Diane’s Country Music Newsletter — 30 September 2026
BOOK REVIEW – DO MY HEART GOOD
Cleve Francis is a famous country singer you may have never heard of. And it wasn’t for lack of trying. Growing up in the Jim Crow South in Jennings, Louisiana, he faced discrimination at every turn. The town’s Carnegie Library, the oldest established library in the state, stood as a bulwark of segregation. It was off limits to black residents except to clean it. The one black professor who tried to check out a book was arrested. Textbooks were passed down from the white schools to the black schools. Living in poverty with a supportive mother and physically abusive stepfather, Francis graduated from high school as salutatorian in 1963. He obtained a National Defense Student Loan to attend the historically black Southern University in Baton Rouge.
Do My Heart Good: My Odyssey Through Country Music, Medicine, and History is a new autobiography by 81-year-old country music recording artist and cardiologist Cleve Francis. That the Country Music Foundation Press and the University of Illinois Press have co-published this provocative story tells me these presses are striving for an accurate portrayal of country music history.
With a singular focus on higher education throughout several decades, Francis followed his own path and disregarded unhelpful advice, while always quick to credit those who helped him along the way. The tone of this well-written story can best be described as that of an educated physician having a personal conversation with a lay person. I found myself cheering as he pushed through the mistreatment and disappointments, onward to success. Serendipitous doors seemed to open for him. The three items he took with him to college–guitar, Bible, and biology textbook–represented his three passions: music, religion, and science.
A visit to the Southern University infirmary changed the course of his life. “I had never been to a doctor’s office before, never been treated by a single doctor over the course of my childhood,” he writes. “Whatever doctoring we received came from home remedies only.” He was stunned when a black doctor entered the exam room. It had never crossed his mind that he could become a physician. The next day, he changed his major from biology to premedical biology.
Coursework wasn’t the only thing that occupied Francis’s time as a student. Music had been his solace as an abused child sitting under a willow tree. While in college, he formed a guitar-playing duo and made extra money by singing music he describes as “the soul of Sam Cooke, the clarity of Nat King Cole, the spirit of Mahalia Jackson, the smoothness of Johnny Mathis, and the country honesty of Hank Williams and Merle Haggard.” Playing to mostly white audiences, he combined the styles and called his music “soulfolk.”
His religious faith and his mother’s advice sustained him through the years of bigotry he endured. He made a conscious choice to attend white universities and do his part to desegregate them through his example. “I would pave the way for others and demolish the notions that Black applicants were somehow not academically equal,” he writes. “At the same time, I rejected the kneejerk impulse to match me with a Black institution, as if it were the only game in town.” This philosophy carried him all the way to becoming a cardiologist and establishing his own successful cardiology practice when no one would hire him into theirs.
His musical career followed a parallel path as he completed his education and built his career in cardiology. Over the years he developed a multicultural fan base and recorded several albums. His video of “Love Light” was in heavy rotation on Country Music Television in 1991 when he was offered a recording contract by producer Jimmy Bowen of Capitol Records Nashville.
Three years in Nashville. Three albums, each costing up to $250,000 to make. Three years of concert tours, media appearances, and visits to radio stations. But no hit records and few sales. There was no radio play. Before the internet changed the rules, radio was the gateway to get to number one. And country disc jockeys refused to play his records. I listened to country radio during all those decades and don’t recall hearing of Cleve Francis until this book.
Country music is usually considered white, the eventual result of its black roots being ignored and black singers being shut out. Francis researched that history, and what he learned confirms what I’ve also learned over the years. As a major example, A.P. Carter preserved the music of the Appalachian Mountains in the early 1900s by traveling with a black companion, Esley Riddle, to document the lyrics and music in the local populations, both white and black. Carter copyrighted all the songs in his name, with no references to sources or to his assistant. In more than a hundred years, only two black men and no black women have been Grand Ole Opry members or inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. DeFord Bailey and Charley Pride stand alone.
