wheeling jamboree

Summer 2013 | The Cat Country Network | Country Legends Magazine 3

About the Cover:

The cover designed by Sharon Liguori,features a photo of Hank Williams fromthe personal collection of Ed Guy. If there were a Mt. Rushmore ofCountry Music, who should be on it?

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Publisher/Editor:Chris Lash

Staff Writers:Michael J. Daniels, Uncle Johnny,

Dave Heath, Ed Guy

Photographs:Personal Collection of Ed Guy

(Hank Williams photos)

Designer:Sharon Liguori

KD and Associates

For Input and Advertising: 24 Angela Drive

Palm Coast, FL 32164Email: [email protected],

Phone: 724-516-8885Website: www.catcountry.org

5 Hank and the Billboard ChartsEach month we'll feature a story about the legendary Hank Williams Sr. This month we look at his country chart successes.

6 The Mount Rushmore of Country, Let’s DebateHank Williams takes his place on our imaginary mountain, but who elsebelongs there?

9 Cowbells, 5,000 watts and Brad PaisleyThe start of a series on live country music radio shows, focusing on theWheeling Jamboree, in Wheeling, WV.

10 Retired and UnretiredWe showcase Alabama, and George Strait. And remember George Jones at the same time.

12 Rowdy YatesOne of country radio's top disc jockeys returns to host the show he created!

13 Cat Country Radio Network LaunchesA radio guy tries to retire, and can't. The network fuels his passion.

14 A Tribute to George JonesThe Possum died in April, we remember his entire career.

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TABLE OF � CONTENTS

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Summer 2013 � Premier Edition

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Hank Williams established an amazing 41 songs on the Billboard Charts.He wrote 25 of the songs and co-wrote another five. Others, including hismentor Fred Rose, wrote 11 of the remaining songs. The performance crediton all by one of Hank’s MGM Records was Hank Williams and His DriftingCowboys. One of the “Non-Session” songs, “Please Don’t Let Me Love You”,which charted in 1955 was credited to Hank Williams and His Guita.

The Sterling Record’s issue of “Never Again” was listed as “HankWilliams and The Country Boys, but was changed to Drifting Cowboys whenit was re-issued by MGM.

From 1947 until January 1953, MGM, in keeping with industry practices,designated the most promising song on the “A” side, while relegating the“weaker” song to the “B” side. 24 of these charted songs were “A” sides and11 were “B” sides. MGM 10461 (Kaw-Liga & Your Cheatin’ Heart) was thelast recording of Hank’s to indicate “A” and “B” sides. It is interesting to con-sider some of Hank’s “weaker” songs that became “B” Sides including someof his classic songs: “Cold, Cold Heart”, “I Can’t Help It”, and “Your Cheatin’Heart”!

Ten MGM Records by Hank became two-sided hits. These included: • “Lovesick Blues”/”Never Again”• “Lost Highway”/“You’re Gonna Change”• “Long Gone Lonesome Blues”/”My Son Calls Another Man Daddy”

• “They’ll Never Take Her Love From Me”/”Why Should We Try Anymore”

• “Moanin’ The Blues”/”Nobody’s Lonesome For Me”• “Dear John”/”Cold, Cold Heart”• “Howlin’ At The Moon”/”I’Can’t Help It” • “Lonesome Whistle”/”Crazy Heart”• “Settin’ The Woods On Fire”/”You Win Again”• “Kaw-liga”/”Your Cheatin’ Heart”

Due to the musicians’ strike, Hank did not have a recording session for ayear. His fifth session was 11/6/47 and the sixth session was not until 11/7/48.

From the beginning of 1949 to the end of 1953, Hank Williams was wellrepresented on the Billboard Charts. He often had three or four songs on thecharts, but during the week of 10/8/49, he surpassed himself with five songson Billboard simultaneously! Hank measured his success by consultingBillboard. While in Montgomery, he would go to Cohen’s AmusementCompany (Phonograph/Record Store) to buy this weekly trade magazine.

Hank’s first recording session for Sterling Records on 12/4/46 produced“Never Again” which, after the rights to the masters were purchased by MGMin July 1948, became Side “B” for “Lovesick Blues”. “Never Again” also chart-ed for two weeks rising to the sixth position. The first song recorded by Hankfor MGM on 4/21/47 was “Move It On Over” which was his first chartedsong. It was on the Billboard Charts for three weeks and reached No. 4.

One session on 1/9/50 produced four songs and they all became Billboardhits: “Long Gone Lonesome Blues:, “My Son Calls Another Man Daddy”,

“Why Don’t You Love Me”,and “Why Should We TryAnymore”.

Hank died on 1/1/53 andhad eight posthumous releas-es that became Billboard hits.

The last four songs byHank that reached the Charts(“Weary Blues From Waitin’”,“Please Don’t Let Me LoveYou”, “I’m So Lonesome ICould Cry”, and “Why Don’tYou Love Me”) were not reg-ular issues by MGM Records.

The first two songs were “non-ses-sion” recordings which were overdubbedin 1953 and 1955, respectively.

