at the Advertisement time.<br />
That's progress. And you will find that today's rodeo cowboy has<br />
no idea how anybody managed to get it done without all the current<br />
gadgets. It has been said that rodeoing is an addiction and<br />
the only cure for it is more rodeo.<br />
In two ever-popular songs, it is referred to as that "damned old<br />
rodeo." Back in the '60s, iconic Ian Tyson, a Canadian rodeo cowboy<br />
turned singer, penned a song called "Someday Soon."
The song lamented the love a rodeo cowboy has for the sport<br />
and the pain it causes those that love him. "He loves his damned<br />
old rodeo as much as he loves me." The song stayed popular for<br />
decades with new recordings <strong>of</strong> it by Judy Collins, Lynn Anderson,<br />
Chrystal Gayle, Suzy Bogguss and Chris LeDoux.<br />
Garth Brooks recorded a timeless song about the sport called<br />
simply "Rodeo." The lyrics sum it up about as well as any written.<br />
Well, it's bulls and blood<br />
It's dust and mud<br />
It's the roar <strong>of</strong> a Sunday crowd<br />
It's the white in his knuckles<br />
The gold in the buckle<br />
He'll win the next go 'round<br />
It's boots and chaps<br />
It's cowboy hats<br />
It's spurs and latigo<br />
It's the ropes and the reins<br />
And the joy and the pain<br />
And they call the thing rodeo<br />
She knows his love's in Tulsa<br />
And she know he's gonna go<br />
Well it ain't no woman flesh and blood<br />
It's that damned old rodeo<br />
Fourth <strong>of</strong> July rodeoing is defined by road-weary cowboys, tired<br />
horses, pickups filled with dirty clothes, fast-food wrappers and<br />
muddy boots.<br />
A dashboard full <strong>of</strong> rumpled rodeo programs, Copenhagen cans,<br />
empty c<strong>of</strong>fee cups, dusty sunglasses, gas receipts, a ball cap or<br />
two and a road map paints the classic scene.<br />
For me, it wouldn't be the Fourth <strong>of</strong> July if I wasn't in the hot sun,<br />
beating rain or dusty wind waiting for the next rodeo event to<br />
move the entertainment along.<br />
So that's what I do. However, now I carry a camera and put what I<br />
know <strong>of</strong> rodeo in print.<br />
I don't suppose I'll ever be anywhere else but at a rodeo grounds<br />
somewhere on the Fourth <strong>of</strong> July. However, the option has crept<br />
into the recesses <strong>of</strong> my mind, only to be banished by the sounds<br />
<strong>of</strong> the National Anthem and the bucking horses kicking in the<br />
chutes in unison.<br />
Let's rodeo!<br />
***************************************************************************<br />
Julie can be reached for comment at jcarter@tularosa.net.<br />
Visit her website at www.julie-carter.com .<br />
Congratulations to co-founders <strong>of</strong><br />
New Mexico's <strong>Western</strong> Swing Band<br />
"The Desperados,"<br />
Ted Scanlon and Jimmy Tomlinson!<br />
Both will be inducted in October into the oldest<br />
<strong>Western</strong> Swing <strong>Society</strong>, Sacramento, California.<br />
<strong>Joe</strong> <strong>Baker</strong><br />
7<br />
Howdy<br />
again from<br />
Austin.<br />
It‘s been a busy and interesting<br />
summer so far.<br />
I just returned from being inducted<br />
into the <strong>Western</strong> Swing <strong>Music</strong> <strong>Society</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> the Southwest‘s Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame.<br />
I was in good company with the impressive<br />
‗Class <strong>of</strong> 2010!‘ We heard a lot <strong>of</strong> great western<br />
swing at the<br />
annual show<br />
held in the little<br />
town <strong>of</strong> Yukon,<br />
OK, on the outskirts<br />
<strong>of</strong> Oklahoma<br />
City. My<br />
good friend<br />
Dayna Wills<br />
introduced me<br />
and my buddy<br />
<strong>Joe</strong> <strong>Baker</strong> was<br />
Jim Gough<br />
responsible for nominating<br />
me in this impressive gathering.<br />
I got some great interviews while there and you‘ll hear them<br />
soon on Bob Wills Radio. I had the wonderful opportunity to<br />
visit with guitar ace, <strong>Joe</strong> Settlemires and his outstanding<br />
pupil the awesome Clint Strong. These two with steel guitar<br />
star Scotty Henderson from Missouri held a battle <strong>of</strong> the<br />
guitars that you<br />
wouldn‘t believe.<br />
It was like going<br />
to Heaven singing<br />
with these<br />
guys!<br />
Jim Gough and <strong>Joe</strong> Settlemires<br />
I had a nice visit<br />
and an interview<br />
with Chuck<br />
Hayes the president<br />
<strong>of</strong> the<br />
WSMSS, after<br />
hearing him play fine steel guitar with the HOF show band.<br />
Chuck is a very talented and interesting guy. He, like <strong>Joe</strong><br />
Settlemires, got to play with Bob Wills toward the end <strong>of</strong><br />
Bob‘s career, and had some great stories about those<br />
days.<br />
Coming up soon, we intend to bring you interviews with<br />
folks like the great Bert Rivera, Red Volkert and hopefully<br />
the fine guitar player, Rick McRae. We also are working on<br />
an interview with my longtime friend the leader <strong>of</strong> the River<br />
Road Boys, the versatile Clyde Brewer. This and many<br />
more great moments will be posted on Bob Wills.com.<br />
Coming in the near future. Hope you‘re having a great summer<br />
and be sure and log in to Bob Wills Radio every
chance you get. Dwight and I thank you for your support.<br />
Best always, Jim Gough<br />
jimgoughmrtexas@aol.com<br />
Sponsored in part by:<br />
‗EVERY ONES FAVORITE COWBOY,‘<br />
JOHNNY WESTERN<br />
By: Dugg Collins<br />
Johnny <strong>Western</strong> and I became fast<br />
friends in 1999 when Ol‘ Mike Oatman<br />
brought me to KFDI Radio in Wichita,<br />
Kansas. From that first meeting I knew he would be a lifetime<br />
friend. We soon became <strong>of</strong>fice buddies and started<br />
sharing stories <strong>of</strong> our days in the <strong>Music</strong> Business. He <strong>of</strong><br />
course had more experience in the business than I and<br />
what a pleasure it was to hear his vivid stories <strong>of</strong> his days<br />
on the road with the likes <strong>of</strong> Gene Autry (my favorite Cowboy<br />
when I was a kid) to his days with Johnny Cash from<br />
1958 to 1997.<br />
One <strong>of</strong> the first things we learned was that we shared a lot<br />
<strong>of</strong> the same musicians in our respective bands. That connection<br />
alone resulted in hundreds <strong>of</strong> stories and a lot <strong>of</strong><br />
laughter as we remembered each one in detail. Johnny has<br />
a memory that is unbelievable. He never forgets anything<br />
and if you mention just about any name in the glory days <strong>of</strong><br />
Real Country <strong>Music</strong>, he can tell you when they were born,<br />
who they married, how many kids they have, when he first<br />
met them and how many tours he did with each one.<br />
I would say, when 99% <strong>of</strong> the air personalities try to tell<br />
stories about the traditional artists, it‘s usually something<br />
they are quoting from some book they have read or may<br />
have reference material in front <strong>of</strong> them. Johnny <strong>Western</strong><br />
only has one reference book to draw from and that‘s his<br />
incredible memory. I can‘t count the times he would get<br />
calls from folks who were doing books on various Country<br />
Stars and they would call him to verify what they had already<br />
learned from some other source.<br />
Johnny signed on with our mutual hero Mr. Autry July 4,<br />
1956 after Johnny Bond wanted to leave the post after being<br />
with Mr. Autry for seventeen years. That association led<br />
to his acting career in 1957, appearing in 37 feature films<br />
and western theme television shows. His big break came<br />
when he landed a part on ‗HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL‘ with<br />
Richard Boone, one <strong>of</strong> the more popular western TV<br />
8<br />
shows. As a thank you to<br />
Richard Boone, he immediately<br />
wrote ‗THE BAL-<br />
LAD OF PALADIN.‘ He<br />
went to a studio, recorded<br />
it with his own money and<br />
delivered it to Boone. Mr.<br />
Boone and the show‘s producer<br />
Sam Rolfe loved the<br />
song and called Johnny to<br />
report to the Columbia Recording<br />
Studio in Los Angeles<br />
and do a pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
session to be used on the TV show. This led to a<br />
recording contract with Columbia with Mitch Miller as producer.<br />
That was the avenue that brought Johnny to national attention.<br />
When his contract ended with Mr. Autry, he formed his<br />
own band and traveled all over the country while still making<br />
his home in California. He met Johnny Cash at a concert<br />
in Canada when he was with Mr. Autry. It was an instant<br />
mutual friendship that lasted until Cash‘s death.<br />
In 1958, Johnny Cash<br />
moved to Los Angeles and it<br />
was then he hired Johnny<br />
<strong>Western</strong> to join his show as<br />
a featured performer and<br />
MC on his road shows.<br />
While that may sound like an<br />
ideal job, it was actually a lot<br />
<strong>of</strong> hard work. There were no<br />
fancy busses to travel in.<br />
When you finished one<br />
venue, you crowded into<br />
cars to start out for the next<br />
appearance. <strong>Western</strong> told me the hardest part <strong>of</strong> the job<br />
was watching Cash go through his self destructive move<br />
with all the pills he was consuming daily. Johnny said he<br />
just knew one day he would knock on Cash‘s hotel room<br />
door and find him dead.<br />
Johnny and friend Gordon Terry were room mates all those<br />
years and had their share <strong>of</strong> fun. Both were excellent musicians<br />
as were all those associated with the show. Johnny<br />
can tell you hundreds <strong>of</strong> stories from those years complete<br />
with the dates and towns where they happened. He is just<br />
amazing. He doesn‘t forget anything.<br />
For lack <strong>of</strong> space, I will end these stories here. When I first<br />
saw the video ―Hurt‖ that Cash recorded, I watched it on my<br />
computer at the radio station. I asked Johnny if he had<br />
seen it. He said no. I said, ―All I can tell you, this is Johnny<br />
Cash saying goodbye.‖ His wife June had already passed<br />
away and I predicted to <strong>Western</strong> that Cash wouldn‘t last<br />
three months and I was pretty much right with that prediction.<br />
Johnny Cash called <strong>Western</strong> at the radio station on a
egular basis in the final days <strong>of</strong> his life. They were friends<br />
to the end.<br />
In 1996 I was inducted into the Country <strong>Music</strong> Disc Jockey<br />
Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame in Nashville. The more I learned about<br />
Johnny <strong>Western</strong>, I was certain he would qualify for that<br />
honor. I asked him for a bio <strong>of</strong> his radio career so I could<br />
write a presentation for the Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame. His response<br />
was, ―Ol‘ Mike has already told me he didn‘t think I would<br />
be qualified for that.‖ My response was, ―Well, Ol‘ Mike<br />
doesn‘t know everything.‖ I was very active for the Hall <strong>of</strong><br />
Fame for a number <strong>of</strong> years and many <strong>of</strong> my submissions<br />
are on the wall in Nashville. I wrote a pr<strong>of</strong>ile on Johnny and<br />
a co-worker Dave Donahue.<br />
They were both<br />
inducted in the class <strong>of</strong><br />
2000. He could not believe<br />
it when I called him<br />
at home to let him know<br />
he was in. He was<br />
speechless and for<br />
John, that is a rare<br />
thing. He still holds the<br />
record for the longest<br />
acceptance speech ever<br />
given for the honor.<br />
He was so happy about that and I am delighted I<br />
could make it happen for him.<br />
I‘m not sure just<br />
how many Halls <strong>of</strong><br />
Fame he‘s in, but I<br />
think it is about<br />
fifteen. He retired<br />
from his radio career<br />
April 10, 2010<br />
and he wanted me<br />
to be on his last<br />
show with him,<br />
which I was via the phone. I was also invited in September,<br />
2009 to be a podium guest for his ―Roast and Toast‘ at the<br />
Prairie Rose. With so many big names there, I requested<br />
to be on first because I didn‘t want to follow any <strong>of</strong> those<br />
movie and TV stars who were there. That was a night I will<br />
