Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! - Backforty Bunkhouse
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! - Backforty Bunkhouse
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! - Backforty Bunkhouse
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<strong>Backforty</strong> <strong>Bunkhouse</strong> <strong>New</strong>sletter<br />
Cowtown Society of Western Music ‗2009 Publication of the <strong>Year</strong>‘<br />
Distributed by BACKFORTY BUNKHOUSE PRODUCTIONS<br />
106 Roswell St., Ruidoso, NM 88345 (575) 808-4111<br />
Home of <strong>Backforty</strong> Roundup <strong>and</strong> CD Chorale<br />
<strong>Backforty</strong> <strong>Bunkhouse</strong> Publishing BMI<br />
Venue / Show Productions Western Music Radio Marketing<br />
www.<strong>Backforty</strong> <strong>Bunkhouse</strong>.com Joe@<strong>Backforty</strong><strong>Bunkhouse</strong>.com<br />
www.MySpace.com/<strong>Backforty</strong><strong>Bunkhouse</strong> Twitter.com/backfortyBH<br />
Joe Baker<br />
Publisher<br />
The <strong>Backforty</strong> <strong>Bunkhouse</strong> <strong>New</strong>sletter is sent to over 1,050 email subscribers periodically <strong>and</strong> is growing every day. There are<br />
DJs, artists <strong>and</strong> fans whose interest are Western Swing, Cowboy Poetry, Cowboy Heritage <strong>and</strong> Texas Honky Tonk music genres.<br />
We solicit your comments, suggestions <strong>and</strong> ways we may better serve you. If you do not want to receive this newsletter<br />
<strong>and</strong> want to be removed from our mailing list, reply to this email by entering ―UNSUBSCRIBE‖ in the subject box of the email.<br />
Est. January, 2007<br />
Howard Higgins,<br />
Co-Founder & Advisor<br />
Joe Baker, Co-Founder<br />
& Publisher<br />
<strong>Merry</strong> <strong>Christmas</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Happy</strong> <strong>New</strong> <strong>Year</strong>!<br />
Totsie Slover, Editor<br />
mtdradio.com<br />
backfortybunkhouse.com<br />
nchacutting.com<br />
mtdradio.com<br />
backfortybunkhouse.com<br />
westernmusic.com<br />
wsmss.com<br />
cowtown-swm.org<br />
Joe Baker's Top 20 – December, 2010<br />
Western Swing<br />
1. Brady Bowen, In My Spare Time – Vol. 6<br />
2. Asleep At The Wheel & Leon Rausch, It‘s A<br />
Good Day<br />
3. Tony Harrison & Hot Texas, Swingin‘ Big<br />
4. Gayla Earlene, Traditional Sugar<br />
5. Tom Houston, Tuxedo Country, Vol.#2<br />
6. Lonnie Spiker, Coming To A Honky Tonk<br />
Near You<br />
7. Eddie McAlvain, Whatever You Want Me To<br />
Be<br />
8. Gena Roberts, Nothing Left To Lose<br />
9. Jimmy Burson, Back In The Swing<br />
10. Jerry D. Hobbs, Bakersfield<br />
11. Lone Pine WS B<strong>and</strong>, Good-Bye Liza Jane<br />
12. Janice Maynard, There‘s A Better Way<br />
13. Johnny Lyon, Wynn Stewart Fav, Vol.#3<br />
14. Johnny Gimble, Celebrating With Friends<br />
15. Jerry Webb, ―Live‖ At Pearl‘s CD/DVD<br />
16. Billy Mata, This Is Tommy Duncan Vol.#1<br />
17. Rachael Hester, Only Time Will Tell<br />
18. David Nall, Texas Proud Vol. #1<br />
19. Chuck Cusimano, Swing me A Song<br />
20. David Ball, Sparkle City<br />
Western Music/Cowboy Poetry<br />
1. Bar D Roundup, Vol.5 CowboyPoetry.com<br />
2. Yvonne Hollenbeck, Sorting Time<br />
3. Mark Compere, Cowboy Songs<br />
4. Frank Fara, Songs Of The Untamed West<br />
5. The Sweethearts In Carhartts, Sleigh Belles<br />
6. Larry McWhorter, Cowboy Poet (Prescott)<br />
7. Ken Cook, Cowboys Are Like That<br />
8. Stardust Cowboys, Ridin‘ Back To You<br />
9. Chuck Woller, D. Johnson Vocals) Desert Moon<br />
10. Steve Anderson, Old Man Talking<br />
11. Gil Prather, Last Of The Border Cowboys<br />
12. Patty Parker, Southwest Serenade<br />
13. Horse Crazy, Daughters Of The West<br />
14. Jim Jones, Feels Like Home To Me<br />
15. <strong>Backforty</strong> Roundup Vol. #46<br />
16. Almeda Terry, Voices From The Range<br />
17. Troy Bateson, Midnight Moon<br />
18. Chuck Cusimano, Wind Blow My Blues Away<br />
19. Allan Chapman, West Of The 98 th Meridian<br />
20. Bryan Ragsdale, Cowboy <strong>Christmas</strong> Tree<br />
"Swingin' West"- Mike Gross<br />
KSEY - Seymore, TX<br />
December 1, 2010<br />
Songs<br />
1. Lonestar Ladies- Ray S<strong>and</strong>ers<br />
2. It‘s a Good Day- Leon Rausch & Asleep at the<br />
Wheel<br />
3. Oklahoma- 1955- Les Gilliam<br />
4. Trudie Sweet Trudie- Richard Lee Cody<br />
5. Don‘t Let the Devil Dance- The Captain‘s Crew<br />
6. That‘s What I Call Cookin‘- Carolyn Martin<br />
7. The Mighty Santa Fe- The Tumbling Tumbleweeds<br />
Joe Baker‟s <strong>Backforty</strong> <strong>Bunkhouse</strong> Show is broadcast on 100,000 watt KNMB, 96.7FM “<strong>New</strong> Mexico Bear” & 100,000 watt KWMW, 105.1FM, “Regional<br />
Radio W-105” every Saturday morning 6 am to 10 am in Ruidoso, <strong>New</strong> Mexico covering <strong>New</strong> Mexico & West Texas. Member: Western Music Broadcasters<br />
Association (WMBA). Also available „Streaming live‟ 24/7 on the internet at W-105<br />
1
awaawards.org<br />
nwwsms.org<br />
westernswingsociety.org<br />
ifco.org<br />
swinginwest.com<br />
demingradio.com<br />
realwestoldwest.com<br />
cowboypoetry.com<br />
8. Texas To A ―T‖- The Ball Family<br />
9. Driftin‘ Again- RW Hampton California Mountains-<br />
The Stardust Cowboys<br />
10. California Mountains- The Stardust Cowboys<br />
Albums<br />
1. It‘s a Good Day- Leon Rausch & Asleep at the<br />
Wheel<br />
2. Swing Big- Tony Harrison & Hot Texas<br />
3. Live at Pearls- Jerry Webb<br />
4. Have You Ever Even Heard of Milton Brown?-<br />
Great Recession Orchestra of Ft. Worth, TX<br />
5. Oklahoma- 1955- Les Gilliam<br />
6. Goodbye Liza Jane Hello Western Swing-<br />
Lone Pine Western Swing B<strong>and</strong><br />
7. Cookin‘ With Carolyn- Carolyn Martin<br />
8. Swing Me a Song- Chuck Cusimano<br />
9. Celebrating with Friends- Johnny Gimble<br />
10. Whatever You Want Me to Be- Eddie<br />
swinginwest.com<br />
The Real West From The Old West<br />
Totsie Slover<br />
AM1230 KOTS<br />
DemingRadio.com<br />
1. Sleigh Ride - Sweethearts In<br />
Carhartts<br />
2. Cookin‘ With Carolyn – Carolyn<br />
Martin<br />
3. Here, There Or Anywhere – Rod Taylor<br />
4. It‘s A Good Day – Asleep At The Wheel/Leon<br />
Rausch<br />
5. Feel Like Home To Me – Jim Jones<br />
6. Oklahoma 1955 – Les Gilliam<br />
7. Our First Noel - Musgrave, Gail, Calahan, Hampton<br />
8. Swing Me A Song – Chuck Cusimano<br />
9. Voices From The Range - Almeda Terry<br />
10. In My Spare Time Vol. 6 – Brady Bowen<br />
11. Austin To Boston - R W Hampton<br />
12. The Joy Of <strong>Christmas</strong> - Tom Boyer<br />
13. Home For The Holidays - Stephanie Davis<br />
14. Twin Fiddles Turn Me On - Jody Nix<br />
15. Yellowstone Winds - Open Range<br />
16. Cowboy <strong>Christmas</strong> Tree - Bryan Ragsdale<br />
17. Cowboy <strong>Christmas</strong> - Michael Martin Murphy<br />
18. <strong>Christmas</strong> Shoppin‘ At The General Store - Nevada<br />
Slim & Cimmaron Sue<br />
19. <strong>Merry</strong> <strong>Christmas</strong> From Our Camp To Yours - Isaccs,<br />
Prescott, Ramsey & Shivers<br />
20. <strong>Christmas</strong> For Cowboys - Wylie Gustafson<br />
Graham Lees<br />
Top 10 CDs & Songs<br />
HWD Radio - United Kingdom<br />
Top Ten CDs<br />
1.<br />
2. Asleep At The Wheel <strong>and</strong> Leon<br />
Rausch - It‘s A Good Day<br />
3. Carolyn Martin - Cookin‘ With Carolyn<br />
4. Cornell Hurd B<strong>and</strong> - A Bad <strong>Year</strong> For Love<br />
5. RW Hampton - Austin To Boston<br />
6. Mike Siler Bubbles in My Beer<br />
7. Sons Of The San Joaquin - Way Out Yonder<br />
8. Lon Hannah - ‗Cause I Always Wanted To<br />
9. Eddie McAlvain - Whatever You Want Me To Be<br />
10. Jennifer Lind - Cowboy State Of Mind<br />
11. Ian Tyson - Lost Herd<br />
Top Ten Songs<br />
1. Country Night Live - Don‘t You Ever Get Tired<br />
2. Dayna Wills - Texan in a Stetson<br />
3. Ian Tyson - Blue Mountains Of Mexico<br />
4. Linda Lee Filener - Bring Back The Waltzes<br />
5. Mike Siler - Step Aside<br />
6. The Tumbling Tumbleweeds - California<br />
7. The River Road Boys - Walk Out Backwards<br />
8. The Sweethearts In Carhartts - Liz Masterson -<br />
Sleigh Belles<br />
9. Les Gilliam - Gunsmoke Trail<br />
10. Theresa O‘Dell - The Cowboys Are Ridin‘ On<br />
graham@grahamlees.com<br />
LEESWING88<br />
TOP 12 CDS & SONGS<br />
Lillies Ohlsson<br />
Kountry Korral Magazine<br />
Bennerstigen 12<br />
SE-733 95 SALA* Sweden<br />
Top 12 CDs<br />
1. Bob Dunn – Master Of The<br />
Electric Steel Guitar<br />
2. Bobby Koefer – Thumbin´ It<br />
3. Billy Mata & The Texas Tradition – This Is<br />
Tommy Duncan, Vol.1<br />
4. Brady Bowen – In My Spare Time Volume 6<br />
5. Chuck Cusimano – Swing Me A Song<br />
6. Cornell Hurd B<strong>and</strong> – The Songs Of Moon<br />
Mullican<br />
7. Gaylynn Robinson – Love & Heartache<br />
8. Jake Hooker – Lost Along The Way<br />
9. Johnny Gimble – Celebrating With Friends<br />
10. Kimmie Rhodes – Miracles On A <strong>Christmas</strong> Day<br />
11. Tommy Lucas – Raisin´ Texas (On A Saturday<br />
Night)<br />
12. Tumbling Tumbleweeds – Blaze Across The<br />
West<br />
RealWestOldWest.com<br />
Top 12 Songs<br />
kalhlp@earthlink.net<br />
1. Beale Street Blues – Milton Brown & His<br />
Brownies<br />
cowboysymposium.org<br />
2<br />
Ruidoso, <strong>New</strong> Mexico<br />
mountainannies.com
adioksey.com<br />
waynettawwr@aol.com<br />
wswing.home.texas.net<br />
2. Black Rider – Billy Mata & The Texas<br />
Tradition<br />
3. I´ll Sail My Ship Alone – Cornell Hurd<br />
B<strong>and</strong><br />
4. Mira Las Palomas – Mike Blakely<br />
5. My First Taste Of Texas – Ed Bruce<br />
6. Night Coach Out Of Dallas – Jake<br />
Hooker<br />
7. Ride On! (My Prairie Pinto) – Billy<br />
Mata & The Texas Tradition<br />
8. Somewhere South Of San Antone –<br />
Tommy Hooker<br />
9. Stompin´At The Honky Tonk – Bob<br />
Dunn´s Vagabonds<br />
10. Swing Me A Song – Chuck Cusimano<br />
11. T Texas Saturday Night – Tommy<br />
Lucas<br />
12. Wake Up Sleepy Town -Kimmie<br />
Rhodes<br />
www.123minsida.se/scowswing<br />
222.LeeSwing88.se<br />
Marvin O'Dell<br />
Around the Campfire<br />
Veteran Soldier's Radio<br />
In no particular order, here are 10 new excellent<br />
cowboy/western CD's you should have in your<br />
library:<br />
1. Blaze Across the West - The Tumbling Tumbleweeds<br />
2. Windmill in the Sunset - Earl Gleason<br />
3. Austin to Boston - R.W. Hampton<br />
4. Cowboy Swing 2 - The Texas Trailh<strong>and</strong>s<br />
5. American - Don Edwards<br />
6. Father to Father - Curly Musgrave<br />
7. The Eyes of a Cowboy - J Parson<br />
8. The Silver Screen Cowboy Project LIVE - The Rhythm Rustlers<br />
9. RNDNMUP - T.J. Casey & Jim Reader<br />
10. Way Out West - Richard Lee Cody & Mary Kaye<br />
www.vetsols.us<br />
Jim & Andy Nelson<br />
C. O. W. Radio<br />
Lisa Morales-General<br />
Manager<br />
Jeff Stevens-Editor<br />
sblackwell18<br />
@comcast.net<br />
cdtex.com<br />
texascountyline.tv<br />
gabe<strong>and</strong>tony.com<br />
All Things Country<br />
Top 10 CDs<br />
Rowena Muldavin<br />
1. Dale Watson – Carryin‘ On<br />
2. Leyla Fences – Liars, Cheats & Fools<br />
3. Bobby Flores – Eleven Roses<br />
4. Whitey Morgan & The 78‘s – Whitey<br />
Morgan & The 78‘s<br />
5. Becky Hobbs – Best Of The<br />
Beckaroo, Part One<br />
6. Joey & Rory – Album #2<br />
7. Marty Stuart – Ghost Train: The<br />
Studio B Sessions<br />
8. Carolyn Martin – Cookin‘ With<br />
Carolyn<br />
9. Cornell Hurd B<strong>and</strong> – Beyond The<br />
Purple Hills<br />
10. Eilen Jewell – Butcher Holler: A<br />
Tribute to Loretta Lynn<br />
rowena@hpr.org<br />
4 Week Playlist<br />
11/27/10, Thanksgiving<br />
Sourdough Slim: I Just Yodel My Troubles Away<br />
Eli Barsi: One Last Trail<br />
Bob Nolan: Ride Me Down Easy<br />
Bob Petermann: Thanks For The Rain<br />
Curly Musgrave: Thanks<br />
Prickly Pair: An Old Puncher's Prayer<br />
11/20/10, Arena Legacy<br />
Brenn Hill: One H<strong>and</strong> In The Riggin'<br />
Wylie And The Wild West: Bucking Horse Moon<br />
Marty Robbins: Cowboy In The Continental Suit<br />
Carin Mari And Pony Express: Someday Soon<br />
Paul Zarzyski: Ain't No Life After Rodeo<br />
Richard Elloyan: Rodeo Bones<br />
11/13/10, A Cowboy's Hard Times<br />
Sons Of The San Joaquin: He's Runnin' Out Of Roundups<br />
Hank Cramer: A Cowboy's Hard Times<br />
Rex Allen: The Last Roundup<br />
Don Edwards: The Last Cowboy Song<br />
Diane Tribitt: Headin' Out<br />
Oklahoma Company Cowboys: Night Riders Lament<br />
MineralWellsTX.com<br />
Joe Baker‘s <strong>Backforty</strong> <strong>Bunkhouse</strong> Radio Show<br />
Is Available Live Saturday Morning<br />
Including <strong>Christmas</strong> Morning!<br />
From 6:00 til 10:00 AM<br />
At www.<strong>Backforty</strong><strong>Bunkhouse</strong>.com<br />
11/6/10, You Got Bit By What?<br />
Kevin Davis: Underneath a Wide West Texas Sky<br />
R.W. Hampton: Cowboy's Prayer<br />
Hugo Montenegro: For a Few Dollars More<br />
Gillette Brothers: Summer Rain<br />
Dee Strickl<strong>and</strong> Johnson: Tomboy<br />
Cowboy Celtic: Other People's Cattle<br />
cowboypoet@wyoming.com<br />
3
Big Fred Walker Show<br />
WOES 91.3 FM<br />
Mid-Michigan<br />
Top Ten Songs<br />
01 Home For The Holidays – Stephanie<br />
Davis<br />
02 A Cold December Night – Leon<br />
Seiter<br />
03 <strong>Christmas</strong> Time A Comin‘ – Joe Paul<br />
Nichols<br />
04 <strong>Merry</strong> <strong>Christmas</strong> From Home – Kevin Collins<br />
05 God Bless America This <strong>Christmas</strong> From Home – Kevin<br />
Collins<br />
06 Rudolf The Red Nosed Reindeer – Dave Alex<strong>and</strong>er<br />
07 A Soldier‘s <strong>Christmas</strong> Tree - Johnny Lyon<br />
08 Dave Watson – A <strong>Christmas</strong> Story<br />
09 Ranch <strong>Christmas</strong> – Jane Morton<br />
10 The <strong>Christmas</strong> Bear – The Flying ―W‖ Wranglers<br />
Top Ten CD‘s<br />
01 Rebecca Linda Smith – True Love<br />
02 Bobby Flores – Eleven Roses<br />
03 Jody Nix – Twin Fiddles Turn Me On<br />
04 T. Jae Christian – The Vanishing Breed<br />
05 Pat Jacobs & The Over The Hill Gang – Legendary Western<br />
Swing<br />
06 Joe Green – Back To The Good Old Days<br />
07 James H<strong>and</strong> - The Truth Will Set You Free!<br />
08 Rebecca Linda Smith – True Love<br />
09 James H<strong>and</strong> – Shadow On The Ground<br />
10 Billy Mata – This is Tommy Duncan Vol. 1<br />
Top Ten Gospel Songs<br />
01 I‘m Ready To Go – Jack Clarkson<br />
02 Redeemed – Rebecca Linda Smith<br />
03 If I Make it to Heaven – Larry Ford<br />
04 There Is Power In The Blood – Johnny Johnson<br />
05 Amazing Grace – Bill Green<br />
06 Someday I‘ll Walk On Richer L<strong>and</strong> – Glen Canyon<br />
07 Day By Day – Bill Gaither<br />
08 I Am Blessed – Jean Prescott<br />
