sign in sign up
<<
Home , At the Time, Billy Sherrill, Bush band, Charlie Louvin, Cliff Bruner, Cowboy Copas

Backforty Bunkhouse Newsletter Cowtown Society of Western Music ‗2009 Publication of the Year‘ Distributed by BACKFORTY BUNKHOUSE PRODUCTIONS 106 Roswell St., Ruidoso, NM 88345 (575) 808-4111 Home of Backforty Roundup and CD Chorale Backforty Bunkhouse Publishing BMI Venue / Show Productions Western Music Radio Marketing www.Backforty Bunkhouse.com [email protected] www.MySpace.com/BackfortyBunkhouse Twitter.com/backfortyBH

Joe Baker Publisher The Backforty Bunkhouse Newsletter is sent to over 1,050 email subscribers periodically and is growing every day. There are DJs, artists and fans whose interest are , Cowboy Poetry, Cowboy Heritage and Honky Tonk music gen- res. We solicit your comments, suggestions and ways we may better serve you. If you do not want to receive this newsletter and want to be removed from our mailing list, reply to this email by entering ―UNSUBSCRIBE‖ in the subject box of the email.

Joe Baker's Top 20 – November, 2010 15. Backforty Roundup Vol. #46 16. Almeda Terry, Voices From The Range

Est. January, 2007 17. Troy Bateson, Midnight Moon Howard Higgins, Western Swing Co-Founder & Advisor 18. Chuck Cusimano, Wind Blow My Away 1. Brady Bowen, In My Spare Time – Vol. 6 19. Allan Chapman, West Of The 98th Meridian Joe Baker, Co-Founder & Publisher 2. & Leon Rausch, It‘s A Good 20. Bryan Ragsdale, Cowboy Christmas Tree Day Totsie Slover, Editor 3. Tony Harrison & Hot Texas, Swingin‘ Big 4. Gayla Earlene, Traditional Sugar "Swingin' West"- Mike Gross 5. Tom , Tuxedo Country, Vol.#2 KSEY - Seymore, TX 6. Lonnie Spiker, Coming To A Honky Tonk Near Sundays 3-4 pm CST You November 1, 2010 7. Eddie McAlvain, Whatever You Want Me To Be mtdradio.com 8. Gena Roberts, Nothing Else To Lose backfortybunkhouse.com 9. Jimmy Burson, Back In The Swing 1. Ladies- Ray Sanders 10. Jerry D. Hobbs, Bakersfield 2. Oklahoma- 1955- Les Gilliam 11. Lone Pine WS Band, Good-Bye Liza Jane 3. Don‘t Let the Devil Dance- The Captain‘s Crew 12. Janice Maynard, There‘s A Better Way 4. It‘s a Good Day- Leon Rausch & Asleep at the 13. Johnny Lyon, Fav, Vol.#3 Wheel 14. , Celebrating With Friends 5. Trudie Sweet Trudie- Richard Lee Cody nchacutting.com 15. Jerry Webb, ―Live‖ At Pearl‘s CD/DVD 6. That‘s What I Call Cookin‘- Carolyn Martin 16. Billy Mata, This Is Vol.#1 7. California Mountains- The Stardust Cowboys 17. Rachael Hester, Only Time Will Tell 8. What I Like About Texas- Marshall Ford Swing 18. David Nall, Texas Proud Vol. #1 Band 19. Chuck Cusimano, Swing me A 9. Texas To A ―T‖- The Ball Family 20. David Ball, Sparkle City 10. Driftin‘ Again- RW Hampton mtdradio.com backfortybunkhouse.com Western Music/Cowboy Poetry 1. Live at Pearls- Jerry Webb (CD & DVD) 1. Bar D Roundup, Vol.5 CowboyPoetry.com 2. Oklahoma- 1955- Les Gilliam 2. Yvonne Hollenbeck, Sorting Time 3. Swing Big- Tony Harrison & Hot Texas westernmusic.com 3. Mark Compere, Cowboy Songs 4. It‘s a Good Day- Leon Rausch & Asleep at the 4. Frank Fara, Songs Of The Untamed West Wheel 5. The Sweethearts In Carhartts, Sleigh Belles 5. Goodbye Liza Jane Hello Western Swing- Lone 6. Larry McWhorter, Cowboy Poet (Prescott) Pine Western Swing Band 7. Ken Cook, Cowboys Are Like That 6. Cookin‘ With Carolyn- Carolyn Martin wsmss.com 8. Stardust Cowboys, Ridin‘ Back To You 7. Have You Ever Even Heard of ?- 9. Chuck Woller, D. Johnson Vocals) Desert Moon Great Recession Orchestra of Ft. Worth, TX 10. Steve Anderson, Old Man Talking 8. Swing Me a Song- Chuck Cusimano 11. Gil Prather, Last Of The Border Cowboys 9. Celebrating with Friends- Johnny Gimble 12. Patty Parker, Southwest Serenade 10. Whatever You Want Me to Be- Eddie McAlvain 13. Horse Crazy, Daughters Of The West 14. Jim Jones, Feels Like Home To Me swinginwest.com cowtown-swm.org

Joe Baker‟s Backforty Bunkhouse Show is broadcast on 100,000 watt KNMB, 96.7FM “New Mexico Bear” & 100,000 watt KWMW, 105.1FM, “Regional Radio W-105” every Saturday morning 6 am to 10 am in Ruidoso, New Mexico covering New Mexico & West Texas. Member: Western Music Broadcast- ers Association (WMBA). Also available „Streaming live‟ 24/7 on the internet at W-105

1 Andy & Jim Nelson Western Heritage Show 1350 AM KRLC C. O. W. Radio Lewiston, Idaho

―Toe Tappin‖ Tommy Tucker 5 Week Playlist awaawards.org 10/30/10, Joke Show Songs

Bar J Wranglers: The Auctioneer Rex Allen Jr - ―Ride Cowboy Stampede: Chicken Yodel Ride‖ - The New West Roger Miller: Dang Me Juni Fisher - ―Round-up To Remember‖ - Let'er Buck‖ Dave Stamey: Dude String Trail David John & The Comstock Cowboys – I Was Never Doris Daley: French Fries Alone nwwsms.org Stephanie Davis: You've Been a Friend to Me Carolyn Martin - Cookin' With Carolyn

10/23/10, Mail Order Brides Les Gilliam - Oklahoma – 1955

Lynn Anderson - Cowgirl II

Belinda Gail & Curly Musgrave: Mail Order Bride Almeda Terry - Voices From The Range

Jill Jones and the Lonestar Chorale: Pretty Pauline Horse Crazy - Daughters of the West Riders in the Sky: Don Edwards - Heaven on Horseback Skip Gorman: Snag Toothed Sal Yvonne Hollenbeck: Truth in Advertising Hank Cramer - Way Out West westernswingsociety.org Juni Fisher: I Hope She'll Love Me Cowboy Celtic - Other People's Cattle Cowboy Celtic - Gunsmoke, Whiskey 10/16/10, Horse Drawn Adventures Richard Lee Cody & Mary Kaye - Way Out West Tom Hiatt - Appaloosa Moon Asleep at the Wheel : Choo Choo Ch'Boogie Various Artist - Silver Screen Cowboy Project J Parson: He Wore a Blue Bandana Harry McClintock: Goodbye Ol' Paint Sourdough Slim - Vaudeville Cowboy Gary McMahan: Pete and Pat Sourdough Slim - Live from The Strawberry Festival : To an Old Friend Wylie & The Wild West - Hang -n- Rattle ifco.org Red Steagall: Horses and Wars Wylie & The Wild West - Unwired Juni Fisher - Let'er Go, Let'er Buck, Let'er Fly 10/9/10, 400th Show Diamond W Wrangler - The Old & The New

Stephanie Davis - Western Bling Stephanie Davis: Yodel Blues D.W. Groethe: The Bunny Poem Stephanie Davis - Western Bliss Gary Prescott: Coyotes Asleep at the Wheel & Leon Rausch - It's A Good Day Pat Richardson: My Brother Red Steagall - The Wind, The Wire & The Rail Buck Ramsey: The Trail to Mexico Ian Tyson - Yellowhead to Yellowstone swinginwest.com Jean Prescott: He's Courtin' Annie Joyce Woodson - If I Hadn't Seen The West Yvonne Hollenbeck: What Would Martha Do David Anderson - Born To Be A Cowboy Rod Nelson: Cowboy Laundry R.W. Hampton - My Old Friends Joe Merrick: The Voice Rider in the Sky - Public Cowboy # 1

10/2/10, Pendleton Roundup Joni Harms - Let's Put The Western Back Into Country Brenn Hill - Equine Juni Fisher: Let 'er go, Let 'er Buck, Let 'er Fly - Live at the Western Jubilee Juni Fisher: Jackson Sundown demingradio.com Warehouse Rex Allen/Don Edwards: Cowpoke realwestoldwest.com Frank Fara - Songs of the Untamed West Juni Fisher: Yakima Bill Barwick - Just In Case Marty Blocker: When the Grass Still Holds the Dew

Juni Fisher: When I was Prairie Rose Poetry [email protected] Sam Deleeuw - Women of the West cowboypoetry.com Yvonne Hollenbeck - Sorting Time Listen to Joe Baker‘s Susan Parker - She Rode a Wild Horse Backforty Bunkhouse Radio Show Diane Tribitt - Ranchin' Rhymes Saturday morning from 6:00 til 10:00 Various Artists - The Bar-D Roundup www.BackfortyBunkhouse.com - Tales of the Yukon Waddie Mitchell - Live Butch Martin - Of Pioneers & Cowboys Larry McWhorter - Cowboy Poet Susan Knight - A Real Cowgirl [email protected] [email protected]

cowboysymposium.org Ruidoso, New Mexico mountainannies.com 2 Graham Lees Ken Bass HWD Radio - United Kingdom Variety 95.1 FM - KALH Serving

Top Ten CDs Alamogordo - La Luz

radioksey.com Eddie McAlvain - Whatever Holloman AFB & You Want Me To Be Tularosa, NM Asleep At The Wheel and Top 20 Leon Rausch - It‘s A Good Day 01. Ken Donash - Ding, Dang, Darnit RW Hampton - Austin to Boston 02. Jay Gaunt - Double Shuffle Cornell Hurd Band - A Bad Year For Love 03. Gena Roberts & Country Night Live Band - Shuffle Back to Marshal Ford Swing Band - It‘s About Dam Me Time 04. Bellamy Brothers - Back In The Day [email protected] The Swing Commanders - Revival Day 05. McMule & Joanne Lediger - 1940 Ford The Tumbling Tumbleweeds - Blaze Across 06. - Move Over Mama The West 07. Jody Adams - All Day Singin' And Dinner On The Grounds - Buckaroo Blue 08. David Allen Coe – With Me Grass II 09. Ball Family - Texas To A ―T‖ The Saddle Cats - Hurdin‘ Cats! 10. Leyla Fences - Upside Blues wswing.home.texas.net T.J Casey & Jim Reader - RNDNMUP 11. Amber Digby & Justin Trevino - The Right Combination

12. Rita Faye – Grandma‘s Memory Lane

Top Ten Songs 13. Kirsten Thien - Wild Women Don't Have The Blues

14. Tumbling Tumbleweeds – So Long To The Red River Valley

Eddie McAlvain - There Stands The Glass 15. Karli Whetstone - I Don't

Donnie Blanz - Damn Dog 16. U S 32 - Credit Cards Lisa Morales-General RW Hampton - Driftin‘ Again 17. Julie Ingram – Big Dog In Manager Tumbling Tumbleweeds - The Mighty Santa Jeff Stevens-Editor 18. D K Davis - In My Arms Again Fe 19. – What‘s The Score Michael Martin Murphey - Swans Against 20. Johnny Tillotson - Not Enough The Sun Marshal Ford Band - The Girl I Left Me [email protected] sblackwell18 Cornell Hurd Band - Invitation To The Blues @comcast.net Skeeter Mann & The Lost Canyon Rangers - Is It Because Big Fred Walker Show Les Gilliam - Humpty Dumpty Heart WOES 91.3 FM Joyce Woodson - I Heard About It In A Song Mid-Michigan

Top Ten Songs cdtex.com [email protected] 01 Texas State of Mind - Rebecca Linda Smith

02 Royal Purple Peterbilt – Leland All Things Country Martin 03 Route 66 – Tony Harrison

Top 10 CDs 04 Miles & Miles of Texas - Tom Houston Orchestra texascountyline.tv 05 Saddle Your Worries to The Wind – The Tumbling Tumble- Rowena Muldavin weeds 06 There‘s No Place Like Home For The Holidays – Walter Bren- nan 07 Sentenced to Live – Leon Seiter

gabeandtony.com 08 The Cows Come First – Jane Morton 1. The Sweetback Sisters – Chicken Ain‘t 09 I‘d Rather Be Happy – Kenny Seratt Chicken 10 Old School – Johnny Lyon w/ 2. Dale Watson – Carryin‘ On 3. Eilen Jewell – Butcher Holler: A Trib- Top Ten CDs MineralWellsTX.com 01 Rebecca Linda Smith – True Love 02 Johnny Lyon – Winds of Change ute To 03 The Tumbling Tumbleweeds – Blaze Across The West 4. Willie Nelson – 04 Jane Morton – Turning To Face The Wind 5. Carolyn Martin – Cookin‘ With Carolyn 05 Leon Seiter – Nashville Memories 6. Johnny Gimble – Celebrating With Friends 06 Blue Montana Skies – T.J. Casey 7. The Tumbling Tumbleweeds – Blaze Across The West 07 Jeff Woodsey - & The Dancehall Kings 08 Lonnie Burkhart – Back Down A Country Road 8. Cornell Hurd Band – A Bad Year For Love 09 Truckers For Troops – Leland Martin 9. Miss Leslie – Wrong Is What I Do Best 10 Tuxedo Country Vol. ll – Tom Houston Orchestra 10. Malpass Brothers – Hillbilly Fever The Way It Was Top ―5‖ Gospel Songs [email protected] 01 Mansion Over The Hilltop – Mary Fay Jackson & Mike Culpepper 3 02 It Won‘t Be Long – The Bledsoes Anni Filt, Runaway Train. 03 Falling Leaves – Joe Paul Nichols Brendan Monaghan, Miss Those Days. 04 The Three Bells – Gaither Vocal Band Eddie Rivers, I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shine. 05 Little Bit Of Heaven – The Isaacs Wolfe Milestone, Tell It To My Heart.

