Faron Young, who is today one of the more underestimated country singers of his generation despite his long career and many hit records, was a hard man for even his friends to peg. That is because, as so aptly described by Diane Diekman in her Faron Young biography, Live Fast, Love Hard: The Faron Young Story, he was a man of strong contradictions.

Faron Young was one of the nicest men in the world but he was one very mean drunk and no one wanted to be around him when he was drinking heavily (and that was much of the time). He was extremely generous to those who had less then him (often they were songwriters on the way up, such as Willie Nelson) and were in need of a few hundred dollars to tide them over, but was known to refuse his road band the extra five dollars a day that would have made all the difference in the world to them. He loved his children and considered himself to be a good family man but he made it a point to speak of his youngest daughter as his “only little girl” and never publicly acknowledged the other daughter he had out of wedlock or how terrible his relationship with his oldest sons really was. Faron could curse like a sailor, and he usually did, but would behave respectably around the wives of his band members. He had lots of longtime friends and he had lots of longtime enemies. He was an astute businessman who made some terrible business decisions that cost him a whole lot of money.

All of these contradictions, taken as a whole, are probably why so many people explained their toleration for Young’s behavior by saying, “That’s just Faron.” Connie Smith used those words to explain how someone with her temperament could endure working on the road with the fast-living Faron Young. And even Jean Shepard, as brash as she sometimes appears to be, finally refused to go on the road with him any longer.

Longtime Faron Young fans who witnessed him in his prime will probably still find some surprises in, or have their memories nudged by, Diane Diekman’s well-researched and detailed biography. She reminds us that Faron was founder of the influential Music City News and reveals just how much personal money he put into the newspaper in order to keep it afloat long enough for it to pay its own way. Her readers also learn that he would have had more hit records, and number ones, if he had not refused to let his label use payola to move his records up the charts the way record labels bought higher chart positions for so many other singers.

And that is just the beginning of what is packed into Live Fast, Love Hard. The book covers the childhood that may explain Faron’s own cold approach to fatherhood, the national, though bogus, scandals that damaged his career, his failed marriage, and his tragic death at his own hand. About the only thing missing is a comprehensive discography of Faron’s recordings, although the book does mention most, if not all, of his record albums and notes which ones include his biggest hits.

So this is a book both for those who are already fans of Faron Young’s great voice and for those to whom he is hardly more than a name from country music’s past. Put a copy of “Wine Me Up” on the turntable, grab a cold one, prop your boots up on the foot stool, and enjoy this book. If you’re not already a Faron Young fan, you probably will be by the time you finish Live Fast, Love Hard.

It’s not news that Randy Travis has been involved in another movie production. But if you missed the press releases prior to production, you may be surprised to hear Travis plays the leading role in this movie.

Travis plays a successful actor on the verge of winning an academy award…and the edge of losing everything. This is the basis of “The Wager.”

The wager itself is: can you live the Sermon on the Mount AND be successful by today’s standards?

So, if Christian topics threaded together with spiritual messages offend you, know that this is probably not your cup of tea. But if you’re more interested in seeing Randy Travis show off his acting skills in a lead role, you’re in for a treat…and you might just enjoy the messages, too.

What makes this project unique for me, as a fan, is that this has nothing to do with country music, and doesn’t connect to Westerns, Cowboys and such…it doesn’t contain any of the elements that would normally draw a country music fan like me to his acting portfolio.

But knowing his passion for acting and his solid foundation in Christian life, it’s interesting to see Travis branching out his talents.

I’m no movie critic, so I won’t bore you with my endless opinions. I’ll just say this. On one hand, I wanted to like this movie because I’m a fan. On the other hand (no pun intended), I wanted to hate it because I’m one of “those” move watchers who wants to be above the “Disney-anic” films with all the predictability of those “TV movie of the week” productions. Nonetheless, I got caught up in the plot, laughed & cried with the compelling, although sometimes unbelievable characters, and I enjoyed it. Hope you do to.

And Randy’s acting…spot on, IMHO. Don’t miss Candace Cameron (Bure) as the mixed-up glamorous starlet, and Bronson Pinchot as the miss-directed director…Nancy Stafford, Doug Jones, and Nancy Valen also play key roles. Retails at $19.99, but can be picked up at the links below for $15. Also available for rental via Netflix.

Movie official Website:

http://www.wager-themovie.com/

Movie trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnJRYeAoqmg

For sale at from Randy Travis’ online store or from Amazon.com

http://www.randytravisstore.com/product/RT_WAGERDVD?meta=FRG

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013D8L9A

May 2008 Release notice, Debuts at #1 in sales…

http://www.pr.com/press-release/87837

Country singer and national icon Willie Nelson has teamed up with Mike Blakely to write A Tale out of Luck, a western novel with a bit of a mystery thrown into the mix.

