NEWS Nashville singer/songwriter Brett James, 57, died September 18 when his Cirrus SR22T went down in a field in Franklin, North Carolina, around 3 p.m. His wife, Melody Carole, and stepdaughter, Meryl Maxwell Wilson, 28, also died in the crash. There were no survivors, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement. Flight records showed […]
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REMEMBERING MARTY ROBBINS Martin David Robinson was born at 9:55 PM on Saturday, September 26, 1925, five minutes before his twin sister, Mamie Ellen. They joined the family of Jack and Emma Robinson and five children. The Robinson family lived a nomadic existence. Jack’s attempts to provide for his growing family were hampered by his […]
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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 […]
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By the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum staff Dolly Parton: Journey of a Seeker is the title of an extensive exhibition that opened May 20, 2025, at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. It is also the title of this companion book, which was created by the staff […]
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By Steve Dorff 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 […]
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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 […]
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BOOK REVIEW – DOLLY PARTON: JOURNEY OF A SEEKER Dolly Parton: Journey of a Seeker is the title of an extensive exhibition that opened May 20, 2025, at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. It is also the title of this companion book, which was created by the staff of […]
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NEWS Country Music Hall of Famer Bill Anderson celebrated his 64th anniversary as a Grand Ole Opry member on Tuesday night, July 15, reports MusicRow. (He was inducted into the Opry on July 15, 1961, at the age of 23.) Opry Vice President and Executive Producer Dan Rogers presented Bill with a custom scarf designed by Manuel Cuevas. The South Carolina […]
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TRIP REPORT – RANDY TRAVIS BOOK RELEASE IN NASHVILLE This was my first ever trip to Nashville without going downtown. We stayed mostly in Music Valley. Perry Steilow drove with me to Nashville for my Randy Travis book release. We arrived at 11:15 Wednesday evening, June 25, and were at WSMV Channel Four TV studio […]
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BOOK REVIEW – RIDERS IN THE SKY: ROMANCING THE WEST WITH MUSIC AND HUMOR A newly released biography on the western singing group Riders in the Sky tells the story of its original members still going strong after almost fifty years. Known as “America’s favorite cowboy musicians” and “the most educated band in country music,” […]
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Diane’s Country Music Newsletter — 1 October 2025
NEWS Nashville singer/songwriter Brett James, 57, died September 18 when his Cirrus SR22T went down in a field in Franklin, North Carolina, around 3 p.m. His wife, Melody Carole, and stepdaughter, Meryl Maxwell Wilson, 28, also died in the crash. There were no survivors, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement. Flight records showed […]
Diane’s Country Music Newsletter — 17 September 2025
REMEMBERING MARTY ROBBINS Martin David Robinson was born at 9:55 PM on Saturday, September 26, 1925, five minutes before his twin sister, Mamie Ellen. They joined the family of Jack and Emma Robinson and five children. The Robinson family lived a nomadic existence. Jack’s attempts to provide for his growing family were hampered by his […]
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 […]
Dolly Parton: Journey Of A Seeker
By the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum staff Dolly Parton: Journey of a Seeker is the title of an extensive exhibition that opened May 20, 2025, at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. It is also the title of this companion book, which was created by the staff […]
I Wrote That One, Too
By Steve Dorff 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 […]
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 […]
Diane’s Country Music Newsletter — 6 August 2025
BOOK REVIEW – DOLLY PARTON: JOURNEY OF A SEEKER Dolly Parton: Journey of a Seeker is the title of an extensive exhibition that opened May 20, 2025, at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. It is also the title of this companion book, which was created by the staff of […]
Diane’s Country Music Newsletter — 23 July 2025
NEWS Country Music Hall of Famer Bill Anderson celebrated his 64th anniversary as a Grand Ole Opry member on Tuesday night, July 15, reports MusicRow. (He was inducted into the Opry on July 15, 1961, at the age of 23.) Opry Vice President and Executive Producer Dan Rogers presented Bill with a custom scarf designed by Manuel Cuevas. The South Carolina […]
Diane’s Country Music Newsletter — 9 July 2025
TRIP REPORT – RANDY TRAVIS BOOK RELEASE IN NASHVILLE This was my first ever trip to Nashville without going downtown. We stayed mostly in Music Valley. Perry Steilow drove with me to Nashville for my Randy Travis book release. We arrived at 11:15 Wednesday evening, June 25, and were at WSMV Channel Four TV studio […]
Diane’s Country Music Newsletter — 25 June 2025
BOOK REVIEW – RIDERS IN THE SKY: ROMANCING THE WEST WITH MUSIC AND HUMOR A newly released biography on the western singing group Riders in the Sky tells the story of its original members still going strong after almost fifty years. Known as “America’s favorite cowboy musicians” and “the most educated band in country music,” […]