4 April 2007
This weekly newsletter will keep you posted on progress toward the September/October publication of Live Fast, Love Hard: The Faron Young Story by the University of Illinois Press. There won’t be a newsletter next week, because I’ll be in Nashville on a Marty Robbins research trip.
FARON YOUNG, FORTY-NINE YEARS AGO: The successful hometown boy, Faron Young, returned to Shreveport for the Louisiana Hayride’s tenth anniversary show on April 5, 1958. He also hosted “Saturday Night–Country Style,” a half-hour Armed Forces radio program that preceded the Hayride itself. According to Horace Logan, the weekly CBS network show rotated six country music events located in an area from West Virginia to Texas. Faron appeared on the Hayride and hosted the network show several additional times that summer.
LETTERS
Charlotte Sutton sends this update on her husband, Leon “Wahoo” Sutton: “We really enjoy your weekly news letters, the reason for writing is to let all know that Leon has to have more surgery. He is doing fine with his heart problems but the arthritis is eating away at his bones. Next week he goes in for a shoulder replacement. The replacement that he got in his hand is working out fine but his right shoulder is really bad, he can not raise his arm at all. So if you will please, ask everyone to keep us in prayer, just when we thought we were out of the woods this comes on us, but we are tough, we will handle it with God’s help. Hello to all, I will keep you posted. Thanks again for the news letters.”
Lee Rector says, “I worked for Faron for many years, as he started and was owner of MCN until he sold controlling interest to the Leaf Chronicle in Clarksville. Then, technically I worked for the Leaf Chronicle, then they sold to Multimedia, then Multimedia sold to Gannett, and I almost bought it at the time they were closing it down. Faron’s office was across the hall from us for many years until he built the addition to the building and moved over to the three-story side. We had a fire in the one-story side in 1981, if I remember correctly, and had to relocate very quickly. We took space in the UA Tower (what it was called at the time), and there it remained until it was closed.”
Michael Johnson from Myrtle Beach SC writes, “Thanks for the Faron stories. I have never forgotten the 45 my dad had of ‘Hello Walls’ when I was a kid.”
Bill Mack says, “Yes, I know what’s in the book, but when I read your excerpts, it just creates more energy; more excitement! Diane, as I’ve mentioned, I can see this book on screen. Never a dull moment! The trouble would be in casting. It would take a very good actor to capture “th’ man” on film. Thank God, you’ve captured him in print! Let’s talk soon on radio.”
Response: Thanks for the interview last week on XM Satellite Radio. I enjoyed talking to you, Bill, and I appreciate the compliments and publicity.
Don Stewart suggests, “Speaking of writing a book about people we sometimes forget. How about writing one about Eddy Arnold. He deserves it more than any one in Country Music I can think of. You write one and I’ll buy the first copy.”
Betty Smith writes from Toledo, Ohio, “Can’t wait to get your book on Faron and so happy you’re doing Marty now. You sure have great taste.”