Top ―5‖ Gospel CD‘s Charlie Pride, The Happiness Of Having You. 01 Tree of Life – Joe Paul Nichols David Walsh, Alicia Rita & Donna. 02 The McKameys – The Message The Shadows, Candle In The Wind. 03 Gaither Vocal Band – Better Day The Bum Steers, Stick Pony. 04 The Bledsoes – Timeless Classics Nashville Session Players, Thought It Was A Jet Plane. 05 Live Every Day – Mary Fay Jackson & Milk Culpepper

[email protected] [email protected]

Waynetta‘s Roundup on LIVE 365 LEESWING88 TOP 12 CDs & Songs Waynetta Ausmus Lillies Ohlsson KJIM, 1500AM Kountry Korral Magazine Sherman/Dennison, TX Bennerstigen 12 Plano Man – E-Flat Porch Band SE-733 95 Sala* The Wealthy Texan – Sweden I‘ve Got a Woman Crazy for Me – Sad- dle Cats 1. Bobby Koefer – Thumbin´ It Man in the Moon – Mike Puhallo 2. Chuck Cusimano – Swing Me A Song Sleepin‘ Out Under the Stars 3. Cornell Hurd Band – A Bad Year For Love Stackin‘ Hay – Jerry Schleicher 4. Eddie McAlvain – Whatever You Want Me To Do The Wild West Is Going To Get Wilder – Michael Martin Murphy 5. Gaylynn Robinson – Love & Heartache Woman Of The Wind – Paul Hendel 6. Justin McBride – Live at Billy Bob´s Texas The Schoolmarm – Ray Owens 7. Peter Ward & Lone Pine Western Swing Band – Goodbye Cheek To Cheek – Ginny Mac Liza Jane Hello Western Swing Drip Coffee – Larry McWhorter 8. Smokey Smith & The Golden Coast Boys – In The 1940s If I Hadn‘t Seen The West – Joyce Woodson 9. Tommy Hooker – Blue Smoke Working Class Man – Lacy J. Dalton 10. Tommy Lucas – Raisin´Texas (On A Saturday Night) Swing 42 – Rich O‘Brien 11. Tumbling Tumbleweeds – Blaze Across The West King – Jim Jones 12. Wayne Glasson – Jammin´ On 12th Street Spellbound On The High Lonesome – Donna Hatton The Last Wild Place – Lacy J. Dalton TOP 12 SONGS The Buffalo Tug Of War – Tim Tingle Coyotes – Don Edwards 1. Cadillac Cowboy – Justin McBride The Baking Of A Cowboy – Yvonne Hollenbeck 2. Cattle Call – Tumbling Tumbleweeds Let My Pony Run – Due West Trio 3. Invitation To The Blues – Cornell Hurd Band Purt Near! – Larry Maurice 4. Keeper Of My Heart – Wayne Glasson Five Foot Two – Ken Overcast 5. Mira Las Palomas – Mike Blakely The Mystery Woman Of Linville Bottom – Jerry Young 6. My First Taste Of Texas – Night Birds – Royal Wade Kimes & 7. Rose Of Old Pawnee – Peter Ward & Lone Pine Western Swing Band www.waynettaausmus.com 8. Show Me The Money (Or I´ll Show You The Door) – Eleven Hundred Springs 9. Somewhere South Of San Antone – Tommy Hooker Wyn Machon 10. Swing Me A Song – Chuck Cusimano Oamaru Heritage Radio 88.3fm 11. T Texas Saturday Night – Tommy Lucas and Moeraki 107fm. 12. Turn That Gun Around – Smokey Smith & The Golden Coast 5 Lowther St. Oamaru 9400 Boys Whitestone City, New Zealand www.123minsida.se/scowswing www.LeeSwing88.se Mungo Jerry, In The Summertime. Peter Ward, Get Along Home Cindy. The Real West From The Old West The Sundowners, The Sundowners. Totsie Slover Daniel Hobbs, Real Country Music Dot Period. AM1230 KOTS Ernie Holla, Listening To It Rain. DemingRadio.com The Art Gomperz Band, Love Is Just For Fools. Will Cox, Somewhere Past Forever. Cookin‘ With Carolyn – Carolyn Martin The New Seekers, I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing. Feels Like Home To Me – Jim Jones , Walk Right Back. Tuxedo Country Vol. 2 - Tom Houston Or- Stephen R Cheney, No Time At All. chestra Joy Adams, Take My Heart. Austin To Boston - R. W. Hampton 4 It‘s A Good Day – Asleep At The Wheel/Leon Rausch song pick of the week was Ernie Fords' "Nobody's Business But Here, There Or Anywhere – Rod Taylor My Own." The Saddle Cats popped out the litter box with some Oklahoma 1955 – Les Gilliam western swing requests from listeners: "Oklahoma Stomp," Route 66 On The Road – Oklahoma Stomp "Mission To Moscow" and "Stardust." Folks around here have Way Out West – Richard Lee Cody & Mary Kaye really taken to the Saddle Cats. They have that "single neck" Swing Me A Song – Chuck Cusimano steel sound that gives a traditional sound to the music. The My Sacred Ground - Fred Hargrove hills around here are full of traditional music lovers. Everything Bar-D Roundup Vol. 5 – Center For Western & Cowboy Poetry from "Bluegrass," "Classic Country" and "Western Swing" seems Inc. to ring true with our listeners and especially cowboy songs and This Is Tommy Duncan Vol. 1 – Billy Mata cowboy poetry and music. American Cowboy Magazine laid the RNDNMUP – TJ Casey & Jim Reader foundation for a segment on the 1908 Cheyenne Frontier Days In My Spare Time Vol. 6 – Brady Bowen Rodeo Celebration which featured riders and ropers from the Let ‗Er Go, Let ‗Er Buck, Let ‗Er Fly – Juni Fisher Parker Ranch in Hawaii. I found an old Warner West production of Festival Favorites – Bobby Flores Songs Of The Hawaiian Cowboys. I played several cuts from the The Eyes Of A Cowboy – J Parson CD and it really made a nice segment for the show. The Paniolo, Viva La Cowboy – Dan Roberts or Hawaiian Cowboy, dates back to 1795 when a British Sea Cap- The Last Desperado – Chance Carter tain gifted a great Hawaiian King with a few head of Long Horn cattle. These cows remained "protected" by the government for [email protected] forty years and finally the Hawaiians had to invite vaqueros from Peru, Chile and Mexico to teach roping and riding skills to the Hawaiian cowboys. Some interesting history of the cattle business Bill McCallies‘s Cowboy Jubilee Radio Show in Hawaii provided a nice show for our listeners. R W Hampton's new CD "Austin To Boston" has been the spotlight CD for the past Classical 90.5 WSMC-FM two weeks and I think I've covered all the songs in the CD by now. It's a really nice project and should be in your record collec- Chattanooga, TN tion. Brian Ferriman and R W Hampton have teamed up the man- agement skills and singing and performing skills to make a nice You know the fall of the year is one of my favorite times in quality project for the Cowboy and Cowgirl fan. It‘s a good solid the Tennessee Valley. The leaves are changing and our people CD from R W. Jim Gentry's song pick this week is here celebrate the season with outdoor music festivals, parties, and "Relaxin‘." Inspiration from Walter Brennan and "The Farmer bonfires and various other events to usher in the colder And The LORD" and Buddy Greene and Buck White doing "Power weather. But one thing is for sure, even though it's cold outside, In The Blood." Western Swing from Four Giants Of Swing with it's always warm in the bunkhouse and the music is always play- on , Curley Chaulker on Steel, ing. We started the month off on straight guitar and the fantastic Jethro Burns on Mando- with some excerpts from Ed lin. Song selections were "Lime House Blues,‖ ― S'Wonderful and Guthero's great "coffee table" "C Jam Blues." This is a classic "Flying Fish" recording and if you book of western photographs are into western swing, you need to hook up with Flying Fish and called "Fire And Rain." The see if it's still available. A listener sent in a CD of Jimmy Webb's book is full of excellent photo- songs performed by Jimmy Webb. We did "By The Time I Get To graphs of the west and is Phoenix," ''Cowboy Hall Of Fame" and ―The Highwayman." So also filled with vivid descrip- many times the gets overshadowed by the superstars tions of the west. Having that perform their songs. Jimmy Webb has written so many won- read some from the book, I derful songs and is a national treasure. Vern Gosden contributed followed up with Don Ed- "Jesus Hold My Hand" to our inspirational segment of the show as wards and "The Masters did John Starling with "I'm On The Other Side Of ―Life Now." Call," Ian Tyson's "Eighteen This is a busy month for us at Cowboy Jubilee as we begin out Inches Of Rain" and songs 19th year of broadcasting the show. Each November, on the Sun- Photo by Ed Guthero from Red Steagall‘s "The day before Thanksgiving, we do a LIVE Cowboy Jubilee Show Wind, The Wire And The Rail.‖ I also worked into the play list broadcasting from the Ackermann Auditorium at Southern Advent- Red's "The Real America" and "The Rider On The Rim." Listener ist University. It's a free show and it's merely a way of giving back and underwriter of the show, Jim Gentry always makes a request to our listeners some level of appreciation for their listener- every week and this week he wanted Eddie Arnold's "Cattle ship. We have two bands featured. Fiddler Fletcher Bright brings Call.‖ Barbara Lamb's fiddle was humming with some western along his entourage of musicians called the Dismembered Ten- swing with some tunes from her "Tonight I feel Like Texas." Bar- nesseans and I put the In Cahoots Band together with some extra bara is an excellent fiddle player and manages to work her audi- players and we put on a really nice show. Roy Curry, two time ence with stories and anecdotes and personality to make one of National Flatpickin‘ Champion, California great Joe Cac- her concerts a "must see‖. She always carries a great group of cavo, Dr Doug Barron on Fiddle, Mike Parham on , Keith musicians with her on her shows. Sheriff Jim Wilson's CD Border Mahan on Bass and I'll do some guitar and singing for the evening Bravo was on the play list this month with "Seven Days To and MC the show. If you are in the Chattanooga, Tennessee area Musquiz" and Hoyt Axton's "Evangelina." I read and article from on Nov. 21, show begins at 5:30 pm and goes through 7:30 pm American Cowboy that answered the question "How Cowboys with a reception to follow with Cactus Jack‘s famous "Cat Head" wound up wearing those big belt buckles that are bigger than a biscuits and homemade pear preserves. Volkswagen hubcap"...and as usual Hollywood fashion moguls That's all the news that's fit to print. We broadcast every Sunday had a lot to do with that. We followed that segment with the Sons with 100,000 watts at 90.5fm and at www.wsmc.org on the Inter- of San Joaquin's CD "Songs Of The Silver Screen.‖ Jim Gentry's net from beautiful downtown Collegedale,Tennessee,.."where the

5 air always smells like a big oatmeal cookie." Until next time Bill McCallie signing off and remember in the words of the great Cow- boy George Carlin..."some people see things that are and ask why...other people see things that aren't and ask Why Not?...Other people have to work for a living and don't have the time for all that stuff…think about it! Have a great Thanksgiv- ing!!!!! Bill McCallie COWTOWN SOCIETY OF WESTERN MUSIC is actively ac- cepting nominations for their May 1, 2011 Swing www.wsmc.org - Sunday at 6PM EST Fest Heroes of Western Music Awards Show. The Swing Fest will be held once again on Saturday, May 1st, 2011 at Holiday Hills Country Club in Bill McCallie Mineral Wells, Texas. Cowboy Jubilee Radio Show WSMC Public Radio 90.5 If you have a nomination for Hero of Western Mu- sic, please send the name of the person and a www.wsmc.org short bio and address and/or phone number, Airs: Sunday @ 6pm est (photo - optional for nomination, however, a photo (8 x 10 or 5 x 7) will be needed if the person is chosen for the award. We will need your name, phone number and DANCE SCHEDULE FOR NOVEMBER, 2010 e-mail address (optional) also for later con- tact. (Can use form - see below) Silver Strings Entertainment Center 500 N. Smythe - Bowie, Texas 76230 DEADLINE FOR NOMINATIONS IS JANUARY 31, 2011

Please come and bring your friends and neighbors to one of the Send nominations to: most popular non-drinking non-smoking dance houses in Texas Gary Beaver, President and Oklahoma! We offer the smoothest 40x80 hardwood floor Cowtown Society of Western Music around, along with a full concession stand and a house full of 3709 East Highway 67 the friendliest and funnest people you'll ever want to meet. At Cleburne, TX 76031 every dance there are two free drawings for future admissions, 817-558-7580 and a big 'Split The Pot' drawing that you can buy into. All of www.cowtown-swm.org or that on top of the finest traditional country, honky-tonk and west- [email protected] ern , played live by the very talented musicians, Western Music Heroes Categories: many of whom are members of various Halls of Fame, who are Living Legend on our stage every Monday and Saturday nights on a rotating Rising Star (Younger person - Under 30) basis. Living Hero Posthumous Hero Hours: Unless otherwise noted, all dances are from 7 to 10 p.m. Disc Jockey Admission: $5 for age 12 and over. Young children on the Venue dance floor must be accompanied by an adult. Publication Creative Achievement Award Fans of The Year President's Choice Award

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20 - LARRY LANGE & THE LONE NOMINEE FOR HERO OF WESTERN MUSIC - CSWM STAR TROUBADOURS

NAME:______MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22 - MANUEL FRITZ & OUT OF CON- PHONE:______TROL

ADDRESS:______SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27 - GENE TIPTON & CLEAR E-MAIL:______CREEK CATEGORY:______MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29 - BILL ROBERSON & SOUTHERN TALENT: MUSICIAN ______RAIN (CIRCLE ONE) INSTRUMENT - SINGER

PROMOTER - ARTWORK Make a new friend or bring a long time one. Invite someone who does not drive at night to ride along with you to an inexpensive evening of PERSON MAKING NOMINATION: entertainment, fellowship and exercise at SILVER STRINGS. You'll be glad you did! NAME:______

For more information, please e-mail silverstringsentertainmentcen- PHONE: [email protected] or call Joye Thompson at (940) 692-8699. E-MAIL:______

Happy Dancing!