The second two songs were onlyreleased as 45 RPM singles since 78 RPMrecords were discontinued during 1957 inthe United States. These songs were re-issues with new background overdubbed.

“I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” wasrecorded on 8/30/49 but was determinedto be “weaker” than “My Bucket’s Got AHole In It” so it became the “B” side. Thisclassic seemed to be a “sleeper” until over 13 yearsafter Hank died when it finally became a charted hitsong.

“Why Don’t You Love Me” charted twice – in1950 and 1976. It reached No. 1 in 1950 andstayed on the charts for 25 weeks. In 1976, it wason the charts for seven weeks and reached No.61. It was issued three times as MGM 10696, 12611, and14849. The last issue was only on 45 RPM and, in fact, was the last regularissue of Hank’s 45 singles in the U.S.

“I Won’t Be Home No More” was recorded on July 11, 1952. It was notreleased until the middle of 1953 and first charted on 7/25/53. A special andrare Promotional 78 (MGM 53-S-313) was released to Disc Jockeys only butnot for resale to the public. Ira Peck, the Editor of Dell Publications, intro-duces Hank. (Jimmy Swan is on the reverse side with “The Last Letter”, a trib-ute to Hank Williams.) It seems that this song, along with “I’ll Never Get OutOf This World Alive” was a fitting farewell from Hank to all his fans.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

By Ed Guy

Ed Guy is the largest dealer of Hank Williams’ recordings and memorabilia.He has been in business since 1973 and ships mail orders throughout the world.Ed Guy, Hank Williams Collectibles, PO Box 350447, Palm Coast, FL 32135

(386) 283-4788 E-Mail: [email protected]

Hank Williams andThe Billboard Charts

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Photos: From the Collection of Ed Guy

6 Country Legends Magazine | The Cat Country Network | Summer 2013

The Mount Rushmore of Country

e did not live to his30th birthday and died60 years ago this year.

However, as weplace the faces on The MountRushmore of Country, is there any-one more synonymous with classiccountry music than Hiram KingWilliams.

We all know him as HankWilliams Sr. In those short 30 years,he would go one to start his countrymusic career in his early teens andbe remember as one of the mostenduring country music writers andsingers.

Williams had dozens of songsthat made the top ten and reachednumber one on the charts morethan 10 times during his career.When someone dies at an early age,it leaves folks to wonder “whatmight have been.”

One can only imagine howmany hits Hank Sr. might haveracked up had he live a normallifespan. However, an artist’s trueimpact cannot necessarily be mea-sured by their success on themusic charts.

So it is with Hank Williams Sr.There is not enough space to detailall those who say the legendary artistinfluenced them. This list includesthe Beatles and Johnny Cash.

Williams’ influence on is hisown son and beyond could be calleda family tradition. Hank WilliamsJr.’s career may end up being twice aslong as his father’s lifespan. He start-ed at the age of 15 in 1964 coveringone of his father’s hits.

Shortly after his death, HankSr.’s daughter came into this world.She did not grow up with theWilliams’ name but eventuallyturned to a singing career.

Still later Hank Jr.’s son, HankWilliams III started in the businessand branched out into other genresof music. The impact Hank Sr. lefton country music is remarkable con-sidering his short time on earth.

��The next country legend on The

Mount Rushmore of Countrybelongs to the late renowned GeorgeJones. Affectionately known as the

Possum, he passed away in late Aprilof this year.

His career began in the 1950s.He remained active until shortlybefore his death. He embarked on afinal tour billed as “The GrandTour”. The final concert was to havebeen in November. However, Jonesbecame hospitalized in Nashvilleand died about a week later.

During his career, Jones rackedup in excess of a dozen No. 1 hits andreleased about 150 singles. Jonesappeared on country hits in fiveconsecutive decades and scorednumber one hits from during the 50sthrough the 80s.

If anyone could write and singabout the subject matter of manycountry songs, it had to Jones. Helived a tumultuous life. Jones mar-ried four times and struggled withdrinking and drug addiction.However, Jones was clean and soberduring the last years. His was cer-tainly a life that encompasses manyof the elements of the classic countrysongs he wrote or recorded

Jones was a member of theGrand Ole Opry since the mid 50s

and was one of the longest mem-bers of the Nashville venue.

Jones experienced a rebirththanks to a hit in 1980. “He StoppedLoving Her Today” was his signaturesong released more than 25 yearsinto his career. The song is often ator near the top of any list of all timegreat country songs. BobbyBraddock and Curly Putnam wonsong of the year honors from theCountry Music Association in both1980 and 1981 for the song. Jonesscored the Male Vocalist Awardthose same two years. The song alsowon single of the year by the CMAand won a Grammy for best MaleCountry Vocal in 1980

Among other honors, Jonesentered the Country Music Hall ofFame in 1992. Jones gained recogni-tion as one of the greatest contribu-tors to country music during his life-time. He received the U.S. Medal ofArts from the National Endow-ment of the Arts in 2002, and hereceived Kennedy Center honors.

