Diane’s Country Music Newsletter — 12 November 2025
NEWS
For her first time ever, Reba McEntire will present and sing at the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting in New York City. NBC will broadcast the two-hour special, Christmas in Rockefeller Center, on December 3 at 8 p.m. ET. This year’s event, held annually since 1931, features a 75-foot Norway Spruce adorned with tens of thousands of lights. Reba, 70, has never been in New York City in December. She tells PEOPLE she’s always wanted to be a part of the tree lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Center. She will perform throughout the broadcast, along with an all-star lineup of musical guests. Kelly Clarkson led the ceremony for the past two years.
Here’s more on the Anne Murray tribute I briefly mentioned in my last newsletter. The Canadian Press reports that Canadian flags were waving and fans shouting as Anne, 80, entered the Opry House and settled into a sofa chair in the fourth row. Dressed in a black sequined shirt and slacks, she seemed a bit surprised by the rapturous reception. She sat in the audience for the two-hour duration of The Music of My Life: An All-Star Tribute to Anne Murray. Nancy Jones, widow of George Jones, advocated for Anne to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. She is in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame. Trisha Yearwood said, “My junior high self is freaking out right now.” Kathy Mattea said, “It is such a gift to be able to look you in the eye and … tell you what you mean to all of us.” Michelle Wright sang “Snowbird,” after saying she’s been practicing the song since she was a child. Martina McBride sang “Danny’s Song,” following a comment that she sang “Nobody Loves Me Like You Do” to her husband at their wedding. K.d. lang said, “You plowed the road before I got there, and I owe so much of my success to you.” Reba McEntire sent a video message where she remembered singing “Snowbird” as one of her first songs in her 10th-grade band.
MusicRow reports the death of John Wesley Ryles, age 74, on November 2. The Bastrop, Louisiana, native recorded his debut song and most famous hit, “Kay,” at age 17 in 1968. He released his last single in 1988 and then served primarily as a background vocalist. His session credits include cuts by Brooks & Dunn (“Boot Scootin’ Boogie”), Alan Jackson (“Drive”), George Jones (“Choices”), Dolly Parton (“An Eagle When She Flies”), Tracy Byrd (“Watermelon Crawl”), Martina McBride (“Independence Day”), and Travis Tritt (“It’s a Great Day to Be Alive”). He was married to Joni Lee, daughter of Conway Twitty.
I’ve often heard the term “tic tac bass” but didn’t know what it meant. I recently ran across this description from American Songwriter in my Marty Robbins newsfeed. The UB-2, a Danelectro six-string bass, changed the musical landscape in the 1960s, thanks to the right marketing strategy. To compete with the four-string upright bass, Danelectro contacted musicians’ unions to explain how a traditional acoustic bass was too low for the frequency width of AM radio. The UB-2 could provide a percussive sound that AM radio stations could broadcast. People listening to a hi-fi system would still get the full frequency range of the upright bass. This became known as “tic tac bass” for its plunky, percussive sound. There were two bass parts in the majority of 1960s country and pop. Songs that used both an upright bass and the UB-2 include “Crazy” by Patsy Cline, “Only the Lonely” by Roy Orbison, and most of The Everly Brothers, Duane Eddy, and Marty Robbins catalogs. The guitar company eventually stopped production of the six-string, but the UB-2 remained in many studios as an option to broaden the sound.
To celebrate making history as the highest RIAA [Recording Industry Association of America] certified female country artist of all time, Carrie Underwood was presented with a plaque by MCA executives following her recent Grand Ole Opry performance. Country Now reports she has sold over 95 million units, including 22.5 million albums and 72.5 million singles, in the USA alone. Throughout her career, she has won over 100 major awards. She’s had 29 number one singles, and all 10 of her albums have debuted in the Top 10 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. Carrie is a judge on the upcoming season of American Idol.
The SongTeller Hotel, brought to Nashville by Dolly Parton, is scheduled to open in June, reports Country Now. Its 245 rooms and suites will contain vibrant colors, memorabilia, and photos of Dolly’s remarkable journey. Two music venues, Parton’s Live and Jolene’s, will host performances by Nashville’s top artists. Dolly’s Life of Many Colors Museum on the third floor will cover 20,000 square feet. Learn more at www.dollyslifeofmanycolors.com and www.songtellerhotel.com.
Two decades after Gretchen Wilson released “Redneck Woman” in 2004, she is starring as tour manager on the new CBS show The Road, where she mentors 12 aspiring musicians as they open for Keith Urban on tour. “I’m just glad to still be relevant,” she tells PEOPLE. “Watching the fire and just the want in these kids. They lit a bit of a fire in me.” Gretchen, 52, is working on a re-release of her debut album. “It’s going to be the very first album with all of the big hits that everybody knows,” she explains. “But what’s different is I’m going to have a guest artist on each song. I can’t tell you who yet, but definitely some big names. Some that are very, very right now and some that are my favorites from yesteryear.”
