2 May 2007

Ken Nelson sent me a copy of his newly published autobiography, My First 90 Years Plus 3. I’m looking forward to reading his story. It’s available on Amazon.com and at http://www.dorrancebookstore.com/myfi90yepl3.html. Before I can read it, I have to finish proofreading and indexing Faron’s biography.

FARON YOUNG, FIFTY-FOUR YEARS AGO: Fort Jackson’s Special Services sent Private Faron Young to New York City in May 1953 to compete on Talent Patrol, a network television show that held an annual contest for members of the Armed Forces.  Auditions were held at various bases to choose the contestants. Jesse Link, then Chief of Recreation and Sports for the Third Army, happened to be at Fort Jackson when Faron was interviewed.  “He’d been out on the range, and he was grimy and dirty from just living in a tent,” Link remembers.  “She was telling him all these things he was gonna do, and a limousine was gonna pick him up, and all that. Faron . . . hit about three chords on that guitar and told this lady, ‘Run that by me again.'” He won the contest, which was emceed by Arlene Francis, who is best known for her 25 years as a panelist on the television game show What’s My Line.
LETTERS
Ron Hogan, former Country Deputy steel player, says, “Thanks for still keeping us Deputies updated!  Nashville is full of stories that all us pickers have heard and passed on.  It’s nice to see some of them in books.”

Les Leverett says, “I agree with the others…..the Faron cover is beautiful.”

Mona Vanek writes from Washington, “How thrilled you must be, to finally have the book in your hands!! Marvelous cover! I’d forgotten just how handsome Faron was!! I’m dying to see the back cover, with blurbs, etc., too!”

Sharon Stich in Sioux Falls SD says, “I got to look at the cover of Faron’s book. I LOVE IT! And anxiously waiting for it to come out and hope to have it personalized :)  Have a great day.”

Andy Williford writes from Dallas TX, “I have an autographed picture of Faron in his bejeweled jacket showing Music City News down the sleeve. He wrote on it, ‘Andy, I am proud to be your friend.’ After Faron and I got out of high school, I was sent to Wiesbaden, Germany, for 36 months. I was walking past a newspaper stand and got a glimpse of the old Country Magazine and lo and behold, there was Faron’s picture on the cover.  My jaw dropped and I said, WOW, I just left him.  I wrote to him and told him how proud I was of his outstanding talent and also as a person.   He responded immediately with a personal friend type of letter, some of it personal, however he stated that he could not believe that he would be in this position.  He thanked God for his talent.  When we both got back home, we had several meetings and one of them I jokingly told him I was going on the Ralph Emery Show and raise my hand in the audience to tell some stories.  He laughed and said, ‘Don’t you dare and if you did, nobody would believe you.’ Unfortunately, my home was destroyed in a tornado back in the early Sixties, and I am sure that is where I lost the letter. At the time it had no value, except letters between friends. Now it would have been significant.  Good Luck on the sales of the book.”

Charlotte Sutton sends this update on Leon: “We are looking forward (as I am sure many Deputies are) to the release of the new book, I am sure you will let us know when it is in the book stores. We would love to have an autographed copy if that is possible. Just to let every one know, Leon has had more surgery. He had his right shoulder operated on this week , they installed an implant like the one he has in his hand, got him home from the hospital yesterday, he is doing fairly well with it of course it is uncomfortable now but he is not in very much pain for which we are grateful. Hello to all and have a happy Mothers day.”

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