Those, who had the opportunityto see one of his final concerts or anyperformance during his career saw a

The Mount Rushmore of CountryBy Michael J. Daniels

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legend that broke the mold. He wasand is the one and only GeorgeJones.

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Next on The Mount Rushmoreof Country, the Man In Black takeswhat many would say is his rightfulplace. Johnny Cash died 12 years agothis September. Before his death, heleft us a treasure of musical memo-ries.

The Arkansas native started hiscareer in the mid 1950s. His careerwould continue right up his last yearon earth.

His early career intertwinedwith other legendary performers astable of artists at Sun Studios. A1956 jam session included Cash withElvis Presley, Carl Perkins, and JerryLee Lewis. A recording of the eventbecame a record release titledMillion Dollar Quartet. That rareteaming of talent later became astage musical under the same nameas the recording sessions.

Cash was already scoring num-ber one songs on the Sun label by thetime of the Million Dollar Quartetsession. He hit the top during thesummer of 1956 with “I Walk TheLine”. Cash would continue to havehits on the Sun label before switch-ing to Columbia near the end of1958. His first single released on thatlabel also went to number one.

Cash would go on to releasenearly 100 albums and more than150 singles during his career. Hemarried the love of his life, JuneCarter Cash who wrote the classicRing of Fire. Cash took that song toNo. 1 in 1963. The pair also sangtogether on the classic tune Jackson,and “If I Were A Carpenter”.

He also had other collabora-tions including the Highway Meneffort that brought Cash, WillieNelson, Waylon Jennings and KrisKristofferson together. Still later, hereturned to Sun Studios inNashville and recorded with RoyOrbison, and original MillionDollar Quartet members, CarlPerkins and Jerry Lee Lewis.

Cash also embarked on an act-ing career in the 1960s. Later in hiscareer he played historical charac-ters Frank James and DavyCrockett. He has also been por-trayed in the movies. Mark Collieplayed him in a 1988 short film.Later, a movie about his life titledWalk The Line enjoyed consider-able box office success in 2005.

Cash received numerous awardsincluding the rarity of a being amember of three different music hallof fame organizations. He is a mem-ber of the Nashville Songwriters Hallof Fame, the Country Music Hall ofFame and the Rock and Roll Hall ofFame. Cash and Hank WilliamsSr.are two of five artists in all threeHall of Fames. Surely, being part

of that exclusiveclub is a crowningachievement in thecareer of the Man InBlack.

��Now, the final of

the four gentlemen fea-tured on the imaginaryMount Rushmore ofCountry Music.

George Strait, born inTexas during the early1950s, entered the worldjust months before the endof Hank Williams Sr.’s life. Itwas also not long before thestart of the careers of the other

two artists highlighted. Strait creditedboth Hank Sr. and George Joneswith being big influences on hismusical style.

Strait released his first hit singledin the spring of 1981. He was almost29 at the time of that release, and thehits did not stop over the next threedecades. He has amassed a recordamount of number one songs (nearly60. His latest single was in the top 10as this magazine went to publication.Overall, Strait has released more than90 singles and only a handful havenot reached the top ten.

He also holds the record for themost albums reaching number oneand the most gold platinum andmulti-platinum LPs in the history ofcountry music. Strait also ranks highon those lists for all types of music.His album sales are closing in on 70million.

He has received numerousawards. The Academy of CountryMusic named him artist of thedecade for the 2000s. Strait gainedentry into the Country Music Hall ofFame in 2006. This happened whilehe was continuing his chart-toppingsuccess. Billboard Magazine namedhim the top country artist of the past25 years by Billboard Magazine in2010. Earlier this year, he receivedthe Country Radio BroadcastersAchievement Award.

Strait is now in the midst of afarewell tour. He has also releasedhis latest album in May. Strait mayno longer actively tour at the con-clusion of his current set of dates,but country fans are hopeful thereare still years of recorded hits aheadfor the man from Poteet, TX.

��The revelation of the four faces

on The Mount Rushmore ofCountry in this article cannot beconsidered definitive. It is simply astarting point of those artists thatone might think of automatically offthe top of your head if asked whobelonged on such a mountain.

Many country music fans couldmake a case for other classic andeven some more recent artists.

For example, we have not even

considered the great ladies of coun-try music such as Patsy Cline,Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette andmore recently Dolly Parton andReba McEntire. Their resumes are

full of country hits and otherachievements.

What about groups such asAlabama or the Oak Ridge Boys?Could room be found for either ofthose iconic bands on The MountRushmore of Country?

There are numerous othersolo artists that might be consid-ered just as worthy as those we’vedetailed. Kenny Rogers, WillieNelson and Waylon Jennings cer-tainly have had a monumentalimpact on country music throughthe ages. More recently, GarthBrooks has achieved record salesof more than 130 million copies.He is easily the best-selling coun-try artist in history.

However, with all the achieve-ments noted here we have not men-tioned early pioneers such as BobWills and Jimmy Rodgers. Neithercan be excluded from considerationas two of the most enduring faces ofcountry music. Rodgers had beendubbed the father of country music.Wills gained recognition as the kingof western swing.

