Musician and Late Marty Stuart is busier Show With David Let- terman sidekick Paul than he’s ever been Shaffer (far left) sits in with Marty and The and loving it. Fabulous Superlatives. Story By Lorie HollabaugH Photos By CHris Hollo arty Stuart has ence at the taping of Marty’s televi- the world of Marty Stuart. a habit of calling sion show, which airs on RFD-TV. This incarnation of his world, as people around It’s been 25 years since Marty played host of his own half-hour TV show, him “cuz,” as if with Johnny’s band, but as he greets began over two years ago, when he they were one the audience and prepares to tape decided country needed a family Mof his long-lost cousins or various an episode featuring Keith Urban, program in the vein of vintage shows relatives. But with him, it’s more he quickly acknowledges Bob in the such as The Wilburn Brothers Show than the lingo of his hip, retro audience so the crowd will know and the old Al Gannaway produc- world. He treats the people close that hillbilly royalty is in their midst. tions of the 1950s, which featured to him as if they were his cousins, Some artists might do that out of artists such as Minnie Pearl and The sisters or brothers and, seemingly, courtesy, or for the sake of appear- Louvin Brothers. But it also reaches loves them just as much. ances, but how many would pull Bob back even deeper to Marty’s child- Take Bob Wootton, once Johnny out of the crowd after the taping to hood and those Saturday afternoons Cash’s guitar player, who on this join the cast and Keith for pictures spent watching priceless musical mo- particular day is sitting in the audi- and the show promo? Welcome to ments on television with his father. 22 COUNTRYWEEKLY.COM COUNTRYWEEKLY.COM 23 (Clockwise from above left) Marty welcomes Marty and Paul Keith Urban to Shaffer share a The Marty Stuart musical moment. Show; bluegrass legend Curly Seckler sits in; Marty greets an audience mem- “The most outlaw and the most ber; Marty jams while Paul Shaf- fer (far right) renegade thing you can do in looks on; Paul joins the fun; Nashville is play country music.” show announcer Eddie Stubbs. And while many modern outlets are Lynn, Keith Urban, Travis Tritt, Willie trying to move country as far away Nelson and Paul Shaffer adding their from hay bales and cornfields as pos- names to a waiting list to be part of sible, in true rebel fashion, Marty did the fun and step inside Marty’s world just the opposite with his show. The for a bit of time. Show regulars in- set is as colorful and sparkling as one clude his backing band, The Fabulous of Marty’s hand-sewn rhinestone jack- Superlatives, Leroy Troy, Marty’s wife, ets, with huge neon daisies, gleaming Connie Smith, and host Eddie Stubbs. Manuel and Nudie jackets and colorful Guests obviously enjoy the loose neckerchiefs from Marty’s personal and fun creative vibe of the show, as collection, and even wagon wheels is evident on this day, when Keith adorning practically every corner. performs a Waylon Jennings tune with “What’s seen on GAC and CMT—that’s Marty and The Fabulous Superlatives, exactly what needs to be seen on those laying into a blistering solo on a guitar networks. But to balance it out, some- once owned by Waylon during a take body needed to go down to the end on “I’ve Always Been Crazy.” Marty and of the dirt road. You know, the most the band are grinning from ear to ear marty stuart continued do this show I thought, ‘Well, let’s see if it’s not, and it either entertains or it outlaw and the most renegade thing by song’s end, and it’s apparent that “Back when I was a kid in Mississippi, we can’t touch on those kind of shows.’” don’t. And so that opened the door you can do in Nashville is play country they all have a great time together and Saturday afternoons was my time with The show also gave Marty a plat- . it’s never been about ‘Here’s my music . play hard-core country mu- are as tight as it gets. “They are the my dad,” says Marty. “He was a factory form to showcase the traditional latest record,’ ’cause 20 years from sic unapologetically. And we did the best band in this town or anybody’s worker, and on Saturdays we could hang country that radio won’t give voice to now when this show is still running, first show three seasons ago, and the town,” brags Marty, “and not just as out together and watch TV. And that anymore, a freedom he and his amaz- that won’t