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Published by Joe Baker

Cowtown Society of Western Music Heroes

Academy of Western Artists Disc Jockey of the Y ear

Cowtown Society of Western Music Disc Jockey of the Year

Western Swing Music Society of the Southwest Hall of Fame

Membership Director—Cowtown Society of Western Music

Board of Directors—Cowtown Society of Western Music

Seattle Western Swing Music Society POWS Hall of Fame

Backforty Newsletter—CSWM‟s Publication of the Year 2009

The Western Swing Society Sacramento CA Hall of Fame

Totsie Slover, Editor

Joe Baker‟s Backforty Bunkhouse Show is broadcast on 100,000 watt KNMB, 96.7FM “New Mexico Bear” & 100,000 watt KWMW, 105.1FM, “Regional Radio W-105” every Saturday morning 6 am to 10 am in Ruidoso, New Mexico covering New Mexico & West Texas. Member: Western Music Broadcast-ers Association (WMBA). Also available „Streaming live‟ 24/7 on the internet at W-105

Academy Western Artists

Joe Baker's Top 20 – November, 2009 Western Swing 1. Rebecca Linda Smith, Jesus Grace

2. Darrell McCall, Keeping With Tradition

3. Johnny Rodriguez/Johnny Bush, Texas Legends

4. Wendell Sollis, The Sidekicks

5. Cornell Hurd, American Shadows

6. The Desperados, Lucky Seven

7. Jerry Webb, There‟s A Song In That

8. Saddle Cats, Herdin‟ Cats

9. Johnny Lyon, Wynn Stewart Favorites Vol.#2

10. Brady Bowen In My Spare Time, Vol.#5

11. Liz Talley, More Than Satisfied

12. Hank Stone, Somewhere In Texas

13. Willie Nelson, Willie & The Wheel

14. Les Gilliam, Oklahoma-1955

15. Ron Knuth/Chris Reeves, Things That Swing

16. Danny Edwards, Where‟s The Country

17. Stephanie Davis, Western Bling

18. Billy Mata, This Is Tommy Duncan Vol.#1

19. Dave Caley, It‟s A Long way Back

20. Hot Club Of Cowtown, Wishful Thinking

21. Backforty Roundup Vol.# 43

Western Music/Cowboy Poetry

1. Charming Billy, Frank Fara-Patty Parker

2. Ken Cook, Cowboys Are Like That (Poetry)

3. Bar D roundup, Vol.#4,Various Poets (Cowboy

Poetry.com)

4. Jeanne & Jerome, You Are The Rose Of My Heart

5. Stardust Cowboys, Ridin‟ Back To You

6. Flying J Wranglers, My Adobe Hacienda

7. Stephanie Davis, Western Bliss

8. Rich Flanders, Ride Away

9. Chuck Woller/Deborah Liv Johnson, Desert Moon

10. Wylie & Wild West, Christmas For Cowboys

11. Joe Herrington, Shalako

12. Gil Prather, Last Of The Border Cowboys

13. The Buckarettes, Cowgirl Serenade

14. Prescott/Masterson/Hollenbeck, Ranchlife101

15. Bob & Johnny Boatright, Lost Trails

16. Belinda Gail/Curly Musgrave, Forever West

17. Gary McMahan, Goin‟ My Way

18. The Texas Gypsies, Texas Gypsies

19. Chuck Cusimano, Wind Blow My Blues Away

20. Backforty Roundup, Vol.#43

GENE AUTRY-AMERICAN

HERO

Born: Orvin Gene Autry

Born Sep 29, 1907 in

Tioga, TX

Died Oct 2, 1998

What a great American success story.

Dugg Collins

Gene Autry was more than a musician. His music, cou-

pled with his careers in movies and on radio and televi-

sion, made him a part of the mythos that has made up

the American identity for the past hundred years John

Wayne with a little bit of Sam Houston and Davy Crock-

ett all rolled into one, with a great singing voice and an

ear for music added on. He defined country music for

two generations of listeners, and cowboy songs for

much of this century, and American music for much of

the world. He was country music's first genuine "multi-

media" star, the best known country & western singer

on records, in movies, on radio, and television from the

early-'30s until the mid-'50s. His 300 songs cut between

1929 and 1964 include nine gold-record awards and

one platinum record; his 93 movies saved one big

chunk of the movie industry, delighted millions, and

made millionaires of several producers (as well as Autry

himself); his radio and television shows were even more

popular and successful; and a number of his songs out-

side of the country & western field have become Ameri-

can pop-culture touchstones.

Joe Baker, Publisher

2

The biggest selling country & western singer

of the middle of the century was born Orvin

Gene Autry on September 29, 1907 in the

tiny Texas town of Tioga, the son of Delbert

and Elnora Ozmont Autry. He was first

taught to sing at age five by his grandfather,

William T. Autry, a Baptist preacher and

descendant of some of the earliest settlers in

Texas, contemporaries of the Houstons and

the Crocketts (an Autry had died at the

Alamo). The boy's interest in music was

encouraged by his mother, who taught him

hymns and folk songs, and reading psalms

to him at night. Autry got his first guitar at

age 12, bought from the Sears, Roebuck

catalog for eight dollars (saved from his work

as a hired hand on his uncle's farm baling

and stacking hay). By the time he was 15,

he had played anyplace there was to per-

form in Tioga, including school plays and the

local cafe, but made most of his living work-

cancer. Autry's father

began drifting away

soon afterward, and he

became the head of

the family and the main

supporter of himself,

two sisters, and a

younger brother. In

early December of

1929, Autry cut his first

six sides for ARC. The

music was a mix of

hillbilly, blues, country,

yodel songs, and cow-

boy ballads. His break-

through record, "That

Silver-Haired Daddy of

Mine," co-written by Autry and his friend Jimmy Long one night at

the railroad depot, was released in 1931. The song had sold

30,000 copies within a month, and by the end of a year 500,000

had been sold, an occasion that American Records decided to

mark with the public presentation of a gold-plated copy of the re-

cord. Autry received a second gold record when sales later broke

one million. And that was where the notion of the Gold Record

Award was born. The record also led him into a new career on the

radio as Oklahoma's Yodeling Cowboy on the National Barn

Dance show sponsored by WLS out of Chicago. It was there that

Autry became a major national star his record sales rose assisted

by his exposure on radio.

During the early years of his career, Autry took a number of impor-

tant collaborators and musicians aboard. Among them were Fred

Rose, the songwriter (later responsible for "Your Cheatin' Heart")

with whom he collaborated on many of his hits; and fiddle-player

Carl Cotner (who also played sax, clarinet, and piano), who be-

came his arranger. Autry had a knack for knowing a good song

when he heard it (though he almost passed on the biggest hit of

his career), and for knowing when a song needed something extra

in its arrangement, but it was Cotner who was able to translate his

sensibilities into musical notes and arrangements. Mary Ford,

later of Les Paul fame, was in Autry's band at one time, and in

1936, Autry signed up a 17-year-old guitar player named Merle

Travis, the future country star and songwriter.

By the early '30s, Autry became one of the most beloved singers

in country & western music. By 1933, he was getting fan letters by

the hundreds every week, and his record sales were only going

up. Autry's career might've been made right there, but fate inter-

vened again that year, in the form of the movie business. The

western especially the "B" western, the bottom-of-the-bill, low-

budget action oater had been hit very hard by the coming of

sound in the years 1927 to 1929. Audiences expected dialogue in

their movies, and most western stars up to that time were a lot

better at riding, roping, and shooting than reading lines. Not only

did producers and directors need something to fill up the sound-

tracks of their movies, especially on the limited budgets of the B-

westerns, but something to substitute for violent action, which was

being increasingly criticized by citizen groups.

Cowboy star Ken Maynard, who was a great trick rider and stunt-

man but no singer, had tried singing songs in a few of his movies,

and the producers noticed that the songs had gone over well de-

spite his vocal limitations. Maynard was making another western,

In Old Santa Fe (1934), for Mascot Pictures, and producer Nat

Levine decided to try an experiment, putting in a musical number

ing for the railroad as an apprentice at $35 a month. Later on, as

a proper telegraph operator, he was making $150 a month which,

in those days, was a comfortable income in their part of Texas.

He was working the four-to-midnight shift at the local telegraph

office in Chelsea, Oklahoma one summer night in 1927 when, to

break up the monotony, he began strumming a guitar and singing

quietly to himself. A customer came into the office; rather than

insisting upon immediate service, he motioned for Autry to con-

tinue singing, then sat down to watch and listen while he looked

over the pages he was preparing to send. At one point, the visitor

asked him to sing another. Finally, after dropping his copy on the

counter, the customer told Autry that with some hard work, he

might have a future on the radio, and should consider going to

New York to pursue a singing career. The man, whom Autry had

recognized instantly, was Will Rogers, the humorist, writer, movie

actor, and one of the most popular figures in the entertainment

world of that era.

Autry didn't immediately give up his job, but just over a year later,

he was in New York auditioning for a representative of RCA-

Victor. The judgment was that he had a good voice, but should

stay away from pop hits, find his own kind of songs and his own

sound, and get some experience. He was back six months later,

on October 9, 1929, cutting his first record, "My Dreaming of You"

and “My Alabama Home," for Victor. Two weeks later, Autry was

making a demo record for the Columbia label of Jimmie Rodgers'

"Blue Yodel No. 5." Present that same day in the studio were two

up-and-coming singers, Rudy Vallee and Kate Smith. Autry found

himself being pressured to sign an exclusive contract with Victor,

but chose instead to sign with the American Record Corporation.

Their general manager, Arthur Sattherly (who would later record

Leadbelly, among many other acts), persuaded Autry that while

Victor was a large company and could offer more money and a

better marketing apparatus, he would be lost at Victor amid its

existing stable of stars, whereas ARC would treat him as their

most important star. Additionally, Sattherly through a series of

arrangements involving major retail and chain stores across the

country now had the means to get Autry's records into peoples'

hands as easily as Victor.

His first recordings had just been released when his mother,

who'd been ill for months, died at the age of 45, apparently of

3

sung by a professional. By sheer chance, the American Record

Company and Mascot Pictures were locked together financially,

though indirectly, and with the help from the president of ARC,

Levine was steered toward Autry.

A phone call brought the young singer and another ARC per-

former multi-instrumentalist/comedian Smiley Burnette out to Hol-

lywood, where, after a quick meeting and screen test, the two

were put into In Old Santa Fe. Autry had only one scene, singing

a song and calling a square dance, but that scene proved to be

one of the most popular parts of the movie.

