Country Reunion Magazine, June 2022

Country Reunion m a g a z i n e

June 2022

Mickey Gilley Namoi Judd Lisa Silver

Dion Pride Janie Fricke Bobby Bare George Lindsey

CMAFest … and mor

e

December 2021

Country Reunion Magazine Who’s inside?

Mickey Gilley, p. 3Next Generation Tickets, p.

Country with A Heart, p.

Naomi Judd, p. 8-1 Dion Pride, p. 1 Lisa Silver, p. 14-1 CMA Fest, p. 1 Diner Chat, p. 1 Janie Fricke, p. 1 Areeda’s Cooking, p. 2 Nadine, p. 2 Renea’s Book Club, p. 2 George “Goober” Lindsey, p. 2 Upcoming Shows, p. 24

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I’m at a c plete loss f w ds. The w ld has lost a brilliant musician and a hell of a man. Mickey, my p tn -in- ime. My best iend. My musical c nt p t. I l e y and miss y always, broth .

– Johnny Lee Country singer Mickey Gilley who helped start the Urban Cowboy craze, died in Branson, Missouri, on Saturday, May 7, 2022 Gilley was known for songs like “Stand by Me,” “Room Full of Roses” and “Lonely Nights.”

The entertainer was 86 and had just come o the road. His Facebook page stated that he died peacefully with his family and close friends by his side.

Gilley was a native of Natchez, Mississippi. He grew up with his two famous cousins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Jimmy Swaggart. Growing up surrounded by music, he developed his signature style of Louisiana rhythm and blues and country-pop crossover songs. He earned 39 Top 10 hits and 17 No. 1 songs during his career.

In 1971, Gilley opened his world famous honky tonk Gilley’s in Pasadena, Texas. This sparked a chain of the famous nightclubs. In 1980, he was thrust into pop culture when he appeared in the smash hit movie “Urban Cowboy” with John Travolta, Debra Winger, and his good friend, Johnny Lee. Gilley’s was the backdrop for the lm,

which helped launch his acting career and moved him into a whole new level in his music career. He went on to star in television series such as “Murder She Wrote,” “The Fall Guy,” “Fantasy Island,” and “Dukes of Hazzard.”

Gilley won six Academy of Country Music Awards, was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame. He was one of only a handful of artists to receive the Academy of Country Music’s Triple Crown Awards.

He is survived by his wife Cindy Loeb Gilley, his children Kathy, Michael, Gregory and Keith Ray, four grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren and his cousins Jerr y Lee Lewis and Jimmy Swaggart.

I he d Mickey Gilley's hit v si of my s g, "City Lights,” the radio Friday, and m veled f the ump-teenth time at what an in edible rec d it was. I nev dreamed that e day lat I w ld be m rning his passing. He was a eat tist, a g d iend, and like the rest of r c n y c munity, I s e will miss him. – Bill And s

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Micky Gilley’s Passing, the End of an Era

Two of my fav ite pe le. Mickey Gilley and Johnny Lee. I’m so sad to he ab t Mickey. RIP my iend. God Bless.

– Le a Williams

So saddened by the news of my iend and legend y sing Mickey Gilley! We used to talk the ph e all the time bef e he got sick and I will nev f get us d ng a sh togeth and he said “hey I got s ething f y !” I t ned and l ked and he had a signed Mickey Gilley be can f me back the e ly days of Urban C b ! He was a giant in c n y music giving Johnny Lee and Ch lie Daniels p tunities to be Urban C b with the music. We will m rn his loss f a l g time and we will realize h ins umental he was in bringing aditi al c n y music to H lyw d and pu ing it the map!!!! Pray s f his family and iends.

– Bobby M quez

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My he t is broken at the loss of Mickey. I eas e all the times we got to w k togeth - and th e w e nev en gh. He and Johnny Lee br ght a new dimensi to c n y music with the Urban C b end, and they br ght new fans to the genre.

Wheth it was a b gie a ballad, Mickey made it his n, no ma h many times it had been d e bef e, and it w ld bec e my fav ite v si . He was l ed and respected and he will be so eatly missed. – Jeannie Seely

We just lost a eat human being. Mickey Gilley has been h ky-t kin’ since the ‘50’s. “Urban C b ” sec ed him a spot in Am ica’s c sci sness, and he’s been in r mind ev since. He lived a full life and left us with a eat catalog of hits. One of the things that I’m most pr d of is that the ye s we have bec e close. The times we spent togeth d ng sh s, uises, just talking w e a gift. Sheila and I will miss him a lot. Please keep his family and iends in y r pray s. – T. Graham Br n

June 2022

So sad to he of the passing of Mickey Gilley. O paths ossed a few times being in Brans , and Gene Wats and I did his TV sh . I l ed the day I was f tunate to hang t backstage with Johnny Lee & Mickey Gilley d ing e of the sh s. Great st ies and eat mem ies. May he rest in Peace.

– Rh da Vincent

Click here to Read an exclusive interview with Mickey Gilley from Country Reunion Magazine

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June 2022

10th Annual

Proudly Sponsored by

Thursday, June 9 2020 Multi-Generation Family Tributes

George Hamilton IV George Hamilton V

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June 2022 $30 TICKETS @ outhousetickets.com or $35 CASH at Door Click here to get your tickets!