“It’ll be a lot of fun,” Reba McEntire, 70, tells E! News about her upcoming wedding to Rex Linn, 68. “It’s gonna be a nontraditional wedding because that’s Rex and me. We like comfort, we love friends, we love food.” The couple started dating in 2020 after reuniting on the set of Young Sheldon decades after they met. He asked her on Christmas Eve of 2024 to marry him. “We were gonna make the announcement when we got back to L.A. in January,” she told PEOPLE. “And the California wildfires happened, and it wasn’t appropriate. . .. Our joy was like–oh my gosh, these people are losing their homes. We had to evacuate twice, so that wasn’t the time. And the time never presented itself until the Emmys, when it just happened.” They confirmed this past September that they were engaged, when the news slipped out on the red carpet at the 2025 Emmy Awards. They haven’t set a wedding date.
Rising Nashville singer/songwriter Alexis Wilkins has been dating current FBI Director Kash Patel for over two years, reports Country Now, after they met at a Nashville event. She graduated from Belmont University in Nashville in 2020, with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. The 27-year-old Arkansas native has built a career that combines her talent for singing with her passion for politics. She has dedicated herself to various veterans causes. “I originally started songwriting to raise money for an organization I believed in when I was seven,” she says. “When I realized I could do what I loved while raising awareness for something I believed in, I was sold.”
After Brad Paisley, 53, sang the national anthem at World Series Game 3, it took 18 innings for the Los Angeles Dodgers to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays (6-5) at Dodger Stadium. PEOPLE reports this was Brad’s fourth time singing the national anthem at a World Series game and the fourth time it preceded a surprisingly long game. World Series Game 2 in 2017 lasted 11 innings, World Series Game 3 in 2018 lasted 18 innings, and World Series Game 1 in 2024 lasted 10 innings. The two 18-inning games are the longest in World Series history and were both won by the LA Dodgers.
On Saturday, November 15, at 10 p.m., the Midnite Jamboree returns, live from the Ernest Tubb Record Shop, featuring a house band and rotating guest performances. Founded by Ernest Tubb in 1947, the Midnite Jamboree was where country legends and rising stars alike took the stage after the Opry to perform live on WSM Radio. Tickets are $20 for the 90-minute show.
“All Wrapped Up in You This Christmas” is traditional country music recently released by Alex Miller. Produced by Jerry Salley for Billy Jam Records, it features Gordon Mote (keys), James Mitchell (electric guitar), Jason Roller (acoustic guitar/fiddle), Eddie Dunlap (steel guitar), Kevin Grant (bass), and Steve Brewster (drums). You can listen to this catchy Christmas two-step
Clay Walker made his headlining debut at the Ryman Auditorium on Sunday evening, playing to a sold-out crowd of all ages. With millions of sales and thousands of shows during his 30-year career, he sang such hits as “If I Could Make a Living,” “She Won’t Be Lonely Long,” “What’s It to You,” and “Live Until I Die.” Collin Raye came onstage to sing his hit “That’s My Story,” and Randy Travis joined Clay for “Forever and Ever, Amen.” Clay says in a press release, “There were so many great moments and feelings at the Ryman. True fans who have supported us for years, our entire professional team, and my wonderful family were there to participate in an electrifying, sold-out show. I couldn’t be more blessed.”
The 2025 CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Vince Gill — Country Music Hall of Fame member, 18-time CMA Award winner, and 12-time CMA Awards host. Vince will receive the award during the 59th CMA Awards, aired live on ABC at 7 p.m. CT on November 19, the Country Music Association revealed. Previous recipients of the CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award are Willie Nelson (2012), Kenny Rogers (2013), Johnny Cash (2015), Dolly Parton (2016), Kris Kristofferson (2019), Charley Pride (2020), Loretta Lynn (2021), Alan Jackson (2022), and George Strait (2024), according to the press release.
LETTERS
Dominique ‘Imperial’ Anglares checks in from France: “Greetings for your work. As biographer of Faron Young and Randy Travis, you may like this picture found somewhere on the web. Keep the good work going on.”
Bobby Fischer writes from Nashville, “Some good old memories: Jo Walker, president of the Country Music Association, came to our house to have supper with Helen and me and Roger Ryan from Ireland. She wanted to present me with the CMA award for ‘You Lie’ (that I wrote with Charlie Black and Austin Roberts) in person. What a nice surprise and a great lady. Also, I was in the back seat of Hank Williams Cadillac at his house on Franklin Road in Nashville. It put chills on my back. I learned every one of his songs in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Fun things keep happening at 90. New co-writer Dave Morris got us on a podcast with a great radio man, John Bain, in the Midwest. I didn’t even know how to spell podcast and now I are one??? Could you do me a favor and list it in your super newsletter: Southeast Iowa Today with John Bain. Thanks, pal.”
Diane: Here’s the episode: Washington, Iowa, Songwriter Teams Up with Nashville Legend
Carol Anderson in Nashville says, “Another great newsletter, Diane! Thanks for all your info.”
