Country Reunion News, April 2022

Country Reunion m a g a z i n e

April 2022

Deborah Allen Dallas Wayne Bobbie Nelson

Rose Maphis

Ferlin Husky

Barbara Fairchild Jimbo Hinson Nadine Renae the Waitress

…and mor

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December 2021

Country Reunion Magazine Who’s inside?

Deborah Allen, p.

Dallas Wayne, p. 3Bobbie Nelson, p.

Larry Black, p.

Jimbo Hinson, p.

Rose Maphis, p. 10-1 Tubb’s Record Shop, p. 1 Southern Cooking, p. 1 Ferlin Husky, p. 14-1 Barbara Fairchild, p. 16-1 Music Notes, p. 1 Nadine, p. 2 Not Just Southern, p. 2 Country Reunion Music, p. 2 Taping Photos, p. 2

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Deborah Allen Visits the Diner with New Songs Deborah Allen is one of those rare artists who forged her own path to success and ended up building a world-class career. An extraordinarily talented singer, songwriter, producer and performer, Allen’s extensive abilities as an artist are matched only by her enthusiasm and creativity as an individual.

It is that formidable combination of spirit and talent that keeps the multi-award-winning Grammynominated entertainer in demand. Although most associated with her signature smash, “Baby I Lied,” t h e t r u e m e a s u r e o f A l l e n’s i n f l u e n c e i n contemporary music is underscored by the hit singer’s diverse radio success. Songs including “I’ve Been Wrong Before,” “I Hurt For You,” “Rock Me,” “If You’re Not Gonna Love Me,” “Wrong Side of Love” and “Break These Chains” are just a few of the singles that made their way up the Country, Pop or AC charts during her career.

Allen’s songs have been featured on several major motion picture soundtracks, including “Coyote Ugl y,” “River Rat” and “Clinton and Nadine,” as well as in River Phoenix’s nal lm “The Thing Called Love.”

From her discovery by Roy Orbison to her friendship with Shel Silverstein, her classic duets with Jim Reeves and George Jones, her work with Prince and her current release, The Art of Dreaming, Allen creates art on her own terms.

With a distinguished career built on success after success as a performer, songwriter and producer, the dynamic Delta singer from Memphis, Tennessee, has no plans of slowing down anytime soon. That’s simply not Allen’s style She has returned to the scene with her rst album of all-new material in a decade, “The Art of Dreaming.” “Blue Collar Baby,” is the album’s rst single On “The Art of Dreaming,” Allen incorporates the best of all worlds from writing to recording to production. The new collection marries her creative gifts into an engaging, cohesive 12-song package

Allen was honored in Tennessee for her decades in music

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that honors her rich tapestr y of musical experiences “I’m a multi-dimensional person,” noted Allen.

“When people hear my new album, they’re going to hear many in uences. But, the stories and songs are at the core of it all. I hope that they enjoy the musical ride.” She co-wrote every track on the album and says songwriting is “the foundation that has sustained my career.

Half of the songs are new, and the other half are a few of the singer’s favorites she kept in her back pocket. “Blue Collar Baby,” which Allen wrote with Al Anderson, is just such an example. An up-tempo country rocker that begs for a dance oor, “Blue Collar Baby” is a celebration of hard-working, American men.

“Blue-collar workers are the backbone of our country,” Allen said. “The real people who make up America, that’s what this song is about.” The Art of Dreaming draws from the deep well of Allen’s Delta in uences: Memphis Soul, Rockabilly, Gospel, Delta Blues and of course, Nashville Country. Allen explains it’s an album that lands “somewhere between Memphis and Nashville.

April 2022

Singer-Songwriter Dallas Wayne’s CareerCovers Stage, Screen and Radio

by Claudia Johnso

Dallas Wayne’s new self-penned single, “I Hit t h e Ro a d a n d t h e Ro a d H i t B a c k , ” i s autobiographical for this singer, songwriter, voiceover artist, actor, music producer and radio DJ, who at age 68, is all too familiar with life on the road “Life ain't easy on this honky-tonk star,” Wayne sings. “Spent my soul in a thousand dives. I've been on this highway since '75. Mama begged me to put the guitar down. I shoulda listened, but it's too late now.

The Springfield, Missouri, native began performing professionally while still a teenager and has since performed throughout North America and Europe.

Like so many before him, he moved his dreams to Nashville where he developed his vocal style singing demos for the top music publishing houses “Rusted dreams turn gold in Nashville,” Wayne wrote in another single, “Coldwater, Tennessee,” about a father who left his family to become a star.

“The stars ride high, for a while it seems, but tomorrow at dawn, there'll be one star fallen. He'll be coming back down to Coldwater, Tennessee.

Wayne, however, did not go to Coldwater, Tennessee, a real place to which he has no

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connection but chose the town’s name from a map for his busted-dreams ballad because it sounded, he said, like “a place you’d want to run away from.

He’s released 13 albums of his own and appeared on various compilation and band recordings, including the honky-tonk groups Heybale! and the TwangBangers, as well as on a Grammy-nominated bluegrass album.

In the early 1990s Country music was becoming very popular in Europe, so Wayne started touring there. He signed a record deal, and building on the songwriting career that had blossomed in Nashville, he and wife Jo moved to Scandinavia where he was a sta songwriter for Warner/Chappell Music.