Levine next stuck Autry and Burnette into a Ken Maynard serial,

Mystery Mountain, in minor supporting roles. But Autry's next ap-

pearance was much more important, as the star of the highly suc-

cessful 12-chapter serial The Phantom Empire. Perhaps recog-

nizing that Autry was no "actor," and that he had an audience of

millions already, he, the writers and the producer agreed that he

should simply play "Gene Autry," a good-natured radio singer and

sometime cowboy. The success of Autry's early films was not

enough to save Mascot Pictures, which collapsed under the

weight of debts held by Consolidated Film Laboratories, which did

Mascot's film processing. In 1935, Consolidated forced a merger

of Mascot and a handful of other small studios and formed Re-

public Pictures, with Consolidated's president Herbert J. Yates at

the helm. Republic thrived in the B-movie market, ultimately domi-

nating the entire field for the next 20 years. And central to Repub-

lic's success were the westerns of Gene Autry.

His first starring western for the newly organized Republic Pic-

tures, Tumbling Tumbleweeds (released Sept. 5, 1935), which

also included the singing group the Sons of the Pioneers, was a

huge hit, and was followed by Melody Trail, The Sagebrush Trou-

badour, and The Singing Vagabond, all released during the final

three months of 1935. Autry settled into a schedule of one movie

every six weeks, or eight-per-year, at $5000 per movie, and a

formula was quickly established. The production values on these

movies were modest, in keeping with their low budgets and tight

shooting schedules, but within the framework of B-westerns, and

the context of their music, they were first-rate productions. By

1937, and for five years after a string that was only broken when

he enlisted in the Army during World War II, Autry was rated in an

industry survey of theater owners as one of the top ten box-office

attractions in the country, alongside the likes of James Cagney

and Clark Gable. Autry was the only cowboy star to make the list,

and the only actor from B-movies on the list.

For Republic Pictures, his movies were such a cash cow, and so

popular in the southern, border, and western states, that the tiny

studio was able to use them as a way to force "block booking" on

theater owners and chains; that is, theaters only got access to the

Autry movies scheduled each season if they bought all of Repub-

lic's titles for that season. It was Autry's discovery of this policy

(which, in fairness, was practiced by every major studio at the

time, and led to the anti-trust suit by the government that ulti-

mately forced the studios to give up their theater chains) in early

1938 that led to his first break with Republic. The problems had

been brewing for some time, over Autry's unhappiness at never

having gotten a raise from his original Mascot-era $5000-per-

movie deal, and contractual clauses which had never been exer-

cised, but worried him nonetheless, giving Republic a share of his

radio, personal appearance, and endorsement earnings. After

trying unsuccessfully to work out the problems with Yates, Autry

walked out of the studio chief's office and thereafter refused to

report for the first day's shooting on a movie called Washington

Cowboy, later re-

titled Under Western

Stars when it became

the debut of Roy

Rogers.

After eight months of

legal sparring, Autry

was left enjoined

from making live ap-

pearances. Republic,

however, found itself

with an uprising of

theater owners and

chains on its hands

without a guarantee

that they would have

any Autry movies to

release, the studio's

entire annual distribution plans were jeopardized. By the fall of

1938 the two sides had come to terms, with raises for Autry and

freedom from the most onerous clauses in his old contract. De-

spite his best efforts, however, he couldn't help the theater owners

over the block-booking policy, for it was now entrenched in the

industry and an integral part of Republic's business plan.

Meanwhile, his recording career continued, often in tandem with

the movies. Whenever Republic could, they licensed the rights to

whatever hit song Autry had most recently recorded to use it as

the title of his newest picture when they did this, they always

charged the theater owners somewhat more for the film, and they

paid it, because the song had "pre-sold" the movie to the public.

The songs kept coming, sometimes out of the movies themselves,

and not always his own: Autry's friend Ray Whitley had written

"Back in the Saddle Again" for a 1938 George O'Brien western

called Border G-Man, and when Autry was looking for a theme

song for his own radio show, he went back to Whitley's song,

made a few changes, and recorded it himself. Along with "That

Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine," it was the song he would be most

closely associated with.

Autry's career was interrupted by his service in the military during

World War II, but when he returned to the recording and movie

studios in 1945, he resumed both his singing and film careers

without skipping a beat. He was still a name to be reckoned with

at the box office, although he was never again ranked among the

top-ten money-making stars of movies. The cultural dislocations

caused by World War II and their effect upon rural and small-town

America, and on the movie business, as well as the impending

arrival of television, had shrunk the B-movie market to a shadow

of its 1930s glory. His movies still made money, however, and he

kept making them right into the beginning of the 1950s, after

which he moved into television production. Autry had already be-

gun buying up radio stations before the war, and by the early '50s

he was owner of several television stations, a studio, and his own

production company, where he made his own television program

as well as others that he owned.

His singing career was bigger than ever, however. Even before

the war, Autry had occasionally moved away from country music

and scored big, as with his 1940 hit version of "Blueberry Hill,"

which predated Fats Domino's recording by 16 years. After the

war, he still did cowboy and country songs such as "Silver Spurs"

and "Sioux City Sue," sprinkled with occasional folk songs and

pop numbers. In 1949, however, Autry scored the biggest single

4

"Swingin' West"- Mike Gross

WVOF-FM

November 1, 2009

Songs

1. Over the Hill- River Road Boys

2. Brownsville- John England & Western Swingers

3. California Mountains- The Stardust Cowboys

4. Are You Teasing Me- Bobby Flores

5. Southern Hospitality- Cornell Hurd Band

6. Feelin‟ Blue for Texas- Marshall Ford Swing Band

7. Tacos, Enchiladas and Beans- Buck Pizzarelli & West Texas

Tumbleweeds

8. I Can Almost Tell- Rich Lester

9. Night Coach Out of Dallas- Jake Hooker

10. Crystal Canyon- Patty Parker

Albums

1. Houston- River Road Boys

2. Western Bling- Stephanie Davis

3. This is Tommy Duncan- Billy Mata & Texas Tradition

4. Herdin‟ Cats- The Saddle Cats

5. Now Playing! Willie and the Wheel- Willie Nelson & Asleep at

the Wheel

6. Last Call for Heartaches- Price Porter

7. Diggin‟ Up Bones- Buck Pizzarelli & West Texas Tumble-

weeds

8. Open That Gate- John England & Western Swingers

9. Lost Along the Way- Jake Hooker

10. Legendary Western Swing- Pat Jacobs & the Over the Hilll

Gang

swinginwest.com

Bill McCallie’s Cowboy Jubilee Radio Show

Classical 90.5 WSMC-FM Chattanooga, TN

Well the leaves are changing here in South-

east Tennessee and it resembles an artist pal-

let of colors. I've been playing guitar on the

Southern Belle Riverboat for a little over 18

years now and it's always enjoyable to travel

down the "Grand Canyon" of the Tennessee

River and see all the trees changing col-

ors...every color in the rainbow. Speaking of rainbow, we had a

rainbow of music on the Cowboy Jubilee Radio Show this month.

We started off the month with the Beaumont Rag from the fiddle

of Natalie McMasters. Fiddlin' Barbara Lamb fiddled her way

through "Tonight I feel Like Texas" and dobrologist Jerry Douglas

picked the dobro on "Passin‟ the Bar" to round out a nice set.

Don Walser sang and Ole Tennessee Ernie Ford song called the

"Shotgun Boogie" and I noticed he had the "Who's Who" of west-

ern swing accompanying him....Cindy Cashdollar on steel, Jason

Roberts and Johnny Gimble doing the fiddle work with Floyd

Domino on Keyboards.....talk about a million dollar band!

Since Rich O'Brien will be entered into the Western Music Hall of

Fame in November, we did a whole segment about Rich. We

featured several of his tunes from several CD's......."The Old Spin-

ning Wheel," "Under the Double Eagle," "Wheels," "Waltz for

Bridget" and "The Theme from Gunsmoke" were featured. I did a

bunch of Red Steagall this month. You know Red is just so con-

sistent in the quality and content of his work, it's easy to pick out

things the listeners will enjoy. Red's "One Empty Cot in the Bunk-

house," "Dodge City," "The Lantern on the Wagon,” "Dear Mama,”

hit of his career and possibly the second or third biggest hit song

ever recorded up to that time with "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Rein-

deer," a song by Johnny Marks that Autry had recorded only re-

luctantly, in a single take at the end of a session. That same year,

he cut "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky," a number by a former forest

ranger named Stan Jones, which became both a country and pop

music standard, cut by everyone from Vaughan Monroe to

Johnny Cash.

By the mid-'50s, Autry's career had slowed. Rock & roll and

rhythm & blues were attracting younger listeners, and a new gen-

eration of country music stars, heralded by Johnny Cash and

Marty Robbins, were beginning to attract serious sales. Autry,

then in his forties, still had his audience, but he gradually receded

from the limelight to attend to his burgeoning business interests.

He died October 2, 1998.

Bruce Eder

duggcollins.com

Graham Lees Top 10 Songs and Albums

HWD Radio - United Kingdom

Top Ten CDs

Time Jumpers - Jumpin‟ Time

Bryan Ragsdale - Where Cowpokes Grow

Stephanie Davis - Western Bling

Gretchen Peters & Tom Russell - One To The

Heart, One To The Head

Dave Stamey - Come Ride With Me

John England & Western Swingers - Open That Gate

Bobby Flores - Too Many Rivers

Eli Barsi - Darn Hard To Tame

Bob & Johnny Boatright - Lost Trails

Janet McBride - Still Lovin‟ The Ride

Top Ten Songs

Ray Sanders - My Special Angel

Dave Stamey - Used Rough

Bobby Flores - My Life‟s Been A Pleasure

Palo Duro - Navajo Trail

The Stardust Cowboy - Ridin‟ Back To You

Journey West - Call Of The Canyon

TJ Casey - Corrine Corrina

Dave Stamey - If I Had A Horse

Jeanne & Jerome - That‟s What I Like About The West

The Flying W Wranglers - Stampede

graham@grahamlees.co.uk

A-10 Etcheverry, Creative Achievement Award Winner Cowtown Society of Western Music 2009 - CrayolaCowboy.com

5

“I'm a Cowboy" and "Panhandle Wind" were all spotlighted on the

show. Nashville songbird Carolyn Martin sang "When You're

Smiling," Jody Nix did "Play Me Something I Can Swing To" and

Bobby Flores did "My Life Has Been A Pleasure." Dave Stamey's

"Somebody Needs To Go Back Home" has been one of our most

requested songs over the past several months while Curley Mus-

grave and Belinda Gail hit the spotlight with "Roly Poly” from their

"Forever West" CD. Waddie Mitchell's cowboy poem "Harsh

Words'' was really a nice lead in to the inspirational of one show

and cowboy poet J B Allen's version of the ole public domain

song converted into a poem, "I'd Like To Be In Texas For The

Round Up In The Spring" really was nice for a lead into Red's

"Wagon Tongue." R W Hampton did the honors on one show with

his "I Believe" and his "This Ole House" cut. I played several cuts

from Suzy Bogus' "Swing." “Straighten Up and Fly Right" and

"Jumpin‟ Into Spring" were taken from the "Swing" CD. I inter-

spersed several cuts from the In Cahoots Band and from Fletcher

Bright and the Dismembered Tennesseans this month so as to

promote our 16th Annual Live Cowboy Jubilee Radio Show. Next

month I'll do some songs about trains and try to work in some of

Joni Harms songs as I really enjoy her, as do our listeners.

