Latest World News on Internet Business Money Market: Friday August 24th , 2007 C O U N T R Y M U S I C C L A S S I C S

C O U N T R Y M U S I C C L AS S I C S

Doug Davis
Owner/Publisher/Manager/ Editor/Writer/Gopher/Chief Cook & Bottle Washer
Email to: Classics@countrymusicclassics.com

Friday August 24th , 2007

CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE AT www.countrymusicclassics.com

STORY BEHIND THE SONG

A lot of songs come from an actual slice of life and according to Bill Anderson, Hank Locklin’s 1961 hit, “Happy Birthday To Me” was just such a tune!

Anderson commented, ”That song was a true story. And it’s a funny story. I was dating the girl that I ended up marrying. And it was my birthday in 1959 and she and I were planning on getting married in December….which we did. And all day long on my birthday, I kept thinking that she was gonna call me up and tell me happy birthday and she’s gonna get me a card and get me a present…I knew she was gonna make some mention of my birthday. And the day wears on and now it’s six o’clock at night and she has not mentioned it once. So I started singing “Happy Birthday To Me.” And then I started thinking that was a pretty good idea for a song. So I wrote the song. And then I went to my mom and dad’s house for dinner that night and the reason she hadn’t told me Happy Birthday all day long was, they had a surprise party for me.”

Hank Locklin’s “Happy Birthday To Me” entered the country music charts October 2^nd, 1961 and peaked at # 7.

It was Locklin’s 12^th charted song and was on the charts for 14 weeks.

READ MORE “STORIES BEHIND THE SONGS” ON A WEBSITE AT WWW.COUNTRYMUSICCLASSICS.COM

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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

QUESTION: Do you know anything about a Porter Wagoner Legends Of The Grand Ole Opry recording? The radio guys were talking about it.

ANSWER: Time Life is developing a series titled “Legends of the Opry” and Porter Wagoner will be the first artist to be featured. Material for the series is coming from live performances from Grand Ole Opry shows. “Legends of the Grand Ole Opry: Porter Wagoner Sings His Hits” will include songs spanning 1963 through 1967. It's the first time these live performances have ever been issued, and the first live album from Porter in over 40 years. Later this year, Grand Ole Opry performances by Willie Nelson and Marty Robbins will be available as part of the new series. “Legends of the Grand Ole Opry: Porter Wagoner Sings His Hits” will arrive in stores on September 25^th.

QUESTION: I heard on the TV news that Elvis Presley had a hit record overseas. What is that all about?

ANSWER: Elvis Presley is logging yet another chart-topper in the UK. The two-disc collection "The King," which was issued overseas in conjunction with the 30th anniversary of his death, is debuting at number one on the British album chart. But the reissue of Presley's 1968 hit "Suspicious Minds" didn't fare quite as well on the singles chart, entering the list at number eleven. However, the song was just rereleased on the exact date -- 30 years to the day that Presley passed away -- and only three days of sales could be considered for the tally, so the track could still climb the chart. "The King" is Presley's eleventh album to reach number one on the British chart, and arrives on the list nearly 51 years after his first UK album chart-topper, "Rock 'n' Roll," captured the number one spot in November 1956.

QUESTION: What was that on the radio about The Oak Ridge boys winning some kind of survey from the hall of fame?

ANSWER: The Oak Ridge Boys topped a recent poll by Nashville's “Tennessean” newspaper, concerning which artist fans think should be the next inductee into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Barbara Mandrell takes second place on the tally, followed by Hank Locklin, the Statler Brothers, and Tom T. Hall. A spokesperson for the Country Music Association says they are in discussion with the Hall of Fame to see if they might be able to add more than three new members annually in coming years.

