I’m saddened to report that Damion Young–eldest son of Faron and Hilda–died November 25, 2006, at four in the morning. He’d been seriously ill, and his death was expected, but that doesn’t make it easier. I first met Damion when he joined my brother Kenny and me at Shoney’s one evening in 2000 during our visit to Nashville. Damion and Kenny were the same age, born a month apart in 1955, and now both are gone–Kenny at 48 and Damion at 51.

FARON YOUNG, TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS AGO: In November 1979, Faron and the Deputies went to Germany on a Marlboro package tour. Other performers included Tommy Overstreet, Charly McClain, the Osborne Brothers, and the Kendalls. They played for the German people instead of working military bases. Steel player Al Lewis says, “They treated us wonderfully, and we were received so well. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.” Ray Emmett says, “That was probably the best tour we ever went on.”  He appreciated the effort to provide the Americans with cold beer. “They always had a big washtub full of ice-cold beer backstage,” Ray recalls.  “Then after the show, we’d go downtown. We’d all meet on a certain corner and have bratwurst sandwiches and get to partying.”

LETTERS:
Thanks to Tom Lipscombe for forwarding this link and to John Prime for writing the article about Faron’s induction into Shreveport’s Walk of Stars: http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061127/NEWS01/611270315/1002/NEWS

Sherwin Linton (www.sherwinlinton.com) writes, “I have written to you before, but I can’t help but tell you every time I get your newsletter I eagerly read it and it is always interesting. Even though I have been a full time Country Music Musician/entertainer for 50 years now, I am always learning new things from your letters. . . .It is not surprising that after Faron you are doing Marty Robbins as they both were exceptionally versatile artists. I was a member of Marty’s fan club for many years, (sometimes known as Marty’s Army) and I still have quite a few of the journals published by Peggy Ann Munson. . . . I never got to know Marty well on a personal basis, though I did do many shows with him and had a casual artists friendship with him. . . . Well Diane, you have a great Thanksgiving. I am so proud of you for what you are doing for a true country artist, Faron Young, and for the historic preservation of one of America’s musical roots art forms, ‘Traditional Country Music.’ Keep up the good work.”

My sister, Kayo Paver, asks, “Tonight I heard a song on the radio with a good voice singing ‘whole lot of you still left in my heart and a whole lot of hurting hanging on….’? Was that Faron?”

Response: Yes, it probably was. He recorded “Whole Lot of You” on his 1991 “Memories That Last” album with Ray Price.

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