NEWS The 32nd annual National Memorial Day Concert on PBS, which ran for 90 minutes and was cohosted by actors Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise, featured several country music performers. Mickey Guyton sang the National Anthem. Alan Jackson sang his “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning).” Vince Gill, on the stage of the […]
http://dianediekman.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Diane-Diekman-Logo.png00Diane Diekmanhttp://dianediekman.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Diane-Diekman-Logo.pngDiane Diekman2021-06-16 12:49:392021-06-16 12:53:55Diane’s Country Music Newsletter — 16 June 2021
NEWS B.J. Thomas, 78, died May 29 at his home in Arlington, Texas, two months after announcing he had been diagnosed with lung cancer. Best known for “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head,” he also had hits with songs such as “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” “Hooked on a Feeling,” “(Hey Won’t You Play) […]
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IN THE SPOTLIGHT – LIONEL CARTWRIGHT After Mary Lorefice in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, asked me what Lionel Cartwright is doing these days, I decided to track him down. We had an enjoyable half-hour phone chat. Like Mary, I remember hearing on my radio “I Watched It All (On My Radio).” Lionel’s #1 hit was “Leap […]
http://dianediekman.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Diane-Diekman-Logo.png00Diane Diekmanhttp://dianediekman.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Diane-Diekman-Logo.pngDiane Diekman2021-05-19 08:50:002021-05-19 08:56:31Diane’s Country Music Newsletter — 19 May 2021
IN THE SPOTLIGHT – DON REID Waiting for a phone call from Don Reid last week was one of my most nervous times in planning an interview. Hearing the voice on the phone that I’ve heard on Statler Brothers records and shows for half a century felt otherworldly: “Diane, this is Don Reid. How are […]
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By Don Reid The Statler Brothers spent almost four decades touring and recording as one of the top draws in country music. Brothers Harold and Don Reid, along with Phil Balsley and Lew DeWitt, two boyhood friends from their hometown of Staunton, Virginia, joined the Johnny Cash show as the Statler Brothers in 1964. While […]
http://dianediekman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/The-Music-of-The-Statler-Brothers.png320212Diane Diekmanhttp://dianediekman.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Diane-Diekman-Logo.pngDiane Diekman2021-05-03 17:35:052026-02-05 17:35:34The Music Of The Statler Brothers: An Anthology
IN THE SPOTLIGHT – DOTTSY When I called Dottsy at her home in Seguin, Texas, last week, she told me, “At age 68, I’m still singing and playing guitar and being able to be part of my community, and that’s really great.” Fans will remember her hits from the late 1970s, such as “I’ll Be […]
http://dianediekman.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Diane-Diekman-Logo.png00Diane Diekmanhttp://dianediekman.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Diane-Diekman-Logo.pngDiane Diekman2021-04-21 07:52:042021-04-21 07:52:13Diane’s Country Music Newsletter — 21 April 2021
HEART OF TEXAS COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL For more than a decade, I’ve wanted to go to Texas to attend a Jody Nix dance. That finally happened when Kayo and I flew to Dallas and drove to Brady for Tracy Pitcox’s 32nd Heart of Texas Country Music Festival. We attended the final four days of the […]
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By Rachel Louise Martin Rachel Louise Martin grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, with roots three generations deep. When she returned home in 2013 after an eight-year absence, she was surprised to hear about a culinary dish that had become internationally famous—Nashville-style hot chicken. How had she never heard of it? Hot, Hot Chicken: A Nashville […]
http://dianediekman.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Hot-Hot-Chicken.png320215Diane Diekmanhttp://dianediekman.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Diane-Diekman-Logo.pngDiane Diekman2021-04-03 17:30:432026-02-05 17:31:20Hot, Hot Chicken: A Nashville Story
NEWS The Texas Rangers paid tribute to Charley Pride by naming a field at their spring training complex after him, reports Rolling Stone. “Introducing Charley Pride Field! You are greatly missed,” the team tweeted after unveiling the “Charley Pride Field” signage at the spring training site in Surprise, Arizona. Charley died December 12 from complications […]