We broadcast The Cowboy Jubilee Radio Show each week from

WSMC 90.5 fm Public Radio and stream to the internet at

www.wsmc.org. We are on from 6pm to 7pm each Sunday. We

are a 100,000 watt station and we're located in beautiful down-

town Collegedale, Tennessee...where the air always smells like a

big oatmeal cookie.

That's about all the news that's fit to print.......remember, as Mark

Twain once said "It is noble to do good...but it is nobler to teach

others to do good...and a lot less trouble"! Ride safe!

billmccallie@gmail.com

Sundays at 6:00 pm - wsmc.org/webstream.html

Cowboy Bill’s Top 10 Playlist

Top 10 Most Requested Songs

October is turning into my favorite month

of the year. Well, maybe second to De-

cember when we have Christmas. None

the less, in October, there were cowboys

everywhere at the 3rd Annual Georgia

Day of the Cowboy on October 3rd at Horsetown East in Snell-

ville, Georgia. There were gunfights by Los Pistoleros, trick

horses (starring Albert Lloyd and his horse “Tiger”), special ap-

pearance by Wild Bill Elliott look-a-like (Ronnie Aycoth), Native

Americans (including special guests “Deerhunter” & “Curly Bear”)

and plenty of Cowboy music by The Atlanta Country Music Hall of

Fame. There was plenty of vittles and good cheer and everything

was cowboy. Check out the picture with the Cowboys and Indi-

ans.

On October 10th we had a blast doing a Wild West Show on

Wagon Wheel Weekend at The Rock Ranch in Barnesville, Geor-

gia. The Rock Ranch is owned by S. Truett Cathy, founder of

Chick-Fil-A and their mission is to unite families with the land. Los

Pistoleros and The Traveling Cowboy Band performed cowboy

songs, train robberies and gunfights for close to four thousand

attendees.

We‟re getting ready for The Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame

Awards which will be on November 28th. We will host a Cowboy

Showcase which will include many Cowboy Artists. More on that

next month.

Until then, we want all you pards out there to stay warm, keep

your powder dry and keep it cowboy. Just remember, there‟s the

right way, the wrong way and the...Cowboy Way!!!!

As always, we continue to get CDs from many artists and groups

and we welcome them all. If you want to send us your CD, we are

at:

The Cowboy Way Show

146 Hwy 139 #230

Monroe, Georgia 30565

Our top ten playlist for November, 2009 is:

1. Remember Me…Liz Masterson

2. Just One More Night…Lamar Hunter

3. In Old McGee Canyon…Dave Stamey

4. The Farmer And The Lord…Cowboy Bill & Rhonda Carrier

5. Cowpoke…Keeter Stuart

6. Be My Cowboy…Lynn Anderson

7. Jesus And Roy…Marvin O‟Dell

8. Cross The Brazos At Waco…Billy Walker

9. Doc Holiday Lives On…Frank Brannon

10. You Can‟t Put A Brand On Me…Curly Musgrave & Belinda

Gail

wilrand@comcast.net

Cowboy Poetry

at the BAR-D Ranch

by Margo Metegrano, Editor,

CowboyPoetry.com

Some of the year's most popular

events take place in December, including the Larry Chittenden

Cowboy Celebration in Anson, Texas; Michael Martin Murphey's

Cowboy Christmas Ball at the National Cowboy and Western Heri-

tage Museum in Oklahoma City; the 21st Annual Cowboy Christ-

mas Poetry Gathering in Wickenburg, Arizona; and California's

11th Annual Monterey Cowboy Poetry & Music Festival.

Top cowgirl poet Doris Daley will be in Monterey (along with Don

Edwards, Hot Club of Cowtown, Sons of the San Joaquin, the

Gillette Brothers, Dennis Gaines, Pat Richardson, Jess Howard,

Waddie Mitchell, Lacy J. Dalton and others; December 11-

13, www.montereycowboy.org).

Doris Daley's recent poem offers a fine way to bid farewell to the

year:

Goodnight to the Trail

Come with me to a place out west

Where all who trod are Nature's guest

6

We'll ride to the top of a piney crest

And gaze at the valley below.

Come with me where the cattle graze

We'll tighten our cinches and gather the strays

Leather's creaking, the hills are a-blaze

And the night might bring some snow.

Ride with me as the sky turns gold

Hear the cattle bawl and the magpie scold.

Pull up your collar 'cause the wind is cold,

Coffee'll taste good tonight.

I wish my pen could find the wings

To soar with rhyme when the nightwind sings

But words are often feeble things

To get that job done right.

But the rhymes won't come; my pen is dry

No poem could capture this sweep of sky

Let's hit the trail and say goodbye

To this patch of God's good clay.

So mount up, Joe, let's ride for home

The range wants to sleep 'neath its starry dome

The wind and sky can finish this poem,

We'll call it quits for today.

So ride with me as the light turns pale

See the moon come up, hear the coyotes wail

Supper's waiting, and we say to the trail,

Good night, Old Friend, good night.

© 2009, Doris Daley, All rights reserved

Doris Daley returns to the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering in

January, 2010, her eighth invited appearance there. Her latest

CD, Beneath a Western Sky, includes the poem above. It's avail-

able for $15 (US), $20 (CDN) plus postage from Doris

Daley, Fiddle DD Enterprises, Box 103 Turner Valley, AB

TOL 2AO; www.dorisdaley.com.

Find more about hundreds of cowboy poets and Western musi-

cians at CowboyPoetry.com. It's an on-going gathering, with con-

tinuous news, features, poetry, lyrics, gathering reports, and an

extensive event calendar. Come on by and stay a while.

margo@cowboypoetry.com

Fred Berry Jimal Bible Tom Burgess Joyce Collins Mary Corley Jim Cox and Family Mark Giles Paige Haas Briggs Hill and his family Howe‟s twin grandbabies Marian Howell Mary Hunter Dennis Ivey Bill Lister Mel McDaniel Bob Nible Joe Paul Nichols Rich O‟Brien Walter Pate Lyall and Donna Paulson Jim Quisenberry Louise Rowe Connie Stom Mike Ward Ed White

Waynetta’s Roundup on LIVE365

Waynetta Ausmus

KJIM, 1500AM Sherman/Dennison, TX

Oct. 4, 2009

Open That Gate - John England and the

Western Swingers

The Chauffeur And The Professor - Jerry

Clower

Hey Good Lookin! - Larry Wilder

Wild West Is Going To Get Wilder - Michael Martin Murphy

Let My Pony Run - Due West Trio

Purt Near! - Larry Maurice

Five Foot Two - Ken Overcast

First Light - Audrey Hankins

Night Birds - Royal Wade Kimes

Spellbound On The High Lonesome - Donna Hatton

If I Hadn't Seen The West - Joyce Woodson

Oct. 11, 2009

Warmth of Mexico - Geronimo Trevino III & The Geronimo Band

Born To Be A Cowboy - RJ Vandygriff

Revelation 22:16 - Doc Mayer

The Lone Ranger Way - Hank Cramer

Chipmunk & The Bear - Choogie Kingfisher

West Of Yesterday - Don Edwards

Two Steppin' Texas Blue - Joni Harms

My Box - Jerry Clower

The Bear Paw Song - Ken Overcast

Grandma's Homemade Aprons - Yvonne Hollenbeck

Timber Trail - Larry Wilder

Yep - Rod Nichols

Outlaw - David Comstock

Tougher Horses - Geff Dawson

Timber Trail - Larry Wilder

Meet Jake - Doris Daley

Play List KJIM, 1500 AM, Sherman/Denison, Tx.

The Inventory - Jerry Clower

Too Far Back To Texas - Ken Overcast

Brothers Stay Together - Ken Cook

There Ain't No Quit- Bill Barwick

Crackerbarrel Stories - Doc Mayer

Cowgirl Way - Terry Taylor

Cowgirlography - Juni Fisher

Ride On - Barry Ward

Stackin' Hay - Jerry Schleicher

Old Town - John England & the Western Swingers

10-25-09

Charlie And The Boys - Sons of the San Joaquin

Down the Trail to San Antoine - Billy Cate

Back Riding In Fall - Mason Tibbs

Dallas And Ft. Worth - Texas Gypsies

Goodbye Cowboy - Monty Teel

I Leave My Troubles At The Old Corral - Vince Crofts & Mindi

Reid

Texas In Your Swing - Liz Talley

Mustang - Rusty Feathers

The Gift - Belinda Gail

Jingle Jangle Jingle - RW Hampton & Don Edwards

2nd Babylonians 3:8 - Bob Upchurch

Pancho Villa Slept Here - Way Out West

waynettawwr@aol.com

7

8

UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND ARTS OF OKLAHOMA - CHICKASHA

Former Texas Playboys Join

For USAO Scholarship Event Dec. 18

CHICKASHA – Seven accomplished musicians with serious

country music chops and dozens of albums between them have

joined as The Former Texas Playboys. Together they will perform

for charity here in the first-ever Black Tie & Boots Ball, staged by

the USAO Foundation to raise money for scholarships at the Uni-

versity of Science and Arts.

Featured are country music legends Bobby Koefer, Louise Rowe,

Chuck Hays and Joe Settlemires, along with Monte Gaylord,

Wayne Gasson and Chad Maines, each with impressive album

and performing credentials.

Tickets for the Dec. 18 premiere event are $75. Tickets may be

purchased online at www.usao.edu or by phone with credit card

at 405-574-1213.

“We hope to stage a spectacular and fun musical event,” said

musician-educator Joe Settlemires of USAO, “but it‟s also a ball,

where guests will be invited to take the dance floor and enjoy the

music with their feet.”

The ball begins at 7 p.m. in the USAO Student Center Ballroom.

All-star members of the Former Texas Playboys include Bobby

Koefer on steel guitar, Louise Rowe on bass, Wayne Gasson on

keyboard and Joe Settlemires on guitar.

Bobby Koefer is called one of America‟s most unique steel guitar-

ists. He plays a 1953 stand-up, Fender, triple neck steel gui-

tar. Being self-taught has resulted in a very versatile singular

sound and an unorthodox technique. Musician friends say he

prefers old, rusty strings. Rumor was that he buried his steel for

several years in his backyard in Alaska.

