2 August 2006

FARON YOUNG, FOURTEEN YEARS AGO:  With the final version of his Country Deputies band, Faron recorded his only live album, a collection of his greatest hits titled “Live in Branson, MO, USA.” The recording took place at Gilley’s Theatre on August 7, 1992. Richard Bass, who’d been a Deputy since 1973, played lead guitar. Stu Basore played steel, frontman Ray Emmett played bass, with Marc Gullen on drums and Gene Dunlap on keyboard. Ernie Reed, although no longer employed as a Deputy, provided beautiful fiddle music. The jokes included Faron’s favorite topics–ex-wife stories and his drinking. I won’t tell them here. Every Faron Young fan should own that CD. Besides the beautiful music, it provides a good example of Faron as an on-stage entertainer.

An entire year has whipped by since Ray Emmett helped my sister and me host a reunion of the Country Deputies at the Emmett cabin in the Goodlettsville woods. Not as many Deputies made it as we would have liked, but those who were there had a great time–and told some great stories. Faron’s biography has made serious progress since that time. It’s hard to believe the project is out of my hands, and as soon as I send off the permission forms and finish collecting photographs, I’m done until the galleys are printed. Now I need to get motivated to start the interview process all over again, for my next biography. I want to do some preliminary research before I announce the name, but he was a friend of Faron’s.

LETTERS:
Pat Jenkins says, “Diane, it is so great to see your success on getting Faron’s bio published.  Can’t wait to get it in my hands, next year.  Faron was the greatest, I have one of his CD’s playing, right now.  I think my all time favorite Faron song was ‘Leaving And Saying Goodbye.’  Thanks for all of your hard work.”

Francies Jagge writes, “I have been reading your reviews of Faron Young CD’s on Amazon.com. You mentioned you were writing a biography on him. I was wondering if it is out yet and, if so, how I can get a copy. I am probably one of Faron’s original fans. I first ‘discovered’ him when he was singing on the Louisiana Hayride (1950 or 51?) and fell completely in love with his voice. I still love his music and listen to it on a regular basis. I don’t think anyone, before or since, has come anywhere close to comparing with him.”

She sends this follow-up note: “I found your web site yesterday and spent the better part of the afternoon browsing it.  I really enjoyed reading all the newsletters, Faron info. etc. Some of the information and stories I had heard before and, of course, a lot of it I hadn’t. Thanks, especially, for the link to YouTube. I thought surely I had died and gone to heaven when he looked into my eyes and sang “We’ll live on love for a month or two.” ( I just know the wink was especially for me!! LOL) And it always did just break my heart when I heard him sing (again looking into my eyes, of course!!) ‘If that’s the fashion then leave me to sorrow and go.’ Whoever it was that said, ‘He put a bullet in his head and an ache in the hearts of his many fans that can never be healed,’ (or something like that) sure had it pegged. . . . When I first heard him I was 14 years old at the time and was completely captivated by his beautiful voice.  When I wrote to him and he wrote back and sent me a picture I knew I was in love!!”

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