Paul Leim writes from Nashville, “Great newsletter. I did Jacob’s Honky Tonk Side of Town. He is a wonderful artist. I have accepted doing some shows with him and the cast of the Million Dollar Quartet. I will be with Jacob at the Williamson County Performing Arts Center December 4. Also, we just realized. I played on Marty Stuart’s last top 10 record, Honky Tonk Man. And I did the movie soundtrack with Steve Dorff for Clint Eastwood. THE TENNESSEE FOUR have a tour coming up in Denmark second half of February. Several shows are sold out.”
PODCAST WITH FRANK GERARD ABOUT MARTY ROBBINS
Here’s a recent podcast with Frank Gerard, who narrates the audiobooks of my biographies. He and I talked for seven minutes about Marty Robbins.
COUNTRY MUSIC DISC JOCKEY HALL OF FAME – 1978 and 1979
1978
Born in 1926 in Little Rock, Arkansas, Biff Collie began his radio career at KMAC radio in San Antonio while in high school. He moved to KNUZ radio in Houston in 1948, working as sports reporter before moving into a disc jockey role. He was the first country disc jockey in Houston and was conducting a remote broadcast from Glad Music in 1948 when Hank Williams visited the record store. Biff also began promoting and booking shows, becoming one of the first to book Hank Williams and Tennessee Ernie Ford. Later he worked mornings on KPRC and hosted the up-and-coming Elvis Presley at the Grand Prize Jamboree. He spent the 1960s in Los Angeles on KFOX Radio. He was consistently in the top ten radio personalities in Billboard and Music Reporter magazines. He served on the Board of Directors of the Academy of Country Music and produced the annual awards show in 1967. He moved to Nashville in 1969 and produced the first syndicated radio show, Inside Nashville, that ran on stations across the country. Biff died from prostate cancer in 1992 in Brentwood, Tennessee. He was 65 years old.
Hal Horton, born Howard Horton in New Jersey in 1893, was a disc jockey, show promoter, music publisher, songwriter, and performer. In the 1930s, he worked at Mexican border stations before relocating to the Dallas-Fort Worth area where he hosted country music radio programs for many years. He co-founded Metro Music, which published the earliest songs of Hank Thompson and Eddy Arnold. As “Pappy” Hal Horton, he hosted The Eddy Arnold Show, produced and transcribed in Nashville. Hal died in 1948 in Dallas, at age 55, of a heart ailment.
1979
Born Peter Cartwright Hunter in Illinois in 1913, Pete Hunter started singing professionally at five years old. At age seventeen, he had five programs on the radio each day and billed himself as the “Hillbilly Boy.” A singer, guitar player, and songwriter, he began teaching music around 1944 and did so for many years. By 1953, he had written over 50 songs. George Jones gave Pete his first record to play on the air, which Pete did on KTLW in Pasadena, Texas. In the mid-1950s, “Tater Pete” was a part of the Houston Hometown Jamboree that aired each Saturday night over KNUZ in Houston. He served as emcee and sang several songs, even though he was at KRCT in Baytown at the time. Pete died in 1968 in Houston because of a ruptured abscess at age 54.
After serving in WWII with the U.S. Coast Guard, Paul Kallinger (born in1922) entered Frederick H. Sphere radio announcing school in Hollywood because he was fascinated with the verbal abilities of auctioneers and radio hosts. As a radio announcer and pitchman, he made a name for himself on the station XERF in Del Rio, Texas. Beginning in 1948, he broadcast the “graveyard” shift from 10 until 2 and played “hillbilly” music. He hosted such celebrities as Porter Waggoner, Eddie Arnold, Tex Ritter, Ernest Tubb and Johnny Cash. He was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999. Remembered as “your good neighbor along the way,” he died in 2001 at age 78 and is buried in Del Rio, Texas.
Clifford Gilpin Snyder was born in Stockton, California, in 1917 and grew up to be Cliffie Stone, a major player in the development of California’s thriving country music scene after World War II. He was nine when his family moved from Stockton to Burbank, where his father began working with Stuart Hamblen. In 1935, when Cliffie was eighteen, he joined Hamblen as a bass player and comic. In 1944, Cliffie started Dinner Bell Round-Up, featuring live music and comedy on KPAS in Pasadena. He added Tennessee Ernie Ford as comic and vocalist in 1947. The following year, Cliffie began producing a new Saturday night stage show, Hometown Jamboree, at the American Legion Stadium in El Monte, California. The show ran as a weekly TV broadcast until 1959. Cliffie joined Capitol Records in 1945, as assistant A&R and performer. He was instrumental in signing Merle Travis to Capitol. The two men co-wrote “Divorce Me C.O.D.” (1946) and “So Round! So Firm! So Fully Packed!” (1947). In 1956, Cliffie became producer of Tennessee Ernie’s prime-time NBC-TV variety series The Ford Show. Cliffie operated the West Coast song publishing company Central Song with Capitol producers Lee Gillette and Ken Nelson; they sold it to Capitol Records in 1969. In 1989, Cliffie Stone was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. After retiring, he continued to host occasional Hometown Jamboree Reunion shows. He died of a sudden heart attack in 1998, at his home in Saugus, California. He was 80 years old.