After four years living and touring in Europe, Wayne returned to the U.S. and signed with HighTone Records.

He also launched his radio career In 2005 he joined Outlaw Country on Sirius Radio. A year later he accepted a position at KHYI 95.3 FM in Dallas, Texas, where he served as Program Director and morning drive-time DJ until the end of 2007.

April 2022

After the merger of Sirius and XM in 2008, Dallas became the On-Air Personality and Associate Format Manager for the Texas-based honky-tonk channel “Willie’s Place,” which later became “Willie’s Roadhouse.”

Traditional Country music drives itself,” Wayne said of the evergreen passion of genre’s fans that keep the demand for Country music alive. “It is a style of music all its own.

Technology makes it possible for many people to work from anywhere, and Wayne is one of them.

After years as Texans, Wayne and Jo moved to Bristol, Tennessee, in 2020. He and Jo had honeymooned in nearby Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and loved the area.

“It’s a lot like Austin was in the ‘70s,” Wayne observed about Bristol, a mountain town that straddles the Tennessee-Virginia border and was declared to be The Birthplace of Country Music by U.S. Congress because of the 1927 groundbreaking Bristol Sessions in which Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family were recorded Wayne had success in all his entertainment pursuits in Texas, but he and Jo did su er an horri c loss in 2011. Their home in Bastrop, Texas, was one of the 1,691 destroyed in res that burned for more than a month in the area of the Colorado River. The couple got out of their aming home with their cat, a couple of computers, phones, guitars and their lives.

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“I had all my demos from my very rst record,” Wayne said, noting that Garth Brooks and John Wesley Ryles were two of the demo singers.

He had carried the boxes from Chicago to Finland to California, and then to Texas, without unpacking them. “It took a house burning down for that stu to all go away,” he said.

What cannot be destroyed by a disaster are his many accomplishments. In 2020 he and his fellow band members in the group Heybale! were named the Academy of Western Artists’ Pure Country Group of the Year. Heybale! was named Honky Tonk Group of the year in 2014 at the Ameripolitan Music Awards, the same year Wayne took home the Ameripolitan Music Awards DJ of the Year trophy.

He won the CMA of Texas Choice Award in 2018. He won the Academy of Western Artists’ Will Rogers Award for DJ of the Year in 2009 and the organizations’ Classic Country Major Market DJ of the Year award in 2006. In 2015 he was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum DJ Wayne was a guest star on “Larry's Country Diner” and “Country's Family Reunion Tribute to Merle Haggard.”

His acting career has put him in the national touring company of Harry Chapin's “Cotton Patch Gospel.” He portrayed Stanley Sanders in the critically acclaimed musical, “Smoke on the Mountain.” He was Eddie with the original Broadway cast of “Pump Boys and Dinettes.

April 2022

As a voice artist he provided narration in the award-winning satirical documentary, “The Joy Boys Story,” and radio and television commercial United Airlines, Delta Airlines, Oldsmobile, Chevrolet, Ford, Suzuki, McDonald's, NiHeybal n te n d o , Ru s s e l l At h l e t i c , M T V Mu s i c Television, Nokia, Miller Brewing Co., Old El Paso and Avis Rental Cars.

He’s set a 2022 touring schedule, and he is DJ six days a week on SiriusXM Radio on “Willie’s Roadhouse” and “Outlaw Country.”

Wayne used “Coldwater, Tennessee,” already a single, as the name of his most recent album, which was released this spring. The album’s rst single, “I Hit the Road and the Road Hit Back,” has a lyric stanza in which the narrator tells of a woman he met on the road who made him see “babies and dogs” but concluded that “a dog this old, can't learn nothin' new.”

Not true for Wayne. He has a son, also named Dallas, who is 41 and as a crew chief for Sony, understands his father’s passion. Wayne said that one of his favorite memories was made in recent years when both men found themselves near Washington D.C. on the same night and decided to spend the evening together.

“Usually when we’re together it’s about the whole family, but that night, it was just two music industry professionals,” Wayne recalled. “We had the best night. He really is my best friend.”

For more about his music and touring schedule visit dallaswayne.com.

Click to listen to Dallas perform Page 6

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April 2022

Bobbie Lee Nelson was Brother’s Pianist Bobbie Lee Nelson died March 10, 2022. at age 91. She was the sister of Willie Nelson and was his pianist for decades.

Bobbie and Willie’s parents, Myrle and Ira, divorced early. Myrle left when Willie was six months old, and Ira departed soon after, handing t h e c h i l d r e n to t h e c a r e o f t h e i r p a te r n a l grandparents who raised them in a gospel music loving environment.

Born Jan. 1, 1931, Bobbie Nelson learned to play the piano by reading four-par t shape-note harmonies in hymn books. She fell in love with boogie-woogie, which she played for her school classmates. She was the rst member of her younger brother's band, performing as a pianist and singer.

In his 2015 autobiography, It's a Long Story: My Life, Willie Nelson wrote: “Bobbie became accomplished at an early age. I lagged behind — and remain so to this day. Bobbie is a musician in the true sense of being able to play with great facility in any style. She learned to read beautifully and was known far and around Hill County as a genuine piano prodigy."

By age 16, Nelson had fallen in love with and quickly married a man named Bud Fletcher, who recognized the siblings' talent. Despite having no musical skills himself, Fletcher built a band called Bud Fletcher and The Texans featuring the siblings, with the Nelsons' father playing rhythm guitar. And because she was with her family, Bobbie Nelson was able to slip into bars to play — a scandalous situation for a young woman.

