Country News and Notes
Select:
1) A Night with the Legend -
2) Gene Watson & Group Not Injured (posted 10/07/2011)
3) Johnny Wright Passes at 97 Years Old (posted 09/27/2011)
4) ACM Honors Country Stars (posted 09/20/2011)
5) R.O.P.E. 24th Banquet Awards Show (posted 09/20/2011)
6) Wilma Lee Cooper Passes at age 90 (posted 09/20/2011)
7) Connie Smith’s “Long Line of Heartaches” (posted 08/22/2011)
Marty Martel’s Interview with George Jones
Marty Martel’s Interview with David McCormick
Connie Smith -
New recordings by the country music legend Connie Smith, long acclaimed as one of
the greatest singers in the history of the genre have been as rare as the voice and
knowing singing she brings to them. Long Line of Heartaches, set for release on August
23rd, her first full album of new material since 1996 (and only her second since
1978) is an event in the making. That’s not just for the rarity, or because her legions
of fans have so long awaited this news, but because in its range of undiluted traditional
country moods, themes, rhythms and sound, this new Sugar Hill release is simply,
unmistakably a new Connie Smith masterpiece, offering the pleasures of the very best
that saw release during her remarkable run of recordings during the 1960s and ‘70s.
Making of Album link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyDOFVCh2HA
Other Connie Smith Links:
http://www.conniesmithmusic.com
http://www.facebook.com/conniesmithofficial
Country stars turn out to get special awards
Posted on September 19, 2011 by Dave Paulson
The Academy of Country Music held its annual ACM Honors show Monday night at Nashville’s
Ryman Auditorium, honoring special award recipients and non-
The roster of winners ranged from country superstars Taylor Swift, Reba McEntire
and Garth Brooks to revered veterans Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers and Tom T.
Hall. All but Brooks were in attendance Monday night, saluted by presenters including
Ronnie Dunn and Laura Bell Bundy with performances from Jamey Johnson, Lee Ann Womack,
Montgomery Gentry and others.
Dunn presented McEntire with the ACM’s Career Achievement
Award, recognizing a three-
Swift, a big winner at the televised ACM Awards in April, was recognized for her
global appeal with the Jim Reeves International Award. She is touring North America
between extensive jaunts in Asia, Europe and Australia.
“I have heard my name pronounced in so many ways that I didn’t even know were possible,” Swift said after thanking the Academy. “That’s been part of the reason why the last couple of years have been so magical. You go to these places where they don’t speak English, but somehow, they know every single lyric.”
Brooks, Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers received the Academy’s Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award, honoring trailblazers in the genre. Presenting the award were Gatlin friends and former Pioneer Award winners The Oak Ridge Boys.
“The man who loves his job is always on vacation,” Larry Gatlin said. “So when somebody
said, ‘We’re going to pay you to sing,’ I said, ‘I can do that!’”
In a video message, Brooks explained that it was wife Trisha Yearwood’s birthday, “and the queen takes precedent, of course. But I wanted to send my love and my gratitude. Thanks to the academy, not only for tonight, but for my whole career.”
Brooks mentioned some of the previous winners of the Cliffie Stone Award, including Merle Haggard and Dolly Parton.
“I think the question that’s on everybody’s mind … with a list like that — Larry Gatlin?’” Brooks said before bursting into laughter and explaining that Gatlin “offered me a stage when no one else would.”
Writers and players
Celebrated songwriter/performer Tom T. Hall (“Harper Valley PTA,” “I Love”) and the late Hank Cochran (“I Fall to Pieces,” “Make the World Go Away,”) were this year’s recipients of the Poet’s Award, honoring their accomplishments in country music songwriting.
“You do not wind up standing in a spot like this if you try to do it alone,” Hall said as he thanked everyone from his wife and writing partner, Dixie, to his doctor. “There are so many people involved.”
