Music Deaths: Charley Pride

CHARLEY PRIDE, 82

Died 12 December 2020

Country singer had 1971 hit "Kiss an Angel Good Morning."  (#1)

His greatest musical success was in the early to mid-1970s.  One of just three Blacks in the Country Hall of Fame.  During peak years of his recording career (1966-1988) he had 53 Top Ten Hits on the Country Charts,  30 of which went to #1.

Some of his hits:

"Is Anybody Going to San Antone (#1-1970) Mentions Route 66 in it.

"Mountain of Love"  (#1-1982)

"I Ain't All Bad"  (#6-1975)

He has a greatest hits CD on my Ultimate Jukebox.  Enough said.

"And here I am walking down 66."

Three New Inductees Into Country Music Hall of Fame-- Part 2: Marty Stuart and Dean Dillon

Marty Stuart is a five-time Grammy winner who started his career as a sideman before going solo.  He charted six Top Ten Country songs with :Hillbilly Rock,"  "Little Things" and "Tempted.

Dean Dillon is known for being the tunesmith behind George Strait dozens of hits, including "The Chair,"  "Oceanfront Property" and "Here for a Good Time.

With Linda Hargrove, he wrote the timeless classic "Tennessee Whiskey."  This song was originally recorded by David Allan Coe who had a #77  hit with it.  Then George Jones took it to #2.  But, by far the biggest version of the song is the one done by Chris Stapleton who had a #1 on the Country chart and #23 on the Billboard Hot 100.

When I'm at a bar, I like to play "Tennessee Whiskey" and follow it up with Darius Rucker's version of "Wagon Wheel."  Those two songs go really well together.

--RoadSong

Three New Inductees to the Country Music Hall of Fame-- Part 1: Dillon, Williams and Stuart

From the August 13, 2020, Chicago Tribune  "Artists to join country hall of fame."

Hank Williams Jr., Marty Stuart and songwriter Dean Dillon are the newest inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee.

This was announced on Wednesday, August 12 by the Country Music Association.  Williams will join his father, country legend Hank Williams Sr in the Hall of Fame's rotunda.

"I have been making Top Ten records for 56 years, said Williams, 71.  "I fell off a mountain and tried to reinvent myself as a truly individual artist and one who stepped out of the shadows of a very famous man, one of the greatest.  I've got to thank all those rowdy friends, who, year after year, still show up for me.

"It's an honor to carry one this family tradition.  It is much appreciated."

Bocephus, as he is also known, is known for his songs like "A Country Boy Can Survive,"  "Family Tradition" and "All My Rowdy Friends Are Comin' Over Tonight."  He has had 10 No. 1 Billboard Hot Country songs.  That's him singing at the beginning of Monday Night Football games.

One of my absolute favorite country singers. Back when male country singers did not sound so similar.  You knew when Hank Williams, Jr., Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash or George Jones was singing.

--RoadBocephus

Remembering Glen Campbell-- Part 2: A Movie, TV Show, and More Hits

His boyish good looks got him a role opposite John Wayne in the 1969 movie "True Grit and his own TV show "The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour" on CBS from 1969 to 1972.

Over the years, the hits continued with songs like "Rhinestone Cowboy" and "Southern Nights."  And, he had lots of honors:  six Grammys, 1968 CMA  Entertainer of the Year, three American Music Awards and, later, induction into the Country Hall of Fame and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement.

However, he did not have much luck in the marriages.  He had three divorces and engagement to fellow country star Tanya Tucker.  He finally met Kimberly Woolen in 1982 and remained married to her for the rest of his life.

The end became known when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2011.

--RoadDog

2017 Country Hall of Fame Class-- Part 2: Jerry Reed and Don Schlitz

Jerry Reed, from Atlanta, became a country star in the 1960s and was known for his finger-style picking that earned him the nickname "Guitar Man."  This was also the title of one of his signature songs.

Other hits were "When You're Hot, You're Hot" and :"Amos Moses."

He starred opposite Burt Reynolds in the "Smokey and the Bandit" films.  He died in 2008 at the age of 71.

Don Schlitz, 64, is from Durham, North Carolina and has written dozens of top country hits including "The Gambler," "On the Other Hand," "Forever and Ever, Amen," "The Greatest" and "When You Say Nothing At All."

His songs were cut by Kenny Rogers, Randy Travis, Mary Chapin Carpenter, the Judds, Tanya Tucker and many others.  He has won three CMA Songs of the Year and two Grammy Awards and has been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Love That Country Music.  --RoadDog

YOU'RE DRINKING TOO MUCH COFFEE WHEN:  You sleep with your eyes open.

2017 Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees: Jackson, Reed and Schlitz

From the April 6, 2017, Chicago Tribune.

Country stars Alan Jackson, Jerry Reed and songwriter Don Schlitz will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame later this year.

Alan Jackson, 58, from Newnan, Georgia, broke out in 1990 with his neo-traditional style of honky-tonk music.  Some of his hit songs include "Chattahoochee," "She's Got Rhythm (And I Got the Blues) and the one that got everyone so badly after 9/11 "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)."

He has earned two Grammy Awards and was named Entertainer of the Year three times by the Country Music Association.

Two More.  RoadDog