never forget and Johnny <strong>Western</strong> made it possible for me<br />
to be there. That‘s the kind <strong>of</strong> friend he is. I could write four<br />
or five more pages, but the newsletter only has so much<br />
room.<br />
I can tell you I love Johnny <strong>Western</strong> like a brother and love<br />
Ms. Jo as well. They spent the night in my home here in<br />
Amarillo on their way to their new home in Mesa, Arizona.<br />
He and I stayed up until midnight sharing stories, our favorite<br />
pastime. Jo said, ―I‘m going to bed. I‘ve heard all this<br />
stuff before.‖ John turned 75 on his last birthday and is still<br />
out there doing film festivals and concerts all over the<br />
world, literally. He will never slow down and we are all<br />
richer for his determination. God Bless you Johnny. Thanks<br />
for your friendship. It means the world to this old disc<br />
9<br />
jockey and country singer. You are the best and I am honored<br />
to have spent almost ten years <strong>of</strong> my life by your side<br />
in the radio studio and on stage.<br />
duggcollins.com<br />
Williams Family Benefit<br />
at Wichita Falls, TX.<br />
Where: Elks Lodge, Wichita Falls, TX.<br />
When: Sunday August 1st, 9:00 am to ????<br />
What: Bands, Auctions, Raffles and dancing<br />
Why: Help with the enormous Medical Bills<br />
BANDS<br />
WSMSS Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame Bands<br />
Greg Gibbs and the Red Door Band<br />
Larry Lange and the Lone Star Troubadours<br />
Kelly Spinks and Miles <strong>of</strong> Texas<br />
Chuck Hayes and the former Texas Playboys<br />
Special Guest<br />
Bobby Flores<br />
Band Performance Schedule<br />
WSMSS #1 Band 11:00 am to 12:30 pm<br />
Greg Gibbs Band 12:45 pm to 2:15 pm<br />
Kelly Spinks Band 2:30 pm to 4:00 pm<br />
Chuck and FTP 4:15 pm to 5:45 pm<br />
WSMSS #2 Band 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm<br />
Lone Star Troubadours 7:45 pm to ????<br />
For more information, contact Chuck Hayes at:<br />
chayesbk@suddenlink.net<br />
A-10 Etcheverry, Creative Achievement Award Winner<br />
<strong>Cowtown</strong> <strong>Society</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Western</strong> <strong>Music</strong> 2009 - CrayolaCowboy.com
4th Annual Historic Ritzville Days <strong>Western</strong><br />
Art Show<br />
By Smoke Wade<br />
Ritzville, WA: Sadly, the train doesn‘t stop in<br />
Ritzville these days. It has been a number <strong>of</strong><br />
years since the passenger trains gave up on<br />
Ritzville. Established in the 1880‘s, Ritzville,<br />
Washington was once the largest wheat shipping<br />
point in the world. While the wheat industry<br />
is still booming, much <strong>of</strong> the grain is transported<br />
by trucks these days. Then the Interstate by-passed the<br />
quaint farming town <strong>of</strong> gracious homes and graceful brick buildings<br />
that bear silent witness to the prosperity <strong>of</strong> times gone by.<br />
Slowly, the historic downtown, rich in pioneer heritage, slipped<br />
into a slumber brought about by a lack <strong>of</strong> business and tourism.<br />
But, even though the trains no longer stop in Ritzville, that doesn‘t<br />
mean She‘s not a train town. Over sixty trains a day blow through<br />
the heart <strong>of</strong> town with whistles blowing, and the ground shaking,<br />
as long freight trains hurry past to unknown destinations. And it is<br />
these very trains and their endless clickety-clack that connects<br />
the soul <strong>of</strong> Ritzville to it‘s prosperous past.<br />
It was just a scant one hundred feet from the historic Ritzville train<br />
depot that the outdoor main stage was set for the 4 th Annual Historic<br />
Ritzville Days <strong>Western</strong> Art Show held May 28 – 30, 2010. As<br />
the trains rumbled by, the talented cast <strong>of</strong> western entertainers<br />
that performed over the weekend quickly learned to adapt to the<br />
deafening noise. The 2010 Historic Ritzville Days <strong>Western</strong> Art<br />
Show was sponsored by the Ritzville Downtown Development<br />
Association as a means to help revitalize the historic downtown<br />
business district. The three-day event encompassed downtown<br />
Ritzville as it featured inside and outside venues including a street<br />
fair <strong>of</strong> over 60 renown artisans - western artists, sculptors and,<br />
authors, along with food booths, youth activities and live entertainment.<br />
The performing artists for the 2010 Art show included Cowboy<br />
Celtic, Alberta, Canada; Dave Stamey and Sourdough Slim, California;<br />
The Rockin‘ HW and Nevada Slim & Cimarron Sue, Washington;<br />
Barbara Nelson, Oregon; and The Copper Mountain Band,<br />
Montana. The performing cowboy poets included Jessica<br />
Hedges, Del Gustafson, Orvil Sears, Robin Dale and Dick Warwick,<br />
all from Washington; Van & Kathy Criddle and Duane Nelson<br />
<strong>of</strong> Oregon; and JB Barber, Idaho. Smoke Wade, Nevada,<br />
emceed the street festival event.<br />
The festivities got under way on Friday night with an Artists‘ Reception<br />
at the C. J. Newland American Legion Memorial Hall with<br />
musical entertainment provided by Barbara Nelson. Street fair art<br />
exhibits, art auctions and cowboy entertainment ran throughout<br />
the day and evening on Saturday and Sunday. Up on Main Street,<br />
one could here the occasional sounds <strong>of</strong> gunfire as members <strong>of</strong><br />
the Ritzville Community Theater troupe staged old west gun battles<br />
on a regular schedule. The out-<strong>of</strong>-town visitors wandered<br />
through the art booths sipping from a cold bottle <strong>of</strong> Sarsaparilla or<br />
blowing the steam from a cup <strong>of</strong> cowboy c<strong>of</strong>fee that was <strong>of</strong>fered<br />
for sale from an authentic chuck wagon.<br />
And the music and poetry seemed to waft through the streets in a<br />
non-stop fashion. Sourdough Slim was at his best delighting audiences<br />
throughout the weekend. Nevada Slim and Cimarron Sue<br />
wandered the streets on occasions as western singing minstrels.<br />
Cowboy Celtic brought their own unique music to the festival –<br />
reminding us about the roots <strong>of</strong> cowboy music. Cowboy poet,<br />
Mike Whitaker and musician, Alan Halvorson <strong>of</strong> the Rockin‘ HW<br />
pulled double duty as sound crew and performers. The Copper<br />
Mountain Band played country music for a wonderful street<br />
dance, and Dave Stamey lived up to his <strong>Western</strong> <strong>Music</strong> Association<br />
2009 Entertainer <strong>of</strong> the Year Award by dazzling the audi-<br />
10<br />
ences with his music, singing and naturally engaging personality.<br />
Somewhere in the midst <strong>of</strong> it all some folks spent time at the classic<br />
car show up in the park, dining at the local restaurants or attending<br />
a special Memorial Day service at the Ritzville Memorial<br />
Cemetery. Others scooped up collectable art from the many artists,<br />
or toured the museum at the historic Ritzville train depot.<br />
It was perhaps ironic that even though the entire festival was free<br />
<strong>of</strong> admission, the chilly and windy weather kept crowds lighter<br />
than the organizers and entertainers would have expected. Still,<br />
the event coordinators headed up by the energetic group <strong>of</strong><br />
Stephen McFadden, Jim Lisk, Lavonne Saunders, Jennifer Larsen<br />
and many others, stormed through their duties in a tireless fashion.<br />
And the entertainers entertained – and the trains rolled by.<br />
When western art and music festivals come to an end, the organizers,<br />
audience and entertainers alike all experience a deal <strong>of</strong><br />
bittersweet remorse. They are <strong>of</strong>ten relieved the event is over and<br />
know they can soon journey home, yet they are saddened to part<br />
company with new and old friends alike. In Ritzville, they left reluctantly.<br />
They left wanting more – more <strong>of</strong> Dave Stamey‘s ballads,<br />
more <strong>of</strong> Van Criddle‘s poetry and more <strong>of</strong> the quick draw artist<br />
competitions. They left with memories <strong>of</strong> a wonderful weekend, <strong>of</strong><br />
cold sarsaparilla and cowboy c<strong>of</strong>fee – memories <strong>of</strong> the 4 th annual<br />
Historic Ritzville Days <strong>Western</strong> Art Show and <strong>Music</strong> Festival. But<br />
mostly, they will remember the trains – those wonderful trains that<br />
no longer stop in Ritzville.<br />
Smoke Wade<br />
smokewade@clarkston.com<br />
Legends <strong>of</strong> <strong>Western</strong> Swing Show & Dance<br />
Saturday - July 24, 2010 - 8:00p.m.<br />
Grimes County Expo Center<br />
FM 3455 - Navasota, Texas<br />
featuring The River Road Boys<br />
Special Guest, Hall-<strong>of</strong>-Fame DJ <strong>Joe</strong> <strong>Baker</strong><br />
from Ruidoso, New Mexico<br />
Leon Rausch, The Voice <strong>of</strong> The Texas Playboys<br />
Wayne Glasson on piano<br />
Harlan Kubos on bass<br />
Fiddle Showcase featuring:<br />
Clyde Brewer, Bill Dessens,<br />
Paul Bennett & Benny Bennett<br />
Doors open at 6:30p.m.<br />
Tickets: $18.00<br />
To Order Tickets & Reserve Table<br />
contact: Shirley Curtiss 936-825-7338<br />
E-mail: shirleycurtiss@earthlink.net<br />
BYOB Set Ups Available (Cold Drinks, Water, Ice)<br />
Restaurants and Lodging in and around Navasota<br />
RV Parking Available
Cade‘s Cadence<br />
Watch Yer Step!<br />
When I was younger I wasn't afraid <strong>of</strong><br />
much; I rode bulls, jumped <strong>of</strong>f the back <strong>of</strong><br />
horses on to moving trains (broke my<br />
arm for that one) and like "The Man from<br />
Snowy River" my brother and I rode our horses <strong>of</strong>f mountains as<br />
steep as a cow's face not once even thinking what might happen<br />
if they slipped and fell. The one thing I was afraid <strong>of</strong> though was<br />
growing old but now that age has crept up on me I realize there is<br />
nothing to fear. I put it all in God's hands and I believe. I do miss<br />
my youth but as I watch my children I realize that as a father I get<br />
to experience youth all over again. It gives me a sense <strong>of</strong> wonder<br />
to be there for all <strong>of</strong> their "first" and to see things experienced<br />
through their eyes. That's what this poem is kind <strong>of</strong> about.<br />
Broomstick Cowboys<br />
The old gray hat on his head<br />
Keeps fallin‘ down over his eyes<br />
And the boots he wears are way too big<br />
For they are his daddy‘s size<br />
With a cocky little strut<br />
He dreams he‘s the ranch hand boss<br />
He climbs aboard his broomstick<br />
And say‘s ―Getty up there hoss‖<br />
He rides to the top <strong>of</strong> the highest peak<br />
And then back down the stairs<br />
Trails a herd through the living room<br />
Rides the rodeo at the county fair<br />
He makes a run for the border<br />
And into the kitchen he rides<br />
His mother looks down and says<br />
―Cowboy won‘t you take that horse outside!‖<br />
He spies the old yeller tom cat<br />
Grabs his rope and heads out the door<br />
But this pretend steer is a little too quick<br />
‗Cause he‘s played that game before<br />
Now his daddy watches from the window pane<br />
And he just can‘t help but grin<br />
For there was a day when he rode the same<br />
But that was way back when<br />
And don‘t we all from time to time<br />
Miss our youth, our imagination and our toys<br />
‗Cause you know life was a darn sight easier<br />
Back when we were broomstick cowboys.<br />
By<br />
Cade Schalla<br />
cade@cadeschallacowboypoetry.com<br />
11<br />
The Heart<br />
Of A Cowboy<br />
The author <strong>of</strong> this book, John Conley, was<br />
born in Indiana as the eldest <strong>of</strong> six children. John, like so many<br />
kids <strong>of</strong> the 1950‘s, played cowboys and Indians with other<br />
neighborhood children. From his early beginnings, John showed<br />
an interest in the cowboy life. Years later he would fulfill his childhood<br />
dreams when he moved west to the state <strong>of</strong> Arizona.<br />
The TV <strong>Western</strong> reigned supreme in the Fifties and Sixties. There<br />
were about 100 regular western shows on television from 1951 to<br />
1963. In the early days <strong>of</strong> television, you could always tell the<br />
good guys from the bad guys because <strong>of</strong> the color <strong>of</strong> the hats they<br />
