Diane’s Country Music Newsletter — 19 March 2025
NEWS
The Grand Ole Opry is presenting Opry 100: A Live Celebration tonight. The three-hour special airs on NBC TV from 7-10 and will be hosted by Blake Shelton. Country Now reports the stages of the Opry House and the Ryman Auditorium will both be used. The show will honor legendary Opry moments by featuring exclusive digital content to celebrate past events. Some of the many performers include Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Clint Black, Dierks Bentley, Garth Brooks, Lainey Wilson, Marty Stuart, Reba McEntire, Trisha Yearwood, Vince Gill, Alan Jackson, Keith Urban, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Jamey Johnson, and Ricky Skaggs. Opry members Bill Anderson, Jeannie Seely, Sara Evans, Randy Travis, and Scotty McCreery will also make appearances.
A biopic on Randy Travis, 65, is in production as a theatrical release. Forever and Ever, Amen will be based on his 2019 memoir, Forever and Ever, Amen: A Memoir of Music, Faith, and Braving the Storms of Life. Clay Walker, 55, brought the idea to filmmaker Andrew Hyatt, according to PEOPLE. Hyatt wrote the screenplay and will direct the film. Clay and the Travises are executive producers. Clay Walker will star as Randy in his 40s and 50s. A press release announces that casting is underway for two young actors to play Randy Travis, one at 9-12 years old and another at 20-30. The movie was announced during a recent performance on the Grand Ole Opry stage. James Dupré opened the show and introduced Randy and Mary. After Clay sang “I Told You So,” he and the Travises explained the movie in development. As for who will sing in the movie? Randy’s recordings will be used. “This really is about that voice of his,” Clay tells PEOPLE. “Nobody can come even close to getting that right. I can sing pretty good, but I’m no Randy Travis, that’s for sure.”
One of Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys has died, reports Bluegrass Today. Ernie Sykes, 64, died unexpectedly on March 5 in Nashville. Originally from New York, he grew up playing bluegrass with his dad, as The Sykes Boys. He performed as a member of many top bluegrass acts, including Bill Monroe, The Osborne brothers, The Reno Brothers, Jimmy Martin, and Rhonda Vincent. He also worked with Mandy Barnett. According to Bluegrass Today, “Sykes could entertain any audience with his on-stage personality, his zany wit, or his distinctive baritone voice, which he employed to great effect as a country crooner and swing-style singer. Oh… and with his signature hand trumpet solos.”
Following his 35 Years Of Killin’ Time World Tour, Clint Black is kicking off a new Back On The Blacktop Tour that runs from March 19 through August 31. According toMusicRow, the new tour celebrates his catalog and includes surprises. He wrote or co-wrote every one of his more than three dozen chart hits, 22 of which reached No. 1.
Dolly Parton has released the first single, “If You Hadn’t Been There,” from her upcoming musical, Dolly: An Original Musical, which will premiere at Belmont University in July. She had earlier told American Songwriter, “‘I Wouldn’t Be Here If You Hadn’t Been There’ kind of talks about all the people that have been in my life, but it’s also a reference to God as well. . .. That will kind of end the show. It’s a theme that runs through. I’m real proud of that.” She dedicated the single as a tribute to her late husband, saying, “I fell in love with Carl Dean when I was 18 years old. We have spent 60 precious and meaningful years together. Like all great love stories, they never end. They live on in memory and song. He will always be the star of my life story, and I dedicate this song to him.”
Nashville will celebrate the 90th birthday of Country Music Hall of Fame member Bobby Bare with a number of events throughout the city, according to a press release from 117 Entertainment. The celebration begins on Bobby’s birthday, Monday, April 7, with An Americana Salute to Bobby Bare: Hosted by Bobby Bare Jr. with Family & Friends at The Basement East. Proceeds will benefit MusiCares®. A Wednesday night event at The Bluebird Café is called For The Love of The Songwriter: Bobby Bare, and will feature Mary Gauthier, Max T. Barnes, and Bobby Bare Jr. Opry Country Classics follows the next evening at the Grand Ole Opry House. The celebration wraps up Saturday at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum with Writers Round: The Songs of Bobby Bare, featuring Buddy Cannon, Todd Snider, and Bobby Bare Jr. Although Bobby isn’t expected to appear at any of the events, these are great opportunities to let him know he is honored and appreciated.