Benefit for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital The initial lineup for the 7 th annual Country With Heart bene t for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has been announced.

The event scheduled for June 11 at t h e Na s h v i l l e Ni g h t l i f e D i n n e r Theatre will be an intimate celebrity songwriters showcase. The rst round will feature Billy Yates (“Choices”/”I Don’t Need Your Rockin’ Chair”/” Flowers”) Becky Hobbs (“Angels Among Us”/”I Want To Know You Before We Make Love”/”Jones on the Jukebox”) and Linda Davis. More entertainers will be announced soon.

Tickets are available online at Countr y With Heart Tickets on www.eventbrite.com. Tickets will also be available at the door the day of the event. All proceeds from Country With Heart will go directly to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Their current campaign is “Love Music. Stop Cancer.” St. Jude is leading the way the world understands, treats, and defeats childhood cancer and other lifethreatening diseases.

Countr y With Heart founder, singer/song- writer Bobby Marquez will host the show. Cavender’s/PFI, the leading western wear and western lifestyle dealer for the American South and Southwest will sponsor this special event. The 2022 Country With Heart show wil l be dedicated to Petey Northrum, a former St. Jude kid and a supporter of the annual bene t as well as a personal friend and top fan of Bobby Marquez.

“We lost Petey this year after battling illness- es for 30 plus years, but we did not lose his spirit. He connected with music, so we are going to make this show all about the songs that Petey loved,” states Marquez.

There will also be some impressive auction items form Crosley, Guitar Center and more, along with gifts for all who attend. Plus there will be a fun ra e including some unique St. Jude items as part of the bene t.

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June 2022

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by Sasha Kay Dunavant

that started when she was a girl. Because she was a girl.

Ashley noted that her mother’s unintended pregnancy at age 17 “… led her down a road familiar to so many adolescent mothers, including poverty and gender-based violence.

Naomi, whose real name is Diana, became pregnant at age 17 by a man who abandoned her.

Before she gave birth to Wynonna (named Christina at her birth in 1964), Naomi married Michael Ciminella, who gave the newborn his last name. The family moved to Los Angeles in 1968, and soon another daughter, Ashley, was born The Ciminellas divorced in 1972, and Naomi worked as a waitress, model and secretary to support herself and her daughters. In 1976 the family moved back to their native Kentucky, where they lived just above poverty level while Naomi studied nursing.

During that time, music became much more than their entertainment; it became their inspiration.

Wynonna received a guitar from Naomi at age 12 and began singing with her mother

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In a category dominated by successful male duos, a mother-daughter duo ruled for eight incomparable years and raised the bar for modern female country performers From unlikely beginnings in Ashland, Kentucky, The Judds – Naomi and Wynonna – achieved unprecedented success for a mother-daughter duo, selling 20 million albums and receiving an array of awards, including ve Grammys, nine Country Music Association Awards and eight Billboard Music Awards The Judds performed for the 2022 CMT Music Awards televised on April 11, 2022, in their rst nationally televised performance in two decades.

The pair was scheduled to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on May 1, 2022, but the day before, Wynonna, 57, and sister Ashley, 54, announced the passing of their mother "Today we sisters experienced a tragedy,” the sisters stated. “We lost our beautiful mother to the disease of mental illness. We are shattered. We are navigating profound grief and know that as we loved her, she was loved by her public. We are in unknown territory.

Stunned and grief-stricken, the daughters attended the Country Music Hall of Fame induction as planned “At 2:20, I kissed her on the forehead and I walked away, and this is the rst place I’ve been,” Wynonna told the crowd Naomi and Wynonna were gearing up for a concert series, The Judds: The Final Tour, which was to begin Sept. 30 and take them to venues throughout the United States through late autumn.

Her daughters have con rmed that Judd took her own life at age 76. Naomi had long struggled with treatment-resistant severe depression stemming from past traumas, including sexual and childhood abuse “Perhaps it’s indecorous to say, but my heart is lled with something else, too. Incandescent rage,” Ashley wrote for an article in USA Today on Mother’s Day, expressing her sadness of spending the day without her mother. “…my mother was stolen from me by the disease of mental illness, by the wounds she carried from a lifetime of injustices Page 8 countryreunionmagazine.com

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Naomi Judd: Jan. 11, 1946 -April 30, 3022

June 2022

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In 1979 they headed to Nashville, Tennessee, in October 2015 for a nine-show residency at the pursuit of a country music career. The Judds debuted Venetian Theatre called “Girls Night Out. their 1983 single, “Had a Dream (For The Heart)” When the duo ceased regular performances, and went on to have 15 No. 1 hits, such as “Mama Judd’s depression worsened He’s Crazy,” “Girls Night Out,” “Grandpa (Tell Me “When I came o the tour, I went into this deep, ‘Bout The Good Old Days)” and “Let Me Tell You dark, absolutely terrifying hole and I couldn’t get About Love. out,” she confessed during a December 2016 Good The pair released albums, such as “Why Not Morning America appearance. “I spent two years on Me,” “Rockin’ with the Rhythm,” “Heartland,” my couch.

“River of Time” and “Love Can Build a Bridge.”