wore. Of course the good guys wore the white ones.<br />
The earliest TV <strong>Western</strong>s were half-hour shows starring Gene<br />
Autry and Roy Rogers. In the mid 1950‘s, Gunsmoke began its<br />
20-year run and was the first successful "adult" <strong>Western</strong>. By the<br />
1960‘s, the westerns, led by Bonanza, began broadcasting in<br />
color. The Virginian, High Chaparral, and Big Valley were typical<br />
TV <strong>Western</strong>s <strong>of</strong> the 1960‘s. By the end <strong>of</strong> the Sixties, TV <strong>Western</strong>s<br />
had just about disappeared. With the exception <strong>of</strong> Clint Eastwood<br />
and John Wayne, the western had ―ridden <strong>of</strong>f into the sunset.‖<br />
This is where John Conley began his one-man campaign to keep<br />
the memory <strong>of</strong> the cowboy alive, with his cowboy exhibits and<br />
lectures. John, who is also an author, has written a book called<br />
The Heart Of A Cowboy. In this book he shares his thoughts and<br />
memories <strong>of</strong> the great American legend, the cowboy. The book<br />
includes countless stories that help support the cowboy legacy:<br />
stories <strong>of</strong> the famous as well as the not so famous; from the movie<br />
hero to the hard working rancher; from western singers to those<br />
who wrote the music; and from rodeos to western festivals. John,<br />
with his lectures and exhibits, has devoted his life to helping keep<br />
the memory <strong>of</strong> the cowboy alive. The American cowboy and western<br />
movies have become part <strong>of</strong> American history. Now, due to<br />
the efforts <strong>of</strong> men such as John Conley, their memory will live on<br />
forever. So, settle down in a comfortable chair with The Heart Of<br />
Cowboy, and return to that by-gone era where you can ride with<br />
Monte Hale, Gene Autry, and with many other western stars from<br />
the 1950‘s. These are the people who made us all want to become<br />
cowboys and gunfighters!!<br />
John Conley<br />
badbob1026@aol.com<br />
jonpatconley@q.com
San Juan <strong>Western</strong> Heritage Festival &<br />
National Cowboy Poetry Rodeo<br />
The 13 th Annual National Cowboy Poetry Rodeo returns to Montrose,<br />
Colorado, September 17-18, 2010. Held in conjunction with<br />
the San Juan <strong>Western</strong> Heritage Festival<br />
(www.sjwesternfestival.com), events take place at the historic<br />
Turn <strong>of</strong> the Century Saloon , 117 North 4th Street. Along with the<br />
National Cowboy Poetry Rodeo, the Festival will feature live entertainment—including<br />
a Saturday evening show by top singer<br />
and songwriter Brenn Hill.<br />
The purpose <strong>of</strong> the National Cowboy Poetry Rodeo is<br />
―Excellence through competition.‖ The announcer will, once<br />
again, be the well-known cowboy poet and events organizer<br />
Smoke Wade. The judging team will be led by 13-year National<br />
Cowboy Poetry Rodeo veteran, the one and only ―Prairie Pastor,‖<br />
Ed Nesselhuf and include Darrell Arnold, poet, author, photographer,<br />
and long-time editor and publisher <strong>of</strong> Cowboy magazine;<br />
the notoriously funny and talented cowgirl poet, Sam<br />
DeLeeuw; one <strong>of</strong> <strong>Western</strong> America‘s most admired cowgirl poets<br />
and author, artist, and teacher Jo Lynne Kirkwood; and the<br />
man who started The <strong>Western</strong> Legends Roundup, one <strong>of</strong> Americas<br />
premier <strong>Western</strong> festivals, Dennis Judd.<br />
This year the National Cowboy Poetry Rodeo takes on an international<br />
flavor with cowboy poets from 12 states, Canada and Australia<br />
competing for approximately $6000.00 in prize money, silver<br />
buckles, trophies and a year's worth <strong>of</strong> bragging rights. Poets<br />
compete, on stage, in a stock rodeo format. With numbers on<br />
their backs, judges, and a rodeo announcer, the poets spur their<br />
"Rides," (their poems) as they compete in 9 different events, giving<br />
each constant a golden opportunity to see how<br />
they really stack up against their peers. There will be a Friday<br />
night show featuring cowboy poets and musical acts.<br />
Saturday, September 18, the top 50 percent <strong>of</strong> the competing<br />
cowboy poets advance to the final round. Following the finals, a<br />
Cowboy Poetry Shoot-out will be held, as top ranked cowboy poets<br />
compete for the title, "Best in the West." Poets interested<br />
in registering for the NCPR may contact Sam Jackson;<br />
last2camp@kanab.net (435) 644-5459 or (435) 899-1100.<br />
A headliner and awards show will take place on Saturday evening<br />
featuring the winners <strong>of</strong> the National Cowboy Poetry Rodeo along<br />
with popular western singer and songwriter, Brenn Hill.<br />
While in Montrose, poets and families will enjoy the <strong>Western</strong><br />
Colorado Experience, which includes Black Canyon; Ute Indian<br />
Museum; <strong>Western</strong> History Museum; Ouray – ―the Switzerland<br />
<strong>of</strong> America‖; and other attractions. Many will take home<br />
memories and local products from historic downtown Montrose.<br />
The San Juan Healthcare Foundation is the major sponsor and<br />
the fundraiser proceeds will go to the Caring Friends Fund for<br />
patients at the San Juan Cancer Center.<br />
For more information go to www.sjwesternfestival.com, or contact<br />
Francie Smiles at fsmiles@bresnan.net (970-252-2814)<br />
Find the complete roster <strong>of</strong> riders and more<br />
at www.cowboypoetry.com/ncpr.htm<br />
12<br />
―A Little Man with a Big Talent‖<br />
No. 2 – American Native Influence -<br />
<strong>Western</strong> Swing<br />
Spade Cooley<br />
Donnell Clyde Cooley may<br />
not have been the most beloved man involved in the western<br />
swing explosion during the 1940‘s, but he probably was the best<br />
salesman. He was good at selling himself as the ultimate showman<br />
on the West Coast.<br />
He was born in Indian Territory on a dusty ranch close to<br />
the Canadian River in western Oklahoma called Pack Saddle<br />
Creek in February <strong>of</strong> 1910. He was a Choctaw Indian, which is<br />
one <strong>of</strong> the Five Civilized Tribes. However, his adult life would be<br />
later characterized as very uncivilized. He attended Indian school<br />
as a child and by all accounts was a good student. Early on, he<br />
became enthralled with the fiddle. Rightly so, as his father, John<br />
was an amateur fiddle player who performed on weekends at local<br />
dances and hoedowns. His father recognized Donnell‘s fiddling<br />
talent and arranged for classical lessons on the violin and cello<br />
with a teacher at the Indian School. This training proved to be a<br />
great benefit to him on his life‘s journey.<br />
After his family moved west during the Great Depression,<br />
as did so many from Oklahoma, he found work as a laborer by<br />
day and a fiddler by night - first in Oregon and then California. In<br />
1931 at the age <strong>of</strong> 21, he ventured to Modesto, California. There,<br />
according to music historian, Richard Kienzle, Donnell got his<br />
nickname during a poker game. Reportedly, he drew a straight<br />
flush three times in a row – each in spades.<br />
Marrying young and with a wife and son, he decided to<br />
move to Hollywood at the age <strong>of</strong> 25. His mastery <strong>of</strong> the fiddle<br />
easily got him gigs shortly after his arrival in Los Angeles. He was<br />
also able to sight-read music charts which made him popular with<br />
various bands in the area. He soon became a regular performer<br />
with the Sons <strong>of</strong> the Pioneers. Of course, the most famous member<br />
<strong>of</strong> this vocal harmony group was the cowboy actor, Roy<br />
Rogers. Even though, Rogers had moved on to acting before<br />
Spade joined the group, people couldn‘t help but remark on the<br />
resemblance between Spade and<br />
. After a mutual friend arranged a meeting with the two men, they<br />
hit it <strong>of</strong>f right away. Spade was hired by Republic Pictures to be<br />
Rogers‘ stand-in and occasional stunt double. They developed a<br />
fast friendship that lasted for years. Cooley went on to appear in<br />
38 westerns and hosted a syndicated television show called The<br />
H<strong>of</strong>fman Hayride from 1949 to 1959.<br />
Spade continued to play with western swing bands like<br />
Walt Shrum and the Colorado Hillbillies and the Rhythm Rangers.<br />
<strong>Western</strong> swing was cowboy music – a hybrid <strong>of</strong> southwestern folk,<br />
bluegrass, hillbilly, swing and jazz. The most well-known western<br />
swing founders, <strong>of</strong> course, being Bob Wills and Milton Brown, both<br />
from Texas.<br />
The popularity <strong>of</strong> western swing music grew fast in California<br />
due largely to the great influx <strong>of</strong> immigrants during the Depression<br />
from Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri and Texas – where<br />
the origins <strong>of</strong> western swing are deeply rooted.<br />
With the arrival <strong>of</strong> Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys<br />
band in Los Angeles in 1940 to embark on a successful movie<br />
acting career, western swing was peaking in popularity on the
West Coast. Residents <strong>of</strong> Southern California (mostly Okies)<br />
donned cowboy hats, boots and vests and were two-stepping<br />
across ballroom floors to western swing tunes.<br />
During this time, Cooley obliged these music-hungry<br />
fans with his quick fiddle licks and his remarkable showmanship<br />
on stage. He was a smiling, backslapping good ol‘ homeboy who<br />
liked to call every man he met ―son.‖ He was quickly recognized<br />
as a colorful front man and musical entrepreneur. In 1943, after a<br />
successful 18 month run at the Venice Pier ballroom, he set out to<br />
gather the best western swing band in America. He hired many<br />
<strong>of</strong> the top players from the LA music scene. Such notables as<br />
Johnny Weis (a jazz-style guitarist) and Paul (Spike) Featherstone<br />
(a classically trained harpist) and Muddy Berry, known for<br />
his tom-tom flourishes on the drums and an accordionist joined<br />
Cooley‘s band.<br />
Spade‘s band usually numbered around 12 musicians<br />
and a girl singer. One <strong>of</strong> his earliest and most recognized girls<br />
was Carolina Cotton, a petite blond bombshell, who later married<br />
Deuce Spriggens and split <strong>of</strong>f from Cooley‘s band. He dressed<br />
them in custom-made western suits, hats and boots (rumored to<br />
cost $500.00 per outfit – which at that time, was a lot <strong>of</strong> money).<br />
He liked to give all his players Southwestern nicknames such as<br />
Joaquin Murphy, Smokey Rogers, Cactus Soldi, Pedro DePaul<br />
and Deuce Spriggens even if they hailed from Milwaukee or<br />
Brooklyn.<br />
Spade was an energetic showman and claimed the title<br />
<strong>of</strong> ―King <strong>of</strong> <strong>Western</strong> Swing‖ fashioned from Benny Goodman who<br />
was dubbed ―King <strong>of</strong> Swing.‖ Cooley‘s jazzy style, like Goodman‘s<br />
was more polished than Bob Wills and his arrangements<br />
more complex with harmony among the fiddles and guitars.<br />
Spade‘s first big hit was recorded in December <strong>of</strong> 1944<br />
and was the single ―Shame On You‖ released on Columbia‘s<br />
OKeh label. It was a chart #1 pick for 2 months, being the first <strong>of</strong><br />
six hit recordings over the next two years. You might remember<br />
―Detour‖ and ―You Can‘t Break My Heart.‖<br />
Cooley was a drinker with a fiery temper and <strong>of</strong>ten times<br />
took his anger out on band members, firing them on the spot over<br />
some perceived slight. He was prone to tantrums and some<br />
times violent outbursts. Once after his girl singer at the time,<br />
Ginny Jackson, gave her notice, he tried to throw her <strong>of</strong>f the<br />
Santa Monica Pier. He also announced to a packed house in a<br />
San Diego ballroom that he was firing Tex Williams on the spot.<br />
Eleven <strong>of</strong> the thirteen band members quit in support <strong>of</strong> Tex and<br />
most went on to perform as Tex Williams and the <strong>Western</strong> Caravan<br />
whose hits included ―Smoke, Smoke, Smoke! (That Cigarette).‖<br />
About this same time, the blond and beautiful Ella Mae<br />
Evans entered on the scene, auditioning as a singer for the band.<br />
