[ourplace] Diane's Country Music Newsletter -- 31 August 2016
- From: "nancy Lynn" <seabreeze.stl@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <"Undisclosed-Recipient:;"@freelists.org>
- Date: Tue, 30 Aug 2016 20:10:38 -0500
Diane’s Country Music Newsletter
As the biographer of Faron Young and Marty Robbins, I bring you these
newsletters to connect classic country music fans around the world. Feel free
to forward this message to your friends, and tell them to email me if they want
to be added to the list. I welcome your comments and ideas.
NEWS
Country Music Nation reports, "Only one day after her 59th birthday, we have
some heartbreaking news to report about Holly Dunn. The country music icon has
been diagnosed with cancer." The article then quotes from a June 19 interview
with Hallels and adds, "News about it didn't really start circulating until
August 22. Country Aircheck confirmed the news, saying Dunn has been diagnosed
with ovarian cancer and is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatments in New
Mexico, where she lives." But I'd emailed Holly a birthday greeting on August
22, and she responded with, "Thanks Diane! I'm doing very well and am hopefully
at the end of the chemo. My last scan showed no detectable disease. God is
good! Holly."
Pre-orders are being accepted for a special-order Tennessee license plate
featuring Dolly Parton. When 1,000 orders are placed, the plates will go into
production, and it will take another 4-6 months for them to be made and issued.
One plate costs $35, with almost half the purchase price going to Dolly's
free-books program, Imagination Library. Tennessee drivers can order the
license plates now at imaginationlibrary.com.
Taylor Swift reported for jury duty in Nashville on Monday. According to the
Tennessean, "She arrived at downtown's criminal courthouse on 2nd Avenue with
additional security in tow. She posed for photographs and videos with fans."
The trial was a domestic violence case involving aggravated rape. During jury
selection, when asked her profession, Taylor answered, "I am a songwriter." She
had been called in December but asked for a deferment because she was on tour.
This time, she was dismissed early in the afternoon.
Starstruck Farm, an 83-acre farm owned by Reba McEntire and located along the
edge of Old Hickory Lake, is for sale for $7.9 million. The 12,816-square-foot
house has seven bedrooms and five bathrooms. According to the Tennessean,
"There's also an eight-car garage, a tennis court, a pool and guest house, a
five-stall barn and an equestrian facility with 16 stalls, indoor and outdoor
arenas and 12 fenced paddocks." In 2002, Reba and then-husband Narvel
Blackstock put the farm on the market without including the mansion. A year
ago, Reba sold her mansion in Beverly Hills, California, for $22.25 million.
After torrential rains caused floods that killed 11 people and damaged 40,000
homes in Louisiana, Taylor Swift donated one million dollars toward flood
relief. She told CNN, "We began The 1989 World Tour in Louisiana, and the
wonderful fans there made us feel completely at home." The Louisiana governor
has declared a state of emergency in the flooded areas.
Stacy Harris writes in Stacy's Music Row Report, "Tommy Cash and his son, Mark,
continue to mourn the passing of, and await justice for, Mark's young murdered
daughter, Tommy's granddaughter, Courtney." That tells me the murder trial
hasn't yet been held. I haven't seen any news reports and haven't wanted to ask
Tommy for status.
While many bands have boycotted North Carolina since the state passed its
controversial House Bill 2 in March, the Dixie Chicks did the opposite. They
made a point of putting the state on their first tour in ten years, reports the
News and Observer, and they played to a full house at the Walnut Creek
Amphitheater in Raleigh. Concert goers received ball caps that read "No hate in
our state" and contained the astrological symbols for male, female and
transgender. "We have a favor to ask," Natalie Maines announced during the
show. "Since we didn't cancel our show--you're also the only state we bought
gifts for--could you pull out the hats we gave you? 'Cause we love to support
positivity. Peace and love, peace and love." The "Bathroom Bill" requires that
people in government buildings use the bathroom of their biological gender.
"I always wanted to own a honky tonk that plays real country music on Broadway
that I could put my name on," Alan Jackson told the Tennessean. And now he
will. He paid $5.75 million for the three-story, 6,000-square-foot building at
421 Broadway in Nashville. AJ's Good Time Bar will open later this year after
renovations that include adding a third-floor bar and rooftop patio, as well as
an elevator. Alan is already a partner in Acme Feed & Seed, a concert venue and
restaurant bar on Lower Broadway.
