Faron Young and Marty Robbins newsletter — 4 February 2009
FARON YOUNG AUDIO BOOK
I’ve been talking with a production company about publishing Live Fast, Love Hard as an audio book. I would pay production costs and then earn royalties on sales. The company would distribute and sell the book via the Internet, both as an 8-CD set and as a downloadable e-book. I’m wondering whether there would be enough of a demand to make it worth my while. The CD set would sell for around $35, and I don’t know about the e-book.
EDDIE CRANDALL
I’m working on chapter six of Twentieth Century Drifter and am up to 1956. I went to the Internet to learn something about Eddie Crandall, who became Marty’s manager in January. I was surprised to learn Marty headlined an October ’55 show in Lubbock that was opened by Buddy Holly, and Eddie was the person responsible for bringing Buddy to Nashville for his first recording session. (I’m writing this on the fiftieth anniversary of Buddy Holly’s death.) The Buddy Holly sites all list Eddie as Marty’s manager at the time. I also learned that Eddie had bit parts in three of Marty’s early movies and he produced and directed Marty’s later movies. One of them I’d never heard of, “From Nashville With Music,” described as “a visual jukebox of some of the biggest Country stars of the 1960’s.” (I want to get that and am watching eBay for it to appear.) But I could find nothing about where Eddie Crandall came from or who he was or what happened to him. If anyone can provide such information, I’d appreciate it.
LETTERS
Elmo Linton writes from Arkansas, “It is a pleasure to meet you via PC. I
was so glad to come across the web site about Faron. I am a former picker,
singer, fighting, hell raisin, whiskey drinking, woman chasing, pill taken buddy of Faron’s. Though I am some younger, (64 now) Faron and I got along great. I loved him like a brother. I also had a Club called ELMO’S that Faron use to appear at often. He is an honorary deputy sheriff of Clinton County Il. He was sworn in at my Club one nite by the High Sheriff.”
A reader named John writes, “I was a big Faron Young fan. You have probably heard this story before. Faron came to Denver Co. sometime in the late 70’s, I think it was the Four Seasons bar on East Colfax. We went to see him and after a long introduction from the band, he finally appeared — Drunk on his ass. . . . I have never liked the man after that. But now after reading your Bio, I have some understanding of the problem. He was a hell of a singer.”
Response: I hope the book restored your opinion of Faron. It’s unfortunate that he alienated people with his alcoholic behavior.
Larry Goodroad in Clear Lake, SD, says, “I really enjoyed your Faron Young book, it seems like you were there as I was reading it. It really was too bad his family life could not have been better, he would have had the world by the tail. Keep up the good work and looking forward to your next book.”
INTERVIEW
I did a telephone interview with Don McCauley for The Authors Show on the Internet. It will be broadcast on February 11 on http://www.wnbnetworkwest.com/WnbAuthorsShow.html.