Francis returned to his cardiology practice in Mount Vernon, Virginia, in 1994. Before leaving Nashville, he organized the founding of the Black Country Music Association, which still publicizes the history of black artists and supports musician showcases across the nation. Within this past month, Cleve Francis had his Grand Ole Opry debut and celebrated book release events for Do My Heart Good.
NEWS
“Choosin’ Texas” by Ella Langley has set a record for most weeks at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart, currently sitting at its 23rd week. It surpasses the 22 weeks set by Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” The Hot 100 chart began in August 1958 and combines all U.S. streaming, radio airplay, and sales data. Langley wrote the song with Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick, and Joybeth Taylor. “Choosin’ Texas” first appeared on the Hot 100 in November 2025. “It’s really hard to put into words just how historic this achievement is,” opines Saving Country Music. “It was done by a country artist instead of a pop one, without the aid of a remix or a featured performer, and it’s a traditional-leaning country song, sung by a country woman. . .. You really have to go back to . . . Garth Brooks . . . and the song ‘Friends in Low Places’ to find a comparable cultural moment for country, especially anything coming close to traditional country. Perhaps you could even compare the Ella Langley moment to the breakout of Hank Williams with ‘Lovesick Blues’ in 1949.” Plus, “Choosin’ Texas” could add a few more weeks before falling out of the #1 spot.
The Nashville Palace on September 13 celebrated George Jones on what would have been his 95th birthday. His widow, Nancy Jones, put on a concert that included Jamey Johnson, Lorrie Morgan, Jesse Keith Whitley, Moe Bandy, T Graham Brown, Tony Jackson, Randy Travis, Bobby Braddock, and Dickey Lee, among numerous others. American Songwriter reports that hundreds packed the room for two hours of incredible music. John PayCheck sang “Love Bug,” which was one of the first songs he remembered George singing with his dad, Johnny Paycheck. Billy Yates sang “I Don’t Need Your Rockin’ Chair,” one of many songs he co-wrote for George. Jake Worthington performed at Nancy’s request because, she said, “He sounds so much like George.” Jake sang “He Stopped Loving Her Today.”
The Marshville Chamber of Commerce presented its annual Randy Travis Music Festival in downtown Marshville, North Carolina. The Union County Board of Commissioners honored Randy at the September 19 event with a lifetime achievement award, reports the Charlotte Observer, acknowledging his extraordinary career and lasting contributions to country music. James Dupre, who tours with Randy on the More Life Tour, was a special performer at the festival. Aspiring young singers covered Randy’s hits and introduced their music to new crowds. The next track from Randy’s upcoming album Same Old Way has been released. “Set The Blues Back,” another treasured recording from the vault, is about a love so strong it “sets the blues back 100 years.”
Following treatment for multiple myeloma cancer, Dallas Wayne (heard daily on SiriusXM Radio at Willie’s Roadhouse) is going on the road to perform at intimate venues in Missouri, North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee, including The Bluebird Café in Nashville. “Listening rooms are my favorite places to play because they foster an intimate, one-to-one connection with the audience,” Dallas says in a press release. “After a year and a half focused on battling cancer, it’s a real pleasure to be able to hit the road again now that I’m in remission.” Throughout his 50-year career, Dallas has performed across North America and Europe. Dallas lives in Bristol, Tennessee, known as the Birthplace of Country Music. You can find his schedule at www.dallaswayne.com.