matter anymore. So it’s set was so pretty and clean, and I told musicians, mainly as men. They’re was our quality time. We both shared a ing band, The Fabulous Superlatives, about timeless matters as best we can somebody, I said, ‘Get me some hay statesmen. I see a lot of stars created in deep love of country music, so Flatt & revel in each week as they continu- do, about real talent, whether it’s a bales! Get me some rhinestones! We’re this town, a lot of stars invented and a Scruggs, and Porter’s show, the Wilburn ally broaden the musical horizons of kid who can play the fiddle out there gonna junk it up! Make it a barn!’” lot of hype around a lot of people, but Brothers, the old Johnny Cash show—we the show. “From the get-go I didn’t that nobody knows about, or an old admits Marty with a laugh. at the end of the day, being a statesman really loved watching those, and they have anybody telling me I could or country legend that nobody will give The show quickly became the is what it’s about. And making sure the touched me permanently. They really couldn’t do anything,” explains Marty. a voice to anymore. And the beauty network’s top-rated program, and legacy of the music and the personal put a deep, abiding love for country mu- “And we talked about it, and the bot- of it is it’s a true stage for traditional the guest list each season runs the legacy is intact. We are a family, and it’s sic in my heart, so when it came time to tom line was it’s either interesting or country music and I love it.” gamut, with artists such as Loretta an honor to travel with those men.” 24 COUNTRYWEEKLY.COM marty stuart continued our way out of the woods and see where play country music once again. Country Clarence’s actual guitar on the song. and a wife, and that’s her priorities. Marty deliberately kept the show in a we go. And we found ourselves as kind radio wasn’t doing it anymore, and that “There’s a lot of weight and respon- And singing, when she finally gets fast-paced, half-hour format like those of cultural missionaries in a sense, in a was OK—things had changed, the Opry sibility that comes with that guitar, around to it, boy, she’s the best at it, but old shows to keep things moving. “We position of being a voice sometimes for was always there, but all of a sudden because Clarence was such a master her getting around to it is on her own wanted a fast-moving show revolving people who were hurting. The Lakota I had a place to play what was the musician. I’ve never felt like I had come timetable. It was worth the wait, ’cause around a cast of characters, and there’s people in the Badlands . that’s the deepest in my heart. And we had an up with my recital piece for that guitar, it’s a mighty big piece of work.” so much talent on this show that if we poorest county in the United States—we audience all of a sudden. And a place and ‘Hummingbyrd’ came along and Though his own career may look happen to have a week where nobody needed to make a record [Badlands: to write traditional country songs and his old bandmate, Gene Parsons of The vastly different from his hit-heavy period can come be a special guest it don’t Ballads of the Lakota]. And the Missis- bring ’em to a TV camera and send Byrds, we played in Napa and I asked in the ’90s, Marty is excited about how matter—we just keep going. And so we sippi Delta’s not exactly overflowing ’em out to people. And Ghost Train Gene if he would come to our concert. the musical landscape of his life cur- just pull the trigger on it and we start with money, it’s a hard-pressed area, so was kind of a result of that.” I played him “Hummingbyrd” before rently looks. “It was great, and I had a smiling, and we get here smiling and we that’s why my bluegrass CD Souls’ Cha- One of the Grammy-nominated I played it for anybody else. Gene gave big time. But it’s not about the past, it’s leave smiling, and I watch it and I smile.” pel came about. And so we played our pieces on the album, “Hummingb- me thumbs up on it, so that gave me about bringing the whole story forward, The series not only gave Marty way back toward the light, toward the yrd,” is doubly special to Marty, since the confidence to go forward with it.” the entire family of country music, and another place to play his music, it also city limit sign again from the backroads it is a tribute to former Byrds guitar- Clarence’s Telecaster is just one of taking it anywhere.