10 October 2007
FARON YOUNG, FIFTY-FIVE YEARS AGO: Faron recorded “Goin’ Steady” on October 12, 1952, a month before his induction into the Army. He’d written the song while on the road touring with Hank Snow. He used the melody of Claude King’s “She Knows Why,” and he received advice on the lyrics from his manager, Hubert Long, and Snow’s frontman, Hillous Butram. The song went into the Central Songs catalog, a publishing company owned by Faron’s record producer, Ken Nelson. “Goin’ Steady” was Faron’s fourth release on Capitol Records and his first to chart. It debuted on the Billboard chart shortly before Faron completed infantry basic training at Fort Jackson, and it eventually hit the number two spot.
THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE
Thursday October 11, I will be the guest of Eddie Stubbs on WSM Radio in Nashville, from 8:00-11:00 PM. We’ll talk about Faron and play his music. You can listen to 650 AM over the Internet at http://www.wsmonline.com/.
Friday, October 12, Chuck Dauphin will devote his 6:00-10:00 AM shift on WDKN Radio (1260 AM) in Dickson, Tennessee, to Faron’s music. I’ll be in the studio with him the second half of the show to discuss Faron’s life. The station’s Web site is http://www.wdkn.com/.
Saturday, October 13, I will be at the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville. My 11:00-12:00 session, in Room 30 of the Legislative Plaza, is titled “From the Hills to the Honky Tonks: Two Country Legends.” The other panelist is Bob Cox, who wrote a biography on Fiddlin’ Charlie Bowman. A book signing follows the session.
LETTERS
Linda Elliott Clark in Alexandria, Virginia, says, “It is so good to read the comments from people who knew Faron. I didn’t know him and never met him, but I can say I always liked his music and to me he always had a sweet look about his face.”
Jo Hamrick writes, “The letter from the lady who said she wishes she had known Faron. Many people did know him and if he liked you would give you the world if he could. There are many people who have read about him, seen him on TV and maybe even in person but did not know that if they were at a show he was not like many and refuse to talk to you. . . . He believed if he was doing a show, if there were only one person there, that person got the same show as if there were 1,000. He said they paid to see a show and they will get it.”
Charlie Roberts, one of Faron’s Army buddies, writes from Union City, TN, “I received my signed bookplate from you and I want to thank you so much for your kindness. I have finished your book and I must say you did yourself and Faron proud. I enjoyed every word of it and there were a few passages in it that kinda made me choke up a bit. Yes us old men do get sentimental at times too. Memories tend to do that sometimes. Many fond memories were brought back in your telling of his story. I well recall the first time I saw Faron’s big blue car sitting there on the company parking lot and I thought “Hey, he’s not supposed to do that,” but when did anything keep him from doing something just because he wasn’t supposed to. Diane, you did a masterful job in remembering Faron’s life to his friends and fans worldwide and I for one appreciate the time and effort you devoted to this labor of love which I’m sure your book was. Again thank you for a masterful job in telling Faron’s story as I am sure he would have liked to have it told. You told it like it was.”