Bryan Seaver, nephew of Dolly Parton and the family member she selected to publicly announce her death, has been fired from his longtime role as her head of security. TMZ reports on the termination notice that dismissed him and his security companies from every Dolly property. Replacement security guards immediately took over her Nashville home, as well as her museum, downtown residence, and warehouse. The termination letter says the properties and Dolly’s professional business interests are held by the DP Dean Trust. Seaver’s personal interest in the trust remains intact. Seaver is calling out Dolly’s longtime manager Danny Nozell and Pinnacle Bank, telling TMZ, “We refuse to be intimidated by those whose actions we believe are being taken in bad faith and with the intent to profit from the life of someone who willingly gave so much.” Seaver is the son of Dolly’s sister Cassie
A Tennessee judge has granted a temporary restraining order against Bryan Seaver, nephew of Dolly Parton and her security chief who provided security for her homes and businesses for more than two decades. Danny Nozell, Dolly’s longtime manager, sought the restraining order. Court filings accused Seaver of “invoking his self-proclaimed military-contractor experience, access to weapons, and capacity for violence.” Nozell is the sole manager of She’s Alive LLC, a company created after Dolly’s death to help preserve and manage her professional legacy. The Tennessean reviewed records of the D.P. Dean Trust, established in 1997, and the Dolly Parton Professional Property Trust, which received her business interests and other professional property after her death. Forbes estimated Dolly’s net worth at about $450 million when she died August 25 at age 80. She is survived by several siblings as well as numerous nieces and nephews. No verified public filing has disclosed the complete list of beneficiaries of her trusts or how her fortune will ultimately be divided.
Grand Ole Opry’s Opry 100 Honors Charley Pride on September 22 featured performances by Pam Tillis, Neal McCoy, Darius Rucker, Charley’s son Dion Pride, Tony Jackson, The Malpass Brothers, and The War & Treaty. Country Now reports Neal McCoy reminiscing about spending his weekdays mowing lawns and his weekends traveling with Charley as a show opener. “If there had never been a Charley Pride there would never have been a Neal McCoy,” he told the Opry crowd. Later in the evening, Pam Tillis welcomed Charley’s widow, Rozene, who asked Neal to accompany her to the stage. Rozene said, “Charley would be so happy with what you’re going to do next, Pam.” She responded, “You know what I think he would say? ‘I think Neal McCoy needs to be an official member of the Grand Ole Opry.’” Neal absorbed the shock as Pam continued, “So on behalf of Rozene, Charley Pride, all of us here at the Grand Ole Opry, Neal, what do you say?” He nodded and said, “Oh my gosh. What a great night. What a great night to be invited.”
President Donald Trump has nominated Kimberly Greenwood, the wife of Lee Greenwood, to be the U.S. ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, reports PEOPLE. If confirmed, Kimberly, 59, will serve as ambassador to Barbados and several Caribbean countries, including St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Lee, 83, says Kimberly and Trump worked together for 18 years at the Miss Universe Organization. Lee met Kimberly on a USO tour and their service to the country bonded them. Kimberley says, “Really, our beginning of our relationship started with patriotism and serving our military. And that’s what we’ve done for our entire time together.”
Roger Miller: Wit, Wisdom, and Wonder is a new exhibit opening November 6 at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, reports MusicRow. The life and career of Roger Miller will be explored with clothing, awards, handwritten notes, song manuscripts, instruments and rare footage of TV appearances and performances. It will feature a short film narrated by Marty Stuart. After being a touring musician with Ray Price and Faron Young, Roger wrote hits like “Dang Me” and “King of the Road” and became a country-pop superstar in the 1960s. He won 11 Grammys in two years. He was a songwriter, singer, fiddler, guitarist, drummer, film and TV star, Las Vegas headliner, and Broadway composer. Roger Miller died in 1992 and was inducted posthumously into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1995.
In April I reported that artists and music created entirely by artificial intelligence are competing with humans for chart play and sales. Saving Country Music recently reported on River Cain, an AI act that is actively creating controversy for itself by being portrayed in concerts where conflict erupts and viewers share the viral moments, having no idea the scenario is fabricated and the artist isn’t even a real person. One video showed River Cain getting hit in the face with a cell phone thrown from the audience. These AI-generated scenarios leverage “actual human emotion to engage social media users with a completely fictitious performer,” explains Saving Country Music. “The vast majority of the comments clearly affirm that people think all of this is real. People rarely click on the artist profile itself that does divulge it’s AI. They just engage with the viral video.” One video showed an actual crying mother holding a sign about the loss of her son, and River Cain called upon her from the stage. This scenario was repeated with another woman holding a sign about her husband’s death.
