Speech at Sertoma Club by Diane Diekman, July 23, 2024

Good afternoon. Thank you, Ray [Brooks], for inviting me here today, and thanks to all of you for being interested in the Battleship South Dakota Memorial. I would like to introduce Karen Dunham, one of my fellow board members, who is with me today. She owns Dunham Residential Real Estate; I’m sure many of you know who she is. She’s been with the Battleship Memorial since its beginning. She was a sailor at the Naval Reserve Center when it was dedicated in 1969, and she has worked with all the crewmember reunions since then, and she puts together all the ceremonies we do now.

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NEWS

Congratulations to Jeannie Seely, who was featured last week in PEOPLE, shortly after celebrating her 84th birthday. She has released a new single, a Dottie West song called “Suffertime.” Jeannie says, “I’m not retired; I just quit working. They’re two different things. I only do what I enjoy. If it sounds like too much work, I just know we don’t want to do that.” She remembers attending the 80th birthday party of Kitty Wells: “I was standing there watching her and thinking, ‘I wonder what it feels like to have a career that lasts this long.’ And now mine has gone longer than hers did.” Read the rest of this entry »

CONCERT REVIEW—NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND

After nearly 60 years, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is on its farewell tour. Playing its “last traditionally scheduled gigs,” the band isn’t saying goodbye forever, only to multi-city runs and long bus rides. All the Good Times: The Farewell Tour lasts from March through July. It stopped at the South Dakota Military Heritage Alliance in Sioux Falls on June 27. This was a show I didn’t want to miss, since I’d never seen them in concert and it would be my last chance. Read the rest of this entry »

NEWS

George Wayne Hobbs, 72, of New Carlisle, Ohio, died June 10, 2024, surrounded by loved ones at home, after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Born in 1951 in Virginia, he moved with his family to New Carlisle and later graduated from Tecumseh High School. His obituary says his two passions in his early years were baseball and music. He played in a local band with his dad and brother. Right out of high school, Wayne chose to pursue a career playing the steel guitar. In his over 50 years performing, he played with Connie Smith, Barbara Mandrell, Don Ho, The Forester Sisters, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bill Anderson, Marty Robbins, on Hee Haw, at The Grand Ole Opry, and for presidents Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush.

Randy Travis and SoundExchange CEO and President Michael Huppe are testifying today before the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet for a hearing entitled, “Radio, Music, and Copyrights: 100 Years of Inequity for Recording Artists.” According to a press release, they will take questions from lawmakers on the American Music Fairness Act (H.R. 791) — bipartisan, bicameral legislation that will close a century-old loophole and require AM/FM radio stations to pay artists royalties when their songs are played on the air. Randy is also advocating for protecting music creators around the advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Last month, he released “Where That Came From” with the use of groundbreaking — and artist-sanctioned — AI tools.

Health problems continue to plague Mark Chesnutt, 60, who recently underwent emergency quadruple bypass surgery. “It is with a heavy heart that I announce the cancellation of my upcoming shows,” he posted on social media, adding that he looks forward “to seeing you all again soon at a honky tonk near you.” His touring was interrupted last August when he had back surgery. Then, in November, he was admitted to the hospital and placed in critical care for what was described as tests and treatment. Mark and his wife, Tracie, have been married since 1992 and have three children.

The Songwriters Hall of Fame’s 53rd Annual Induction and Awards Dinner was recently held in New York City, MusicRow reports. Carrie Underwood honored Nashville-based hitmaker Hillary Lindsey by singing “Jesus Take the Wheel,” which Hillary wrote. Carrie called her “the queen of modern Nashville songwriting.” Hillary sang a medley of her songs, and Keith Urban joined her to sing “Blue Ain’t Your Color.” Songwriter Cindy Walker, who died in 2006, was posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame during a special tribute held in Nashville at Columbia Studio A. Liz Rose, inducted in 2023, presented the award to Cindy’s niece Molly Walker, who accepted on behalf of the family.

Program Director for SiriusXM Satellite Radio’s Outlaw Country and Willie’s Roadhouse, Jeremy Tepper, 61, died unexpectedly on June 14 of a heart attack. A native of New York State, he had been frontman of the World-Famous Blue Jays band, co-founder of the Diesel Only record label, editor of the Journal of Country Music, and country music critic for Pulse! Magazine. He also helped book and organize the annual Outlaw Country Cruise.

