Narvel Felts Appreciation Narvel Felts Fan Club Society (Europe) (U.S.A.) Howard Cockburn, President Roy E
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Narvel Felts Appreciation Narvel Felts Fan Club Society (Europe) (U.S.A.) Howard Cockburn, President Roy E. Combs, President 43 Kenilworth Road 286 Primrose Lane Monkseaton Narvel Felts Clarksville, Indiana 47129 Whitley Bay 2005 Narvel Felts Avenue U.S.A. Tyne and Wear Malden, MO 63863-1210 USA Virginia Carpenter NE 25 8 BB Vice President England February 2004 Newsletter Malden, Missouri some 2 hour autograph line awaited me in the lobby. My wife Loretta February 1, 2004 attended this one (only her 2nd time since we lost our son “Bub” Well Hello There, in 1995.) Our daughter Stacia, son-in-law Tommy and grandson I hope all is well with you and yours. When I wrote you in Dakota also attended. June of 03, I told you that my wife Loretta’s sister Althia Wheeler July 18th, I made the some 12 hour drive alone to the New had been car jacked and murdered. Five months later on September Orleans suburb of CHALMETTE, LOUISIANA, arriving late that 10th, 03, her brother Billy Joe Stanfield died. Another tragic year for night. I was there to do a show Saturday the 19th. A surprise 80th Loretta who’s had such a hard time dealing with the loss of our only birthday party, at Vucinovich’s Restaurant, for fan club member Dr. son Narvel “Bub”, Jr. on September 14, 1995. She hasn’t been in good Lucas DiLeo. Callender, did their sets and did a good job backing physical health since her 1999 back surgery. me. The near 200 who jammed the restaurant kept the secret well. Though I played fewer dates in 03 than in previous years, I still Lucas was totally surprised when Callender started “Funny How kept busy. My apologies for not getting this letter to you in December Time Slips Away” then introduced me. The restaurant was full of his when it was due. When it was time to start writing it, it was time to family and friends. Some patients of this still practicing physician master and mail my Christmas CD to radio. With radio calls and also attended. New Orleans D. J. Dan Stien, who plays my records, answering Christmas cards there didn’t seem to be time left for the also attended, as did several of my Louisiana and Oklahoma club letter. Thank you for your birthday and Christmas cards. Those of members. The DiLeo’s have a young granddaughter who loves my you who send Christmas cards could do me a big favor by printing recording “Little Miss Blue” and plays it everyday. The audience clearly your first and last names plus complete mailing address on gave me a great reception. After my show an autograph line awaited. your envelope. That makes it so much easier for me to answer. Sunday I made the drive home, a 1,141 mile round trip. There’s two family birthday’s this week. Our daughter Stacia February, 3rd, our granddaughter Nicole on the 6th. I’ll now take August you through the months since June, then back in time to 1994, 1984, August 8th, my manager Harold Boner and I made the 125 1974 and 1964. mile drive to JACKSON, TENNESSEE. I was there to do a show Hi Lites June 2003 at the Carl Perkins Convention Center for Rockabilly Fest 03. I had decided not to attend the Sam Phillips memorial service in Memphis June 14th, I made the 21⁄2 hour drive alone to WYNNE, the afternoon before or the rockabilly Awards Banquet in Jackson ARKANSAS. I was there to do a show at Farmfest that night. This the night before, as we’d just found out that my wife Loretta’s brother outside concert was with Ace Cannon and Sonny Burgess and the had cancer. She needed me at home more than I needed to attend Pacers. They’d had us do taped advertisements for this event. They these. Her brother Billy Joe would die a month later. were played on 5 radio stations. The newspaper did a phone interview Before our show on the 8th Sonny Burgess and I were requested with me and ran the article and my picture on the front page. Though to be on the channel 4 TV news for a live interview in front of the rain was forecast a huge crowd gathered in front of the covered stage. convention center. For that night’s show I was backed by Sonny’s Sonny went on first, then Ace, then me. All of us were backed by band The Pacers, who did a great job backing me. Fans from coast the Pacers. During Ace’s show it started raining. I thought the show