LETTERS
Andy Grooms writes from Alto, New Mexico, “Great write up in your recent email/letter on Bergen White. He is a good friend, occasional golfing buddy and just a tremendously interesting and talented individual. I was the lucky recipient of an autographed copy of the book you reference in your letter. Dolly Parton wrote a super kind forward in that book which contains numerous stories of Bergen’s long involvement in the Nashville music scene and industry, as well as many stories of its talented singers, songwriters, composers, and music managers. Bergen went to the same high school in Memphis that Elvis did and if I recall one story over cocktails one evening, Bergen was also the voiceover of the chipmunk Theodore when Alvin and the Chipmunks was produced so many years ago. We were kindly introduced to Bergen several years ago by accomplished singer and friend Jana King-Evans, as well as other luminaries in the country music business field. He’s just a delightful human being and immensely talented person and just as real as the day is long. Bergen has as sincere and genuine personality as you could possibly imagine. Thanks for recognizing him. He well deserves it.”
Jeff Chandler, former Marty Robbins Band member, writes, “Love your newest newsletter. Wanted you to know… Dale Morris Sr passed away last night (Sept 14). Dale played fiddle with Marty in the late ‘70s, and the Sons of the Pioneers, Wynn Stewart, Sammi Smith, and countless others. We worked together on several Cowboy projects. He was a gentle soul and a warm smile. I will miss him, as will many others. Marty Robbins hired him to play on stage when they did ‘Among My Souvenirs.’ Thought you would like to know.”
Diane: Thanks for the additional information, Jeff. His obituary didn’t mention he worked with Marty Robbins.
Carolyn Berry in Charlottesville, Virginia, says, “One more great newsletter. We are all going to miss Dolly Parton. She was so good at the things she did. May she rest in peace.”
Ron Wood writes, “What a nice music piece by Eddy Arnold added to the end of this newsletter. Where did you find that? I’ve been thinking about, and listening to, Carl Smith. Would you be able to add a Carl Smith tune to a future newsletter? I’ve been looking for the music score to Carl’s tune ‘Let Old Mother Nature Have Her Way.’ I found a copy somewhere in my internet search but haven’t ordered it. I have an audio cassette of Carl’s with his hits from 1951-56 recordings. That’s the real Country stuff!”
Diane: I fell in love with Carl Smith when I was five years old. I was thrilled to meet him in Nashville 45 years later. His Satisfaction Guaranteed album is one of the first LPs I ever bought. I still have it and still love his music. Here is “Let Old Mother Nature Have Her Way.”
With Goldie and Carl Smith, New Year’s 2000 in Nashville
Eric Calhoun writes from Los Angeles, “A few comments on this newsletter. For Bobby Fisher, Happy Birthday to your wife. That’s an incredibly long life. Congratulations. I have been through Nashville International Airport, most of my trips through Southwest Airlines, and I’m glad they’re naming Nashville International Airport after Dolly Parton. I remember John Trimble’s country music show on WRVA, Richmond, Virginia. I used to turn on the show every night, I listened from Wilberforce University, Wilberforce, Ohio (near Dayton). I didn’t know he died at 84. He was such a great entertainer. The other thing I remember about his show on the now-Audacy-owned WRVA was news personality Melinda Martin. Does anybody know what happened to her? Vince Gill is one of my favorite country music artists. As is Amy Grant for her Gospel and pop crossovers. How is she doing? I heard she was in an accident a few years back; has she been elected to the Opry yet? Finally, glad to see a new album from Randy Travis, so glad he’s going to bring out some great tracks.”
Michael Curtis says, “I was born long after these musicians had stopped making music but I used to watch these VHS tapes called Grand Ole Opry Stars of the ‘50s when visiting my aunt and uncle’s farm. I fell in love with the music. Carl Smith was the first one who caught my attention singing ‘Satisfaction Guaranteed.’ He had a green suit on and had his hair done in the Elvis Presley style….he just looked cool and oozed confidence. He was such a big star in the ‘50 s and had a string of hits. He often seems to get mentioned as an afterthought in movies (Walk the Line) and in other books about country music legends including the book you wrote about Faron Young. I recently devoured your books about Faron Young and Marty Robbins. Have you thought about writing a book about Carl Smith? I’ve really enjoyed both the Faron Young and Marty Robbins books, so I appreciate you writing them. If you ever decided to write a Carl Smith biography, I’d be first in line to buy it.