The Texas state 3rd Court of Appeals ruled last week that the four-year-old
dashboard camera video documenting the DUI arrest of Randy Travis can be
released because it is a public record. "Even if we assume that the contents of
the redacted dashboard recording contain information that is highly intimate
and embarrassing to Travis,” the chief judge wrote, “those facts were not
private as a matter of law because Travis put himself in public by driving
unclothed while intoxicated." The Austin American-Statesman reports that
Randy's lawyer will appeal the decision to the Texas Supreme Court if the 3rd
Court won't reconsider its opinion. "I don't think the public has a right to
see individuals in the course of a mental health breakdown any more than they
have the right to see someone in the course of an operation on their heart,
kidney or brain," the lawyer said. "To intrude upon a person who's
discombobulated due to a mental health issue or a concussion, I don't think the
public interest stretches that far."
"Be sure to tune in to the season 11 premiere of The Voice on September 19,"
reports Sounds Like Nashville, "to see if Billy Gilman is headed to the next
stage of the show." He was 11 years old when he hit with "One Voice" in 2000.
He was the youngest singer to ever get a song on the Top 40 chart, and he
received Grammy nominations. He writes on Facebook about his audition, "It's
been a long, long hard journey to prove I am more than a child star and with
this amazing opportunity it helps me stake my claim."
The Academy of Country Music has established a new award. Taste of Country
reports, "The Merle Haggard Spirit Award will be presented at the 2016 annual
ACM Honors event to a singer-songwriter who exemplifies the tenacity and
uncompromising integrity of Haggard, creating iconic songs and delivering
authentic performances." Merle Haggard was the ACM's first Entertainer of the
Year (1970), following being chosen as Male Vocalist of the Year (1966) and
Most Promising Male Vocalist (1965). In addition to winning a total of twenty
ACM Awards in his career, he also received the ACM Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award
and the Poet's Award. The ACM Honors show will air September 9 on CBS. The
first recipient of the ACM Merle Haggard Spirit Award will be Miranda Lambert.
Fans attending the Grand Ole Opry and shows at the Ryman Auditorium must now go
through metal detectors and enhanced bag checks. This includes backstage tours.
Guests who can't use walkthrough detectors will be screened with handheld
wands. "Using metal detectors as our screening procedure is something we have
been pursuing for nearly a year and it isn't a reaction to any direct threat to
the venues or the performers," Grand Ole Opry VP and GM Pete Fisher told
MusicRow. "We need to make sure we are aligned to industry standards, but also
to the emerging threats that are out there." Ryman Hospitality executives
expect screening lines at both venues to move quickly, but they encourage
attendees to allow extra time prior to tours and performances. Performers and
backstage personnel will also be screened when entering the venue. Everyone
must show visual identification. The new procedures are similar to standards at
all large arenas and stadiums.
In a recent interview for Cosmopolitan's "Happy Hour" podcast, Dolly Parton was
asked about the best and worst advice she'd received concerning her musical
career. She said the best advice came from her mother, Avie Lee Parton: "Just
be yourself. Be true to what you know you are and what you know you can do; be
true to your own talent. Don't try to be like somebody else." She said her
worst advice came from Chet Atkins. Early in her career, he told her, "Dolly,
you're going to need to get rid of all that because people are never going to
take you serious if you look like that; you're just looking too gaudy." Years
later, he joked, "I'm sure glad you took my good advice."
The Irish Times reports on an interview Carlene Carter did with Róisín Ingle of
the Róisín Meets podcast in Ireland. The article referred to her as "the
daughter of June Carter, the stepdaughter of Johnny Cash, and granddaughter of
Mother Maybelle Carter of the original Carter Family." It didn't mention she's
also the daughter of Carl Smith. She talked about growing up a Carter and being
expected to perform. At age four, she recalled, "They just threw me out on
stage and said 'sing this song.' I was really shy." But she sang. She talked
about her "wild past" that included alcohol and drug problems and three
marriages before the age of 23. Losing her sister Rosie, her mother, and
stepfather all within a few months in 2003 was especially difficult.
Kokomo, Indiana, honored a hometown girl last weekend when Sylvia was inducted
into its Hall of Legends. Six standout citizens "who have made a significant
impact within the community" were honored during the event, which raised funds
for the Howard County Historical Society. Sylvia sang several of her biggest
hits, and she stated, "I'm so grateful to have grown up in Kokomo! This is
where my dreams of becoming a singer began to take shape at a very early age."
She posted this photo on Facebook, with the caption, "My mom and me at the
Howard County Hall of Legends induction in Kokomo, Indiana."