Reportedly, she could not carry a tune, but Spade was enamored<br />
and hired her for a short time. Ultimately, this lead to him divorcing<br />
his wife and leaving his eleven-year-old son, John, behind.<br />
He married Ella Mae shortly afterward. He pr<strong>of</strong>essed to love her<br />
deeply and they had two children, Melody, born in 1946 and<br />
Donnell, Jr. born in 1948. They lived in a mansion on Ventura<br />
Boulevard for a while, but Spade decided the children needed to<br />
be raised in the country. So, he bought a tract <strong>of</strong> land on the<br />
edge <strong>of</strong> the Mojave Desert in Willow Springs – an hour‘s drive<br />
North <strong>of</strong> LA and built a beautiful ranch style home.<br />
He began spending more and more time in Los Angeles,<br />
leaving Ella Mae and the kids somewhat isolated at the ranch.<br />
He always had and eye for the ladies and he began having numerous<br />
affairs – returning home to his family for infrequent visits.<br />
The charm <strong>of</strong> Cooley‘s band and his music faded during<br />
the 50‘s as the music scene progressed to rock ‘n roll. His drink-<br />
13<br />
ing and womanizing increased during these years, along with his<br />
surly nature and volatile temperament. He turned 50 and performed<br />
his final public concert on New Year‘s Eve in 1960. Along<br />
the way, he had amassed a fortune – reportedly $15 million –<br />
enough to walk away and lead a grand life for the rest <strong>of</strong> his days.<br />
His ambition for success did not retire, however, and he<br />
constantly contemplated new schemes to make more money.<br />
One <strong>of</strong> his so-called ideas was to build a water theme park near<br />
his ranch in Willow Springs to rival the likes <strong>of</strong> Disney World. If<br />
other factors had not complicated his life, that venture would<br />
probably have been successful too.<br />
However, his jealous rages and drinking worsened after<br />
retirement and climaxed one spring day in 1961 into an afternoon<br />
long murderous, torturous rage against his wife, Ella Mae. For<br />
years, he <strong>of</strong>ten accused her <strong>of</strong> having liaisons with other men<br />
while he was away in Los Angeles. Perhaps, his own conscious<br />
was getting the best <strong>of</strong> him and feeding his jealousy due to his<br />
unfaithfulness. On this particular day, his maniacal imaginings<br />
worsened to the point that he committed a terrible, violent act <strong>of</strong><br />
murder. In the past, he had even accused her <strong>of</strong> having an affair<br />
with Roy Rogers – which was never proven and adamantly denied<br />
by both Roy and his wife, Dale Evans. In fact, after Ella Mae‘s<br />
tragic death and during the trial that followed, it was never confirmed<br />
that his 37 year-old wife had ever committed adultery.<br />
He was convicted <strong>of</strong> murder after the prosecution called<br />
24 witnesses, including his daughter, Melody, who bravely recounted<br />
the murder <strong>of</strong> her mother. The jury after one month and<br />
nineteen days <strong>of</strong> deliberation found Cooley guilty on August 19,<br />
1961. He was sentenced to life imprisonment at the California<br />
State Prison in Vacaville. There, he was a model inmate, performing<br />
with an in house (jail) band and building fiddles. He found<br />
religion there also and four years later finally admitted wrongdoing<br />
for the death <strong>of</strong> his wife, saying, ―It‘s just not right to beat another<br />
person.‖<br />
In 1966, Ronald Reagan became governor <strong>of</strong> California<br />
and Cooley‘s mutual friends began to lobby for his pardon or parole.<br />
Reagan, a fellow actor and acquaintance <strong>of</strong> Cooley‘s waved<br />
his magic wand and made it happen. Spade was to be paroled on<br />
February 22, 1970, on his birthday.<br />
Four months before his actual release, he was granted a<br />
furlough to perform in Oakland at a benefit concert for the Alameda<br />
County Sheriff‘s Department. He was greeted with applause<br />
from an audience <strong>of</strong> 3,000 on November 23, 1969. He<br />
played three songs, including ―San Antonio Rose‖ which he dedicated<br />
to Bob Wills who had suffered a stroke. Afterwards, he<br />
strode to the wings to chat with reporters and friends. He smiled,<br />
and told them ―today is the first day <strong>of</strong> the rest <strong>of</strong> my life.‖ Then,<br />
suddenly he clutched his chest, dropped his fiddle and fell dead at<br />
the age <strong>of</strong> 59 from a heart attack.<br />
From his meager beginnings in Oklahoma, as a small<br />
Indian boy who could play the fiddle to a life filled with success,<br />
wealth, fame and finally imprisonment could only be re-created in<br />
the movies. He far exceeded the dreams and ambitions <strong>of</strong> that<br />
young boy.<br />
Even though his volatile personality, quick temper and<br />
drinking led him down the wrong path toward the end <strong>of</strong> his life,<br />
his influence and contribution to western swing music cannot be<br />
denied. He was and is one <strong>of</strong> the ―founding fathers‖ <strong>of</strong> this genre.<br />
He, along with Bob Wills, Milton and Durwood Brown, pioneered<br />
the western swing movement.<br />
His legacy, albeit tainted, will live on in his musical achievements<br />
for generations to come.<br />
By Joyce Miller<br />
<strong>Cowtown</strong> <strong>Society</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Western</strong> <strong>Music</strong><br />
joyce@accentwholesale.com
21st Annual Lincoln County Cowboy Symposium<br />
Well folks it's just a little over two months and everyone from near<br />
and far will be headed for the Cowboy Symposium at Ruidoso<br />
Downs Racetrack & Billy The Kid Casino in Ruidoso<br />
Downs, New Mexico October 7th, 8th, 9th &10th, 2010. For the<br />
folks who have attended previous Cowboy Symposiums, you<br />
know all about it but for the folks who have never been, we can<br />
honestly say "Once you have been, you'll keep coming back!"<br />
We will have 100s <strong>of</strong> western vendors, the world's richest chuckwagon<br />
cook-<strong>of</strong>f, kid's rodeo sponsored by the Lincoln County<br />
Sheriff's Posse, Craig Cameron the gentle horse trainer,<br />
educational activities for the kids, food fun and <strong>of</strong> course music.<br />
That‘s right folks, plenty <strong>of</strong> western swing and traditional country<br />
music.<br />
Kicking things <strong>of</strong>f on Thursday night beginning at 7pm will be Bob<br />
Wills' Texas Playboys with 2 time Grammy award winner Tommy<br />
Allsup and <strong>of</strong>ficial voice <strong>of</strong> The Texas Playboys, the legend himself,<br />
Mr. Leon Rausch. At 8:15pm The Texas Best Band with<br />
Justin Trevino, Amber Digby, Darrell McCall, Curtis Potter, Tony<br />
Booth and Bobby Flores will entertain the audience with good 'ol<br />
Texas Honky Tonk and traditional country music and at 9:15pm,<br />
western swing ain‘t dead…, it's Asleep At The Wheel! Friday<br />
Night, October 8th at 7pm kicks <strong>of</strong>f with Floyd Domino, Billy Mata,<br />
Ginny Mac and the All-Stars. At 8:15pm making his very first appearance<br />
at the Lincoln County Cowboy Symposium and celebrating<br />
50 years as a pr<strong>of</strong>essional musician, Jody Nix and The<br />
Texas Cowboys. 9:30pm making their 21st appearance at the<br />
LCCS, The Texas Playboys with Tommy Allsup, and the <strong>of</strong>ficial<br />
voice <strong>of</strong> Bob Wills‘ Texas Playboys, Leon Rausch. Saturday night,<br />
October 9th, at 7pm Floyd Domino, Billy Mata, Ginny Mac & The<br />
All-Stars then at 8:15pm, Larry Gatlin along with Steve & Rudy<br />
(the Gatlin Brothers). 10pm, The Texas Playboys with Tommy<br />
Allsup and Leon Rausch.<br />
Friday & Saturday at Billy‘s Sports Bar 10AM to Midnight with<br />
MTD Radio‘s <strong>Joe</strong> <strong>Baker</strong> as host to Brady Bowen & Swing Country,<br />
Jody Nix & The Texas Cowboys, Bobby Flores Band and The<br />
Sidekicks. Heart Of Texas recording artists will be hosted by Hall<br />
Of Fame disc jockey and president <strong>of</strong> HOTR, Tracy Pitcox with<br />
Justin Trevino, Amber Digby, Darrell McCall, Mona McCall,<br />
Tony Booth and Curtis Potter. On Friday & Saturday starting at<br />
9AM you can hear Belinda Gail, Chuck Cusimano, Biscuits<br />
O‘Brien, The Sidekicks, Luke Reed, The Flying J Wranglers,<br />
Pete Laumbach, Acres Of Fiddles, Tommy Allsup & Friends, Jim<br />
& Jeanne Martin, Floyd Domino, Billy Mata, Ginny Mac, & The All-<br />
Stars, Jody Nix, Jimmy Burson, Lucy Dean Record and some <strong>of</strong><br />
the world‘s best musicians.<br />
Sunday, October 10th at 10am is the gospel music part <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Lincoln County Cowboy Symposium in the big tent with Pastor<br />
Charles Clary & The Good News Band along with Jimmy Burson,<br />
Lucy Dean Record, Jack & Deb Stone, Tommy Allsup, Justin<br />
Trevino, Mona McCall, Tony Booth, The Wright Family, Belinda<br />
Gail and more. My mentor and dear friend, Hall Of Famer Larry<br />
Scott keeps all the stages running to perfection. Be sure to see<br />
the August issue <strong>of</strong> the Backforty Bunkhouse Newsletter for more<br />
detailed stage times, locations and artists performances.<br />
- <strong>Joe</strong> <strong>Baker</strong><br />
14<br />
Album- DVD & CD: Live at Pearls<br />
Artist: Jerry Webb<br />
By: Mike Gross<br />
Jerry Webb and this wonderful 6 piece band<br />
that entertains at Pearls Dancehall and Saloon<br />
at the Fort Worth Stockyards has taken<br />
a June 2009 live performance with 18 tunes<br />
and made it available as both a CD and DVD.<br />
It is filled with pure western swing and Texas dance hall music<br />
with the musicians showing their musical talent and Jerry in the<br />
center stage vocal spotlight. The DVD is exactly the same as the<br />
CD with the wonderful video to see these musicians on stage<br />
playing their instruments, singing and looking great.<br />
In addition to Jerry on vocal,<br />
the band is comprised <strong>of</strong> the<br />
very talented album producer,<br />
Ron Stafford, playing his Rains<br />
steel guitar and acoustic guitar.<br />
The very popular Reggie Rueffer<br />
plays fiddle and does background<br />
vocals. Also doing<br />
background vocals is super<br />
electric guitarist, Billy Martin.<br />
Derrick Speigner is the drummer,<br />
Chad Rueffer plays bass<br />
guitar and Chip Bricker plays piano and is the engineer.<br />
The album also opens with one <strong>of</strong> Jerry's original Texas dance<br />
hall compositions Wall to Wall. Others in that style, written by<br />
Jerry, are Red Lips, Party List, Turn to the Wine and Tonight I'm<br />
Drinking it Over. From the Bob Wills book are Jesse Ashlock's<br />
The Kind <strong>of</strong> Love and the Wills family classic Faded Love. The<br />
Texas dance hall sound is also felt on Harlan Howard's Another<br />
Bridge to Burn, Faron Young and Billy Deaton's Wine Me Up, Mel<br />
Tillis' Heart Over Mind, Hank Cochran's Don't You Ever Get Tired,<br />
Cinderella. from the Tony Booth hit parade and three from Johnny<br />
Bush, Ben Peters' Green Snakes, Rain Making Baby from Dallas<br />
Frazier and Johnny's own classic composition, Whiskey River.<br />
The three remaining tunes are top class <strong>Western</strong> Swing, Kokomo<br />
Arnold's Milk Cow Blues from Johnnie Lee Wills, the Wade Ray<br />
memory from the writing talents <strong>of</strong> Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins,<br />
Heart <strong>of</strong> a Clown and an awesome instrumental <strong>of</strong> Sammy Fain<br />
and Paul Francis Webster's My Secret Love from the early 50s<br />
movie Calamity Jane. .<br />
This CD/DVD can be ordered for $16, postage paid in the USA,<br />
from Jerry Webb <strong>Music</strong>, P.O. Box 129, Tolar, Texas 76476.<br />
www.jerrywebbmusic.com<br />
Mike Gross<br />
www.swinginwest.com<br />
The Tommy Duncan Fan Club is here…<br />
That's right folks, Whitney, Texas' own Tommy Duncan has a<br />
new fan club currently on Facebook and you can become a lifetime<br />
charter member <strong>of</strong> the Tommy Duncan Fan Club and<br />
Museum and own a numbered BRICK with your name.<br />
The bricks will be laid in downtown Whitney. All for the small<br />
cost <strong>of</strong> $50.<br />
For more info please call the TDFC president, Pam Townley at<br />
817-456-4601.<br />
More information will be released in the Backforty<br />
Bunkhouse Newsletter's future issues.