Songwriter Mark James died at age 83 on June 8. MusicRow reminds us he wrote such enduring hits as “Suspicious Minds,” “Hooked on a Feeling,” and “Always On My Mind.” He was inducted into the national Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York in 2014 and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015. Born Francis Rodney Zambon in Houston in 1940, he changed his name in 1960 because local club owners couldn’t pronounce his birth name. Following military service in Vietnam, he moved to Memphis at the urging of B.J. Thomas, who had been a childhood friend in Houston. B.J. Thomas recorded “The Eyes of a New York Woman,” “Hooked on a Feeling,” “Everybody Loves a Rain Song,” and “It’s Only Love.” Elvis Presley recorded “Suspicious Minds,” his last No. 1 hit, and “Moody Blue.” Willie Nelson’s recording of “Always on My Mind” won Grammy Awards as Song of the Year and Country Song of the Year. Dozens of artists have recorded Mark’s songs. In 2000, BMI named him one of its top songwriters of the 20th century.

Seismologists with the British Geological Study say earthquake readings were detected 3.7 miles away from the Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, Scotland, during the three nights Taylor Swift performed there. During the ‘Reputation’ opening song, the crowd’s earsplitting roar of applause transmitted 80 kilowatts of power (equivalent to 10-16 car batteries). Last year, researchers in Washington state and California reported her audiences also generated tectonic activity there.

Billboard reports George Strait has set an all-time attendance record for a ticketed concert in the United States, with 110,905 tickets sold for his June 15 concert at Kyle Field at Texas A&M in College Station, Texas. The record was previously held by the Grateful Dead, who had 107,019 fans at their 1977 show at Raceway Park in New Jersey. His show also broke the record for a single event at Texas A&M Kyle Field (110,633 for a Texas A&M game against Ole Miss in 2014). George’s career records include: the most No. 1 singles of any artist in any genre, the only artist to chart a top 10 hit every year for 30 years (1990s through 2010s) on both Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay, the most No. 1 top Country Albums, and the most RIAA-certified gold and platinum albums in the history of country music. I copied this from Michael Pena, who wrote on Facebook, “These people showed up to watch an old guy stand in front of his microphone and sing his songs for two hours. He didn’t dance, he didn’t have a gaggle of dancers, he didn’t drop in from the sky he didn’t blast up from underground he didn’t have costume changes, heck he hardly even plays the guitar, typically he just holds it. He had a few lights, nothing spectacular and most importantly no tracks, no lip sync and no autotune. Just a bunch of old guys playing real instruments together as a band.”

Nashville songwriter Buzz Cason died Sunday, June 16, at age 84. MusicRow calls him “a studio owner, music publisher, artist, songwriter, session vocalist, record producer and industry leader.” Born James E. Cason in 1939, the Nashville native formed Nashville’s first rock & roll band, The Casuals, while a high school student in 1956. The group became Brenda Lee’s backing band. His hits as a songwriter began with songs such as “Soldier of Love” (The Beatles), “Ann Don’t Go Runnin'” (Tommy Overstreet), and “Another Woman” (T.G. Sheppard). In 1966, he and Bobby Russell formed a song publishing company that produced “Honey” (Bobby Goldsboro), “Little Green Apples” (Roger Miller, O.C. Smith), “Sure Gonna Miss Her” (Gary Lewis & The Playboys), and “She Believes in Me” (Kenny Rogers). Buzz discovered Jimmy Buffett, cowriting and publishing his early songs. He cowrote “Everlasting Love,” which has now logged more than five million plays. Songwriting success continued with “Fantasy Island” (Freddy Weller), “A Million Old Goodbyes” (Mel Tillis), “Timeless and True Love” (The McCarter Sisters, Jeannie Kendall & Alan Jackson), and many others. In 2019, The Nashville Film Festival commemorated his career with the documentary, Berry Hill: From Creative Workshop and Beyond.

On the first night of her Eras Tour stop in London, during a sold-out show at Wembley Stadium, Taylor Swift took a selfie with the Prince of Wales on his 42nd birthday. Y!Entertainment reports, “Prince William grinned in between Swift, 34, and Travis Kelce while keeping a hand on both George, 10, and Charlotte, 9.”

According to WKRN News 2, Williamson County Fire Rescue crews extinguished a fire Sunday night at Carrie Underwood‘s property, west of Leiper’s Fork. At 9:42, the county dispatched all eight of its stations because of the home’s remote location. Fire crews traveled up a long road and a long driveway to the residence, where they found a fully involved fire in the garage. Using the 10,000-gallon water tank on the premises, they quickly put out the fire. Firefighters remained on scene for several hours to control flareups. Carrie and her family were home at the time. There was no damage to the house. The fire was apparently sparked by a UTV parked next to the garage.