Koefer toured for years with Bob Wills and his Texas Play-

boys. There he worked for two years with musicians like Eldon

Shamblin. He played for shows that featured Milton Berle, Perry

Como, the Grand Ole Opry and more. He has worked with such

legends as Marty Robbins, George Morgan, Patti Page, Lefty

Frizzell, Ferlin Husky, Rex Allen, Tex Ritter and Jim Reeves.

While he moved to Alaska and spent 20 years learning about

primitive cultures, in the 1980s he returned to the western swing

scene with The Texas Playboys.

Bass player Louise Rowe, whose experience with country and

western swing spans six decades and intersects with top artists,

will be featured. She too is a member of The Former Texas Play-

boys. The only female musician Bob Wills ever hired also is the

youngest and only female sibling of the famous Seven Rowe

Brothers. At 18, she was hired as a singer, but has built her long

and illustrious career playing bass and writing songs. Her most

recent album was the 2008 release, I Still Cry.

Performer Chuck Hays, who now is a leader in the western swing

movement, is a former member of The Texas Playboys. Born in

Braggs, Okla., Hays worked in the aeronautics industry until his

love for western music overtook his career.

Hays served the Air Force in Korea then settled in California, per-

forming with Jim Reeves, Patsy Kline, Lefty Frazell, Tex Ritter and

other high profile entertainers in the 1950s. He played for years

with the Pee Wee Whitewing Gold Coast Playboy Band and later

for the legendary Tommy Duncan Band. Eventually he was hon-

ored to join the Bob Wills Band in 1969. He was named to the

Western Swing Music Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Pioneers of

Western Swng Music Hall of Fame in 1999. He was named to the

Western Swing Music Society of the Southwest Hall of Fame in

2000.

The youngest surviving member of The Texas Playboys is Okla-

homa guitarist Joe Settlemires, who performs with The Former

Texas Playboys but maintains a regular job teaching music at the

University of Science and Arts, where he leads the popular USAO

Showband. A noted musician in his own right, Settlemires has

been inducted into four musical halls of fame, including three

western swing organizations. Settlemires arranges all the music

and directs the Showband with the assistance of his wife, Donna.

Settlemires began playing professionally at 14. He toured for

years with Bob Wills, Willie Nelson, Red Foley, Tex Ritter, and

many others. He has played behind Bob Hope, Della Reese,

Loretta Lynn, Harold Bradley, Howard Roberts, Pat Martino, and

his band was featured with the Oklahoma City Symphony. Set-

tlemires‟ students are associated with some of the biggest names

in music. He has taught at Oklahoma Christian University and has

been teaching since 2001 at the University of Science and Arts of

Oklahoma. In 2006, the Oklahoma Legislature recognized Joe for

50 years of leadership and service in the Oklahoma music indus-

try and education. He has two recent jazz albums out, “Canadian

Sunset” and “Sugarfoot Rag,” which features Vince Gill and Har-

old Bradley.

Settlemires‟ newest album, Joe Settlemires and Northfield Swing,

will be released later this year. It features Chickasha vocalist Kris-

ten Killion and singer Hank Adam Locklin. Settlemires plays every

year with The Former Texas Playboys at Bob Wills Days in Tur-

key, Texas.

Fiddle player Monte Gaylord is no stranger to Chickasha. A star

performer with Alan Jackson, Brooks and Dunn and others celeb-

rities, Gaylord performed with the USAO Showband during its

2006 spring concert. Video of the concert is available at usao.edu/

news in USAO TV under "Showband Spring Concert."

Gaylord's musical career started at age 18, but he started playing

at 4. Gaylord has played for three U.S. presidents, toured with the

9

band, Asleep At The Wheel, and was with Clint Black for seven

years. More recently, Gaylord has traveled the world playing with

the Franklin Graham Festivals in South America, Japan, China

and Korea. In Oklahoma, he was named the Oklahoma State

Fiddle Champion 15 times.

Pianist Wayne Glasson started playing piano by ear at age 7.

During his school years, he played for various school and com-

munity events along with his dad and other area musicians. He

was playing professionally at 18.

Glasson played the Longhorn Ballroom for Dewey Groom in the

1970s and became friends with many of the great western swing

musicians. Next he played for 20 years with the Texas Rhythm

Band. He has played for Steve Wariner, Louise Mandrel, Leon

Rausch, Frenchie Burk, Jeanne Pruitt, Gene Watson, the late

Gary Van, Gary Stewart, Johnny Paycheck, Freddie Fender, Del

Reeves and Boxcar Willie.

In 1996, Glasson joined a group of former Texas Playboys called

the Texas Playboy Reunion Band. Since April, 2000, Wayne has

been playing with the Former Texas Playboys at the Bob Wills

Days celebration in Turkey, Texas. Glasson has played for audi-

ences from the Cain‟s Ballroom in Tulsa to the Lincoln Center in

New York to the 2008 Presidential Ball in Washington DC. Glas-

son has been named to five different halls of fame for his musical

accomplishments.

The youngest member performer at the big Chickasha event is 26

-year-old drummer Chad Maines from Lubbock. He also plays

guitar, bass, mandolin and sings. Currently touring with three dif-

ferent groups -- the Texas Country Band, Brian Milson and the

Short Road Band, and a blues band, 108 E Broadway – Maines

travels constantly. His wildlife management degree will be used

“someday” he says, but for now music is his passion.

All-star musicians known together as The Former Texas Play-

boys will perform on Dec. 18 to raise money for scholarships at

the University of Science and Arts. The band features country-

swing-jazz legends, clockwise from top left, Bobby Koefer, Monte

Gaylord, Wayne Glasson, Joe Settlemires, Chuck Hays, Louise

Rowe and Chad Maines. Tickets are $75 to benefit the USAO

Foundation Scholarship Fund.

CONTACT ERIC FEUERBORN, News Bureau, 405-574-

1362, efeuerborn@usao.edu

RANDY TALLEY, Public Relations, 405-574-

1337, rtalley@usao.edu

Jacques Dufour

Rockin' Boy Saloon

Every Sunday on www.lyonpremiere.com

Pam Tillis/John Anderson - Life Has Sure

Changed Us Around

Paul Evans - It's All Or Nothin'

Stephanie Davis - Soon

Poker Alice - Switzerland-The Sun

Vince Gill - Little Brother

Michael O‟Neill - Hello Neighbor

Stephanie Raymond - Take My Hand

Lee Dinwoodie - Paycheck To Paycheck

Joe Nichols - She's All Lady

Dayna Lane - I'll Keep Believing

Perley Curtis - Just Another Trucker

Steve Holy - Might Have Been

Frank Fara - Charming Billy

Kata Hay - Along The Navajo Trail

Deborah Liv Johnson/Chuck Woller - Cold Blue Steel

Whiskey Jack - Tumblin' Tumbleweeds

Kelly Pickler - Best Days Of Your Life

Deanne Moore - How You Say Goodbye

Nicki Gillis - Remember Me

Point Of Grace - I Wish

Kevin Bickley - France-Respect Your Elders

Tennessee Stud-France-I'll Stay Me

Dagousket Ramblers-France-Si Si Si Senorita

Miss Lauren Marie-Cheaters Cheat

Rhythm Train-Switzerland-My Little Black Book

Dustbowl-Greece-Moonshine Jack

Jason Roos-Country Way Of Life

Jamie O'Neal-Soldier Coming Home

Merci pour l'écoute - Thanks for listening

country@lyonpremiere.info

Ken Bass - KALH - Variety 95.1

Serving

Alamogordo - La Luz - Holloman AFB &

Tularosa, NM

Liz Talley - You Can't Take The Texas Out Of Me

Red River Mudcats - Texas Eagle

Rhonda Vincent - Last Time Lovin' You

Johnny Lyon - Big City

Gringo Kings - Did I Go Crazy

Marcia Ball - Louella

JB & Moonshine Band - I'm Broke

Zona Jones - Day Off

Jack Blanchard and Misty Morgan - Shadows Of The Leaves

Josh Turner - Why Don't We Just Dance

Rio Grand - Painted Pony

Rex Foster - Slow Down (Texas Style)

J D Newbury - Beer Makes You Lean

Albert & Gage - Hell Or High Water

Curtis Potter - When The Neon Lights Come On

Manning-Dixon - Cold As Her Heart

Patty Parker - She Rode A Horse Called Buttermilk

Pat Jacobs & OTH Gang with PJ Babcock - I Can't Give You

Anything But Love

Dave Caley - Let's Chase Each Other Around The Room Tonight.

kalhlp@earthlink.net

10

LEESWINGS TOP CDs

Kountry Korral Magazine, Bennerstigen

120, Sala Sweden

CDs

01 - Bill Dessens - I´ve Waited A Lifetime

02 - Bonebrake Syncopators - That Da Da

Strain

03 - Deborah Liv Johnson & Chuck Woller - Desert Moon

04 - Gaylynn Robinson - Love & Heartache

05 - Heybale - The Last Country Album

06 - Jake Hooker - Lost Along The Way

07 - Kelli Grant - Swings & Sings

08 - Louise Rowe - My Time With Bob

09 - Seven Rowe Brothers Band - 70 Years Celebration

10 - Stardust Cowboys - Ridin´ Back To You

11 - Stephanie Davis - Western Bling

12 - Texas Swing Band - Welcome To Texas

SONGS

01 - Grits And Gravy Blues - Brady Bowen & Swing Country

02 - Hang Your Head In Shame - Texas Swing Band w/Jerome

Stubbs

03 - Honeysuckle Rose - Joaquin Murphey w/The Plainsmen

04 - I Still Cry - Louise Rowe

05 - Keeper Of The Flame - Gaylynn Robinson

06 - Mr. Record Man - Heybale w/Redd Volkaert

07 - Seven Come Eleven - Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys

08 - Silver Lake Blues - Bill Dessens

09 - Stranger - Elizabeth McQueen & Jason Roberts

10 - Talkin´`Bout You - Jake Hooker

11 - Talkin´`Bout You - Stephanie Davis

12 - Three Little Words - Bonebrake Syncopators

Around The Campfire Rather than list CD's this month, I thought I would list what I feel are 10 of the best single songs released in recent months. I hope you enjoy this list which is in no particular order: 1. Bronc To Breakfast - Tom Hiatt 2. There's A Rodeo Behind Us - Bill Barwick 3. The Adobe Walls - Gary S. Pratt

4. Never Come Again - Kerry Grombacher 5. Itty Bitty Outlaw - Cora Rose Wood 6. Used Rough - Dave Stamey 7. Drift Along, Lonely Cowboy - Don Edwards 8. Calloused Hands And A Soft Heart - Prickly Pair 9. Cookie, Cowboy Fortuneteller - Jennifer Lind 10. Cold Blue Steel - Deborah Liv Johnson

Marvin O'Dell

Around the Campfire HeartlandPublicRadio.org

News From BobWills.com

Hello again from down in Austin.