Medications caused her face to swell and her hair Their eight-year stint in the spotlight came to a to fall out, she said in 2016, adding that lithium screeching halt when Naomi announced in 1991 that caused her right hand to shake she had contracted Hepatitis C. "I had to go into serious treatment, and it was a long The Judds then decided that Naomi’s health was road — an incredibly painful road. There were times more important than further success and called it when I didn’t think I was going to make it," Judd quits with a 1991 Farewell Concert that included wrote in a 2017 essay Carl Perkins, Larry Gatlin and The Jordanaires.

Judd teamed up with Dr. Daniel R. Weinberger, a Naomi soon created the Naomi Judd Education and physician, in 2018 to publish a letter titled “Love Research Fund and became a spokeswoman for the Can Build a Bridge," discussing how suicide was a American Liver Foundation. The former nurse has preventable cause of death also been a strong advocate for the American Heart "For everyone mourning the death of someone, Association, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, an inevitable question arises: Why did this happen?”

Partners Against Pain, AARP and USA Weekend’s the letter stated. “Unfortunately, we don’t have very Make-A-Di erence-Day good answers.

Naomi’s health steadily improved, and improved Her memorial service was held May 9 at the First medical treatment for Hep C allowed her to recover Pentecostal Assembl y of God in Na shvil le, enough to resume performing.

Tennessee, with burial in Memorial Lawn Cemetery.

She joined Wynonna to entertain during the half- In addition to her daughters, she is survived by her time show at 1994’s Super Bowl XXVIII and husband, Larry Strickland, and her grandchildren performed their song, “Changing for the Better,” in a K-Mart commercial Watch the C n y Music Hall of Fame Video Bel In 1999 they began a tour on New Year’s Eve and received a nomination for Duo of the Year from the Ac a d e m y o f C o u n t r y Music in 2001. The pair appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2010 to discuss Wynonna’s weight loss and a planned yearlong Encore Tour that launched in November 2010 Wynonna told Winfrey that her mother “crawled through glass to get here” when describing Naomi’s hard climb from poverty to the top. Wynonna and Na o m i r e u n i t e d i n Page 9 June 2022 countryreunionmagazine.com

A Friend Remembers Naomi Judd’s Early Days as an Artist

by Tim Atwoo This is a photo of Naomi and Wynonna Judd about the time I played piano for them on Ralph Emery's Morning Show in Nashville. For years, we went live Monday-Friday at 5am central time. Naomi and Wynonna used to appear semi-regularly on the show, and back then Ralph teasingly referred to them as The Soap Sisters because Naomi used to bring us some of her homemade lye soap.

Many times Ashley accompanied her sister and mother to the show, and Naomi Naomi Judd & Very Young would pull chairs Wynonna together in the studio so Ashley could sleep while her mother and sister were on air.

I knew back then this mother-daughter duo was destined for greatness. There was just something about them... Wynonna was 13? 14?...and even though she appeared terribly shy to me back then, she already had a voice that grabbed me. A big voice full of feeling.

Naomi was Wy's opposite-- bubbly on camera. So country. So engaging. And she hovered around the studio like a mother hen protecting her chickens.

I knew they were special.

Throughout the following years, whenever I had the good fortune to run into Naomi or Wynonna, to my surprise, they'd happily greet me with a hug and call me by name. I guess we all remember those early years and the people who helped us get to where we were going even when we didn't know where we were going ourselves. We were just thankful to be on the same train.

I am so sorry that Naomi su ered from depression.

It's an illness I know something about too. Sometimes I looked ok on the outside, but I was crying on the inside...but it's something society doesn't talk about much. Many people su er in secret...I did...and it could be debilitating.

Depression can grab you when you least expect it. It can make you think horrible thoughts. It can make you question your worth. It can rob you of all sense of self. It is also hard on the family members who ght the ght with you. It's easy to question your sanity when you seem

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to have everything on the outside, but your inside feels empty.

I have been fortunate that the Beast that dwells within me has been dormant for many years now. I was also fortunate that the Beast never took up permanent residence, and it's been almost ten years since his last visit. I pray I never see him again.

Today was supposed to be a happy day for Naomi and Wynonna...The day they publicly reached the industry pinnacle as the newest members of the Country Music Hall of Fame. I was saddened to learn that the Beast robbed them of the joy of being together to accept this great honor. Tonight's victory is bittersweet.

My prayers are with Larry, Wynonna, Ashley and all of Naomi's family, friends and fans who are devastated by this tremendous loss and blow.

If someone sings Love Can Build A Bridge tonight,I don't think there will be a dry eye in the Country Music Hall of Fame theater.

As for me, tonight, I'll be thinking of that fresh faced young mother from Kentucky with two young girls in tow to a little studio at 4:30am getting ready to go on air...daring to dream her dreams and reach for the stars.

Naomi & Wynonna June 2022

Tributes to Naomi Judd Georgette Jones I was 16 and about to start college the summer I got to sing backup for Mom. She was touring with The Judds and Randy Travis, and I was thrilled to watch their shows. Mom adored them both and spent a lot of time with them. I'm so sad to hear this news. I'm praying for Wynonna and her family and friends.