Billy Ray Cyrus, 62, filed for divorce from Firerose (Johanna Rose Hodges), 36, after seven months of marriage because “she isn’t the person he thought he married,” according to PEOPLE. He cited irreconcilable differences and inappropriate marital conduct and is seeking an annulment on grounds of fraud. He had earlier filed an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order to keep her from unauthorized use of his credit cards and accounts. He alleged that she spent $96,986 on 37 unauthorized charges on his business account, including $70,665 in payments to her attorneys. He was concerned she would make further unauthorized charges. Firerose claims he filed for divorce one day before she was scheduled to undergo a preventative double mastectomy. She is a carrier of the BRCA1 gene mutation, which means she has an increased likelihood of developing breast cancer. She claims he became verbally abusive and threatened to kick her out of their home. “Wife relied on Husband’s promises to pay for her surgery, and Husband has now repudiated that promise,” her court documents read. “On the day Wife was set to get her surgery, she was instead searching for a place to live and under a significant amount of emotional distress.”

Taste of Country announces the video of “My Daddy’s Dad,” in which Alex Miller salutes his late grandfather, GB Miller, who helped nurture his musical aspirations. “The concept for this video came to me when I was reflecting back on my childhood and the things I used to do with G,” Alex says. “I always asked questions about him, his dad, and his life.” He flips that idea in the video by answering the questions asked by his young cousin about their grandfather. “‘My Daddy’s Dad’ truly is my granddad and our relationship in a song,” he says. Alex will be making his Grand Ole Opry debut on June 27.

After Carly Pearce, 34, posted photos from her performance at CMA Fest, she was accused of supporting the devil. One photo showed her standing in her tour bus parking spot, numbered “668.” But the final digit was obscured, leading some to think it said “666” and was a satanic reference. PEOPLE reports she took to social media to defend her religious beliefs. “I’ve seen too many comments about this being some sort of ‘hint’ towards 666 or Satan to not comment,” she wrote on X. She explained the location of the photo and then said, “I am a devout Christian who takes PRIDE in using my platform to point people towards JESUS.” She concluded, “So, for anyone wondering… there are absolutely ZERO underlying messages except a girl excited to be playing the big stage.” Why she should bother responding to such ignorance, I don’t know, but I guess you have to keep your fan base happy.

Chattanooga news station WTVC ABC News Channel 9 reports that the body of blues and gospel singer Terri Lynn Kathey, 71, was found at an I-24 welcome center near Chattanooga on June 18. She’d disappeared two days earlier after leaving her house to pick up a package. She was found in her car after a possible heart attack. She and her husband, Kevin Kathey, owned a courier service. Kevin is a notable Nashville drummer who has played with Charlie Louvin, Tommy Overstreet, Emmylou Harris, Joey + Rory, and more. He also owns Next Exit Productions, which produces music and voiceover sessions.

Taste of Country reports Kane Brown, 30, was performing at State Farm Arena in Atlanta when a fan flipped him the middle finger during his current release, “I Can Feel It.” According to a fan-filmed TikTok, Kane spotted the concertgoer and gestured for him to walk toward the stage. “Come here, I want to show you what flipping me off will do,” he said. Without missing a beat of his song, he flagged a security guard over to point out the man and request they “kick his ass out of here.”

During his sold-out CMA Fest show, “Tracy Lawrence and Friends” at Ascend Amphitheater, Tracy Lawrence was surprised when one of his guests, Randy Houser, presented him with a giant plaque commemorating one billion career streams. MusicRow lists some of his biggest hits as “Paint Me A Birmingham,” “Time Marches On,” “Find Out Who Your Friends Are,” “Sticks and Stones,” and more. Tracy has released a new EP, Out Here In It, his first new album in three years.

Jo Dee Messina will perform a set of her music during Houston’s official Fourth of July celebration, Shell Freedom Over Texas. Russell Dickerson and Chapel Hart will also perform. According to a press release, the celebration will conclude with “a dazzling fireworks display by Pyrotechnico, dedicated to the selfless acts of first responders and Houstonians in this community’s time of need.” It will be the largest land-based Fourth of July fireworks celebration in the nation.

The 42nd Annual Sunday Mornin’ Country wrapped up CMA Fest with its June 9^th performance on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry House. Top Country and Gospel music artists came together to celebrate their shared faith with inspirational and uplifting performances. Brenda Lee, who is in both the Country Music and Rock-n-Roll Halls of Fame, hosted the event. Performers included Barbara Fairchild, Charlie McCoy, Cowboy Joe & The Babcocks, Cutter & Cash and The Kentucky Grass, John Berry, John McEuen, Larry Gatlin, The Isaacs, William Lee Golden and The Goldens, and many more.