Now, Cat Country fans, it isyour turn. The question is whichartists would make your list if youhad to pick the four faces that belongon The Mount Rushmore ofCountry. Let the debate begin!

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OOverall-clad farmers woulddrive for hours traveling hundredsof miles to sit in the plush red seatsof a 1920’s Beaux –Arts Theatreand would shake dirty old cow-bells with delight at the end ofeach song. Each cowbell had itsown distinct sound and familyback home recognized that theirloved ones had made it toWheeling [in the northern pan-handle of the State of WestVirginia] safely, when they pickedout the sound of Bessie the Cowslocator bell coming from thespeaker of their Cathedral tuberadio!

This uniquely and quaint tra-dition continues to endear audi-ences to the second oldest surviv-ing weekly radio country musicstage show in our nation. Theshow which started in 1933 hasbeen known as the World’sOriginal Wheeling Jamboree aswell as the Mid-Night Jamboreeand the WWVA Jamboree. In1969, it became known as themore metropolitan soundingJamboree USA. Today, it’s simplyknown as the Wheeling Jamboree.Wheeling’s was not the first of thepopular barn dance shows to hitthe crackling airwaves when thetechnological wonder of broadcastradio burst on to the scene. Thatground breaking honor was firstheralded in 1924 by “The WLSBarn Dance” in Chicago, followedin 1925 by “The WSM BarnDance” (renamed “The Grand Ole

Opry”) then in 1933 “The WWVAJamboree” now The WheelingJamboree. These were the BIGthree to set the standard for thehundreds that followed. Each ofthese shows started in the studiosound stages and shortly migratedto become full stage productionradio shows. With each of theseshows shifting to various auditori-ums in their respective markets tonot only accommodate the liveaudience but for financial andlogistic reasons. Even theimmensely popular LouisianaHayride the show that launchedthe career of Elvis Presley, then theOzark Jubilee became step chil-dren of these earlier shows afterWorld War II.

The Wheeling Jamboreebecame a national institution. Inits first 20 years and brought morethan 1,750,000 fans to Wheelingfor jamboree performances.Countless other millions heard iton the radio. Listener surveysshowed response from fans in 538counties in 20 states and Canada.In its first 20 years, thousands ofpieces of mail were received everyweek from almost every state inthe nation. In the early 1950’s, itwas popular for Jamboree enter-tainers to make personal appear-ances outside of Wheeling. In 1952alone, Jamboree acts made 761personal appearances in 436 citiesand towns before a combinedaudience of 536,789 people.

For the 25th anniversary in

1958, as had been the case fiveyears earlier, the Jamboree showwas featured on the CBS show,Saturday Night Country Style.That nationwide salute was onlypart of the acclaim being given theJamboree locally and nationally.By December 2012 it is estimatedthat 10.5 Million Visitors havetraveled to Wheeling just to see the

Jamboree. Coming in PART 2, –How Brad Paisley, launched hisprofessional career on theWheeling Jamboree.

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Cowbells, 50,000 Watts & Brad Paisley

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By Dave Heath / Executive Producer & Pres. Wheeling Jamboree

1974 Photo of some Country Legends during aWheeling Jamboree Cast Reunion – INCLUDES: HankSnow, Bill Carver, Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper, GrandpaJones who started at the Jamboree in 1936, Shug Fisherof Disney Classics, Lee Moore and the Royal Couple ofCountry Music, Doc & Chickie Williams

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More Info:www.WheelingJamboree.org


WWe’ve all seen the emotional,sometimes over the top, retirementspeeches from athletes who forwhatever reason reached the pointof retirement. They cry or wipeback tears, and give long detailedretirement speeches, while wonder-ing what their going to do the rest oftheir lives.

In country music, sometimesall we see or hear is a short story inUSA Today or on a website, whenone of the people we grew up listen-ing to on the radio announces theyare done. With little fanfare, theydisppear from concert stages, orfrom making records.

Their are cases, for mostlymoney reasons, that athletes andmusic perfomers alike Unretire.Why? Because they miss the noiseof the crowds, or from being in arecording studio? Maybe their pop-ularity is still strong, and fansdemand it! In 2013, we’ve seen alegend announce his final concert atthe Ryman Auditorium inNashville only to die on April 26thbefore his grand tour had started,another country hit king wraps uphis long two year farewell fromtouring, while the biggest countrymusic group of all time, goes backon the road to celebrate their 40thAnniversay.

In the case of George Strait,who this year hit a milestone thatmay never be broken, wraps up histwo-year farewell in 2014. His 60number one songs, will grow,because while he plans to leave theroad, he won’t stop recording charttopping songs. “As far as the tour-ing goes, I’ve decided that I’m not

going to tour anymore, after 2014.”said Strait, 61, who broke intocountry music big-time in 1981,during Ronald Reagan’s first termas President.