Other special award winners included artist manager, ACM treasurer and industry vet
John Dorris, who received the Mae Boren Axton Award; and the Nashville-
Nine of the industry’s top session musicians, engineers and producers were recognized in the Musician/Bandleader/Instrumentalist category. Winners included producer Paul Worley, steel guitarist Dan Dugmore, guitarists Tom Bukovac and Bryan Sutton, bassist Glenn Worf, keyboardist Gordon Mote, drummer Eddie Bayers, fiddle player Aubrey Haynie and audio engineer Chuck Ainlay.
In addition to hosting the festivities, Ryman Auditorium was named Venue of the Year, while Ryman general manager Sally Williams received the Promoter of the Year Award. Other winners in the Industry Awards categories included Steve Bogdanovich of Romeo Entertainment Group (Don Romeo Talent Buyer of the Year), Chicago venue Joe’s Bar (Nightclub of the Year) and the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut (Casino of the Year).
ACM Honors recipients
Garth Brooks — Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award
Hank Cochran (posthumous) — Poet’s Award
John Dorris — Mae Boren Axton Award
Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers — Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award
Tom T. Hall — Poet’s Award
Reba McEntire — Career Achievement Award
Taylor Swift — Jim Reeves International Award
Country Strong — Tex Ritter Film Award
GRAND OLE OPRY & COUNTRY MUSIC
SUFFER ANOTHER GREAT LOSS
WILMA LEE COOPER PASSES AT AGE 90
Grand Ole Opry member Wilma Lee Cooper passed away on Tuesday, Sept. 13 at her home
in Sweetwater, Tenn. from natural causes. She had been a member of the Opry since
1957 and was 90 years old. Her last solo performance on the Opry was at the Ryman
Auditorium on Feb. 24, 2001. Wilma Lee joined the Opry cast at the grand re-
Wilma Lee was preceded in death by her husband Stoney Cooper and is survived by her daughter Carol Lee Cooper, Hendersonville, Tenn.; granddaughter Vanessa Brusseau and her husband Mark of Hermitage, Tenn. and granddaughter Shannon Rogers and her husband Mark of Hendersonville, Tenn. Per Wilma Lee’s wishes there will not be a memorial service. She will be remembered for her music and her faith.
Wilma Lee spent nearly her entire life singing and entertaining. Born Wilma Leigh
Leary, she began working early as a member of West Virginia’s regionally-
Wilma Lee continued performing with her group the Clinch Mountain Clan after Stoney’s death in March 1977, and was appearing on the Opry regularly until a stroke suffered on stage in 2001 forced her to cease performing.
COUNTRY MUSIC SUFFERS THE LOSS OF
JOHNNY WRIGHT AT 97 YEARS OLD
Country Music has suffered another great loss with the death of Johnny Wright who
passed away early today at the age of 97. I have included the pix in this press release,
with his wife Miss Kitty Wells. I felt that they had spent 74 years together, so
this picture is dedicated to Johnny and his long life with Miss Kitty. Johnny died
of natural causes.
Johnny was one of country music great pioneers and legends. His recordings with Jack Anglin are part of country music history.
JOHNNY WRIGHT BIOGRAPHY
Born in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, Wright first performed with Anglin in 1936. In 1937,
he married Kitty Wells. The two, along with Wright’s sister Louise, performed as
Johnnie Wright & the Harmony Girls. In 1939, Wright and Anglin formed the duo Johnnie
& Jack. They teamed up full-
In 1952, Johnnie & Jack’s "Poison Love" took them to the Grand Ole Opry, where the duo, along with Wells, were invited to join and where they remained for 15 years. Following Anglin's death in an automobile accident in 1963, Wright continued performing and releasing records.
In 1964, he and his Tennessee Mountain Boys had a Top 25 hit with "Walkin', Talkin', Cryin', Barely Beatin' Broken Heart." The following year, he had success with "Hello Vietnam", a No. 1 hit. In 1968, he and Wells recorded an autobiographical duet, "We'll Stick Together", and continued playing live shows together through the early 1980s.
Later years
In 1983, Wright and Wells opened the Family Country Junction Museum and Studio in their hometown of Madison, Tennessee. They closed the museum in October 2000, but their grandson, John Sturdivant, Jr. kept the Junction Recording Studio operating.