The marria ge fall apart and The Texans disbanded in 1955 when Fletcher and Nelson divorced. But because of the shame of Bobbie's work in honky-tonks, initial custody of their three young sons was given to Fletcher's parents, and Nelson quit playing in bars.

In a 2008 feature on A Things Considered, Nelson re ected on this di cult time in her life. "I thought, 'How can I earn enough money to support my children and to show the world that I can support my children? I want my babies,'" she remembered. "And that was the hardest part of my life. And I couldn't play with Willie at that time, because I wasn't supposed to even enter into a club.

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They would not have agreed to let me have my children back."

The answer Nelson hit upon was to attend business college, and then get a job with the Hammond Organ Company in its Fort Worth location, where she demonstrated instruments.

Once Willie, who had already written hits within the Nashville country machine for artists like Ray Price and Patsy Cline, went to New York in 1973 to record himself, she heeded the call for "Sister Bobbie" to come record with him on the project that became Shotgun Wi ie. By then, her children were grown.

Bobbie Nelson went on to tour and record with her brother Willie for decades, appearing on many of his albums, spanning Red Headed Stranger in 1975 to The Wi ie Nelson Family last year.

Nelson did not release a solo album of her own until 2008, shortly before she turned 77. It was called Audiobiography, and it was the only one she ever released. Co-billed with Willie, however, she released several albums: in 1986, I'd Rather Have Jesus; 1996's How Great Thou Art; in 1997, Hi Country Christmas; and 2014's December Day: Wi ie's Stash, Vol.1.

In 2020, Willie and Bobbie Nelson co-authored a memoir called Me and Sister Bobbie: True Tales of the Family Band. In it, Willie wrote: "I've written a few books before, but there's one that passed me by.

Probably passed me by 'cause the heroine is too humble to demand attention. The heroine is my sister, Bobbie. Bobbie's got the best story in our whole family. ... Without my sister, I'd never be where I am today. I've always needed her."

April 2022

Welcome to Country Reunion Music!

“Country Reunion Music – Watch • Listen • Read” is hosted by Country Road Management, the people who bring you the syndicated television music show, “Larry’s Country Diner,” and the series of “Country’s Family Reunion” video specials Country Reunion Music o ers visitors the chance to experience more than two decades of Country music content created by radio and television personality Larry Black and his team from the performances of some of the greatest stars of Traditional Country, Bluegrass, Gospel and Americana Through Country Reunion Music – Watch • Listen • Read you’ll be able to immerse yourself in our content in the ways you most enjoy You can subscribe to our music on your favorite streaming service, enjoy our videos on YouTube, watch all our “Larry’s Country Diner” and the series of “Country’s Family Reunion” shows on Country Road TV and have our monthly magazine delivered to your mail box or your email We’ invite you to visit our new blog, Country Reunion Music, for more information.

Let us know how we can make your Watch • Listen • Read experience more enjoyable Use your phone to scan the guitar at the right to register for our free entertainment sampler series delivered to your email each week or click this link for private and secure registration

Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube Channel HERE April 2022

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In memoriam: Jimbeau Hinson Singer-songwriter Jimbeau Hinson passed away on March 4 at age 70.

Hinson is known for hits by The Oak Ridge Boys, Kathy Mattea, David Lee Murphy, Brenda Lee, John Conlee and Steve Earle. Hinson was also widely l o v e d a s a Na s h v i l l e n i g h t c l u b entertainer.

James Leon Hinson Jr. was born in Mississippi in 1951 and was the son of a mechanic and a waitress. He was a selftaught pianist who became a performer at age 10. He entertained at local barn dances, talent contests, regional fairs and honky-tonks At age 11, he had his own radio show in his hometown of Newton, Mississippi He was discovered by Loretta Lynn when he was 14. Hinson’s father had taken him to a Lynn concert, and they talked their way backstage. After hearing him, she brought the youngster onstage to sing and invited him to Nashville Hi n s o n m o v e d to Na s h v i l l e a f te r Ly n n introduced him to the Wilburn Brothers and they signed him. At age 16 and became part of the Wilburns’ road show, touring with Hank Williams Jr., Kitty Wells, Faron Young, Wanda Jackson, Charley Pride and other artists He earned his rst ASCAP award as a teen when country singer Anthony Armstrong Jones recorded Hinson’s “Sugar in the Flowers” in 1970. Jones recorded for Chart Records, which signed “Jimmy Hinson.”. His three singles for the label failed to chart. However, fellow Chart artist Lynn Anderson became another singer who recorded his early songs Within six months of being hired by The Oak Ridge Boys to work at their publishing company, Hinson was managing it. Brenda Lee scored a hit with the songwriter’s “Find Yourself Another Puppet” in 1976, the rst of four singles he wrote for her. The others were “Don’t Promise Me Anything Do It” (1980), “Broken Trust” (top 10, 1980) and “Just for the Moment” (1982) Hinson married Brenda Fielder in 1980. She was familiar to Nashvillians as the TV spokesperson for

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her family’s home-renovation business. Their relationship became known as one of the great Music Row love stories In 1985, he was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. He spent the next 10 years battling the disease. By 1996 he weighed a mere 110 pounds, slipped into a coma and nearly died. He miraculously regained his health.