http://dianediekman.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Diane-Diekman-Logo.png00Diane Diekmanhttp://dianediekman.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Diane-Diekman-Logo.pngDiane Diekman2021-03-23 20:34:482021-03-23 21:00:26Diane’s Country Music Newsletter — 24 March 2021
IN THE SPOTLIGHT – RON HOGAN Steel guitarist Ron Hogan is one of the plankowners of my newsletter list. He has been there since its beginning in 2005. I had interviewed him about his brief stint, during the summer of 1981, as one of Faron Young’s Country Deputies. While we’ve had email exchanges over the […]
http://dianediekman.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Diane-Diekman-Logo.png00Diane Diekmanhttp://dianediekman.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Diane-Diekman-Logo.pngDiane Diekman2021-03-10 09:07:272021-03-10 09:09:41Diane’s Country Music Newsletter –10 March 2021
Diane’s Country Music Newsletter — 16 June 2021
NEWS The 32nd annual National Memorial Day Concert on PBS, which ran for 90 minutes and was cohosted by actors Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise, featured several country music performers. Mickey Guyton sang the National Anthem. Alan Jackson sang his “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning).” Vince Gill, on the stage of the […]
Diane’s Country Music Newsletter — 2 June 2021
NEWS B.J. Thomas, 78, died May 29 at his home in Arlington, Texas, two months after announcing he had been diagnosed with lung cancer. Best known for “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head,” he also had hits with songs such as “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” “Hooked on a Feeling,” “(Hey Won’t You Play) […]
Diane’s Country Music Newsletter — 19 May 2021
IN THE SPOTLIGHT – LIONEL CARTWRIGHT After Mary Lorefice in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, asked me what Lionel Cartwright is doing these days, I decided to track him down. We had an enjoyable half-hour phone chat. Like Mary, I remember hearing on my radio “I Watched It All (On My Radio).” Lionel’s #1 hit was “Leap […]
Diane’s Country Music Newsletter — 5 May 2021
IN THE SPOTLIGHT – DON REID Waiting for a phone call from Don Reid last week was one of my most nervous times in planning an interview. Hearing the voice on the phone that I’ve heard on Statler Brothers records and shows for half a century felt otherworldly: “Diane, this is Don Reid. How are […]
The Music Of The Statler Brothers: An Anthology
By Don Reid The Statler Brothers spent almost four decades touring and recording as one of the top draws in country music. Brothers Harold and Don Reid, along with Phil Balsley and Lew DeWitt, two boyhood friends from their hometown of Staunton, Virginia, joined the Johnny Cash show as the Statler Brothers in 1964. While […]
Diane’s Country Music Newsletter — 21 April 2021
IN THE SPOTLIGHT – DOTTSY When I called Dottsy at her home in Seguin, Texas, last week, she told me, “At age 68, I’m still singing and playing guitar and being able to be part of my community, and that’s really great.” Fans will remember her hits from the late 1970s, such as “I’ll Be […]
Diane’s Country Music Newsletter — 7 April 2021
HEART OF TEXAS COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL For more than a decade, I’ve wanted to go to Texas to attend a Jody Nix dance. That finally happened when Kayo and I flew to Dallas and drove to Brady for Tracy Pitcox’s 32nd Heart of Texas Country Music Festival. We attended the final four days of the […]
Hot, Hot Chicken: A Nashville Story
By Rachel Louise Martin Rachel Louise Martin grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, with roots three generations deep. When she returned home in 2013 after an eight-year absence, she was surprised to hear about a culinary dish that had become internationally famous—Nashville-style hot chicken. How had she never heard of it? Hot, Hot Chicken: A Nashville […]
Diane’s Country Music Newsletter — 24 March 2021
NEWS The Texas Rangers paid tribute to Charley Pride by naming a field at their spring training complex after him, reports Rolling Stone. “Introducing Charley Pride Field! You are greatly missed,” the team tweeted after unveiling the “Charley Pride Field” signage at the spring training site in Surprise, Arizona. Charley died December 12 from complications […]
Diane’s Country Music Newsletter –10 March 2021
IN THE SPOTLIGHT – RON HOGAN Steel guitarist Ron Hogan is one of the plankowners of my newsletter list. He has been there since its beginning in 2005. I had interviewed him about his brief stint, during the summer of 1981, as one of Faron Young’s Country Deputies. While we’ve had email exchanges over the […]