Wright joined producers Randall Franks and Alan Autry for the 1991 CD "Christmas Time's A Comin'" featuring the cast of the TV series In the Heat of the Night. He performed along with Kitty Wells and Bobby Wright on "Jingle Bells" with the cast.
In 1992, the couple and their son Bobby began playing together again. On December
31, 2000, the duo performed their farewell concert at the Nashville Nightlife Theater
in Nashville, Tennessee. They played to a full house of fans, family and friends
that includedRicky Skaggs, The Whites, Marty Stuart, Connie Smith, Leona Williams,
Larry Stephenson, Tommy Cash, Jack Greene, Jean Shepard and comedian-
Personal life
Kitty Wells and Johnnie Wright were married on October 30, 1937. Together they had
three children, two daughters Ruby (1939–2009)[1] and Carol Sue, as well as a son,
Bobby. Each of their children enjoyed minor success individually as recording artists
-
Wells and Wright celebrated their 74th wedding anniversary in 2011.
GENE WATSON & GROUP NOT INJURED
October 3, 2011
Country music legend, Gene Watson, was just eight miles from his Sunday , October 2nd show in Sandstone, MN when his bus lurched off the road and nearly flipped over. The GPS system programmed the route for a narrow gravel road to the venue . When the bus driver politely pulled over a bit to allow for an oncoming truck, the road under Watson’s bus completely crumbled and the bus narrowly missed falling into a boggy area which could have caused the bus to flip completely over.
Fortunately for the artist and his band and crew, the bus caught on its side and stayed in that position. The singer and crew had to climb out of a window to get out of the bus and although shaken from the tumble, no one was seriously injured.
Four tow trucks were called to the scene. The first three were too small to pull
the enormous touring bus. Finally a 50 Ton rotator truck arrived and the bus was
hauled back on the road. Meanwhile Gene Watson and his band had been driven to the
show site with only their traveling clothes and no instruments. As the saying goes,
“the show must go on” so Gene and his band performed the first of two shows in “bus
clothes” and borrowed an opening band’s musical instruments. Gene’s pedal steel player
anxiously awaited for a pedal steel to arrive from 80 miles away but it arrived just
in time for the first show.
Gene Watson, long known for being a former paint and body specialist who still owns his own body shop wryly noted “I was glad that none of my band or crew were hurt in the accident and that the bus only suffered superficial paint and body damage. Fortunately, I know a little place that can handle that work and I am hoping I can get a discount.”
Gene Watson is on his way today to Nashville, TN where he will join his friend, country great Randy Travis on the Grand Ole Opry Tuesday October 4th, where they will sing a song they recorded for Randy’s 25th Anniversary Celebration album, a track titled “Didn’t We Shine”.
BILL ANDERSON -
Bill Anderson is still going as strong as anyone in country music. His list of credits
and achievements continue to grow year after year. If you have not attended one of
Bill’s performances, and even if you have, this is a special type of performance
where you will see another side of Whisperin Bill that you have never seen before.
He will talk about his career, his songs, and his love of the music. IF YOU HAVE
NOT PURCHASED YOUR TICKETS AS OF YET, MAKE THE CALL AND GET YOUR TICKET, BECAUSE
IT IS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME SHOW FOR ALL COUNTRY MUSIC FANS.
All of you fans and country music lovers within driving distance of York, PA, spread the word and spend the evening with Bill Anderson. Doesn’t get much better than this.
Date: Saturday November 12th 2011
Place: York Expo Center -
(Formerly York Fairgrounds)
Tickets: $35.00 (Includes Dinner)
Number for tickets: 717-
Doors open: 5:30pm -
Dinner includes: Bar-
Cash Bar Available
Bill will be doing (2) 45 minute sets
'Bill Anderson -
Bill is a 50-
He has had (36) of his own recordings in the Top 10 and (7) #1 Billboard Chart hits.
His stage shows are consistently entertaining.....and he's one of the nicest guys
in the business.
This show is expected to sell out quickly ... nearly 700 seats have
been sold as of right now.
So call now for best seats. 717-
