Diane’s Country Music Newsletter — 20 August 2025
NEWS
A memorial service for Jeannie Seely, who died August 1 at age 85, was held August 14 at the Grand Ole Opry House. Billed as “Jeannie Seely’s 5,398th Opry Show,” it was hosted by 650 AM WSM and Grand Ole Opry personalities Mike Terry, Bill Cody, Charlie Mattos and Kelly Sutton. Among the many performances was a writers round featuring Victoria Shaw, Charles Esten, Bobby Tomberlin, Buddy Cannon and Erin Enderlin. Jeannie’s friends Rhonda Vincent, Mandy Barnett, Wendy Moten and Linda Davis sang “Leavin’ and Sayin’ Goodbye,” followed by “Don’t Touch Me,” which began with Jeannie’s own vocals. MusicRow reports: “The service concluded with all the artists and Opry members in attendance gathering on stage to perform ‘Will the Circle Be Unbroken.’ The finale also included Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Bill Anderson, Vince Gill, Jamey Johnson, John Conlee, Rudy Gatlin, Riders in the Sky, Old Crow Medicine Show, Dailey & Vincent, The Isaacs, Billy Dean, Deborah Allen and Tim Atwood.”
One recipient of the 2025 Kennedy Center Honors will be George Strait. President Donald Trump made the announcement of the 48th class by saying, “First is country music star, actor and producer George Strait. Over an extraordinary four-decade career, George has sold over 120 million records worldwide, amassed 60 #1 hits, and produced 30 Platinum-certified albums, more than any other living American. He’s beloved by hundreds of millions of people all over the world. He’s really something. They call him the King of Country.” The PEOPLE article, for some reason, listed George Strait last instead of first. The other four honorees announced by the President were the rock band KISS, Broadway actor Michael Crawford, best known as the Phantom in Phantom of the Opera, singer Gloria Gaynor with the 1978 chart topper, “‘I Will Survive,” and movie actor Sylvester Stallone of Rocky fame. Trump will host the upcoming December award ceremony; he said he was “about 98 percent involved” in picking this year’s honorees. Although George Strait has yet to make any comment, there is already much argument on social media about whether he should accept, considering the acrimony over changes recently made at the Kennedy Center. I agree with this quote that Saving Country Music posted from Daily Beast writer Michael Ian Black: “If anybody deserves to be recognized for a lifetime of greatness, it’s George Strait. Now here, I know nothing about the man or his politics and, honestly, I don’t want to? I just want to celebrate that a deserving American is getting the recognition he deserves. Country music has often been overlooked by the hoity-toity cultural elite, and it’ll be great to see artists honor the man known as ‘The King of Country.‘”
The National Conference of Personal Managers will induct four music managers into its Personal Managers Hall of Fame, Class of 2025, in October, reports Billboard. Tony Conway is CEO of Nashville’s Conway Entertainment Group; he manages Alabama, Lorrie Morgan, Randy Travis, and Exile. The other three inductees are Bill Aucoin (posthumously), Stuart Ross, and Burt Stein of Gold Mountain Entertainment, representing Ronnie Milsap. Established in 2015, the Personal Managers Hall of Fame has inducted more than 50 industry legends. Tony was a great help to me in writing my Randy Travis biography. Congratulations, Tony!
The famous Crystal Palace in Bakersfield, California, will soon close its doors after 28 years. Country Now reports Buck Owens opened the Crystal Palace in October 1996. The nightclub, restaurant, and museum fulfilled his dream of a venue that booked well-established acts and rising stars. Buck and the Buckaroos would perform on Friday and Saturday nights, taking requests from the audience. Buck’s last performance was at the behest of excited fans on March 24, 2006, despite feeling unwell. He died in his sleep the next morning. His family and Foundation have continued to honor his legacy by managing the Crystal Palace as he might have wanted. The closure date has not been announced. I was fortunate to see Mel Tillis and the Statesiders at the Crystal Palace in 2000.
The Hallmark Channel and the Grand Ole Opry have announced a new original holiday movie, A Grand Ole Opry Christmas, to premiere later this year during the Hallmark Channel’s 16th annual Countdown to Christmas. According to Country Now, production begins this month and will feature Grand Ole Opry members at the Opry House. Brad Paisley will write and perform music for the film; he will also write and record the official anthem for the Countdown to Christmas campaign. An exclusive line of Hallmark and Opry co-branded products, from greeting cards to apparel and jewelry, will be available for sale.