Record producer Joe Scaife, 68, died June 12, MusicRow reports, with no cause of death announced. The Nashville native was the son of record executive Cecil Scaife and Sherytha Scaife. Joe attended Belmont University for a career as an audio engineer. He was also a songwriter, percussionist, and backing vocalist. His parents encouraged the establishment of the school’s music-business program, which is now the 50-year Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business. Joe and his three sisters created the Cecil Scaife Endowed Scholarship to provide financial assistance to students. Joe Scaife and Joe Cotton produced Some Gave All, the debut album by Billy Ray Cyrus, containing “Achy Breaky Heart.” They also worked on ‘80s Ladies, K.T. Oslin’s debut album, and produced her later hits, such as “Come Next Monday.” Joe Scaife produced several hits by Montgomery Gentry, including “Hillbilly Shoes” and “She Couldn’t Change Me.” He was behind the breakthrough hits for Gretchen Wilson, “Redneck Woman” and “Here for the Party.”

South Dakota’s Founding Father of Rock & Roll, Myron Wachendorf of Myron Lee & The Caddies, died in Sioux Falls on June 21, three days before his 83rd birthday. His band gained national fame in 1962 with the release of its biggest hit, “Peter Rabbit.” Myron Lee and The Caddies played with some of the top rock ‘n’ roll artists of the time, including Bobby Vee, Dion, Buddy Knox, Conway Twitty, and Roy Orbison. They were inducted into the South Dakota Rock & Rollers Hall of Fame in 2009. Myron was inducted into the Iowa Music Association in 2001 and is also a member of the Minnesota Rock/Country Hall of Fame.

LETTERS

Ken Johnson writes with a correction: “Enjoy your newsletters. I realize how much work must go into writing each one and you have my deepest respect for undertaking the daunting task. In all my years of working in the radio industry, references to #1 songs are too often ascribed to recordings that never reached the top of the chart. Publicists and other PR folks often give songs credit that they never truly earned—assuming that no one will take the time to fact check. They also inflate the number of actual hits that some artists have had. Your latest newsletter mentioned 2018 Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame inductee K.T. Oslin. It mentioned that her 1988 CMA Song Of The Year was a #1. That was not true as the song peaked at #7 in Billboard and #10 in Radio & Records. I realize you likely referenced the info from that organization’s listing for her. K.T. did score four #1 hits, but ’80’s Ladies was not among them. By the way, I think Randy Travis was robbed at the 1988 CMAs. ‘I Told You So’ SHOULD have been awarded Song Of The Year. In the years since, Randy’s song has endured far better, in my opinion. I never hear anyone talk about 80’s Ladies anymore but I Told You So is still performed today and has truly stood the test of time.”

Diane: Ken, thanks so much for your note and the correction. You’re right, I copied what was in the citation and didn’t verify it. (Factchecking everything would REALLY lengthen the hours I spend on this newsletter.) I didn’t realize those two songs competed, and I agree “I Told You So” should have won.

John Mogen in Sioux Falls says, “Thanks for taking us to the Tim McGraw concert with your colorful descriptions. Wish I could have been there in person. Tried to contact Denny Hemingson, Tim’s lead guitar player. Denny is from Sioux City, Iowa, and was inducted into the Iowa Rock and Roll Music Association Hall of Fame in 2010. Had a great conversation with him then. The Upson Downs were inducted on the same weekend. Used to play keyboards with them from 1975-1977. Denny is a down-to-earth and incredible musician.”

Jeannie Seely writes from Nashville, “Just saying Hello and great newsletter again. I guess you have seen that my Artist page was taken over …we cannot get into it at all, and they are showing very vulgar stuff. I’m just sick. If you or any of your friends see it, please report it.”

James Akenson says, “I’ve been meaning to write and say thanks for your newsletters. I enjoy and learn from them. We’re into the 90s here in Cookeville, Tennessee. I imagine Sioux Falls is the same.”

A now-former subscriber says, “Please delete me from the distribution list. I am no longer interested. Thanks for all the info.”

Bobby Fischer writes from Nashville, “Sorry to hear about Buzz Cason, great person and talent. I wrote a few songs with him and Freddy Weller. One time my son, a minister in North Caroline, brought in a youth group, and he let them have free studio time to record and say they recorded in Nashville. Always doing for others.”