6 Cowboy Poetry Rest your head and close your eyes tight at the BAR-D Ranch I'll see you tomorrow when all the world's bright Margo Metegrano, Editor Goodnight good pony goodnight CowboyPoetry.com He waited for her until sunset Then the sky filled with beautiful light The holidays are coming and along with things to celebrate are His cowgirl had gone to her Maker Arizona‘s 22nd Annual Cowboy Christmas Poetry Gathering in So the angels sang to him that night Wickenburg; the Larry Chittenden Cowboy Celebration in Anson, Texas; Michael Martin Murphey's 16th Annual Cowboy Christmas Goodnight good pony goodnight Ball at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Rest your head and close your eyes tight ; and California‘s 12th Annual Monterey Cowboy I'll see you tomorrow when all the world's bright Poetry & Music Festival and Western Art and Gear Show. Goodnight good pony goodnight Premier Western songwriter and singer Juni Fisher is a part of the Goodnight good pony goodnight stellar lineup for the 12th Annual Monterey Cowboy Poetry & Mu- sic Festival (December 10-12). She‘ll be joined by Dave Stamey, © 2005, Juni Fisher/Red Geetar Music ASCAP; All rights Ian Tyson, Richard Chon, R.W. Hampton, Wylie & The Wild West; reserved poets and reciters Jerry Brooks, Andy Nelson, Randy Rieman, Jessie Smith, and Diane Tribitt; and others. That song is on her Cowgirlography CD. Juni‘s most recent sell- Juni Fisher has been honored with countless awards, including out CD is Let 'er Go "Let 'er Buck" Let 'er Fly, which celebrates the the prestigious Wrangler from the National Cowboy and Western men, women, and horses of the Pendleton Round-up. Each al- Heritage Museum for Gone to Colorado, the Western Music Asso- bum is $15 postpaid from Juni Fisher, 2105 Granville Rd, Franklin, ciation‘s Best Songwriter Award (the first woman to receive that TN 37064; www.junifisher.net award), and many more. Learn more about the gatherings mentioned above at CowboyPo- This year‘s Monterey poster features the art of the deeply missed etry.com, where you‘ll also find hundreds of cowboy poets and Joelle Smith (1958-2005 ). Juni wrote a moving song in her Western musicians and their works. It's an on-going gathering, memory: with continual news, features, poetry, , gathering reports, and an extensive event calendar. Come by and stay a while. GOODNIGHT GOOD PONY A cowgirl stands at her mirror Ties her fav'rite silk scarf and she smiles [email protected] Slips on her boots and best silver spurs The ones she's worn many a mile

By the door there's her flat brimmed sombrero Cowgirls Don't Cry And her chinks in a gold sunset hue Cowgirl Sass & Savvy She steps out on the porch when she's ready by Julie Carter The pastures and mountains in view Little girls are not all born Then the cowgirl walks out to her pony "cowgirl" tough. They also don't have to be a cowgirl to have the trait. Who lies in the sweet grass at rest However, many of those lessons are She tells him "Of all of the horses I've known, taught in the dust of a corral or at the good pony, you know you're the best" end of a day so long that her saddle

becomes a torture chamber and the dark has overtaken every- (So) Goodnight good pony goodnight thing. Rest your head and close your eyes tight Daughters and their daddies have a special relationship that is an I'll see you tomorrow when all the world's bright unpredictable mixture of tenderness and toughness. With a soft Goodnight good pony goodnight heart he will give in to her natural wiles that turn him to putty with

the sound of her voice and the batting of her eyelashes. With an So the pony lay still and was dreamin' iron-tough determination, he will go beyond the bounds of good Of the days he had carried that girl sense to protect her, even when it means evoking her anger and How she'd started him when he was younger forcing a daughterly pout directed at his resolve. With a soft voice How she laughed when he bucked and he whirled reserved only for her, he will tell her that life will let her down and

like the falls she has taken from her saddle horse, it'll hurt, but He dreamed of the days they worked cattle only for a little while. "Honey," he'll say, "cowgirls don't cry." In his And of rides with no work at all guidance, he'll tell her, "When you fall off, you get right back on How he'd nudge her to get her to smilin' and ride. Don't wait, don't think about. Just do it. And honey, cow- How he'd find her whenever she called girls don't cry."

Those life lessons will always serve her well. The taste of dirt in At daylight the pony heard singin' her mouth, the pain of a hard-ground landing and the sting of the He pricked up his ears to her door tears as she fights them back are physical memories that translate He nickered to call out his cowgirl to that "grown-up living" everybody talked about. True to her train- To come sing to him once more ing, she never let the world see her heart break; she was deter-

mined there would be no evidence of a "fall apart." In the re- Goodnight good pony goodnight cesses of her mind, those words echoed like down a long canyon,

7 "Honey, cowgirls don't cry." WSPN: Life gives no quarter to those in boots and jeans. It batters and A name evolved… the Western Swing Prayer Network or WSPN. buffets, tosses and slams. Whether natural or man-made, the Today there are several hundred on the email list…many of whom storms in life keep coming. There have been times in my life are mighty prayer warriors, praying for folks they don‘t even know when, in spite of that stainless-steel badge of courage I was or have never met personally. We have seen SO many miracles. handed as a very young girl, I cried. I cried when my first horse, We rejoice together when we can move someone to the praise Ranger, died. I was 5 years old, he was 20-something and in a room… and we grieve together when someone makes their final running fit of his last breaths of life, he raced the length of a exit from this earth, even though we prayed for physical healing. meadow and then lay down as his heart stopped beating. I lost Not surprising, a unique bond of kinship develops when you pray my first best friend that day. I cried when my best buddy, our blue for someone, even if you have never met them. -eyed Australian shepherd, Sally, was no longer at my bedroom When we lost Jeremy, 27 year old grandson of WS family mem- window every night to be let back into the house after my dad had ber, Anita Tackett, I grieved for days. I had never met Jeremy but I put her out. The loss surpassed all the usual teenage heartbreak felt I knew him because of the frequent updates from his wife brought by peers, boys and the drama of growing up. Megan, during his struggle with Leukemia. I still grieve over Jer- I cried when my dad sat before me and told me that we were emy loss. moving from the ranch I'd known as home all my life. But we have so many to rejoice about. When Ray and Connie and I was 16 and recall the moment still with a sharp pain in my heart Paige, (and scores of others to numerous to count), were at and tears waiting to fall, not because of his words, but because it death‘s door and were restored to life we rejoiced and rejoiced. made him cry too. Until that moment, I'd never seen my dad cry. Believe me, we do more rejoicing than grieving. Through the years, there have been other occasions for tears. Joe Baker graciously publishes that WSPN prayer list every Happy tears and heart break tears. Sometimes I let them fall, but month in the Backforty Bunkhouse. Chuck Hayes does so, as more often, I did not. "Honey, cowgirls don't cry." well, in the WSMSS Swing Beat. What a support network we When my dad lay dying at the age of 50, cheated of the life he have! worked to create, I cried every tear I hadn't cried up until then. It The mysteries of prayer: seemed as if they'd been stored for that moment when the pain of I don‘t understand why our God wants us to pray for each other… the loss far surpassed the indoctrination of "cowgirls don't cry." but He does…so we do. It is a mystery to me. There have been And when it was over, so were the tears of that magnitude. I knew many secular scientific studies done on prayer…trying to debunk the lesson was not in the "not crying." It was in the determination its positive affect…but has failed to do so. In fact their studies to get back on and ride again. I finally understood that he wasn't conclude that prayer works but it is not understood why. One par- telling me not to cry, not really. He was telling me to not quit and ticular study involved growing fungi, (who obviously can‘t pray for not stop trying. What he was really saying was, "Cowgirls never themselves). Some dishes of fungi received prayer for growth give up." retardation while the control dishes of fungi did not. All lab condi- Julie can be reach for comment at [email protected] tions were carefully kept equal, except for the prayer. The growth rate was measured in all the dishes regularly. The results: When the growth in 195 experimental dishes (who received prayer for The Messanger...Rhonda growth retardation) was compared to their corresponding control dishes, (Who did not receive prayer) growth was significantly re- WSPN: How it all started…just in case tarded in 151 dishes. The possibility that these results could you have wondered. be explained by chance was less than one in a thousand. Shortly after we discovered this WS circuit, Why we pray: we met a dear couple from Chico TX, We pray not because these studies prove prayer works! We pray Buddy and Darlene Thornton. Although because we were taught from childhood to believe, trust and to Darlene never complained, we quickly pray. Prayer is making a request, through faith, to a loving caring realized she was in severe pain all the God. He still is that loving caring Father! We still believe. We still time. By the time we had bonded like fam- pray. He still answers mightily… and we praise excitedly! ily a huge surgery involving spinal fusion with rods and screws The western swing family that I have come to know and love, are became necessary on Darlene‘s back. Our daughter had been old fashioned, loving, caring, praying, folks, of which I am de- through the same surgery so I was familiar with the nightmare lighted to be a part. recovery Darlene was going to have. Our daughter had 3 disks I invite you to join us on the WSPN…[email protected] fused and Darlene had 6! The agonizing 7 or 8 hour surgery left …We need you and… you never know when you may need us. Darlene with an abdominal incision as well as one along her The messenger…Rhonda spine. Not wanting to disturb Buddy and Darlene during the long convalescing period, their friends from all over the country began [email protected] calling me to get updates on her recovery. To better communicate her progress I created an email list of friends to be updated daily. I think they are friends with every western swing person in the world! As Darlene recovered, some of the friends on the email list began Backforty Bunkhouse Newsletter publisher, asking for prayer for a need they had as well. I sent those re- Joe Baker quests to all on the list. We also shared information about the to be inducted into next music event where we would be where we could be together. the Atlanta (GA) Country Music Hall Of Fame The email list grew. The number of prayer requests grew. The on November 27th, 2010, number of prayer warriors grew. The love and bonding between for his contributions and achievements friends grew. My job grew and became a mission. in the music industry.

8 Keepin‘ It Real Times have changed, and the demand for material things By Chuck Cusimano keeps expanding. Both parents feel the need to work so there isn‘t a lot of time spent where a radio can be heard. This year, in 2010, Article Two: New Blood Dad leaves for work, the kids leave for school, and Mom leaves for work. They have a huge house, three or four TV‘s, at least two I would like to introduce you to some vehicles and a large family vacation planned. They don‘t have people who love the sounds of Real Coun- time to . Oh, maybe they will catch a few tunes try Music. Enough so, that they invest on the car radio on their way to work, or on the way home, but their own time, money and talent into pre- when Dad comes home, he‘ll watch the news, or a sports game serving it and recording it. These Men on television. Mom probably taped her favorite soap and she‘ll and Women hurdle over obstacles that watch it while they wait for the pizza guy to ring their dinner bell. other people, in a more affluent climate of (The one on the front of the house.) Recording Producers, tend to buckle under to. The almighty dol- Back in 1955, for example, Little miss Suzy Homemaker lar is still the main focus of these recording producers and nowa- would be ironing the hubby‘s bowling shirt while hearing the latest days, these music manglers, are more concerned with the looks country music on the local radio station. When she heard a song of the artists than their mere talent. After all, there are machines that she really liked, she would recognize it the very next time she available that will correct the slightly off key whining vocal going heard the musical intro on the radio. She even had the luxury to into the microphone. It‘s sad, but true, that in today‘s hotbed of pick up the phone, call the station and tell the D.J. how much she musical trench, looks are what are important. would liked it, and request that he play it again …soon. Hubby probably not get a record deal in today‘s Nashville. She would probably heard the juke box at the bowling alley, and would even drop in a not get an appointment with a . few coins to hear the songs he liked. The records were vinyl, and new releases would arrive every day in the mail. The disk jockey Meet a new breed of Real Country Music artists. These are would usually, check the name of the artist, and the record label. some that I‘m personal friends with, and folks that I know and Then, if it was a major label, such as, Decca, Columbia, Capitol, know of, so if I leave someone out that some of the readers know, or R.C.A., he would play it. Of course, later, there were many just insert their names in where you wish them to be. I‘ll start in other major labels like Mercury, M.C.A., Dot, and a handful of oth- no particular order; Justin Trevino, Bobby Flores, Amber Digby, ers. Some had funny sounding names, like Smash or Chart. But, Miss Leslie, Rance Norton, Landon Dodd, Kimberley Murray, they were major labels, and not in the habit of putting records out Lonnie Spiker, Damon Gray, Billy Mata, Heather Miles, Teea on someone without talent. Recordings, at one time, were done Goans, Dale Watson, Gena Roberts, Jake Hooker, , with all the musicians standing around a central microphone and Liz Talley, Jerry Webb, Ron Williams, Leanne Cortes, and the list the song was performed live. If the singer missed a note, or a goes on. There are also Bands or Groups who strive to record word, or the guitar player hit a clunker, the whole thing would have Real Country Music; Country Night Live, The Insiders, Steel to be done again. There were no isolated tracks. I believe this Country, The Derailers and others. There are older, Veteran art- made better players, because you didn‘t want to be the one to ists who still record Real Country Music; Tommy Hooker, Billy make everyone else do their part again because you flubbed. Keeble, Curtis Potter, Darrell McCall, Mona McCall, Chuck Cusi- Now a days, the radio is pretty much on auto pilot. The D.J. may mano, Cornell Hurd, , Tommy Horton, and up until have a choice, but it‘s restricted to what has been programmed on his sickness, Joe Paul Nichols. There are well known artists of the computers play list. yesteryear still recording Real Country Music, and you won‘t hear I certainly wish there was more interaction between the listener, their new releases on Mainstream Country Radio programming; and the radio personalities. , , , Johnny Bush, My hat is off to the hold outs, who because of the music that , Willie Nelson, and that list also goes on and plays in their hearts, spend their own money to record Real Coun- on. You can hear some of these artists on Sirius XM, but Main- try Music. They are determined to not let it die. I have already stream Country Stations will seldom play them. shown you the dollar signs. Please do your part, if you love Real Most, if not all mentioned, fund their own projects, and own Country Music, and support these ―hangers on.‖ Buy their re- their own record labels. When the artist has paid for the re- cordings and attend the live shows. The couch will still be there cording studio, the musicians, the mechanical royalties, the mix- when these artists have decided to quit touring and recording. I ing and mastering, and the mass production of at least a thou- sincerely hope that day is a long, long time from now. There are a sand copies of the new CD, the artist is left with an expense of lot of us who still love Real Country Music. Maybe together we several thousand dollars, and the only way the artist can get paid can help keep it real. back, is by selling product at live shows, off the bandstand, or on [email protected] the internet. The C.D. the consumer pays fifteen dollars for has cost the artist about nine dollars each to get it in the hands of the buyer. If the artist sells 1,000 copies, at $15.00 each, that is Thoughts Of A Dancer… $15,000 dollars, but it has cost the artist roughly, nine or ten thou- By Sue Howe sand dollars to get a thousand copies. Profit is around $5,000 or $6,000 dollars. If the artist sells more, he/she makes a little more Our little adventure this October started profit on the next thousand because the recording is paid for by by making a couple of dances in east now. It may take 12 to 24 months to sell a thousand copies, and Texas on our way to Mena, AK. for Hope it‘s hard to live on $2,500.00 for a year, so the artist better be & Bill Reed's Rich Mountain Country and getting some good bookings. Western Swing Festival they have each One thing I‘ve noticed with these folks I‘m talking about, including fall and spring. The weather was beautiful myself, we do it because we love it. We love the music. It‘s not as was the colors of the leaves on the about dollars. It‘s about the singing in our hearts that only we can trees. This is a beautiful area to go for a relaxing visit. This event hear. starts off with a fish fry and jam session on Wednesday after-