RIP Naomi Malpass Brothers You never know what someone is going through! Be Kind.

Always! Thank you for your music, Naomi Judd. Prayers for the Judd family, friends, and fans!

Loretta Lynn I’m just heartbroken over the loss of Naomi Judd. My fellow Kentucky girl, my friend, and an amazing singer. There are no wo r d s . P l e a s e p r a y f o r Wy n o n n a , A s h l e y, L a r r y, a n d grandchildren. Heartbroken. Sending all my love.

Naomi Judd & Tammy Wynette

Bill Anderson I am shocked and saddened along with the rest of our country music community over the passing of Naomi Judd. I'll never forget meeting her for the rst time when she was a contestant on a TV game show I was hosting. I asked her to identify herself for the audience, and she said, "My name is Naomi Judd and I am a nurse from Franklin, Tennessee. My daughter and I sing together, and someday we hope to make it in country music." I was looking so forward to recalling that moment with her on Sunday when she and Wynonna were to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. She was one of a kind and will certainly be missed.

Paul Overstreet I met Naomi when she was rst getting started in Nashville. Being from Kentucky she had such grit, and she was incredibly savvy about this industry. She used all that to build an amazing career for herself and her daughters. As a parent, there’s no higher achievement than setting your kids up for success and knowing that they’ll have all the opportunities that they could want.

I always admired Naomi, and it de nitely didn’t hurt that she was easy on the eyes! She was a truly talented writer and musician, and I am so blessed to have been a part of “Love Can Build A Bridge.” That song has always been so special, and when she and Wynonna sang it, it really brought it to life.

She and Wynonna were a powerhouse in the country music world with the recordings of the great songs they chose, their chemistry, and those harmonies that will always be a part of American music history. She has left a large hole in this industry and the world. I am so very saddened by the news of her passing and my love goes out to her family. She will be deeply missed

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Jun2 2022

Seek Help if You Feel Suicidal Ashley and Wynonna Judd con rmed that their mother, Naomi Judd, died of a self-in icted gunshot wound on April 30, 2022, after many years of struggle with mental illness.

Every 11 minutes, we lose one person in the United States to death by suicide. In 2020 there were 46,000 deaths by suicide and an estimated 12.2 million adults thought seriously about suicide. While these are the most current statistics, they predate the emotional stress brought by the pandemic On July 16, 2022, a new national lifeline opens.

988 is the new emergency line for anyone who is considering harming themselves and for anyone who has a friend or family member who is responding badly to a painful event, loss or change in their lives.

CREATE A SAFE SPACE AT HOME and AT WORK: Eliminate access to lethal devices Create connectedness between peers and family Teach coping skills Create safe spaces for people to express concerns and pathways for getting help Access care for mental health Provide nancial safety The national hotline for suicide prevention will continue to always operate: 800.273.8255 – 800.273.TAL Or Call 91

KNOW THE SIGNALS: Some signals that you should call, text or chat with 988 would be if someone: Talks about wanting to die Expresses feeling of hopelessness Increases drug or alcohol use Searches for ways to kill themselves (buying a weapon or searching online) Talks about being a burden Become a gitated, enra ged, has difficulty controlling emotions Sleeps too little or too much Has extreme mood swings Withdraws or isolates

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December 2021

by Claudia Johnso Dion Pride, son of legendary Country Mu s i c Ha l l o f Fa m e r, C h a r l e y Pride and beloved wife Rozene, is a committed singer, s o n g w r i te r, musician and stage performer who creates a memorable live performance with his dynamic show, "A Tribute to Charley Pride."

His studio recordings and original songs are also solid proof that he is gifted with the tools needed to sustain his place in the hearts of Country Music fans all over the world.

"As di cult as it is, I still see it as a blessing because he accomplished so many good things," the 60-year-old entertainer told Country Music News International in 2013, referring to obvious comparisons to his revered father. "And immediately, there is the name recognition. People will take me in and embrace me because of his success, and I'm grateful for that. But the greatest challenge is to establish my own mark.

A multi-talented instrumentalist, he plays guitar, piano, drums and bass. At 14, he was already performing "From an early age, I knew I wanted to do this," he told writer Tricia Despres in a 2021 interview.

Pride attended North Texas State Music College and engineered for Cecca Sound recording studio for four years.

“His demos are legend, playing and singing all of the parts himself,” according to opry.com.

He played lead guitar and keyboards for his father, and opened his father’s show for ve years, including entertaining American troops o n U S O to u r s i n Pa n a m a , Ho n d u r a s , Guantanamo Bay and the island of Antigua While touring with his dad he began to incorporate some of his own material.

The audiences were so responsive that

Pride decided to strike out on his own and has not looked back. His father was a supporter of his songwriting as well as his performance talents. One of the songs Pride penned, “I Miss My Home,” was recorded by his father and released on Charley Pride’s “Choices” album in 2011 With his father and as a solo performer, he has sung and performed for audiences around the world in countries like England, Ireland, Scotland, Canada and all the continental United States, often entertaining crowds of 10,000 or more In a 2021 interview with People magazine, Pride discussed how much he missed his legendary father who died in 2020 at age 86.

