24 January 2007
My copyedited manuscript arrived in the mail last week, and I’m in the process of reviewing and accepting or rejecting changes. The publisher’s style differs considerably from mine, and manuscripts can always use tweaking.
FARON YOUNG, FIFTY-FIVE YEARS AGO: On January 26, 1952, Webb Pierce and his Southern Valley Boys played a March of Dimes fundraiser for the Shreveport Police. Jerry Kennedy remembers performing on the back of a flatbed truck at four different locations in Shreveport that Saturday. Webb’s band at the time consisted of frontman Faron (age 19), Floyd Cramer (18) on piano, Jimmy Day (17) on steel guitar, Tillman Franks on upright bass, and Uncle Jimmie Burrage on drums. For the March of Dimes event Tillman Franks brought along two preteens who took guitar lessons from him at J&S Music. One of those was 11-year-old Jerry Glenn Kennedy, who would someday produce 20 albums for Faron on Mercury Records.
LETTERS:
Terry Counts says about last week’s story, “That sounds like Faron to a T. I remember him bitching about that lake house. We used to take my Grandson out that way to a small park near the island area and we had a ball every summer…never went there, though, we were always there in summertime, and it was beautiful and calm…not like ole Faron. He might have been beautiful but never calm, lol. FYI, there used to be a wonderful picture of Faron with Jim Reeves, we kept it on the office wall for years. Since Billy Deaton retired, I am not sure where it would be now…but I’ll nose around and see if I can find out.”
Glenn Flesher writes from Rosharon, Texas, “Faron and I were friends at Fair Park High School. . . . I worked for 25 years on the Shreveport Fire Dept. with Faron’s cousin, Marvin Young, but didn’t know they were kin till after we both had retired.”
Paul Gordon of Des Moines, Iowa, writes, “I saw [name removed] web site where he was selling things that were Faron Young’s. I ordered 1 shirt that was supposed to be one of Faron’s for $57.00. He sent me a kid’s size 10 medium. Boy what a rip off. I told him I wasn’t satisfied. Never heard back probably because I told him to send my money back. . . . People like that tarnish the great Faron Young’s name and memory. Too bad the world has such people in it.”
Response: I’ve heard several complaints about this individual, and I regret once posting his address in my newsletter.
Everett Corbin says, “I continue to enjoy reading the information you pen, and ALL about Faron Young! . . .Last night we were viewing some old movies on DVD entitled DANIEL BOONE, TRAIL BLAZER, and it was not until I noticed the cast that I saw the name: Faron Young…and then I recalled that he had made a movie by that name.”
Gary Schlager writes from Mount Vernon, Texas, “I just discovered the blog and website. I was extremely pleased to read that you will be publishing the book. Please put me down for a copy and add me to the newsletter mailing list. By the way, I’ve recently been enjoying the Faron videos that are posted on youtube.com and myspace.com.”
Alice Mackenzie say, “I got your name & email address from my good friend Bill Black in Glasgow Scotland. I am from Scotland although I have been in Boston since 73. Marty Robbins was a very good friend of mine I was lucky enough to see him a number of times in Scotland. He always got a kick out of seeing me here in the States or in Scotland.”