It makes me very pleased to say the recent

benefit for Louise Rowe was a roaring suc-

cess.

The big event was held in the legendary

Broken Spoke dance hall in South Austin on

November 3rd. Al Dressen did a great job of

organizing the show and Linda Branson took care of the silent

auction. Wow, what a lineup of talent graced the stage in the 4

hour show. Al did the first set with folks like Alvin Crow, Rick

McCrae, Danny Levin and Kaz Kazanoff in the band. The great

Herb Remington was there as well as my favorite piano player,

Floyd Domino. The talented Dick Gimble played a set with his

very talented daugh-

ter, Emily on the piano

and it was followed up

by a fine set with the

Billy Mata band. I was

the MC for the final set

with a great bunch to

back me up. Louise

didn‟t want to be left

out, so she played her

unique stand-up bass

for that show. We had

a who‟s who of fiddle

players show up and

play…Alvin Crow, Rick

McCrae, Elana James,

Howard Kalish and the

incredible youngster,

Ruby Jane. Lots of

good singers…Justin

Trevino, Bobby Flores,

Jerry Lightsey, Janet Lynn

and Louise‟s daughter, Marcy to name a few.

All in all, it was a great evening, for a great cause. Be sure and

include Louise in your prayers, she‟s a real trooper and will most

certainly beat these health problems.

Bob Wills Radio recently featured an interview I did years ago with

Bob‟s first girl singer, Laura Lee McBride. We have some great

guests scheduled in the weeks just ahead. Folks like Floyd Dom-

ino and Mary Ann Price. You‟ll also hear an interview with the

young fiddler from north Texas, Brady Bowen. So log in often and

tell your friends about Bob Wills.com. Happy Trails,

Jim Gough

jimgoughmrtexas@aol.com

Jim Gough

Real West from the Old West AM1230 KOTS Top 20 CDs in no particular order In My Spare Time Vol. 5 – Brady Bowen Gone For Colorado – Juni Fisher Festival Favorites – Bobby Flores

Ranch Life 101 – Prescott, Masterson & Hollenbeck This Is Tommy Duncan Vol. 1 – Billy Mata Appaloosa Moon – Tom Hiatt Songs Of Moon Mullican – Cornell Hurd Band Bar-D Roundup Vol. 4 Bar-D Roundup Vol. 3

Western Jazz – Tommy Thomsen & The Wills Point Playboys One Life To Live – Linda Lee Filener More Than Satisfied – Liz Talley You Are The Rose Of My Heart – Call Of The West Willie & The Wheel – Willie Nelson & Asleep At The Wheel Ridin‟ Back To You – Stardust Cowboys Timeless – The Quebe Sisters Band Last Of The Troubadours – Don Edwards Somewhere In Texas – Hank Stone The Sidekicks – Wendell Sollis & The Sidekicks Desert Moon – Chuck Woller & Deborah Liv Johnson

RealWestOldWest@live.com

11

Louise Rowe, Texas Playboy, Fundraiser

By Gaylynn Robinson

In light of current events, it's not sur-

prising some of us often reflect upon

the America of the past; when a hand

shake and your word meant some-

thing. Well, I am happy to report that

true American spirit was alive and well

at Louise Rowe‟s Medical Fundraiser.

On November 3, 2009, a gathering of

musicians and music lovers gathered

together under the roof of The Broken

Spoke in Austin Texas. Louise Rowe,

Texas Playboy, had a fundraiser and

friends, along with musicians came

together on her behalf.

The evening commenced with a bang when Louise's good friend

and former bandleader, Al Dressen revved up his Super Swing

Review Band featuring Herb Remington, Paul Glasse, Floyd

Domino, Janet Lynn, Danny Levin, Erik Hokkanen, Mark Kazan-

off, Brent Wilson, Neal Clausnitzer, Rick McRae and Alvin Crow.

The band provided some great music that set the tone for the rest

of the night.

Marshall Ford Swing Band followed with a heaping portion of

Gimble family genes. As bandleader Dick Gimble mused to the

crowd, "I grew up being known as Johnny Gimble's son and now I

am known as Emily Gimble's dad". Well, either way, Dick Gimble

is just about the smoothest bass player, fretless bass player that

is, that I have ever heard. Dick's daughter, and Johnny's grand-

daughter, Emily, exhibited her incredibly gifted music genes on

the 88's. Both Dad and daughter have superb vocals. Lead gui-

tar was more than adequately taken care of by guitar virtuoso

Rick McCrae. Herb Steiner added his steel licks to enhance the

brew. Fiddler and vocalist Elana James added even more stun-

ning vocals and riffs to the incredible set of songs. The young

drummer with this group was equally impressive. I was fortunate

enough to get to sing "Time Changes Everything" with them. It

was like driving a Cadillac; smooth and luxurious. Jerry Lightsey

added his stupendous vocals rounding out the set.

At that point, the evening seemed unbeatable. We could have all

packed up and gone home completely satisfied. Then something

supernatural transpired. A cool Texas breeze meandered threw

the place materializing nice looking gentlemen in Stetson Hats,

Western attire and cowboy boots. It was as if we had all been

transported back in time to a Bob Wills & The Texas Playboy

show circa 1953. Billy Mata and The Texas Tradition captured

the stage and blew everyone's mind. These guys blessed the

evening with some of the most phenomenal music I have heard in

a long time. Dick Gimble was a stand-in for Billy's bass player

who wasn‟t able to make the event. Billy and the boys exemplify

what it means to be Texan and I can't think of a more appropriate

name for those gentleman than, The Texas Tradition. They make

Texas proud. Billy's a one-of-a-kind artist. He and his band are

in perfect synch. The artistry of this band is beyond belief. They

don‟t just perform the songs they paint images with every note

they play. By the time Billy finished, the crowd had pretty much

reached Western Swing nirvana. Louise remarked to me it was

like listening to Bob Wills & the boys when she was playing with

them. I don‟t think Billy and The Texas Tradition could receive a

better compliment than that.

But the night had yet even more to offer. There is really no other

way to explain it but to say it was pure magic. A magic achieved

when the air is charged with positive and loving thoughts that give

way to an altruistic vibration that brings out the best in everyone.

The fantastic evening of extraordinary music made it impossible

for Louise to remain passive. It was inevitable she would join in

on stand-up bass.

To those who

know Louise, this

was predictable. A

real highlight of the

night was when

Louise‟s daughter

Marcy sang. She

made her mama

proud and rightly

so.

The evening‟s mu-

sical bliss rose in a

crescendo with an

all-star lineup of top musicians. Justin Trevino sang his heart out

and eloquently reminded everyone about the power of prayer. He

then followed up with an astounding rendition of "How Great Thou

Art” Little Liz Talley entertained the crowd with her swinging ver-

sion of “Roly Poly”. Gathered on stage was a powerhouse of top

gun players: Howard Kalish, Buddy Boehm, Elana James, Brent

Wilson, Jim Gough, Doug Davis, Billy Curtis, West Starr, John

Chandler, Terry Hale, Harold Pollard, Lonnie Atkinson, Jerome

Stubbs, and Ruby Jayne.

Then, like a bolt of lightening Bobby Flores transmuted the whole

event into another heighten state of musical nirvana when he took

control of the stage. With his soulful vocals and fiddle chops that

are second to none, Bobby tore down the house. When you have

three exceptional fiddlers like Bobby Flores, Howard Kalish, and

Elana James on stage together the joint starts smokin‟ baby and

that ain‟t no lie!

Thanks to everyone who made it out to support Louise. The audi-

ence yielded a who‟s who of leading Austin Talent with the likes of

Redd Volkaert and Cornell Hurd. Artists that couldn't be at the

event such as Bobby Koefer, Dale Watson, Cindy Cashdollar and

Bad Bob Rohan donated their music and items for the silent auc-

tion. Most of the artists participating at the event donated auction

items also. Strait Music reciprocated in turn for Louise's longtime

patronage by donating a guitar which everyone signed.

Linda Branson organized a successful silent auction and DJ, Ted

Branson did his best to promote the event. Last but not least, big

thanks to James & Annetta White for graciously opening the leg-

endary doors of The Broken Spoke for the event.

I guess with every fundraiser there's always a concern that you

could have raised more money. But one thing is certain, the out-

pouring of love and sup-

port shown for Texas

music legend, Louise

Rowe, was priceless. It

kind of makes one be-

lieve that real American

values; real Texas val-

ues, still exist. Did I

mention that true Ameri-

can spirit was alive and

well at The Broken

Spoke on Tuesday,

November 3, 2009? Well, it certainly was and if you missed it,

you missed something very special.

Love from Texas,

Gaylynn Robinson

infogaylynn@gvtc.com

Bob Wills & Louise Rowe

Louise and her stand-up bass

Louise & Al Dressen

12

A Prickly Situation By Julie Carter/ Cowgirl Sass & Savvy There he was, standing in all his glory, and his underwear, with his glow-in-the-dark white skin glaring in the late afternoon sun. His spindly cowboy legs were still in his boots and his hat and sunglasses were in their places. He was holding his

clothes in his right hand and a set of broken bridle reins in the other. His wife had been doing chores at home. That was the deal. With 23 head of horses on the place, give or take a few depending if anyone had hauled any off to the sale, or drug a few home, there was never any shortage of work to be done - feeding or riding. Each afternoon she takes on the feeding duty while he saddles up a young, green horse to put some miles on before sunset. It is a good life for them, but it also keeps any dull moments from finding their way to the ranch. The wife looked up from her work when a pretty bay Hancock filly came in a high lope up the road, still wearing a saddle but without the reins on the headstall and worse yet, without her rider. Trying not to let fear overcome her, the wife ignored the alarms going off in her heart and in her head. She and the ever-present dog jumped on the Polaris Ranger and zoomed off to find the missing cowboy on the mountain. Calling his name as she searched the hillsides, she soon heard him holler back at her. As she drove up on the scene, her first words were, "What in the hell are you doing?" This, by the way, is a phrase of standard dialogue if you are married to a cowboy and one that both parties will use with wild abandon. There is no good answer to that question in a situation like this, but the cowboy gave it his best effort. "The filly spooked and when she jumped, I hung a spur in her accidentally," he said "She really went to bucking, and was really getting with it. Then all of a sudden, a rein snapped. I tried to pull her around with the other rein to get her stopped," he said. "But it broke, too. Then she was really getting with it and well, she just flat bucked me off." His wife was obviously concerned for him, as he wasn't a kid any-more and those hard landings take their toll. However, she was somewhat more concerned about why he was standing there on the hillside half naked. Asking about the obvious seemed called for. "So why are you walking home naked?" "She bucked me off in a prickly pear cactus," he said as he turned to reveal millions of cactus spears sticking in the backside of his body. It took his wife and daughter the better part of six hours to tweeze the cactus spines out of his back, arm, leg, head and other assorted assaulted spots. The pain finally did subside. However, the humiliation of his plight over those broken bridle reins will last for as long as anyone remembers the story. I'm just doing my part. Julie can be reached for comment at jcarter@tularosa.net