Between 1999 and 2010, he reactivated his songwriting career with recordings of his songs by Tracy Lawrence, Lee Greenwood, Alecia Nugent, Rodney Crowell, Michael Peterson, Ty Herndon, Billy Burnette, Sonya Isaacs and more than a dozen independent country artists he mentored. The Lost Trailers charted with his “Why Me” on BNA Records in 2006 At the time of his passing, Hinson was working on an autobiography titled The A of Everything in the Life and Times of Jimbeau Hinson According to publicist and friend Schatzi Hageman, Hinson underwent quadruple bypass heart surgery on June 30. On July 1, while in recovery, he su ered a stroke. He apparently had another stroke while in hospice care just prior to his death Hinson is survived by Brenda Fielder, his wife of 42 years, by sisters Cindee Sorrels of Nashville, Te n n e s s e e , a n d B e t h A l l g o o d o f D e c a t u r, Mississippi, and brother Mike Hinson of Hickory, Mississippi, and by several nieces and nephews.

April 2022

Maphis Made a Life in Country Music for Eight Decades

By Sasha Dunavan Doris Helen Schetrompf lived almost 100 years, and the singer who became known professionally as Rose Lee Maphis, didn’t waste one of them Born on Dec. 29, 1922, she died at age 98 on Oct. 26, 2021 at her home in Hermitage, Tennessee, near Nashville. Maphis was musically inspired by listening to radio shows like the “Grand Ole Opry” and "Suppertime Frolic" as a child.

She began playing the guitar at age 15 and soon began appearing on a local radio show in her hometown of Hagerstown, Maryland. She was tagged with her stage name, Rose Lee, when she introduced as “Rose of the Mountains” because of the owers she often wore in her hair and the theme song she played called "Carry Me Back to the Mountains.

Soon after graduating high school, Maphis joined a quartet with other young women singers called the Saddle Sweethearts. The group toured with stars like Gene Autry and the Carter Family.

T h e y o u n g e n te r t a i n e r j o i n e d t h e “ O l d Dominion Barn Dance” in Richmond, Virginia, in 1948. Since the live country variety show aired nationally on CBS radio, that’s where Maphis gained widespread exposure. It’s also where she gained the love of her life, Joe Maphis, the guitarist for Barn Dance hostess Sunshine Sue’s band who also portrayed a comedy character named "Crazy Joe. Ready for a change, the pair set out for the West Coast to pursue a career in the live Country music scene that was emerging there, especially in Bakers eld, California.

They were married in Tijuana in 1951 after their friend Merle Travis, in whose home they lived brie y when they rst arrived in California, suggested that they tie the k n o w.

After discovering that their marriage may not have been legally recognized by the United States, they wed in Las Vegas in a second ceremony in 1952.

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In a 2015 article from The Nashville Tennessean, Rose talked about her experience in a Honky Tonk in Bakers eld, California, called the Blackboard Café when they rst began performing on the West Coast. Maphis described the smoke- lled bar stating, “People got up and danced. We weren’t used to that.”

One of the ashiest country guitarists of the 1950s and 1960s, Joe Maphis quickly became known as “the King of the Strings” for his double neck guitar expertise. And Rose Lee wasn't just another singer. She was one of the best rhythm guitar players in Country music history.

In California, both Joe and Rose Lee worked in Travis’s touring band, and then joined the cast of a new radio show that quickly turned into a popular local television show. That show was "Town Hall Party.

The devoted couple recorded dozens of albums together and soon became known as “Mr. and Mrs. Country Music.”

April 2022

Album with husband Joe and son Dale

in Hendersonville Memory Gardens. Rose Lee is also buried in Hendersonville Memory Gardens “Rose Lee was one of the kindest and sweetest people I have ever met,” observed Merle Travis’s biographer, Deke Dickerson, who wrote Rose Lee’s obituary. “She was always supportive and positive and radiated a kind of class and poise that made all the rough old boys sit up straighter and stop using swear words whenever she was around. She was the best, and she will be greatly missed.

Joe & Rose – Click to Watch

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Their 1953 song “Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (and loud loud music)” became a Honky-Tonk music standard and has been recorded by artists such as Flatt & Scruggs, Conway Twitty, Purple Sage and many others. Among their other popular recordings where “Where Honky Tonk Angels Spread Their Wings” and “Whiskey is the Devil in Liquid Form.

Rose Lee Maphis became a mentor to younger performers as well as caring for her three young children, Lorrie, Dale and Jody. In 1960 she recorded her rst LP with Columbia Records, the only solo recording she ever released In 1968 the famil y mo ved to Na shvil le, Tennessee, and the talented duo appeared on many live television and radio shows, usually donning matching ensembles. They appeared with honky tonkers Tex Ritter and Merle Travis, as well as rockabilly stars like Gene Vincent, Ricky Nelson and Wanda Jackson. They even did soundtrack work for the movie, “God's Little Acre” and the television show, “Bonanza.

Over the years the couple kept performing. As is noted in her obituary, they performed at one nighters, tours, residencies, car lots, churches, atbed trucks, big country music spectaculars, VFW halls, the occasional television appearance on "Hee Haw," "Austin City Limits" or "The Barbara Mandrell Show.”