to coast in the USA attended plus some from Canada, England and would be over, that everyone would leave before I went on, but they Japan. Some of my Tennessee club members attended. The audience didn’t! Farmfest officials estimated some 1,000 people sat in rain gave me a great reception. For my finale I called Sonny back to the throughout my show. They gave me a great reception as the Pacers stage, along with W. S. Holland and Paul Burlison – Paul’s final did a good job backing me. I called Sonny and Ace back on stage for finale with me. After my show a long autograph line awaited. The our finale of “Shake Rattle and Roll.” Paul Burlison (guitarist with following day we drove home. Johnny Burnett’s Rock ‘N’ Roll Trio) was in the audience. He was The 15th I made the some 200 mile drive to the St. Louis airport fighting a bout with cancer! I called him to the stage to join us for the and caught my flight to Minneapolis/St. Paul. I was then driven finale. Also in the audience was Bob Timmers, editor of the internet to my motel in Hinckley. I was there to do a matinee and night Rockabilly Hall of Fame and singer Roman Self. After the show a concert at the Midwest Country Theatre in nearby SANDSTONE, long line of autograph seekers waited patiently in the rain as Ace and MINNESOTA the following day Saturday the 16th. Leroy Glazier I signed. Club members from Little Rock attended. and the Midwest Country Band did a great job backing me on both The 28th, I made the 250 mile drive alone to MALVERN, shows. A near full theatre welcomed me to the stage for each show. A ARKANSAS. That night along with Ace Cannon plus Sonny couple from Phoenix Arizona flew all the way there to attend. Each Burgess and the Pacers, I did my show at Brickfest. Hundreds audience blessed me with 3 standing ovations and a long autograph gathered on the courthouse lawn for our concert on that beautiful line after each show as Huey’s record rack opened with my CD’s. June night. The Pacers did a good job backing me. The audience gave Huey P. Long had driven up from Kansas City to handle my me a standing ovation. A long autograph line awaited after our finale, concessions. The following day he took me to the airport, I flew back it included a fan club member from Little Rock and a disc jockey to St. Louis and drove home, arriving around midnight. I’d stopped from Hot Springs. The following day I made my 5 hour Sunday by the hospital in Cape Girardeau, Missouri to visit my brother-in- afternoon drive back home. law Billy Joe Stanfield on my way home from the airport. August 22nd, I played a concert in the city park at KILLEN, July ALABAMA. It was their Founders Day Festival. I was backed by The July 4th weekend was my home town of MALDEN, the Muscle Shoals area band, Blue Water, who did an excellent job. MISSOURI’S 125th birthday celebration. The morning of the 4th Several hundred enthusiastic fans attended. In the audience was a I was Grand Marshal in the parade, riding in a red 03 Thunderbird. buddy who had played rhythm guitar for me on a four month tour Saturday night the 5th I did my concert to a packed community of Canada in 1960, Hulen Hubbard. A long autograph line which center. The Bill Barnett Band did a good job backing me. Jerry Tuttle included a TV interview awaited. Harold Boner and I had driven played for dancing after my show. The receptive audience included down the night before. The following afternoon we drove back home, Malden alumni from through the years and from coast to coast. A a 533 mile round trip. August 30th was a make up date for August 2nd which was birthday November 11th) at the Music Barn at Trail’s End Ranch rained out at Whippoorwill Lake Camp Ground near MARBLE near LOVELACEVILLE, KENTUCKY, sponsored by 96 Classic HILL, MISSOURI. As it was raining again the morning of the 30th, Country, Wickliffe, Kentucky. Harold Boner and I made this some some musicians in the band scheduled to back me (Crossfire) pulled a 2 hour drive over that afternoon. Stanley Walker and his band plus mutiny on their leader and decided not to play that night. Bill Barnett Molly Slone and her band were on the show which was M.C.’d by managed to get some musicians together at the last minute and get Larry Kelly. A full house stood and sang happy birthday to me as I there in time for our scheduled 7:30 p.m. show to start around 9:00 walked to the stage.