“Don’t think I’m retiringbecause I’m not,” he continued.“I’m still going to make records, aslong as the Universal Music Groupwill let me. I’m going to write. Ifwhen I quit touring, if a specialevent comes up that I want to do,I’m going to do it.” Born in Poteet,Texas, and reared in rural Pearsall,near San Antonio, Strait played in arock band in high school. While inthe Army, he began performingcountry music, a style perfectly suit-ed to his earnest, gentle voice. Hismove to country music mainstreamwas hastened by Music Row veteranErv Woolsey, who became his man-ager and guided him to a recordingcontract in 1981.

Strait’s sound never strayed farfrom his 1981 debut Strait Country.Over the following three decades,his songs featured plenty of fiddleand steel guitar, and in a little way,rock-inspired guitar solos. As mod-ern country music tended towardsbluster, Strait traded on restraint.Strait has sold nearly 70 millionalbums in the United States alone,including 33-million sellingalbums. He’s the 12th-best sellingartist of any genre, according to theRecording Industry Association ofAmerica, and he has scored a record21 No. 1 country albums.

“I had in the back of my mindthat when I turned 60 it might bethe time to start thinking about get-ting off the road.” he said. “I alsodidn’t want to book a tour andnobody came. It was important tome to pick that time, rather than gothat long when something like that

started happening. I believe I madethe right decision. I hope I did.Only time will tell. In 2016, I mightsay, “What a dummy. And if that’sthe case maybe I’ll reconsider. Butat this particular time, I’m prettysure I won’t.” So while the cowboymight ride away from an arena nearyou, he won’t be leaving yourfavorite radio station any timesoon!

The stories alone about “ThePossom” George Jones were leg-endary in amongst themselves. Atone point in his career he wasknown as “No Show Jones” formissing concerts. And while his agehad taken a toll on his voice, there isno doubt he left a mark in countrymusic that will never be duplicated.George Jones, often referred to asthe “the greatest living countrysinger” passed away on Friday,April 26th in a Nashville hospital.

Alabama, and King George

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By Chris Lash

George StraitAlabama

�

RETIRED � AND � UNRETIRED:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

�Summer 2013 | The Cat Country Network | Country Legends Magazine 11

(See Bio) He had begun his finalgrand tour, but didn’t complete itwith his untimely death. The icon’shits, included “I Don’t Need YourRockin’ Chair”, “Who’s Gonna FillTheir Shoes”, “White Lightning”and “He Stopped Loving HerToday”

In the 1980’s, you couldn’t turnon a radio station and not hear anAlabama song. It didn’t matter if itwas a country station, an adult con-temporary station or even a Top 40station. They changed countrymusic at a time it needed it. Theirshows were more like rock concerts,long before Garth Brooks reinvent-ed the trend. The super group hascome out of retirement before, aid-ing victims of the tornadoes thatstruck their home state and name-sake in 2011. Earlier this year, their40th Anniversary “Back to theBowery Tour” begain at the originalnightclub in Mrytle Beach, where

they honed their craft, becomemaking it big.

Long before groups like theDixie Chicks, Rascal Flatts and LadyAntebellum were old enough to

hold a guitar, the quartet known asAlabama was laying road for count-less country-rock crossover acts.And they did it at a time in the late1970s and early ‘80s, when soloartists (Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton,Loretta Lynn) were all the rage.

Formed by cousins RandyOwen (lead vocals, rhythm guitar),Teddy Gentry (bass guitar, back-ground vocals) and Jeff Cook (leadguitar, fiddle, keyboards), the bandbegan in their hometown of FortPayne, Ala., under the nameWildcountry. In an effort to get dis-covered, they moved to MyrtleBeach, S.C., where they landed a gigas the house band at beach barcalled the Bowery. It was there —playing for tips six nights a week,seven summers straight — thatband members honed the razor-sharp vocal harmonies for whichthey became known.

Alabama went on to collect 21consecutive No.1 hits (including“Love in the First Degree,”“Mountain Music” and the peren-nial holiday favorite “Christmas inDixie”, making it one of the mostsuccessful bands in country musichistory.

Alabama released more than 20albums in the 1980s and ‘90s, sellingmore than 70 million copies andwriting more than 30 chart-toppingsongs. Band members capitalizedon their success by launchingnumerous entrepreneurial venturesin the ‘90s, including the successfulAlabama Theatre in Myrtle Beachand a chain of Alabama Grillrestaurants (Myrtle Beach,Nashville and Pigeon Forge, Tenn.).In 2003, after 30 years together, thegroup went on what was to be itsfarewell tour.

Of course, Alabama didn’t goaway completely. In 2005, the groupwas inducted into the CountryMusic Hall of Fame. In 2008, othermembers split with longtime drum-mer Mark Herndon during a verypublic lawsuit over alleged payment

discrepancies. And in 2010,Alabama returned to the studio forthe first time in 10 years to record“Are You Sure Hank Done It ThatWay” for a Waylon Jennings tributealbum.

But it was a 2011 reunion torecord “Old Alabama” with BradPaisley and a live performance ofthe song at the Academy of CountryMusic Awards in Las Vegas thatultimately led to the band’s first full-fledged tour in a decade. In subse-quent interviews, co-founder JeffCook said that the band regrettedhaving ended its 2003 farewell tourin North Dakota, rather than theirnative Alabama. After live perfor-mances at the 2012 StagecoachFestival in California and the WeFest in Minnesota, there seemed tobe little doubt that the country leg-ends would reunite.