Heart <strong>of</strong> Texas Country <strong>Music</strong> Museum's<br />
10th Anniversary Celebration<br />
Brady Civic Center<br />
Brady, Texas<br />
Saturday, August 28, 2010<br />
2:00 PM Concert<br />
8:00 PM-Midnight Dance<br />
Tickets On Sale Thursday, July 1<br />
9:00 AM until 5:00 PM<br />
(325) 597-1895<br />
Heart <strong>of</strong> Texas Country <strong>Music</strong> Museum<br />
1701 South Bridge Street in Brady<br />
The Heart <strong>of</strong> Texas Country <strong>Music</strong> Museum will celebrate its 10th<br />
Anniversary on Saturday, August 28, at the Brady Civic Center in<br />
Brady, Texas. The event will be highlighted with an afternoon<br />
concert and an evening dance along with an open house at the<br />
Heart <strong>of</strong> Texas Country <strong>Music</strong> Museum.<br />
Entertainment will be provided by Heart <strong>of</strong> Texas Recording Artists<br />
including The Survivors: Darrell McCall, Tony Booth and<br />
Curtis Potter with special guests including Georgette Jones,<br />
Pretty Miss Norma Jean, Frankie Miller, Landon Dodd, Mona<br />
McCall, Justin Trevino, Kimberly Murray and Rance Norton.<br />
The afternoon matinee concert begins at 2:00 PM and the evening<br />
dance is from 8:00 PM until Midnight. The dance is BYOB.<br />
Tickets will be limited to 800 and go on sale on Thursday, July 1,<br />
at 9:00 AM at the Heart <strong>of</strong> Texas Country <strong>Music</strong> Museum at 1701<br />
South Bridge Street in Brady, or by phoning (325) 597- 1895.<br />
Tickets are $15.00 each per person for each performance.<br />
The Heart <strong>of</strong> Texas Country <strong>Music</strong> Museum was established to<br />
promote and preserve Traditional Country <strong>Music</strong>. Since its opening<br />
in August <strong>of</strong> 2000, the museum has grown to house one <strong>of</strong> the<br />
largest collections <strong>of</strong> Country <strong>Music</strong> memorabilia in the nation<br />
with literally thousands <strong>of</strong> items from hundreds <strong>of</strong> Country <strong>Music</strong><br />
entertainers from Jimmie Rodgers to Garth Brooks.<br />
Thousands <strong>of</strong> Country <strong>Music</strong> fans have visited the museum including<br />
entertainers Little Jimmy Dickens, Hank Thompson, Kitty<br />
Wells, Jim Ed Brown, Jett Williams, Ferlin Husky, Jean Shepard,<br />
The Whites, Johnny Bush, Moe Bandy and Gene Watson.<br />
The museum was built and continually financed by the 1,000<br />
member Heart <strong>of</strong> Texas Country <strong>Music</strong> Association and has never<br />
charged admission.<br />
For more information about the museum or the association, log<br />
on to www.heart<strong>of</strong>texascountry.com.<br />
Join Totsie Slover<br />
For The Real West from the Old West<br />
AM1230 - KOTS<br />
Streamed continuously at:<br />
www.demingradio.com<br />
realwestoldwest.com<br />
15<br />
Welcome To An Evening Under Arizona Stars<br />
Sept 25 th 2010<br />
With The Heart Of A Cowboy<br />
Guest Entertainment<br />
John Conley<br />
� Host/Danny McGuire /Welcome<br />
� <strong>Joe</strong> <strong>Baker</strong> Master Of Ceremonies<br />
� Special Guest Cowboy Singer<br />
Actor Artist Mike Miguel Burciaga<br />
� Guest cowboy artist Jeff Harrison<br />
� Host & Guest Speaker Carlos Hadaway<br />
� Guest Speaker Rodd Wolff/ Introducing<br />
Author John Conley<br />
His spurs are well earned, this Phoenix Arizona resident. For<br />
the past 40 years John Conley, has been a friend to the<br />
American Cowboy. Through his cowboy exhibits, lectures,<br />
western shows, T.V. & Radio Programs, and now his writings,<br />
John has kept the memory <strong>of</strong> the cowboy alive.<br />
John’s latest book The Heart Of A Cowboy is an over view <strong>of</strong><br />
the life style <strong>of</strong> his American Cowboy. From the Ranch House,<br />
to the Silver Screen Legend, John has captured The Heart Of<br />
A Cowboy.<br />
Bobbe‘s Tips<br />
Hello fellow players,<br />
So there I was at the New York State Fair in Lynn Anderson‘s<br />
band backing up the great Bob Hope during his routine where he<br />
sings Thanks For The Memories with the female star.<br />
During the dance portion <strong>of</strong> their routine I jumped up from behind<br />
my steel guitar and started dancing myself. Hope came over and<br />
asked what I was doing. Trying to save myself and my job I replied,<br />
―I‘m just trying to be like you old ho<strong>of</strong>ers.‖<br />
He replied, ―You wouldn‘t be a ho<strong>of</strong>er if I took you to a blacksmith<br />
and had you shod.‖<br />
So crushed, I sat back down. I tried to join the laughter <strong>of</strong> the<br />
80,000 people in the audience. I truly expected to be chewed out<br />
royally after the show, but I got a smile and a handshake. He was<br />
a real star.<br />
I‘d like to mention a couple <strong>of</strong> steel players that have attained the<br />
status <strong>of</strong> steel guitar royalty. Ron Elliott what was just inducted<br />
into the Steel Guitar Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame in St. Louis is number one. My<br />
fondest memories <strong>of</strong> Ron are following him forty something years
ago on the Stonewall Jackson band called the Minute Men.<br />
This band was one that I enjoyed working with as much as any<br />
out <strong>of</strong> Nashville. We were four pieces and Stonewall stayed out<br />
<strong>of</strong> our way, let us do all <strong>of</strong> the arrangements and use our taste in<br />
making a four piece country band sound the way we thought it<br />
should.<br />
I think my favorite type <strong>of</strong> country band is just a simple straight<br />
ahead four piece kind <strong>of</strong> group. Easier to travel, less expensive<br />
for the star, the people in the audience really don‘t know the difference.<br />
I‘ll quit now before I start sounding like the star. That<br />
was a fun group to work with.<br />
But Ron Elliott‘s shoes were not easy to fill as he was very hilarious<br />
in his wit and personality. This man spent a lot <strong>of</strong> his youth<br />
cultivating his talents and working his way from Salisbury, Maryland<br />
to Nashville, Tennessee. I salute Ron and his wonderful wife<br />
Leslie that has had to put up with him and his crazy humor for fifty<br />
something years. They are a wonderful couple.<br />
Another player that deserves mention most <strong>of</strong> you know is the<br />
great Russ Hicks. Russ did most <strong>of</strong> the steel guitar work on the<br />
television show Hee-Haw along with Curly Chalker toward the<br />
end.<br />
When I came to Nashville, Russ was playing with Kitty Wells on<br />
the road. He had replaced Stu Basore in that coveted position in<br />
what we call the John and Kitty road show.<br />
Russ had played with Ray Price a good while in the mid sixties. It<br />
seems like Russ and Stu moved around between several <strong>of</strong> the<br />
great road bands <strong>of</strong> that era. Russ is now working with the Barefoot<br />
Jerry Band. The Barefoot Jerry Band is an <strong>of</strong>f-shoot from the<br />
famous Nashville studio musicians band, Area Code 615.<br />
The Area Code 615 Band is made up <strong>of</strong> some <strong>of</strong> Nashville‘s finer<br />
musicians such as Charley McCoy, Wayne Moss on guitar and<br />
Henry Strezecky on bass. Buddy Spicker did fiddle duties once in<br />
a while. So as you can see, Russ was in good company.<br />
Our new shirt we have out with the Sho-Bud Super Pro II in the<br />
upper left breast is doing very well. It might be the colors, but this<br />
seems to be the most appreciated shirt we‘ve had out in a<br />
while. They are all black, but if any <strong>of</strong> you prefer white or tan, we<br />
could order a few <strong>of</strong> them. Let me know by email.<br />
In order to help young players or even old players get into a great<br />
playing pr<strong>of</strong>essional guitar for as little money as possible, we <strong>of</strong>fer<br />
a complete package deal for only $1799. It includes a pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
single neck GFI Expo steel guitar, a small Peavey amplifier<br />
with a headphone jack. It is 25 watts with a Blue Marvel speaker,<br />
cords, bars, picks, a piano bench seat and an Ernie Ball volume<br />
pedal. This deal would retail for almost three thousand dollars.<br />
Call and place your order right now.<br />
See our monthly specials at www.steelguitar.net/<br />
monthlyspecials.html<br />
Your buddy,<br />
Bobbe<br />
www.steelguitar.net<br />
sales@steelguitar.net<br />
STORY BEHIND THE SONG<br />
Courtesy Bill Morrison<br />
Back in the good ole days <strong>of</strong> ―singles‖ and ―albums,‖ (remember<br />
those?) several album cuts became hit singles. And this usually<br />
occurred because a disc jockey found an album track he liked,<br />
started playing it and the rest is history.<br />
Such was the case <strong>of</strong> Barbara Fairchild‘s 1973 number one,<br />
―Teddy Bear.‖<br />
The song was written by an unlikely duo <strong>of</strong> a former homicide<br />
16<br />
detective, Don Earl and singer Nick Nixon.<br />
The song was recorded for an album titled ―A Sweeter Love,‖ and<br />
an Atlanta, Georgia disc jockey named Jim Clemens began playing<br />
the song from the album which prompted the release as a<br />
single and another hit was born. The single entered the country<br />
music charts December 30 th , 1972 and was at the top <strong>of</strong> the<br />
charts the week <strong>of</strong> March 17 th , 1973 where it stuck for two weeks.<br />
The Columbia records single was Fairchild‘s 11 th charted song<br />
and her only number one.<br />
It was on the charts for 19 weeks.<br />
================================<br />
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS<br />
QUESTION: Do you remember a song about ―Walking On New<br />
Grass?‖ Do you know who had that record?<br />
ANSWER: ―Walking On New Grass‖ was a # 7 hit for Kenny<br />
Price in 1966.<br />
QUESTION: Have you heard <strong>of</strong> a singer named Dave Peel? My<br />
cousin says he knew him in Nashville several years ago.<br />
ANSWER: Dave Peel was a Nashville singer who placed 5<br />
songs on the country charts between 1969 and 1971. None <strong>of</strong><br />
them made the top 40.<br />
QUESTION: Have you heard <strong>of</strong> a song titled ―Tell My Woman I<br />
Miss Her?‖ My dad says it was on the radio a few times many<br />
years ago.<br />
ANSWER: ―Tell My Woman I Miss Her‖ was the flipside <strong>of</strong><br />
Tommy Overstreet‘s 1978 # 20 hit, ―Better Me.‖<br />
QUESTION: My dad says that Ralph Emery had hit records. Is<br />
that true?<br />
ANSWER: Ralph scored a hit with an answer to ―Hello<br />
Walls‖ titled ―Hello Fool.‖ The Liberty Records single peaked at #<br />
4 in 1961.<br />
QUESTION: My uncle says that Buck Owens was a musician<br />
in a band for a famous singer before he became famous. Is that<br />
true?<br />
ANSWER: Buck played lead guitar for Tommy Collins in the<br />
1950‘s.<br />
====================================<br />
NUMBER ONE ON THIS DATE:<br />
1945<br />
Smoke on the Water - Bob Wills<br />
1953<br />
Your Cheatin‘ Heart - Hank Williams<br />
1961<br />
Don‘t Worry - Marty Robbins<br />
1969<br />
Woman <strong>of</strong> the World (Leave My World Alone) - Loretta Lynn<br />
1977<br />
Lucille - Kenny Rogers<br />
1985<br />
Honor Bound - Earl Thomas Conley<br />
=====================================<br />
TODAY IN COUNTRY MUSIC HISTORY<br />
by Bill Morrison<br />
1900 - J.L. "<strong>Joe</strong>" Frank 1900~1952, promoter and talent manager,<br />
born Limestone County, Alabama. <strong>Joe</strong> was Pee Wee King' s father-in-law.<br />
Posthumously inducted into the CMHF in 1967.<br />
1933 - Roy Clark, Hee Haw co-host, was born in Meherrin, Virginia.<br />
Roy became a member <strong>of</strong> the Grand Ole Opry in 1987.
1937 - Bob Luman 1937~1978, was born "Bobby Glenn Luman"<br />
in Nacogdoches, Texas. Bob was a member <strong>of</strong> the cast <strong>of</strong> the<br />
KWKH Louisiana Hayride, moved to the west coast and filmed the<br />
movie Carnival Rock, and then joined the cast <strong>of</strong> the TV show<br />
Town Hall Party. Ricky Nelson heard Bob's band on Town Hall<br />
Party and hired them away. Bob's band, which he brought with<br />
him from Louisiana, included James Burton on guitar. Bob joined<br />
the cast <strong>of</strong> the Grand Ole Opry in 1965, and created a little havoc<br />
every time he performed. The younger audience members at the<br />
Opry were crazy about him, however, Mr. Acuff had a different<br />
opinion. While in Nashville between 1964 and his death in 1978<br />
Bob charted approximately 40 hits on the country charts. His biggest<br />
hit was "Lonely Women Make Good Lovers." Bob left us<br />
much too early at the age <strong>of</strong> 41, and many <strong>of</strong> us miss him a lot.<br />
Bob's lovely daughter Melissa works as a home loan <strong>of</strong>ficer in one<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Nashville suburbs. She recently told me that Bob was being<br />
inducted into the Texas Country <strong>Music</strong> Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame. Good for<br />
you Bob. you were always a winner.<br />
1945 - Bob Wills topped the charts with "Smoke On The Water."<br />
1951 - Junior Barnard, guitarist with The Texas Playboys, died as<br />
the result <strong>of</strong> a car wreck.<br />
1952 - Sam Bush vocals, fiddle, mandolin, and guitarist born in<br />
Bowling Green, Kentucky. Sam is one <strong>of</strong> <strong>Music</strong> Cities most respected<br />
pickers, and was a founding member <strong>of</strong> New Grass Revival<br />
in 1972.<br />
1961 - Marty Robbins' single "Don' t Worry" topped the charts.<br />
1966 - The mayor <strong>of</strong> Lynchburg, Virginia proclaimed this as "Ray<br />
Pillow Day."<br />
1967 - Bill Nettles1907~1967, age 60, songwriter, recording artist,<br />
and label owner died in Monroe, Louisiana. Bill and his brother<br />
Norman were the talent behind the Dixie Blue Boys, and later<br />
founded the Nettles Brothers. They became stars while playing<br />
their music on KWKH radio in Shreveport, and recorded on Vocation<br />
and Bluebird, the low budget division <strong>of</strong> RCA from<br />
1937~1945. Bill was a disabled veteran <strong>of</strong> World War I, having<br />
served in the Navy. The Nettles penned tune "Have I Waited Too<br />
Long?" was debuted at KWKH by Radio Dot and Smoky, and<br />
eventually became Faron Young's theme song. Later in his career<br />
Nettles recorded for Mercury Records, Bullet and Imperial. He<br />
recorded for Starday in the mid`1950's and then formed his own<br />
label, Nett Records in Monroe, Louisiana.<br />
1970 - Johnny Cash's ABC-TV Show featured special guest Judy<br />
Collins, and duets with June Carter Cash.<br />
1971 - Wanda Jackson recorded "Half As Good A Girl" b/w "I' m<br />
Mad At Me."<br />
1971 - Buck Owens recorded "Rollin' In My Sweet Baby' s<br />
Arms."<br />
1971 - Tracy Nelson's Plantation single "The Battle Hymn <strong>of</strong> Lt.<br />
Calley" was certified Gold.<br />
1974 - Tom T. Hall recorded "That Song Is Driving Me Crazy."<br />
1975 - Oscar Davis, artist management, promoter, died at age 72.<br />
1977 - Kenny Rogers' single "Lucille" topped the charts.<br />
1983 - Elvis received 5 Gold records today for 5 separate RCA<br />
Victor singles. I'm not going to list them, everything he recorded<br />
went to some kind <strong>of</strong> metal. On March 27, 1992 Elvis was posthumously<br />
awarded 123 Gold & Platinum records. No, I'm not going<br />
to list the titles. Call Lisa Marie, she has them.<br />
1988 - Wanda Jackson recorded "I'm Mad At Me."<br />
1989 - Mary Chapin Carpenter debuted on the charts with her self<br />
-penned Columbia single "How Do." The record made the Top 20,<br />
and the future Grammy Award winner was named the CMA Female<br />
Vocalist <strong>of</strong> the Year in 1992 &1993.<br />
1993 - Trisha Yearwood's MCA album "Hearts in Armor" was certified<br />
Platinum.<br />
1997 - Silver Eagle released "Silver Eagle Cross Country Pre-<br />
17<br />
sents Live: Vern Gosdin" 1997.<br />