Brandon Blackstock, ex-husband of Kelly Clarkson and former stepson of Reba McEntire, died at his home in Butte, Montana, on August 7 at the age of 48. Cause of death was malignant melanoma, a form of skin cancer. PEOPLE reports that the talent manager had cancer for three years. “While I normally keep my personal life private, my children’s father has been ill and at this moment, I need to be fully present for them,” Clarkson, 43, wrote in a statement on August 6, when she postponed her Las Vegas residency to spend time with their children, daughter River, 11, and son Remington, 9. The couple was married in 2013 and divorced in 2022. During their marriage, Blackstock was Clarkson’s manager. Reba McEntire, 70, who was married to Brandon’s father Narvel Blackstock from 1989 to 2015, posted a tribute on Instagram, sharing photos and writing, “Last week, my stepson/oldest son Brandon Blackstock went home to be with God.” She also paid tribute under an Instagram post by her son Shelby Blackstock.
The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (NaSHOF) has announced its Class of 2025. Brad Paisley was elected in 2024 but deferred induction due to scheduling conflicts. Emmylou Harris is the veteran songwriter/artist, Jim Lauderdale the contemporary songwriter/artist, Don Cook the veteran songwriter, Steve Bogard and Tony Martin the contemporary songwriters. Country Now reports the six inductees will be officially welcomed into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame during its 55th Anniversary Gala on October 6 at the Music City Center.
Ray Stevens is selling the CabaRay Showroom (5724 River Road in West Nashville) he opened in 2018. The 35,000-square-foot CabaRay features a main showroom with two-story seating for over 700, backstage production area, bar and kitchen, ticketing offices, and state-of-the-art studio. “At 86 and with my recent health problems, it’s probably time to slow down, and selling CabaRay is the first step,” MusicRow reports him as saying. “In the interim, I still plan on doing shows once I’m fully recovered. I still have a lot I want to do in the recording studio, so I’ll focus all my energy in that direction along with making videos to go along with the music from time to time.” He had a mild heart attack earlier this year, followed by minimally invasive heart surgery and then a second procedure that placed two stents to clear other blockages.
“Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes” is the title of a new display backstage at the Grand Ole Opry. It features the actual shoes worn by Randy Travis, Josh Turner, and Scotty McCreery on the night of Scotty’s induction into the Opry family, April 20, 2024. Josh said, “I stand here tonight proud of the fact that I bridged the gap between the generation of Randy Travis and Scotty McCreery. Only time will tell who will be inspired by Scotty.” He then sang the chorus of George Jones’s “Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes.” According to Country Now, “the exhibit symbolizes three generations of Opry greatness and pays tribute to Josh Turner’s emotional speech, in which he quoted lyrics from the iconic Jones song while celebrating McCreery’s place in country music history.” Scotty’s black Lucchese boots, Randy’s black low-top Converse shoes, and Josh’s square-toed Ariat Cowboy boots are on display, along with an autographed copy of Josh’s speech.
Ronnie Sessions, 76, of Cumberland City, Tennessee, passed away at his residence on May 13. Born in 1948 in Henryetta, Oklahoma, he was a talented country music singer who recorded between 1972 and 1986 (“Wiggle Wiggle” and “Me and Millie”) and wrote songs for Kenny Rogers, Charley Pride, and Bobby Goldsboro. He got his start at age nine, performing on Cousin Herb’s Trading Post Gang Show in Bakersfield, California. Following his music career, he joined the Teamsters union at TVA Cumberland and worked as a General Foreman for 19 years until his retirement.
A special “Opry 100 Honors Porter Wagoner” show on August 12 featured Opry members Marty Stuart, Connie Smith, The Isaacs, Mandy Barnett, and Old Crow Medicine Show’s Ketch Secor, as well as guests. I particularly enjoyed hearing Gordon Mote’s Opry debut and his Porter stories. Chuck Mead I was not familiar with although I do remember hearing BR-549. I wanted a longer segment to listen to his voice and the familiar covers he was singing. According to MusicRow, upcoming shows in the series are “Opry 100 Honors Bill Monroe” (Sept. 16) and “Opry 100 Honors Minnie Pearl and Roy Acuff” (Oct. 18).
Nashville Judge Jim Todd works as a special prosecutor for violent and gang-related juvenile offenders. One of those he prosecuted around the year 2000 has grown up to be known as Jelly Roll. Judge Todd started the Judge Dinkins Educational Center to help youths learn a trade skill that equips them to create a life and earn money for themselves. He was having trouble getting the non-profit off the ground, mainly because he was asking people to bankroll an idea. When Jelly Roll learned that the judge who once prosecuted him was trying to help change lives, he decided to partner with the Judge Dinkins Educational Center. According to Whiskey Riff, not only does Jelly Roll want to help with the non-profit, he’s willing to singlehandedly keep it afloat, if necessary. The former juvenile delinquent says he’ll do everything in his power to support the organization.
Six months ago I reported that Kenny Chesney, who once vowed he’d never write a book, had written his story with the help of collaborator Holly Gleason. According to Holler, Kenny has confirmed he and co-writer Holly have finished honing and editing HEART*LIFE*MUSIC, scheduled for release on November 4. “What they don’t tell you is how much goes into polishing, how many times you’ll read it… or how many moments you’ll have to leave out,” Kenny says. “But for me, I really wanted to send a love letter to all the places and characters along the way that made this journey such an incredible ride.” He and Holly “can exhale – knowing the book truly is done.” He calls it “a whole lot of love, adventure and things I loved thinking about all over again, it’s a huge chunk of my last year.” For the next few months, his No Shoes Radio station will be giving listeners an insight into the creative process behind HEART*LIFE*MUSIC.
Saving Country Music reports that Jimmie Allen has been found liable in a sexual assault case in which a woman accused him of raping her in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2022 and secretly taping the incident. The plaintiff, known as Jane Doe 2, can now pursue a request for financial restitution. The Federal Court in Tennessee declared on August 18 that Allen forfeited his right to defend himself against the accusations by flouting multiple court-imposed deadlines and orders. Along with finding Jimmie Allen liable, the court also determined Aadyn’s Dad Touring, the company that employed Allen’s bodyguard, was also liable. Allen had been accused throughout the process of delaying the lawsuit, such as changing lawyers four times and not turning over records.
For nearly three decades, Kathy Mattea, 66, has been a storyteller and the voice behind songs like “Where’ve You Been” and “Love at the Five and Dime.” She was singing “18 Wheels and a Dozen Roses” on a recent Saturday night Opry when the music stopped and Charlie McCoy walked onstage with a dozen roses. “I’m sorry to interrupt,” he said, “but I want to ask you a question. How would you like to be the next member of the Grand Ole Opry?” According to Country Living, she responded, “Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, and thank you,” appearing stunned before accepting her flowers. Kathy Mattea will be officially inducted into the Grand Ole Opry on October 11.
GRAMMY Museum® Mississippi hosted Randy Travis on August 5 as part of its An Evening With series. The members-only event celebrated Randy’s legacy and sold out the Museum’s 140-seat Sanders Soundstage in less than 24 hours. Attendees experienced an intimate evening with Randy, his wife Mary Travis, and guest vocalist James Dupré. A highlight of the evening was a surprise live auction featuring a guitar signed by Randy that went for $15,000. According to a press release: “Proceeds from the winning bid benefited both GRAMMY Museum Mississippi’s mission to promote music education and The Randy Travis Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness for viral cardiomyopathy and providing arts and music enrichment for children.”
In 2018, Jason Roberts (formerly of Asleep at the Wheel) assumed leadership of the Texas Playboys and the group was renamed as “Bob Wills’ Texas Playboys under the direction of Jason Roberts.” They have now lost one of their members. Albert Quaid, who has played upright bass since that time, was killed August 14 in in a car accident near his home in Medina, Texas. According to the band’s social media post, “Albert grew up playing music in the SF Bay Area. He found his way to Texas and spent many years with Clay Blaker and the Texas Honky Tonk Band. He was proud to be part of the Texas Playboys institution.”
Bill Anderson, 87, posted a note on his website to explain why he canceled his August 16 performance on the Saturday night Grand Ole Opry. “It was a freak accident where I simply twisted or tore some ligaments or muscles or something in the back of my left leg trying to climb into bed,” he wrote. “I fell to the floor unable to walk. I was in excruciating pain and had to cancel a songwriting appointment with T. Graham Brown on Friday, the Opry on Saturday, and an appearance at the State Fair for WSM on Sunday. If you know me, you know how much it bothers me to go back on any commitment I may have made.” He concluded by saying, “Thanks to a bunch of ice packs and pain pills I’m feeling much better today, and hopefully this will all be behind me shortly. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers and most of all for caring.”
LETTERS
Doug Lippert writes from Carmel, Indiana, “Wow. Jeannie Seely. I can understand why it was difficult for you to write her obit in your newsletter. There are so many Grand Old Opry heroes but Jeannie had it all: the look, the voice and the staying power. She is sadly missed.”
Frank Gerard says, “I was so saddened to hear of the passing of your friend Jeannie Seely. Jeannie was an underrated and under-appreciated music talent. When the Opry had the big televised Opry 100 anniversary show, it saddened me greatly to see how they showed the legends Bill Anderson and Jeannie Seely only in passing. Bill and Jeannie should have opened the show, or at least played a larger part, and be given the opportunity to perform. Jeannie Seely was a pioneer, a trailblazer for women in the industry, starting from nothing and doing most of it on her own through hard work, talent and determination. She will truly be missed.”
Mike Johnson writes, “So sorry to hear of Jeanie Seely’s passing. She was quite the performer. I’m sure my friend Don Ewert has taken this kinda personal since he and her were also long-time pen pals. My well wishes for a speedy recovery to Ronnie McDowell. Following my double bypass heart surgery a couple of years ago as a result of 70% blockage, I know he is. Currently gathering up and sorting out videos of a number of my music performances for a couple of music preservation organizations I’ve been working with. One of them has expressed an interest in some of my literature and art works, so somewhere down the line we’ll address that in detail. Keep those newsletters coming.”
June Thompson says, “Thanks again for such a nice newsletter. It’s like a visit with friends. So many kinds of music and musicians, how music has been the soundtrack of my life.”
Jackie Allen Thomas writes from Arizona, “Wow, great newsletter!! What a shame about Nancy Jones, sad. Healing prayers for Ronnie McDowell. Thanks for keeping us up to date on all the good old country news.”
Bobby Fischer writes from Nashville, “Here’s an interview on Phil Vassar talking about the movie Chasing Taste that my daughter wrote. It’s available on Amazon. Phil, Lori and I wrote the closing credits song, ‘I Know Where I’m Going.’ Phil and Lori also star in the movie.”
James Akenson says, “Been meaning to say again that I enjoy your newsletter. I always learn something new. Thanks!”
Ken Johnson sends this news report: “After attempting for more than a year to sell Bakersfield, CA nightclub, restaurant and museum Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace, Owens’ family has now made the decision to shut it down after 29 years in business.” Ken adds, “It’s sad for me to see that we are not only losing many of the stars we grew up listening to but now many iconic venues are closing their doors. To be honest, country music mostly died for me at the end of the 20th century. I hear very little today that I find interesting or inspiring. That may be one of the reasons venues are struggling.”
VIDEO OF THE WEEK
Here is the link to the 2¼-hour livestream of Jeannie Seely’s memorial service on August 14 at the Grand Ole Opry house. Seeing the life-sized image of Jeannie on the stage sort of made it feel like she was there. What hit me the hardest was at the end when they started “Don’t Touch Me” with a video of Jeannie singing the first verse—and I realized I will never again see her perform or hear her speak. The service was advertised as her 5,398th performance. It was great to see Kenny Sears playing his fiddle on the Opry stage once again. I waited for Bill Anderson to appear and was happy to see him kick off “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” to close the celebration of Jeannie’s life. All the songs and speeches were well organized and presented.
BOOK REVIEW
While researching the life of U.S. Navy sailor Calvin Graham, who served on the battleship USS South Dakota in 1942 when he was twelve years old, I was surprised to learn Steve Dorff had composed the music for Calvin’s 1988 made-for-TV movie, Too Young the Hero. I knew Steve was a songwriter and was excited I might be able to talk to him about this movie. My first step was to purchase his 2017 memoir, I Wrote That One, Too…, co-written with Colette Freedman. The book is as great as its title. “The first conscious memory I have of hearing music was when I was still in the crib,” he writes. “I was laying on my stomach and making noises that my parents swore was me either humming or singing.” He remembers banging his head against the crib and making guttural noises: “I had never heard music, but I was definitely hearing something and I was visualizing it as colorful plasmic bubbles.” As soon as he could walk, he would bang on the low keys of their piano and then on the high keys. “I was telling a story,” he writes. “To me, the low keys were a bear and the high keys were birds.” Steve has composed the music for numerous TV shows and movies, from Growing Pains, Murphy Brown, and Murder She Wrote to Clint Eastwood’s Any Which Way But Loose and George Strait’s Pure Country. He usually co-writes his songs, putting music to another person’s lyrics. These many hit songs include “You’re the Reason God Made Oklahoma,” “Barroom Buddies,” and “Cowboys and Clowns.” I’m still trying to get in touch with Steve for an interview.
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE FAIR – THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2025
I’ll be speaking from the Centennial Stage at the South Dakota State Fair in Huron at 1:45 p.m. on Thursday, August 28, as a guest of Sherwin Linton. I’ll talk about Randy Travis: Storms of Life and a World War II book I edited, God on a Battlewagon. Those two and my previous five books will be available for purchase and autograph. Come to the fair if it fits your schedule. Thursday is Veterans Day, and there is no admission fee for former and active-duty military.
SOUTH DAKOTA AUTHOR TALKS NEW BOOK ON RANDY TRAVIS
Thanks to Andy Gott at KXRB Radio in Sioux Falls for interviewing me about Randy Travis: Storms of Life and posting this great story on the radio station website. Our interview is posted there also.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
Here are some quotes from Jeannie Seely when I called her on March 5, 2020, to talk about my Randy Travis biography. Uppermost on her mind was the recent tornado. Jeannie died August 1, 2025, at age 85. During my last visit to Nashville, I ran past her house but didn’t want to violate her privacy. On my next visit, knowing she isn’t there, I will run by and wave to her memory.
The tornado has just left such destruction here, and such heartache. Coming ten years after the flood, it brought back so many memories to a lot of us. This seemed to hit in a different area, that wasn’t affected by the flood. That would have been almost too much to take, I think.
You’re seeing such heartwarming situations coming out of the destruction. I just saw a video that Channel 5 did, showing this lady was frantic, trying to find her two dogs. The cameras happened to be there when the neighbors were moving all this rubble trying to find them. The little dog was able to walk out. I think they found the other dog, too. It brings tears to your eyes to see those kind of things. There was another one where a barn was totally destroyed. It showed this horse just standing there in the middle of the rubble. Untouched. It’s like it had an angel guarding him. His name was Freckles. Just standing there, like “I don’t know what just happened, or what I’m supposed to do.” All the rubble all the way around him. There’s some miracles in the middle of all the devastation.
I think the main thing I want to convey is that, once again, I’m so proud of this area of Nashville, that people are all pulling together to help each other. And again, I want to thank all the churches. Because in the end, they can all praise American Red Cross and Community Foundation all they want to, but I can personally tell you who helped all of us the most were the area churches. All of them. It did not matter what denomination you were. You were welcome in every one of them, they came around and helped.
I met Randy Travis when he first was working washing dishes at the Nashville Palace, like so many met him there. I used to go in and hear him sing. I knew what a great talent he was. That big voice just never seemed like it should be coming out of that guy. Kind of like Brenda Lee–how can that big voice be coming out of that little girl, and I remember, that’s what I first thought about Randy. And I also loved, how can I word it, the distinction in his voice. What am I trying to say? You could understand every word–his diction was so good. I remember Willie Nelson telling me, early on, saying, “Pay attention to your diction. There’s no sense staying up all night writing song lyrics and then nobody understanding them.” That’s what he said. Make sure they understand what you’re saying, whether it’s your song or somebody else’s–staying up all night to write ’em if nobody hears them. I remember that you could hear and understand everything Randy sang, which a lot of young artists, I think don’t have the confidence to do that at first. It’s something they develop, but it seemed like Randy had that from day one.
I used to clear Randy and Lib to go backstage at the Opry. I cleared them many times to come in backstage. It’s such a great learning experience for these young people, I’m always happy to do it. I took Dean Dillon backstage for the first time when I first met him. He was eighteen years old and introduced himself as Dean Rutherford. It’s wonderful to me to watch somebody that you can see that hunger, that they want what I wanted. And I can spot it in people. You can tell the difference when somebody’s parent wants their kid to be a star, and you don’t see that drive in that kid. If a kid wants it, you can’t stop ’em. That’s the way I was. I just ate and slept the music business. Still do, I guess.
I remember Bobby Bare one time years ago, saying, “If you want to be a singer, then sing.” It doesn’t matter where. He said you don’t know what level you’ll go to, but if that’s where your heart is, that’s what you should do. And that’s so true. If it doesn’t ever happen as big as it did for Randy, which he’s kind of a phenomenon, you’re still doing what you love to do.
Back to Randy Travis, I just want say, not only was it so great to see him become the phenomenal success that he was as an artist, but also because he’s such a good guy. And of course, through all his illness, I stayed in touch with some of his musicians. A couple of them worked with me–Joe Van Dyke, who was playing keyboard with him, worked with me for fourteen years. So anyway, I stayed in touch with all the other people that were in touch with Randy through that time. I was so thrilled and of course was there the night he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. And it’s always great to make him laugh. I love to say things to make him laugh. It’s always wonderful to see when he comes out to the Opry, and he was able to walk out recently. And the audience just cheered, and they loved seeing him. So, I just wanted to be sure and add that.
I am excited about my album being released on Curb. The release date is June 5, and we’ll be talking more about that later. I’ve got several guest artists on it, that I’m excited about. I don’t know yet for sure–they’re talking about releasing a digital single first. I don’t have a definite on that yet.
My Willie’s Roadhouse show is doing great. I started a new thing with it. Every Sunday, I’m gonna call somebody and just talk. I started it on the March 1st show. I said, “Let’s just see what Bill Anderson is doing.” Cuz I’m always talking about, some of you may be cooking, some of you may be just chilling out, or planning for the week ahead, whatever you’re doing on Sunday, y’know. I just always talk about that. So I said let’s just call Bill Anderson and see what he’s doing this Sunday. I called Bill, and he said, “Well, you just caught me. I was fixin’ to get on the treadmill.” I laughed and I almost said, “Oh, bullshit.” But I didn’t.
I’m going to try to do that every show, about 1:30 or 2. I’ve got several people that I’m gonna call. I’ll talk to John Berry someday, John Conlee, of course, Rhonda. I always give them a heads up, because you don’t know where they’re gonna be. Like I called Bill and I said, where would you be Sunday, March 1, and he said, “As far as I know, I’ll be home.” I told him what I wanted to do. Because so many, they may be in an airport or on the bus or whatever. We try to always pretend that it’s in the present. I have people say, “I know you record them ahead, but it just feels good to think you’re spending the day with me.” I said, “Well, that’s what I want to think.”
MUSICIANS HALL OF FAME IN NASHVILLE (7th annual induction) – 2022 (first half)
The Musicians Hall of Fame held its 7th Induction Concert and Ceremony on November 20, 2022, at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium. Six individuals and one group were inducted.
Billy F Gibbons is best known as the guitarist and vocalist of ZZ Top (e.g., “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Gimme All Your Lovin’”). William Frederick Gibbons, born in Houston in 1949, formed ZZ Top in 1969, settling on bassist/vocalist Dusty Hill and drummer Frank “Rube” Beard as bandmates. Billy and ZZ Top were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. In addition to being a renowned guitarist and vocalist, Billy is known internationally as a passionate collector of Cars & Guitars. He co-wrote the book Billy F Gibbons: Rock + Roll Gearhead with Tom Vickers in 2005. His website is https://billygibbons.com/ and he is 75 years old.
Don McLean, born Donald McLean III in New York in 1945, was influenced as a child by the folk musical group, The Weavers. After graduating from Iona College in 1968, he performed up and down the Hudson River with Pete Seeger. In 1971, he wrote and recorded “American Pie,” a song inspired by the deaths of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson (The Big Bopper) in a plane crash in 1959–“the day the music died.” In 2015, his original working manuscript sold for $1.2M. In 2017, the song was designated by the Library of Congress as “worthy of preservation” and added to the National Recording Registry. “American Pie” was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame in 2002; Don was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2004. Martin Guitars has created the D-40DM Don McLean Limited Edition “American Pie” Commemorative guitar. Only 71 guitars were built with a card signed by Don McLean and Chris Martin IV inside the guitar. To see his upcoming tours, go to his website at https://donmclean.com/. He celebrates his 80th birthday this year.
Marty Stuart & The Fabulous Superlatives were inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame as a unit. In addition to Country Music Hall of Famer Marty Stuart, band members are drummer Harry Stinson, lead guitarist Kenny Vaughan, multi-instrumentalist Chris Scruggs, and engineer/guitar player Mick Conley. Born (in 1958) and raised in Philadelphia, Mississippi, John Marty Stuart taught himself to play guitar and mandolin and was touring with Lester Flatt by age 13. In 2002, he formed the Superlatives with Kenny Vaughan and Harry Stinson (who grew up in Nashville). They were joined in 2015 by Chris Scruggs, son of Gary Scruggs and Gail Davies. Mick Conley (the invisible Superlative) has been part of the group since 2005; he engineers, produces, and plays on their recordings and shows. Marty, 66, has a website at https://martystuart.net/. Harry’s website is https://harrystinson.net/.