Diane: Yes, I did think about writing Carl’s biography, because he’s one of my favorites. There would be only a tiny niche market to sell the book. I couldn’t even begin to get reimbursed for the years of effort and thousands of dollars I would spend. I did that twice, with Faron and Marty. Carl would have been great to complete a “trilogy” but just too expensive.
Jenny Webb writes from her Legends of Country Music Museum, “Thank you so much for giving us such a great mention in your newsletter. And another big thank you for the introduction to Frank Gerard. He has been lovely to work with.”
COUNTRY MUSIC DISC JOCKEY HALL OF FAME – 2009 and 2010
2009
Chuck Collier, best known for over 40 years at WGAR-FM in Cleveland, Ohio, began his radio career in 1963 at WSRW in Hillsboro, Ohio. In 2005, he was inducted into the Radio-TV Broadcasters’ Hall of Fame of Ohio. In 2007, he was honored with the National Association of Broadcasters’ Marconi Award for Large Market Personality of the Year. He served as Music Director and Afternoon Air Personality at WGAR until 2011, when he died suddenly of a heart attack at age 64 while visiting relatives near his childhood home in New Vienna, Ohio.
Gerry House began his radio career at WBCR (Maryville, TN) but joined WSIX (Nashville, TN) in 1975. In the early 1980s, WSIX-FM appointed him to host a morning show that became known as The House Foundation. The show was temporarily dissolved in 1985 when House joined WSM-AM as the final host of The Waking Crew, the last morning radio program in America with a live band. After a brief stint at KLAC in Los Angeles, he returned to WSIX-FM and resumed Gerry House and the House Foundation. Its final broadcast occurred in 2010. House was born near Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1948. His hardcover book, Country Music Broke My Brain: A Behind-The-Microphone Peek At Nashville’s Famous & Fabulous Stars, was published in 2014. I reviewed the book when it came out.
2010
Bill Bailey started his radio career in 1956 as a high school student in Temple, Texas. Born Milton Odom Stanley, he applied for a DJ position that had been promoted using the song, “Bill Bailey, Won’t You Please Come Home?” He agreed to be “Bill Bailey” and the name stuck. He spent the majority of his career at KIKK (Pasadena/Houston, Texas) and KENR (Houston). His announcing career with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo continued until 2016, for more than five decades. He received the NASA Medal for Outstanding Public Service, NASA’s highest Civilian Award. He holds the honor of sending the first Country music to the moon when, in 1969, he gave a cassette tape with 33 country songs to the astronauts aboard Apollo XII. (“San Antonio Rose” by Bob Wills became the first country music broadcast from outer space. The last music heard before splashdown was Faron Young’s “Wine Me Up.”) Bill Bailey retired from radio in 1982 and began a career in law enforcement, winning election as Constable for Harris County Precinct 8. He remained in that job until his seventh term in 2011. Constable Bill Bailey died peacefully in 2017.
Laurie DeYoung began her career at WMUZ (Detroit, Michigan) in 1975, eventually arriving at WPOC (Baltimore, Maryland) in 1985. She stayed there for 39 years, until the WPOC morning show fell to budget cuts by iHeartMedia at the end of 2024. She also hosted New Country Video on Maryland Public Television for seven years. One of the most enduring figures in country radio history, she remains active in the industry with weekend programming.
West Texas country music radio broadcaster Rudy Fernandez began his radio career in 1973 and moved in 1978 to KEAN in Abilene, Texas. Known as Fearless Fernandez, he has helped raise more than $1.5 million in charity events. His fundraising stunts include riding a Ferris wheel for five consecutive days, living in a van suspended by a crane, being buried alive in a coffin for 48 hours, and being frozen in a block of ice for 48 hours. His influence extends far beyond radio into the hearts of West Texas residents. He can be heard on KEAN 105.1 FM and Kickin’ Country 103.1 FM.