Eric Calhoun says, “Great newsletter, as always. I hope Alan Jackson can stick it out for a few more months. The body has a way of rebounding from diseases for a while. On Ronnie Dunn, I have always enjoyed Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn. Kix is still doing American Country Countdown, am I correct?”

Diane: Apparently, he is. Here’s a link to get the show: Top 40 Countdown with Kix Brooks | Free Internet Radio | TuneIn. And here’s his website:  https://www.kixbrooksradio.com/

Jim Fogle writes from beautiful downtown Kernersville, North Carolina: “It’s always nice to see your latest Diane’s Country Music Newsletter show up in my email inbox. The June 11, 2024, edition was fascinating reading. I especially enjoyed reading your concert reviews. You’ve mentioned Bill Anderson’s newsletter several times. I looked up his website, Bill Anderson.com. Are you aware Johnny Tillotson continues to deliver great country music? You may have mentioned it before but his latest release, ‘Get A Little Dirt On Your Hands,’ is a Bill Anderson composition that Bill recorded but never released. Eric Calhoun’s comments about 95.1, KFRG, reminded me to mention my favorite radio station, WBFR – 98.1. They play Bluegrass every evening and Gospel all day every Sunday. It’s also a family-owned radio station.”

Sherwin Linton writes from Minneapolis, Minnesota, “Thanks for a great letter. I must admit even though I am a lifetime charter member of. the CMA and worked intimately with the staff to promote all events and shows in the early days I really don’t follow much of the current acts. I remember in 1956 when I was a guest on an Opry Tour show in the Watertown Auditorium with Wanda Jackson and Carl Smith. Wanda rode with me in my ‘51 Studebaker out to KWAT for an interview on my radio show. What a show she and Carl and others put on that night. I even got a guest shot at age 16. Wanda called me about a month ago from her home in Oklahoma City, and we reminisced about that show and dozens of others we have done together through the years. In 1957, I was a guest at the Watertown Auditorium with Stonewall Jackson (who had his first Columbia hit ‘Don’t Be Angry’) and the star was Ray Price. He walked out on stage wearing a Nudie-tailored suit with embroidered feathers on the trousers and a beautiful Indian Head Dress on the back of his coat all heavily studded with jeweled rhinestones. In my memory he lit up the stage more eloquently than any of today’s multimillion-dollar light shows. Through my 68 years of entertaining, I have been richly blest to have toured with virtually every major country star and many ‘50s/’60s Rock and Rollers and even Phyllis Diller, Ann Margaret, and Eddie Albert, among others. Got to be lifelong friends with many of them. They sure knew how to be natural entertainers and great singers. Did not need multimillion-dollar production to do a show. Well, we had our day, and now today’s generation has theirs. As Dylan said in one of his early ‘60s songs, ‘The Times They Are ‘A Changin’.’ I will see you at the South Dakota State Fair when you will be our guest on Veterans Day and maybe at the Sioux Empire Fair. Keep up your excellent newsletters.”

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

Wayne Hobbs died of pancreatic cancer at age 72, on June 10, 2024, at home in New Carlisle, Ohio. I was shocked to read on Steel Guitar Forum of his death. I never got to meet him, although he has received my newsletter ever since I called him October 24, 2006, for an interview about working with Marty Robbins. Wayne had replaced Kats Kobayashi on steel guitar. He seemed like a really friendly and likeable guy. Here’s some of what Wayne told me in our phone conversation.

Marty Robbins has always been my idol, since I was about 4-5 years old. I started playing acoustic guitar and singing when I was four. It was Marty Robbins music I was singing. My dad played steel guitar, and so that’s where I learned to play steel guitar. I was 18 or 19 when I went to work for my first country music star, and that was Connie Smith.

I started with Marty Robbins on March 1, 1982. I’d been playing in Nashville about 15 or maybe 20 years before that. I will say that Marty was the highlight of my career. It was a thrill just to be sitting up there on stage, not even really needing to play, just listen to him sing. That was the honor.

Marty says, “Go get your steel and meet me over at the studio. I want to hear you play.” I went over there thinking we were gonna have the whole band; that’s what most normal people would think, that you’re gonna be there with the whole Marty Robbins band. It was just Marty with his guitar and me with my steel. That was really kinda scary, like WOW. He started out singing Hawaiian music, and I think we took a liking to each other right off the bat. I had just finished up in Hawaii; I was over there about five years, and I played with Don Ho. Marty said, how do you know all those songs? I told him my dad played them when I was growing up. And I was in Hawaii; I picked up on all the Hawaiian songs there.