After her husband’s death in 1986 from lung cancer, Rose Lee began using her seamstress skills in the costume department at Opryland Theme Park.

Even at age 92 Rose Lee was working as a greeter at the Country Music Hall of Fame Museum in Nashville. Patrons welcomed by a smiling stranger had no idea that she had at one time been dubbed “Mrs. Country Music.”

As she walked through the Hall of Fame with Tennessean reporter Jessica Bliss in 2015, the writer said that Maphis stopped before a video of her younger self clapping in time “as the fringe sways on Wanda Jackson's dress and Joe's ngers y across the strings.

"It's almost like I have to tell myself that's me," Maphis told Bliss. “We were in it, I think, at the best time. And for that to be our livelihood — and for me to end up here…I'm happy.

Since Mother Maybelle Carter was Joe’s guitar inspiration, June Carter-Cash arranged for him to be buried in the Carter plot next to Mother Maybelle

April 2022

Nashville Landmark Set to Close this Spring "It’s with eat sadness that we sh e the news that the Ernest Tubb Rec d Sh — building and business — will be s d. O goal has always been to protect, pr ote and pres ve the eat hist y of the rec d sh and building.

That des e remains as s g today as ev . H ev , due to changes in c cumstances t of r c , it's n cle the best way f w d is to sell the business and the real estate.

We e he tbroken that the st e, which has isted in its c ent locati in the he t of l Broadway since 1951, will close this Spring. Pres ving the hist y and aditi of c n y music remains at the f e t of ev ything we do.

We remain c mi ed to pres vati w k and l k f w d to new pr ects that will all us to c tinue to protect and n t e the invaluable hist y and aditi of c n y music.”

In May 1947 Ernest Tubb opened the Ernest Tubb Record Shop at 720 Commerce Street in downtown Nashville as the rst major all-country record store Over the next year, The Midnight Jamboree show emerged as an outgrowth of the record store, broadcast there before a live audience immediately after the Grand Ole Opry and showcasing for the most part deserving young hopefuls and their latest record releases. The Midnight Jamboree continues to this day, WSM’s second-longest continuous broadcast It is recorded every Saturday night at 10 p.m. at the Texas Troubadour Theatre. The show is broadcast on WSM 650 and is admission free.

— Honky Tonk Circus, David McCormick Company, Inc.

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April 2022

Areeda’s southern cooking

by Areeda Schneider Stampley

Peach Cobbler National Peach Cobbler Day April 13 2 1/4 cups sliced fresh peaches 2 cups sugar 1/2 cup butter 3/4 cup plain flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup whole milk Mix peaches with 1 cup sugar. Let stand.

Put butter in 2-quart casserole and place in a 325 degree oven to melt.

Combine remaining 1 cup sugar, flour, baking powder, salt and milk.

Pour over melted butter. Do not stir. Spoon peaches on top of mixture. Do not stir.

Bake 1 hour in a 325 degree oven, or little longer until crust is golden brown.

To purchase Areeda’s Southern Cooking, a co ection of old-fashioned recipes send $24.45 check (no credit cards) and mailing address to Areeda’s Southern Cooking, P. O. Box 202, Brentwood, TN 37024.

Order online with PayPal or credit card at www.areedasoutherncooking.com.

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March 2022

Husky’s Voice Eternalized in “Wings of a Dove”

by Sasha Dunavan Ferlin Husky’s hit gospel song, “Wings of a Dove,” written by Bob Ferguson in 1958 peaked at No. 1 on the country charts for 10 consecutive weeks in 1960. It remained on the Country music charts for nine months. The song also did well on the Pop music charts, climbing to No. 12 on the Hot 100 Although, Husky’s version remains the most popular rendition of the song, numerous artists including Loretta Lynn, Porter Wagner, Ricky Skaggs and Dolly Parton have also recorded “Wings of a Dove.”

A sharecropper’s son, Ferlin Husky was born Dec. 3, 1925, and grew up on a small farm in Cantwell, Missouri. The bio section of Husky’s o cial website, ferlinhusky.com, states, “Husky was named Ferland after one of his father’s friends, but his birth certi cate said “Ferlin” and the spelling stuck.”

Husky’s uncle taught him how to play the guitar when he was only 10 years old. He was still a teenager when he dropped out of high school to become a truck driver and steel mill worker while performing in honky tonks at night.

When serving in the United States Merchant Marine for ve years, Husky developed a routine to entertain the troops during World War II. He told tales about a character he created, Simon Crump, who Husky said was a neighbor of his in Missouri.

Husky continued using the Simon Crump character in addition to the characters Lum and Abner after the war while working in Missouri and Bakers eld, California.

In California he began performing with other musicians and took the name “Terry Preston” to use on stage and in the recording studio after Smiley Burnette recruited Husky for a multi-state tour and convinced Husky to change his name. Producer Ken Nelson suggested that Husky change his name back to the original after he signed with Capitol Records in 1953 Husky’s rst hit was the song, “A Dear John Letter,” featuring singer Jean Shepard. The song climbed Bi board’s Country chart to No. 1 in July of

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1953. It was also a crossover hit, making it to the No. 16 slot on the Pop charts. Husky became Shepard’s legal guardian, and the two went on tour.