Country Music Superstar Johnny Rodriguez The Llano Country Opry will be staged on Saturday, November 14, at the Lantex Theater in downtown Llano. The show begins at 7:30 PM. Tickets are $15.00 per per-son and are available at the Llano Chamber of Com-merce, Llano National Bank, Lively Computers in Kings-land or KNEL radio in Brady. Call (325) 247-5354 for tick-ets. Country Music Superstar Johnny Rodriguez will headline the Llano Country Opry. Rodri-guez makes a return appearance after selling out the show in

2008. Juan Raul Davis Rodriguez was born December 10, 1951, in Sa-binal, Texas . Rodriguez grew up with a large family living in a shanty town 90 miles from the Mexican border. He was given a guitar when he was seven and, as a teenager, he sang with a beat group. His troubles with the law included goat rustling (he barbecued the goats). A Texas ranger, who heard him singing in his cell, found him a job at the Alamo village and he drove stagecoaches, rode horses and entertained tourists. Tom T. Hall recognized his talent and em-ployed him as lead guitarist with his road band, the Storytellers. Rodriguez was signed to Mercury Records, who particularly liked the way he could switch from English to Spanish. Rodriguez went to number 9 in the US country chart with his first release, "Pass Me By," in 1972 and he then had three consecutive number 1 records, "You Always Come Back (To Hurting Me)," "Riding My Thumb To Mexico" and "That's The Way Love Goes." He wrote many of his songs and occasionally wrote with Hall. In 1975, Rodriguez had more number 1 country records with "I Just Can't Get Her Out Of My Mind," "Just Get Up And Close The Door" and "Love Put A Song In My Heart." In 1977, he had a Top 10 country hit with a revival of the Eagles' "Desperado." He moved to Epic Records in 1979 and found success with "I Hate The Way I Love It," with newcomer Charly McClain. Rodriguez moved to Capitol Records in 1988 and had a country hit with a classy ballad, "I Didn't (Every Chance I Had)." He then had a fur-ther four minor hits with Capitol over a two-year period; "I Wanta Make Up With You," "You Might Want To Use Me Again," "No Chance To Dance" and "Back To Stay." Rodriguez‟s 1994 album, “Run For The Border”, was filled with songs of desperation - a few new and some re workings of his former big hits. He was involved in a fatal shooting in August 1998, when Israel Borrego was shot by Rodriguez in South Texas. The shooting was declared as “self defense” and Rodriguez was acquitted. Rodriguez is working on another comeback. He just recorded a new album with Johnny Bush for Heart of Texas Records in Brady. The album titled “Texas Legends” puts the two legendary Country Music entertainers together for the first time on a project. Willie‟s Place on XM Radio is currently using the project in heavy rotation due to the initial response that they have received from “Texas Legends.” “I am looking forward to coming back to Llano,” Rodriguez said. “This is actually my fourth appearance working for the Llano Country Opry. We always enjoy the great folks there...and the great bar-b-que!” Other entertainers on the show will include Jade Cienega, Rance Norton, Kimberley Murray, Allison Crowson Collins, Kelly Weier-shausen, Justin Trevino, Bode Barker, Sammy Geistweidt, Shane Lively, Don Ricketson and Bucille Snotgrass. Tracy Pitcox will MC the shows. For more information about the Llano, Marble Falls or Mason Country Opry shows, log on to

www.heartoftexascountry.com.

All Things Country Top 10 CDs

Rowena Muldavin 1. Ron Williams - The Longer You're Gone 2. Teri Joyce - Kitchen Radio 3. James Hand - Shadow On The Ground 4. Starline Rhythm Boys - Masquerade For Heartache 5. Liz Talley - More Than Satisfied

6. Tony Booth - The Essential Tony Booth 7. The Silver Screen Cowboy Project 8. Vance Lane - Texas Two Step 9. Cornell Hurd - Songs of Moon Mullican 10. Dale Watson - Truckin' Sessions, Vol. 2

rowena@hpr.org

13

Cade’s Cadence (Watch yer step!)

In the name of Fairness

Earlier this year my 5 year daughter

attended cheerleading camp at the

Sealy High School. She had been looking forward to it for awhile

but after the first day she was a little disheartened. “Did you not

have fun?” I asked her. “Yes,” she replied, “but I didn‟t get a spirit

stick.” The next day I picked her up and got there in time to watch

and saw what the big deal was; at the end of the day all the kids

would sit down on the floor and the cheerleaders would announce

who had showed them the most spirit that day and then would

hand out spirit sticks. Everyone would clap and the child, beaming

with pride, would take their spirit stick and sit back down. Well

once again my little girl didn‟t get a spirit stick and I could see it

was starting to get to her. I encouraged her though and said “You

just have to try harder and show them that you have spirit.” Well

on day three I picked her up and still no spirit stick and on the ride

home she broke out into tears, she tends to take things to heart a

trait my wife says she gets from me. “There‟s still tomorrow,” I told

her, “I‟m sure you will get one.” “No I won‟t,” she said “Everyone

has gotten one but me and I was trying my hardest today!” “Well,”

I told her, “I bet they are saving the best for last. Try hard again

tomorrow and you will get one.” Now I didn‟t know for a fact if all

the kids received one or not but I sure was hoping and on day

four, the last day, she received one and boy was she proud.

At what age do we allow our kids to taste failure? Should we shel-

ter them for the first four or five years of their life or should we

expose them and let them begin to form calluses? I myself would

like to shelter my kids as long as I can but I also know that the

world can be a cruel and cold place and I want them to be thick

skinned and tough enough to be able to walk through the briar

patches of life when they have to. I‟m all for fairness and I think

we should keep things pretty fair for our young ones. We certainly

don‟t want them to get discouraged but I am sometimes con-

cerned that we may be starting to lose our competitive edge “In

the Name of Fairness.”

If the winner of the race receives a trophy does that also mean

the last place finisher should receive a trophy as well? Some may

say, “Well, we have to be fair to everyone.” But if we do that we

are actually being unfair...unfair to the winner and unfair to the

loser? Now I understand that some people are blessed with more

talent than others which gives them an advantage but talent alone

won‟t take you to the winners circle. Anybody who has competed

in sports knows this. Take Tuff Hedeman for example. Tuff wasn‟t

the most talented bull rider going down the road and he‟ll tell you

that himself. Tuff did however try harder than anybody else. In his

career Tuff rode some of the rankest bulls that ever chewed cud

and has four world championship buckles to prove it, three PRCA

and one PBR. I think, “In the Name of Fairness,” everybody

should have their chance. That is the American dream is it

not? We can‟t however constantly be stopping the game to read-

just the rules or the score “In the Name of Fairness.”

This also speaks to state this country is in right now. Do we take

the dollar from the feller who has worked hard to earn it and share

with the one who has not? I think Adrian Rogers a prominent

Southern Baptist pastor, conservative and author said it best.

“You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the

wealthy out of prosperity. What one person receives without work-

ing for, another person must work for without receiving. The gov-

ernment cannot give to anybody anything that the government

does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people

get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half

is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the

idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going

to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is the beginning

of the end of any nation.”

I guess for me it‟s a matter of simple math you can‟t multiply any-

thing by dividing it whether that be money, talent or “These United

States.”

cade@cadeschallacowboypoetry.com

Texas County Line TV

show expands coverage in

East Texas

The weekly Country Music tele-

vision show, Texas County

Line, today announced ex-

panded coverage in the East Texas area. Beginning on Novem-

ber 7th, the program will be aired each Saturday at 6pm on KYTX

TV, the CBS affiliate Channel 19. It will also continued to be aired

on MYTX TV Channel 18, but will move to 3:30pm Sundays. CBS

19 is seen in more than 500,000 households in East Texas on

Cable, Dish Network and DirecTV.

The show features Traditional Country, Western Swing and Cajun

Music performed at venues from throughout Texas. Nationally-

known artists, including; Ray Price, Willie Nelson, Gene Watson,

Bill Anderson, Bob Wills‟ Texas Playboys and others have been

featured. Many locally-known singers and bands have also been

included.

The program is hosted by actor Emmy-nominated actor Brad

Maule. Mr. Maule appeared as “Dr. Tony Jones” on General Hos-

pital for 22 years. He was also featured for a number of years as

Ashley Simpson‟s father on Seventh Heaven.

Mr. Maule is currently a member of the faculty at Stephen F. Aus-

tin University in Nacogdoches. “We‟re trying to do our part to keep

this wonderful music alive. For the most-part, you don‟t hear or

see what we call „Classic Country‟ on many radio or TV shows

these days. Our audience response has been amazing, which

tells us that there are lots of folks out there who still want to hear

and see what we‟re offering,” Maule said.

Texas County Line is also carried on U.S. stations and cable sys-

tems in Nashville, Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Waco, Temple

and Dallas-Fort Worth.

Beginning in early 2010, the show will air overseas in; Germany,

Northern Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Lichtenstein,

Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia,

Montenegro, Kosovo, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France,

Spain, Italy and Poland

For more information, please visit www.TexasCountyLine.tv or

phone the Nacogdoches headquarters for Texas County Line Pro-

ductions, Inc., at 936.569.8650.

www.TexasCountyLine.tv

We look forward to seeing you at the

Western Music Association Showcase and Awards Show

Albuquerque, NM, Nov. 11-22

14

News From the Back Porch

INTERNET RADIO??? You've got to

be kidding! More fun than a fifty

gallon drum of drunken monkeys!

Howdy Buckaroos and Bucka-

rettes! Me and Tamara are comin‟

at ya LIVE from sparklin‟ downtown

San Augustine, Texas each and

every week on Monday, Wednesday

& Friday nights 7 til 9 pm CST and

we do it all through the magic wand of the INTER-

NET! Whoa....wait just a doggone minute there, Ralph! The

INTERNET, you say? Yep, your computer. Your laptop. That box

you have in your home or haul around in your truck, you know?

The computer you play solitaire on and keep track of the feed bills

with.

Well, now you can also listen to some of the finest WESTERN/

COWBOY, WESTERN SWING & TEXAS HONKY-TONK MUSIC

on the PLANET with the computer! How? Well, gosh, its as sim-

ple as a commode lid!