9 noon. This year the crowd had the pleasure of hearing a new thing to be thankful for. Pray for our country. comer by the name of Buddy Thornton, I understand he sang an Love you all original song he wrote. In the past he has performed with Sue Howe his "wash board" with different bands during the jam sessions. I [email protected] was a little under the weather Wed. afternoon and to our dismay we missed his performance, I know he was outstanding. But be- sides his talent we had Don Thompson & Talimena Drive on Thursday, Eddie McAlvain & on Friday and Milton Brown Larry Lange & The Lone Star Troubadours on Saturday. So you Born September 8, 1903 in know we had some wonderful music. Hope and Bill set the date Stephenville, TX Died April 13, 1936 in Crystal Springs, TX for the spring event in May but I didn't write it down and have had By Dugg Collins a senior moment and forgot it.

Milton Brown was one of the fathers of And now on to the WSMSS event in beautiful Wagoner, OK. To Western Swing, a vocalist and bandleader start with, the Sequoyah State Park is such a beautiful area with who was one of the first to fuse country, , and pop together the lake and the wildlife. You can watch the geese landing on the into a unique, distinctly American hybrid. Along with who water, the turkey's going through the woods or watch the deer as he performed with at you take a morning walk to get your legs limbered up for the days the beginning of this dancing. Anyway that's what some did, we kinda saved our career Brown devel- strength for the days dancing since we have been there before oped the sound and and know what wonderful talent is always there and that we will style of Western Swing want to dance just about every tune. in the early '30s and for a while he and his If you missed the WSMSS at Wagoner, OK. you missed some of band, the Musical the most awesome talent ever. You dance till you feel your feet Brownies, were just as are gonna just come right off and then go into one of the jam popular as Wills and area's and listen to more wonderful music and pat your foot. You his Texas Playboys. know you even have entertainment while you eat in the restau- Tragically, Milton rant. because there are groups of people in the lobby play- Brown's career was ing different instruments and singing. You know some of these cut short in 1936 when musicians travel a great distance to come here and play and they he died in a car acci- are paid nothing. I know Chuck Hayes may sing a good song dent, just as he was and have a silver tongue when it comes to little Barb, but I really poised to break into don't think he could spin a yarn good enough to get all these guys national stardom. and gals to travel the distance some do. They do it for the love of western swing music and the camaraderie. One couple trav- Born in Stephenville, Texas in 1903, Milton Brown moved to Fort eled through a snow and ice storm in Canada to get there. Peo- Worth, Texas in 1918. After graduating from high school in 1925, ple came from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, and Mary- he worked as a cigar salesman, but he lost his job when the Great land. Needless to say, our great land is very well represented by Depression hit in the late '20s. Brown began his musical career in the outstanding talent gathered there for these events. You know 1930, when he happened to meet Bob Wills at a local Fort Worth some of these talented performers played with people like Marty dance. The Wills Fiddle Band was performing at the dance and Robbins, Jimmy C. Newman, Johnny Lee Wills, , Brown joined the group on a chorus of "St. Louis Blues." Wills was Hank Thompson and the Brazos Valley Boys, Hoyle Nix, Wynn impressed with Brown's voice and immediately asked him and his Stewart, The Miller Brothers, , and of guitarist brother, Derwood, to join the band. course Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys. And not only that but some have performed for a couple of Presidents of our great The Wills Fiddle Band played medicine shows around Texas and country as well as many other famous people. And they take the landed a regular radio spot on WBAP, where they played a show time, money and effort to play for all of us. HOW LUCKY CAN sponsored by Aladdin Lamp Company, who had the band change YOU BE???? Last night at a local dance I was visiting with a their name to the Aladdin Laddies. In early 1931, the group was couple who went to Wagoner for their 1st. time, they were very hired by the Light Crust Flour Company which was run by Burris well impressed with it. He said he was gonna change his priori- Mill and Elevator Company to appear daily on the radio station ties next time he went and do more listening, make more jam KFJZ. The company, which was managed by W. Lee O'Daniel rooms because he can dance other places but the talent there is who also hosted the radio shows, had the group rename them- just unreal. They will be going back for sure. selves the Light Crust Doughboys. I want to take this opportunity to say a HUGE THANK YOU to all the wonderful musicians who took their time to go to Wagoner The Light Crust Doughboys were an instant success, and soon and make such beautiful music for us. And I'd also like to give a O'Daniel moved them first to another radio station, then syndi- big THANK YOU to all the sweet wonderful people who don't per- cated the program statewide. The Doughboys were playing cow- form maybe except on the dance floor or listen to the music. You boy songs, jazz, blues, and popular songs a repertoire so diverse know it takes all 3; performers, listener's, and dancers to make that the band's audience continued to expand. In February of these events turn out great. Buddy & I always enjoy seeing eve- 1932, they recorded a single for Victor under the name the Fort ryone and meeting new friends at these events. Worth Doughboys. We'll be looking for each of you at the next one which (for us) I think will be Canton, TX for Valentine‘s Day. Until then we hope The band was playing dance music and they wanted to play at each of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving. We all have some- dances, but O'Daniel was reluctant to let the group play outside of

10 their radio shows. He also was hesitant to pay them much money, which greatly angered Milton Brown. In September of 1932, Brown left the band after he had a argument about money with Hey fans, O'Daniel. After leaving the Light Crust Doughboys, Brown formed the first Western Swing band, the Musical Brownies. The first Just a reminder that our 4th Annual Christmas Ball is just a incarnation of the Brownies featured Brown, guitarist Durwood month away. It will be on Saturday night, December 11 , Brown, bassist Wanna Coffman, Ocie Stockard on tenor banjo, 8:00p.m. til 12:00a.m. at the Navasota VFW Post 2004 on and fiddle player Jesse Ashlock. Shortly afterward, pianist Fred S.H 105 West in Navasota, Texas. Food will be served by Calhoun and fiddle player (who replaced Ashlock) the River Road Girls as well as door prizes during breaks. joined the group. Like the Light Crust Doughboys, the Musical Brownies played a mixture of country, pop, and jazz, but the It is also our 40th Anniversary and we plan to have as spe- Brownies had a harder dance edge than their predecessors. cial guests several former River Road Boys: Dick Allen, Jim Nelson, Bufford Estes, Terry Barnett and Herb Reming- Almost immediately, Brown and His Musical Brownies were a ton. We plan on getting them all on the bandstand to play huge success. The group had a regular spot on the radio station during the evening. KTAT and drew large crowds at Texas dances. In April of 1934, the band recorded eight songs for Bluebird; they recorded an- Also on the bandstand will be Wayne Glasson on and other ten for the label in August. Harlan Kubos on bass. If you have not reserved your tickets please call Clyde and Toward the end of 1934, the Sedonia Brewer as soon as possible at (h) 281-356-7174 or Brownies added an electric (c) 713-829-8729. steel guitarist called the first musician to play an This promises to be a night to remember so bring your cam- electric instrument in country eras and put on your dancing shoes for some great western music. In January of 1935, the swing at this historical reunion of The River Road Boys. band signed with Decca re- Thanks, cords and recorded 36 songs for the label. Released as sin- The River Road Boys gles over the course of 1935, the songs helped establish the Check out our website www.RiverRoadBoys.com band as the most popular West- and please be sure to sign our guestbook! ern Swing band in Texas. In Leader, Clyde Brewer, Ph: (281) 356-7174 March of 1936, the Brownies Band Secretary: Vivian Howser, Ph: (281) 290-7255 travelled to New Orleans to Mailing address: record their second set of sessions for Decca. By this time, fiddler 22011 Rosewood Trail Brower had been replaced by . At these sessions, the Brownies cut about 50 songs, which were issued throughout 1936 Tomball, Texas 77377-3505 and 1937.

In April of 1936, Brown suffered a major car accident. Although he wasn't killed on impact, he died five days after the crash, from pneumonia. Following Milton's death, Durwood Brown kept the Musical Brownies together for two years, recording a dozen sides for Decca in 1937. of his death, Milton Brown rivaled Bob Wills in popularity. Although he never became as famous as Wills, he was equally important in the development of Western Swing without him, the genre as we know it wouldn't exist. Thank you Stephen Thomas Erlewine.

Dugg Collins

duggcollins.com

RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 20, 2010 Tune in to The Real West from The Old West AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE ON THE At www.RealWestOldWest.com FOLLOWING WEB SITES: Join Totsie Slover for good Cowboy Music, HTTP://WWW.GENAROBERTS.COM Western Swing and Cowboy Poetry HTTP://WWW.REVERBNATION.COM/GENAROBERTS Show is streamed 24/7 HTTP://WWW.BACKFORTYBUNKHOUSE.COM

THANKS TO OUR FANS FOR THEIR SUPPORT I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS RELEASE.

B.J. ST.CLAIRE – PRESIDENT TEXAS UNIVERSAL MANAGEMENT TERAJAY RECORDS

11 Cade‘s Cadence There are no degrees to right or wrong just like there are no de- grees to honestly. I‘m sure you‘ve heard somebody say ―Well he‘s Watch Yer Step! only about half honest‖ There is no such thing as half honest just like there is no such thing as Politically Correct. Either something Politically Correctness. is correct or it is incorrect. The sad truth is however that Political Correctness remains just what it was intended to be: a sophisti- It seems like this idea has taken cated and dangerous form of censorship and oppression, imposed over to the point that most Ameri- upon citizens with the ultimate goal of manipulating, brainwashing cans are constantly doing the and destroying their society. politically correct thing instead of the correct thing. This is espe- Cade Schalla cially true in Corporate America where it doesn‘t matter what is right or wrong anymore just as long as you don‘t offend some- [email protected] body. Some companies actually put their employees through courses that instruct them how to be Politically Correct. GREAT TRIP TO 21ST ANNUAL Does anybody know how this idea infiltrated our society? Do you LINCOLN COUNTY COWBOY know who originally developed this idea and what its purpose SYMPOSIUM was? I did a little research and here is what I found. By Joyce Miller

It was developed at the Institute for Social Research in Frankfurt, In October, Gary and I, and our friends Germany, which was founded in 1923 and came to be known as from England, Terry and Marian, and the "Frankfurt School." It was a group of thinkers who pulled to- our longtime friend from Oklahoma, gether to find a solution to the biggest problem facing the imple- Dorothy set out for our trip to Ruidoso. We were all excited and menters of communism in Russia. They couldn‘t understand why happy to be headed toward our destination, the Lincoln County communism wasn‘t spreading so this group of thinkers put their Cowboy Symposium. It was a mere 8 ½ hours from Ft. Worth heads together and came to a solution: Western civilization, de- with a few stops on the way, one at Abilene and of course, one at mocracy and freedom of speech were preventing the spread of Roswell, NM (alien capital of the world). Arriving about 4:30 P.M. Communism. Western civilization after all believes that there is on Wednesday afternoon, we checked into our condo at Pine Cliff value in the individual, the individual has rights and should be Village, across from Ruidoso Downs. After a short rest, we were able to express his or her ideas. This contradicted the idea of happily anticipating the next 4-5 days ahead of us. That night, we Communism where all valid ideas come from the effect of the attended the jam session around the swimming pool at Pine Cliff social group of the masses. The individual is nothing. Village. It was the perfect, cool, crisp, clear autumn night to be outside. The ―jam session‖ was more of a musical event than an So after they figured out what the problem was they came up impromptu gathering, with the likes of several of the Texas Play- with an idea that they hoped would chip away at and eventfully boys performing, including Leon Rausch crooning some great destroy Western civilization. Change their speech and thought western swing tunes. Tommy Allsup was very entertaining as was patterns by spreading the idea that vocalizing your beliefs is dis- the whole band which was a ―whose who‖ of western swing respectful to others and must be avoided to make up for past in- greats. We visited with a lot of old friends including Joe Baker equities and injustices. And call it something that sounds positive: who works so hard to make this event all come together. It was a "Political Correctness." perfect beginning to our little excursion.