Hank Tomlinson, the novel’s protagonist, has probably fared better than most Texas Rangers who were suddenly thrown out of work when the Rangers were disbanded in Reconstruction Texas following the Civil War. He operates the Broken Arrow Ranch and owns most of the businesses in Luck, the little town that he founded in order to attract the services that were not in the area when he began his new life as a rancher. Things are going so well, in fact, that he has just brought a Kentucky thoroughbred back to the ranch that he hopes will make him a bundle in breeding fees.

But when Jay Blue, Hank’s son, and Skeeter, the orphan taken in by Hank as a youngster, do a poor job on guard duty one night and the new mare disappears, things change for Hank and the people of Luck, Texas in a big way. Barely one step ahead of Tomlinson and his anger, the boys race off, determined to recover the lost horse, and find themselves in the adventure of their young lives.

Along the way they meet and befriend an albino Negro who captures and tames wild horses for the U.S. Cavalry and a young Apache warrior who has been critically wounded during the massacre of his people by the Calvary and a few ranch hands who were along for the ride, two people who will come to play important roles in their future.

Suddenly the folks in Luck, Texas are faced with warring Apaches and what appears to be a lone Indian assassin from Tomlinson’s past who makes everyone nervous by peppering two people with arrows and scalping them before disappearing again. When a policeman from Austin comes to town to further complicate matters, things get a little hot for the Tomlinson clan before the book reaches its rousing climax.

Willie Nelson and Mike Blakely have touched most of the Western genre bases with A Tale out of Luck. There are bands of marauding Indians, cavalry troopers racing to the rescue in the nick of time, cattle rustlers, wild horses, a beautiful, world-wise but kindly saloon keeper, a jail escape, a bigger-than-life good guy, and an equally bigger-than-life villain to menace him. The authors combine these elements in a clever way, managing to include a surprise or two, so that the novel is a fresh and fun read even for those who have read dozens of westerns in their day.

A Tale out of Luck hits the bookstores in September and western fans should take a look because Nelson and Blakely make a good team.

In 2005 he published his memoirs entitled Settin’ the Woods on Fire (Confession of Hank’s Steel Guitar Player).

In the words of his dear friend Marty Stuart: “Don Helms is one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century and beyond. The sound of his steel guitar is as much a part of our atmosphere as the wind, trains, or church bells.

The intros to Hank Williams’ Your Cheatin’ Heart and Patsy Cline’s Walkin’ After Midnight are but two of the timeless passages provided by Helms as offerings to the American musical landscape. Don Helms‘ legacy will not only be as one of the founding fathers of Country Music, but also as one of the truest gentlemen to ever walk the face of the earth. He is a master in every sense of the word.” Services will be held at 1 p.m. on Thursday, August 14 at Forest Lawn Funeral Home at 1150 S. Dickerson Rd., Goodlettsville, Tennessee with interment to follow at the Forest Lawn Memorial Cemetery. Visitation will be Wednesday, August 13 from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. at the Forest Lawn Funeral Home. (615) 859-5279.

- this writing was a bulletin from Mr. Helm’s myspace page.

In the short time they’ve been working together, Dailey &Vincent have performed and recorded with some of the top names in the industry; have busted Billboard and Bluegrass Unlimited charts with their debut CD as well as singles released so far; gained high acclaims from Serious and XM satelite radio; performed at the Statler Brother’s induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame…and that’s just what I can get out in one breath. Dailey & Vincent could list more…and in one breath too! Their spot-on sustained harmonies are held longer than we’ve heard before.

RealCountryRadio.net, in conjunction with Bus of Real Country on Live365, recently had a rare opportunity to chat with Darrin Vincent and Jamie Dailey of Dailey & Vincent. From that conversation, a radio show was developed about Bluegrass Duos. The show features some of our favorite bluegrass duos from our music archives — Flatt & Scruggs, Reno & Smiley, The Stanleys, The Osbornes and Jim & Jesse — but focuses on the rebirth of the duo in this phenomenal new group Dailey & Vincent.

In addition to the classic songs, you’ll hear our telephone interview, clips from live performances and a couple of songs from their chart breaking self-titled debut album. We hope you’ll tune in to Bus of Real Country to hear the show in its entirety (Click on the RED LOGO to tune in)..

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To listen to a preview of that exclusive radio interview, please click on the links below :

By destiny or design, its hard to dispute the sound this group brings to the table. They’ve proven its possible to have a polished, modern sound and still honor the traditional bluegrass genre. RCR recently caught Dailey & Vincent live in concert at River of Music Festival in Kentucky. Below is a video from that performance…an a cappella piece slated for an upcoming CD to benefit the Tennessee Bible College:..
.. . .You can read more about Dailey & Vincent by clicking on the links below:. . .
Dailey & Vincent website
Rounder Records
Bluegrass Unlimited . ROMP is an event from the International Bluegrass Music Museum (IBMM) IBMM

Next up was Big Country Bluegrass from Virginia, who have been in working together for 20 years. Their set included many of their own original songs, most written by their tenor singer, Jeff Michael, who also plays clawhammer banjo and fiddle. They traded singing lead on the different songs around the traditional single mike of bluegrass. “The Sinner’s Dream”, which is part recitation, should make everyone who hears it stop and think. Their set was completed with “Good ol’ Mountain Dew”, as Jeff showed off his clawhammer-style picking.