"There was nothing I didn't say to him that I wanted to,” Dion Pride told People. “We always said what we felt ever y time we talked to each other. So that part is comforting, but it was hard being with him through that month while he was in hospice. That was the toughest part."

When asked, “What was the most important thing you learned from your father?” Pride summed it up in one word, “Humbleness.”

He has taken that lesson to heart.

He has a genuine enthusiasm and excitement for country music that is rarely seen today, and although his success continues to grow, he remains humble and grateful – always giving his fans the performance of a lifetime. With his impressive talent, honest heart and dedication, he is leaving his own mark on country music as his father did.

See his 2022 tour schedule at dionpride.com

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Dion Pride Honors His Father by Using His Talents

June 2022

Singer-Songwriter Collaborated with Hitmakers

by Amy Green, countryreunionmusic.com Looking back across a half century, Lisa Silver describes her success in the music business as a combination of hard work and good fortune. But it is clear that the singer, songwriter and ddle player’s success was built on very hard work and an unwavering focus on getting everything just right An easy laugh and a humble disposition leave many who think they know her well completely unaware that she is a Grammy-nominated songwriter with a No. 1 country hit. And still others are surprised to see the stunning list of people with whom Silver has sung as a background vocalist.

In fact, riding in a car with the radio on is a treat of listening to her sing along with song after song with a comment, “Oh, I think I sang on that one.” There have been so many of those sessions that she honestly doesn’t remember.

Silver began her music career in school in Detroit, Michigan, at the age of eight where she learned to play violin. Encouraged by her father, a high school choral

Silver and others are working out the vocal arrangement for a recording session in 1989 on a song called “Yellow Roses” for Dolly Parton’s album “White Limozeen.”

L-R is the back of Ricky Skaggs’ head, Curtis Young, Liana Manis, Lisa Silver, Dolly Parton and Richard Dennison.

Silver with Linda Davis and Vince Gill

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director, she pursued Junior Symphony, summer music camps and found any opportunity to play.

Her brother introduced her to folk, jazz and rock.

Silver followed her love of classical music, but also loved the Motown sound of Detroit where her father was the high school music teacher for the likes of Martha Reeves of Martha and the Vandellas and Mary Wilson of the Supremes In 1972, after trying her hand as a strolling musician in a restaurant and as the “ ddler” in a local Detroit country band, Silver and two of her band partners decided to move to Nashville.

Nashville’s bustling studio business on Music Row was a mecca for the trio. Each made their own success on arriving with one who is now known as Too Slim of Riders in the Sky fame and the other nding work in publishing. Silver found herself invited to play ddle for a demo for the latter.

June 2022

Lisa with Alabama when they were presented their Gold Record for "40-hour Week."

Lisa Silver played ddle on an album called “The Night Atlanta Burned” with Chet Atkins. They performed the title song on the Jerry Reed pilot TV show for The Nashville Network around 1976. The other musicians on the show in this picture are Kenny Penny and Mark Casstevens

The Cherry Sisters in Reno with Jerry Reed. The Cherry Sisters, Diane (Tidwell) Vanette, Lisa Silver and Sheri (Kramer) Hu man, are a Nashville based trio who were some of the most sought after background singers from the mid-70s through the mid-90s and beyond.

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The pedal steel player on the session was Bobbie Seymour who introduced her to Buddy Spicher, who invited her to try to " keep up " on a session as a twin ddle player on a di erent session. From there, Silver found herself in demand as a studio musician Silver was careful to let everyone know that she wanted also to sing and eventually she was given the opportunity to sing backup vocals By 1976, Silver was playing ddle with Chet Atkins on “The Night Atlanta Burned.” She performed the title song on the Jerry Reed pilot TV show for The Nashville Network and spent days and nights rushing from one studio session to the next.

A chance studio session put Silver with Diane (Tidwell) Vanette and Sheri (Kramer) Hu man as backup singers on a soulful album. The trio clicked, were eventually dubbed “The Cherry Sisters” and became some of the most sought-after studio singers in Music City.

Following their dreams, they taught themselves some swanky dance moves, borrowed some clothes and went on the road as back-up singers for artists such as Jerry Reed, The Righteous Brothers and Charlie Rich.

The Cherry Sisters produced an album of their own and continued to work as a team through the 1990s

June 2022

A decade later, Silver added “accomplished songwriter” to her list of achievements. Now a known artist in Nashville, she was collaborating on writing projects with the likes of Kenny Loggins and Don Schlitz.

In the mid-80s they penned a song, “Forty Hour Week” that rose to number one on the country charts when it was recorded by Alabama, and was nominated for “Best Song” at the 1986 Grammy Awards In that same timeframe, the team of Lisa Silver and Kenny Loggins wrote “Maggie’s Dream” which became a hit for Don Williams Silver met and married Clayton Ivey, a Musician Hall of Famer and a pianist/keyboard musician who was a part of the Muscle Shoals studio musicians Life changed dramatically for Silver with the adoption of her daughter, Olivia. Her interest in children’s music grew and she began to write music for children. Her interest in band travel waned and she found work as a vocalist for Looney Tunes cartoons, writing theme songs and developing her cartoon voices on projects for Looney Tunes Baby, Scooby Doo and Krypto

The Cherry Sisters with Chet Atkins.