Recently, the band also wentback into the studio to record brandnew material for the first time in adecade. With 150 industry awardsincluding eight entertainer of theyear honors, two Grammys, andrecognition from the RecordingIndustry Association of America ascountry group of the 20th century,Alabama has earned the right tocruise a little.

George Strait

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Alabama

George Jones

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About Focus 360:

THE ORIGINAL COUNTRYGOLD WITH ROWDY YATESRETURNS TO RADIO


New York, New York, April 8, 2013 – On the heels of this weekend’s winas an Academy of Country Music Award recipient, country radio’s numberone request show host Rowdy Yates returns to national syndication withThe Original Country Gold with Rowdy Yates, exclusively from Focus 360.The five-hour weekend specialty program will be available to radio sta-tions and national advertisers starting April 20.

“Rowdy’s high energy and upbeat presentation drive appointment lis-tening,” stated Todd Alan, Vice President, Affiliate Sales andProgramming, Focus 360. “For thousands of listeners across the country,The Original Country Gold with Rowdy Yates is a weekend institution, andwe are proud to offer it to our affiliate radio stations.”

“Rowdy’s reputation for creating fun radiohas made him one of country’s radio’s mostpopular personalities,” observed Dick Silipigni,Vice President, Advertising Sales, Focus 360.“Our national advertisers can deliver their mes-sage and connect with listeners in a highlyreceptive environment that triggers audi-ence engagement.”

“I am very excited to be back hostingThe Original Country Gold and about mynew association with Focus 360,” saidYates. “Their understanding of the impor-tance of my relationship withlisteners, and how to maxi-mize that for advertisers, isessential for the success ofour affiliate radio stationsand our advertisers. I amlooking forward to workingwith them.”

Rowdy Yates is a 2013Academy of Country Music Awardradio winner and a member of the Texas Radio Hall of Fame.The Original Country Gold with Rowdy Yates highlights music from “UrbanCowboy” to “Hot Country.” Each hour is jam-packed with the biggestcountry hits from the mid ‘70s to the mid ‘90s.

An insider in the country music scene, Rowdy shares entertaining tid-bits and stories about country music’s biggest stars and songwriters, andinteracts with listeners through phone calls and social media. Audienceretention elements like hourly prize giveaways, song requests and dedica-tions, themed features and more round out the experience.

About Focus 360:Focus 360 provides media solutions to advertisers, agencies, program

producers, content owners and broadcasters. The New York based com-pany consists of five divisions: National Focus, Hispanic Radio Network,Digital Focus, Focus Activation and the Classic Rock Society of America.Focus 360 specializes in network radio media representation, local digitalmedia platforms, content development in the music arena, and a full spec-trum of packages that are cross-platform and reach deep into a specificconsumer segment.

THE ORIGINAL COUNTRYGOLD WITH ROWDY YATESRETURNS TO RADIOEXCLUSIVELY FROM FOCUS 360 Launch Date Set for April 20

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CCat Country 89.1 KXCTGoodlandVeteran radio stationowner Chris Lash, of WhiplashCommunity Radio announces thecreation of the Cat CountryNetwork, featuring a classic countryformat from the 60’s to the 90’s. Thenetwork will also feature the launchof Country Legends magazine witharticles, feature stories, rare pictures,from the four decades of artists thenetwork stations will play, and live instudio concerts, and other shows invarious theatres.

Recently Lash purchased threestations in the mid-west includingKXCT in Goodland, KS, and others

in Beaver, OK and Springfield, CO.All will feature the Country Legends,Cat Country format. Air talent onthe station includes Lash, UncleJohnny, Michael J. Daniels, RowdyYates, and Paul Heil of the GospelGreats and more!

89.1 Cat Country, KXCTdebuted on Saturday, March 1st inGoodland, KS, and streams online atwww.catcountry.org, and also creat-ed its own phone app, and the sta-tion is listed already under theTunein radio app. “Retirement inFlorida did not suit me well. I lastedabout three months, when thisopportunity arose in the mid-west.

We’ll be adding another station toour mix soon, and will continue togrow in the right markets, stationsand FM translators.” said Lash.

Much like the recent talkedabout new country format brands,Cat Country will focus on the classiccountry music. And Lash is seriousabout it. “Our network studio is acountry music museum, from mypersonal collection. It features rareand one of a kind items from JohnnyCash, Elvis, Rascal Flatts, LittleJimmy Dickens, Ernest Tubb, HankWilliams Sr., and many more.”There’s no other radio studio like itin the country. We are surrounded

by the legends, while we sit behindthe microphone.” added Lash.

The Kansas station also featuresa live country music radio showednamed The Fun on the FarmJamboree. Similar to the Grand OldOpry in Nashville, the first showtakes place at Goodland’s ShermanTheater on Saturday, October 26th.Visit www.catcountry.org to see theartist line up!