09 Getcha To The Other Side – The Calvary-Men Quartet<br />
10 Bring Out The Bible – Arty Hill<br />
djcountryone@charter.net<br />
Ken Bass<br />
Variety 95.1 FM - KALH<br />
Serving<br />
Alamogordo - La Luz<br />
Holloman AFB & Tularosa, NM<br />
TOP 20<br />
01. Gena Roberts & Country Night Live B<strong>and</strong> - Shuffle Back to<br />
Me<br />
02. Julie Ingram – Big Dog In Dallas<br />
03. McMule & Joanne Lediger - 1940 Ford<br />
04. Rita Faye – Gr<strong>and</strong>ma‘s Memory Lane<br />
05. Don Williams – What‘s The Score<br />
06. Kirsten Thien - Wild Women Don't Have The Blues<br />
07. David Allen Coe – Tennessee Waltz With Me Ken<br />
08. Leyla Fences - Upside Blues<br />
09. U S 32 - Credit Cards<br />
10. Tumbling Tumbleweeds – So Long To The Red River Valley<br />
11. Gary P Nunn - Alamogordo<br />
12. Gayla Earlene - Hold Me Darliln'<br />
13. Tracey K Houston & James Intveld - Cryin' Over You<br />
4<br />
14. Ken Donash - Ding, Dang, Darnit<br />
15. Bellamy Brothers - Back In The Day<br />
16. Great Resession Orch & Gary Bristol - A Chinese Honeymoon<br />
17. Shelly Streeter - Go Down Swingin'<br />
18. Delta Flyers - Highway 61 Blues<br />
19. Jody Adams - All Day Singin' And Dinner On The Grounds<br />
20. Karli Whetstone - I Don't<br />
CHRISTMAS HOT LIST<br />
01. Rita Faye – Gr<strong>and</strong>ma‘s Memory Lane<br />
02. Carla Corn - Snow<br />
03. Dean Tellefson - Cutsey Kay<br />
04. Eleven Hundred Springs - Orale Santa Claus<br />
05. The Fireballs - Marry <strong>Christmas</strong> Mom & Dad<br />
06. Stephanie Urbina Jones - One Little Boy<br />
07. Mim Gray - <strong>Christmas</strong> Kiss<br />
09. Stan Cox - Santa Claus Is Back in Town<br />
10. Tommy Joe Wilson - Overdrawn Over <strong>Christmas</strong><br />
11. Jesse And Noah Bellamy - I Want Texas For <strong>Christmas</strong><br />
12. Hank Bones & Maureen McElheron - Remember <strong>Christmas</strong><br />
13. Hal Willis - Let's Go For a Sleighride<br />
14. R J Montgomery - Reason For The Season<br />
15. Billy Keeble - Dear Santa<br />
16. Ken Webb - First <strong>Christmas</strong> Without You<br />
17. Hank Bones & Marc Roseett - Under The Mistletoe<br />
18. Riders in the Sky - <strong>Christmas</strong> Yodle<br />
19. Dick Damron - The Wonderful World Of <strong>Christmas</strong><br />
20. Anni Filt - Looking For Santa<br />
kalhp@earthlink.com<br />
Wyn Machon<br />
Oamaru Heritage Radio 88.3 FM<br />
And Moeraki 107 FM<br />
5 Lowther St. Oamaru 9400<br />
Whitestone City, <strong>New</strong> Zeal<strong>and</strong><br />
Ambrogio Gaigher, Natal No Mundo<br />
Delaney & O'Sullivan, A Cottage In The Country<br />
Marie O'Brien, Irish Harvest Day<br />
Jim Reeves, Butterfly Love<br />
Riders In The Sky, The <strong>Christmas</strong> Yodel<br />
Reta Grohman, Cowboy Sweetheart<br />
The Long Gone Smiles B<strong>and</strong>, <strong>Christmas</strong> In The Mountains<br />
Daddy Cool, Please Please America<br />
Jacque Taylor, Wide Open Spaces<br />
Mary Lynn Neil, I Want A Boy For <strong>Christmas</strong><br />
Slim Whitman, Rainbows Are Back In Style<br />
Kenny Loggins, Dancin' At The Movies<br />
Erin Hay, Don't Call Me From A Honky Tonk<br />
The Great Recession Orchestra, Somebody's Been Using That<br />
Thing<br />
Peter Ward & The Lone Pine Western Swing B<strong>and</strong>, Little Joe The<br />
Wrangler<br />
Patsy Rigger, Just One Time<br />
Bruce McCumstie, Who's Got The Pub In Sydney Now<br />
Patty Parker, La Noche Buena<br />
Anne Kirkpatrick & Troy Cassar -Daley, You Ain't Goin' Nowhere<br />
Bill Anderson & Jan Howard, Have I Told You Lately That I Love<br />
You<br />
wynjoy@orcon.net.nz
MUSIC LIST<br />
Hugh McClennan‘s<br />
THE SPIRIT OF THE WEST<br />
Kamloops Country Radio 103<br />
Kamloops, BC<br />
Dec. 25, 2010<br />
<strong>Christmas</strong> Cowboy Style - Michael M. Murphey & Don Edwards<br />
Linecamp <strong>Christmas</strong> (Poem) - Chris Isaacs<br />
A Cowgirl‘s <strong>Christmas</strong> - Jean Prescott<br />
Born On <strong>Christmas</strong> Eve - Frank Gleeson‘<br />
Every Day Is <strong>Christmas</strong> In The West - Don Edwards<br />
Cowboy‘s <strong>Christmas</strong> Prayer - Jon Bowerman<br />
My Church - Red Steagall<br />
<strong>Christmas</strong> On The Line - MIcheal Martin Murphey<br />
Unto You This Night - Bar J Wranglers<br />
Followin‘ On That Star - Belinda Gail<br />
Dec. 11, 2010<br />
MUSIC LIST<br />
1. Endless Sky - Lone Star Chorale<br />
2. Cooper‘s <strong>Christmas</strong> - Jean Prescott<br />
3. Memories Of A Prairie <strong>Christmas</strong> - Ed Peekekoot<br />
4. <strong>Christmas</strong> Drifter - John Hargett<br />
5. Word From The Range - Simpson Bros.<br />
POEM - Best Gift I‘ve Had In <strong>Year</strong>s - Yvonne Hollenbeck<br />
Dec. 4, 2010<br />
MUSIC LIST<br />
1. Workin‘ Cowboy - Ken Overcast<br />
2. Holdin‘ The High Ground - Jesse Ballyntyne<br />
3. Saskatchewan Son Of A Gun - Tim Hus<br />
4. The River, Mother Nature & Me - Jenny Lester<br />
5. Cows Don‘t Know It‘s <strong>Christmas</strong> - Jeremy Willis<br />
6. Just Dreamin‘ - Brian Salmond<br />
Nov. 27, 2010<br />
MUSIC LIST<br />
1. Heart Of A Cowboy - Bryan Ragsdale<br />
2. Along The Navajo Trail - Rhythm Wranglers<br />
3. Ride A Wide Circle - Ben Crane<br />
4. Equus Caballus - Wylie & The Wild West<br />
5. Ridin‘ Alone - Fred Hargrove<br />
POEM: ―What A Cowboy Knows‖ Les Buffham<br />
Nov. 20, 2010<br />
MUSIC LIST<br />
1. Young Farmers & Ranchers - Barry Ward<br />
2. Ride Cowboy Ride - Riders In The Sky With The Nashville<br />
Symphony<br />
3. The Legends Of Cutting - Ian Tyson<br />
4. I‘ll Be Movin‘ On - Ryan Fritz<br />
5. The Fate Of Old Strawberry Roan - Wilf Carter<br />
6. Just Lucky I Guess - Bill Barwick<br />
POEM: Wrap Your Arms Around Your Horse - Fred Hargrove<br />
www.hugh-mclennan.com<br />
Join over 1050 subscribers!<br />
Subscribe to the <strong>Backforty</strong> <strong>Bunkhouse</strong> <strong>New</strong>sletter<br />
At: www.<strong>Backforty</strong> <strong>Bunkhouse</strong>.com<br />
Bill McCallie‘s<br />
Cowboy Jubilee Radio Show<br />
Classical 90.5 WSMC-FM<br />
Chattanooga, TN<br />
Ray Pennington <strong>and</strong> Buddy<br />
Emmons got the month started with<br />
"Boggs Boogie", "Walking my Baby<br />
Back Home" <strong>and</strong> "Won't You Ride<br />
In My Little Red Wagon.‖ I got a<br />
nice CD from Bryan Ragsdale <strong>and</strong> played several cuts off<br />
it. "Montana Made," "Modern Day Mountain Man" <strong>and</strong> "Cowboy<br />
Lives" were among the best cuts. Thanks Bryan for the great<br />
CD. Ian Tyson <strong>and</strong> "Eighteen Inches of Rain," "Horsethief Moon"<br />
<strong>and</strong> "Old Corrals And Sagebrush" got some nice response from<br />
our listeners. I answered some request <strong>and</strong> got Carolyn Martin's<br />
"Cookin With Carolyn" back in rotation. Folks seem to like "That's<br />
What I Call Cooking," "Straighten Up And Fly Right" <strong>and</strong> "It's All<br />
About You." Don Edwards‘ new CD "Don Edwards, American"<br />
got some air play this month. We did "I Am A Pilgrim," "There's A<br />
Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere" <strong>and</strong> Woody Guthrie's<br />
"This L<strong>and</strong> Is Your L<strong>and</strong>" were my picks for the new CD.<br />
Sunday, Nov. 21st we did a live broadcast from the Ackermann<br />
Auditorium at Southern Adventist University to a packed<br />
house. Fletcher Bright <strong>and</strong> his Dismembered Tennesseans<br />
played a set as did myself <strong>and</strong> the In Cahoots B<strong>and</strong>. We had<br />
some really special players this year. Roy Curry, two time National<br />
Flat Pickin‘ Champion was on guitar, Dr. Doug Barron was<br />
on fiddle <strong>and</strong> Joe Cacavo was guest m<strong>and</strong>olinist. ‗Twas a great<br />
show <strong>and</strong> a good time had by all.<br />
In Cahoots did a rendition of Dave Stamey's "It's The West' as<br />
well as "My Window Faces The South" for a western swing piece<br />
<strong>and</strong> Dan Seals "Old Yellow Car" seemed to connect with the<br />
crowd but the highlight of the evening was a gospel song medley<br />
called "Jesus Hold My H<strong>and</strong>" <strong>and</strong> Martha Carson's<br />
―Satisfied.‖ The Time Jumpers kicked off the last show of the<br />
month with "Stompin‘ At The Station", "Fidoodlin", "Write Myself A<br />
Letter" <strong>and</strong> "Pig Gog Hop".<br />
Roy Rogers, Jr. is coming to Apison, Tennessee in December for<br />
4 days at Bill Hull<strong>and</strong>er's Barn, so I have been playing some of<br />
Dusty's music along with the High Riders B<strong>and</strong>. We did "King Of<br />
The Cowboys", <strong>and</strong> "Peaceful Prairie Nights" <strong>and</strong> I even did one<br />
of Roy Sr.'s songs called "That's How The West Was Swung.‖<br />
Thanksgiving weekend I went down to Atlanta, Georgia <strong>and</strong> was<br />
inducted into the Atlanta Georgia Country Music Hall of Fame<br />
thanks to my good friend Bill Holden. Thanks Bill for nominating<br />
me for that honor.<br />
We'll have lots of good music coming up in December <strong>and</strong> a Special<br />
<strong>Christmas</strong> <strong>and</strong> After <strong>Christmas</strong> Special. These special Cowboy<br />
Jubilee shows feature some really great <strong>Christmas</strong> music <strong>and</strong><br />
are repeat shows requested every year by listeners.<br />
That's about all the news that is fit to print...remember, we broadcast<br />
from beautiful downtown Collegedale, Tennessee with<br />
100,000 watts streaming to the internet at www.wsmc.org every<br />
Sunday evening at 6pm est. I hope you had a great Thanksgiving<br />
<strong>and</strong> your <strong>Christmas</strong> season is great for you as well. Enjoy the<br />
holidays but let's not forget our service people who don't get off for<br />
<strong>Christmas</strong> <strong>and</strong> a special <strong>Merry</strong> <strong>Christmas</strong> to Terry Slaten, who's<br />
pulling a one year hitch in Afghanistan. Keep your head down,<br />
Terry <strong>and</strong> come home safe!<br />
Remember, in the words of Mark Twain..."the only way to stay<br />
healthy is to do what you don't want to, eat what you don't like,<br />
<strong>and</strong> drink what you don't like...in other words, if it tastes<br />
good...spit it out! We'll see you next time <strong>and</strong> thanks for listening.<br />
5
Bill McCallie<br />
Cowboy Jubilee Radio Show<br />
WSMC Public Radio 90.5<br />
www.wsmc.org<br />
Airs: Sunday @ 6pm est<br />
Cowboy Poetry<br />
At the Bar-D Ranch<br />
By Margo Metegrano, Editor<br />
CowboyPoetry.com<br />
January features some great gatherings,<br />
including two of the most popular: the 22nd Annual Colorado<br />
Cowboy Gathering (www.coloradocowboygathering.com)<br />
in Denver <strong>and</strong> the one that started it all, the Western Folklife Center‘s<br />
27th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering (westernfolklife.org)<br />
in Elko, Nevada.<br />
Montana ranch h<strong>and</strong>, poet, <strong>and</strong> songwriter DW Groethe is among<br />
the participants at the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering; he's<br />
returning for a seventh time in 2011. This poem resonates with<br />
many listeners <strong>and</strong> readers:<br />
One last time, a-fore they slipped away.<br />
© 2007, DW Groethe, All rights reserved<br />
He comments: "Among the many things I inherited from my father<br />
was a box of items from his office desk. In it there was a ...small<br />
pocket notebook...on the first page he'd written the names of sixteen<br />
horses...the horses he'd grown up with back in the twenties<br />
<strong>and</strong> thirties. I wish I could remember all the stories he had about<br />
them. As it is, all I have is a page in an old worn notebook <strong>and</strong> a<br />
poem to honor their memories."<br />
DW Groethe has a recent chapbook that includes the title<br />
poem, My Father’s Horses, available for $15 postpaid from him at<br />
PO Box 144, Bainville, MT 59212; 406/769-2312. His recitation of<br />
―My Father‘s Horses‖ (recorded at the 2007 National Cowboy Poetry<br />
Gathering) appears on The BAR-D Roundup: Volume<br />
Three compilation from CowboyPoetry.com. DW has an awardwinning<br />
book of poetry <strong>and</strong> lyrics, West River Waltz; CDs of his<br />
music <strong>and</strong> poetry; <strong>and</strong> additional chapbooks.<br />
Learn more about the gatherings mentioned above at CowboyPoetry.com,<br />
where you‘ll also find hundreds of cowboy poets <strong>and</strong><br />
Western musicians <strong>and</strong> their works. It's an on-going gathering,<br />
with continual news, features, poetry, lyrics, gathering reports,<br />
<strong>and</strong> an extensive event calendar. Come by <strong>and</strong> stay a while.<br />
MY FATHER‘S HORSES<br />
It must've been a day<br />
for peace an' reverie<br />
When my father took a pencil in his h<strong>and</strong><br />
an' scribed upon his notebook,<br />
all the horses that he'd had<br />
when growin' up in West Dakota l<strong>and</strong>.<br />
I can see him sittin', thoughtful,<br />
soft smile in his eyes,<br />
As the ponies pranced before him, once again.<br />
Then he jotted each one down,<br />
with a slow an' careful h<strong>and</strong>.<br />
Sometimes, horses, can count right up with kin.<br />
Tobe, Frank an' Muggins,<br />
Daisy I an' Daisy II,<br />
(his mem'ry felt a breeze that stirred their manes.)<br />
Charlie, Chub an' Pearl<br />
found their way up to the front<br />
an' back once more upon the dusty plains.<br />
Prince I an' II an' Mike<br />
come lopin' lightly into view,<br />
he penned their mem'ries, gentle on the page...<br />
a-waitin' an' a thinkin',<br />
he was missin'...just a few<br />
when Queen an' May neared, nickerin' thru the sage.<br />
An' finally, down the draw,<br />
come Thunder, Buck an' Bill<br />
a'flyin' like the wind an' they was one.<br />
then he eased back in his chair,<br />
contemplatin' all that's there,<br />
his gatherin' of the old bunch was all done.<br />
Yeah...it must've been a day<br />
of peace an' reverie,<br />
in his office, at a desk of metal gray,<br />
when the ol' man made a tally<br />
a-gatherin' up his cavvy,<br />
margo@cowboypoetry.com<br />
Cowboy Jam Session:<br />
Western Culture <strong>New</strong>s & Reviews<br />
- by Jeri L. Dobrowski<br />
November 2010<br />
<strong>Christmas</strong> Gift Ideas: Part 1<br />
<strong>Christmas</strong> can‘t be far off. We sampled<br />
the season‘s first lefse Sunday. Hot off<br />
the griddle. Two ladies were rolling <strong>and</strong><br />
baking the delectable rounds at a benefit<br />
for the local retirement home. They were offering the Norwegian<br />
tortillas in take-home packages <strong>and</strong> on the spot—brushed with<br />