The Gatlin Brothers kicked off their 70th Anniversary Tour on March 8 with a concert in their hometown of Abilene, Texas. According to MusicRow, their musical journey began March 8, 1955, when Larry was six, Steve four, and Rudy two years old. Stops for the 70th Anniversary Tour include Myrtle Beach, Beaumont, Santa Fe, and Branson.
Dolly Parton made her first public appearance since the death of her husband, Carl Dean, reports PEOPLE, when she attended the March 14 preview for season passholders ahead of Dollywood’s opening for its 40th season in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. She thanked fans for their flowers and cards in memory of Carl. Later that day, she waved and greeted guests during a parade through Dollywood.
Oh What A Beautiful World is the title of the upcoming Willie Nelson album, featuring 12 songs written or co-written by Rodney Crowell. According to MusicRow, “The careers of these two Texas singer-songwriters have frequently overlapped, starting when Crowell first heard Nelson’s early songs on the radio and saw him perform in Houston in the mid-1960s.” The title track, available now, is a duet with Rodney. Buddy Cannon produced Oh What A Beautiful World.
An explosion on the Texas Tech University campus caused mass evacuations and power outages and resulted in the postponement of the Brooks & Dunn concert. Taste of Country reports Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn were set to kick off their 2025 Neon Moon Tour by playing United Supermarket Arena in Lubbock on Thursday, March 13. The explosion happened inside a maintenance hole at the Engineering Key section of the university on Wednesday. The area was evacuated and all classes canceled for the rest of the week. Power was shut off across the campus and firefighters were brought in to look for a gas leak. Multiple manholes had fire or smoke coming from them.
The most recent Bob Kingsley Living Legend Award was presented to Scott Borchetta, founder/chairman/CEO of Big Machine Label Group. MusicRow reports the ceremony was held March 10 at the Grand Ole Opry House. It was a fundraiser for the Grand Ole Opry Trust Fund, and the evening raised three and a half times more money than any other in its ten-year history. Performers and special guests included Wynonna, Reba McEntire, Carly Pearce, Randy Travis, Marty Stuart, Tracy Lawrence, and Terri Clark. The Bob Kingsley Living Legend Award was created ten years ago to honor the career of veteran country radio broadcaster Bob Kingsley. The first honorees were Joe Galante (2015), Jim Ed Norman (2016), and Lorianne Crook & Charlie Chase (2017), and the most recent was Sarah Trahern (2024).
LETTERS
Bill Anderson says, “Thanks for mentioning Gail and Dirk Johnson in your most recent newsletter. Gail has been released from Vanderbilt and is at home with a heart monitor and some adjustments to her blood pressure medication. Other than her being sore from the fall (she hit the stage awfully hard) she says she is feeling all right. Dirk is continuing his recovery and continuing to do well. I’ll keep you posted if anything changes. Thanks again, and I hope all is well in your world.”
John Krebs writes from Texas, “I love hearing that Lloyd Green was honored… he’s SO good!! If anyone needs proof listen to the first 14 seconds.”
Sherwin Linton says, “Thanks for another wonderful and informative letter.”
Eric Calhoun writes from Los Angeles, “So sorry to hear about Raul Malo in the hospital again. Also, congratulations to Ringo Starr for his Grand Ole Opry debut. Emmylou Harris, I’ve long loved her songs. By the time your next newsletter comes, I’ll be close to my 51st birthday, so anyone who celebrates a March 21 birthday, Happy Birthday, to you, as well. Can’t keep it secret here!”
Joseph Allen in Australia says, “Back in the ‘70s I heard a country song called ‘Mississippi’ by Barbara Fairchild. Not so big a hit. Four years ago on YouTube I saw the original recording of this song by a Dutch group called Pussycat. Three sisters and a band. Big in the ‘80s and ‘90s, their original recording of ‘Mississippi’ sold millions. Do you know how Barbara came upon this song? I have heard some songs from a group based in Nashville called Natural Child. They have a great and different recording of Tom T Hall’s ‘Nashville’s A Groovy Little Town.’ I would love to buy some of their CDs but have been unable to find any merchants selling them. I am in Australia. Can anyone here help me? Thanks. My email is oz****@**il.com.”
Diane: Since “Mississippi” was the title track of Barbara Fairchild’s 1976 album, I’d guess she received it through the normal song-search process. Pussycat recorded it in 1975, so Barbara may well have heard their version. Can anyone help Joseph find a Natural Child CD?