Just LOG ON, go to, click on, browse this website and you will get

WESTERN music as if by magic! www.blogtalkradio.com/

ralphsbackporch

It's like turning a dial on an old timey radio. We step back in time

to where there are NO rules, no right and wrong way, we're live

so...if we mess up, you hear it on the air, and best of all, WEST-

ERN STARS sit down with us via the telephone and clue us in on

all the good stuff happening in their lives just like we were all sit-

tin‟ around on the back porch sippin‟ iced tea and playing music.

Whoooo-eeeeeeeeeee, it don‟t get much better than that, does it?

Western music, cowboy poetry, some joke tellin‟, and GOOD RA-

DIO!

So, pardners, come in from the cold and sit back, relax and LOG

ON to the....INTERNET for your weekly does of Western music

and talk!

Thanks and we'll see y‟all on the net!

Back Porch Picks in no particular order!

1. Paul Bogart - The Cowboy Way

2. Kail Mantle - No Mares

3. Richard Lee Cody/Mary Kaye Knaphus - It's Been Awhile

4. Tim Hus - Cattlerack Cowboy

5. Mack Abernathy - Pocket Rocket Ranger

6. AW Love - West Texas Dreams

7. Kevin Davis - When they Call out my Name

8. Jimmy Permenter & The Burning Timbres - Bull Dressed as a

Cowboy

9. The Stringbenders - Tonight We Ride

10. Allan Chapman - Gardens of Gethsemane

Thanks Y‟all and be sure to join us on the INTERNET for the

Ralphs Back Porch Radio Show!

tamaraboatright@hotmail.com

The messenger…Rhonda Craig

from Enid, OK

November 09

Why do I love to dance?

I love to dance…but why do I love to

dance?

Why do we want to get up and move to

the music when we hear it?

Because our creator made us that way

folks!

The bible teaches that dancing is to wor-

ship God, celebrate life, good fortune, and victories! Are those not

terrific reasons to dance? (There are book chapter and verses for

these if you need them) And to think…I almost missed out on one

of the biggest blessings God has provided for us…DANCING.

How did I almost miss out on the blessing of dancing?

Well, I grew up in a small town in OK where we attended a tiny

little church. We didn‟t have a preacher, couldn‟t afford to pay one,

so men of the congregation took turns teaching a bible lesson on

Sunday mornings.

Friday nights at the Hut

But on Friday night in our little town everyone took their kids and

went to the American Legion Hut where we danced into the night

to a band, consisting of a fiddle, guitar and a stand up bass. The

older gentlemen danced with the little girls and patiently taught

them how to dance while the women danced with the little boys

doing the same. Everyone danced with each other 2-stepping,

waltzing and jitterbugging. At some point during the evening „a

square‟ would be called to which my mother would be delighted.

She loved to square dance.

When the kids got tired we went to sleep in the corner on all the

piled up coats.

I loved Friday nights. It was so much fun for the whole family.

My mother loved Friday nights. It was her night to let the worries

and cares that poverty creates melt away.

Friday night’s dancing condemned

I remember well when the Revival Meeting was launched for our

little church by a preacher in a near-by town. It was his mission to

badbob1026@aol.com

15

set our feet on the straight and narrow path and away from of the

American Legion Hut. First on the list, we needed to be taught the

EVILS of dancing. Most of the membership engaged in the Friday

night community dance. There was no alcohol…at least none in

sight, so the problem was not the place where we were dancing…

it was the DANCING itself.

Tobe, my Sunday school teacher was particularly targeted be-

cause he took the tickets at the door of the dance and helped run

it. Tobe refused to buy into the teaching about dancing being sin-

ful…so after he had been inundated with much preaching, brow

beating, and threatening (which did not deter him from his Friday

night dancing activities) the new preacher instructed the congre-

gation that fellowship must be withdrawn from Tobe. No one was

to have anything to do with him. He was actually being thrown

out! And…they did it!

Mother stopped...or did she?

My mother was aghast but had no say in the matter. Seeing what

happened to him, stopped the Friday night dance outings at our

house…after all mother didn‟t want her children to be led astray

by this DANCING or ostracized as was Tobe. Mother stopped

dancing at the American Legion Hut but she never stopped danc-

ing. Her new dance hall was our kitchen, dancing to the music of

Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys who were broadcast daily at

noon when we were home from school to eat lunch. I loved to

watch my mother laugh and smile, doing her jig in the kitchen to

“Take Me Back to Tulsa.”

I stopped …or did I?

Not surprising, I too bought into the „dancing is a sin‟ teaching for

many years.

I slipped around, as kids will, in high school and danced because

my friends did. I still loved to dance and missed it. I married a

man who didn‟t dance for the same reasons. We certainly didn‟t

want our children to be led astray so never allowed them to dance

either.

I Saw the light

Thirty years later, after extensive bible study and soul searching, I

made a difficult decision to refute the teachings of the religious

zealots who had put man made constraints on dancing, labeling it

as sin. I came to believe their teaching to be contrary to what the

bible actually had to say about dancing!

Mother’s Blessing

Mother was in very ill health but still alive when I boldly pro-

claimed that we were going to take dance lessons. She said

“Rhonda, if I had not stopped dancing I would not be sick today.

You go dance and don‟t stop. Don‟t worry about how well you

dance. The folks on the dance floor don‟t care how you are danc-

ing. The ones sitting down can‟t do that dance or they wouldn‟t be

sitting down. So you go dance like no one is watching and have

fun”. Mother didn‟t know it but her words were my final emancipa-

tion..

Dancing... Again

It was like we were dating again when we started going dancing.

We had new life.

Free at last…free at last …Thank God almighty I‟m free at last…

My husband and I started dancing and have not stopped for al-

most 20 years! I know my mother is pleased that I have been

reunited with the music, western swing, and the dancing, that

brought her so much pleasure.

What a blessing dancing has been… and I almost missed

it.

The elixir of life…that‟s dancing & Western Swing music (second

only to coffee)!

In fact, I have asked my husband to promise, if the Dr. tells him I

have died, to run get the recording of „Big Ball‟s in Cowtown‟ and

play it immediately in my presence. If my feet don‟t twitch then go

ahead and bury me because I really am dead!

My wish for you

In this life, when you get the choice to sit it out or dance…I hope

you dance!

Serving with joy,

The messenger….Rhonda

rhondacraig@suddenlink.net

Rick Huff’s - Best Of The West Reviews

The Old West Trio "Ridin' Back To Yesterday"

On their ride back to yesterday, this group still

manages to take enough "today" with them to

keep it jazzy, frisky and smile-makin' !!

The Old West Trio is made up of Steve ("SW")

Johnson on vocals & lead guitar, Steve ("SK") Ide on vocals and

rhythm guitar and Leslie (no intials they've confessed to) Ide on

vocals and upright bass. They are augmented on various tracks

by Thom Bentley (guitar/mandolin), Carl Finnegan (guitar), Jim

Donnell (mandolin), Ronnie Elkan (fiddle) and Blackwood Tom

Schmidt (clarinet). This latter artist's performance on the song

"He's A Cowboy" is reminiscent of Larry McWhorter's work on

R.W. Hampton's original "Travelin' Light." In fact much of the ar-

ranging and composing of the 14 original works here seem crafted

to instill a comfortable familiar feel.

Picks include the title track

about giving up city battles for

boots and saddles, "Cowboy

School" (on-the-job reining),

"Coyote Serenade" (coyotes,

three part harmony, you get it),

"Dance Hall Annie" (with a

different outcome from the

bulk of the type) and "I Want

To Live Out West" (obviously

inspired by the famous Roy

Rogers/Sons Of The Pioneers yodel treatment of "Texas Plains").

There is one song here ("Quick Nick") that some may find a tad

indelicate, but lighten up! It's still fun!

A good test of Western Music prowess is taking themes that have

been written to death and giving them a fresh spin. These folks

manage it throughout for a very enjoyable ride.

CDs: $10 plus $2 s/h through www.oldwesttrio.com or from Old

West Trio, 6281 Pikes Peak Circle, Garden Valley, CA 95633

Email info@oldwesttrio.com and phone (530) 642-2280

- Rick Huff

bestofthewest@swpc.com

Join Joe Baker and the Backforty Bunkhouse Radio Show Saturday morning from 6:00 AM til 10:AM

KWMW 105.1 Or on the net at BackfortyBunkhouse.com

With the best in Western Music!

16

Tri-Son News

Biggest Little News Sheet In Country Music (Since 1963) • November 2009 Issue

_________________________________________________________________________________

Loudilla and Kay Johnson • P.O. Box 40328 • Nashville, TN 37204 • Ph. 615-371-9596

_________________________________________________________________________________

Tootsie Bess, Charlie Daniels, Ernest Tubb, Dolly Parton, and Kid Rock will be added to The Music City Walk of Fame Nov. 8 in downtown

Nashville. The ceremony, sponsored by Great American Country (GAC), is free and open to the public. The Music City Walk of Fame is an

official project of Music City, Inc., the charitable foundation of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau (NCVB), and is produced with the

support of presenting sponsor Gibson Guitar and sponsors GAC, the City of Nashville, and Metro Parks.

The lineup for The 43rd Annual CMA Awards grew even stronger with the addition this week of Martina McBride, Kid Rock, and Jamey John-

son. The Judds, Kris Kristofferson, and Lee Ann Womack are in as presenters. Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood will host the show live

from Nashville, Nov. 11 on ABC.

Toby Keith took America by storm with the No. 1 debut of his new CD, “American Ride,” on Billboard’s Top Country Albums Chart . two

weeks on Billboard's and Country Aircheck/Mediabase's single charts with the title track.

Keith’s America's Toughest Tour presented by Ford F Series marked the ninth straight year the hard-touring artist crosses the one million ticket

threshold. His recent performance at Lucas Oil Stadium (home field of the NFL's Colts) in Indianapolis to kick off the 82nd National FFA Con-

vention sold out , smashing previous FFA attendance records by more than 7,000 tickets.

Earlier this year Keith made his annual visit overseas to forward operating bases in Iraq and Afghanistan, performing for U.S. troops as part of

his seventh consecutive USO Tour. So while Keith is no stranger to world travel, the tour this month is his first foray into Europe as a touring act.

Promoted by Live Nation International, concerts kicked off Nov. 9 in Scotland, and continues through Northern Europe, ending Nov. 22 in Nor-

way.

On Dec. 11 Keith returns to the Spektrum arena in Oslo to join an elite group of artists performing at the 16th Annual Nobel Peace Prize Con-

cert. The performances will be broadcast to a worldwide audience.

Kenny Rogers will launch his 28th annual Christmas & Hits Tour Nov. 27 in Bossier City, LA. The 20-city tour, with guest, Rebecca Lynn

Howard, will wrap Dec. 23 in Westbury, NY and is sponsored by World Vision, the Christian humanitarian organization working in nearly 100

countries to serve the poor and those in need.

