Faron Young and Marty Robbins newsletter — 15 April 2009
MARTY ROBBINS ON HIS NASCAR RACING
In a 1975 interview, Marty said, “I told people I was going to quit, but I’m not really going to quit. I don’t think people would really want me to quit, maybe because it’s something I enjoy doing. I wouldn’t want somebody to quit playing golf if they liked that. I really don’t believe that a lot of the people really want me to quit. They understand that it’s dangerous and so do I. But I suppose just living is dangerous, y’know. It’s according to how you live it. . . . I just don’t like to get hurt. Cut up, y’know, and broken ribs and bones. That kinda hurts for a little awhile. But, really, it’s worth it. I’ve had broken ribs, and tailbones, and stitches all over my body. But it’s worth it to me because I enjoy racing, see. Because I’m racing against the best stock car drivers in the world. And when I can finish in the top ten, that’s not bad, because I only do it four-to-five times a year, and they do it every weekend. They run 500 miles a week plus all of the practicing, see. They practice more than I run.”
MARTY ROBBINS WEB PAGE
My Marty Robbins page is finally live on my Web site: https://dianediekman.com/?page_id=271. Check here to see how many chapters I’ve written. The current number is seven. I’ll add links, photos, and articles later.
NEW FARON YOUNG CD
Faron Young: Here’s Faron Young and Occasional Wife has just been released by Hux Records LTD in Great Britain. It’s a 2-for-1 CD that contains the songs from the two Mercury albums listed in the title. For info, contact sales@huxrecords.com. Thanks to Brian O’Reilly for sending me a copy. My involvement came through Jon Philibert of Country Music People magazine. Jon wrote the liner notes and asked for my input. The lyrics of all the songs are in the CD booklet. And so is my name!
LETTERS
Here’s an idea from Gary Presley of the Internet Writing Workshop: “I like the new Rich Text/HTML format, Diane, and the font you’ve chosen is easily readable. I bet you have dozens (100s?) of personal photographs of Faron and Marty. I suggest including one at the top of the newsletter and explaining its origins. I know you met Faron several times, and you’ve doubtless had your picture taken with him. Use one; give the background. Another source of photographs might be your various appearances. Did someone take photos when you were being interviewed by Bill Anderson?”
Response: Yes, below is a photo by my daughter Amanda, of Darrell McCall, Bill Anderson, and me at the studio in November 2007. I didn’t realize I could put photos in the body of an email instead of sending them as attachments. I hope this gets through to everyone.
Carolyn Babin says, “Great paper! Read every word. Also visited your site and watched some of the U Tube stuff on Faron. My favorite oldie of Faron’s was ‘I Knew You When’…liked the one Bill Yarbor mentioned ‘I Miss You Already’…’Going Steady’ was a fav too.”
A former South Dakotan named Donette writes, “Love the site. I had the honor of knowing Marty’s backup singer Bobby Sykes – or Bobby Bishop – his recording name. . . . Bobby had an amazing voice and was a very warm individual. I really am glad I had a chance to get to know him. Bobby always got us the best seats in the house when Marty performed in concert in the Twin Cities. I do remember all too well Marty moving the hands of the clock back when he was on Opry. What a great entertainer.” She adds, “Also – I noticed on your Faron Young information – Fiddle player Leon Boulanger. I knew Leon from about age 2 or 3. He dated my aunt. Neat guy. He also played fiddle for Ernest Tubb, Nat Stuckey, and played at a night club in Atlanta, I think. He had an album out in the upper Midwest in the late 60s or early 70s.”
Dru Zoch sends this update on her husband: “Bud & I both want to express our appreciation for every act of kindness shown us these last few weeks. We had all the churches in & around Mapleton, MN (where we lived before moving to TEXAS), on their prayer list. We had many people from different churches praying for us in different states. Whether you visited, said a prayer, sent a card, called or e-mailed, we say THANK-YOU from the bottom of our hearts. Bud can ride his Four wheeler to get our mail, he can drive, he can slowly start riding his Schwinn Airdyne again.”
Judy Bezjak , whom I met at Rex Allen Days in Willcox, Arizona, last October, writes, “I always liked Marty Robbins and saw him when a promoter in the Chicago area brought Marty here a few times. I saw some videos of Ronny Robbins on You Tube and was very impressed by his talent and the quality of his voice which is identical to his father’s. I hope that if you talk to him in connection with your new book, you will tell him that there are fans who would love to see him perform. There is a play currently showing entitled The Million Dollar Quartet, about the singers of Sun Music in Memphis in the 1950s. I think the million dollar quartet could be Rex Allen, Jr., Dusty Roy Rogers, Ronny Robbins, and Johnny Western. I wish this could happen in Willcox AZ at Rex Allen Days. I look forward to reading your new book.”
Terry Counts checks in from Nashville to say, “Good newsletter! I LOVED Faron’s early stuff, and ‘I Miss You Already’ was one of my favourites and started me digging ole Faron. Who’da thunk 15 years later I’d work for the ole boy for 15 years. Faron would always come in when he was slated to do one of the TV shows and he’d ask me what I wanted him to sing. IT WAS ALWAYS the early stuff…you can’t beat ‘ALONE WITH YOU’ for a pick me up, feel good happy song! Way to go, Diane!”
YOUTUBE
This was a surprising video to find: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5okoXe15cI