“Forgive Me John” was another Husky and Shepard hit. The song made it to the No. 4 spot on the Country charts in 1953. In 1955 Husky had three Top 10 hits, “I Feel Better All Over (More the Anywhere Else),” Cuzz Yore So Sweet” and “Little Tom. Husky’s previously recorded song, “Gone,” made a successful comeback in the late ‘50s. The song was rerecorded and released by Husky under his real name instead of using the original recording done as his previous stage personality, Terry Preston. The new version of the song was one of several Husky hits in the late 1950s In addition to recording and touring success, Husky portrayed himself when he appeared in the 1957 lm, “Mister Rock and Roll.” He went on to play minor roles in approximately 18 other lms Between 1961-1971 Husky had three dozen charting songs, such as “Just for You” and “Once.”

Husky signed with ABC Records and did well in 1975 with several Top 40 hits.

April 2022

Click the video above to see Husky sing “Wings of a Dove”

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The singer battled cardiopathy for years and had several major hospitalizations beginning in the late 1970s. He also had heart surgery in 2005 and blood clot surgery in 2007. He su ered from congestive heart failure and pneumonia in 2009 but was released from a Nashville hospital to recuperate at his home in Vienna, Missouri Husky donated several items from his personal collection, including his Country Music Hall of Fame Award to West St. Francois County High School in Leadwood, Missouri. The school’s choir honored Husky by singing a few of his hits He performed on the Grand Ole Opry throughout his career. He also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. On Feb. 23, 2010, Husky was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame by the Country Music Association.

On March 17, 2011, Ferlin Husky died at 86 of congestive heart failure at his daughter’s home in Westmoreland, Tennessee. He was interred next to h i s s o n , D a n n y L o u i s Hu s k y, i n He n d e r s o n v i l l e Me m o r y Gardens in Hendersonville, Tennessee “On the wings of a snow-white dove, he sends His pure sweet love,” Husky’s distinctive voice will be remembered singing. “A sign from above, on the wings of a dove.”

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Husky is buried in Hendersonville Memory Gardens in Hendersonville, Tennesse

April 2022

Barbara Fairchild – Blessed in work, love & life

By Barbara Fairchild , April 201 When Country's Family Reunion News decided to do a feature story about me in their April Issue I was delighted! April is the month we celebrate the sacri ce Jesus Christ made for us by giving His Life for our salvation, forgiveness of sins and His glorious Resurrection.

For this country girl that's what Easter is all about. I am not shy about talking about the Lord and that's what I love about Larry Black and the Country Family Reunion folks. They aren't concerned about the whole politically correct thing, (which I think is mostly incorrect). They just love Jesus and are proud of it! My husband Roy and I host a Sunday Morning Worship Service at the Music City Centre Theatre in Branson, Missouri during the tourist season. I'd like to share how this came about.

This article appeared in “Country’s Family Reunion News” 10 years ago this month.

Get an update on Barbara HERE. “I came to Branson in 1992 to work for Mel Tillis in his new theatre. I didn't know if I would be there more than one year or several. I really had no desire to live in Branson at that time, but it was a great opportunity to work for Mel. During that year I was a guest at a worship service at the Willie Nelson Theatre that was lead by Johnny Menick, who is a great singer and was touring some with the Happy Goodman's. (Rusty Goodman had passed away with cancer and Johnny was a perfect t with the group) After the service we were talking and Johnny told me they were leaving in October because of prior commitments and we discussed me taking the service over and nishing out the season. After clearing it with the Mel since I was under contract, I started doing the service and have been holding Sunday Worship Services ever since. God's plans are often bigger than we see.

Johnny and his wife, Sherry decided to pastor a church in Smyrna, Tennessee, River of Life right after that and are still there today. You will see in the article how God connected the dots recently for what is happening in my life now. It is so fun to belong to Jesus. I want to say how much I enjoyed being part of the rst “Country Family Reunion” and “Larry's Country Diner” cruise Just to be on stage with, Larry, Gene, T. Graham, Moe and Teea and spending quality time with Nadine is beyond description. Don't miss the chance to go next year when they set sail if you can. Over and over we heard from folks that this was the best cruise they had ever taken. It was wonderful!

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I'm back in Branson performing at the Showroom in the Golden Corral. Our Golden Corral is unique to any other because they are the only one in this very successful restaurant chain that has a Showroom with live entertainment.

I am their Golden Girl so they appreciate my blondness. If only the rest of the world appreciated blondes as much as they do! Me and my handsome husband, Roy Morris, (alias, Roy Boy Toy, thanks to Larry Black) will do our best to entertain, make you feel loved and appreciated and proud to be an American unless you're from another country, or maybe you’ll wish you were one, when you come to our show. We love people and delight in being accessible to you. So when you're in Branson don't miss our show and the great food at the Golden Corral. Now I'm going to connect some dots.

In 1972 I recorded and little song in a new album called "A Sweeter Love." That little song was "The Teddy Bear Song.” My record label at that time was Columbia Records and they released the rst single to radio which was the original title of the album, "A Sweeter Love." It was moving up the charts respectfully. Jim Clements who was the program director at WPLO in Atlanta, Georgia took notice of "The Teddy Bear Song" on the album and began to play it for his listeners. Requests for it came pouring in.

The demand was so great it overshadowed my current single. Jim called the powers that be at Columbia Records and told them they had a hit record on me if they would put it out. The rest they say is history.