He passed away seven months after that. The very last show we did was right here in Cincinnati, Ohio, and we did it for all the tour buses, at their big banquet they hold annually. He usually started the show with “Ribbon of Darkness.” Then he went into “White Sport Coat.” I’d say about the normal first four songs we did. Then he turns around and says, “Memories Won’t Die.” We kinda all looked at each other like, wow, boy, that’s way out of place. That was the new release at that time. He usually did it way down in the middle part of the show. I think we did one more song after that, and then he turns around and says, “El Paso, Bandy.” Bandy was Jack Pruett’s nickname. We just all looked at each other, and we did “El Paso,” and that’s the end of the show. People were looking at us like, wow, that was a short show, wasn’t it? I would say we did about 20-30 minutes. And 30 minutes, that’s nothing for Marty; he just starts getting warmed up by then. We didn’t think much about it, cuz we thought maybe they didn’t want a long show. Then we thought maybe he was tired from being up all night. But he didn’t say anything. He didn’t let on like he felt bad. He did look like he obviously was needing sleep. When you stay up in the studio until about one or two o’clock in the morning, and then drive on up from Nashville to get ready for an early-morning show–I think we had to be there like at 10:00 in the morning.

Normally Marty did an hour and a half, two-hour show, even longer, sometimes. But that was probably the shortest show we ever did. We just took it that he was tired, because he was up all night doing his last album. We were getting ready to take off for about six months. Marty was going to do another movie with Clint Eastwood, and he come on the bus after that very last show, and said, don’t worry. We’re gonna put you all on a salary. He was giving us a raise for the whole year. Everything was looking so great for the following year, so everybody left that day thinking, oh, wow, it’s going to be a great year next year.

Bobby Sykes quit the road around October, and Marty kept him in the office. Mike Cutright and Gary Adams took his place. Gary and Mike–this tells you what kind of guy Marty was–they were auditioning for the job, and they’re both from Ohio. They’re good friends of mine, too, by the way. They were both auditioning for the harmony parts, and Marty felt Mike Cutright’s voice blended a little bit more so than Gary’s did, but Marty loved the way Gary played guitar, cuz he’s a great guitar player. Marty liked his playing so much that he says, “I’m just gonna hire you anyway.” That tells you right there again, he just couldn’t say no to him. He just said I’ll hire both of you. Gary played rhythm and then he would twin some on the guitar, too. We worked up three parts toward the end. But that only lasted from October till November.

Sometimes they tell you to hurry up and take your picture and get out of the front of the stage so people can see. Sometimes some of the security might be rude–I’m not saying all the time, but sometimes people have the tendency to sound rude, like hurry up and get your picture and move on. I remember one incident where one of the security people said something to somebody taking a picture. Marty made a joke out of it; he didn’t want to embarrass anybody. But he said, “Hey, don’t talk to my people like that. Those are my fans. They come to see me. They can take all the pictures they want.” Marty grabbed the person’s camera and took his own picture. He was great for doing that. He would say, “Let me see your camera for a minute,” thinking he’s gonna take their picture, but he turns it around and snaps it right in front of him. A real big close-up of him. He was a jokester. He really liked to clown around. But he was serious about his music.

To this day I miss everything about working with him. When Marty died, I just kinda felt like Nashville died. That was a piece of history that I grew up on. And a lot of other people did, too. The saddest thing is why they never did capitalize on keeping Marty’s music alive so much. Of course, they did with Elvis, and that’s great, and other people that passed away, but that’s what it seemed like to me, nobody even recognized Marty passed away. It just didn’t seem like they kept it alive. I think they should have done a little more to keep Marty’s music going.

Marty was another one what I call the foundation of the Grand Ole Opry. He was like a cornerstone. There’s just another chip that sort of just got broken away. Those guys are the ones who set the wheels in motion for all these people out there making a music career. Marty and people like that paved the way to make it the way it is now. The pioneers. They were there making the Nashville sound; they incorporated the pop sound; they incorporated the rock ‘n’ roll, the Spanish, the rockabilly. You name it; Marty Robbins had every bit of it.