Mary Mitchell writes, “Always get great news. If you don’t mind, I am not using the website. I don’t want to miss your Newsletter.”
Diane: And I don’t want you to miss it; I changed your email address.
Martha Moore of so much MOORE media reports, “Country legend Tracy Byrd was in town yesterday to film a music video with Billy Jam’s Alex Miller. They stopped by WSM’s Coffee, Country & Cody to perform their upcoming duet, ‘The Byrd.’ Single is due out in April on Billy Jam.”
UPDATE ON RANDY TRAVIS BIOGRAPHY
The University of Illinois Press has released its 2025 spring/summer catalog. The first book listed in the catalog is RANDY TRAVIS: STORMS OF LIFE.
VIDEO OF THE WEEK
Responding to a University of Illinois Press request to put together a list of Randy Travis videos for marketing Randy Travis: Storms of Life, I was searching YouTube when I came across the 1988 Country Music Awards – Hosted by Dolly Parton. It was so interesting and enjoyable that I watched the entire 2:04:15-hour show. I don’t think I ever saw that show, as I was stationed on Guam at the time and didn’t have much for network TV. It’s the year Loretta Lynn and Roy Rogers were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Loretta was so excited she threw herself into Johnny Cash’s arms when he called her to the stage. I have seen the famous excerpt of Dolly Parton sitting on Randy Travis’s lap. At 1:34:30, the film shows the entire scene when Dolly goes into the audience and introduces the five nominees for Male Artist of the Year.
MUSICIANS HALL OF FAME IN NASHVILLE – 2009 (first half)
Initially a session trombonist at Motown, Paul Riser was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum as one of the top arrangers in the history of American popular music. His arrangements include “Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone,” “My Cherie Amour,” “I Believe I Can Fly,”, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “Two Hearts,” “If I Were Your Woman,” “My Girl,” “Tears of A Clown,” “I Heard It Through The Grapevine,” and “Stop! In the Name of Love.” He was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1943 and is now 81 years old.
Fred Foster was inducted as aProducer. His productions include “Only the Lonely,” “Crying,” “Blue Bayou,” “It’s Over,” and “Oh, Pretty Woman.” Fred helped establish the careers of stars such as Dolly Parton, Ray Stevens, Boots Randolph, Al Hirt, Charlie McCoy, Tony Joe White, Larry Gatlin, and Kris Kristofferson. He founded Monument Records and released Dolly’s first hit single, “Dumb Blonde,” which she sang in his honor when he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016. He produced such Roy Orbison hist as “Only the Lonely,” “Running Scared,” “Blue Bayou,” “Crying,” and “Oh, Pretty Woman.” He and Kris Kristofferson co-wrote “Me and Bobby McGee.” He produced Willie Nelson’s You Don’t Know Me: The Songs of Cindy Walker and Willie’s collaboration with Merle Haggard and Ray Price, Last of the Breed. Born in 1931 in Rutherford County, North Carolina, Fred died in 2019 in Nashville following a short illness. He was 87 years old.
Chet Atkins was named CMA Instrumentalist of the Year eleven times. As an RCA producer, he was a major force in developing the Nashville Sound. He helped Jim Reeves and Don Gibson cross over to the pop market, he signed Charley Pride to RCA, and he produced albums for Eddy Arnold, Skeeter Davis, and many more singers. He recorded numerous instrumental albums, alone and with other guitarists, with hit singles such as “Mister Sandman” and “Yakety Axe.” He got his first guitar at age 9. After hearing Merle Travis on the radio, Chet developed his own thumb-and-two-finger picking style that is copied still today. He was one of the first of Nashville’s A-Team session musicians. Chet was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1973 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. He died of brain cancer in 2001, at age 77.
Billy Cox, born in Wheeling, West Virginia, in 1941, met Jimi Hendrix when they were both in the 101st Airborne, stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. After the Army, they moved to Nashville where they started a band and played in Nashville’s Printers Alley. When Jimi hit the road, Billy stayed in Nashville. In 1969, Billy joined The Jimi Hendrix Experience for the Woodstock festival. Soon after that, Hendrix, Billy, and drummer Buddy Miles became The Band of Gypsys. They later rekindled The Jimi Hendrix Experience. After the death of Jimi Hendrix, Billy returned to Nashville. In 2019 he and his Band of Gypsys bandmates were inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame. He accepted the award and performed at the event. He is 83 years old.