In 1935, after Hitler came to power, the Frankfurt School moved On Thursday, we looked around the quaint, mountain to New York City, where they continued their work by translating resort village of Ruidoso, sampling some wonderful Southwest Marxism from economic to cultural terms using Sigmund Freud's Mexican food at Lucy‘s Restaurant downtown at lunchtime. We psychological conditioning mechanisms to get Americans to buy strolled in and out of shops along the main drag, pausing only into Political Correctness. In 1941, they moved to California to occasionally, to gaze into a store window or sample a taste of spread their wings. fudge or other culinary delight. Thursday evening we attended the Asleep At The Wheel concert in the Big Tent. It was packed to Of course, thanks to the brilliance of our founding fathers it has the gills. taken a long time for it to take hold. But when you read the consti- tution and how eloquently it was written you get the impression The audience was thrilled with the fantastic perform- that they knew this was coming. I doubt however they ever ances of , Jason Roberts and the rest of the band. thought it would become this entrenched in our educational sys- Jason Roberts acting as Bob Wills was a priceless mini-trip into tem, at the scientific, the religious and community levels as well the past, reminiscent of the big band era . The highlight was when as the media, the workplace and even our government. It is Leon Rausch appeared on stage to sing along with Ray and Eliza- changing the American society from within, and the citizens of this beth, featuring some of the songs from their new collaborative CD, nation are increasingly censoring themselves and losing their It‟s a Good Day. We bought the CD directly from Vonnie, Leon‘s freedom of speech out of fear of Political Correctness repression. wife, as did so many other Playboys and Wheel‘s fans. It‘s a great marrying of voices and classic western swing traditional It is the nature of Americans to be civilized and respectful of oth- music. We love it and so will you. ers and concerned with correcting injustices. We don't need Politi- cal Correctness to make us think we are not civilized on our own Of course, Friday, morning, Oct. 8th, kicked off the begin- and must have our thoughts and words restricted. ning of the symposium at the racetrack. We got there bright and early and walked right in and sat down to enjoy the Sidekicks

12 Band with Wendell Sollis, George Uptmor, Ronny Dale Shultz, event called The Lincoln County Cowboy Symposium. If you only Mark Lowe, Liz Talley, and ―the man of steel‖, himself, Mr. Bob get to go to one western festival next year, make sure it‘s this one. Baker. Not too shabby for 9:30 A.M. During the day until 5:30 I guarantee you won‘t be disappointed. P.M. both Friday and Saturday, we enjoyed wonderful western and western swing music, cowboy poetry, Craig Cameron‘s horse A wonderful side trip either coming or going to the LCCS is training demonstrations, and tantalizing foods from the chuck Carlsbad, New Mexico. Don‘t miss the Caverns – at least take the wagons to the many vendors scattered around the grounds. We self-guided tour through the Big Room. And by all means, time it stopped in several times over the two-day period to catch various so that you can see the bats ascending out of the Natural En- artists performing during the afternoons in the big tent. Billy Mata, trance of the cave. It‘s a unique and amazing experience. The Bobby Flores, Darrell McCall, Tony Booth, Curtis Potter, Byron bats spiral straight up out of the cave entrance resembling smoke Berline, Jimmy Burson, JustinTrevino, Ginny Mac and Belinda rising from a fire. It is estimated that approximately 500,000 bats Gail to drop a few names; along with a host of other fabulous mu- fly out each evening about dusk and return the next morning by sicians, like Floyd Domino on piano, Larry Reed on sax, Greg sunrise to their cave sanctuary. Since we were headed back Hardy on drums, and more great fiddle players than you could home to Texas, we also decided to visit the Guadalupe National imagine; ten or eleven at times. It was a feast for the eyes and Park mountain range, which boasts the highest peak in Texas. ears. We only had a few hours to spend there, but it has a magnificent display of natural wonders. It‘s a photographer‘s paradise with all Meanwhile, in Billy‘s Tavern inside the Casino, starting the lush, different plants and vegetation and the beautiful moun- about 10:00 A.M. every morning and continuing throughout the tain backdrops. Next time we want to be there long enough to day and evening until midnight or so, you could dance to some take the 3-mile hike into the canyon. Yes, we are definitely going unbelievable music performed by some amazing entertainers. back! Joe Baker, western music promoter extraordinaire, DJ, and lover of all things western, was the host and emcee of this exceptional By Joyce Miller – Secretary/Treasurer venue. Brady Bowen and his band, Hugo Chambers, Joe Paul Cowtown Society of Western Music Clark, Billy Dozier, Gregg Gibbs, Wayne Glassen, Harland Kubos, www.cowtown-swm.org Jess Meador (17 yr. old fiddle-phenom) and the awesome, Albert Talley on kept the audience thoroughly entertained. Different guest singers and musicians mixed and interchanged on AP – FILE - In this Nov. 12, 2008 the stage throughout the day, providing a magical music lover‘s file photo, country singer Randy experience. Amber Digby, Darrell and Mona McCall, Curtis Pot- Travis and his wife Elizabeth ter, Tony Booth, Justin Trevino, Billy Mata, Bobby Flores, Chuck Cusimano, Belinda Gail and many more performed to a bulging By CHRIS TALBOTT, AP Entertain- room of appreciative fans. ment Writer Chris Talbott, Ap Enter- tainment Writer Jody Nix wowed the crowd once again in the big concert tent at Friday night‘s dance. With his exceptional ability to create NASHVILLE, Tenn. – a genuine rapport with the audience, he shined during his per- and his wife-manager Elizabeth formance, singing and playing such great western swing hits as Travis have divorced. Family spokes- San Antonio Rose, Big Beaver and of course, Big Ball‟s in Cow woman Maureen O'Connor con- Town penned by his father, Hoyle Nix. On Saturday night, The firmed to The on Gatlin Brothers put on a marvelous show, singing some of their Friday that the divorce was final. greatest hits with Larry recanting some funny stories from their No further details were given, but an past and joking with his brothers. He even got the audience to earlier statement that the couple had "parted ways" said Elizabeth clap and sing along with several of the old standby tunes that he Travis would continue to be Travis' personal manager. The state- and his band are famous for. He is the consummate entertainer. ment said the couple would have no further comment and asked You could see all the approving smiles on the fan‘s faces. for "respect for their privacy during this time." Neither could be reached for comment. After the Gatlin Brothers exited the stage, the Texas The couple has had a 34-year business and personal relationship Playboys along with Leon Rausch and Tommy Allsup took over. that began when a teenage Travis won a talent contest at the The well-known western swing tunes were real crowd pleasers. Charlotte, N.C., nightclub his future wife owned in the mid- Tommy even threw in some old tunes. My favorite is with her first husband. They married in 1991. Raining In My Heart. However, his instrumental rendition of How They moved to Nashville in the early . Travis was turned Great Thou Art brings you to tears. Bobby Koeffer gave a rousing down by most of the record labels in town because he was con- and comical performance of White Lightnin‟. He had everyone sidered too country. laughing out loud. As always, Leon Rausch‘s voice was glorious Under her guidance, he eventually landed a record deal and put as was the big smile across his face. He is still on top of his out his first , "Storms of Life," in 1985. Soon the singer with game. the smooth baritone and straight-up style revolutionized the genre, spurring the so-called neotraditionalist movement that produced All in all, it was a memorable and exceptional trip. We some of country's biggest stars. all thoroughly enjoyed our time in Ruidoso. What a wonderful Travis went on to sell millions of albums and has won more than musical venue to experience! Our congratulations to Larry and two dozen major awards, including six Grammys. His latest came Gail Scott for once again, putting together a fantastic musical earlier this year when he won best country collaboration for "I Told forum. They deserve an award for all their efforts. Their hard You So," a duet with . work each year and their dedication to western music and culture shines like a beacon in a storm and culminates with this awesome

13

Now is the time to schedule your songs for the Christmas edition of the Backforty Roundup Compilation CD. Deadline for Volume 47 Christ- mas Special is November 20th. Track position is on a first-come / first- serve basis.

First Song $150 Additional Songs $100 Ea. Volume 47 is tentatively scheduled to go out the week of Thanksgiving just in time for the DJs to start playing their Christmas format along with their regular format.

Pay securily with a credit card by PayPal at Christmas Special.

Joe Baker’s Backforty Roundup is a periodical compilation CD sent to over 188 Radio Stations and Western Publications throughout the and Canada plus downloadable by over 250 overseas stations through our DJ Download's page. The Roundup Compilation CD is a must to get your music where it will be heard. Check out the Backforty Roundup at Christmas Special.

14 Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame to induct female pioneer Beach, performing on local radio station KNGS, and appearing on Paul‘s Valley native is noted for several firsts Jelly Sanders‘ radio show on Porterville‘s KTNV. in the field of country music Through these appearances, she came to the attention of Thomp- son, who was responsible for her first recording contract with She‘ll join three others today Capitol. Her first solo recording was ―Crying Steel Guitar Waltz/ when their lives and careers are Twice the Lovin'‖ in 1953 with Speedy West on steel. The afore- celebrated during the Oklahoma mentioned ―‖ was followed with ―Forgive Me Music Hall of Fame Concert and John,‖ which charted at No. 4 on the country lists as well as on the Induction Ceremony. Top 25 pop charts. Her early Capitol recordings were backed by Bill Woods‘ band out of Bakersfield, which included guitarist Buck Shepard joined singer, actor and Owens. She later formed her own band called The Second Fid- Broadway star Sam Harris, Okla- dles, after her 1964 hit ―Second Fiddle (to an Old Guitar).‖ With homa balladeer Les Gilliam and the Capitol and labels, she produced several Top legendary drummer Jamie Five country hits such as ―,‖ ―Beautiful Lies,‖ Oldaker at 7:30 p.m. last night at ―Second Fiddle to a Steel Guitar,‖ ―,‖ and Muskogee Civic Center. Follow- ―Slippin‘ Away.‖ The latter won her a Grammy Award nomination ing the ceremony, there was a in 1973 for Best Country Female Vocalist of the Year. concert with performances by the inductees. The same year Jean joined the (1955), she helped launch the ―‖ telecast on ABC television as Shepard was one of the first part of ‘s cast, where she remained until 1957. She was women to break the country music barrier in the 1950s. Upon the named Top Female Singer by ―Cash Box‖ magazine in 1959 fol- recommendation of Hank Thompson, Shepard signed with Capitol lowing such hits as ―I Want to Go Where No One Knows Me‖ and Records in 1952. One year later, she scored with a No. 1 country ―Have Heart, Will Love.‖ In 1963, her husband Hawkshaw Haw- hit, a Korean War song entitled ―A Dear John Letter‖ with narra- kins was killed in a plane crash near Camden, Tennessee, which tion from , who was appointed as her guardian for also killed Patsy Cline and . tours outside the state since Shepard wasn‘t 21. It topped the country charts for 23 weeks and crossed over to the Top 5 pop Shepard‘s string of medium-sized hits in the on Capitol charts, selling some 10 million records in 1953. included ―Many Happy Hangovers to You,‖ ―If Teardrops Were Silver,‖ ―I‘ll Take the Dog,‖ ―Mr. Do-It-Yourself,‖ ―Heart, We did All This success made her California‘s first major female recording We Could,‖ ―Your Forevers (Don‘t Last Very Long),‖ and ―Seven artist since Patsy Montana. She was one of the first women to join Lonely Days.‖ The late was quoted as saying, ―All the the Grand Ole Opry in 1955, and is the first woman to hold mem- girl singers should sound like Jean Shepard. She always hits her bership in the ―mode lode of country music‖ for more than 47 notes, holds them and wraps them around an audience like no- years. body else can.‖

Shepard was the first country music female vocalist to overdub In 1973, Shepard moved to the United Artists and remained with her voice on records and the first female in country music to sell a that label until 1977. Her biggest hits with UA included ―At the million records. Finally, she was the first woman in country music Time,‖ ―I‘ll Do Anything It Takes (To Stay With You),‖ ―Poor Sweet to record a concept album. Her 1956 ―Songs of a Love Affair‖ Baby,‖ and ―The Tips of My Fingers.‖ Her last hit single was in featured 12 songs, all written by her, from a single woman‘s point 1978, ―The Real Thing,‖ which peaked at No. 85. of view on one side, while the other side portrayed the wife‘s per- spective. She continues to perform on the Grand Ole Opry as well as in Branson, Mo., in ―Grand Ladies of Country Music,‖ a show The early years launched in 2000 that includes , , , Leona Williams, and Norma Jean, another Oklaho- Born to parents, Hoit and Alla Mae Shepard, who raised 11 chil- man. dren in rural Oklahoma, Ollie Imogene Shepard was an avid lis- tener to the Grand Ole Opry and Bob Wills‘ radio broadcasts over KVOO in Tulsa. She learned to sing by listening to Jimmie Rod- gers records on a wind-up Victrola. After living in Hugo, Shepard and her family relocated to Visalia, Calif., near Bakersfield, at the conclusion of World War II. At 14, she and several friends formed The Melody Ranch Girls, an all-female western swing band, named after Noble‘s Melody Ranch, owned by Noble Fosberg, who managed and booked the band. She sang and played up- right bass, an instrument that overwhelmed her 5-feet, 1-inch height. She recalled her mother and father hocking every stick of furniture in their home to pay for the bass which cost $350, a sum that would have bought a whole house full of furniture at the time. In 1948, the group recorded Hank Thompson‘s song ―Help.‖

Shepard was becoming a well known music personality in the San Jaoquin Valley, while working three nights a week at Pismo A-10 Etcheverry, Creative Achievement Award Winner Cowtown Society Of Western Music 2009 - CrayolaCowboy.com 15 Hello Everyone !!!!! It is that time of year again and we are Just A Comment From An Appreciative Western Swing Fan so excited !!! The Three Rivers Cowboy Ball is the first Saturday in Decem- The applause erupted into a roar ber (4th) in the Three Rivers Ballroom - 218 S. Main Street in after Tommy Allsup and his fiddle group fin- Historic Downtown Quanah. Back by popular demand, we are ished each number, similar to that of a crowd presenting Bobby Flores and The Yellow Rose Band from 8:00 cheering at a football game when the favored til midnight !!!! (The ballroom will open at 7:00 - tickets $25.00) team scores a touchdown. That was the sound I remember from last October‘s Satur- There are a couple of new events this year that we want you to day afternoon concert in the Big Tent at the Lincoln County Cow- be a part of. The new Foyer to the Ballroom will be completed boy Symposium. It seemed to me to be more of a ―reaction than on the interior and we plan to have a Grand Opening at 6:00 an action.‖ For me, it was driving home the point that western complete with entertainment and hearty hors d'oeuvres - pre- swing needs more refreshing, young acts like Tommy has put senting Jimmy Burson on the fiddle and Miss Lucy Dean Record together to invoke a revitalization and perpetuation of western on the Steinway !!!!! (Tickets are $15.00) The second addition swing to secure its promise for the future. this year will feature Jimmy and Miss Lucy performing Western Congratulations to Tommy for his ability to inspire the Gospel in a church that was gifted to Three Rivers Founda- musicians to perform so as to impart such a spontaneous outburst tion. This church was built in 1913 and we are very proud to from an audience. I can only equate this moment to perhaps the present this treasure to our western swing friends at 9:00 am way Bob Wills was able to instill tremendous participation and Sunday morning. It is located just a few blocks from the ball- rapport between his band and their audiences, filling the 1940‘s room - we will have directions to the church conveniently located dancehalls with a roar of approving praise and a tingling rush of on each table at the ball. I have attached a poster for more in- excitement. formation.