The Cat Country Network isalso available to any commercial ornon commercial station in the USA,network fed, or live and local deliv-ery. For more details reach out toLash at [email protected]

Launches Cat Country NetworkBy Lance Venta


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89.1 KXCT � GOODLAND, KS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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M

George JonesBiography

By Chris Lash

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More than 35 years ago, GeorgeJones recorded “Who’s Gonna FillTheir Shoes,” a song that wonderedaloud whether newcomers wouldcome along that could possibly walkin the footsteps of the progenitorsand giants of country music. All thistime later, it’s not a question we’vehad to seriously consider: Joneshimself had been around to stepinto those shoes of sublimity. Theyjust happened to be exactly his size.Now, he too is gone.

A jury of his peers had foundhim guilty… of unparalleled vocalsuperiority. Consider some of theseendorsements from fellow musiclegends: Frank Sinatra famously(and coyly) referred to Jones as “thesecond greatest singer in America.”Garth Brooks summed up the con-sensus view when he called him“the greatest voice ever to singcountry music.” Waylon Jenningsexpressed a common jealousy whenhe said, “If we all could sound theway we wanted, we’d all sound likeGeorge Jones.” Keith Richards ofthe Rolling Stones put things inmore honorific terms: “GeorgeJones is a national treasure andshould be treated accordingly.”

Don’t worry, Keith: Americadidn't fall down on the job when itcame to that kind of lionization.Jones received the four highest hon-ors that can be granted to anyone inhis line of work, starting with hisinduction into the Country MusicHall of Fame in 1992. Ten yearslater, the president bestowed theNational Medal of Arts upon him.In yet another executive-branch

moment, Jones was saluted by theKennedy Center Honors in 2008.

This year, Jones got another tophonor to round out music’s mostenviable trophy shelf, as theGrammys presented him with theirLifetime Achievement Award.Short of being carved into MountRushmore, there aren’t many all-time plaudits left for him to earneven posthumously.

You don’t rack up that kind ofadoration by playing possum –unless, of course, you’re thePossum, to name one of Jones’affectionately bestowed nicknames.(You don’t get it by being a “no-show,” either, though Jones had afew notorious years where heearned that particular term ofendearment.) No, you merit itthrough the kind of work ethic thatcan be measured partially in num-bers. With a run of songs extendingfrom the mid-1950s into the 21stcentury, Jones has had a whopping143 Top 40 country hits – a chartrun that renders any “best-of” setthat’s not a bulky boxed set woefullyincomplete.

But Jones has always been moreabout soul than stats. And that’s thekind of quality that can best beexplained by the stars who continueto take a lesson from his classicrecordings.

“George’s voice is equal partspain and home,” young countrysinger Eric Church told theWashington Post. Jamey Johnsonput it this way: “His voice is thevoice of your own spirit. If yourspirit could jump out and have its


own voice and sing a country songto you, it’d sound like George Jones.He feels everything for you.” SaidEmmylou Harris: “He has aremarkable voice that flows out ofhim effortlessly and quietly, butwith an edge that comes from thestormy part of the heart.”

He’s been compared to Sinatraas a saloon-singer stylist. Inter-estingly, though, many fellowsingers keep referring to blues andR&B as the nearest antecedents forJones’ inimitable phrasing. NotedKid Rock, “It’s a country voice, buthe has such a great blues range, theway he bends all those notes.” AsVince Gill put it for the Post,“People are drawn to the soulful-ness of the way George sings,[even though] it doesn’t equatethat twangy beer-drinkin’ andcheatin’ songs would be thought ofas ‘soulful’… You can’t define theache that’s in George’s voice. It’sjust something inherently him.”

No singer has ever made (orhelped) more people cry. That’s alegacy he hardly shied away from.“Jones told me once that he’d rathersing a sad song than eat,” Tennesseanmusic columnist Peter Coopernoted. But Jones wasn’t alwaysknown as “The King of BrokenHearts” (to mention a JimLauderdale song that was written as atribute to Jones and became a salu-tary hit in the hands of George Strait).

At first, Jones was known as agood-time guy and honky-tonkman. He even recorded some rock-abilly early in his career. He was aco-writer on his first chart hit,1955’s “Why Baby Why,” whichburied the lyrical heartbreak in afast-paced rave-up of a tune. (Nowonder that breakout song wassubsequently covered by everyonefrom Webb Pierce and CharliePride to –just in the past few years— Patty Loveless, Buddy Miller,and the Secret Sisters.) His first No.1 hit, 1959’s “White Lightning,” wasa blur of hilarious tics and hiccupsthat established him as a vocal mar-vel but hardly hinted at the masterballadeer to come.

But after Jones paired up withproducer Billy Sherrill in the 1970s

and ‘80s, their work together exem-plified the lusciously string-drenched style known as country-politan, and it became clear that hisrecords were better for drowningsorrows than any drink a bartendercould ever proffer. One outrightweeper, 1980’s “He Stopped LovingHer Today,” became widely regard-ed as the greatest country single ofall time, to go along with the best-in-class kudos racked up by itssinger.