NASHVILLE SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME – 2019

Larry Gatlin, born in Seminole, Texas, in 1948, was singing Gospel music in West Texas with his younger siblings at age seven. After college, he was performing with the Imperials in Las Vegas when Dottie West sent him a plane ticket to come to Nashville and write songs. She recorded his “Bitter They Are, Harder They Fall,” Elvis Presley recorded “Help Me,” and Johnny Rodriguez recorded “I Just Can’t Get Her Out Of My Mind.” As a solo artist and with his brothers, Larry had 28 self-penned hits reach the Top 20, including “All The Gold In California,” “I’ve Done Enough Dyin’ Today,” “Statues Without Hearts,” “I Just Wish You Were Someone I Love,” “Night Time Magic,” “Houston (Means I’m One Day Closer To You),” “The Lady Takes The Cowboy Every Time,” “Broken Lady,” “Denver,” “I Don’t Wanna Cry,” and “What Are We Doin’ Lonesome.” His Gospel songs have been recorded by many artists. Larry starred on Broadway in The Will Rogers Follies in 1993. He was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006 and the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2007. The Gatlin Brothers, Larry, Steve, & Rudy, are still touring and recording. They have a website at https://gatlinbrothers.com/. Larry is 76 years old.

Marcus Hummon, born in Washington, D.C. in 1960, spent his youth in Africa and Italy as the son of a diplomat. Years later, as a songwriter in Nashville, he co-wrote hits such as “Cowboy Take Me Away” and “Ready To Run” by The Dixie Chicks, “Born To Fly” by Sara Evans, “One Of These Days” by Tim McGraw, “Only Love” by Wynonna, “The Cheap Seats” by Alabama, “Love Is The Right Place” by Bryan White, and “Bless The Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts. Marcus has enjoyed a successful career as songwriter, recording artist, producer, studio musician, playwright, and author. He wrote an opera (Surrender Road, staged by The Nashville Opera Company in 2005) and six musicals, three of which were featured at the New York New Musical Festival. He has scored two films: Lost Boy Home and The Last Songwriter, a documentary he co-produced. He and his wife, the Reverend Becca Stevens, have three children and live in Nashville. Marcus is 63 years old and has a website at https://www.marcushummon.net/.

Kostas, born Kostas Lazarides in 1949 in Thessaloniki, Greece, immigrated with his parents to Billings, Montana, when he was seven years old. By the early 1970s, he was performing his original songs on the Northwest club circuit. In 1989, Patty Loveless recorded “Timber, I’m Falling In Love,” giving him his first cut, first single, and first #1 song. She also recorded “On Down The Line,” “The Lonely Side Of Love,” and “Blame It On Your Heart.” Other Kostas hits include “Ain’t That Lonely Yet” and “Turn It On, Turn It Up, Turn Me Loose” by Dwight Yoakam, “Going Out Of My Mind” and “Love On The Loose, Heart On The Run” by McBride & The Ride, “Lord Have Mercy On The Working Man” by Travis Tritt, and “I Can Love You Better” by the Dixie Chicks. Kostas frequently tours as a performing artist and is 75 years old.

Melvern Rivers Rutherford II, born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1967, was playing piano on the Memphis Queen riverboat at age 15. He played clubs on Beale Street before attending the University of Mississippi on a piano scholarship. In 1993, he moved to Nashville, where his string of co-written hits began: “Shut Up And Drive” by Chely Wright, “If You Ever Stop Loving Me” by Montgomery Gentry, “Ladies Love Country Boys” by Trace Adkins, “Living In Fast Forward” by Kenny Chesney, “Real Good Man” by Tim McGraw, “Stealing Cinderella” by Chuck Wicks, “These Are My People” by Rodney Atkins, “When I Get Where I’m Going” by Brad Paisley w/ Dolly Parton, “Smoke Rings In The Dark” by Gary Allan, and “Ain’t Nothing ’Bout You” by Brooks & Dunn. He has a website at www.riversrutherford.com and just celebrated his 57^th birthday this week.

Mary Sharon Vaughn, a Florida native born in 1947, had her first success as a songwriter in 1976 when Waylon Jennings recorded her “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys” for the album, Wanted: The Outlaws. Willie Nelson recorded it for the 1979 movie, The Electric Horseman. By then, Sharon had her first songwriting hit, the Oak Ridge Boys singing “Y’all Come Back Saloon.” Her co-written hits include “Broken Promise Land” by Mark Chesnutt, “Til A Tear Becomes A Rose” by Keith Whitley & Lorrie Morgan, “I’m Not That Lonely Yet” by Reba McEntire, “Lonely Too Long” by Patty Loveless, “Out Of My Bones” by Randy Travis, “Powerful Thing” by Trisha Yearwood, and “Trip Around The Sun” by Jimmy Buffett & Martina McBride. Sharon lived and worked for years in Stockholm, Sweden, where her song “Release Me” by Agnes became a hit in over 40 countries. She returned to Orlando in 2018 and moved to Nashville in 2020. She has a website at https://www.sharon-vaughn.com/ and is 77 years old.