News Briefs: Billy Currington will perform during the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. The Today Show's Matt

Lauer, Meredith Vieira, and Al Roker will co-host the NBC broadcast. ••• Thea Tippin‟s 14-song CD, My Way, will be available Nov. 12. The

Nippit Records CD includes guest vocals from Billy Dean and Aaron Tippin. ••• Joe Diffie releases his first-ever live album, Live at Billy Bob‟s

Texas Nov. 17. ••• Kitty Wells and Johnny Wright celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary Oct. 31. ••• John Rich will serve as Grand Mar-

shal for the annual Nashville Christmas Parade Dec. 4. The parade, sponsored by Piedmont Gas, benefits their Share the Warmth Round Up

program. ••• Lorrie Morgan's new CD, "A Moment In Time" (released 10/27), is a collection of classics such as “If You’ve Got Leavin’ On

Your Mind” and includes duets with Tracy Lawrence -“After The Fire is Gone” and Raul Malo -“Easy Lovin’. Morgan heads to Broadway in

January to begin rehearsals for her starring role in the stage adaptation of “Pure Country.”

Brad Paisley‟s American Saturday Night tour wrapped its first leg of dates last month, having played to more than 1.2 million fans in over 75

markets with and 51 sell outs. Paisley presented the one millionth ticket holder with a 2009 Chevy Silverado a few weeks ago in Jacksonville, FL.

Dierks Bentley and Jimmy Wayne were guests on the tour. The final leg of the American Saturday Night tour kicks off Jan. 7 in San Antonio with

Miranda Lambert and Justin Moore as special guests.

Rascal Flatts wrapped the first leg of their American Living Unstoppable Tour last weekend selling 550,000 tickets in 39 shows since it began in

June. From January of this year, the band has sold over a million concert tickets, bringing their 4 year total to just over 4 million tickets sold. Next

up for the group are nominations for Group of the Year at the CMA Awards (Nov.11) and Country Group of the Year and Country Album of the

Year at the American Music Awards (Nov. 22 on ABC). Their newest CD Unstoppable has been certified platinum for sales in excess of 1 mil-

lion.

Old Things New, the new CD from Joe Nichols, is scoring some very high marks with music critics and was this week's highest new CD debut on

the country music charts. Additionally, Nichols just filmed his first ever live performance music video in San Antonio, TX in front of a packed

house at Cowboys. (Expect to see the video by Thanksgiving.)

"Gimmie That Girl," the second single from Old Things New is already one of the fastest moving singles in Nichols’ career. After only three

weeks, it is in the 30's on the country music charts and also gave Nichols his best first week sales for a single of his career.

Nichols will be featured in a documentary titled "Joe Nichols: My Military Diary," set to premiere on Great American Country (GAC) Sunday

Nov. 8. The 30-minute special is an up close and behind the scenes look at his recent trip to Kuwait and Iraq, where he met and performed for thou-

sands of American troops stationed in the countries.

Music industry veteran, Howard Fields, and veteran publisher, Everett Zinn, announce the launch of a new independent music company based in

Nashville, McMurry Entertainment Group (MEG). MEG, a three-way partnership between Fields, Zinn and Wyoming businesswoman Doris

McMurry, is comprised of a record label and management company. In the works are a distribution deal and artist signings to be announced in the

coming weeks. Larry Shell, will head up MEG’s A & R efforts. Most recently, Shell was V.P./A&R at Broken Bow Records. Also a talented

songwriter, Shell won the coveted CMA Song of the Year in 2001 for “Murder on Music Row,” co-written with Larry Cordle. Veteran music

industry publicist, Claire Cook, will oversee publicity for the new company and consult on public relations and marketing efforts. Cook’s career

includes stints at EMI America, Capitol Records, Magnatone Records and Dreamcatcher Entertainment.

Life Notes: Famed talent and booking agent Billy Deaton (74) passed away Oct. 31 after a lengthy illness. In 1969, following a brief career as a

recording artist, "The Deacon" moved to Nashville at the urging of his friend, Faron Young. He established The Deaton Agency, and struck a

professional partnership with Young which continued for nearly three decades, until Young's death in 1996. Throughout his thirty years in busi-

ness, Deaton worked in various capacities with Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Mel Tillis, Bill Anderson and Tom T. Hall. He wrote or co-wrote

a number of hit songs: with Doug Kershaw-"Louisiana Man", recorded by everyone from Kershaw, Buck Owens and Johnny Cash to Connie

Smith and Bobbie Gentry. With Faron Young - the title track for Young’s 1970 release, "Wine Me Up", which Tanya Tucker also covered on

her latest CD, My Turn. Deaton is survived by son, David Deaton and David's mother, Barbara Deaton Von-Haberstroh. Visitation/Funeral

17

services were held Friday, Nov. 6 in Nashville.

EVENTS Calendar 2009-2010:

• Nov. 10 - 57th BMI Country Awards (Invitation Only) - Nashville

• Nov. 11 - 43rd Annual CMA Awards - Nashville (ABC TV)

• Nov. 23 - Charlie Daniels' Christmas For Kids - Nashville

• Jan 31 - 52nd Annual Grammy Awards - Los Angeles (CBS TV)

• Feb. 24-26 - Country Radio Seminar 41 - Nashville

• Jun. 10-13 - CMA Music Festival - Nashville

These events and more are listed on our LINKS page! www.ifco.org/

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Tri-Son News • Annual Subscription $25 (U.S. Funds) • Distributed electronically to subscribers worldwide and

updated on www.ifco.org (Online subscription form available.)

Publisher's Note...

Thanks to Loudilla and Kay Johnson for allowing us to include this issue of the Tri-Son News. We at Backforty Bunkhouse

Productions salute Loudilla and Kay and their late sister Loretta for 46 years of bringing country music news to the world.

- Joe Baker

"Who are these outlaws?" Name the Boys and the Band. Circa 1983. The first correct answer wins a CD Six Pack. Email your answer to Joe@backfortybunkhouse.com

18

Andy and Jim Nelson’s C. O. W. Radio

4 -Week Playlist 10/31/09, Kids Show

Buck Howdy: Baa, Neigh, Cock a doodle doo The Texas Trailhands: In The Moo Roy Rogers/Dale Evans: Happy Trails Ben Crane: Lucky Cora Wood: Chester Cora Wood: Cowboy Sweetheart 10/24/09, Joke Show New West: Backing to Birmingham Dave Stamey: Used Rough Homer & Jethro: I'm My Own Grandpa Prickly Pair: The Big Food Chain Yvonne Hollenbeck: What Would Martha Do Gary McMahan: Beer Can Bob 10/17/09, Hunting Show Laughing Hyena Band: Manly Hunting Men Laughing Hyena Band: Da Turdy Point Buck ABC Orchestra: The Rifleman Laughing Hyena Band: Second Week Of Deer Camp Baxter Black: Wilderness Wall Laughing Hyena Band: Something To Shoot 10/10/09, What Would a Cowboy Do? Riders in the Sky: The Trail Tip Song Terri Taylor: Cowgirl Attitude Rex Allen: The Last Roundup Carin Mari and Pony Express: Cowboy And Rodeos Dick Morton: Cattleman's Prayer Brenn Hill: What a Man's Got To Do 10/3/09, Spanish Mustangs Book Review D.W. Groethe: Hard, Wild And Free Western Underground: Think About Rain Hank Snow: Wayward Wind Cowboy Celtic: Custer Died A Runnin' Ray Owens: Tracks That Won't Blow Out Fred Wolking: A Couple More Years

cowboypoet@wyoming.com

Billy Deaton

Country Music Talent

Booker and long time

manager of Faron Young,

Billy Deaton passed away

last night after a lengthy illness.

The recipient of an AIRA (Academy of Independent Recording

Artists) Award as Booking Agent of the Decade, Deaton played an

essential role in the success of late country singer Faron Young,

with whom he worked for more than a quarter of a century.

Deaton was born in the outskirts of Ruleville, MS. Together with

his parents, brothers, and sisters, he worked in the fields until

securing a job as a janitor and projector operator for the Delta

Theater in Ruleville, at the age of 15. Despite working long hours,

he served as president of the class of 1953 at Ruleville High

School.

Deaton's involvement with music began while serving in the U.S.

Air Force. After spending time at the Lackland Air Force base in

San Antonio, TX, he was transferred to a base in Iceland. The

move turned out to be the turning point in his life. In addition to

becoming a disc jockey for the Armed Forces Radio Network, he

formed a band to play at military clubs.

After being discharged from the Air Force, Deaton remained ac-

tive in radio, selling ads and hosting a show for KMAC. Returning

to San Antonio in 1959, Deaton was introduced to country music

by vocalist Charley Walker who later became a member of the

Grand Ole Opry. After recording several regional hits for the San

Antonio-based TNT label, Deaton became the first country artist

signed by Chicago-based Smash Records.

Launching a career as a booking agent, Deaton found financial

success by securing appearances for numerous local bands while

bringing many Nashville entertainers to Texas, including Loretta

Lynn, Kitty Wells, Charley Pride, Billy Walker, Ferlin Husky and

Webb Pierce.

Moving to Nashville in 1969 to serve as manager for Faron

Young, he worked with the country artist until Young's death in

1996. He continued to operate his talent agency after that time

primarily working with the more mature country music entertain-

ers. His slogan was "One Call Gets Them All."

On a personal note. After conducting an interview with Billy at his

office in Nashville a few years ago, Justin Trevino and I were pre-

paring to leave. I remarked to Billy that I appreciated the opportu-

nity to book Justin Tubb through him for Justin's first appearance

in Brady, Texas. I relayed that from that initial booking, I was able

to secure many dates for Justin in Texas throughout the years and

that I appreciated that first booking date. He looked up at me and

said in a voice that seemed to come from somewhere else,

"Tracy, God put me on this earth to help people like you."

He was right. He was also one of a kind.

Tracy Pitcox

www.heartoftexascountry.com

Bowie TX: Silver Strings Entertainment Center, a not-for-profit organiza-tion has been hiring bands since the summer, and we are booked every Saturday night through January, 2010. Additionally, we have had the same band on Monday night for the past sixteen years (Archie Fulton & The Texhoma Express), and plan to continue that dance. We are on the lookout for some good bands that can work very reasonably until we are well established and get some money in the bank! So if you know of ones that need a boost and want to grow with us, or simply want to help us out, please feel free to give them my con-tact information. Silver Strings has the best dance floor…a nice old wood floor that can accommodate 150-200 dancers. We happily extend everyone an invitation to visit us any time you can. Silver Strings is located at 500 Smythe Street, Bowie, Texas.

Joye Thompson (940) 692-8699 (940) 631-5303