So, make your plans, give a call or email us - reserve your table By Gary Beaver and purchase you tickets now!!!! We are planning to "Have a President, Cowtown Society of Western Music Ball"!!!!! www.cowtown-swm.org

See you on the DANCE FLOOR!!!! DVD Review by: Margo Metegrano Carolyn S. Wilson 940.663.5949 - 940.839.7332 (cell) Baxter Black Double DVD Live

Top cowboy poet and storyteller Baxter Black has an exciting new Friends, release, Baxter Black Double DVD Live. The generous set goes Got news today from Duke Gilleland in Belton that Katy Brown a long way toward show- will have hip surgery. "She fell Wed and broke her hip and has ing how and why he pneumonia. She is in Scott & White hospital in Temple and folks came to be the incompa- can send cards in care of our address. rable ambassador of Prayers appreciated. She was Roy Lee Brown‘s first steel player cowboy poetry. That tra- in the Jr Musical Brownies that started around the time Milton jectory is displayed in died." Katy Brown c/o Duke Gilleland, 1222 Elm Grove Spur, previously uncollected Belton, TX. 76513. We wish Katy a speedy recovery. segments of his appear- On sadder news, thanks to John Schmitz and Peter Blakeslee in ances on The Tonight Lincoln, NE we found out that Rusty Locke, the last original mem- Show with Johnny Car- ber of the Texas Top Hands, before that the band was known as son, the popular televi- the Texas Tumbleweeds, passed away Sat Oct 30. What a sion show that ran from sweetheart he was, as was his wife Cora who cared for him so 1962 to 1992. well til he had to go in an assisted living home. The link you must The Western Folklife read is at Center's Founding Direc- http://www.mysanantonio.com/obituaries/ tor Hal Cannon joins him locke_played_steel_guitar_in_the_famed_texas_top_hands_ban on the new DVD, along d_106568618.html?c=y&page=2#storytop with The Tonight You can send your card to his family at 422 Edalyn, Kirby, TX. Show producer Jeff Sotz- 78219. ing, in comfortable and We owe so much to these great men and women, talented more candid conversation from Baxter's living room as they introduce than we can ever realize. Not only they gave us this music we each segment from the television show. They share many behind- love, but it came with great sacrifice of their family and personal the-scenes memories; Baxter tells how he was told at first that he life. I for one am forever grateful. was "too cow-y" for the show. (Baxter Black was already making a Please share this news with other friends and fans. living as a cowboy poet and storyteller, before the Western Folk- Barbara Martin life Center's first Cowboy Poetry Gathering was held in Elko, Ne- Western Swing Monthly vada, in 1985, and he and Hal Cannon talk about the event's be- [email protected] ginnings, as well.) The Tonight Show segments, from 1987-1992, include Baxter's performance of eight pieces, including many that are still often-requested favorites, such as "Vegetarian's Night- 16 mare," "The Oyster," and "AARP!" Other cowboy poets appeared on The Tonight Show—Waddie Mitchell, Lloyd Gerber, Colen Sweeten, Rodney Nelson, Carlos ********** Ashley, Martin Bergin, Kay Kelley, Gwen Petersen, Nyle Hender- son, and Rod McQueary—and you'll catch a glimpse of Waddie Mitchell in 1987 and a short segment with Carlos Ashley. Fun Join the Lincoln County Sheriff's extras are included on The Tonight Show DVD, including "A Cow- Posse and boy's Document of Contrition," written after a night of "misbehavior"; "Limo," about Baxter Black's famous ranch-rig Backforty Bunkhouse Productions Cadillac; and outtakes of the making of the DVD. for the

A different sort of just-as-satisfying energy is on display in the 6th Annual Cowboy Ball second CD, which features a 2002 Baxter Black and At Mountain Annie's Dinner Theater Friends show from Iowa Public Television. There, in live perform- ance before an ag-friendly studio audience, Baxter Black delivers Dec 11th, 2010. his signature physical performances and all-out crazy and brilliant material—often "cow-y"—that didn't need to be selected with a national television audience in mind. Along with stories and po- Doors open at 6pm, ems, Baxter sings and plays guitar for several of his songs, backed up by regular cast members Cindy Lou Black on fiddle, Dinner at 7pm and Dance to and Chris Gauss and Butch Hause on guitar. One hilarious musi- Jody Nix & The Texas Cowboys cal segment, "Iowa Medley," substitutes Iowa towns for well- known standards, with two Iowans attempting to point out loca- From 8-11pm. tions on a map during quick presentations of tunes renamed, for example, "Rose of Okoboji"; "I Left My Heart in Webster City;" "Almost Heaven, Downtown Mallard," "The Davenport Stud," and Tickets are just $55 per person a frantic rapid-fire "I've Been Everywhere." In another song, "The That includes dinner. Big One Who Got Away," after joking criticism of it sounding like "a trail song for a turtle drive," the players rock out, to the delight For more information of the audience.

The second DVD also has bonus material, including segments Call Jim Browning at 575-354-0115. from Baxter Black Out There, a show currently running on RFD- TV. Both well-produced DVDs are tied together with impressive Arizona footage and the music of guitarist and master sound engi- Sponsored in part by neer Butch Hause. Lincoln County Lodgers Tax. Throughout it all, Baxter Black makes his performances look ef- fortless, connecting in his direct, electric way with the audience— his facial expressions alone could make for an entertaining collec- tion. Behind all of that is his intricate craft, finely honed, resulting in the sort of complexity that makes the timeless material worth ********** watching over and over. Find more about Baxter Black and the Baxter Black Double DVD Live at his web site, www.BaxterBlack.com, where there are special offers for the DVD set. Margo Metegrano, CowboyPoetry.com

[email protected] 17

"Punch" is not loudness. Punch is how far the speaker cone moves and pushes air. If the whole track is all the way up, the the speaker just goes all the way forward and stays there. No punch. So we don't cut off all the peaks. We just even them up a little. 52,000 intelligent good-looking readers. Much of this relies on our "ear" and experience. The mastering engineer has a barrel of terrific tools now'days, AFTER THE MIXDOWN. thanks to electronic and computer advancements. The final step in making a professional recording is the mastering. I have several hundred audio tools that didn't exist a few years A recording studio mixdown is not a final master. ago. The only problem with this is that I get too many good masters to You've had a recording session, with top notch musicians, in a choose from. good studio. You have your beautiful mixdown, thanks to expert engineers and There is too much to the subject of mastering to cover here, producer. but I hope I've convinced a few of you recording artists Are you ready to press your CD's? Not quite. to send your studio mix to the mastering studio before pressing. Next you send it to the mastering studio. Especially if you're in this for a career. The mastering process puts the final touches, the idea being this... Jack Blanchard to make the recording sound perfect on most players and radio © 2010. stations. Mastering engineers do a number of processes to accomplish Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan... this. Grammy Nominees. Billboard's Country Duet of the Year. Home page: http://jackandmisty.com Here are a few of the things we think about in our mastering stu- Mastering studio: [email protected] Phone 407 dio, the Music Hospital... 330 1611. It should sound great in both stereo and mono. In fringe areas, FM radio reverts to mono on most receivers. There's not much you can do about it after the recording is out Rich Huff‘s Best Of The West Reviews there, Review – Don Edwards but you can keep hitting the mono button during the mix... ―American‖ or you can leave it to the mastering guy to fix it. There are several ways to make it mono/stereo compatible during mastering. Don‘t be expecting some sweet li‘l round up the If nothing is done, some instruments might just disappear in cattle kind of project here! Never one to mince mono, words, Don Edwards purposefully returns with a and the tone of others can change. set of songs that are plain ol‘ tough-minded for our current times. Bass sounds below 40Hz take airspace away from the rest of the music, and can't even be heard on a lot of systems. Obviously perform- Bass sounds below about 28 Hz take up tons of space ances by Edwards will and can't even be heard by the human ear. I call it "silent rumble". always be superior. The first thing I do when mastering is to cut away this useless The point of this exer- junk. cise is the ingenious The highs and the rest of the record jump right out. selection and order of I can see it on the visual display, and the sound is instantly cleaner. the material. It‘s how he sets his CD‘s mis- The string bass and bass drum are important. sion statement in a The low end that gives them power is somewhere below 80 Hz. context of everything The attack or tap that gives them presence is above 1000Hz. America is and has These factors have to be balanced. been, warts and all.

In doing so he clearly Records get louder every year, so you want to get a good level, but without hurting your music. presents his own It's wrong to push the level to 100% and chop it off there with a stand without simply mouthing the empty incendiary invective em- limiter. ployed for commercial gain by the pack of failed DJs who now call This loses punch, sound quality, and dynamics. themselves public champions of the airwaves. Dynamics are the soft and louder sounds needed for contrast, like building up to a chorus. Starting with Merle Travis‘ ―I Am A Pilgrim‖ Edwards escorts us If all the music is full blast and chopped off at the top like a hedge, through melodic lessons like the medley of Dan Emmet‘s ―Dixie‖ you lose. It can also make the listeners swear and jump for the the volume with Katherine Lee Bates‘ ―America The Beautiful,‖ Andy Wilkin- control. son‘s look at inequality ―The Freedom Song‖ and ‘ ―My Own Native Land‖ (sobering considering how long ago it was One way to beat this is with "apparent loudness". penned). Edwards spells it out for you in his own sharp-toothed The human ear is most efficient in midrange. ―Hard Times‖ that offers the line ―left wing or right wing…I‘ve got and hears things loud and clear at 2KHz to 3KHz... the CB radio this to say…they‘re just two wings of the same bird of prey!‖ And range. So if you roll off some lows and highs, like a TV commercial, he wraps with ―This Land Is Your Land,‖ sounding the true note he it sounds louder, at least to humans. The trouble is it can sound wants to end on. brassy.

18 It is also likely no accident that he has elected to present The End Hello again from of the West as we choose to think of it, with Ed Bruce & Ron Pe- down in Austin, terson‗s ―The Last Cowboy Song‖ and a second version of the the ―Live Music dour song ―The Campfire Has Gone Out.‖ I mean if we‘re gonna Capitol of the get ‗tough‘… World‖! You know one of the most impressive 12 tracks total. things I could ever imagine is hearing young people playing western swing and CD: $15 plus $4.80 s/h (Texas residents add 7.75% tax) through really enjoying our music. www.donedwardsmusic.com where you will find five different ways to purchase, the preferred being by check/MO by mail to I had the opportunity to witness this kind of thing recently here in Sevenshoux Enterprises, 1824 CR 226, Hico, TX 76457. Austin. The now famous Quebe Sisters Band played one of their frequent concerts at Austin‘s Central Market. We were fortunate to - by Rick Huff be on hand with our recorders and microphones and got an inter- esting program done for Bob Wills Radio.

These young ladies are an amazing act to see and hear. Their

three part playing and singing is impeccable and they play all the old westerns swing favorites with terrific done by their rhythm guitar player and teacher, Joey McKenzie. Drew Phelps is their fine bass player who studied music at North Texas State University. Henry Baker Johnny Lyon O. B. Barnes Mike Miller The ladies did a great interview and we‘ll soon have it posted for Bobby Bearden Bob Nible all to hear on Bob Wills Radio. Mike Bobbitt Family Joe Paul Nichols Laverne Bockhorst Virgie O‘Daniel I had another great gig recently that I‘m proud to report. I played Clyde Brewer Tom and Claudia Padilla with my old pal the legendary at a private party at John and Barbara Brutsche Louise Pogue Tom Burgess Bob Pratt Eagle Lake, Texas near Houston. It‘s always terrific to play with Joyce Carter Hope Reed Herbie...he‘s still the consummate steel guitar player he always Shelly Cook Justin Riley Family was. Two other fine Houston musicians were on the gig… Mary Corley Lou Rochelle Terry Barnett on guitar and Robert Herridge on fiddle. That‘s us Vernon Cowles Tom Rose pictured Laqueta Cox Weta Shortes here. Vivian Cox Alton Simpson Dick and Rhonda Craig Gene Stevens Van Davis Sandee and Jim Tabor As always Billie and James Dobbs Joye Thompson we‘re on Dodie Ferguson Darlene Thornton the lookout Pat Goldbla Mike Vaughn for interest- Tom and Donna Hatton Big Fred Walker ing people Briggs Hill and his family Mary Walker and Family to feature Barbara Holman Ken Watkins Dave Holter Mike Ward on our se- Debra Hudnall Metisha Welch ries of pro- Mary Hunter Connie White grams and Annett James Ed White we have Jack Kindt Beth Yancy some great ones com- ing down the pike. We hope you‘ll continue to log on often and tell your friends and neighbors about our shows. Don‘t forget to check out our friend Barbara Martin‘s Western Swing Monthly. Until next time around, we hope you have a wonderful Holiday Season.