Sprinkled in between were a series of opportunities for television and movie soundtracks and commercials.

But it was an opportunity that opened unexpectedly in Nashville in 2002 that created a 20-year career of writing liturgical music and allowed Silver control over the writing, direction and production of her songwriting, her vocals and her work as a musician.

Silver became the cantorial soloist at Congregation Micah. Over the course of her tenure, she developed the adult choir, created a bouncy Kids Choir and wrote the music she sang and that the choirs sang. She was able to develop music for the preschool program, the

community’s day school and even created a “garage band” of adult members. Hiring studio musicians to ll in instruments created a musical experience that the Congregation came to love and expect in every service and life cycle event.

Some artists talk about getting their start in music in their religious homes. For Silver, she came home to her religious roots bringing her talent from a long and successful career as a country, pop, classical, jazz and Motown singer, songwriter and musician Silver is retiring from her role as a cantorial soloist in June of 2022. Her next success will come again on her own terms, as she releases the music she has written for Congregation Micah and for children.

She plans to spend some time working on jazz sets with her husband and keeps nding things she wants to write songs about. Oh, and she is already teaching a songwriting class for a high school. Retirement? It’s more than a “Forty Hour Week.

To download her music audios and songsheets, visit lisasilversong.com

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Lisa with Alabama when they were presented their Gold Record for "40-hour Week.” Bottom row l-r: Merlin Little eld, Lisa Silver, Randy Owen Top row lr:Bob Doyle, Dave Loggins, Don Schlitz, Je Cook, Teddy Gentry, Mark Herndon

June 2022

Starting in 1972 as “Fan Fair ” at Municipal Auditorium in downtown Nashville, The Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience™ has grown over the past 50 years. The event moved to the Nashville Fairgrounds in the 1980s and featured concerts day and night at the Nashville Speedway, with dual stages set right on the front stretch of the track and autographs in the barns and buildings surrounding the track In a bold move by CMA and the city of Nashville, in 2001 the festival moved to downtown, which allows the guests to not only take in the festival events but visit the city’s many honky tonks and clubs In 2004 the name of the event was changed to CMA Music Festival. For CMA Fest week in downtown Nashville, there are multiple stages set up in public areas. In the past these have included Riverfront Park, Walk of Fame Park, the Bridgestone Arena Plaza and more.

The new Music City Center hosts Fan Fair X, an expo area with souvenirs, intimate stage performances and interviews, meet and greet opportunities and more The nightly concerts are held at Nissan Stadium where the Tennessee Titans play. Two 50-foot screens on either side of the stage make seeing Country Music’s biggest stars easy. Among those who’ve announced performances are Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, Gabby Barrett, Dierks Bentley, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Alan Jackson, Lady A, Carly Pearce, Thomas Rhett, Darius Rucker, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Zac Brown Band and more Free activities for the whole family, including games, activities and giveaways are held during the daytime with outdoor stages featuring 130+ artists

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Located inside Music City Center on Level 3, Fan Fair X offers the Ultimate Countr y Music Fan Experience. Discover everything from indoor stages with acoustic performances and interviews, games, shopping, comfortable seating and so much more. Fans can get up close and personal with Country artists and celebrities at the CMA Close Up Stage.

This stage hosts live, interactive interviews and acoustic performances. Discover new artists at the Spotlight Stage, where more than 50 emerging artists perform acoustic sets and host meet and greets. Fan Fair X hosts more than 100 exhibitors, including o cial CMA Fest partners, marketplace merchants who sell clothing, accessories and home décor. Country Music labels will feature the latest music for sale. On Tuesday, June 7, The Grand Ole Opry is celebrating its 96th consecutive year of live radio shows on WSM radio (and now on XM/Sirius).

The Grand Ole O p r y ’s Countr y Classics performance is set for Saturday, June 11. This show is a version of celebrating the best country music through the decades and it is located in the “mother church” of country music, the Ryman Auditorium.

Again, we purchased our seats more than a year in advance, so you are assured to have good seats for this afternoon sho The legendary CMA Fest has become the city’s signature Country Music event that hosts tens of thousands of fans from all 50 states, Puerto Rico and 37 international countries. In 2019, CMA Fest featured more than 300 performances on 11 o cial stages – all to bene t music education. Since 2006, a portion of proceeds from CMA Fest has been given to music education initiatives supporting students K-12 across the U.S. through the CMA Foundation.

June 2022

2022 Tour Celebrates 40 Years of Accolade

Janie Fricke sang on Elvis’ last studio album, recorded jingles and even played a bank robber on “The Dukes of Hazzard” television series. In 2022 she’s touring in celebration of the 40th anniversary of being named CMA Female Vocalist of the Year Like many others who became successful performers, Fricke started out singing in her rural church as a child. The Indiana native rst became one of the marketing industry’s most sought-after jingle singers. Long before her success as a country artist, millions of people became familiar with Fricke’s voice through ads for United Airlines, Coca-Cola, 7Up, McDonald’s and Red Lobster She soon became a session vocalist where she sang background in the studio with some of the biggest country stars of the late ‘70s and early ’80s, including Loretta Lynn, Eddie Rabbitt, Crystal Gayle, Ronnie Milsap, Barbara Mandrell and Mel Tillis After a string of duets with such greats as Merle Haggard and Moe Bandy, Fricke landed a solo recording contract in the early ’80s and scored a series of hit singles, including “Tell Me a Lie,” “She’s Single Again,” “He’s a Heartache” and “You’re Heart’s Not in It” and her 1982 No. 1 hits “Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me Baby” and “It Ain’t Easy Being Easy.” In fact, Fricke has hit the No. 1 spot on the Country charts an astounding 18 times She was named Female Vocalist of the Year twice by both the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association and has been nominated for three Grammy Awards. She has been credited on more than 1,600