That was 40 years ago this year when that wonderful record that launched my career. I have recorded it again and have lmed a music video that will be released this year (2012). Now the person who produced it is none other than, Johnny Menick. It was his idea and his hard work that made it possible. I know the Lord works out the details in our lives!

The planned release date is not set at this time because along with it we will be introducing a very special Teddy Bear. I have raised a lot of money for charity through the years with my teddy bears, and you will love the next one! So stay tuned.

Visit https://barbarafairchild.com/ for more

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April 2022

Jim Owens, the visionary producer who changed the face of country music television, died on Friday, March 4. His wife of nearly 40 years, Lorianne Crook, was by his side Owens was born in South Carolina on Aug. 27, 1937. Owens, who would become one of the most in uential television producers in country music was trained in New York. He rst dipped his toes into national syndication in 1977 when he created and produced A Concert Behind Prison Walls with Johnny Cash, Linda Ronstadt, and Roy Clark Following up that success, Owens launched country music’s rst fan-voted, big budget, live award show, “Music City News Country Awards.” Rated No. 1 in national syndication, the program recognized the desire for country music content.

Owens produced and syndicated the awards show via his own company through 1984.

Owens paired entertainment news correspondent Lorianne Crook with veteran radio personality and local television host Charlie Chase in 1983, to create an “Entertainment Tonight”-type of program for country music. “This Week in Country Music,” was a huge success, providing entertainment news, interviews, and performances to the country lifestyle viewer. Crook & Chase was named o cial TNN ambassadors and took the show on location around the world.

Owens independently created and produced much of the highest rated programming on TNN. He o ered the rst daily and weekly country music news shows. He also produced award shows, variety specials, documentaries, lifestyle programming and more. Since 1989, “The Crook & Chase Countdown,” currently distributed by iHeart Media, is heard on hundreds of radio stations across North America Owens executive produced the countdown, along with its companion podcast, “Crook & Chase Nashville Chats,” until his passing. Owens and Crook married in 1985 Since 2011, Jim Owens Entertainment has held the trademarks for TNN: The Nashville Network With a 45-year library of original productions and raw footage totaling more than 10,000 hours, his legacy of presenting compelling countr y lifestyle programming is secured

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Music Notes

CMA Foundation Helps Kids The CMA Foundation is committed to improving and sustaining music education programs all across the United States, working to ensure every child has the opportunity to participate in music education.

Through strategic partnerships, professional development and grant distribution, the CMA Foundation has invested over $27 million across the national public school system, after school programs, summer camps and with community outreach organizations.

Guided by the generosity of the Countr y Music c o m m u n i t y, p r o c e e d s from CMA Fest are used to drive the CMA Foundation’s social impact and model of giving.

Music education has proven to be an e ective and invaluable tool by in uencing student’s academic achievement, social development, and increased participation in activities.

For more information, visit CMAfoundation.org.

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Musicians Support Ukraine Serge Tiagnyriadno, Ukraine vocalist and frontman for lauded Leonid and Friends, has returned to his native country to ght against violent aggression of the Russian Federation and its President, Vladimir Putin. Jetpack Label Group has launched a wide-reaching fundraising e ort to support Tiagnyriadno and his fellow countrymen. ‘Return the Love’ campaign launches now and will provide direct funding to Serge and his fellow ghters on the front lines.

Just a few months ago, Tiagnyriadno was on tour in the US singing with Leonid & Friends, and today his country is being ravaged. Jetpack recently had some friends covertly go to the region to physically remove a few of Serge’s family members from harm’s way. Visit sergeukrainefamily.org to make a donation.

Second, purchase any of Serge’s recordings and Jetpack Label Group will donate the pro ts to the trust. Serge’s two Jetpack Label Group releases – ‘Songs From the Other Side of the Planet’ and ‘Unannounced’ – are available here: hackingmusic.com/RETURNTHELOVE

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April 2022

Nadine’s Corner

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April 2022

by Sasha Dunavan Sweet tea, cornbread, dressing, fried chicken and hospitality – these are a few of our favorite things in the South. When we think of Southern, we think of country and when we think of country, we think of music.

Many a Southerner would say that the magic and passion of country music song and word are exclusively Southern possessions. Bless their hearts; they couldn’t be more mistaken. Some of the most talented (and awarded) country music recording artists are “geographically” unexpected to sing the boot scootin’ sound of the South, but they do, and they do it well.

Singer/songwriter/musician Lee Greenwood, a native Californian, exceeded expectations and forever earned his “country card” when he wrote his signature song, “God Bless the U.S.A.,” in the back of a tour bus in 1983. The song reached No. 7 on Billboard magazine’s Hot Country Singles Chart in 1984, reached legend status during the Gulf War in 1991-92 and peaked again after the 9/11 attacks.

“U.S.A. is the song I always felt the need to write,” Greenwood said. “I wanted to have something that would unite Americans from coast to coast and to instill pride back in the United States.”

A talent whose soulful voice has been heard on 30 albums, this country music artist put a melodious luster on patriotism and continues to infuse the country music world with a little West Coast hospitality Anne Murray was the rst female and the rst Canadian to be awarded Countr y Album of the Year for 1983’s “A Little Good News.” Born Morna Anne Murray, she debuted in 1970 by reaching No. 1 on the U.S. pop charts with international hit “Snowbird.”