1998 - Rose Maddox 1925~1998, age 72, <strong>of</strong> "Maddox Brothers &<br />
Rose" died in Oregon.<br />
Courtesy Bill Morrison<br />
Selectees for Induction into the<br />
<strong>Western</strong> Swing Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame<br />
Sacramento, CA<br />
on Sunday, October 3, 2010<br />
gary campbell<br />
vicki campbell<br />
don davis<br />
"big Jim" denoon<br />
joe (diamond) fischer<br />
tommy hays<br />
ray hunter<br />
jimmy r. phillips<br />
jason roberts<br />
ted scanlon<br />
haskell "hack" starbuck<br />
jimmy r. tomlinson<br />
Fred Berry Family<br />
Lou Bisch<strong>of</strong>f<br />
John & Barbara Brutsche<br />
Clyde Brewer<br />
Jack Brown<br />
Tom Burgess<br />
Shelly Cook<br />
Mary Corley<br />
Truitt Cunningham<br />
Ben Delay<br />
Billie and James Dobbs<br />
Jerry Emery<br />
Glynn Fairburn<br />
Mary Jo Glasson<br />
Paige Haas<br />
Tom and Donna Hatton<br />
Briggs Hill and his family<br />
Barbara Holman<br />
Mary Hunter<br />
Odis James<br />
Norma Johnson<br />
Bob Kelly Family<br />
Charlie Louvin<br />
Johnny Lyon<br />
Emily Manning<br />
Mike Miller<br />
Bob Nible<br />
<strong>Joe</strong> Paul Nichols<br />
Christy Oehlschlager<br />
Jeremy Parker<br />
Walter Pate<br />
Lyall Paulson<br />
Tom Rose<br />
Rebecca Linda Smith<br />
Connie Stom<br />
Cameron Stroup<br />
Joye Thompson<br />
Darlene Thornton<br />
Ken Watkins<br />
Mike Ward<br />
Connie White<br />
Bill Zucker
Tri-Son News<br />
Biggest Little News Sheet In Country <strong>Music</strong> (Since 1963) • July 2010 Issue<br />
_________________________________________________________________<br />
Loudilla and Kay Johnson • P.O. Box 40328 • Nashville, TN 37204 • Ph. 615-371-9596<br />
_________________________________________________________________<br />
Brooks & Dunn's Last Rodeo Tour, currently on-hold as Ronnie continues on doctor-order vocal rest, will restart in Indianapolis on<br />
July 16. Three additional concerts: Oklahoma City (8/20), Little Rock (8/21) and Holmdel, NJ (8/28) have been added. Merle Haggard,<br />
Gary Allan, Miranda Lambert and Sara Evans will appear on select concert dates. The final show is scheduled on September<br />
2 in Nashville. See www.brooks-dunn.com<br />
The Charlie Daniels Band released a pair <strong>of</strong> digital singles, “Iraq Blues” and “(What This World Needs Is) A Few More Rednecks<br />
2010,” on July 4 through Blue Hat Records/E1 Entertainment. Both tracks are featured on the CDB‘s forthcoming August 10<br />
patriotic compilation, Land That I Love. Songs are newly recorded studio versions, and the 2010 update <strong>of</strong> “(What This World Needs<br />
Is) A Few More Rednecks 2010” also includes a brand new verse. The singles are available at all major online retailers. “I wrote „Iraq<br />
Blues‟ on three separate trips to entertain the troops over there in Iraq. It's about the troops and for the troops,” says Daniels. “(What<br />
the World Needs Is) A Few More Rednecks 2010‟ is an updated version <strong>of</strong> a song I recorded several years ago. The new lyrics reflect<br />
life in America in the 21st century.” The CDB maintains a busy tour schedule through the end <strong>of</strong> 2010. For more information and tour<br />
dates, visit www.CharlieDaniels.com<br />
Known just as much for their talents as for wearing their signature cowboy hats, country music superstar Trace Adkins, and racing<br />
legend and NASCAR Hall <strong>of</strong> Famer Richard Petty, have begun a humorous "rivalry" <strong>of</strong> one-upmanship about who experiences the<br />
toughest pain. BC Powder and Goody's Headache Powders, the brands Adkins and Petty represent, are going head-to-head in an<br />
online contest with their respective brands leading the charge. The "Pick A Powder" campaign plays <strong>of</strong>f the fierce and generational<br />
loyalty users have to either product. Both Adkins and Petty will try to get their fans to pick their team online<br />
at www.pickapowder.com to support either Team Richard for Goody's or Team Trace for BC. The man who gets the most fans to join<br />
his team will get to see the other "perform" LIVE at the Goody's 500 in Martinsville, VA next spring. The campaign also features a<br />
charity component with a donation being made to the Wounded Warrior Project on behalf <strong>of</strong> Adkins and BC, and Victory Junction<br />
Camp for seriously ill children on behalf <strong>of</strong> Petty and Goody's. sometimes don't. Once registered, fans can win prizes and vote daily<br />
through September 30; with winners announced in early October.<br />
News Briefs: Rascal Flatts bassist Jay DeMarcus and his wife, Allison, are abnticipating the birth <strong>of</strong> their first child in January<br />
2011.••• Billy Ray Cyrus has seemingly departed Country <strong>Music</strong> and formed a rock band. Brother Clyde is a L.A. based<br />
combo with Billy Ray, Samantha Maloney and Jamie Miller. Their self-titled debut album is due August 10. The first single, Lately, is<br />
available on iTunes. ••• Magic Mustang has signed singer/songwriter Sherrie Austin to a publishing deal. ••• Emerging country<br />
singer/songwriter Shane Wyatt will make a return appearance at Firefest July 31 in Cold Spring, MN, sharing the stage with Smok'n<br />
Guns, Bombshell, Emerson Drive andLittle Big Town. Sponsored by Wild Country 99, Firefest raises money for the Cold Spring<br />
Fire and Rescue. Tickets are $30 thru July 18 and go up to $35 on July 19. Available online at www.firefestmn.com or in person at<br />
various local business locations. Wyatt will keep the party going at WeFest in Detroit Lakes, MN (Aug. 5), following Keith Urban's<br />
headline performance. ••• Tim McGraw makes his first Australian appearance in September, performing a series <strong>of</strong> shows in<br />
Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and Townseville.<br />
Bluegrass sensation Rhonda Vincent, has added a record label division to her in-house, Upper Management company, which already<br />
boasts management and tour booking divisions and oversees her annual Bluegrass Cruise. Upper Management was founded<br />
in 2006 by the artist‘s manager Herb Sandker. Vincent is currently recording a new project in her Adventure Studios with eight-time<br />
Grammy Award winner, Bil VornDick. "Bil is the king at capturing great tones,” Vincent states. “With my band The Rage as the core<br />
band <strong>of</strong> the album, we‟ll be able to duplicate the music in our live performances." The project will include several guest musicians and<br />
vocalists, along with a few surprises. Album release details to be announced.<br />
Lilith's 2010 return as a touring festival might not be quite as comprehensive as the event's organizers initially hoped as reports<br />
trickle in about canceled dates on the festival's itinerary. The touring all-female festival, which had returned this year for the first time<br />
since it's initial 3-year-run ended in 1999, had originally been scheduled for 35 dates around the U.S. but has been plagued by s<strong>of</strong>t<br />
ticket sales. Three other Lilith dates have been moved to smaller venues, including Vancouver, Edmonton and Montreal, though festival<br />
producer Terry McBride maintains that these dates were moved for reasons other than slow ticket sales. Ten cancelled dates:<br />
Salt Lake City (7/12), Montreal (7/23), Raleigh (8/4), Charlotte (8/6), West Palm Beach (8/10), Tampa (8/11), Birmingham (8/12), Austin<br />
(8/14), Houston (8/15) and Dallas (8/16). Refunds are available at point <strong>of</strong> purchase. Performer Norah Jones announced that all<br />
five <strong>of</strong> her scheduled Lilith dates have been cancelled. Scheduled performers on various tour stops include Martina McBride, Loretta<br />
Lynn, Emmylou Harris, Sugarland, Miranda Lambert, Kelly Clarkson, Cheryl Crow, Carly Simon, Sarah McLachlan, Court<br />
Yard Hounds, Heart and Queen Latifah.<br />
Superstar couple Amy Grant and Vince Gill will kick <strong>of</strong>f The Twelve Days <strong>of</strong> Christmas Tour December 8 in Sarasota, FL and wrap<br />
(Dec. 22) with two shows in at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashvlle. Of their fifth Holiday tour, Grant explains “Christmas audiences are<br />
special. They tend to involve the whole family, and their emotions are a wonderful mix <strong>of</strong> anticipation and reverence. It‟s a thrilling<br />
experience for both <strong>of</strong> us.” “These holiday tours have become our favorites,” Gill agrees. In their two hour program, the Grammywinning<br />
team will present cherished standards and newer seasonal fare as well as some <strong>of</strong> their biggest hits.<br />
The International Bluegrass <strong>Music</strong> Association‘s (IBMA) World <strong>of</strong> Bluegrass will be held September 27-Oct. 3 in Nashville. The<br />
21st anniversary <strong>of</strong> the IBMAs is the high point <strong>of</strong> the week, when the music comes home to the historical Ryman Auditorium on<br />
Thursday evening (Sept. 30). Featured acts already announced include Dailey & Vincent, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Michael<br />
Cleveland & Flame Keeper, Dale Ann Bradley, Tony Rice, The SteelDrivers, Cherryholmes, Lonesome River Band, The<br />
Isaacs, Danny Paisley & Southern Grass, Josh Williams Band, Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice, The Boxcars, The Claire<br />
Lynch Band, Chris Jones & The Night Drivers, Grasstowne, G-2 and Barry Scott & Second Wind. More to be announced.<br />
Tickets for all events are available now at www.ibma.org or phone 1-888-GET-IBMA.<br />
18
Renowned music producer, Paul Worley and his partners, Wally Wilson and Glen Morgan, have once again put their creative minds<br />
to work with the formation <strong>of</strong> Nashville's newest label addition, Skyville Records. The imprint is the latest venture <strong>of</strong> the threesome<br />
who formed Skyline <strong>Music</strong> Publishing six years ago. "This label is a natural extension <strong>of</strong> the artist development that we have always<br />
done," Worley says. "It makes more sense now than ever as the music industry must create new ways <strong>of</strong> doing business." The first<br />
signing on the label's roster is Stealing Angels. The trio <strong>of</strong> talented ladies will debut their first single, "He Better Be Dead" on July<br />
12. They are currently on a national radio promotion tour, and are playing many fairs and festivals around the country this summer.<br />
Loretta Lynn will be honored by The Recording Academy, the organization that presents the GRAMMY Awards, October 12 at the<br />
Ryman Auditorium. The event promises to be a star-studded tribute featuring performances by some <strong>of</strong> Nashville's finest artists and<br />
includes a special presentation <strong>of</strong> The Academy President's Merit Award to Lynn, a three-time GRAMMY® winner who already owns<br />
the Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award.<br />
Ralph Emery has long reigned as a valued personality/friend <strong>of</strong> country music, country radio, and country fans. An author, TV host,<br />
mentor to countless young broadcasters and show hosts, currently hosting the popular Ralph Emery Show on RFD-TV. He has now<br />
been nominated for induction into the National Radio Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame, in the Local or Regional Pioneer category. Register and vote<br />
now through August 1 at www.radioh<strong>of</strong>.org. The induction ceremony and broadcast will take place on November 6 in Chicago.<br />
Thanks to Marty Raybon, every kid in America will know what to ask for this Christmas: a “Daddy Phone,” the singer/songwriter‘s<br />
poignant new song about kids with divorced parents keeping in touch with the father they see only ever so <strong>of</strong>ten. The song was written<br />
by GrandVista owner David Mastran, who penned the compelling tune from personal experience. GrandVista has released the<br />
infectious track, the second single from Raybon's The Heat Is On album. Raybon wrote or co-wrote five songs for the project. “Still<br />
My Little Man (Matty’s Song)” is especially personal to Raybon. “I wrote that about my boy,” he says <strong>of</strong> his son who is serving in<br />
Iraq. “I remember when Matty told me he was going to join the service, honestly I was mad at him. I really was. I was angry and the<br />
reason why is that fear as a parent. I‟ve always sheltered my children as much as I could because I love them. I thought „Lord he‟ll get<br />
over there in some third world country and I can‟t help him.‟ Then all <strong>of</strong> a sudden, I realized I was thinking <strong>of</strong> him as a child and the<br />
way he was when he was little but now he‟s made a man‟s decision.” Raybon‘s special interest in the U.S. military inspired him to<br />
sign on with the USO, and he is currently booking dates to perform for our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq; in the past, he has done<br />
shows for the organization Halos and Heroes, which raises money for Air Compassion for Veterans (ACV). The singer is also getting<br />
involved with charities and organizations that fund and supply prosthetics for returning veterans who have lost limbs in battle. “We<br />
hear all the time about the troops who lose their lives,” he says, “but not enough about those who come home maimed and missing<br />
arms and legs. With the technology we have available, we should be able to ensure that they can at some point resume as normal a<br />
life as possible with the help <strong>of</strong> these prosthetics.”<br />
EVENTS Calendar 2010:<br />
• July. 22-25 - Country Thunder USA - Twin Lakes, WI<br />
• Oct. 3-5 - IEBA Conference - Nashville, TN<br />
• Nov. 6 - National Radio Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame Inducuction - Chicago, IL<br />
• Nov. 22 - Charlie Daniels' Christmas For Kids Concert - Nashville, TN<br />
These events and more are listed on our LINKS page! www.ifco.org/<br />
MY CHICKEN FETISH.<br />
52,000 intelligent good-looking readers.<br />
What's the deal with me and birds?<br />
Besides "Tennessee Bird Walk",<br />
I've written "Legendary Chickenfairy", "If Eggs had Legs", "Big<br />
Black Bird",<br />
and birds show up in some <strong>of</strong> my other songs.<br />
I have no idea.<br />
I guess I think birds are fascinating,<br />
being either funny, as in crossing the road,<br />
or strange, as in Poe's Raven.<br />
And they have such expressive eyes. Like little buttons.<br />
The most recent bird song I've coughed up is "Dance <strong>of</strong> the Living<br />
-Dead Chickens".<br />
I just sat down at the old electric piano and sang it into a cassette<br />
recorder,<br />
in the back room <strong>of</strong> our motorhome.<br />
It was just a demo, but somehow it found it's way onto several CD<br />
albums.<br />
One <strong>of</strong> them is a various artists album on a Brooklyn New York<br />
label.<br />
The album title is "Halloween <strong>of</strong> Bloody Nightmares",<br />
and the reviews place it in odd genres such as "Hardcore",<br />
19<br />
"Country Psych"<br />
and "Techno Psych".<br />
I don't know what any <strong>of</strong> that means.<br />
It's become sort <strong>of</strong> a cult hit.<br />
A cult I'm not sure I would willingly volunteer for.<br />
I admit I think the song is funny, and the response to it is also<br />
funny.<br />
You can listen to it here:<br />
BROADBAND: http://www.soundclick.com/util/getplayer.m3u?<br />
id=8984128&q=hi<br />
DIAL-UPS: http://www.soundclick.com/util/getplayer.m3u?<br />
id=8984128&q=lo<br />
And for you classic poetry lovers, here are the words:<br />
"DANCE OF THE LIVING-DEAD CHICKENS."<br />
The chicken that looked like Hitler;<br />
Looked just like him, but littler.<br />
Down at the henhouse they hated his guts.<br />
He didn't know why. It was drivin' him nuts.<br />
They called him the Chickenstein Monster.<br />
He hung around down by the dumpster.<br />
The Hunchduck and the Hitler found romance.<br />
He looked into her eyes and began to dance.<br />
Down at the hen house jealousy reigned.<br />
The chickens realized that they all looked the same.<br />
Being ordinary was bringing them down.<br />
They started making weird faces and dragged their feet around.