Born in 1931, George wasreared in Beaumont, Texas on thetwin weekly rituals of hymn-singingand Grand Ole Opry radio broad-casts, where he took his first musicalcues from heroes like Bill Monroeand Roy Acuff. (“I would give any-thing if I could sing like GeorgeJones,” Acuff, the teacher, later saidabout the student.)

His early life was a school ofhard knocks not uncommon to eastTexas. He ran away at 14, and wassoon on the honky-tonk circuitbacking seemingly more promisingcrooners. Marriage at 20 was fol-lowed by divorce at 21 and a stint inthe Marines. Then, in 1954, hesigned with Starday Records andbegan recording with LeftyFrizzell’s backup band. After thefirst run of up-tempo hits, he reallycame into his own with hauntingballads like “The Window UpAbove” that seemed to exist in aromantic past, haunted present, anddeliriously uncertain future all atonce.

In the ‘60s, Jones recorded hun-dreds of songs for the Mercury,Musicor, and United Artists labels,including the No. 1 classics “TenderYears,” “She Thinks I Still Care,”and “Walk Through This WorldWith Me,” as well as moreephemeral fare like “Love Bug.” Healso found out just how much fansloved him not just as a soloist butrecurring duet partner – at the time,Melba Montgomery, his foil on“We Must Have Been Out of OurMinds” and other ‘60s singles.

Of course, the partner he’s mostassociated with is Tammy Wynette,who had a major impact on thedirection of his solo career as well.

After Jones’ second marriage endedin divorce, he met Tammy andmoved to Nashville, where they wedin 1969. In 1971, he moved over toher label, Epic, and began workingwith her producer, Sherrill.

The years that followed weresome of the most personally unhap-py but commercially successful ofJones’ career, as he racked up hitafter iconic hit, including “A GoodYear for the Roses” (later coveredby one of Jones’ most enthusiasticrock protégés, Elvis Costello), “TheGrand Tour,” “I Always Get LuckyWith You,” and “If Drinkin’ Don’tKill Me (Her Memory Will).” Eventhough Jones and Wynette split upin 1974, they continued recordingtogether through 1980, making his-tory as the first divorced couple everto have No. 1 duets as “GoldenRing” and “Near You” hit the top ofthe charts.

Jones’ substance abuse duringthose years made buying a ticket forone of his shows legendarily likebuying a lottery ticket, even if theodds slightly favored his making itto the show. “I never had anythingas a kid and all of a sudden I hadeverything thrown at my feet. It canruin you quickly,” Jones recountedin his 1996 autobiography, I Livedto Tell It All.

But after he married the formerNancy Sepulvedo in 1983, his per-sonal life began an upward spiraland he shed his “No Show Jones”reputation for one that might aswell have gotten him nicknamedOld Reliable. A series of criticallyacclaimed albums for the MCAlabel followed. There were relapsesin his sobriety, but following anautomobile accident in the late ‘90s,Jones sobered up for good. With theprofessional as well as personal sup-port of his wife, Jones reemergedwith a Garth Brooks duet and aseries of hits and rarities retrospec-tives on his own label, BanditRecords.

Fifty-six years after beingnamed the Most Promising NewCountry Vocalist of 1956, Jones wasstill living out that promise with aregular touring routine at the timeof his passing. He was in the midst

of his final tour and audiences werestill flocking to hear the voice thatwas country's most indescribable aswell as, by acclamation, its finest.Jones was the single greatest link tocountry's golden age when he died.That fact was not lost on a genera-tion younger singers who reveredhim but continually name-checkedhim in their own hits.

Even a partial list of songs thatmention Jones by name is exhaust-ing and could fill an entire compila-tion album. That Jones-reveringroundup would include AlanJackson’s “Don’t Rock theJukebox,” the Jackson/Strait duet“Murder on Music Row,” the DixieChicks’ “Long Time Gone,” ShooterJennings’ “4th of July,” AaronLewis’ “Country Boy,” GretchenWilson’s “California Girls,” Eric LeeBeddingfield’s “The GospelAccording to Jones,” JameyJohnson’s “Between Jennings andJones” and “Keepin’ Up With theJonesin’,” Brantley Gilbert’s “RockThis Town,” and most recentlyJason Aldean’s smash “Dirt RoadAnthem.”

What about that voice was socaptivating even to fans and per-formers who are several decadesJones’ junior? Legendary folk-rock-er James Taylor could only likenthose pipes to another great countryinstrument, when he spoke aboutJones in an issue of Rolling Stonedevoted to the greatest singers of alltime. “George Jones doesn’t soundlike he was influenced by any othersinger,” said Taylor (who wrote hislate ‘70s hit “Bartender” in the styleof Jones and later re-recorded itwith him). “He sounds like a steelguitar. It’s the way he blends notes,the way he comes up to them andcomes off them, the way he crescen-dos and decrescendos. The dynamicof it is very tight and really con-trolled — it’s like carving with thevoice.”

Following his death on Friday,April 26th, a lot of people asked thequestion “Whose Gonna Fill TheseShoes.”? When it comes to GeorgeJones, the answer is “nobody.”

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wheeling jamboree

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