22 November 2006

FARON YOUNG, TWENTY-TWO YEARS AGO: Faron visited Ralph Emery’s television show, Nashville Now, on November 23, 1984. That evening marked Faron’s first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry in 21 years. Ralph commented on his dress suit, and Faron said, “I buy one suit a year, just in case somebody I know dies. I can be ready for them.” They showed a video of Faron’s recent gift from Willie Nelson, a three-year-old purebred Simmental bull named Campan Charles. The bull was Willie’s way of repaying the $500 he’d borrowed from Faron more than 20 years earlier. Faron had refused the money then, telling Willie, “Wait till you can afford it and then fatten a steer for me or something.”  Because Faron had no place to keep a 3,000-pound bull, Jimmy C. Newman accepted half-interest from Faron in return for giving it a home. He called the bull “Big Willie.” For the whole story, see http://ddiekman.tripod.com/id15.html.

Today is a significant day in my life. Six years ago, on the day before Thanksgiving, my mother and I drove from Los Angeles to Palmdale, in California, to pick up a pair of sisters, ages 5 and 7. They are now my adopted daughters, and I am thankful for them. I also acquired a baby brother on this day in 1968. And, of course, I remember exactly where I was five years prior to that (writing arithmetic problems on the school blackboard) when I learned of President Kennedy’s assassination.
LETTERS:
Thanks to Debra Wayt of the Shreveport Chamber of Commerce for sending me the announcement of the Walk of Stars Posthumous Induction honoring Faron Young. It is sponsored by the Fair Park High School Alumni and takes place at the Municipal Auditorium on December 10, 2006 (the tenth anniversary of Faron’s death), at 2:00 PM. I have the actual invitation if anyone would like an electronic copy.

Tom Lipscombe writes from Canada, “We have added an excerpt from your newsletter to the ATL Forum @ URL: http://pub3.bravenet.com/forum/243824250/fetch/644267/. Enjoyed the Charlie Robert’s reminiscences. We can only imagine the feeling of letdown, when he opened the sleeve of that Faron LP and found the other artist’s record inside. . . .Ignorant store clerks are a dime a dozen, whereas there is only one Faron Young and one Rod Stewart.”

Congratulations to Joe Babcock, whose group “The Babcocks” recently received the 2006 “Living Legend Award” at the Inspirational Music Awards Show, sponsored by The Christian Country Music Association.  Joe sang harmony with Marty Robbins in the early 1960s.

LOOKING FOR MARTY ROBBINS INTERVIEW SUBJECTS:
Thanks to those who helped me find people on my previous list. I’m still looking for these:
Joe Carver (former manager of Nashville speedway)
Thomas “Curly” Mills (airline captain and race car driver)
Jack Evans (early steel player for Marty)
Joe Wright (lead guitar early 1956)
Eddy Fox (drummer in late 60s))
Jeff Chandler (rhythm and harmony in 70s)
Conrad Noddin (piano in 70s)
Bill Martinez (drums in 70s and 80s)
Larry Hunt (bass in 70s and 80s)
Jim Hannaford (keyboard in late 70s)
Gary Adams (rhythm in 1982)
Mike Cutright (harmony in 1982)
Skip Slayton (Marty’s bus driver)
Shipmates of Martin David Robinson in the South Pacific 1943-45 (USS
Crescent City, Boat Pools 11 & 15, etc.)
Pete Street (frontman for Faron Young in 1972)

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