On the 25th anniversary of the accident that killed Dottie West, friends
Jeannie Seely and Ron Harman paid tribute by planting a cross at the crash
site. Dottie had been on her way to a Grand Ole Opry performance on August 30,
1991, when her car broke down and a man stopped to offer her a ride. Driving
too fast, he lost control at the Opryland exit ramp on Briley Parkway. The car
flew through the air and struck an embankment. Dottie, 58, suffered severe
internal injuries and died five days later. "We were the (type of) friends that
could talk on the phone at 2 a.m.," Jeannie Seely told the Tennessean. "When I
had my really bad car accident in 1977, Dottie was there as much as she
possibly could be, helping me through that time. . .. After her accident, I
remember sitting at the hospital with her sister and just thinking how helpless
I felt that I could not return that." Ron is leading an effort to get Dottie
inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. "I think Dottie needs a voice and
I'm trying to keep her memory alive," he says.
Rolling Stone Country reports that Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood have been
ruled not guilty by a federal judge in a copyright infringement suit. Amy Bowen
(AKA Lizza Connor) accused Brad and his co-writers of using elements of her
song, "Remind Me," in their song of the same name. She had sung it during a
2008 songwriters workshop. In 2011, Brad and Carrie had a major hit with their
"Remind Me" duet. A judge in 2013 agreed Bowen, who was seeking $10 million,
had a strong enough case to go to trial. Last week, the same judge ruled in
favor of the defendants. She said the repetition of "remind me" in the second
song was coincidental, and there weren't enough similarities in the two songs
to make a case.
Those who watch the NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Darlington Raceway on
September 3 might initially think Marty Robbins has been resurrected. But it's
merely a throwback-themed weekend to celebrate NASCAR's history. Fox Sports
announced the unveiling of Kyle Larson's throwback ride. Chip Ganassi Racing
and sponsor ENEOS gave his No. 42 Chevrolet a retro purple and gold makeover
for the race. Marty Robbins drove No. 42 through much of his NASCAR career.
LETTERS
Sherwin Linton writes from Minneapolis, Minnesota, “I can't thank you enough
for the excellent article you wrote about me in your newsletter. You surely
covered a lot of information, and I am flattered to be your featured artist.
You do so much for so many artists and I very much appreciate you taking time
to visit by phone and author this special feature in your popular newsletter. I
know this is read by a great cross section of fans and artists and music
industry people. Among your readers I know is Bill Mack. I have always been a
very big fan of Bill's. I had the pleasure of meeting him a couple of times in
Nashville in the ‘60s and ‘70s at the DJ Convention. I would not expect him to
remember that, but it was special to me. He always had a lot of people around
him. Pam and I drive through Ft. Worth and Austin every year on our way to the
Rio Grande Valley. Maybe you can tell Bill that it would be a big thrill for me
if it were ever possible for me to meet him again and just shake his hand and
say a big Thank You for all he has done for so many. I miss hearing him on the
air. He kept us awake all night many years ago when we were driving a big bus
from coast to coast playing shows. Those days are gone, and for some that music
is gone, but we are still out here over 225 days a year still playing it.
Thanks again. Keep up your great work.”
Aileen Arledge says, “I really enjoy your newsletters. They are better all the
time. This time I am so happy not to hear of anyone dying. I send copies to all
my friends. They love them. A few months back you mentioned about people
sending cards to Holly Dunn. I haven’t heard anything since. Is she all right?
I hope so.”
Diane: Thanks for caring, Aileen, and you’ll find the answer above. You might
want to write to her at Holly Dunn, PO Box 70, Placitas NM 87043.
Alan Potter writes, “As always a delight to read your column & the letters.
Beth Nielsen Chapman did a concert in my home town, Harrogate (England), & I
interviewed her & at the evening show she sang ALL I HAVE for my lovely wife
Betty. Beth is a truly lovely lady & great writer. I will never forget the look
on Betty’s face. That was the last concert Betty saw before she died.”
Mary Knapp writes from Mesa, Arizona, “Regarding standing at concerts: When I
pay to see a concert for a seat, I expect to sit and enjoy the concert. Most of
the time this works. But at one concert, Old Crow Medicine Show, I do believe
the whole audience stood the entire concert. The ushers kindly took me and
friend to an upper level balcony so we could see over those standing. I cannot
stand for long periods and use an electric scooter. Believe that is the worst
concert I've wasted money on. Thank you for keeping us updated on good country
music and artists. Appreciate hearing any update you might get on Mel.”
Terry Counts in White Bluff, Tennessee, says, “Another great job...I am sorry
to hear about the Twitty City problems. Keep up the great work.”
Clem Schmitz in Crystal, Minnesota, requests, “Please add me to the email
newsletter. Thought it very interesting and it stirs up memories of the great
long gone era of country music.”
Diane: I enjoy listening to the steel guitar music of your son, Dave, in Sioux
Falls. You taught him well!
Delma Last writes, “Your newsletter was shared on one of the groups I am on.
Being a lover of real country music, from the ‘60s and ‘70s and also the ‘80s I
loved it, may I please join? I am a blind woman, 49 years old, and the biggest
fan of real country there is. This stuff of today is not country to me, I love
Kitty Wells, Loretta Lynn, Charley Pride, Buck Owens, Conway Twitty, Mel
Tillis, just to name a few names that are country to me.”
John Pokoski requests, “Please send your newsletter to me. I had been receiving
it and enjoyed it but haven’t received it lately.”
Larry Delaney of Cancountry in Ottawa, Ontario, sends a flashback: “Faron Young
headlining a Grand Ole Opry package show, March 18, 1968, at the Capitol
Theatre, in Ottawa, Canada. Check the ticket prices...$3.50, $3.00, and $2.50.
Quite a bargain.”
Ratt Reno writes from Iowa, “We just got back from a week visiting close
friends in Nova Scotia. They are Acadian and it was their annual Acadian
Festival. Every year there's a big Bluegrass festival with local bands from
Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Also, Acadian bands perform at local venues
during the festival. Acadians love country music. I think there's more music
per capita there than Austin or Nashville! As you probably know, the Cajuns in
Louisiana came from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, when they were deported by
the British from 1755 to 1764. Today's Acadian bands sound about the same as
the Cajuns in Louisiana, with fiddle and French accordions and all songs sung
in Acadian French. Many songs go back hundreds of years, telling about their
history. The Acadians speak Acadian French, which is totally different from
standard French, although they also speak that language, plus English. Our
friends, Fernand Comeau (pronounced Fren'-ah Co-mo') and Cindy Meyers from
Clare, Nova Scotia, would love to get on your mailing list.”
Tom Kane requests, “I would like to be added to your email mailing list.”
Floyd Tidd writes from Mesa, Arizona, “Just wanted to let you know about the
Classic Country jam sessions we have here in the east Mesa/Apache Junction
area. We have 36 different jams in the winter months and probably 30 of them
are dedicated to keeping classic country music going. Long live classic
country. Keep up the good work--enjoy your newsletter.”
SONG OF THE WEEK
My favorite song by the Bellamy Brothers has always been "If I Said You Had a
Beautiful Body (Would You Hold It Against Me)." I like the double (and
opposite) messages, and the overall enjoyable sound. Who wouldn’t want to hear
those words from the right person? Younger brother David wrote the song, and
Howard told interviewer Carl Wiser in 2007, "I have to give credit for that
line to Groucho Marx. . .. He had a show called You Bet Your Life. He'd have
guests on, and different quiz questions. . .. He'd say, 'If I said you had a
beautiful body would you hold it against me?' and shake his cigar and raise his
eyebrows. Our family always had a weird southern sense of humor and they'd use
that line a lot. So it just came one day that it'd be a great song title."
David's lyrics stated, "But daddy always told me, 'Don't make small talk.' He
said, 'Come on out and say what's on your mind.' So if I said you had a
beautiful body would you hold it against me?" That single was their biggest
Billboard hit. It reached number one in the spring of 1979 and held the spot
for three weeks. Their future nine #1 songs hit the top and dropped off after
the first week.
LABOR DAY WEEKEND EVENTS
Here’s what I’ll be doing Labor Day weekend. If you’re in South Dakota, I
invite you to join me for any or all of these events:
Friday, September 2 - John Anderson concert at Fort Randall Casino
(www.fortrandallcasino.com) at 8 pm. His opening act, at 7 pm, is the Chute
Rooster Band (www.chuteroosterband.com) from Sioux Falls.
Saturday, September 3 – Chute Rooster Band dance in Lucky’s Lounge at Fort
Randall Casino, 8 pm.
Sunday, September 4 – Sherwin Linton show on the Centennial Stage at the South
Dakota State Fair in Huron, at 2 pm. I’ll be speaking at 1:30 about my journey
as a biographer.
Monday, September 5 – Hidewood Valley Threshing Show on the Gantvoort farm near
Clear Lake, at 1:00 pm. This is free to the public and hosted by my brother
Keith Diekman and cousin Doug Gantvoort. I’ll be on the hayrack and pitching
grain bundles into the threshing machine (i.e., grain separator). There will be
lots of old farm machinery on display and in use.
Diane Diekman
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
diane@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Twentieth Century Drifter: The Life of Marty Robbins
Live Fast, Love Hard: The Faron Young Story
Navy Greenshirt
A Farm In the Hidewood
Your gift shopping made easy with Mary Kay
Read Diane's speeches and articles
Other related posts:
- » [ourplace] Diane's Country Music Newsletter -- 31 August 2016 - nancy Lynn