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GET A F-R-E-E COPY OF THE RAY PRICE-MERLE HAGGARD-WILLIE NELSON DOUBLE CD “LAST OF THE BREED,” when you purchase our ‘STORY BEHIND THE SONG” BOOK & CD PACKAGE....ALL of the “Stories Behind The Song” features from our newsletters beginning in 1998 thru the end of 2006 in one book---- P-L-U-S - an audio CD of the entire book. All the “Story behind The Song” features in B O T H book form and audio AND shipped anywhere in the world for $75—P-L-U-S a F-R-E-E copy of Merle-Ray, & Willie’s Double CD “LAST OF THE BREED”

You may pay with PayPal, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, check or Money Order.

Email credit card information to: classics@countrymusicclassics.com

OR mail check or Money Order to Doug Davis-Country Music Classics-3702 Pleasant Grove Road-Texarkana, Texas 75503.

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QUESTION: The TV news mentioned Asleep At The Wheel going to Washington DC for some kind of congressional thing. What is that?

ANSWER: Asleep at the Wheel's Ray Benson will take part in “Grammys on the Hill,” aimed at educating members of Congress about the importance of music in everyday life. The Sept. 5th event will feature a jam session on Capitol Hill to call attention to music preservation.

QUESTION: Do you have any information on a Waylon Jennings record about “Time Will Tell The Story?” My son in law talks about that song.

ANSWER: “Time Will Tell The Story” was the flipside of Waylon’s 1966 # 9 hit, “That’s What You Get For Lovin’ Me.”

QUESTION: My daughter says that someone besides Ray Price had a hit on “City Lights.” is that correct?

ANSWER: Ray Price had the first hit on “City Lights,” taking it to # one in 1958, Mickey Gilley also scored a # one in 1975. Johnny Bush had a # 53 hit on the song in 1971 and Mel Tillis took it to # 67 in 1989.

QUESTION: My dad used to sing a song about “a chocolate ice cream cone.” He said it was a big favorite in the 50’s. Do you have any information on that song?

ANSWER: “Choc’late Ice Cream Cone” was a big hit for both Red Foley and Kenny Roberts in 1950

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COUNTRY MUSIC’S TOP TUNES IN:

1951
Hey, Good Lookin’ - Hank Williams

1959
Waterloo - Stonewall Jackson

1967
I’ll Never Find Another You - Sonny James

1975
Rhinestone Cowboy - Glen Campbell

1983
Love Song - The Oak Ridge Boys

1991
You Know Me Better Than That - George Strait

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PLEASE VISIT OUR SPONSORS. THEY HELP MAKE THIS NEWSLETTER POSSIBLE:

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FROM “THE GOOD COOK! Over 40 titles to choose from.

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DON'T SHOOT THE PIANO PLAYER.
(HE'S HALF SHOT NOW.)

by: Jack Blanchard

You can’t carry an acoustic piano to a gig.
You have to play whatever monstrosity happens to be there.
Sometimes they don’t even have one, and that’s where a lot of the trouble begins.

A Miami combo I played in was managed by a man called Uncle Harve.
Uncle Harve booked us to play on a flatbed truck on a beach 125 miles up the coast. The pay was low, but Harve talked about “exposure”
and possible future bookings if we did well… the booking agent’s national anthem. After the long hot drive, and carrying equipment through the sand,
someone noticed that there was no piano.
Donell Austin, the lead singer, refused to work without a piano.
Uncle Harve couldn’t see the logic in that, but he finally agreed to let us go into town and see if we could find a piano for rent.

We got one, and helped the store guy move it to the beach and up onto the flatbed. The temperature was 103 in the shade, and no shade.
We played all afternoon, tore down the equipment, and collapsed in the van for the long ride home. Everybody got paid but me.
Harve said that my money went for the piano rental. Being young and stupid,
I didn’t kill him.

I got so I could stand house pianos being out of tune, but when half the keys don’t play, and the ivory is missing from the other half,
you tape your fingers to keep the blood off your band jacket.

* * *
It was Christmas, and an agent who was just a voice on the telephone,
booked us in a dump called Sybil’s Cave.
in a weird town in northern Minnesota’s twilight zone,
It had all the atmosphere of an abandoned subway tunnel.
Naturally there was no piano.