Farmer Bob came out in the noonday heat,<br />
saw the chickens makin' faces, and draggin' their feet.<br />
His brain went out to lunch, and his body changed form,<br />
and the Dance Of the Living Dead Chickens was born.<br />
He combed his hair to one side, grew a little mustache,<br />
scrunched his back up in a hump and let one foot drag.<br />
He crossed one eye, and let his tongue hang out.<br />
The neighbors gathered 'round and they all began to shout...<br />
Comb your hair to one side, get a little mustache,<br />
Scrunch up in a hump and let one foot drag.<br />
Everybody's learnin' it's fun to be weird.<br />
The Dance <strong>of</strong> the Living-dead Chickens is here.<br />
(Repeat last line until somebody buys the record.)<br />
Jack Blanchard<br />
© 2010.<br />
--<br />
Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan...<br />
Grammy Nominees.<br />
Billboard's Country Duet <strong>of</strong> the Year.<br />
ASCAP and BMI Awards.<br />
HOME PAGE: http://jackandmisty.com<br />
The Heart <strong>of</strong> Texas Country <strong>Music</strong> Museum in Brady will<br />
soon be showcasing some new Roy Rogers and the<br />
Sons <strong>of</strong> the Pioneers memorabilia.<br />
During the recent Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Museum auction<br />
in New York, the Heart <strong>of</strong> Texas Country <strong>Music</strong> Museum was<br />
able to obtain Roy Rogers Country <strong>Music</strong> Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame induction<br />
award along with the Sons <strong>of</strong> the Pioneers Country <strong>Music</strong><br />
Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame induction award.<br />
The awards each give a brief biography <strong>of</strong> the honoree along<br />
with their birthdates and the Country <strong>Music</strong> Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame<br />
logo. Roy Rogers was inducted in 1988 and the Sons <strong>of</strong> the Pioneers<br />
were honored in 1980.<br />
The Sons <strong>of</strong> the Pioneers award also lists Hugh and Karl Farr,<br />
both being from Llano and Rochelle, Texas, making the award<br />
coming back to our area even that more important to us.<br />
"We actually had interest in 18 lots, but bidding was at a premium,"<br />
Tracy Pitcox said. "We had purchased Roy's outfit from<br />
the 25th Anniversary <strong>of</strong> the CMA Awards in an auction last December.<br />
These awards will be a nice addition to our upcoming<br />
Roy Rogers/Dale Evans/Sons <strong>of</strong> the Pioneers display."<br />
The awards were purchased by the museum for $2,000.00<br />
www.heart<strong>of</strong>texascountry.com<br />
Thank you <strong>Joe</strong>! Your compilation CD's are a DJ's dream! By<br />
providing us with new music to review for possible airplay. And<br />
it's a great and efficient service for the artist as well by getting<br />
their tunes to radio stations. Keep up the good work.....<br />
"Toe Tappin" Tommy Tucker<br />
KRLC Radio, Lewiston, Idaho<br />
2003 AWA Radio Station <strong>of</strong> the Year<br />
2004 AWA DJ <strong>of</strong> the Year<br />
2005 WMA Radio Station <strong>of</strong> the Year<br />
20<br />
The Messenger…Rhonda<br />
Ryan‘s <strong>Music</strong> Box Treasure:<br />
From the time she was old enough to notice,<br />
Ryan loved the little porcelain Rabbit<br />
<strong>Music</strong> Box. It had been my mother‘s and I<br />
sat it in the downstairs bathroom after she<br />
died so I would see it <strong>of</strong>ten. The figures<br />
were a daddy rabbit sitting in a chair reading<br />
to the little girl bunny rabbit sitting at<br />
his feet. When wound, the little figures turned as it played ―Here<br />
comes Peter Cottontail.‖ It was Ryan‘s favorite thing and she was<br />
always so careful with this fragile heirloom. When she was about<br />
six she asked if she could have it. I knew that if she took it home<br />
with her at that time it would lose its value and be discarded unintentionally<br />
because <strong>of</strong> her immaturity. So I told her I when I died it<br />
would be hers. From that point on every time she came for a visit<br />
she asked me when I was going to die!! Since I was not quite<br />
ready to go… I told her I had changed my mind…when she<br />
graduated from high school it would be hers…that satisfied her.<br />
The music box became even more precious to me knowing that<br />
my mother‘s music box would be passed on to my Ryan (The 7 th<br />
<strong>of</strong> 9 grandchildren) who loved it so.<br />
Shattered Treasure:<br />
Time passed. The music box retained its special spot in my bathroom<br />
awaiting Ryan‘s visits. One day when I was vacuuming, the<br />
cord that was plugged in right above the <strong>Music</strong> box caught on it<br />
and sent it flying to the brick floor…shattering into hundreds <strong>of</strong><br />
pieces! I stood there and sobbed staring unbelievably at the broken<br />
pieces. What was I going to tell Ryan? I knew it would break<br />
her heart. I carefully picked up every piece I could find …some so<br />
tiny they were dust but others were fairly large and recognizable. I<br />
looked at all those pieces and prayed, ―Please Dear God, help me<br />
put this back together so Ryan will still have a treasure. I am so<br />
sorry I didn‘t take good enough care <strong>of</strong> this treasure that You entrusted<br />
to me. Please forgive me and help Ryan to not be broken<br />
hearted.‖<br />
Patched-up Treasure:<br />
I worked for days gluing those pieces<br />
together. When I finished, it looked<br />
pretty good, from a distance...not like<br />
before but not bad for having been in<br />
hundreds <strong>of</strong> pieces. It did have a large<br />
piece still missing that left a gaping hole<br />
right in front but at least it was almost all<br />
together. I wound it …waited…but there<br />
was no song! Apparently the musical<br />
part had been damaged in the fall and<br />
now it had lost its song. I wept again.<br />
Life-Lesson Treasure:<br />
Then it hit me. This treasured keepsake was like ones fragile<br />
heart or spirit…easily broken or damaged. I decided when the<br />
time was right I would use this broken patched up music box to<br />
teach a life lesson to Ryan just as my mother would have done to<br />
me.<br />
Replicated Treasure:<br />
In the meantime I found another music box just like it on EBay; at<br />
least I thought it was the same. They looked the same in the picture.<br />
So I purchased it. When it arrived there were two. The lady<br />
who owned it sent me another one to go with it because she said<br />
they belonged together. The extra one was the mother rabbit<br />
sharing a plate <strong>of</strong> cookies with her little boy bunny rabbit sitting at<br />
her feet. These music boxes were slightly larger than the original<br />
and not made <strong>of</strong> the delicate porcelain but they were very close<br />
replicas. And I got an extra one that I didn‘t even ask for! Was that
a deal or what! It‘s a<br />
God thing.<br />
Renewed Treasure:<br />
The time finally came<br />
when Ryan inquired<br />
about the whereabouts<br />
<strong>of</strong> her music box. Before<br />
I unveiled the patched<br />
up broken box I told her<br />
the story about me<br />
breaking it. I could see the tears welling up in her eyes. I told her<br />
how hard I had tried to fix it. When I brought it out I said ―Ryan, I<br />
want to tell you something very important. People‘s hearts and<br />
spirits are as easily broken as was our music box. When we say<br />
unkind words or do unkind things to people we shatter them just<br />
as your music box was shattered. When you are sorry and try to<br />
make it right with them it is like trying to put back all the pieces<br />
like I did with the music box…but there are still cracks which are<br />
visible when you get close. But more important Ryan…when we<br />
hurt someone with our words, even though the pieces are put<br />
back together with acts <strong>of</strong> love and repentance…we might still<br />
have caused them to lose their song.‖ At that point I wound the<br />
box and sure enough …no song.<br />
Little eight year old Ryan had a s<strong>of</strong>t heart and I felt she understood<br />
what I was trying to teach.<br />
Additional Treasure:<br />
Then I said ―Sometimes Ryan it will be your heart or spirit that<br />
gets broken. But I always want you to remember that our wonderful<br />
God loves us so much that even though He can‘t magically<br />
change the hurt or broken heart or spirit, He will give us something<br />
in its place that is even more than we had before. ―Then I<br />
brought out the two new replicas… and said ―God will always be<br />
there to heal a broken heart. Just remember He wants us to always<br />
be kind to others. He will always bless you richly when you<br />
do‖. (The golden rule)<br />
Buried Treasure:<br />
Now I don‘t know if she will consciously remember all that I said<br />
or did that day but somewhere deep into her tender little heart I<br />
buried a seed…or perhaps I fertilized one that her parents had<br />
already planted. At any rate I know that lesson sunk deeply and<br />
grew. How do I know…well…<br />
Golden Bell Treasure:<br />
Yesterday Ryan was promoted<br />
from elementary to middle<br />
school. The proud grandma<br />
(Nangy) attended her promotion<br />
and awards program. Ryan<br />
received lots <strong>of</strong> awards for<br />
scholastic achievement presented<br />
by her classroom<br />
teacher. She received awards<br />
for her participation on the archery<br />
team from the PE teacher. She received drama awards from<br />
the drama teacher. The music teacher presented awards for choir<br />
and Ryan received one <strong>of</strong> those too. But then…Mrs. Blakely, the<br />
music teacher said ―I have a very special award that I call the<br />
Golden Bell Award. This one goes to the person that is always<br />
kind, compassionate, and helps others, even if they don‘t ask for<br />
help. That person is always there for others…and that award<br />
goes to… Ryan Craig.<br />
Restored Treasure:<br />
Even as I type this story I have a lump in my throat as I did when<br />
Mrs. Blakely called Ryan‘s name. That was the best honor she<br />
could have received as far as I am concerned. Immediately I re-<br />
21<br />
flected back to the lesson God had prompted me to teach Ryan<br />
with that broken treasured <strong>Music</strong> Box. Today, before I typed this<br />
story, I went into the bathroom where all three music boxes sit<br />
together on the cabinet. I picked up the cracked and glued original…wound<br />
it up…and would you believe…. It played its song just<br />
as beautifully as it did the day I brought it home from my mother‘s<br />
house & it hasn‘t missed a note since. WOW!<br />
Master‘s Treasure:<br />
God taught me such a lesson today. Even broken hearts and<br />
wounded spirits whose song has been silenced… thought to be<br />
lost …are still not beyond repair. In the master‘s hand, all things<br />
are possible, even restoring a song to a broken music box. <strong>Music</strong><br />
Box or heart…The master‘s touch creates a song.<br />
Living Treasure:<br />
I see it every day on our prayer network (WSPN). So many<br />
‗songs‘ have been restored to those with physical health issues<br />
who have been healed. I see so many ‗songs‘ that have been<br />
restored to the broken hearted due to the loss <strong>of</strong> a loved one. We<br />
all have seen in our <strong>Western</strong> Swing family an instance <strong>of</strong> God<br />
sending another ‗treasure‘ to love when one <strong>of</strong> His beloved children<br />
has lost theirs.<br />
Unforgotten Treasure:<br />
Let us never forget who<br />
restores our soul (song)<br />
for His Name Sake. Let<br />
us never forget to teach<br />
our children (and grand<br />
children) <strong>of</strong> His faithful<br />
love that abides with us.<br />
Let us never forget to<br />
teach them to belt out<br />
their ‗God–Given<br />
Song‘…and then their feet will dance!<br />
The messenger…Rhonda<br />
FRED CARTER, JR.<br />
1933 – 2010<br />
rhondacraig@suddenlink.net<br />
Born in the Louisiana delta,<br />
Fred Carter, Jr. was raised<br />
in an environment that favored<br />
both hard work and<br />
great music. Like all seminal<br />
musicians, artists, and<br />
writers born to the pre-war<br />
American South, Carter cut<br />
his teeth on country, blues, gospel, and jazz, combining them all<br />
into the art form that would later become Rock and Roll. A consummate<br />
musician, Carter held the guitar chair on recording sessions<br />
and live performances for artists <strong>of</strong> every musical genre.<br />
Carter began his career as staff guitarist on the legendary Louisiana<br />
Hayride, working alongside Horace Logan and a revolving<br />