melted butter <strong>and</strong> sprinkled with sugar <strong>and</strong> cinnamon. The pair<br />
worked steadily to fill orders. Other folks have been busy preparing<br />
for the holiday season, too:<br />
<strong>Christmas</strong> on the Range <strong>and</strong> other <strong>Christmas</strong> Poems is a book<br />
by Yvonne Hollenbeck (Pine Hills Press, 2010, 5.25 x 5.75", 74<br />
pages, 8 b/w photos, hardback, ISBN: 978-1-57579-430-3). This<br />
beautiful little book, about the size of a CD case, would make a<br />
treasured hostess gift, stocking stuffer, door prize, or addition to<br />
your own library. If you cherish the spiritual significance of <strong>Christmas</strong>,<br />
or have fond memories of spending holidays in the country,<br />
this pint-sized collection of poems <strong>and</strong> photos will warm your<br />
heart. Hollenbeck draws on her experiences growing up on the<br />
Great Plains for this gem. She even included her mother‘s recipe<br />
for rollout sugar cookies.<br />
<strong>Christmas</strong> on the Range <strong>and</strong> other <strong>Christmas</strong> Poems sells for $15<br />
plus $3.50 shipping. Order from Yvonne Hollenbeck, 30549 291st<br />
6
St., Clearfield SD 57580; www.yvonnehollenbeck.com; (605) 557<br />
-3559.<br />
Several of Hollenbeck‘s poems are included in Sleigh Belles, a<br />
CD by The Sweethearts in Carhartts. Comprised of Hollenbeck,<br />
Jean Prescott, <strong>and</strong> Liz Masterson, the trio worked diligently to<br />
select 24 tracks of seldom-heard material. Indeed, half is original,<br />
written by members of the group. Prescott‘s cowgirl tunes <strong>and</strong><br />
Masterson‘s swanky vocals alternate nicely with Hollenbeck‘s<br />
endearing poetry. If you‘ve ever heard the glorious chime of brass<br />
sleigh bells on a team of horses, you might want this for that<br />
sound alone. For a track listing <strong>and</strong> audio snippets, go to<br />
www.thesweetheartsincarhartts.com.<br />
Sleigh Belles sells for $22 postpaid. Order at<br />
www.thesweetheartsincarhartts.com (PayPal accepted) or from<br />
Prescott Music, PO Box 194, Ovalo, TX 79541; (325) 583-2553.<br />
City, Okla., released volumes 7 <strong>and</strong> 8 in their Western Legacy<br />
Series this year. Luis Ortega’s Rawhide Artistry: Braiding in<br />
the California Tradition by Chuck Stormes <strong>and</strong> Don Reeves,<br />
with a foreword by Mehl Lawson, is volume 7 (University of Oklahoma<br />
Press, 2010, 9x11", 160 pages, 31 b/w illustrations, 71 color<br />
photos, ISBN-13: 978-0806140919). The most comprehensive<br />
overview of Ortega‘s life, art, <strong>and</strong> career, the book chronicles the<br />
acclaimed rawhide braider‘s love affair with horse gear.<br />
Grounded in the Spanish vaquero tradition, Ortega was recognized<br />
by the National Endowment for the Arts as a Master Traditional<br />
Artist. The photography within the book is outst<strong>and</strong>ing, offering<br />
close-ups of his intricate hackamores, headstalls, reins, quirts,<br />
hobbles, <strong>and</strong> reatas. It is sure to please the braider or cowboy<br />
who appreciates fine craftsmanship.<br />
Luis Ortega’s Rawhide Artistry lists for $29.95 in paperback; $55<br />
in hardback. It is available from online book sellers or University of<br />
Oklahoma Press, 2800 Venture Drive, Norman, OK 73069-8216;<br />
(800) 627-7377, www.oupress.com.<br />
Nevada Slim <strong>and</strong> Cimarron Sue released <strong>Christmas</strong> Shopping<br />
at the General Store, a CD with a cheerful nod to tradition <strong>and</strong><br />
family. The cover photo was taken at the Waitsburg (Washington)<br />
Hardware <strong>and</strong> Mercantile, where squeaking wooden floors <strong>and</strong> a<br />
pot bellied stove are still in vogue. Included among the 11 tracks<br />
are six original songs <strong>and</strong> two noteworthy recitations. Sue presents<br />
S. Omar Barker‘s ―Three Wise Men,‖ while Slim gives his<br />
rendition of Clement C. Moore‘s ―The Night Before <strong>Christmas</strong>.‖ As<br />
I listened, I was reminded of the annual <strong>Christmas</strong> program at a<br />
one-room country school. In true country-school fashion, ―Silent<br />
Night‖ brings the album to a close. Listen to snippets at<br />
www.cdbaby.com/cd/slimnsue5.<br />
<strong>Christmas</strong> Shopping at the General Store sells for $12.97. Order<br />
from www.cdbaby.com/cd/slimnsue5. Downloads are available.<br />
Contact Nevada Slim <strong>and</strong> Cimarron Sue at (509) 849-2422;<br />
www.nevadaslim.com.<br />
The National Cowboy <strong>and</strong> Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma<br />
7<br />
Volume 8 from the Western Legacy Series is Arena Legacy: The<br />
Heritage of American Rodeo by Richard C. Rattenbury, foreword<br />
by Larry Mahan, collection photography by Ed Muno<br />
(University of Oklahoma Press, 2010, 10 x 12", 432 pages, 620<br />
color <strong>and</strong> b/w illustrations, hardcover, ISBN-13: 978-0806140841).<br />
As the page count indicates, this is a BIG book. It weighs a whopping<br />
seven pounds!<br />
A historical review traces rodeo from the first recorded competition<br />
among Colorado cowh<strong>and</strong>s in 1869 to today‘s big-business world<br />
of the National Finals. Showcased are items within the collections<br />
of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum: costumes,<br />
trophies, buckles, riding equipment, posters, <strong>and</strong> programs. I was<br />
thrilled to see a pair of chaps that belonged to Bob Askin. Released<br />
in October, this is going to create a lot of excitement<br />
among rodeo aficionados, participants, collectors, <strong>and</strong> historians.<br />
Arena Legacy lists for $65. Look for it at your favorite bookstore or<br />
order from University of Oklahoma Press, 2800 Venture Drive,<br />
Norman, OK 73069-8216; (800) 627-7377,<br />
www.oupress.com.<br />
Submit items for consideration to Jeri Dobrowski, 1471 Carlyle<br />
Road S, Beach, ND 58621; jamsession@robscabinets.com<br />
© 2010, Jeri Dobrowski, All rights reserved<br />
This column also appears at the Tri-State Livestock <strong>New</strong>s<br />
The Messanger...Rhonda<br />
Our <strong>Christmas</strong> Gift:<br />
They had sat on the news for about 18<br />
weeks, sharing with very few people, which<br />
had not included us. Perhaps it was because<br />
they knew we would think their financial <strong>and</strong><br />
parental responsibility was almost on overload<br />
already. Early one evening shortly after dinner, they showed
up in our kitchen without their children. Uncharacteristically, they<br />
began making idle chit-chat, <strong>and</strong> I mused what could be the mission<br />
of this unexpected visit in the middle of their busy evening<br />
shuttling kids to various extracurricular activities.<br />
After about 15 minutes, of meaningless conversation our 38 year<br />
old son finally, announced, point blank, with no lead in, ―Well, we<br />
just thought we would come by <strong>and</strong> tell you that you are going to<br />
be gr<strong>and</strong>parents again!‖ I sat there stunned <strong>and</strong> thought<br />
―Hummm, I wonder who in the family is having a baby that he is<br />
talking about…it‘s certainly not them! They have four already, a<br />
seventeen year old high school senior as well as a twelve, ten,<br />
<strong>and</strong> two <strong>and</strong> a half year olds. My goodness they are nurses with<br />
Master‘s degrees! Mark is CNO at a hospital, commuting 120<br />
miles daily roundtrip. Sherrie is thirty seven <strong>and</strong> diabetic, an instructor<br />
of nursing at the local university <strong>and</strong> finishing her Master‘s<br />
degree! NO….this could not be them. They wouldn‘t be having<br />
their fifth child at this stage in their life…but who could it be<br />
that we don‘t know about? It couldn‘t be our thirty two year old<br />
Gr<strong>and</strong>son Chris. We already know about their baby boy that will<br />
be arriving in January. We have waited ten years for Chris <strong>and</strong><br />
Carrie to have their first baby. She had to get through dental<br />
school <strong>and</strong> into her own practice before children. Oh dear Lord<br />
don‘t let it be one of the gr<strong>and</strong>kids who has become pregnant out<br />
of wedlock. I just can‘t h<strong>and</strong>le that right now!<br />
Mark got up <strong>and</strong> marched over to Sherrie‘s purse. He drug out a<br />
roll of ultrasound pictures <strong>and</strong> began to unwind them h<strong>and</strong>ing<br />
them to me. Sherrie sat quietly with her head bowed slightly.<br />
―Whose pictures are these Mark?‖ I asked.<br />
―Good grief, mother…they‘re ours!‖ he retorted looking like he had<br />
just encountered a brain dead employee. ―We, Sherrie <strong>and</strong> I, are<br />
going to have a baby <strong>and</strong> these are the pictures from today‘s visit<br />
to the ‗high risk pregnancy‘ Dr. in OKC‖ Dick finally joined the<br />
conversation with gusto, ―YOU‘VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!‖<br />
―See Sherrie, I told you that was exactly what he would say! No<br />
dad…we are not kidding…<strong>and</strong>, no this was not planned! It was a<br />
huge OOPS! We have kept it a secret for18 weeks‖ Mark responded<br />
with a countenance that revealed weeks of trying to<br />
wrap acceptance around the reality manifested in these pictures.<br />
―It‘s another girl. Look at this picture of her little facial features.<br />
Hard to believe isn‘t it?‖<br />
Sherrie finally spoke up, ―We didn‘t want to steal any of the thunder<br />
from Chris <strong>and</strong> Carrie‘s news about their baby. We felt their<br />
long awaited event should have top billing so we kept our news<br />
secret until we knew everything was ok <strong>and</strong> had pictures. We<br />
weren‘t even sure I was going to be able to carry this baby.‖<br />
An overwhelming load of new responsibility, disappointment, <strong>and</strong><br />
fear mingled with acceptance of God‘s master plan was clearly<br />
expressed in their body language. Finally Mark said, ―I‘ll be close<br />
to Social Security age by the time I get her through college.‖ To<br />
which I responded ―We‘ll be dead by that time son.‖ We were all<br />
silent for a moment. Then Dick spoke up, ―You know son, I have<br />
to tell you when we found out you were on the way we were devastated.<br />
I was temporarily disabled with a back injury <strong>and</strong> your<br />
mother was finishing her degree in education <strong>and</strong> even had a<br />
teaching job waiting. Vickie was thirteen <strong>and</strong> Johnece was ten.<br />
Our family was finished <strong>and</strong> your mother had moved on with a<br />
new career. But God knew better than us what we needed. You<br />
are the best thing that ever happened to us <strong>and</strong> to this family.<br />
This little girl will bring you more joy than you can ever imagine. It<br />
will be ok. She is truly a gift.‖<br />
I was still stunned <strong>and</strong> sad that they had felt forced to keep the<br />
news to themselves for so long. Without a doubt this will be the<br />
best gift God will ever give them. But I remember how I struggled<br />
trying to come to grips with a pregnancy later in life. I could empathize<br />
with their every feeling.<br />
8<br />
There were tears, hugs <strong>and</strong> lots of loving words of encouragement<br />
as they departed that evening. Although her arrival will be sometime<br />
in April I have come to realize that she is our <strong>Christmas</strong> gift<br />
from God. As I read the biblical account of the birth of Jesus I am<br />
reminded that God‘s own Son was not a welcome advent to many.<br />
It was certainly not something Mary <strong>and</strong> Joseph would have chosen<br />
to do nor were they eager to endure, a baby arriving out of<br />
wedlock. It was not like it is today. Yet they were obedient to God<br />
<strong>and</strong> in so doing blessed the world with the Christ Child, God‘s own<br />
son.<br />
I received an email today with a picture of an unborn baby in its -<br />
21st week of gestation. An unbelievable surgical procedure inside<br />
the uterus on the unborn had been done. The picture captured an<br />
incredible moment showing the fully developed little h<strong>and</strong> reaching<br />
through the incision <strong>and</strong> grasping the finger of the surgeon.<br />
Absolutely amazing!<br />
Our Baby Girl is now also in about her 21st week of development.<br />
I feel her little h<strong>and</strong> reaching around our hearts…<strong>and</strong> she has a<br />
firm grip on us all.<br />
Don‘t worry Baby Girl… You are safe. You are loved. You are<br />
welcome. You are an incredible <strong>Christmas</strong> gift to the Craig family.<br />
You know…I had forgotten…the best <strong>Christmas</strong> gifts are the ones<br />
that are a surprise.<br />
<strong>Merry</strong> <strong>Christmas</strong> Western Swing friends<br />
The messenger…Rhonda<br />
rhondacraig@suddenlink.net<br />
Keeping It Real<br />
By: Chuck Cusimano<br />
You can make a difference<br />
If you are one of those people who say,<br />
―I‘m sick of what they are calling Country<br />
Music nowadays.‖ There‘s something you<br />
can do that could have an impact on what<br />
is played on your local radio station. Speak<br />
your piece. Voice your opinion. Take a<br />
st<strong>and</strong>. You can make a difference. It will probably not be an overnight<br />
success, <strong>and</strong> you‘ll run the risk of radio personalities hanging<br />
up on you when they recognize your voice. You can call or<br />
email your local Radio Station <strong>and</strong> request some of the artists that<br />
YOU like to hear. That is the only way to get what you want. You<br />
see, a Radio D.J. can sometimes play what they want, <strong>and</strong> sometimes<br />
they HAVE to play what the Program Director tells them to<br />
play. They call it their format. Let‘s touch on this subject of<br />
―Format‖ for a moment.<br />
There is a local Radio station in our area, that used to play<br />
some of the local artists. Then, according to some reports, the<br />
station changed ownership <strong>and</strong> the new owners drastically
changed the format. They call their station ―Country Legends‖,<br />
<strong>and</strong> if you call them <strong>and</strong> ask for a Merle Haggard song, chances<br />
are good that sometime in the next twenty four hours, they will<br />
play one of his big hits. That is how they live up to calling their<br />
station ―Country Legends‖. Merle Haggard is definitely a ―Country<br />
Legend‖.<br />
If you were to call <strong>and</strong> request a song by Justin Trevino, or Bobby<br />
Flores, or even Tony Booth, (To me, Tony Booth IS a Country<br />
Legend with Numerous Hit Country Records) I doubt that they<br />
would, or could play anything by either artist.<br />
Yet, this same station will take advertisement money from the<br />
local Country Night Clubs. Clubs that book Justin, or Bobby, or<br />
Tony, but the station won‘t play their great Real Country recordings.<br />
In other words, They accept the advertising dollar from<br />
the same club that books the acts that the radio station deems<br />
unworthy of airplay. I don‘t know about you, but that seems very<br />
unfair to me.<br />
How can you help? Call your local radio station <strong>and</strong> request<br />
the music YOU want to hear. (You can email the station also.)<br />
You are their customer. If they say they can‘t, ask them why. If<br />
they say their Program Director won‘t allow them to, ask to speak<br />
to the Program Director. If <strong>and</strong> when you get to speak to him, ask<br />
him why they refuse to play what you want to hear. Put them on<br />
the spot, <strong>and</strong> don‘t give up. Press them for an answer. If the Program<br />
Director blames the owner of the station, ask to speak to<br />
him. Keep climbing the ladder until you get a straight answer.<br />
The answer will probably be something like this; ―Nobody<br />
wants to hear that old junk.‖ That‘s where you say, ―Are you calling<br />
me a ‗Nobody?‘ Because I want to hear it.‖ It will not be easy<br />
<strong>and</strong> you may not get anywhere by your self, you have to recruit<br />
some help. Ask your friends who feel the same way you do about<br />
the music some stations are calling Country, to make their voices<br />
heard also. Get them to call the station. You can ask the Station<br />
Manager to at least set aside one hour a day, (to begin with) to<br />
play what YOU want to hear, <strong>and</strong> get a local business that feels<br />
the same as you do about what is being called ―Today‘s Country‖,<br />
to sponsor the program. Maybe a Feed Store, or a Veterinarian,<br />
or even a Restaurant. Then when you get that done. Tell everyone<br />
you know to support that sponsor. Get your friends to trade<br />
with them also. Make Your voices heard. Be sure <strong>and</strong> tune in to<br />
the one hour program, if you get that done, <strong>and</strong> then call the station<br />
<strong>and</strong> compliment them for the music they‘re playing for YOU.<br />
Tell everyone <strong>and</strong> anyone who will listen, to tune into the program<br />
you fought so hard for<br />
If you are a club owner, ask your self this question, ―Why<br />
support a radio station that A - My customers probably don‘t even<br />
listen to. B - Won‘t play the acts that I book to bring business to<br />
my club. And C - Why don‘t I seek a local station that will play<br />
the artists that I book? I‘m not trying to make trouble, or cause<br />
some radio station to go broke, but they are being paid to make<br />
you happy.<br />
Today, scattered around our great countryside, there are Real<br />
Country Radio Stations that will play the ―Little Guys.‖ In Cleburne,<br />
TX, there is an old station that plays Real Country Music.<br />
They have Live Disk Jockeys that take requests, <strong>and</strong> play it if they<br />
have it. That station is KCLE. It is an AM station. 1460 AM on<br />
your dial, <strong>and</strong> they cover an extensive area. At 11:00am The D.J.<br />
is Ron Peterson. He has the reins until 2:00pm, <strong>and</strong> Jim Russell<br />
comes on <strong>and</strong> stays until 7:00pm. I constantly hear our Real<br />
Country Music fans, <strong>and</strong> friends, say that they started listening to<br />
KCLE because they can hear Justin Trevino, Bobby Flores, Jake<br />
Hooker, Amber Digby, Tony Booth, Teea Goans, <strong>and</strong> the list goes<br />
on <strong>and</strong> on. This is only one example of the kind of station we<br />
need to keep Real Country Music alive, but there are many others<br />
out there.<br />
9<br />
In this very publication, there are play lists of radio stations that<br />
play Real Country Music. Some are on the Internet, <strong>and</strong> you can<br />
log on <strong>and</strong> hear their great programming. Please seek a local<br />
station, whether AM or FM, big or small, <strong>and</strong> try to get them playing<br />
Real Country Music. Maybe we have been silent too long. It‘s<br />
time they hear from ―We The People‖ <strong>and</strong> realize one important<br />
fact. Without listeners, they won‘t get sponsors, <strong>and</strong> without sponsors,<br />
they can‘t stay in business. Please underst<strong>and</strong> one thing<br />
about me <strong>and</strong> my quest to promote REAL COUNTRY MUSIC, I‘m<br />
not opposed to other genres of music. Not at all. But if they want<br />
to use the term COUNTRY, then they need to listen to what the<br />
Country people want. I‘ve got some good friends that play all<br />
kinds of music, <strong>and</strong> they are very talented individuals. But they‘re<br />
not trying to sell what they play as ―Country.‖ My good friend,<br />
Buddy Whittington, is probably one of the very best Blues guitarists<br />
alive today, along with being a gifted writer, <strong>and</strong> singer, <strong>and</strong> if<br />
you want to learn an old Guitar lick off an old Merle Haggard recording,<br />
Buddy can most likely show you how to play it. But, he<br />
doesn‘t consider himself a ―Country‖ guitar player.<br />
We, that love the Real Country Music, what some folks<br />
call ―Traditional Country,‖ need to take a st<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> put forth an<br />
effort to keep this music alive. Don‘t put it off, it‘s just a phone<br />
call. Start asking why you can‘t hear the artists <strong>and</strong> music that<br />
you want to hear. Make them give you an answer. Get your<br />
friends to call. Get a LOT of people calling. Here‘s an idea, sit<br />
down with your friends, or get on the phone with them, <strong>and</strong><br />
choose one particular artist <strong>and</strong> a certain song; (Example only)―Is<br />
This All There Is To A Honky Tonk‖ by Tony Booth. When the DJ<br />
can‘t do his job for answering the phone, <strong>and</strong> having to hear the<br />
same request by twenty or thirty people, he‘s going to have to<br />
figure out a way to play that song, to get you good folks off his<br />
back. Load up their E-Mail too. If they do play what you request,<br />
send the station a thank you note, or call to say thanks. Also, if<br />
they do, I‘d love to have their phone number, station call letters,<br />
frequency, <strong>and</strong> mailing address. That is information that needs to<br />
be shared. This is what we need to do if we are going to Keep It<br />
Real.<br />
Thanks, Chuck Cusimano<br />
Frank VanBuskirk, 2009<br />
Afghanistan<br />
George Baker, Korea<br />
cusimusico@hotmail.com<br />
www.chuckcusimano.com<br />
The Cowboy Went To War<br />
Cowgirl Sass & Savvy<br />
By: Julie Carter<br />
Claude Hobbs<br />
1942 WWII<br />
They all dressed<br />
alike once they got<br />
there. Field <strong>and</strong> combat<br />
olive-drab uniforms,<br />
laced-up military-issue<br />
combat<br />
boots <strong>and</strong> a rifle just<br />
for starters.<br />
In a sea of soldier<br />
you can't tell the cow-<br />
from the accountants.<br />
faces,<br />
boys<br />
Not in any of the previous wars <strong>and</strong> not now.<br />
But there have always been plenty of men of<br />
all ages that left the ranch <strong>and</strong> headed to war.<br />
Sadly, it took me until I was well into adulthood<br />
before I realized the dangers these<br />
"boys" <strong>and</strong> most were just boys, put them-
selves in when they proudly went to defend their country.<br />
There's something built into the male that moves him to do just<br />
about anything to become a soldier <strong>and</strong> fight for what he has<br />
known as home, family <strong>and</strong> freedom.<br />
<strong>New</strong> Mexico's Claude Hobbs, the oldest of 10 children, was<br />
drafted in 1942 in the Army Automatic Weapon Battalion <strong>and</strong><br />
away from his $1-a-day job driving mules to build dirt tanks with a<br />
fresno <strong>and</strong> breaking horses for $5 a head.<br />
His first stop was the beaches of Norm<strong>and</strong>y. Before he was able<br />
to come home, he saw five major conflicts <strong>and</strong> earned bronze <strong>and</strong><br />
silver stars as well as two good conduct medals.<br />
My dad, George Baker, <strong>and</strong> his two brothers, all Colorado cowboys,<br />
did their stints with the army. Dad, one brother <strong>and</strong> a cousin<br />
were all in Korea during <strong>and</strong> just after that war that no one really<br />
won <strong>and</strong> where conflicts remain still today.<br />
My brother left the "glamour" of ranching, haying <strong>and</strong> working for<br />
Dad to join the Army <strong>and</strong> make a career of it. His expertise ultimately<br />
l<strong>and</strong>ed him at the end of his career serving for three years<br />
as a drill instructor <strong>and</strong> training waves of troops during the Desert<br />
Storm conflict.<br />
Today we are sending our cowboys to the Middle East to fight a<br />
war like no other. And even then, you can take the cowboy off the<br />
ranch, but you can't keep him afoot. If there is a horse around,<br />
which is actually a tactical warfare method in Afghanistan, he'll<br />
find it even if it's not "Army issue."<br />
Northern <strong>New</strong> Mexico cowboy Frank Van Buskirk spent four years<br />
fighting government red tape to be allowed into the service. His<br />
burning desire to fight for his country set him on a journey that<br />
ultimately l<strong>and</strong>ed him with the Rangers in southern Afghanistan<br />
on a fire base.<br />
There in the remoteness of the country was an Afghan horse that<br />
was about to meet a <strong>New</strong> Mexico cowboy. Frank soon became<br />
friends with Achmed (his name for his new steed) who learned<br />
there was more to life than being petted <strong>and</strong> st<strong>and</strong>ing around.<br />
Frank found an old saddle in a shed that was covered in decades<br />
of dust <strong>and</strong> had extremely dry leather --crumbling <strong>and</strong> brittle with<br />
age.<br />
Making do with what was at h<strong>and</strong>, he soaked it in motor oil to<br />
soften the leather so he could make repairs. He found a snaffle bit<br />
<strong>and</strong> made a head stall for it out of the parachute cord that came<br />
tied around the Army supply packages.<br />
Frank's dedication <strong>and</strong> sacrifice were highlighted, along with the<br />
horrors of war, with good moments with Achmed. The other notable<br />
to his story is the fact that he turned 60 years old shortly after<br />
returning home to <strong>New</strong> Mexico.<br />
As Claude Hobbs put it in recalling his war years 65-plus years<br />
ago, "You see a lot of things you forget, <strong>and</strong> a lot of things you<br />
don't forget."<br />
And for that reason, thanking a veteran isn't just a "holiday" action.<br />
It's something that should be done every day for every one of<br />
them that have ever served, whether they wear a cowboy hat or<br />
not.<br />
Julie can be reached for comment jcarter@tularosa.net<br />
**44 Texas born-or-based acts receive a total of 55<br />
GRAMMY nominations**<br />
Katelyn Orr, <strong>and</strong> Ambika Singh<br />
Arcade Fire (The Woodl<strong>and</strong>s)<br />
-Album of the <strong>Year</strong> for The Suburbs (Merge)<br />
-Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for Ready<br />
to Start (Merge)<br />
-Best Alternative Music Album for The Suburbs (Merge)<br />
ARS Lyrica Houston (Houston)<br />
-Best Opera Recording for Hasse: Marc' Antonio E Cleopatra<br />
(Dorian Sono Luminus)<br />
Devendra Banhart (Houston)<br />
-Best Recording Package for What Will We Be (with Jon Beasley)<br />
(Warner Bros.)<br />
Joseph Banowetz (Denton)<br />
-Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with Orchestra) for<br />
Kletzki: Piano Concerto In D Minor, Op. 22 (Naxos)<br />
John Beasley (Denton)<br />
-Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual of Group for Positootly!<br />
(Resonance)<br />
Beyoncé (Houston)<br />
- Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for Halo(Live) (Columbia/<br />
Music World Music)<br />
-Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for Telephone (with Lady<br />
GaGa) (Streamline/KonLive/Cherrytree/Interscope)<br />
Ryan Bingham (Austin)<br />
- Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual<br />
Media for The Weary Kind with T Bone Burnett (<strong>New</strong> West)<br />
Carol Burnett (San Antonio)<br />
-Best Spoken Word Album for This Time Together: Laughter <strong>and</strong><br />
Reflection (R<strong>and</strong>om House Audio)<br />
T Bone Burnett (Fort Worth)<br />
-Best Compilation Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture, Television<br />
Or Other Visual Media for Crazy Heart (<strong>New</strong> West)<br />
- Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual<br />
Media for The Weary Kind with Ryan Bingham (<strong>New</strong> West)<br />
Guy Clark (Monahans)<br />
-Best Contemporary Folk Album for Somedays the Song Writes<br />
You (Dualtone)<br />
James Cotton (Austin)<br />
-Best Traditional Blues Album for Giant (Alligator)<br />
David Crowder B<strong>and</strong> (Waco)<br />
-Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album for Church Music (Sparrow/<br />
Sixsteprecords)<br />
Steve Earle (San Antonio)<br />
- Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual<br />
Media for This City (Geffen)<br />
Roky Erickson with Okkervil River (Austin)<br />
-Best Album Notes for True Love Cast Out All Evil (ANTI-)<br />
Patty Griffin (Austin)<br />
-Best Traditional Gospel Album for Downtown Church (Credential<br />
Recordings)<br />
For a list of all nominees, please visit:<br />
http://www.grammy.com/nominees<br />
The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences<br />
53rd Annual GRAMMY® Awards<br />
For recordings released during the Eligibility <strong>Year</strong> September 1,<br />
2009 through September 30, 2010.<br />
Compiled by Casey Monahan, Stephen Ray, Amber LaFrance,<br />
El Güero Y Su B<strong>and</strong>a Centenario (San Antonio)<br />
-Best B<strong>and</strong>a Album for Enamórate De Mí (A.R.C. Discos)<br />
Grupo Fantasma (Austin)<br />
-Best Latin Rock, Alternative or Urban Album for El Existential<br />
(Nat Geo Music)<br />
10
Ty Herndon (Dallas)<br />
-Best Southern, Country or Bluegrass Gospel Album for Journey<br />
On (FUNL Music)<br />
Sara Hickman (Austin)<br />
- Best Spoken Word Album for Children Healthy Food For<br />
Thought: Good Enough To Eat<br />
(Hickman contributed two selections) (East Coast Recording<br />
Company)<br />
Buddy Holly (Lubbock)<br />
-Best Historical Album for Not Fade Away: The Complete Studio<br />
Recordings <strong>and</strong> More (Ume/Hip-O Select/Geffen)<br />
Intocable (Zapata)<br />
-Best Norteño Album for Classic (Sony Music Latin)<br />
Israel Houghton (Houston)<br />
-Best Gospel Performance for You Hold My World (Integrity Music)<br />
-Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album for Love God, Love People<br />
(Integrity Music)<br />
Jewel (Stephenville)<br />
-Best Female Country Vocal Performance for Satisfied (The<br />
Valory Music Company)<br />
Norah Jones (Dallas)<br />
-Best Female Vocal Pop Performance for Chasing Pirates (Blue<br />
Note)<br />
Mir<strong>and</strong>a Lambert (Lindale)<br />
- Song of the <strong>Year</strong> for The House That Built Me (Columbia)<br />
-Best Female Country Vocal Performance for The House That<br />
Built Me (Columbia)<br />
-Best Country Collaboration with Vocals for Bad Angel (with<br />
Dierks Bentley <strong>and</strong> Jamey Johnson) (Capitol Records Nashville)<br />
-Best Country Song for The House That Built Me (Columbia)<br />
-Best Country Album for Revolution (Columbia)<br />
Lecrae (Dallas)<br />
-Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album for Rehab (Reach)<br />
Little Joe Y La Familia (Temple)<br />
-Best Tejano Album for Recuerdos (TDI)<br />
Alan Lomax (Austin)<br />
-Best Album Notes for Alan Lomax in Haiti: Recordings for the<br />
Library of Congress, 1936-1937 (Harte Recordings)<br />
-Best Historical Album for Alan Lomax in Haiti: Recordings for the<br />
Library of Congress, 1936-1937 (Harte Recordings)<br />
Johnny Mathis (Gilmer)<br />
-Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for Let It Be Me: Mathis in<br />
Nashville (Columbia)<br />
Juan P. Moreno (Houston)<br />
-Best Tejano Album for Sabes Bien (Q-Vo)<br />
Willie Nelson (Austin)<br />
-Best Americana Album for Country Music (Rounder)<br />
Pinetop Perkins (Austin)<br />
-Best Traditional Blues Album for Joined at the Hip (with Willie<br />
‗Big Eyes‘ Smith) (Telarc)<br />
Joe Posada (San Antonio)<br />
-Best Tejano Album for In The Pocket (Baby Dude)<br />
LeAnn Rimes (Dallas)<br />
-Best Female Country Vocal Performance for Swingin (Curb)<br />
Poncho Sanchez (Laredo)<br />
-Best Latin Jazz Album for Psychedelic Blues (Concord Picante)<br />
Sunny Sauceda Y Todo Eso (San Antonio)<br />
-Best Tejano Album for Homenaje A Mi Padre (Solstice)<br />
Allen Shamblin (Austin)<br />
- Song of the <strong>Year</strong> for The House That Built Me with Tom Douglas<br />
(Columbia)<br />
-Best Country Song for The House That Built Me with Tom Douglas<br />
(Columbia)<br />
Esperanza Spalding (Austin)<br />
-Best <strong>New</strong> Artist<br />
George Strait (San Antonio)<br />
-Best Country Song for The Breath You Take (MCA Nashville)<br />
Chris Tomlin (Austin)<br />
-Best Gospel Song for Our God (Sparrow)<br />
Tortilla Factory (Austin)<br />
-Best Tejano Album for Cookin (Tortilla)<br />
Jimmie Vaughan (Austin)<br />
-Best Traditional Blues Album for Plays Blues Ballads <strong>and</strong> Favorites<br />
(Shout! Factory)<br />
Cedric Watson et Bijou Créole (San Felipe)<br />
-Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album for Creole Moon: Live At The<br />
Blue Moon Saloon (Valcour)<br />
Kirk Whalum (Houston)<br />
-Best Pop Instrumental Album for Everything is Everything: The<br />
Music of Donny Hathaway (Rendezvous Music/Mack Avenue)<br />
-Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for We’re Still Friends (with<br />
Musiq Soulchild) (Rendezvous Music/Mack Avenue)<br />
-Best Gospel Performance for He’s Just Been That Good (with<br />
Lalah Hathaway) (Rendezvous Music/Mack Avenue)<br />
-Best Gospel Song for It’s What I Do (with Lalah Hathaway)<br />
(Rendezvous Music/Mack Avenue)<br />
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:<br />
Casey Monahan, Director<br />
Texas Music Office, Governor‘s Office<br />
(512) 463-6666<br />
music@governor.state.tx.us<br />
http://EnjoyTexasMusic.com/<br />
For information about the Texas Chapter of the Grammys, please<br />
visit http://www.grammy365.com/chapters/texas-chapter/<br />
The <strong>Backforty</strong> <strong>Bunkhouse</strong> Crew<br />
wishes you all a<br />
safe, happy, healthy <strong>and</strong> prosperous<br />
2011!<br />
11
Extraordinary Career Activity for R.W. Hampton<br />
CONTACT:<br />
Brian Ferriman - Savannah Music (USA) Inc.<br />
(615) 369-0810 - brian@savannahmusic.net<br />
(NASHVILLE, TN - November 22, 2010) Brian Ferriman, President of Savannah Music USA <strong>and</strong> personal manager of American cowboy<br />
star R.W. Hampton, is pleased to report that the Cimarron Sounds recording artist finds himself in the midst of some extraordinary<br />
career activity these days.<br />
Last Saturday night, November 20, at the Western Music Association's 2010 Awards ceremony held in Albuquerque, <strong>New</strong> Mexico,<br />
Hampton was named Outst<strong>and</strong>ing Male Vocalist, the fourth WMA award Hampton has received in his career <strong>and</strong> his thirteenth music<br />
award overall.<br />
On Sunday afternoon, Hampton learned that Driftin' Again, the second European single from his new<br />
album, Austin To Boston, remains at #1 on the Hotdisc Top 40 Country chart for a remarkable<br />
seventh consecutive week. Driftin' Again debuted at #1 on the Hotdisc chart the week of October<br />
10, during which time R.W. was in the United Kingdom on a whirlwind media tour to meet the press<br />
<strong>and</strong> perform at the British Country Music Awards.<br />
This morning, November 22, R.W. celebrated today's release of Austin To Boston in the United<br />
Kingdom on his own Cimarron Sounds label, which is distributed in the UK <strong>and</strong> continental Europe by<br />
the London-based distributor Proper Music.<br />
The United Kingdom debut of Austin To Boston comes barely a month after the release of the album in the United States. Reaction<br />
to the new Cimarron Sounds CD in America has been overwhelmingly positive. Today's email, for example, included a review from<br />
CountryChart.com (excerpted here):<br />
The world's number one cowboy country singer is back with a new collection of songs that will thrill existing fans <strong>and</strong><br />
bring in thous<strong>and</strong>s of new ones, too. R.W. Hampton's "Austin To Boston" is a terrific example of an artist who is comfortable<br />
in his own skin <strong>and</strong> is not afraid to venture outside traditional country <strong>and</strong> western song selections...<br />
Every fan of cowboy country already knows that an R.W. Hampton album will have top notch production <strong>and</strong> stellar<br />
vocals, so the biggest surprise is the album's uniquely wonderful song choices....<br />
The fourteen songs on "Austin To Boston" represent a tremendous achievement for R.W. Hampton. Not content to<br />
rest on his sterling reputation, Hampton has created a remarkably diverse collection of songs that have been sequenced<br />
<strong>and</strong> performed perfectly. This is no easy feat, but we would expect no less from a hard working cowboy.<br />
Hampton is currently in Enid, Oklahoma for tonight's premiere of his latest movie, Cactus Creek. In the film, Hampton plays the<br />
supporting role of Logan, a lone cowboy running a ranch for five sisters who own the homestead <strong>and</strong> who, when gold is discovered<br />
on their property, are threatened by the bad guys.<br />
After tonight, Hampton returns home for a ranching respite over the Thanksgiving weekend before another round of media interviews<br />
<strong>and</strong> an early December run of dates in Arizona, Nevada <strong>and</strong> California.<br />
More can be learned about R.W. Hampton at his website. For preapproved images, bios, music, reviews <strong>and</strong> articles, please visit<br />
Hampton's online epk, where Austin To Boston can be previewed in its entirety. To request a copy of Austin to Boston, contact<br />
Brian Ferriman at brian@savannahmusic.net.<br />
# # #<br />
S A V A N N A H M U S I C ( U S A ) I N C .<br />
205 Powell Place, Brentwood, TN 37027<br />
Tel: (615) 369-0810 • Fax: (615) 376-9483<br />
E-mail: brian@savannahmusic.net<br />
12
Howdy again<br />
from Austin,<br />
where Bob<br />
Wills is still the<br />
King! December<br />
is a time for family <strong>and</strong> friends <strong>and</strong><br />
things are kinda quiet here at bobwills.com<br />
We are proud to say we've begun a new<br />
<strong>Christmas</strong> tradition on Bob Wills Radio.<br />
Last year we devoted an entire program to<br />
a <strong>Christmas</strong> album by the Original Texas Playboys.<br />
It seems you regular listeners really enjoyed it <strong>and</strong> we felt it was<br />
very appropriate to repeat, especially since these guys were the<br />
last of the original "Playboys".<br />
The show is on Bob Wills Radio now for all to enjoy. So listen in<br />
for Leon, Eldon, Al, Smokey, Joe, Frank, Boatright <strong>and</strong> Gassaway.<br />
Plus our old pal, Leon Rausch, on vocals, doing their version<br />
of <strong>Christmas</strong> Cheer.<br />
It's also appropriate at this time to thank all you listeners for your<br />
support for our series of programs. We still need you to help us<br />
spread the word about Bob Wills Radio.<br />
We are looking forward to bringing you many more interesting<br />
interviews <strong>and</strong> lots of good music in the new year.<br />
guitar <strong>and</strong> some awesome Gary Carpenter steel guitar. Wayne<br />
Glasson is heard on keyboard, Jake Hooker doing bass <strong>and</strong> Greg<br />
Hardy is behind the drums. Another highlight is Tommy Nash<br />
heard doing some wicked acoustic <strong>and</strong> electric guitar licks <strong>and</strong><br />
Rich O'Brien playing resonator guitar.<br />
The album opens with You're From Texas from the Bob Wills collection<br />
<strong>and</strong> the pen of the late <strong>and</strong> legendary Cindy Walker. Another<br />
tune from Bob's hit parade <strong>and</strong> Cindy's pen is Texas S<strong>and</strong>man.<br />
Others from Bob Wills are Rosetta, Jesse Ashlock's Life's<br />
Been a Pleasure <strong>and</strong> Tommy Duncan's Goodbye Liza Jane.<br />
There is also Frankie McWhorter's Somewhere in San Antone<br />
from the Windy Wood B<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> a Jimmy Burson original Bud's<br />
Song. Jimmy borrows from the big b<strong>and</strong> of Tommy Dorsey, Irving<br />
Berlin's Marie <strong>and</strong> from Nat King Cole, Mona Lisa. Also reprised is<br />
Billy Mize <strong>and</strong> Tommy Duncan's There's Not a Cow in Texas, the<br />
pop st<strong>and</strong>ard Pennies From Heaven <strong>and</strong> the old favorite There'll<br />
Be Some Changes Made. The album closes with another Texas<br />
gem, Lee Stuart's Mr. Moon Over Texas which was originally<br />
done in the 80s by Herb <strong>and</strong> Mark Remington.<br />
The album can be obtained by sending check or money order to<br />
Jimmy Burson, Box 195, Silverton, TX 79257. The cost is $18<br />
which includes shipping.<br />
Mike Gross, KSEY-FM, Seymour, TX <strong>and</strong> www.swinginwest.com<br />
Until then, this is Jim Gough for Dwight <strong>and</strong> Sjon saying <strong>Merry</strong><br />
<strong>Christmas</strong> <strong>and</strong> a very <strong>Happy</strong> <strong>and</strong> prosperous <strong>New</strong> <strong>Year</strong><br />
from bobwills.com<br />
jimgoughmrtexas@aol.com<br />
Sponsored in part by:<br />
Mike Gross Review:<br />
Album: Back in the Swing<br />
Artist: Jimmy Burson<br />
Jimmy Burson is back <strong>and</strong> yes, again as his previous<br />
two, it is another terrific album. In this new CD produced by<br />
Jimmy <strong>and</strong> the very talented former Mel Tillis <strong>and</strong> Red Steagall<br />
b<strong>and</strong> member R<strong>and</strong>y Elmore,<br />
we find 13 st<strong>and</strong>ards borrowed<br />
from both the Western<br />
Swing <strong>and</strong> popular music<br />
fields. Each tune is given a<br />
new <strong>and</strong> exciting touch with<br />
Jimmy's beautiful voice <strong>and</strong><br />
some of the hottest picking<br />
that human h<strong>and</strong>s are capable<br />
of producing.<br />
The b<strong>and</strong> features R<strong>and</strong>y's<br />
fiddle, m<strong>and</strong>olin <strong>and</strong> rhythm<br />
CSWM 2011 Heroes Nominations<br />
COWTOWN SOCIETY OF WESTERN<br />
MUSIC is actively accepting nominations<br />
for their May 7, 2011 Swing Fest<br />
Heroes of Western Music Awards<br />
Show. The Swing Fest will be held<br />
once again on Saturday, May 7, 2011<br />
at Holiday Hills Country Club in Mineral Wells, Texas.<br />
If you have a nomination for Hero of Western Music, please send<br />
the name of the person <strong>and</strong> a short bio <strong>and</strong> address <strong>and</strong>/or phone<br />
number, (photo - optional for nomination, however, a photo (8 x 10<br />
or 5 x 7) will be needed if the person is chosen for the award. We<br />
will need your name, phone number <strong>and</strong> e-mail address (optional)<br />
also for later contact.<br />
DEADLINE FOR NOMINATIONS IS JANUARY 31, 2011<br />
Send nominations to:<br />
Gary Beaver, President<br />
Cowtown Society of Western Music<br />
3709 East Highway 67<br />
Cleburne, TX 76031<br />
817-558-7580<br />
joyce@accentwholesale.com<br />
Western Music Heroes Categories:<br />
Living Legend<br />
Rising Star (Younger person - Under 30)<br />
Living Hero<br />
Posthumous Hero<br />
Disc Jockey<br />
Venue<br />
Publication<br />
Creative Achievement Award<br />
Fan/s of The <strong>Year</strong><br />
President's Choice Award<br />
Joyce Miller<br />
Secty/Treas<br />
CSWM<br />
13
the maintenance boss there) but they are on a ―first come, first<br />
served‖ basis so get back to me asap if you interested we‘ll reserve<br />
one for you.<br />
Any questions?? get back with me a<br />
last2camp@kanab.net , 435-644-5459 or 899-1100<br />
918- 282-4725 918-835-4977<br />
THIS MAY BE THE FIRST TIME YOU HAVE<br />
HEARD OF TULSA‟S NEW ON LINE MAGAZINE<br />
BUT WE HAVE BEEN PUBLISHING<br />
Best regards, Sam Jackson<br />
www.westernlegendsroundup.com<br />
DANCE SCHEDULE FOR DECEMBER, 2010<br />
“COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS”<br />
AS A NEWSPAPER IN TULSA SINCE 1970 WITH A<br />
READERSHIPOF OVER 50,000 THAT RANGE FROM<br />
MERLE HAGGARD, CHARLIE RICH,<br />
DARRELL McCALL, JOHNNY LEE WILLS<br />
RAY PRICE & ABOUT EVERY COUNTRY STAR.<br />
WE STILL HAVE GREAT STORIES & PHOTO‟S<br />
JUST GO TO<br />
countrymusicnewsusa.com<br />
Excellence through Competition<br />
Sam A. Jackson, Producer Ed Nesselhuf, Judge foreman<br />
Smoke Wade, Rodeo announcer<br />
Doug Keller, WLR liaison /straw boss<br />
First Call for Riders<br />
Howdy Pards,<br />
Realizing you might think it a bit early to be worryin‘ about<br />
the 2011 rodeo, but as promised, I give the previous years riders<br />
first crack at the next event, <strong>and</strong> this year, with the rodeo back in<br />
Kanab, there is a lot of interest building. The 2011 dates are August<br />
18 th thru 20 th .<br />
This event will be some different than you‘ve seen the<br />
last couple of years as there will be somewhere between 7 <strong>and</strong> 9<br />
thous<strong>and</strong> souls coming in from all over the world to w<strong>and</strong>er the<br />
streets of Kanab, an excellent opportunity for the poets <strong>and</strong> musicians<br />
to build reputation. The rodeo will take place in the Old<br />
Barn Theater behind Parry‘s Lodge; with two additional ―open<br />
mic‖ stages for poets <strong>and</strong> musicians going on in other locales<br />
The night shows (where rodeo winners will perform) are in<br />
a 600 seat auditorium with audience drawn in by some of the biggest<br />
country/western stars in the business. .<br />
The Western legends festival *website hasn‘t been updated<br />
with the 2011 information as yet, but looking it over will give<br />
you a pretty good idea of what else might be going on around<br />
town other than the rodeo. Being within a few miles of five National<br />
Parks makes Kanab a great place for a family vacation.<br />
We have a block of rooms reserved at Parry‘s Lodge for<br />
the rodeo at a special rate of $59 (thanks to Doug Keller who is<br />
Silver Strings Entertainment Center<br />
500 N. Smythe - Bowie, Texas 76230<br />
Please bring your friends <strong>and</strong> neighbors to one of the most popular<br />
alcholol free, smoke free dance houses in Texas <strong>and</strong> Oklahoma!<br />
We offer the best 40x80 hardwood floor around, along<br />
with concessions <strong>and</strong> friendly people. At every dance there are<br />
two free drawings for future admissions, <strong>and</strong> a big 'Split The<br />
Pot' drawing that you can buy into. All of that on top of some fine<br />
traditional country, honky-tonk <strong>and</strong> western swing music, played<br />
live by very talented musicians, many of whom are members<br />
of various Halls of Fame, <strong>and</strong> are on our stage every Monday<br />
<strong>and</strong> Saturday nights on a rotating basis.<br />
HOURS: Unless otherwise noted, all dances are from 7 to 10<br />
p.m.<br />
ADMISSION: $5 for age 12 <strong>and</strong> over, unless otherwise stated.<br />
Young children on the dance floor must<br />
be accompanied by an adult.<br />
------------------------------------------------------------------------<br />
MONDAY, DECEMBER 20: LARRY BORDEN & QUIK DRAW<br />
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 25: HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRIST-<br />
MAS WITH YOUR FAMILIES! SEE YOU MONDAY NIGHT.<br />
MONDAY, DECEMBER 27: BILL ROBERSON & SOUTHERN<br />
RAIN<br />
SURPRISE! A Novel Idea ! The arrival of 2011 will be celebrated at<br />
Silver Strings on the evening of NEW YEAR'S DAY! That's SATUR-<br />
DAY, JANUARY 01, 2011. Because of so many choices on Friday<br />
(<strong>New</strong> <strong>Year</strong>s Eve), the Board voted to have a <strong>New</strong> <strong>Year</strong>'s Day Evening<br />
dance, with a POT LUCK DINNER preceding the dance. Cost<br />
of admission will be $12 <strong>and</strong> a dish to share. The dinner line will<br />
open at 5:30, <strong>and</strong> the dance, with EMMANUEL FRITZ & OUT OF<br />
CONTROL, will be from 7 to 10.<br />
==========================================<br />
Make a new friend or bring some long time ones. Invite<br />
someone who does not drive at night to ride along with you to<br />
an inexpensive evening of entertainment, fellowship <strong>and</strong> exercise<br />
at SILVER STRINGS. You'll be glad you did!<br />
For more information, please d-mail silverstringsentertainmentcenter@yahoo.com<br />
or call Joye at (940) 692.8699.<br />
<strong>Happy</strong> Dancing, Everyone!<br />
14
Heart of Texas Records<br />
Biggest <strong>Christmas</strong> Sale Ever!!<br />
Mail Order <strong>and</strong> Phone Order Only!!<br />
All Heart of Texas Records CD's Only $10.00<br />
Plus Free Shipping Through December 24!!<br />
(325) 597-1895<br />
Heart of Texas Records 1701 South Bridge Street Brady, Texas<br />
76825<br />
*Johnny Bush*<br />
―Lillies White Lies‖<br />
―Texas Legends (With Johnny Rodriguez)"<br />
―Texas On A Saturday Night (With Justin Trevino)‖<br />
"Hot Texas Country (With Darrell McCall)"<br />
*Joe Paul Nichols*<br />
“The Price Is Right‖<br />
―The Best Of Joe Paul Nichols Volume II‖<br />
*Tony Booth*<br />
―Is This All There Is To A Honkytonk?‖<br />
―The Essential Tony Booth‖<br />
―The Keys In The Mailbox/Lonesome 7-7203‖<br />
―The Survivors (With Darrell McCall & Curtis Potter)‖<br />
―The Other Side Of Love‖<br />
*Mona McCall*<br />
―Memories Love A Melody‖<br />
*Ferlin Husky*<br />
―The Way It Was‖<br />
―Live At The Louisiana Hayride‖<br />
*Amber Digby*<br />
―Pride Passion <strong>and</strong> What Might Have Been‖<br />
―Here Come The Teardrops‖<br />
―Music From The Honkytonks‖<br />
―Another Way To Live‖<br />
―Keeping Up Appearances (With Justin Trevino)<br />
*L<strong>and</strong>on Dodd*<br />
―Call of The Wine‖<br />
*Kimberly Murray*<br />
―Once Upon A Time In A Honky Tonk‖<br />
*Frankie Miller*<br />
―The Family Man‖<br />
―Live At The Louisiana Hayride‖<br />
*Pretty Miss Norma Jean*<br />
―Loneliest Star In Texas‖<br />
*Curtis Potter*<br />
―Chicago Dancin‘Girls‖<br />
―Them Old Honkytonks‖<br />
―Down In Texas Today‖<br />
―The Survivors (With Darrell McCall & Tony Booth)‖<br />
―The Potter‘s Touch‖<br />
*Darrell McCall*<br />
―Lily Dale‖<br />
―Old Memories & Wine‖<br />
―The Essential‖<br />
―Keeping With Tradition‖<br />
―The Survivors (With Curtis Potter & Tony Booth)‖<br />
"Hot Texas Country (With Johnny Bush)"<br />
*Johnny Rodriguez*<br />
―Texas Legends (With Johnny Bush)‖<br />
*Justin Trevino*<br />
―Take One As Needed‖<br />
―Too Many Heartaches‖<br />
―More Loud Music‖<br />
―Before You Say Amen‖<br />
―Texas On Saturday Night (With Johnny Bush)‖<br />
―Keeping Up Appearances (With Amber Digby)‖<br />
*Floyd Tillman*<br />
―The Influence‖<br />
*Hank Thompson*<br />
―Treasures-Unreleased Recordings of the 1950‘s‖<br />
*Georgette Jones*<br />
"Slightly Used Woman"<br />
*Rance Norton*<br />
"True Country"<br />
*Frank Torres*<br />
―Lonestar Alley‖<br />
―Taking Chances‖<br />
*Cowboy Slim Rinehart*<br />
―King Of Border Radio‖<br />
*Al Dean*<br />
―Still Kikkin‘‖<br />
www.heartoftexasrecords.com<br />
15<br />
Folks!!<br />
Believe it or not at the precise moment she <strong>and</strong> her b<strong>and</strong><br />
were being awarded our Crescendo award in Albuquerque,<br />
Carin Mari was about forty miles to the west of us at<br />
the Sky City Casino in Acoma winning the district competition<br />
in the COLGETE COUNTRY SHOWDOWN!! And<br />
she did it using Western, I'm told!! She'll be competing on<br />
National TV in January from the Epcott Center in Florida!!<br />
WOW!<br />
Rick<br />
bestofthewest@swcp.com
Rick Huff‘s Best Of The West Reviews<br />
Review – The Ball Family<br />
―Texas To A T‖<br />
NEW YEAR'S DAY, 2011<br />
5:00 TO 10:00<br />
The Ball Family, including<br />
papa Gary, mama Sue <strong>and</strong><br />
daughter Sherry Ball Luster,<br />
has long been known<br />
as one of the consummate<br />
family singing groups of the<br />
Western genre. Their harmony<br />
is intricate perfection.<br />
On this album their all-<br />
Texas-themed song<br />
choices might be described<br />
that way as well.<br />
Here is just about as fine a Western Swing<br />
CD as you will likely encounter. Tightly<br />
produced, with spritely arrangements!<br />
The family‘s original songs (penned by Sue) are winners, including<br />
the title track ―(That‘s What I Call) Texas To A ‗T‘,‖ ―Texas In<br />
My Soul‖ <strong>and</strong> ―Happiness Is Texas.‖ Among the covers are John<br />
D. Loudermilk‘s popular reworking of ―Abilene‖ (the family‘s home<br />
base), Cindy Walker‘s ―Miss Molly‖ <strong>and</strong> ―You‘re From Texas,‖<br />
June Hershey & Don Sw<strong>and</strong>er‘s ―Deep In The Heart Of Texas‖<br />
Tommy Camfield & Diane Johnston‘s ―Miles & Miles Of Texas‖<br />
<strong>and</strong> three more equally famous Texas swingers.<br />
So much is so right about this album it‘s hard to know where to<br />
begin, but I do know where to end. If you‘re a Western Swing fan<br />
get it, get it, get it!<br />
Silver Strings Entertainment Center<br />
500 N. Smythe - Bowie, Texas<br />
Cost of Admission - $12 <strong>and</strong> a Dish to Share<br />
(Silver Strings will provide Dessert & Drinks)<br />
B<strong>and</strong> - EMMANUEL FRITZ &<br />
OUT OF CONTROL - Springtown<br />
THE BAND WILL OPEN THE FOOD LINE AT<br />
5:30<br />
DANCE FROM 7 TO 10<br />
Make <strong>New</strong> <strong>Year</strong>'s Day special<br />
for yourself <strong>and</strong> Silver Strings<br />
by bringing lots of friends<br />
to experience an evening of<br />
good food, friends <strong>and</strong> music<br />
in our great dance house.<br />
CD: $15 through www.backfortybunkhouse.com.<br />
by Rick Huff<br />
bestofthewest@swcp.com<br />
Hello CSWM Members <strong>and</strong> Friends:<br />
There will be a CSWM meeting<br />
(everyone welcome) on Monday, January<br />
10th, 2011 @ 7:15 A.M. at Linda<br />
<strong>and</strong> Charlie O'Bannon's music barn<br />
10708 Mineral Wells Highway,<br />
Weatherford (Cool) Texas. Linda's cell<br />
# 940-452-1118 for directions if needed or call Gary Beaver,<br />
President @ 817-558-5780 or e-mail<br />
joyce@accentwholesale.com.<br />
For more information, please e-mail silverstringsenterainmentcenter@yahoo.com<br />
or call Joye at (940) 692-8699.<br />
Turn at the big White Sign with Black Lettering with Red Arrow<br />
above the Mail box - advertising piano lessons.<br />
We will be discussing nominees for 2011 Heroes of Western Music<br />
<strong>and</strong> our upcoming Swing Fest scheduled for May 7, 2011.<br />
16
Is the music over for the <strong>New</strong> Mexico Music<br />
Commission?<br />
The final note might be near. Among the many recommendations<br />
of a legislative task force studying restructuring the state government<br />
is to move the functions to the Department of Cultural Affairs'<br />
Arts Division <strong>and</strong> Arts Commission.<br />
The Music Commission is one of dozens that the Government<br />
Restructuring Task Force has recommended be consolidated or<br />
eliminated. The task force meets Dec. 20 to give final approval to<br />
its final report.<br />
Music Commission Director Nancy Laflin said Wednesday that<br />
she hadn't heard about the task force's recommendation.<br />
She said the commission basically is a one-person operation with<br />
an annual budget of about $120,000. "The commissioners don't<br />
even get per diem for meetings," she said. Ironically, she said,<br />
she's traveling to Denver this week to take part in a conference. "I<br />
was invited to talk about how we made the program work in <strong>New</strong><br />
Mexico," she said. (The city of Denver <strong>and</strong> an arts group are paying<br />
for her expenses, she pointed out.)<br />
A little history of the commission: Gov. Bill Richardson requested<br />
the 2005 state Legislature create <strong>and</strong> fund a Music Commission.<br />
Billy Sparks, then a Richardson spokesman (<strong>and</strong> an early proponent<br />
of the idea), said this would provide a clearing house for<br />
information regarding <strong>New</strong> Mexico singers <strong>and</strong> b<strong>and</strong>s, as well as<br />
businesses such as recording studios, concert producers <strong>and</strong><br />
record companies.<br />
The idea was sparked by similar music agencies in Texas <strong>and</strong><br />
Louisiana.<br />
The Legislature was not enthralled with the idea. The Music Commission<br />
bill died somewhere in committee. But Richardson in April<br />
2005 issued an executive order to establish such an agency. He<br />
hired Laflin, who had been a longtime television reporter on<br />
KOAT-TV, to be the state Music Commission's executive director.<br />
In 2009, the Legislature voted to make the commission a permanent<br />
part of the Department of Cultural Affairs.<br />
Making a noise: Laflin said she produces a weekly radio show<br />
promoting <strong>New</strong> Mexico musicians at KBAC in Santa Fe, which is<br />
syndicated on stations around the state. She <strong>and</strong> some members<br />
of the commission also produce a monthly radio show on KUNM.<br />
The commission, beginning in 2007, created a television show<br />
that has aired on various stations <strong>and</strong> features live performances<br />
by <strong>New</strong> Mexico b<strong>and</strong>s. (Many of the performances can be found<br />
on YouTube.) Laflin said the commission helped produce a documentary<br />
about Norman Petty Studios in Clovis — where Buddy<br />
Holly recorded most of his hits. This aired on PBS.<br />
And for several years, the commission has organized a Music in<br />
Film Summit to help musicians who want to get their work in the<br />
movies. The last one was in September at the Lensic Performing<br />
Arts Center.<br />
The decision on whether the Music Commission — <strong>and</strong> all those<br />
other boards <strong>and</strong> commissions — will be cut or consolidated will<br />
be up to next year's Legislature.<br />
Nancy Laflin<br />
Executive Director<br />
<strong>New</strong> Mexico Music Commission<br />
(505) 827-6454<br />
P.O. Box 1450<br />
Santa Fe, <strong>New</strong> Mexico<br />
87504<br />
This article appeared in the Dec. 8, 2010 issue of the Santa<br />
Fe <strong>New</strong> Mexican<br />
17<br />
Bobbe's Tips<br />
Hello fellow players,<br />
A dear old friend that several of you have written to me about is<br />
the incomparable Big Jim Murphy. Jim is an extraordinary steel<br />
guitarist, plays E9th commercial country like any star player in<br />
Nashville <strong>and</strong> C6th as gargantuous as Curly Chalker. He went to<br />
work with Carl Smith <strong>and</strong> played more like Curly Chalker than<br />
Curly did. And he did it without copying every single lick. He actually<br />
made it better.<br />
After player several years with Johnny Paycheck <strong>and</strong> then several<br />
years with Carl Smith, he gained a reputation amongst steel players<br />
that could be envied by anyone. I followed Jim on several<br />
jobs <strong>and</strong> believe me, he left some big shoes to fill. His personality<br />
was very gargantuous. He loved Harley Davidson motorcycles,<br />
the cut down hotrod type, <strong>and</strong> looked like one of the meanest of<br />
anyone in any motorcycle group <strong>and</strong> he had many friends in the<br />
Hell‘s Angels.<br />
This guy lived very hard, played very hard <strong>and</strong> had more fun than<br />
anybody should have a right to have. All this <strong>and</strong> he was about<br />
as polite <strong>and</strong> considerate as anyone could be. I know this sounds<br />
contradictory, but then again, just like Johnny Paycheck himself,<br />
he was a hard core walking contradiction.<br />
I remember when he was very young. He was working with Merle<br />
Lindsey out of Oklahoma City. He also picked up another $3 a<br />
day by driving Merle‘s bus that was actually just a converted<br />
school bus. I remember Jim leaving town one morning <strong>and</strong> passing<br />
a school bus stop with a bunch of pretty high school seniors<br />
waiting for their school bus.<br />
Jim pulled up to the stop <strong>and</strong> opened the door. They immediately<br />
boarded the bus <strong>and</strong> after about two minutes started screaming<br />
<strong>and</strong> dem<strong>and</strong>ed to be let off the bus. Jim opened the door <strong>and</strong> let<br />
them flee. He turned around <strong>and</strong> looked at me <strong>and</strong> said, ―What<br />
was their problem?‖<br />
I said, ―It was probably this dirty bus. Dirty socks <strong>and</strong> underwear<br />
all over the front of the bus. Clothes <strong>and</strong> old hamburgers. Playing<br />
cards on the table from the game the night before. No wonder<br />
they ran, Jim. I will too if I ever get home.‖<br />
Everybody that knew him well called him ―Big Murph‖. He was a<br />
nice guy with a tremendous sense of humor <strong>and</strong> more steel guitar<br />
playing talent than anybody should have <strong>and</strong> definitely one of the<br />
great golden era steel guitarists greatly respected by all. Jim almost<br />
exclusively played Sho-Bud throughout his entire career.<br />
This means amplifiers too. He loved the Sho-Bud amplifier.<br />
YouTube today is about the only place you can find any samples<br />
of his great playing. Early Paycheck live performances <strong>and</strong> Carl<br />
Smith recordings. ―I Love You Because‖ I think is one that he is<br />
on YouTube playing.<br />
Remember a while back when I did a few blurbs in my newsletter<br />
here about Marty Stuart? It seems as though he continues to be<br />
one of the hardest working stars in Nashville. Whenever any free<br />
shows need to be played to make money for flood victims or anyone<br />
in need, Marty is there with his great b<strong>and</strong> to lend a h<strong>and</strong>.<br />
This rascal has been a star from the time he was six years old <strong>and</strong><br />
never ceases to be there for anyone that needs him. His music<br />
seems like it gets better every year, <strong>and</strong> talk about a guy that has
fun doing what he‘s doing, he‘s just the guy that‘ll have fun. His sincerity about his love for what he‘s going is obvious.<br />
It‘s absolutely wonderful that we finally have covers for sale that are made for the Peavey Nashville 112 amplifier. These have not<br />
been available <strong>and</strong> still are not available from Peavey. However, we are having these custom made from the finest thick vinyl.<br />
These are very durable <strong>and</strong> will take much abuse. It will protect your amplifier from rain, dust, any cuts or abrasions <strong>and</strong> generally<br />
protect your amp in every way. The price is $29.90<br />
Just go to the Steel Guitar Nashville website at www.steelguitar.net <strong>and</strong> choose Amp Cover from the menu on the left.<br />
Check out our monthly specials at http://www.steelguitar.net/monthlyspecials.html<br />
little money.<br />
We can save you a lot of money <strong>and</strong> make us a<br />
Your buddy,<br />
Bobbe<br />
www.steelguitar.net<br />
C O U N T R Y M U S I C C L A S S I C S<br />
Doug Davis<br />
Owner/Publisher/Manager/Editor/<br />
Writer/Gopher/Chief Cook & Bottle Washer<br />
Wednesday December 15 th , 2010<br />
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND PLEASE REMEMBER THE TRUE REASON FOR THE SEASON<br />
CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE AT www.countrymusicclassics.com<br />
STORY BEHIND THE SONG<br />
A lot of artists have recorded songs they heard recorded by other artists <strong>and</strong> for whatever reason, decided to record the tune themselves.<br />
According to Bill Anderson, his 1974 number one, ―World Of Make Believe‖ was one of those songs!<br />
Bill says he first heard the song on a record by Johnny Bragg in the 1950‘s. And at the time, he didn‘t think it was a song he would<br />
ever record but years later, when country music began leaning more toward a ―middle of the road‖ sound, he did get interested in recording<br />
it. The song was recorded as an album cut but disc jockeys found the tune <strong>and</strong> began playing it off the LP, so it was released<br />
as a single. His ―World of Make Believe‖ single entered the country music charts December 15 th , 1973 <strong>and</strong> was at the top of the<br />
charts the week of February 9 th , 1974. It was his 37 th charted song as a recording artist <strong>and</strong> his 5 th number one. The MCA single was<br />
on the charts for 14 weeks.<br />
A T T E N T I O N: R A D I O S T A T I O N S:<br />
Our short form daily radio features, ―Classic Country First‖ <strong>and</strong> ―Story Behind The Song‖ are now available to radio stations.<br />
Both features are available at no charge thru barter.<br />
For information, email me at classics@countrymusicclassics.com<br />
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS<br />
QUESTION: Do you know anything about Loretta Lynn having a rose named after her?<br />
ANSWER: A Canadian nursery in Langly, British Columbia developed the hybrid flower they named the ―Van Lear Rose‖ after<br />
Loretta‘s 2004 album, ―Van Lear Rose.‖<br />
QUESTION: The radio boys were talking about Willie Nelson helping a sheriff raise money after being arrested for marijuana possession.<br />
Do you have any information?<br />
ANSWER: Two weeks after being arrested in Hudspeth County,Texas on marijuana charges,<br />
Willie Nelson is using his website to appeal for donations to the county sheriff‘s annual toy drive.<br />
QUESTION: Do you have any information about a Hank Williams song going into the Hall of Fame? I thought only singers went into<br />
the hall of fame?<br />
ANSWER: Songs from Willie Nelson, Hank Williams, <strong>and</strong> Bob Wills are entering the GRAMMY Hall of Fame, including Nelson's<br />
1980 signature hit, "On the Road Again," Hank Williams With His Drifting Cowboys' 1949 track "Lovesick Blues," <strong>and</strong> Bob Wills & His<br />
Texas Playboys Featuring Leon McAuliffe's 1936 single "Steel Guitar Rag" are among the 30 recordings earning recognition from The<br />
Recording Academy.<br />
^^^^^^^^^<br />
―Country Music Classics‖ is made possible only by donations from subscribers like you. If you enjoy receiving this newsletter, please<br />
support us by sending a check payable to ―Country Music Classics‖ for any amount to:<br />
Doug Davis—Country Music Classics—3702 Pleasant Grove Road-Texarkana, Texas 75503. Or use PAYPAL ( http://<br />
www.paypal.com ) <strong>and</strong> donate (via your account or their secure credit card site) directly thru our email address<br />
(classics@countrymusicclassics.com). Thank you.<br />
18
If you wish to make a contribution but do not have a Pay Pal account, you may use any major credit card <strong>and</strong> donate thru our secure<br />
Pro Pay account.<br />
^^^^^^^^^^<br />
QUESTION: I heard on the radio that Tanya Tucker won some kind of award with her horses. Do you have details?<br />
ANSWER: Tanya Tucker took second place at the 2010 Celebrity Cutting event with partner Hal Brown. The organization supports<br />
various cancer programs.<br />
QUESTION: There was a song on the radio many years ago about ―‖Loving You Was Worth The Broken heart.‖ Do you know who<br />
had that record?<br />
ANSWER: It was a # 7 hit for Bob Gallion in 1960. Gallion died in 1999 at the age of 75.<br />
QUESTION: Waylon Jennings‘ ―Am<strong>and</strong>a‖ is my favorite country record. My mom says someone else had a hit on that song before<br />
Waylon. Is that true?<br />
ANSWER: Don Williams scored a # 33 hit on ―Am<strong>and</strong>a‖ in 1973 before Waylon took it to number one in 1979.<br />
^^^^^^^^^^^^<br />
Your comments, suggestions, gripes, etc. concerning this newsletter---are welcome. Email to:Classics@countrymusicclassics.com<br />
^^^^^^^^^^<br />
NUMBER ONE ON THIS DATE:<br />
1944<br />
Smoke on the Water - Red Foley<br />
1952<br />
Back Street Affair - Webb Pierce<br />
1960<br />
Wings of a Dove - Ferlin Husky<br />
1968<br />
Born to Be with You - Sonny James<br />
1976<br />
Thinkin‘ of a Rendezvous - Johnny Duncan<br />
1984<br />
Nobody Loves Me Like You Do - Anne Murray (with Dave Loggins)<br />
^^^^^^^^^^^^^<br />
TODAY IN COUNTRY MUSIC HISTORY<br />
compiled by Bill Morrison<br />
A. P. Carter born Maces Springs, VA 1891.<br />
Nudie the Tailor, born Kiev, Ukraine 1902.<br />
Kenneth Pitts, fiddler, born in Arizona 1913.<br />
Lynn Davis, singer, guitarist, born Johnson County, KY 1914. Lynn Davis <strong>and</strong> Molly O'Day were married in 1941.<br />
Red River Dave, singer/songwriter/ born Dave McEnery in San Antonio, TX 1914.<br />
Mitchell Burt Lilly, of "The Lilly Brothers" born Clear Creek, WV 1921.<br />
Ernie Ashworth, a.k.a. "Billy Worth," singer/songwriter, born Huntsville, AL 1928. Member Gr<strong>and</strong> Ole Opry.<br />
Jerry Wallace born Guilford, MO 1928.<br />
Hank Williams, age 19, <strong>and</strong> Audrey Sheppard Guy, were married in a gas station in Andalusia, AL in 1944.<br />
R<strong>and</strong>y Parton born Sevierville, TN 1955.<br />
The Everly Brothers recorded "Let It Be Me" 1959.<br />
Skeeter Davis was fired from the Opry in 1973. Davis expressed her rage, <strong>and</strong> editorialized to the Opry radio audience, her support<br />
for the protesters she observed being arrested on her way to the Ryman Auditorium earlier that evening. She was reinstated as an<br />
Opry member eighteen months later.<br />
Joey Castle, a.k.a. Cliff Rivers, Rockabilly vocals, died of cancer 1978.<br />
Alan Jackson married wife Denise in <strong>New</strong>nan, GA 1979. After a brief separation <strong>and</strong> reconciliation in 1998, they renewed their vows<br />
19
on their nineteenth anniversary, on December 15 th .<br />
Kenny Rogers <strong>and</strong> Dolly Parton released a holiday duet album, "Once Upon a <strong>Christmas</strong>," 1984.<br />
Tiny Moore, age 67, died 1987.<br />
Shell Point released Larry Cordle's album "Murder on Music Row" 1999.<br />
Garth Brooks on the Crook & Chase show on TNN, announced he would retire the following year in 2000.<br />
David Ball's "Riding With Private Malone" debuted on Billboard's Top 40 Chart 2001.<br />
Courtesy Bill Morrison: http://www.talentondisplay.com/countrycalMAR.html<br />
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY<br />
LET‘S KEEP THE CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS<br />
Let‘s keep the Christ in <strong>Christmas</strong>, may Christ reign in our hearts;<br />
It‘s all about the Son of God, this Gift, God did impart.<br />
When lowly shepherds heard the news, they went to see the One –<br />
The promised One of glory, God‘s precious Son.<br />
The Wise Men, too, saw the star <strong>and</strong> knew a King was born that day.<br />
They went to pay Him homage, that Babe upon the hay.<br />
Let‘s sing a song of <strong>Christmas</strong> full of joy <strong>and</strong> cheer.<br />
The hope the earth has longed for has come in Christ, most dear.<br />
Mary Ann Jameson<br />
<strong>New</strong>s From The National Cutting Horse Association<br />
Lloyd Cox <strong>and</strong> One Time Royalty break record<br />
After coming into the finals on the bubble, Lloyd Cox<br />
<strong>and</strong> One Time Royalty marked an event record 230 to<br />
win the Open finals of the 2010 Borden Milk NCHA Futurity.<br />
Owned by Matthews Cutting Horses, One Time<br />
Royalty was bred by Gail Holmes' Double Dove Ranch,<br />
by One Time Pepto out of Royal Serena Belle. The<br />
event sealed the status of Jeffrey Matthews' One Time<br />
Pepto as the leading freshman sire of 2010. Cox had<br />
ridden Royal Serena Belle to a reserve championship in<br />
the 1996 NCHA Futurity.<br />
Here's a look at the champions:<br />
Open: Lloyd Cox riding One Time Royalty for Matthews Cutting Horses. Watch the<br />
video on NCHAtv.com.<br />
Non-Pro: Austin Blake riding One Rockin Pepto. Watch the video on NCHAtv.com.<br />
Amateur: Laura Fenimore riding Misplaced Cat. Watch the video on NCHAtv.com.<br />
John Deere Division of the Open: Kenneth Platt riding Downtown Smarts, owned by<br />
Dwight <strong>and</strong> Kathi Fisher. Watch the video on NCHAtv.com.<br />
Matthews Cutting Horses Ltd Non-Pro: Colleen Wold on Ka Blue E. Watch the video<br />
on NCHAtv.com.<br />
Non-Pro Senior: James Hooper on Dox Sugar Blue.<br />
Ltd Non-Pro Senior: David Capps on Tiempo Azul.<br />
Amateur Senior: Robert Tiemann on Ubet Ima Barmaid.<br />
Cuttin‘ It Up In The 80s<br />
December Chatter Online<br />
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Get the Latest <strong>New</strong>s on nchatv.com<br />
Watch the week's top stories in the time it takes to show your<br />
horse on 2:30, the NCHA <strong>New</strong>s show.<br />
The 18th episode, hosted by NCHA Marketing Manager Kalyn<br />
S<strong>and</strong>ers is now on nchatv.com featuring a complete rap-up of<br />
the Futurity <strong>and</strong> the World Finals.<br />
Find out what you may have missed during the show, <strong>and</strong><br />
what's coming up soon in the sport of cutting.<br />
Good <strong>New</strong>s for the Cutting Horse Economy<br />
The NCHA Futurity Sales average was up by eight percent over<br />
2009, a statistic presaged by the success of the Buffalo Ranch<br />
<strong>and</strong> Waggoner Ranch dispersals earlier this fall. All three<br />
events were conducted by Western Bloodstock, the leader in<br />
Quarter Horse performance horse sales.<br />
Take a look at an overview of the sales here.<br />
NYCHA Trainer Auction ends December 15th at 5:00 PM<br />
Look to see if you got the winning bid <strong>and</strong> be sure to watch<br />
for next year's NYCHA trainer auction starting February 1st<br />
<strong>and</strong> ending April 1st.<br />
The new NYCHA Trainers Auction gives you a unique opportunity<br />
to improve your skills by working with NCHA trainers.<br />
Starting February 1st go to NYCHAtrainerauction.com for the<br />
chance to receive two days of lessons with a cutting horse<br />
trainer. Funds raised support National Youth Cutting Horse<br />
Association programs.<br />
Trainers can donate their services <strong>and</strong> support the future of<br />
cutting in 2011 here.<br />
For more information, contact Dayna Smith, Youth Coordinator<br />
for the National Cutting Horse Association, 817.244.6188.<br />
Gates that Open Doors<br />
Kent & Sherryl Courson from Perryton, Texas won a custom<br />
gate courtesy of Trails West Gate Co. Lee Lee<br />
Brazeal <strong>and</strong> John Renner from Trails West Gate Co donated<br />
the gate to the NYCHA to help raise money for<br />
youth scholarships <strong>and</strong> educational programs. The gate<br />
was raffled off Saturday evening December 11 during the<br />
Open Futurity Finals. For more information about Trails West, visit their website at<br />
www.trailswestgatecompany.com.<br />
The <strong>New</strong> Face of NYCHA<br />
The NYCHA offers youth members the opportunity to develop horsemanship<br />
skills, learn sportsmanship <strong>and</strong> discipline, develop leadership skills<br />
<strong>and</strong> learn responsibility in caring for their horse <strong>and</strong> themselves.<br />
Add them on Facebook today!<br />
Three Decades of Helping Cutters <strong>and</strong> Building for the Future<br />
by Joey Milner, President of the NCHA Charities Foundation<br />
Think back to 1982 . . . Nearly 30 years ago, a group of cutters<br />
came together to form a charitable foundation entitled the NCHA<br />
Charities Foundation to support the goals <strong>and</strong> values of the National<br />
Cutting Horse Association. Now fast forward to today,<br />
2010.<br />
Through the hardwork, financial support <strong>and</strong> selfless service of<br />
countless cutters, that foundation has provided over $2 million in scholarship funding<br />
for over 500 different youth involved with the sport of cutting, <strong>and</strong> also supported cutters<br />
with financial assistance in times of crisis.<br />
The work of the individuals who started <strong>and</strong> grew the NCHA Foundation has been invaluable<br />
throughout the past 28 years, <strong>and</strong> in the coming years there is even more the<br />
Foundation can do. Read more . . .<br />
Triple Crown<br />
Tickets<br />
The blog that cutters<br />
read.<br />
Major Results:<br />
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NCHA<br />
Futurity<br />
NCHA World<br />
Finals<br />
Utah Marker Ltd<br />
Futurity<br />
Waco Texas<br />
Futurity<br />
Pacific Coast<br />
Futurity<br />
Pacific Coast<br />
Cutting Stakes<br />
Southern<br />
Futurity<br />
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Trefethen Honored by Wine Enthusiast Magazine<br />
Wine Enthusiast Magazine has named Trefethen's Reserve<br />
Cabernet Sauvignon as the number one wine of the year. To<br />
celebrate, Trefethen is offering NCHA members 10% off on<br />
orders now through the end of the year.<br />
Just give the code: NCHA. Keep your stable full of the Best<br />
Bred Wines by joining the Cutter's Wine Club: online at Trefethen.com/clubs<br />
or call toll free 866 895 7696.<br />
Rules of Cutting<br />
Just in time for <strong>Christmas</strong>, NCHA's newest video, Judges Rules & Guidelines,<br />
brings every competitor <strong>and</strong> cutting horse fan an in-depth look at<br />
NCHA's 21 Judging Rules <strong>and</strong> Credits. Plus, NCHA Director of Judges Russell<br />
McCord gives you a look inside the Casebook. This is an invaluable<br />
reference for improving - or appreciating - showmanship. Order now for<br />
just $49.95 plus tax, shipping <strong>and</strong> h<strong>and</strong>ling.<br />
Choose the Right Cow -<br />
Order the DVD now!<br />
Take Back the Reins of Your Industry<br />
Be a part of the Summit of the Horse gathering January 3rd<br />
to the 6th at South Point Casino in Las Vegas.<br />
Summit of the Horse is a gathering of men <strong>and</strong> women who<br />
make their living with horses, <strong>and</strong> those who care deeply<br />
about ecological balance on healthy l<strong>and</strong>s. A summit of concerned<br />
citizens who underst<strong>and</strong> what is necessary to keep<br />
the l<strong>and</strong>, the horses, the people, the cultures, <strong>and</strong> the<br />
economies vibrant <strong>and</strong> healthy.<br />
View the Entire Program<br />
Visit www.summitofthehorse.com<br />
badbob1026@hotmail.com<br />
22
so we looked around at the antiques <strong>and</strong> things in the store.<br />
We picked out a few gifts,<br />
but we didn't have any way to gift wrap them.<br />
52,000 intelligent good-looking readers.<br />
Two or three at a time, people from the town came into the store,<br />
stomping the snow off their shoes<br />
<strong>and</strong> saying "<strong>Merry</strong> <strong>Christmas</strong>" to each other.<br />
They were smiling <strong>and</strong> friendly<br />
<strong>and</strong> offered to take our gifts back to their homes <strong>and</strong> wrap them<br />
for us.<br />
When they came back a while later,<br />
our presents looked beautiful.<br />
They brought along some cookies <strong>and</strong> eggnog,<br />
<strong>and</strong> we had a little party with these unusual strangers.<br />
We wanted to cancel all our future bookings <strong>and</strong> live here.<br />
In the morning we woke up to snow covered cornfields<br />
<strong>and</strong> a sparkling forest of winter trees.<br />
An old rusty plow <strong>and</strong> a wagon were half buried in the snow outside<br />
our window...<br />
It was a perfect <strong>Christmas</strong>.<br />
We don't even know the name of the town or which state it's in.<br />
And we haven't been able to find it on any map.<br />
We just think of it as our <strong>Christmas</strong> Town.<br />
Maybe it's in the twilight zone.<br />
The <strong>Christmas</strong> Town.<br />
It was the day before <strong>Christmas</strong>.<br />
We were road tired,<br />
<strong>and</strong> traveling westward through Illinois or Iowa...<br />
on our way to another show somewhere.<br />
We tried to cheer each other up,<br />
<strong>and</strong> said we'd celebrate our <strong>Christmas</strong> at a later date.<br />
<strong>Merry</strong> <strong>Christmas</strong> from<br />
Jack Blanchard <strong>and</strong> Misty Morgan<br />
© 2010.<br />
Our Home Page : http://jack<strong>and</strong>misty.com<br />
The countryside looked like a <strong>Christmas</strong> card<br />
through the windshield of our motor home.<br />
Fine dusty snow was starting to whirl around.<br />
<strong>and</strong> the Interstate Highway was just about deserted.<br />
It began snowing harder.<br />
We needed a place to pull in for the night,<br />
but we hadn't seen anything open for miles.<br />
We started to get worried.<br />
It was getting dark,<br />
<strong>and</strong> the wind was blowing the snow into drifts.<br />
We pulled off at the next exit,<br />
but there was no sign of life except for an old barn.<br />
There was a wooden sign over the door,<br />
<strong>and</strong> <strong>Christmas</strong> lights were on inside.<br />
It turned out to be a little store with a few groceries,<br />
<strong>and</strong> some antiques for sale in the back.<br />
The owner took us to a little room<br />
where they kept boots <strong>and</strong> snow shovels.<br />
That's where we plugged in our electric line.<br />
Misty made a good deal... one night, two dollars.<br />
We dragged our small artificial <strong>Christmas</strong> tree out of the trunk<br />
<strong>and</strong> she had it trimmed <strong>and</strong> lit in about ten minutes.<br />
We'd been on a long hard tour<br />
<strong>and</strong> we didn't have any presents for each other,<br />
23<br />
Dean Armstrong<br />
Henry Baker<br />
O. B. Barnes<br />
Bobby Bearden<br />
Laverne Bockhorst<br />
Clyde Brewer<br />
Don Brown<br />
John <strong>and</strong> Barbara Brutsche<br />
Tom Burgess<br />
Joyce Carter<br />
Mary Corley<br />
Laqueta Cox<br />
Vivian Cox<br />
Van Davis<br />
Dodie Ferguson<br />
Pat Goldbla<br />
Tom <strong>and</strong> Donna Hatton<br />
Briggs Hill <strong>and</strong> his family<br />
Roberta Hendrickson<br />
Barbara Holman<br />
Dave Holter<br />
Danny Huddleston<br />
Debra Hudnall<br />
Mary Hunter<br />
Annett James<br />
Odie James<br />
Ada Keen‘s Nieces<br />
Jack Kindt<br />
Virginia Lange‘s mother<br />
Charlie Louvin<br />
Johnny Lyon Family<br />
Mary Marshall<br />
Lavonne Needham<br />
Joe Paul Nichols<br />
Joel North<br />
Earl Nutt<br />
Virgie O‘Daniel<br />
Tom <strong>and</strong> Claudia Padilla<br />
John Payne<br />
Louise Pogue<br />
Bob Pratt<br />
Hope Reed<br />
Bobby Riddle<br />
Lou Rochelle<br />
Tom Rose<br />
Weta Shortes<br />
Alton Simpson<br />
Gene Stevens<br />
Mike Vaughn<br />
Big Fred Walker<br />
Mary Walker<br />
Ken Watkins<br />
Mike Ward
Hi Chuck,<br />
I read your article in the Oct 2010 news letter. I felt that you<br />
were right on the money with your 'Oats' analogies about the current<br />
state of affairs with country music <strong>and</strong> the radio stations playing<br />
only the 'new country'. I am a musician myself. I work with a<br />
group in the San Diego area known as 'The FUGITIVES'. We do<br />
nothing but what is referred too as 'Real Country Music'. Our audiences<br />
are a little older, <strong>and</strong> extremely loyal. They love the music<br />
of Haggard, Jones, Owens, Stewart <strong>and</strong> the likes. We always<br />
have good crowds, they spend money, <strong>and</strong> they follow us where<br />
ever we go in the area. What we play is 'the music of real life',<br />
<strong>and</strong> they can relate to it. As we look out into our crowds, we can<br />
constantly see new faces, young <strong>and</strong> old. Everyone has a good<br />
time.<br />
Thanks to people like you <strong>and</strong> others, who are making sure<br />
that the 'Real Country Music' genre stays alive <strong>and</strong> well. You do<br />
make a difference. I would like to acknowledge a person who has<br />
been a good friend to me, to real country music, <strong>and</strong> the musicians<br />
who play it, -- Joe Baker. We met a few years ago at a<br />
'Western Swing Music Hall Of Fame' event. He has since been<br />
supportive of my music <strong>and</strong> now plays songs from my CD on his<br />
radio show. This is the kind of support that is a valuable asset to<br />
musicians, <strong>and</strong> will keep the 'real country music' style alive<br />
whether it be an old song or a newly written one. To those efforts,<br />
I say "thank you"--- to all of you.<br />
TONY GRASSO<br />
'FUGITIVES'<br />
anthonygrasso3@cox.net<br />
Southwest Texas State (now Texas State) <strong>and</strong> at the Officer<br />
Training School at Lackl<strong>and</strong> Air Force Base in San Antonio,<br />
Texas. Johnny retired as a lieutenant colonel <strong>and</strong> devoted his life<br />
fully to the Country Music that he has always been involved with.<br />
Through all of this, he has managed to keep the Nu-Notes going<br />
strong for well over 30years. Johnny is the former owner of the<br />
Melody Ranch in Waco, Texas <strong>and</strong> has owned the Texas Hall of<br />
Fame in Bryan, Texas since 1978.<br />
Thirty years ago when the<br />
Texas Country Music Scene was<br />
abundant in talent <strong>and</strong> copious<br />
in spirit, legendary artists <strong>and</strong><br />
aspiring young singers could be<br />
seen <strong>and</strong> heard in a variety of<br />
venues. These Honky-Tonks<br />
were alive with animated enthusiasts<br />
<strong>and</strong> Country aficionados.<br />
Places like the Skyline Club, Dessau Hall, The Broken Spoke,<br />
The Rocking M <strong>and</strong> the Gils Club were but a few of the renowned<br />
establishments in which Texas Country thrived. Johnny Lyon is a<br />
man that underst<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> respects this storied history - a man<br />
who has lived within this history <strong>and</strong> around the<br />
Texas Country Music Culture for many years.<br />
The consummate professional performer,<br />
Johnny has entertained thous<strong>and</strong>s of Country<br />
Music fans with brilliant renditions of the True<br />
Country Classics.<br />
With the same b<strong>and</strong> he formed in high school -<br />
the Country Nu-Notes- Johnny is still hitting the<br />
road, playing in <strong>and</strong> around Texas, helping to<br />
keep the classic country sound alive in a commercial<br />
world that sometimes seems destined to forget its roots. A<br />
commercial world from which many celebrated Honky-Tonks have<br />
long since faded as the sound of Popular Country Music becomes<br />
more <strong>and</strong> more pasteurized.<br />
Johnny Lyon<br />
A native of Bryan, Texas, Johnny<br />
Lyon graduated from Texas A&M<br />
with a Bachelor's Degree in Business<br />
Administration. He later<br />
earned a Secondary Teaching<br />
Certificate from Sam Houston<br />
State University. Johnny gave 21<br />
years of his life to this country<br />
proudly serving in the United<br />
States Air Force as a pilot <strong>and</strong><br />
officer.<br />
He served<br />
two tours in<br />
Vietnam where<br />
he flew B-52's<br />
<strong>and</strong> C-130's. A<br />
decorated officer<br />
with Four<br />
Clusters to the<br />
Air Medal <strong>and</strong><br />
the distinguished<br />
Flying Cross, he has<br />
served as a ROTC instructor at<br />
Thankfully, there are still artists who, like Johnny Lyon <strong>and</strong> the<br />
Country Nu-Notes, are determined to continue the important, articulate<br />
<strong>and</strong> unique message that Country Western Music was<br />
founded upon. In the traditions of pioneers like Bob Wills, Hank<br />
Williams, Ray Price, Willie Nelson, Lefty Frizzell <strong>and</strong> George<br />
Jones, these artists are striving to tell <strong>and</strong> re-tell purely American<br />
stores despite an ever-increasing, fad-driven, consumer culture.<br />
Joe Baker‘s Recognition <strong>and</strong> Honors<br />
Cowtown Society of Western Music Heroes<br />
Academy of Western Artists Disc Jockey of the <strong>Year</strong><br />
Cowtown Society of Western Music Disc Jockey of the <strong>Year</strong><br />
Western Swing Music Society of the Southwest Hall of Fame<br />
Membership Director—Cowtown Society of Western Music<br />
Board of Directors—Cowtown Society of Western Music<br />
Seattle Western Swing Music Society POWS Hall of Fame<br />
<strong>Backforty</strong> <strong>New</strong>sletter—CSWM‘s Publication of the <strong>Year</strong> 2009<br />
The Western Swing Society Sacramento CA Hall of Fame<br />
KNMB, Western Music Assn. 2006 Radio Station Of The <strong>Year</strong><br />
KWMW, Western Music Assn. 2007 Radio Station Of The <strong>Year</strong><br />
24
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