After more auction items, it was time for the fast-rising Dailey & Vincent. Jaime Dailey and Darren Vincent have lengthy backgrounds in bluegrass; now they’ve formed their own group and, judging from last night, they have a bright future. Their sets included two moving songs called “I Believe” and “By The Marks”, and both got standing ovations. The crowd was accepted their invitation to sing along on the final chorus of “By The Marks”. They also did two acapella numbers - both will be on a forthcoming cd. Their voices blend well, and the picking was smooth. The onstage banter was good and brought chuckles from the crowd. Darren’s daughter entertained us with an impromptu song. At last, the final auction items were offered up - a pair Daily and Vincent posters, signed by all the bands that played. Once again auctioneer Pa Graves did an entertaining job: As the bids increased, the singers on the stage took turns dancing arm-in-arm with him in little circle.

I look forward to being able to attend this wonderful event again - not so much because I’ll be hearing some mighty fine bluegrass but rather knowing I’m helping a worthwhile cause. That’s the real music to my ears

Tom Brantley and Friends

Fiddle: Tom Brantley:

Upright Bass: Stuart Wyrick

Mandolin Mike Ramsey

Guitar: Jackie Miller

Banjo: Larry Mathis

Big Country Bluegrass

Mandolin:Tommy Sells

Guitar:Tersea Sells

Upright Bass: Alan Mastin

Fiddle, Banjo: Jeff Michael

Banjo: Lynnwood Lunsford

Guitar: Johnny Williams

Dailey and VincentGuitar Jamie DaileyUpright bass, Mandolin :Darrin VincentMandolin: Jeff Parker

Banjo: Joe Dean

Fiddle: Alan Haynes

http://www.danielbrantleyfoundation.org/

It wasn’t enough that youth prodigy mandolin picker Marty Stuart started his music career at 13. Or that he became a country rock icon in his twenties with the introduction of “hillbilly rock.” Stuart has continued to re-invent himself. All the while, through photographs and memorabilia, he has been creating an archive of country music history.

Marty Stuart has had more than just an eye for photography. He’s had access…access to history in the making.

In 1999 Stuart published Pilgrims: Sinners, Saints and Prophets. The book is a pictorial history of events and people in country music. Although many of the photos are artistic in value, the book wasn’t intended to showcase the photography itself. But it does an amazing job of letting us follow Marty on his journey as he met, worked with and peeked into the lives of many of our beloved country stars.

The 1999 publishing didn’t contain all of Stuart’s pictures, though. And he’s taken many since.

In 2007, Stuart published a new piece, “Country Music: The Masters.” The cover boasts the last portrait taken of the late, great Johnny Cash.

The cost of producing such a wonderful collection meant this book was introduced at a pocketbook-squeezing price of about a hundred bucks. As hard as that price tag is for the average fan to muster, the book is worth every penny and then some.

Some of the key portraits from that book are now on exhibit. Today, if you are lucky enough to be traveling via the Nashville International Airport, you’ll find that exhibit on display through June 2009. More info.

It’s easy to miss, so keep a careful lookout. Don’t be distracted by the big screen TV blaring CMT music videos on your left. Look right. And there it begins…with that incredible portrait of Cash, and an introduction to the display.

Don’t stop at the first wall. Follow the display around the corner…and another corner. See Dolly, Porter, and one of the most endearing shots of Connie Smith ever taken. You’ll see Minnie Pearl’s hat & shoes, and the pics Lakota Indians taken during the “Badlands” project. That lists just a few of the photos on display.

As an admirer of the collection, I have to admit I was saddened by the fact that this amazing body of work was “hidden” in a place that only weary travelers in the “secure section of the airport (the food court in Concource C) could view. Most of those flyers don’t even notice the works of art on the walls around them. They are downing sandwiches and making cell phone calls while waiting for their flights.

Hopefully, after the Nashville Airport gig concludes, the exhibit will move to a more accessible venue.

Later this year, a more economical version of the book will be released (suggested retail $49.99). It will come with an audio CD. Advanced purchases are being accepted now by reatilers such as Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.

http://www.amazon.com/Country-Music-Masters-Audio-CD/dp/1402214537/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1215956018&sr=8-1

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?WRD=Country+Music%3A+The+Masters&r=1

Miss Leslie & