Diane’s Country Music Newsletter — 3 September 2025

IN THE SPOTLIGHT – STEVE DORFF

In my last newsletter, I talked about I Wrote That One, Too…, the 2017 memoir by Steve Dorff. I mentioned I’m trying to get in touch with Steve to learn about scoring the music for a movie. One of my newsletter readers connected us, and I had an enjoyable conversation with Steve last week.

I explained that I’m writing the biography of Calvin Graham, who served on the battleship USS South Dakota when he was twelve years old. He was the youngest combat veteran of World War II. Steve composed the music for the 1988 made-for-TV movie that told Calvin’s story, Too Young the Hero. “I do remember really liking that movie,” Steve told me. “Because it was a military-style film, I used a fairly big group–brass and strings. It was a heavy orchestral score for television back then. Probably used thirty or forty musicians.”

He said the process is pretty much the same for every movie. He watches the movie, creates an overall musical theme, and then breaks it down into individual scenes and writes whatever musically underscores the action taking place. He is the last person involved before the film goes to the mixing process and final print.

After he writes the scenes and sketches out the project, he and the musicians (usually an orchestra) gather in a studio to record the entire score. Over a period of several days, they look at the movie on a big screen and record to the picture, to ensure everything lines up properly. He says he was “working like crazy” during the late 1980s with all the TV movies being made back then, and he doesn’t remember anything specific about Too Young the Hero. “Each project would take about a month,” he explains. “Several weeks for me to write the score, then another week to record it and finish up.”

Steve moved to Los Angeles in 1973 to pursue his dream of writing music for television and film. One of the first songs he wrote became a top ten for Roy Rogers: “Hoppy, Gene, and Me.” While living in Los Angeles, Steve scored over two dozen motion pictures, including Clint Eastwood’s Any Which Way But Loose, and television shows such as Growing Pains, Murder She Wrote, Murphy Brown, and Reba. He wrote “Cross My Heart” for George Strait’s Pure Country. He did the soundtrack for Rustler’s Rhapsody, which included “Prairie Rose,” from Randy Travis’s very first recording session with Warner Bros.

After decades of bouncing between Los Angeles and Nashville, Steve moved to Nashville in 2019. “I miss parts of California, but I really like being here,” he tells me. “I think there’s more to do here, on a day-to-day basis, musically.”

He produced and helped write Bill Anderson’s Forevermore EP last year. My earlier newsletters contained Bill’s comments about the EP’s first single, “The Last One I’ll Forget.” Bill said, “I wrote the lyric by visualizing myself as a man in his final years making sure he clearly communicated his everlasting and undying love for the woman who had been ‘the best part of my years.'” He didn’t think his melody matched the sentiment of the lyrics: “And if I ever lose my memory/You’ll be the last one I’ll forget.” Steve Dorff sat at the keyboard in his studio, Bill remembers, “and in virtually less time than it takes to tell it, married the perfect melody to the story I was attempting to tell.” The two of them co-wrote five of the six songs on the EP. When Bill sang “The Last One I’ll Forget” on the Opry, Steve played keyboards — his first time to ever play the Opry.

Steve and Bill wrote a duet, “I Love Us,” for Barbra Streisand and Tim McGraw. It is on her album, The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume Two, which came out in July.

“This has been a very busy year,” Steve says. He wrote a song with Trisha Yearwood for her new songwriter album, The Mirror, that came out last month. The song is “When October Settles In.” He scored all the music for a new Civil War film that should be out early next year. The Legend of Van Dorn is the story of a general who is winning battles in Tennessee, but his affair with a married woman leads her husband to put a price on the general’s life.

Steve also wrote the songs and score for an upcoming animated film called The Square Tree, which is about the only square tree among perfectly round trees in Butterfield Forest–who bully and tease him until he meets new friends and falls in love. I mentioned that Steve had scored the animated Christmas movie Annabelle’s Wish for Randy Travis. He said, “I did. That was fun, working with Randy.”

He summed up our conversation by saying, “I’m staying crazy busy, which is the way I like it. Writing some really cool new songs and working in the studio. I still love what I do. It’s fun to work on new things and explore new musical territory.”

NEWS

During the 18th ACM Honors ceremony at The Pinnacle in Nashville, Jamey Johnson strummed his acoustic guitar and sang “Three Wooden Crosses” in tribute to Randy Travis, who was being presented with the ACM Milestone Award. Randy and his wife, Mary, then came onstage to accept the award. “Randy never thought his music would have the impact it has had, or that he would be standing here decades later surrounded by so many who shaped him and gave him a place to belong,” Music Mayhem quotes Mary as saying. She concluded her speech with, “You sang with me, you prayed with me, and you waited with me through the best and the worst of times. This milestone award belongs to y’all as much as it does to me. That’s what Randy says, not me.” She gave the microphone to Randy, who said, “Thank you, a lot.” According to an Academy of Country Music (ACM) press release, the ACM Milestone Award is presented to a Country Music artist or industry leader for a “specific, unprecedented or outstanding achievement in the field of Country Music during the preceding calendar year.”

Multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, producer, engineer, photographer, and web designer Chris Gage, 71, died August 24 in Austin, Texas, following a heart attack and a long battle with advanced prostate cancer with extensive involvement of his bones. The Pierre, South Dakota, native graduated from high school in 1972. His professional music career began at age 13 in the Capital City Brass. He later formed the legendary South Dakota Red Willow Band, which was inducted into the South Dakota Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016. A gifted singer who played several instruments, including the guitar and piano, he spent many years on the road with Red Willow Band, Roy Clark, and Jimmie Dale Gilmore; he also played lead guitar on tour with Jerry Jeff Walker. His musical career took him to Nashville, the Grand Ole Opry, Hee Haw, and Austin City Limits. He settled in Austin, Texas, where he played every year in the house band for the Austin City Limits Music Festival. He and his wife, Christine Albert, own MoonHouse Studio in Austin, where they recorded on their own MoonHouse Records label.

The group Chapel Hart, made up of sisters Danica Hart and Devynn Hart and cousin Trea Swindle, has decided to step back from working together. “This is not a goodbye,” the trio said in a statement reported by Country Now. “We have laughed, cried, grown, and stood on stages we used to dream about. More than anything, we have shared a bond that goes deeper than music, and that part will always remain.” The singer/songwriters are putting their work as a trio on hold as they focus on pursuing their separate dreams and ventures. Danica is stepping out on her own while Devynn and Trea have formed a new duo called Magnolia Rising.

The Grand Ole Opry has confirmed that both Connie Smith and Marty Stuart have come down with what Marty calls “the unwelcome presence of COVID in our home.” The special evening at the Grand Ole Opry to celebrate Connie’s 60 years as an Opry member has been postponed. Connie Smith was inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry on August 21, 1965, after making her debut on July 18, 1964. She dreamed of performing on the Opry stage since she was a young girl.

Shania Twain marked her 60th birthday on August 28 by posting on Instagram, “Happy birthday to me! How can I be 60?” The post included a photo of herself in a dressing room in the 1980s, before she’d become Shania Twain. “I can’t begin to explain how grateful I am for the life I have,” she wrote. “For my family, friends, fans and the inspiration I get from all of you.”

Gary Allan, 57, shared on his official social media account that his mother, Mary Herzberg, died August 24. Country Now reports she was preceded in death by her husband, Harley Herzberg, in 2008. They were married for 51 years. She is survived by her three children: Gary, Tammy and Greg.

A TikTok video shared by a fan at a Braxton Keith concert shows the singer cutting his show short because of “a bunch of beer-throwing.” He stopped his band in mid-song and said, “Listen, I don’t come to any of y’all’s jobs and do anything like that to y’all. So until y’all can learn some concert etiquette, my name is Braxton Keith. Thank y’all for coming out to Ardmore, Oklahoma, tonight.” He then walked offstage. This behavior occurs in the independent country community and is encouraged by two primary artists, Treaty Oak Revival and Gavin Adcock, reports Saving Country Music, explaining that the live country music industry is handling this ongoing issue poorly, “putting principled performers like Braxton Keith in bad positions of both having to dodge stuff constantly being thrown at the stage, as well as having to play bad cop about something he should never have to address.”

I was listening to the Saturday night Grand Ole Opry when T. Graham Brown announced he was going to sing “Delta Dawn.” He said he had texted Tanya Tucker to say he would be singing her first hit–and that she was listening. As he was about halfway through the song, I heard Tanya singing. “She had walked out onstage!” T. writes on Facebook. “What a surprise it was for me and the sold-out Opry audience! She looked beautiful and as always, this Country Music Hall of Famer was singing her heart out! Only three people at the Opry (and I wasn’t one of them) knew this was going to happen.”

When Alabama recently headlined the Orion Amphitheater in Huntsville, Alabama, the sold-out crowd was stunned to see former drummer Mark Herndon appear just before the night’s final song. Country Now reports the band performed “Mountain Music,” with Herndon delivering his iconic drum solo–for the first time in more than two decades. “It just fell together,” Teddy Gentry says. “The good Lord blesses us sometimes to do things that we can’t do.” Mark “felt like a little kid all day,” he says. “It was so cathartic for everybody. I think it was on God’s time, I really do. It was magic all over again.” Mark joined as full-time drummer in the late 1970s, performing alongside Randy Owen, Teddy Gentry, and the late Jeff Cook until the band’s 2004 Farewell Tour. After Jeff died in 2022, Randy and Teddy have continued to tour in his honor.

Grace Kelley, 29, daughter of Wynonna Judd, 61, recently told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview, “This is the first time in my life that I’ve genuinely been at peace.” After three arrests and time in jail in 2024, she says she is now healthy and sober, and living in Charlottesville, Virginia. She was a baby when her parents divorced; Arch Kelley III was Wynonna’s first husband. Grace alleges she was sexually abused from age six by her stepbrother and from age ten by her stepfather. Wynonna divorced D. R. Roach after he was arrested and charged with sexual battery. Wynonna has custody of Grace’s three-year-old daughter, Kaliyah, due to Grace’s history of drug abuse. She says it’s been “a couple of years” since she’s seen her daughter, and that her mother has a restraining order against her. She is hopeful for a reunion but doubtful that it will happen. She maintains a Facebook account to show Kaliyah how hard she’s working, so her daughter can grow up and realize, “My mom doesn’t not want me.”

Middle Tennessee State University has renamed its College of Media and Entertainment in honor of funder, chairman & CEO of Big Machine Label Group, Scott Borchetta, reports MusicRow. It is now called the Scott Borchetta College of Media and Entertainment. “I can’t overestimate how important this is to the life and history of the college,” said Media and Entertainment Dean Beverly Keel, a former record label executive herself. “This propels us to international acclaim because Scott’s name is recognized and respected around the world. By partnering with Scott, we are exposing our students to cutting-edge ideas and perspectives.”

On August 28 at Whitewater Amphitheater outside of New Braunfels, Texas, Robert Earl Keen hosted his benefit show, Robert Earl Keen & Friends: Applause for the Cause, and raised three million dollars for Texas flood relief. Kerr County, along with other parts of South and Central Texas, was ravaged July 4 by floodwaters that swept away people, homes, and communities. Whiskey Riff lists George Strait’s ‘Strait To The Heart’ concert raising $6.5 million and counting, Pat Green raising over $1 million through his virtual concert held at Globe Life Field, Koe Wetzel’s show raising over $750,000, and Josh Weathers quickly organizing a virtual show that surpassed $500,000. Keen’s benefit concert sold out five minutes after tickets went on sale. Buc-ee’s sponsored the show, and CEO Arch “Beaver” Aplin came onstage with Robert Earl Keen at the end of the concert to announce the total amount raised as $3 million. He donated $1 million of his own to the fund. He said, “The Buc-ee’s family is so happy to be able to participate in this. Robert called me and asked me to do this, and I said, ‘Hell yeah.’ Three million bucks, and it’s going to the right place, it’s going to the people, it’s going to the Hill Country.”

LETTERS

Jackie Allen Thomas in Arizona says, “Thanks for another great newsletter. Sad about Jeannie Seeley but so happy for Kathy Mattea, she should have been honored years ago, love her music.”

Diane Jordan writes from Nashville, “You may remember a 1972 RCA record by Pat Daisy called ‘Everybody’s Reaching Out for Someone’. Pat had been my dear friend for 16 years. This photo was taken December 31, 2022.

She passed away on August 10 from what was believed to have been caused by a tick bite. Pat and her husband lived on an acreage in Huntsville AL next to a wildlife preserve. Pat’s hobby was designing and working in her beautiful English-style garden, replete with benches, lanterns, and flagstone paths. A perfect place for a tick bite. She had a beautiful folk-tinged voice and was a very talented songwriter, as well. Pat’s career lasted only about five years. She and her husband, Mike, had a six-year-old son by then and they had moved to Huntsville for Mike’s work. Her record reached #20 on the Billboard chart. Pat did some recording with Floyd Cramer and toured with him for about two and a half years. She then gave up the music she loved so much. Pat still loved hearing about music people and when I told her about your newsletter, she looked forward to it and read every word! By the way, I read Storms of Life and could hardly put it down! It was such an intimate glimpse into Randy’s whole life. How wonderful that he has Mary in his life….and you! They must have been so pleased with the book.”

Michael Green says, “Thanks for another great newsletter. My wife, who I married despite her not being a country music fan, spent a wonderful evening in the Crystal Palace about 20 years ago, eating and listening to Buddy Alan perform with the remaining Buckaroos. It was a punch in the gut to see the family step away, but of course I get it and hope they or others find a way to keep it going.”

Diane: I would think the closure is more expected than a punch in the gut. The family put years of effort into trying to keep it alive. Most such venues are going by the wayside, with the older generations fading away and the younger generations preferring other ways to entertain themselves.

Bobby Fischer writes from Nashville, “I got a shout out on the Grand Ole Opry. Wanted to share this video with you. What a thrill to hear my niece Margo Price give me a 90th birthday shoutout from the Grand Ol Opry stage!”

Diane: And she was wearing Loretta Lynn’s dress. Happy birthday, Bobby.

Vickie Hudson-Brannen writes, “My father’s voice bore a striking resemblance to Marty’s, and he had a deep connection to all of Marty’s songs. Sadly, he left us in 2019 due to Lewy Body Dementia. Just three days before he passed, he granted me a precious half-hour of clarity. We talked for a bit, and then I asked if he’d like to listen to some music. Naturally, he selected ‘This Time You Gave a Mountain,’ a song that mirrored his own life experiences. As the melody filled the room, his eyes gently closed as he absorbed every note. I played that song on repeat until he drifted off to sleep. That became the final song he ever heard. He died three days later. I was heartbroken. Marty’s music resonated deeply within me, igniting a desire to learn more about my dad’s beloved idol. I immersed myself in every piece of information I could find, including your book. Marty ministered to me, helping me through the healing process. Thank you for your wonderful book. It finally helped me grasp why my dad felt such a strong bond with Marty! I also read your Faron Young book. What a tortured man. You’re an excellent writer.”

MUSICIANS HALL OF FAME IN NASHVILLE (7^th annual induction) – 2022 (second half)

This is the final group of musicians inducted to date into the Musicians Hall of Fame.

Ray Stevens, born Harold Ray Ragsdale in Georgia in 1939, is known for comedy songs such as ”Ahab the Arab,” “Santa Claus is Watching You,” and “The Streak,” along with ballads like “Everything is Beautiful.” Living in Nashville since 1962, he has worked on countless sessions as arranger and pianist, in addition to his own recording career. In 2018, he built the CabaRay Showroom in West Nashville, where he regularly entertained with his songs and piano until his recent heart attack. Upon his recovery, he plans to continue performing and recording. He and Penny Jackson Ragsdale were married for 60 years, until her death in 2021 after a lengthy battle with cancer. Ray Stevens is 86 years old. He is in the Country Music Hall of Fame, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Christian Music Hall of Fame, and Georgia Music Hall of Fame.

Vince Gill, one of the most popular artists in modern country music, is famous for his songwriting, his soaring tenor, his world-class guitar playing, and his warm, caring personality. He considers himself a musician above all else. In addition to his solo career, he has been part of well-known bands: Pure Prairie League, The Notorious Cherry Bombs, The Time Jumpers (2010-2020), and touring with the Eagles (since 2017). Born in Norman, Oklahoma, in 1957, Vince joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1991. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007. Vince has a website at https://www.vincegill.com/ and is 68 years old.

George Massenburg, born in 1947 in Baltimore, Maryland, is a recording engineer and inventor. He designed, built and managed several recording studios, and contributed to the acoustic and architectural design of many other studios, including George Lucas’s Skywalker Sound. In 1982, he founded George Massenburg Labs, a pioneering audio electronics company that has released an extensive range of innovative recording technologies, all based on his original designs. In 2013 he was awarded a patent in the USA and other countries for a variable exponent averaging detector and dynamic range controller. He is a member of the National Recording Preservation Board of the Library of Congress and serves as Chief Technical Officer of META (Music Engineering Technical Alliance), a strategic union of music producers and engineers. He is 78 years old and has a website at https://www.massenburg.com/.

Chicago native James William Guercio, born in 1945, is an American music producer, musician, songwriter and director. As a guitarist, bass player, arranger and composer, he started in the music business with Dick Clark in 1962. He is best known for his work as producer of Chicago’s first eleven studio albums. In the mid-1970s, he managed the Beach Boys and was a member of their backing band; he was an original guitarist with Frank Zappa. He has worked in the motion picture industry and was the original director for Tom Horn, starring Steve McQueen. He is the chief executive of The Caribou Companies in Boulder, Colorado of which Caribou Films is an entity: https://caribouranch.com. In 1971, searching for the perfect environment for artists to record, he purchased the Caribou Ranch just west of Boulder, Colorado, and built what became the legendary Caribou Ranch studio. Chicago, Phil Collins, Earth, Wind and Fire, Amy Grant, Billy Joel, Elton John, Carole King, John Lennon, The Beach Boys, and U2 are some of the artists who have recorded there. In 1986, Guercio purchased Country Music Television, selling it to Gaylord/Westinghouse in 1991. He is 80 years old and has been married to Lucy Angle Guercio for 51 years.