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album projects and scored 36 hit singles.The 1980s were also a time when country stars often made special appearances on television programs, and Fricke was no exception. Fricke practically gave birth to The Dukes of Hazzard’s General Lee during an eight-year ashback show. Fricke played Ginny, a criminal who along with her sidekick robbed a bank. In an e ort to get away they crashed their 1969 Dodge Charger, which was black at the time. That vehicle was hauled o to the junkyard where the Duke Boys discovered it some years later, and with the help of Crazy Cooter Davenport got it xed up, painted orange, and ready for Boss Hogg’s Hazzard County Race. It then o cially became the General Lee She was named the Bi board Magazine Top Female Vocalist, was the First Female Voice on the Moon and was named the UK’s Country Music Round Up’s Most Popular International Female Solo Act. Her music has reached Gold and Platinum sales status worldwide, having released 25 albums and 36 hit singles In recent years, Sony Music Entertainment made four of Fricke’s classic albums available to fans on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and other digital platforms via the Legacy Digital Vault campaign, including “The First Word in Memory,” “The Very Best of Janie Fricke,” “Black & White” and “Saddle in the Wind.” Legacy Recordings also released “The Essential Janie Fricke” to all digital service providers Fo r a l i s t o f h e r 2 0 2 2 t o u r d a t e s , g o t o www.janiefricke.com

June 2022

Bobby Bare on Music City Walk of Fame A new star was added to the Music City Walk of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee, earlier this year when Bobby Bare was inducted on April 5, just two days before his 87th birthday Bare’s career has spanned seven decades. Born in Ohio, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry member is one of traditional Country’s most iconic artists with chart-topping songs like “Detroit City,” “500 Miles,” “Marie Laveau” and many more.

that I grew up loving,” Shelton said. “I feel like they have helped shape who I am as an artist and were what inspired me to want to be a country singer. I recorded this song and didn’t really have a plan for it – I just wanted to have my own version! I’m a huge fan, and I always felt like Bobby Bare’s personality was the kind I wanted to have as an artist too.

The reimagined throwback tune featured an introductory vocal by Bare himself.

“Blake Shelton is by far one of the biggest stars in countr y music right now and a great friend to traditional country,” Bare said. “I’m glad to know him and thrilled he would include me on this record. It was a lot of fun.

The original “Outlaw” of country music, Bare has been honored with numerous awards and accolades and multiple Grammy Award nominations and wins.

He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013.

In 2017, Rolling Stone named him in the top 50 of the “100 Greatest Country Artists of All Time,” and Pitchfork identi es him as an integral part of the Outlaw Country movement in the 1970s.

2017 and 2018 marked his 60th anniversary in the music business and the release of his studio album, “Things Change,” and two new music videos. In 2020 Bobby Bare, at age 85, released an album of previously unreleased Shel Silverstein songs recorded in the late ‘70s titled “Great American Saturday Night.”

He received a GRAMMY in 1964 for “Detroit City” and earned nearly ve dozen top 40 hits from 1962 to 1983. He has long been considered one of the most instrumental connectors in Country music having laid the foundation for contemporaries like Waylon Jennings and Billy Joe Shaver. He’s credited with in uencing the styles of Garth Brooks, Blake Shelton and countless others who’ve followed in his footsteps A pinnacle moment in his life occurred in 2018 as he was welcomed back home as a member of the Grand Ole Opry by Garth Brooks.

Bare’s 1980 hit, “Tequila Sheila,” written by Shel Silverstein and Mac Davis, was covered by Blake Shelton on his “Friends and Heroes” album “One of the coolest things I’ve been able to do in my career, because I’ve been fortunate, is be a little sel sh along the way and be able to record some songs

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June 2022

Areeda’s southern cooking

by Areeda Schneider Stampley

Salmon Croquette 1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup onion, nely chopped 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup whole milk 1 14 oz. can salmon (drained), or l lb. fresh (broiled, boned & aked) Melt butter in saucepan; add celery and onion; cook until glassy. Stir in our, salt and pepper.

Add milk slowly, stirring constantly until thick, then remove from heat. Fold in soft bread crumbs and salmon. Combine thoroughly.

Divide into 8 balls. Slightly atten out, or shape into cone shape. Dust light- ly in extra our; dip in beaten egg; roll in dry bread crumbs. Deep fry in 375° oil or in skillet until golden brown.

Garnish with a fresh herb. Yield: 8 servings Quick Sauce

1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 Tbsp lemon juice 1 cup light cream (half & half) 1/2 tsp Curry Powder 1/3 tsp salt Combine all ingredients. Heat and drizzle sauce over croquettes before serving.

