5 September 2007
FARON YOUNG, FIFTY YEARS AGO: As the rock ‘n’ roll craze took over the music business in 1957, Faron worried about his future as an entertainer. “Hell, a hillbilly couldn’t get a job,” he said later. With his earnings cut in half, he told himself, “Oh, my God! I’m going to be poor!” On September 6, 1957, he became a father for the second time, with the birth of Robin Farrell. Hilda and Faron liked unique names. Hilda recalls watching the movie “Robin Hood” about that time, and her dad came up with Farrell–to sound like Faron but still be different. Baby Robin (who later changed his name to Robyn and who will be appearing with the Deputies on the Midnite Jamboree) joined two-year-old Damion in the Youngs’ Brush Hill home. Happy birthday, Robyn!!
LETTERS
Leon “Wahoo”and Charlotte Sutton will be at the Deputy reunion. Charlotte says, “Our youngest daughter and son in law are giving us this trip for our Christmas present….We already have the book and Leon has laughed so much he has cried, we are really looking forward to being there. I think it will do him good to see the ‘ole gang.'”
Red Moore writes, “I was reading Friday’s Doug Davis country music newsletter and saw where Gino King passed away Aug. the 8th… I had been trying to locate him the past couple of years without much luck and often wondered what happened to him… We used to play together off and on for several years and I lost track of him when I quit music and moved to Arkansas in 76. Gino was a fine musician and also a great singer and played a mean lead guitar. . . . I always thought Faron was one of the best in country music, a little wild and ornery some times but a lot of us were back in our younger days. Gino told me some tales and having played with a lot of them myself… I still use the guitar strap he gave me back in the 60’s.”
Jay Tuttle writes from Oklahoma City, OK, “I received my copy of the book a little over a week ago and I’m halfway through it. You did a fantastic job!!!! Now we only have to get your signature on it. . . . You really did a great job on this one, I can’t wait for the Marty Robbins one. . . Thanks again for a very well written bio. of my favorite C&W artist. I learned much more than I thought I would about the man behind the glitz and glamour.”
Maheen Wickramasinghe in Canada says, “I, too, am a huge Eddy Arnold fan and it certainly is a surprise Faron loved Eddy’s music as well. Anybody would love Mr. Arnold for he had a wide range of styles. Congratulations on the book again and I’m sure looking forward to reading the articles on Marty! . . . The Midnite Jamboree by the way is always archived on Ernest Tubb’s site and anybody can hear archived broadcasts of shows. Just thought I’d pass that on. It’s gonna be a great night indeed! Will listen to it when it archives.”
Jo Hamrick writes from West Virginia, “Once on 4th of July we were with Faron at Wheeling Jamboree. his last song made the hair stand up on your arms. it was ‘Mansion over the Hilltop.’ I was thinking about that a month or so ago and asked my son in Baltimore if he had it. I thought we had all of Faron’s songs but he seems to have more. he did have it and 29 other gospel songs and sent me copies. I haven’t quit playing it in my car yet. Great it is only in the box set but worth the money. I just miss him more and more.”
Don Head in Corpus Christi, Texas, writes, “My mother’s stage name was Martha Lynn. She was a member of the Hayride in the 50s. . . . Faron was a good man, it’s a shame that his depression was not treated. He and my Mom were close friends for life. I look forward to your book on Faron. . . . As a kid, I remember Faron, David Houston, Bob Luman, Horace Logan and Johnny Horton visiting our home. Little did I know that they were stars. Just friends of my Mom & Dad. Mom passed away from cancer in 1999. She took the death of Faron very hard.”
Terry Counts in Tennessee says, “I am looking forward to November 10th and will probably get Faron’s book then…I already have so many ‘autographs’ from that turkey…my favourite is the letter he and all the Deputies sent me from Germany…they toured over there and I wanted them to bring me back a cuckoo clock…so they all wrote, drew a clock on the letter and signed it. . . . Looking forward to the Robbins thing, too…lots of stuff going on with him right now.”
Dominique “Imperial” ANGLARES sends this note from France: “Thanks for the last newsletters about Faron and glad to read such enthusiastic comments about your work. Glad to know your work about Marty is on the way . . . . I noticed in the newsletter the name of Gene Dunlap and I assume that’s the one who worked on the Louisiana Hayride as member of The Dunlap Brothers and had the great rockin’ ‘Made in the Shade’ record on ‘Hitt’. . . . Almost nothing is known about Gene Dunlap and I will be glad to be able to work out something about him on web and magazines with his help.”
Marvin Rainwater checks in from Minnesota to say, “Faron and I went thru a lot together. Having our song ‘I MISS YOU ALREADY’ in the movie Walk the Line….should create some interest….We also played for the president and family years ago in Constitution Hall in Wash D.C.”
David Stallings writes, “Just ordered 2 copies from Amazon. Can’t wait to read it! Giving one copy to an uncle in Houston who was also friends with Faron from the ‘Dancetown USA’ days. Good luck with the book. I hope you sell millions!”
Former Deputy fiddler Ron Knuth in Texas says, “Sure have enjoyed all the info over the last couple years. . . .It sounds like an exciting time and I’m happy for you on your book. I bet it will do great. Me and Dicky Overby have been working with Darrell again for some time. Know Darrell is sure looking forward to coming up there. Unfortunately me and Dicky are not going to be able to make it. When I worked with Faron, Ray and Richard where there. Haven’t seen them since. I’m going to mail Ray today. Thanks again for all your great news. Can’t wait to get the book.”