Sybil looked like a female prison guard, and her husband was a police lieutenant.
You know we couldn’t win this one.

The cop and I walked a mile through the icy streets to rent a piano at a store he knew. The upright piano was on castors, and we pushed it all the way back.
The frozen, broken sidewalks, and going up and down curbs made it extra fun.

We had rented weekly motel rooms for our drummer and us, but Sybil fired us the first night. She said her customers were animals, and that we were too high class.
She didn’t pay us for the night.
. While her cop husband watched us carry our stuff out to the trailer,
somebody stole all our padded moving blankets.

Jack Blanchard

-- THE JACK BLANCHARD & MISTY MORGAN HOME PAGE:
http://jackandmisty.com

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

Classics@countrymusicclassics.com

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THIS WEEK IN:

1961, Patsy Cline recorded the classic tune "Crazy" which was written by Willie Nelson.

1965, Waylon Jennings made his chart debut with "That's The Chance I'll Have To Take."

1976, RCA Victor announced that sales of Elvis Presley records had passed the 400-million mark. No other entertainer – living or dead – has equaled that milestone.

1979, "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" single by the Charlie Daniels Band was certified Gold.

1981, Willie Nelson's “Greatest Hits (& Some That Will Be)” album was released.

1984, Hank Williams Jr's “Greatest Hits” album was certified Gold and Platinum.

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"Live Fast, Love Hard: The Faron Young Story."

Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 10, 2007, at the Ernest Tubb Record Shop in Nashville. We'll be celebrating publication of "Live Fast, Love Hard: The Faron Young Story." The day will end with a reunion of the Country Deputies on the Midnite Jamboree. Darrell McCall will host the show.

FARON YOUNG, FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: On Saturday, August 22, 1992, Faron and Jean Shepard worked a show in Brooklyn, Michigan. Jean remembers it as "of the most wonderful days I have ever had in my life. . . . Faron was completely cold sober, and we talked about old times, and he didn't--usually he was pretty loud, cussing and everything--but he wasn't this day. He was just very mild mannered, and we sat and talked." When they said goodbye, Jean hugged and kissed him and said, "Faron, this day has just been wonderful. What a blessing. It was so wonderful to sit in that little ol' trailer and talk about our old times, 20-30 years ago." He hugged her and said, "Aw, well, hell, Shep, you know I love you." She told me when I interviewed her, "Oh, it was just so good. I've carried that memory with me."

LETTERS

Gigi Viellion says, "I too enjoyed hearing about Ernie Reed. It reminded me that years ago when I went to see 'The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas' on Broadway and heard the fiddle player I commented that 'that's the best fiddle player I've heard since Ernie Reed' only to open the program to find out it was Ernie Reed. He is truly one of a kind."

Dan Tyson, a Navy shipmate who lives in Japan, writes, "Congratulations on getting the book finished and published. That is a tremendous accomplishment. I'll order one from Amazon.com and hopefully, you can sign it for me when we get a chance to meet. . . . Take care and keep us updated on your next project."

Hennie Beltman says, "You must be so thrilled to see all your hard work coming to fruition, and I know all Faron's fans are anxious to get their hands on the book, as I am! More than 50 years ago, I wrote my first ever fan letter, and it was to Faron. And I'll never forget how excited I was when he sent me back a picture postcard! I hope you sell tons of books...I have already pre-ordered 2 from Amazon. Best of luck with your book on Marty Robbins, too."

Bill Littleton's latest Bridgeworks contains a nice blurb about the book:

http://www.unclewillamsplace.com/thebridgeworks.htm

Diane Diekman

Washington DC, USA

altruria@verizon.net

Faron Young info: http://ddiekman.tripod.com/id8.html

Newsletter archive: http://ddiekman.tripod.com/blog

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/190250842

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THIS I BELIEVE:

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life (John 3:`16)

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DISCLAIMERS

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