cast <strong>of</strong> country hitmakers. After leaving the Hayride, Carter played<br />
a significant role in the development <strong>of</strong> Rockabilly and Rock and<br />
Roll through his guitar work with Conway Twitty, Roy Orbison,<br />
Dale Hawkins, and Ronnie Hawkins & the Hawks.<br />
Settling in Nashville in the late 1950‘s, Carter quickly moved into<br />
the ―A-Team,‖ first-call session work that defines the Nashville
ecording industry. There, Carter worked with a steady stream <strong>of</strong><br />
legendary recording artists, including country greats such as Willie<br />
Nelson, Dolly Parton, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Krist<strong>of</strong>ferson,<br />
as well as contributions to the classics <strong>of</strong> Simon & Garfunkel, Bob<br />
Dylan, and Muddy Waters. Throughout his career, Carter maintained<br />
a lifelong association with Levon Helm, including Helm‘s<br />
RCO All-Stars, which included Steve Cropper, Donald ―Duck‖<br />
Dunn, Booker T. and the MG‘s, Dr. John, Paul Butterfield, and the<br />
Saturday Night Live Horns. Carter was also a prolific songwriter,<br />
writing alongside the likes <strong>of</strong> Harlan Howard, Willie Nelson, and<br />
Hank Cochran. Carter‘s songs have been recorded by artists as<br />
diverse as Dean Martin, Chet Atkins, and Burl Ives. Through his<br />
varied associations, Carter played a critical role in broadening<br />
Nashville‘s musical persona beyond its traditional country borders,<br />
serving to integrate Nashville into the larger musical acceptance<br />
in which it finds itself today.<br />
Carter passed away on July 17th from stroke-related causes at<br />
Vanderbilt University Medical Center.<br />
Carter was the third <strong>of</strong> seven children born to Fred and Hattie<br />
―Tillie‖ Carter <strong>of</strong> Winnsboro, Louisiana. A loving husband and<br />
father, Carter is survived by his wife <strong>of</strong> 49 years, Anna; his sons,<br />
Ronnie and Jeff; his daughter, recording artist Deana Carter; and<br />
his five grandchildren.<br />
Bob Kelly, <strong>Western</strong> Swing Hall Of Fame<br />
Bob Kelly, <strong>Western</strong> Swing<br />
Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame steelman<br />
formerly with Johnny<br />
Bush, Jody Nix and others,<br />
and songwriter notably for<br />
Nix and George Strait,<br />
passed away Sunday<br />
night, July 18, 2010, from<br />
an aneurysm on the aorta<br />
<strong>of</strong><br />
his heart. He died peacefully<br />
with his wife Frances<br />
and son Ken and family by<br />
his side.<br />
The viewing will be at<br />
Frank W. Wilson<br />
Furneral Home beginning<br />
at noon<br />
Tuesday. The family will be there from 7 - 9 p.m. The memorial<br />
servicewill be Wednesday Afternoon at 2 p.m. at<br />
Immanuel Church in Odessa. .There<br />
will be a memorial service in Eldorado, Ark. at a later date.<br />
If you wish to, a note or card can be mailed to the family at<br />
2537 E. 10th,<br />
Odessa, TX. 79761.<br />
Notify your friends who knew Bob.<br />
We've lost a fine friend and a true music great.<br />
Barbara Martin<br />
<strong>Western</strong> Swing Monthly<br />
22<br />
HANK COCHRAN 1935-2010<br />
Hank Cochran's last night filled with music from<br />
friends<br />
PUBLISHED BY CINDY WATTS ON JULY 15, 2010<br />
Hank Cochran spent his last night on earth surrounded with one <strong>of</strong><br />
the constant loves <strong>of</strong> his life: country music.<br />
On Wednesday night, the songwriter who brought the world ―I Fall<br />
to Pieces‖ and ―Make the World Go Away‖ got a visit at his Hendersonville<br />
home from country singer Jamey Johnson. Billy Ray<br />
Cyrus and famed producer and songwriter Buddy Cannon showed<br />
up soon after.<br />
―We got there and Jamey was already sitting in his bedroom by<br />
Hank and singing him songs,‖ said Cannon, Mr. Cochran‘s longtime<br />
friend and co-writer. ―Billy Ray got his guitar out and started<br />
singing, and the next thing you know we were just passing the<br />
guitar around Hank‘s bed just singing some songs, and Hank was<br />
actually trying to sing a long a little bit.‖<br />
Mr. Cochran died the next morning following a years-long battle<br />
with cancer. He would have been 75 in August.<br />
Mr. Cochran — whom Country <strong>Music</strong> Hall <strong>of</strong> Famer Merle Haggard<br />
claims as ―a great mentor‖ — wrote or co-wrote such classic<br />
songs as Patsy Cline‘s ―I Fall to Pieces‖ and ―She‘s Got You,‖<br />
George Strait‘s ―Ocean Front Property‖ and ―The Chair,‖ Eddy<br />
Arnold‘s ―Make the World Go Away‖ and Ronnie Milsap‘s ―Don‘t<br />
You Ever Get Tired (<strong>of</strong> Hurting Me).‖<br />
Cannon, along with Cochran‘s family, was by Mr. Cochran‘s side<br />
when he died. Cannon described the moment as ―peaceful,‖ and<br />
said on Thursday that country music had lost one <strong>of</strong> the cornerstones<br />
<strong>of</strong> its foundation.<br />
―If you pull Hank Cochran‘s catalog <strong>of</strong> songs out <strong>of</strong> the mix <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Nashville music business, the whole business would be shaped<br />
differently than it is now,‖ Cannon said. ―I had the pleasure <strong>of</strong> writing<br />
songs with him, and it was unlike any other co-writing experience<br />
I ever had. The guy was magic. Where it is that songwriters<br />
plug into to get their stuff they get to write their songs, Hank had a<br />
different connection than everybody else.‖<br />
Haggard said in a statement, ―He was a great friend and a great<br />
mentor. Hank was responsible for some <strong>of</strong> the music that inspired<br />
me to do what I do.‖<br />
'I don‘t know anybody that didn‘t like Hank'<br />
Mr. Cochran was born Garland Perry Cochran on Aug. 2, 1935, in
Isola, Miss. His parents divorced when he was 9, and Mr. Cochran<br />
briefly moved in with his father in Memphis before being<br />
placed in the St. Peter's Orphan‘s Home due to the economic<br />
climate <strong>of</strong> the post-Depression era.<br />
As a boy, Mr. Cochran ran away from the facility several times<br />
before going to live with his grandparents. At 10, he was playing<br />
guitar and singing in church, and at 12 he and his uncle hitched<br />
from their home in Mississippi to New Mexico to work in the oil<br />
fields.<br />
By his mid-teen years, Mr. Cochran moved to California, got a job<br />
working at Sears & Roebuck in Los Angeles, and went back to<br />
school. It was then that he first looked at music as a career possibility.<br />
Mr. Cochran soon met guitar player Eddie Cochran (no relation)<br />
and the pair formed The Cochran Brothers, then made friends<br />
with other musicians on the scene like Bobby Bare and Harlan<br />
Howard. After moderate success, the duo disbanded and Mr.<br />
Cochran moved to Nashville.<br />
That was January <strong>of</strong> 1960. Mr. Cochran got a job at Pamper <strong>Music</strong>,<br />
which was co-owned by Ray Price. Price remembers his<br />
friend and former employee fondly.<br />
―I hate it,‖ Price said <strong>of</strong> Mr. Cochran‘s passing. ―He was really a<br />
good one. He had a great talent and he was there when he was<br />
needed. Hank wasn‘t hid under any subterfuge. What you saw<br />
with Hank is what you got, and it was all good. I don‘t know anybody<br />
that didn‘t like Hank.‖<br />
Price said he spoke with Mr. Cochran on Monday. ―We got to say<br />
goodbye,‖ Price said. ―I knew it was coming and he did, too, but<br />
we didn‘t want it to happen.‖<br />
In 1961, Mr. Cochran scored his first No. 1 as a songwriter — ―I<br />
Fall to Pieces,‖ which he co-wrote with Harlan Howard. By 1974,<br />
Mr. Cochran had made such a name for himself as a songwriter<br />
that he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Association<br />
International's Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame — the only writer to ever receive a<br />
unanimous vote.<br />
Over the years, Cochran has also been the recipient <strong>of</strong> numerous<br />
awards from performing rights organization BMI, including recognitions<br />
for 3 million plays on ―Make the World Go Away,‖ ―Ocean<br />
Front Property,‖ and ―I Fall to Pieces.‖<br />
In June 2009, a private, surprise celebration <strong>of</strong> Mr. Cochran‘s<br />
work at BMI in Nashville attracted Haggard, Elvis Costello, Bobby<br />
Bare, Cowboy Jack Clement and Grand Ole Opry star Jeannie<br />
Seely (Mr. Cochran‘s ex-wife) and others.<br />
"He‘s a songwriting icon and everybody knows his songs,‖ said<br />
longtime friend Bobby Bare on Thursday. ―Hank wrote from personal<br />
feelings, just the way he felt. Hank fell in love a lot and<br />
broke up a lot, so he had a lot <strong>of</strong> feelings. And Hank, like all great<br />
songwriters was very aware <strong>of</strong> all things going on around him,<br />
and he was very bright. (Great songwriters) are not afraid to put<br />
their feelings on the line. ‗You walk by and I fall to pieces,‘‖ Bare<br />
quoted from the Patsy Cline hit, ―that says it all right there.‘‖<br />
'Going Where the Lonely Go'<br />
Mr. Cochran‘s last night was filled with his songs — ―Make the<br />
23<br />
World Go Away,‖ ―The Chair‖ and ―Set ‘Em Up <strong>Joe</strong>,‖ among them<br />
— as Cyrus, Johnson and Cannon performed for him.<br />
―Billy sung a Merle Haggard song and he sung his big hit ‗Achy<br />
Breaky Heart‘ and Hank was singing along in the chorus,‖ Cannon<br />
said. ―He was so weak you couldn‘t hear him, but he was joining<br />
in anyway. It was a very emotional evening."<br />
When the three performers stopped playing at one point, Mr.<br />
Cochran asked them not to leave and they continued. Their visit<br />
had come on the heels <strong>of</strong> a call from Haggard, so the men ended<br />
the night with Haggard hit ―Going Where the Lonely Go.‖<br />
Cyrus was moved to drive with Cannon to Mr. Cochran‘s home<br />
Wednesday night by the feeling that ―there ain‘t gonna be no tomorrow.‖<br />
―You look at somebody like Hank‘s life and think, ‗Man, that‘s what<br />
it‘s all about, writing songs, that‘s what this town was built on,‘‖<br />
Cyrus said. ―What a great loss, and what a great, great man. He‘s<br />
at the very top <strong>of</strong> people who took their pen and paper and<br />
touched people‘s lives with it.‖<br />
Mr. Cochran is survived by his wife Suzi, daughter Booth Calder<br />
and three sons, Garland Perry Cochran Jr., James Lee Cochran<br />
and Daniel Cochran.<br />
A private, family memorial will be held, and a public service will<br />
follow. Details will be forthcoming. In lieu <strong>of</strong> flowers, the family<br />
requests those wishing to honor Hank make donations to the<br />
Nashville Songwriters Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame Foundation.<br />
Hello folks, this is Jerry Webb and I would like to say<br />
a great big THANK YOU to my friend <strong>Joe</strong> <strong>Baker</strong> and<br />
his staff for all the hard work they do at the Backforty<br />
Bunkhouse. I look forward to getting their newsletter<br />
each and every month and I sincerely appreciate their<br />
support <strong>of</strong> traditional country and western swing music.<br />
Keep up the good work.<br />
Jerry Webb<br />
www.JerryWebb<strong>Music</strong>.com<br />
<strong>Joe</strong> <strong>Baker</strong>‘s Recognition and Honors<br />
<strong>Cowtown</strong> <strong>Society</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Western</strong> <strong>Music</strong> Heroes<br />
Academy <strong>of</strong> <strong>Western</strong> Artists Disc Jockey <strong>of</strong> the Year<br />
<strong>Cowtown</strong> <strong>Society</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Western</strong> <strong>Music</strong> Disc Jockey <strong>of</strong> the Year<br />
<strong>Western</strong> Swing <strong>Music</strong> <strong>Society</strong> <strong>of</strong> the Southwest Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame<br />
Membership Director—<strong>Cowtown</strong> <strong>Society</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Western</strong> <strong>Music</strong><br />
Board <strong>of</strong> Directors—<strong>Cowtown</strong> <strong>Society</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Western</strong> <strong>Music</strong><br />
Seattle <strong>Western</strong> Swing <strong>Music</strong> <strong>Society</strong> POWS Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame<br />
Backforty Newsletter—CSWM‘s <strong>Publication</strong> <strong>of</strong> the Year 2009<br />
The <strong>Western</strong> Swing <strong>Society</strong> Sacramento CA Hall <strong>of</strong> Fame<br />
KNMB, <strong>Western</strong> <strong>Music</strong> Assn. 2006 Radio Station Of The Year<br />
KWMW, <strong>Western</strong> <strong>Music</strong> Assn. 2007 Radio Station Of The Year
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