Mu r r a y received four Grammys, 24 Ju n o s , t h r e e A m e r i c a n Mu s i c Aw a r d s , t h r e e Country Music Association Awards and three Canadian Country Music Association Awards. She was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame, Juno Hall of Fame, Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame and Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame. She is included on the Country Music Hall of Fame’s Walkway of Stars in Nashville and has her very own star on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles and on the Canadian Walk of Fame in Toronto With an estimated 54 million records sold, Murray paved the way for modern Canadian singers. Although Murray is recognized as a pop, contemporary and country music artist, she sings like her soul is as Southern as a Mississippi Mud Pie

Following in the footsteps of Murray, Canadian singer Eilleen Regina Edwards, better known as the “Queen of Country-Pop” Shania Twain, remains the best-selling female country artist of all time, according to the Recording Industry Association of America’s certi cation of her record sales. Among her recognitions are ve Grammys, induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and stars on both the Hollywood and Canadian Walks of Fame.

Twain’s second album, 1995’s “The Women in Me,” with its mega hit “Any Man of Mine” sold 20 million copies and made Shania a household name. Her third album, “Come on Over,” introduced songs such as “You’re Still the One” and “From this Moment On,” both of which became wedding day favorites, especially for Southern girls. That 1997 album remains the seventh best selling album of all time in any genre, with nearly 18 million sold to date, easily topping country superstars like Garth Brook Twain also took a stab at sexism with “Man, I Feel like a Woman.” She remains the only artist in history that has three consecutive Gold Albums, earned following the release of her crossover album “Up.” Her magnetic voice and empowering anthems, not to mention her drop-dead b e a u t y, c e r t a i n l y g a v e countr y music lovers something to talk about.

The Canadian’s sassy, sexy demeanor captivated audiences to the tune of 85 million records sold. Southern or not, she’s de nitely country Artists that have expanded the scope of country music may not all trace their roots to rural Southern soil, but their contributions have been invaluable. There are numerous examples. Few people realize that the late Eddie Rabbitt, who penned many award-winning country hits for others and recorded unforgettable songs of his own, was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and raised in New Jersey. New Zealand- born Nashville resident and country star Keith Urban has won multiple awards over the past 15 years, including Grammys, CMAs, AMAs, People’s Choice and more. “The Arizona Cowboy,” entertainer Rex Allen, who went on to become a narrator for Disney and an internationall y known spokesman, began as a country singer. Grand Ole’ Opry star Hank Snow’s career spanned six decades with success in both his native Canada and in the U.S. and netted sales of more than 80 million.

The country genre is not the Southern genre. Country is as country does. The proof is the pudding – or in this case, the song. Country music stars come from other than Southern skies, and we are just ne with that

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Stars don’t have to be Southern to be country

April 2022

Enjoy Performances – YouTube & Country Road TV Traditional Country music lovers can watch hundreds of videos on the Country Road TV YouTube channel and also enjoy extensive programming on the Country Road TV streaming service. These videos are taken from performances by guests on “Larry’s Country Diner” and “Country’s Family Reunion.

Some of music’s greatest stars from the 1940s-present day are included. Many of those who performed in the earlier years have passed on, so this is a rare opportunity to experience their extraordinary talents as they aged Others are younger or new musicians, songwriters and singers who are carrying on the rich and enduring sounds of Traditional country. Guests over the years have also included hitmakers from the Americana, Bluegrass, Western Swing and even Country Blues genres.

Watch Videos on YouTube Another opportunity to watch is through Country Road TV. Country Road TV is an unlimited onestop for all things that are True Country Music.

It celebrates the legacy of Country Music by spotlighting the great and colorful performers, both past and present, who made original country music what it is today Just some of the shows streamed on Country Road TV are “Country’s Family Reunion,” “Larry’s Country Diner,” “The Joey & Rory Show,” “Marty Robbins Spotlight” and more with new content added every month!

There are numerous documentaries, interviews, tributes and lifestyle features; Country holiday specials; shows featuring Country cooking and sports; and music shows from the Country, Bluegrass and Country Gospel genres Content is presented through a subscription to the Country Road TV streaming service.

Subscribers have unlimited access to all programming. It can be watched on television using Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku and Samsung TV. It works with Chrome, Windows and Apple computer systems. Mobile users can watch on Amazon Fire Tablet, Android Phone & Tablet, iPhone & iPad. Subscribe – Country Road TV

Streaming Music There are a lot of great performances by hundreds of stars who have appeared on “Larry’s Country Diner” and “Countr y’s Family Reunion,” not to mention performances when “Larry’s Country Diner” has gone on the road to Branson, Missouri, on the high seas for its cruises These songs are being o ered through Country Reunion Music: Watch • Listen • Read to be experienced through streaming and digital downloads Platforms that will stream these classic performances included Apple Music, Pandora, Google, Amazon Prime Music, Spotify and others

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The Aldridges Gene & the ew

Gene & Renea

Keith and Bill cr

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Ben & Teena

June 2021

Join Renae the Waitress & guests every Thursday at 2 p.m. Central for Diner Chat on Facebook Live

I have something NEW for all of you who have purchased books from my book club. A collector COFFEE MUG!! I grabbed a stack of books from my book club and had Phil photograph them…then I added the photo to the mug with a cute saying… “Yes, I really do need all these books.” I don’t drink coffee, but I love this mug, and I have a Page 24 a MUG to limited supply, so add your next order.

June 2021