Dwight Yoakam was born in the coal mining community of Pikeville, Kentucky, in 1956 and raised in Columbus, Ohio. He moved to Nashville in the late 1970s and then to Los Angeles. By the mid-1980s, Dwight had signed with Reprise Records. His 1986 debut album, Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc., made him a star. Dwight has written most of his hit songs, to include “Guitars, Cadillacs,” “Little Ways,” “Please, Please Baby,” “I Sang Dixie,” “I Got You,” “Pocket of a Clown,” “A Thousand Miles From Nowhere,” “Fast As You,” and “You’re The One.” Roger Miller co-wrote his hit, “It Only Hurts Me When I Cry.” As an actor, Dwight has appeared in numerous movies. He sued Warner Music Group for refusing to return the copyrights to his songs from Guitars, Cadillacs Etc., Etc. as required by the Copyright Act of 1976, that authors can reclaim copyright grants after 35 years. The matter was resolved with no terms released. Dwight married Emily Joyce during the COVID-19 pandemic, and they have a child. Dwight has a full touring schedule and is 67 years old.

CONCERT REVIEW—TIM MCGRAW

The Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls recently hosted concerts by Chris Stapleton and Tim McGraw, two weeks apart. Both singers filled the 12,000-seat event center. Read the rest of this entry »

NEWS

On Monday, May 20, the New York Times reported that Elvis Presley’s Graceland mansion (built in 1939) in Memphis, Tennessee, was scheduled to be auctioned off at the Shelby County courthouse on Thursday. A notice from the Shelby County Courthouse stated that Graceland and its surrounding property would be sold for cash to the highest bidder. Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC was foreclosing on the property, saying Lisa Marie Presley used Graceland as collateral to secure a $3.8 million loan in 2018, and she failed to pay it off before she died. Read the rest of this entry »

NEWS

Randy Travis has a song on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart for the first time since 2009, when he and Carrie Underwood reached No. 2 with “I Told You So.” The AI-generated recording of “Where That Came From” debuted at No. 45 on May 10, one week after the song’s release, with over 3.3 million global streams. A press announcement from 117 Entertainment explains how the song happened. When artificial intelligence exploded in early 2023, bringing concerns about copyright infringement and protecting artists’ rights, Warner Music Group executives discussed what “AI for good” would look like. Cris Lacy, Co-Chair & Co-President of Warner Music Nashville, said, “AI for good would be giving Randy Travis his voice back.” She contacted Randy and his producer of forty years, Kyle Lehning, and they agreed to try. They chose the song, “Where That Came From,” written by Scotty Emerick and John Scott Sherrill and recorded by James Dupre, who does the singing on Randy’s More Life shows. Read the rest of this entry »

Happy birthday to Randy Travis on Saturday.

CD REVIEW– JOHN MCEUEN’S THE NEWSMAN: A MAN OF RECORD

One of the musicians who founded the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1966 was John McEuen. Other than a 15-year hiatus for a solo career, he stayed with fellow founding members Jeff Hanna and Jimmie Fadden until the completion of their 18-month anniversary tour, 50 Years of Dirt, in 2017. The multi-instrumentalist plays banjo, guitar, mandolin, fiddle, piano, and accordion, in addition to singing. A native of Oakland, California, he is now 78 years old and his spoken-word album, The Newsman: A Man of Record was released on April 12.

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NEWS

During her Saturday night Opry segment on April 6, Jeannie Seely introduced Cutter & Cash and The Kentucky Grass as her special guests. The young West Kentucky bluegrass ensemble performed their new Seely-produced single, a bluegrass version of “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys.” Their second song was “I’m Working On A Building,” which brought their second standing ovation from the Opry crowd. Ernest Dale Tubb III allowed Cutter to play a guitar that belonged to his grandfather, Ernest Tubb. Read the rest of this entry »

NEWS

George Strait’s manager of 45 years, Erv Woolsey, 80, died March 20 in Clearwater, Florida, due to complications from surgery. MusicRow reports he “passed peacefully under the care of physicians.” Eugene Ervine “Erv” Woolsey was born in Houston on February 15, 1944, and spent his entire professional life in the music business. After graduating from Southwest Texas State University, he moved to Nashville and became Head of Promotions for ABC Records’ new country division in 1973. He and his then wife Connie owned The Prairie Rose in San Marcos, Texas, the club where he first saw George Strait perform. Read the rest of this entry »