Joe Baker's Backforty Roundup newsletter really gives Jim Gough us radio people in the Western Swing and Western Mu- [email protected] sic worlds the opportunity to report on what we are playing. We also are given the opportunity to help the Sponsored in part by: artists that our listeners are requesting and that de- serve the print that is given. It also includes our reviews of the new material in these musical genres so that we can share ideas with each other.

Mike Gross “Swingin’ West” KVOF-FM

19 From: Bobbe Seymour : Bobbe's Tips

Hello fellow players, One time when I was playing a club in Colorado Springs, I figured if I could sing I would be more valuable in this little four piece band. The musicians in the group were incredible. All have now gone on to be masters of their profession and are well known to all. I can‘t remember if I told them before I was hired if I could sing or not, but I might have just to get the job. Upon showing up in Colo- rado Springs for the first rehearsal, I remember going into the club around noon. It wasn‘t open yet but management would leave the place open so we could rehearse on the actual stage where we would be playing. I think it was called The Wagon Wheel on East Platt Blvd. It was a small club that was jam packed every night. I made excuses for the first two or three weeks that I had a sore throat and it hurt to sing. The band accepted this for a little while but soon I knew I couldn‘t get away with it much longer. One song I was going to try to sing was Blue, Blue Day because I had heard Curly Chalker sing it and thought it was pretty cool. The second song I was going to try was I‘ll Play Second Fiddle, a tune that did some excellent steel work on. We should have rehearsed it but we didn‘t. Halfway through the second set, the guitar player announced to the tight little crowd, ―Our new steel player is going to sing one now. It‘s a Buck Owens tune called Second Fiddle.‖ I had no idea what key to do it in but remembered when I was a little kid calling square dances, I sang in Bb a lot. I did the intro and was singing sitting down behind my steel guitar. I noticed everyone was sitting and looking at the stage. As soon as the song was over, I knew I had been singing in too high a key because I could barely reach the notes, and when some inebriated customer at the bar turned around and yelled, ―Hey, let that chick sing another one.‖ That was all the proof I needed that I was in too high a key. This was actually the very end of my singing career. Amazing, the beginning and end in the same song! Just think, if I had kept sing- ing, possibly the girl singers of today wouldn‘t stand a chance. No telling how many careers I could have ended instead of my own. Anyway, I decided I enjoyed music way too much to open my mouth and destroy it. However, it did work real well because the band never asked me to sing again and I didn‘t get fired. >From there I moved to Duncan, Oklahoma. I got a job with Haliburton, worked in their machine shop for a good while gathering parts, tools and additional talents to start my own steel guitar company which turned out to be the beginning of MSA. Playing in Duncan, I was working with a western swing band one night and a guy comes up and says, ―Can y‘all play ?‖ I said, ―Sure. It‘s one of my favorite songs.‖ He said, ―Well do it. My brother wrote that song.‖ I looked him right square in the eye and said, ―Ralph Mooney wrote that song and he only has one brother and is name is Cecil. Is your name Cecil?‖ I said, ―Well Ralph Mooney is one of my favorite players and definitely a legend in this business.‖ At this point Cecil replied, ―I don‘t care what he is. He still owes me $50.00 that I loaned him when he left town.‖ I laughed and assured Cecil that I‘d remind Ralph about that the next time I saw him. It wasn‘t long until my machine shop talents got to the point where I could and should move to a city where they had an aluminum foundry so I could built steel . I tried Wichita Falls first. They had a nice foundry there, however the foundry did not like my pat- tern building talents so on the way home in a desolate part of Oklahoma, I threw the patterns out of my ‘61 Falcon Futura driver‘s win- dow. Soon I moved to Dallas and had some excellent patterns built by a professional pattern maker. Legendary history was about to be made, but first I had some serious steel guitar playing that I wanted to do around Dallas. I worked minor stints at several of the big western swing clubs and all of the smaller western swing clubs. Clubs like the Patti Club at 1717 South Ervay. The old Top Rail. Twin Oakes and some more clubs that are now somewhere under- neath the northeast runway at DFW today, DFW being that big airport we‘ve all heard about. However, western swing? I loved it because everything seemed a lot more musically correct than just copying country music records. The western swing groups were seriously trying to play dance music for the club patrons and not just to satisfy the ego of the singer. I‘ll always have a warm spot in my heart for the great Texas music that has leaked over into Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona. I sure hope that this tradition is continued but I don‘t get out there enough to know. Not to put down country music in any way, but as for the amount of notes I played in both venues, I got a lot more money per note in the country field. I‘m not sure it would be this way today, but I don‘t know. Being inducted into the Texas Steel Guitar Hall of Fame four years ago was a wonderful honor and I thank all my Texas buddies for bestowing this honor on me. This newsletter goes out to musicians and players all over the world, so what I would like to say is the Texans that play and operate in that great state are some of the nicest, most wonderful and greatly talented players on this instru- ment. There are great players everywhere in the United States, but I think the reason music is so good in Texas is because so many of the regular people in Texas love it with all their hearts. I remember playing with Johnny Duncan on a Texas tour in 1981. Johnny would announce to the audience the name of all us players and where we were from. I remember him saying, ―Leon Rhodes, Dallas, Texas.‖ The audience cheered violently. Then he said, ―Bobby McVeigh, Sanger, Texas.‖ The crowd went wild. This happened through about three more Texas players with the crowd so proud and so nuts about where the players were from. Then Johnny announced me on steel guitar. He said, ―Ladies and gentlemen, from Nashville, Tennessee, Mr. Bobbe Seymour.‖ I started to stand up and take a bow and nothing happened. You could have heard a pin drop. Finally one guy in the back of this tremendous dance hall in Pampa, Texas yelled, ―Go home.‖ I couldn‘t help but just burst out laughing because it was one of the funniest impromptu things I had ever seen. So I walked over to the microphone and said, ―Ladies and gentlemen. He‘s just kidding you. I‘m really from Lubbock.‖ Everybody burst into a big round of applause and cheering. 20 Johnny looked at me and said, ―Boy, you can really work a crowd.‖ My reply to him was, ―I‘m just trying to stay alive.‖ We have amp covers for the Peavey Nashville 112 for $29.90. Order this week and get a free set of Cobra Coil E9th Premium strings free. www.steelguitar.net/ampcover.html

Check out our monthly specials at www.steelguitar.net/monthlyspecials.html We can save you a lot of money and make us a little money!

Tri-Son News Biggest Little News Sheet In Country Music (Since 1963) • November 2010 Issue ______Loudilla and Kay Johnson • P.O. Box 40328 • Nashville, TN 37204 • Ph. 615-371-9596 ______

Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood host The 44th Annual CMA Awards live from Nashville‘s Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 10 (8:00 -11:00 PM/ET) Performers include iDierks Bentley, , Lady Antebellum, , Paisley, , Reba, , , , , Underwood, and . In addition, special performances will feature Gwyneth Paltrow in her live Country Music singing debut performing with ; performing with Kelly Clarkson, Lambert with in a tribute to Loretta Lynn's 50th Anniversary as a recording artist; and with . Announced presenters include , , Easton Corbin, , Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Jerrod Niemann, Kellie Pickler, LeAnn Rimes, , , NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon. ABC stars JoAnna Garcia (Better With You) and Ty Pennington (Extreme Makeover: Home Edition).

The Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt honored Rascal Flatts last week (10/29/2010) in the naming of its Pediat- ric Surgery Center. The Rascal Flatts Surgery Center features a new specialized radiology suite, offering patients expanded ser- vices, and will house all of Children‘s Hospital‘s existing and new surgical programs. More than 12,700 general and specialized pedi- atric surgeries are conducted each year at the hospital. The group‘s contributions (totaling more than three million dollars, will allow the new center to include a specialized radiology suite, which will further expand services offered to patients. The new radiology suite will be used for challenging procedures such as liver transplants and difficult abdomen and chest infections.

News Briefs: Reba visits Good Morning America Nov. 9, and on Nov. 10. ••• Billy Ray Cyrus filed for divorce in Chancery Court in Williamson Country Tenn. Oct. 28, seeking a divorce from his wife, Tish, after almost 17 years of marriage and asking for joint custody for their three children, Noah, Braison and Miley ••• Randy Travis and his wife-manager Elizabeth Hatcher- Travis were divorced in Santa Fe, NM last week. Word is that she will continue as his personal manager. ••• Broken Bow Records has signed Kristy Lee Cook to a recording and publishing deal on Broken Bow Music and Magic Mustang Music. Cook appeared on the 7th season of American Idol and is also a host for The Outdoor Channel‘s Outdoor’s 10 Best and Versus’ Goin’ Country.

Carrie Underwood has recorded the end title song, “There’s a Place for Us,” for the holiday motion picture event The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in theaters Dec 10. Underwood co-wrote the song with David Hodges and Hillary Lindsey. “I‟m a big fan of the „Narnia‟ books and films, so I was really excited about seeing this new movie and writing and perform- ing a song for it. I was blown away by the film, and I think people are going to be really excited when they see it. It‟s the perfect holi- day film”, Underwood commented. The film will receive major broadcast and online debuts this month, and will be available for pur- chase exclusively at iTunes Nov. 16.

News Briefs: R&B legend and American icon Smokey Robinson‘s newest CD, Now and Then, is available only at Cracker Barrel. The CD features 12 songs. Six are live versions of classics including “Going to a Go-Go,” “I Second That Emotion,” and “The Tears of a Clown,” recorded in 2010 during various performances. The other six are from his 2009 CD, Time Flies When You’re Having Fun. ••• Taylor Swift's Speak Now first sales week topped both the all genre Top Current Albums and Top Current Coun- try Album lists with sales of almost 1.047 million units, according to Nielsen Soundscan. ••• Andy Griggs' "Can I Get An Amen" hits radio this week and will be available for download on www.AndyGriggs.com shortly. ••• Teenaged newcomer Rachel Holder has signed with Nashville independent label, All Entertainment, and has released a special holiday single titled “Christmas Eve”.

MerleFest 2011, presented by Lowe’s and set for April 28 - May 1, has announced the initial lineup for its 24th year. Performers who will join host Doc Watson include Band, Richard Watson, George Hamilton IV, John Hartford String Band, , Lyle Lovett, De; McCoury Band, Nashville Bluegrass Band, Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band, Snyder Family Band, The Waybacks and more. Tcket sales begin Nov. 9, at 2:00 p.m. EST online at www.merlefest.org or phone 1-800-343-7857.

Biz Briefs: Third Coast Talent, LLC has new contact info: PO Box 334, Kingston Springs, TN 37082, phone 615-685-3331, fax 615- 685-3332 , Carrie Moore-Reed, CEO/Agent, [email protected], Debbie Moore, Entertainment Coordinator, Deb- [email protected]. ••• American Media Inc. announced on Nov. 1 that it is involved in a financial restructuring through a prepackaged Chapter 11 plan of reorganization. American Media, Inc. is the publisher of Country Weekly, Star, Shape, Men’s Fit- ness, The National Enquirer and more.

The 8th class of inductees to the Music City Walk of Fame, presented by founding sponsor Gibson Guitar are , , Bobby Hebb, , Rascal Flatts and . Honorees will be recognized officially with the un- veiling of commemorative sidewalk markers on Sunday, Nov. 7, beginning at 2 p.m. in Walk of Fame Park , downtown Nashville.The induction ceremony, which is sponsored by Great American Country (GAC), is free and open to the public.

SESAC will honor top and publishers in the Country and Americana genres at their Nashville Music Awards Nov. 21 8. The performing rights organization will present artist/songwriter/producer Jim Lauderdale with its Inspiration Award. Artists who have recorded Lauderdale's songs include George Strait, , Vince Gill, Mark Chestnutt, Dixie Chicks, and . As an artist, he has collaborated with , , and .

ReTune Nashville has launched its global online auction with more than 70 pieces of artwork created from flood damaged instru- ments to benefit Nashville's musicians. Site visitors can view all items and sign up for a community account to be notified when the item becomes available for auction. Much like other social networks, visitors can "follow" a visual artist, leave comments about the items and interact with other community members. Each visual artist has a richly presented artist page with photos, information about his or her inspiration for the piece, where the musical instrument originated, and biographical information about the artist. Ten items are available for auction during November, including a Raul Malo Jerry Jones guitar, revamped and jeweled by Nashville's Rhine- stone Rembrandt, Manuel. The auction continues until Nov. 30. Each month until May 2011, ten or more pieces of art will be featured and available for auction. The online auction will culminate in a live auction event around the anniversary of the Nashville flood. The auction is run on the social e-commerce platform, Moontoast. Proceeds from all items benefit Nashville's flood-affected musicians through MusicCares Flood Relief and the Nashville Musicians Association Flood Relief Fund. retunenashville.org for more infor- mation and to view pieces available for auction.

Award-winning bluegrass duo Dailey & Vincent presented a check for $20,000 to the Tennessee Bible College in Cookeville, Tenn., representing their portion of proceeds from sales of their CD, Singing From the Heart.

LifeNotes: Jim Reeves' sole surviving sister died Oct. 27 in Zavalla, Tex. at the age of 100. Louie Reeve McNeese was born Janu- ary 3, 1910 to Thomas Middleton Reeves and Mary Beulah Adams. She grew up in Panola County on the farm with her eight sib- lings, who were raised by their mother after her father died in May of 1924. She married Henry Obbie McNeese in 1931. The couple, married 34 years before he died (in 1965 ), had four children: Wayne A. McNeese who passed in 2002, Billy R. McNeese, Joann McNeese Watson, Vencie R. McNeese Hill. Graveside services were held Nov. 1st in Webster, Tex.