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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Nadine’s Corner Pe le e ge ing my last n ve. I was in the oc y st e the oth day, and when the g l checked me t, I was having a h d time ge ing the act change t of my wallet when the w an behind me mu ed s ething and sighed real l d. I t ned nd and l ked at h and said, “Y be be quiet I'm g ng to write a check.”

Then my s br ght my ands to keep him f awhile and I just t ned my head and that kid pulled a magnet off my ig and swall ed it. He wasn't choking so I knew he was ok but of c rse, the p ents just eaked t and rushed to the ER. The doct t d them not to w y, that the magnet w ld pass thru in a day two. His mama said, “H can I be s e he passes it?” and the doc laughed and said, “Stick him the ig, and when he falls off, y kn he passed it!” L e that doc.

We got the living r m painted, and H was g ng to hang the pict es again. He st ped and l ked back at me and said, “Well, h sh ld I hang em, t high t l .”

I'm sick of all this drama, I'm g ng a vacati by myself. I ain't got anoth n ve f s ebody to step !

L e ya'll,

Nadine

Gu s A r r e n d a l e f r o m S p r i n g e r Mo u n t a i n Farms brought Nadine a bobble head of herself at the May taping of the show.

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June Birthdays Ronnie Dunn Boots Randolph Fred, Too Slim LaBour Freddy Fender Don Reid Jamie Dailey Junior Brown Mary Lou Turner Burl Ives Waylon Jennings Billy Crash Craddock Red Foley Blake Shelton Doug Stone Lester Flatt Chet Atkins Anne Murray Porter Howell Kathy Mattea Roy Drusky Kris Kristo erson June Carter Cash Mark Lowery Gretchen Wilson Lorrie Morgan George Morgan Ava Barber For a complete list of past & present legends’ birthdays, order Renea’s book Country Music Birthdays with more than 400 dates plus Country Music Trivia. www.Renaethewaitress.com

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June 2022

10 Years Ago this Month George "Goober" Lindsey Die Country Music and television fans are collectively mourning the passing of George "Goober" Lindsey, who passed away early Sunday morning, May 6, at the age of 83 after an extended illness. Lindsey was probably best remembered for his character Goober Pyle on the Andy Gri th Show and Mayberry RFD. Lindsey continued this beloved role on TV's HEE-HAW, one of the longest running shows in production in television history.

Lindsey recently appeared on Country's Family Reunion: Salute to the Korn eld, which celebrated the show and reunited many of the characters of HEE-HAW for the rst time since production ended. Sadly, this was one of the last on-camera performances by George Lindsey, whose sole career mission was "to make people smile."

"What an absolute blessing it was to have George Lindsey and all of his friends on Salute to the Korn eld," said Larry Black, founder of Gabriel Communications and Producer of Country's Family Reunion.

"Unfortunately, for all of us, it turns out that this appearance was among his last...this makes the memories all the more precious."

"George Lindsey was my friend. I had great respect for his talent and his human spirit. In recent years, we spoke often by telephone. Our last conversation was a few days ago. We would talk about our health, how much we missed our friends who passed before us and usually about something funny," Andy Gri th said in a statement posted on Lindsey's online obituary on the Marshall Donnelly Combs Funeral Home web- site.

An only child in a poor family, he was born in Fair eld, Ala., on Dec. 17, 1928, and grew up in Jasper, Ala. He majored in biological science and physical education at what is now the University of North Alabama.

After graduating in 1952, he spent four years in the Air Force and another year as a history teacher and head basketball coach at Hazel Green High School in Alabama before moving to New York City, where he studied acting on the GI Bill at the American Theatre Wing.

He moved to Hollywood in the early 1960s and then to Nashville in the early 1990s.

Lindsey started work on "The Andy Gri th Show" in 1964 when Lindsey rst appeared as the cousin of naive gas station attendant Gomer Pyle, played by Jim Nabors.

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Lindsey's later credits included providing voices for characters in the Disney animated features "The Aristocats," "The Rescuers" and "Robin Hood."

"I really don't do Goober on 'Hee Haw.' I do George Lindsey," he told the Associated Press in 1982.

"Maybe I don't know where George Lindsey stops and Goober begins. If you're in a series, as I was for seven and a half years, you draw on every personal experience for that character."

As Lindsey said in the 1985 AP interview, "Goober is Everyman. Everyone nds something to like about ol' Goober."

Lindsey devoted much of his spare time to raising funds for the Alabama Special Olympics. For 17 years, he sponsored a celebrity golf tournament in Montgomery, Ala., that raised money for the mentally disabled.

The University of North Alabama awarded him an honorary doctorate in 1992, and he was a ectionately called "Doctor Goober" by acquaintances after that.

Lindsey, who was divorced, is survived by his son, George Lindsey Jr.; his daughter, Camden Jo Lindsey Gardner; two grandsons; and his long-time companion, Anne Wilson.

June 2022

NewShows Showsfor Taped forCountry “The Diner” New Larry’s Diner

June 2022

www.cfrvideos.com

Gene Watson Gene Watson

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Malpass Brothers

The Malpass Brothers

John Conlee John Conlee

The Isaacs

The Isaacs

Exile

Exile

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