Tracy Lawrence will host his Mission Possible Turkey Fry, on Nov. 23 to benefit the Nashville Rescue Mission. Committed to serving Nashville with music and deed for the past five years, Lawrence‘s Mission Possible has become a highly anticipated event to raise money and generate awareness as well as provide food for the local mission. Joining in on the outdoor fry festivities, in the park- ing lot of the Nashville Rescue Mission (39 Lafayettte St. downtown) will be Brad Arnold, GAC‘s Suzanne Alexander, Burns & Poe, Chelsea Field, Matt Gary, LoCash Cowboys, Lathan Moore, , Danielle Peck, The Roys, and Titans Cheerleaders with additional celebrities to be confirmed. As in years past, Lawrence anticipates the group of celebrity cooks will fry up more than 500 turkeys. Last year, the event raised nearly $15,000; with a total of 950 turkeys donated to the Nashville Rescue Mission--which they shared with other non-profit organizations (Meals On Wheels and Nashville Cares). Visit nashvillerescuemis- sion.org.

Trace Adkins is in the midst of a nine-day USO/Armed Forces Entertainment tour to the Middle East. This is the third USO tour for Adkins, where he‘s performed for troops stationed in Bahrain, Iraq and Afghanistan. The tour officially wrap up in the U.S. with a wel- come home USO concert for soldiers and their families stationed at Fort Benning, GA. The concert is free and o pen to all military ID holders.

Bill Anderson almost lost his "whisper" during an emotional tribute paid to him when over 30 stars showed up recenly to honor the legendary singer/songwriter with a special episode of Country Music's Family Reunion Show, which airs weekly on RFD- TV. Anderson, who regularly hosts the show, found himself "switching sides", while Vince Gill took over as emcee of the star stud- ded spectacular that will be televised early next year. A specific air-date has not been announced. Taped on the set of CFR, amidst golden-clad tables and huge backdrops of Anderson's career photos, the show was produced by Larry Black and offers viewers an array of stories and songs--all of which stemmed directly from the honoree's past 50 years as a songwriter and recording artist. Every song sung was written or co-written by Anderson, a member of the Nashville Songwriter's Hall of Fame, who is acclaimed as the most recorded songwriter in the history of country music. Among artists featured on the show are , B.J. Thomas, George Hamilton IV, , Ed Bruce, , Jon Randall, Jessi Alexander, Jan Howard, , Mary Lou Turner, , , Jean Shepard, , T. Graham Brown, Gene Watson, , , and . In addition to watching the show on RFD-TV, fans will also be able to purchase Bill Anderson's 50th Anniver- sary Celebration on DVD. More... cfrvideos.com

EVENTS Calendar 2010-2011:

• Nov. 10 - CMA Awards - Nashville, TN • Nov. 22 - ' Christmas For Kids Concert - Nashville, TN • Mar 11-20 - SXSW - Austin, TX • Apr 30-MY 1 - - Indio, CA • MY 28-29 - Bayou Super Fest - Baton Rouge, LA • JU 28-29 - CMA Music Festival - Nashville, TN • Sept 2-4 - National Folk Festival - Nashville, TN

These events and more are listed on our LINKS page! www.ifco.org/

______

Tri-Son News • Annual Subscription $25 (U.S. Funds) • Distributed electronically to subscribers worldwide and updated on www.ifco.org (Online subscription form available.)

22 C O U N T R Y M U S I C C L A S S I C S

Doug Davis Owner/Publisher/Manager/Editor/ Writer/Gopher/Chief Cook & Bottle Washer Thursday November 4th, 2010

CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE AT www.countrymusicclassics.com

STORY BEHIND THE SONG

Most singers wait all their lives for a number one record - but only waited 39 years.

Rich said he didn't think about wishing for a number one record for a birthday present-but he got one just the same. He was born De- cember 14th, 1932 in Colt, Arkansas and on December 15th, 1973-his single, "," made it to the top of the pop music charts-and stuck there for two weeks. While still a youngster- Rich developed a love for singing blues and gospel songs and playing jazz piano. He joined the U.S. Air Force in the early 1950's and returned to the family farm after his discharge.

According to Rich, "Although I was playing weekend gigs-l just didn't think I could make a living making music-although I always thought how nice it would be if somehow I could. But I had a family to support and had to think about security. I just didn't see any way for it to work out to make a living in music."

And things might not have worked out if his wife, Margaret Ann, had not mailed a tape of Charlie's songs to Bill Justis. Justis had just scored a hit record with a song titled "Raunchy." He liked what he heard on the tape and introduced Charlie to owner . Phillips told Rich that he had talent but he should be singing music and sent him home with some records. Phillips told Rich to come back when he could perform rock and roll music. Charlie did come back and did perform rock and roll music-scoring a # 22 hit with "Lonely Weekends" in May 1960. During the early 60's, he recorded for RCA Victor's sub label-Groove Records-but with no success.

But in 1965 he signed with and scored a #21 hit with "Mohair Sam." He then recorded an album of country ballads for Hi Records. In the late 60's producer signed him to Epic Records- which began a long string of chart singles which began with "Set Me Free" in 1968. "Behind Closed Doors" became his first number one single and was also named the CMA Single of The Year in 1973. "The Most Beautiful Girl" was his second number one single-entering the country music charts September 22nd, 1973-made it to number one and hung there for three weeks. It was on the country charts for 18 weeks. The single entered the pop music charts at # 83 on September 29th, 1973 and eleven weeks later, was in the top slot. The song was written by , Rory Burke and Billy Sherrill and began from two lines that Burke had written: "I woke up this morning/Realized what I had done," which he said came to him after he woke up following a night out on the town.

Wilson attempted to come up with a physical description of the girl that the jilted guy was looking for but decided that such a descrip- tion would limit the appeal of the song. They finally hit on the idea that every guy has the most beautiful girl -no matter who she is— she's the most beautiful girl in the world to somebody! According to the three writers-parts of two other songs- "Hey Mister" and "Mama McCluskey," were combined and the titled was changed to "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World."

Charlie Rich was one of those entertainers who had a hard time dealing with success- and like many others-turned to the bottle for relief.

He left Epic Records and joined Elektra Records-but for the most part-his days of hit records were over. . Charlie Rich died of a blood clot on the lung on July 25th, 1995. He was 62 years old. A T T E N T I O N: R A D I O S T A T I O N S: Our short form daily radio features, ―Classic Country First‖ and ―Story Behind The Song‖ are now available to radio stations. Both features are available at thru barter. For information, email me at [email protected]

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS QUESTION: I know that Charlie Louvin is very sick—but never did hear what was wrong with him. Do you know and how is he do- ing? ANSWER: Louvin has been diagnosed with stage two pancreatic cancer and has undergone a complex, six-hour surgery which was unsuccessful. Charlie is now pursuing alternate treatment methods. QUESTION: Do you have any information concerning a Judds TV show? My daughter heard about it. ANSWER: will be featured in a new reality show "The Judds," being developed for Oprah Winfrey's OWN channel and will give viewers a behind the scenes look as Naomi and prepare for "The Last Encore" tour." The show is expected to debut on OWN next year. QUESTION: The radio d.j. mentioned a new Gatlin Brothers Christmas Show. Where and when is that? ANSWER: and the Gatlin Brothers have kicked off their five-week holiday engagement at The Mansion Theatre in Branson, . The brothers are teaming up with Debby Boone for 31 shows, titled "Christmas with The Gatlin Brothers & Debby Boone" which will continue through December 4th.

―Country Music Classics‖ is made possible only by donations from subscribers like you. If you enjoy receiving this newsletter, please support us by sending a check payable to ―Country Music Classics‖ for any amount to: Doug Davis—Country Music Classics—3702 Pleasant Grove Road-Texarkana, Texas 75503. Or use PAYPAL ( http:// www.paypal.com ) and donate (via your account or their secure credit card site) directly thru our email address 23 ([email protected]). Thank you.

If you wish to make a contribution but do not have a Pay Pal account, you may use any major credit card and donate thru our secure Pro Pay account.

QUESTION: I heard the radio folks talking about an anniversary of ‘s ―picking flowers.‖ What is that about? ANSWER: On November 3rd, 2007, Johnny Cash received an official pardon from authorities in Starkville, Mississippi, who for- mally forgave him for allegedly picking flowers in someone's yard after a show. Cash was arrested in the 1965 incident and spent the night in jail, which inspired his song "Starkville City Jail." Starkville's mayor gave the country legend his posthumous pardon at the 1st annual Johnny Cash Flower Pickin' Festival." QUESTION: I found an old 45 rpm record about ―Rosie Cries A Lot.‖ It sounds like Ferlin Husky. Did he record such a song? ANSWER: ―Rosie Cries A Lot‖ made it to # 17 for Ferlin husky in 1973. QUESTION: I was traveling through West Texas a few days ago and they played a song titled ―High As The Mountains‖ on the radio and said it was by Buck Owens. I‘d never heard it before. Was it a hit and if so when? ANSWER: ―High As The Mountains‖ scored at # 27 on the charts in 1961. It was the flipside of Buck‘s ―Foolin‘ Around.‖

Your comments, suggestions, gripes, etc. concerning this newsletter---are welcome. Email to:[email protected]

NUMBER ONE ON THIS DATE:

November 4

1951 Slow Poke -

1959 The Three Bells - 1967 You Mean the World to Me - David Houston 1975 (Turn Out the Lights And) Love Me Tonight - Don Williams 1983 Islands in the Stream - with 1991 Anymore -

TODAY IN COUNTRY MUSIC HISTORY compiled by Bill Morrison

Kirk McGee born Williamson County TN 1899.

Will Rogers gave his debut performance Auditorium 1925.

Delbert McClinton born Lubbock, TX 1940.

Alan Munde of the Country Gazette, born Norman, OK 1946.

Van Stephenson, "BlackHawk," born Hamilton, OH 1953.

Roy Acuff, and , took the first country music show to New York's "Broadway," in 1955. The show played for one week.

Kim Forester of "The Forester Sisters," born Oglethorpe, GA 1960.

The movie, "Your Cheatin' Heart," premiered in Montgomery, AL 1964.

Barbara Mandrell's "Sleeping Single In A Double Bed," became her first #1 in 1974.

Audrey Williams, age 52, died in Nashville, TN 1975.

Hank Williams Jr., appeared at Carnegie Hall 1981.

Sandy Brooks called Garth, prior to a show in Cape Girardeau, Mo. in 1989. She told him to come home immediately and straighten out their marriage, or she was leaving. Garth did not finish the show.

HMG released Jackie Lee Cochran's album " Music" 1997.

The NSHF, inducted , and Shel Silverstein, in 2002.

Johnny Cash released his album "The Man Comes Around" and traveled with June to their home in Jamaica 2002.

Dale Noe, age 76, songwriter, guitarist, died Phoenix, AZ 2004.

24

25 Courtesy Bill Morrison: http://www.talentondisplay.com/countrycalMAR.html

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

WITHOUT A DOUBT

Some say there are no miracles, but why the skies of blue? And why the clouds of puffy white? And what of morning dew?

To picture birds on April day, of child with kite in hand; Or tot who shrieks in merriment while playing in the sand…

Or mother holding firstborn so that everyone can see, As father beams from ear to ear as pleased as punch is he;

Or times when sun comes rising up, or sets in western skies; These, my friends, are miracles…Right before your eyes.

Without a doubt I could go on, extolling many things; For I believe His miracles – and the joy He brings.

Henry W. Gurley

M E M O TO ―COUNTRY MUSIC CLASSICS‖ SUBSCRIBERS:

Bill Anderson almost lost his "whisper" during an emotional tribute paid to him recently, when over 30 stars showed up to honor the legendary singer/songwriter with a special episode of Country Music's Family Reunion Show, which airs weekly on RFD-TV.

Anderson, who regularly hosts the show, found himself "switching sides", while Vince Gill took over as emcee of the star studded spectacular that will be televised early next year. A specific air-date has not yet been determined.

Taped on the set of CFR, amidst golden-clad tables and huge backdrops of Anderson's career photos, the show was produced by Larry Black and offers viewers an amazing array of stories and songs----all of which stemmed directly from the honoree's past 50 years as a songwriter and recording artist.

Every song sung was written or co-written by Anderson, who is a member of the Nashville Songwriter's Hall of Fame, and is ac- claimed as the most recorded songwriter in the history of country music. Among recording artists featured on the show are Roy Clark, B.J. Thomas, George Hamilton IV, Bobby Bare, Ed Bruce, Jamey Johnson, Jon Randall, Jessi Alexander, Jan Howard, Rhonda Vin- cent, Mary Lou Turner, Con Hunley, Jeannie Seely, Jean Shepard, The Whites, T. Graham Brown, Gene Watson, Moe Bandy, Jim Ed Brown, and Lynn Anderson.

In addition to watching the show on RFD-TV, fans will also be able to purchase Bill Anderson's 50th on DVD. For further info go to cfrvideos.com

And for all things Bill Anderson-go to www.billanderson.com

Betty Hofer

We wish you a Joe Baker‘s Recognition and Honors

Happy Thanksgiving Cowtown Society of Western Music Heroes Academy of Western Artists Disc Jockey of the Year Cowtown Society of Western Music Disc Jockey of the Year From the crew Western Swing Music Society of the Southwest Hall of Fame Membership Director—Cowtown Society of Western Music Board of Directors—Cowtown Society of Western Music At Backforty Bunkhouse Seattle Western Swing Music Society POWS Hall of Fame Publications Backforty Newsletter—CSWM‘s Publication of the Year 2009 The Western Swing Society Sacramento CA Hall of Fame KNMB, Western Music Assn. 2006 Radio Station Of The Year Joe, Howard and Totsie KWMW, Western Music Assn. 2007 Radio Station Of The Year

26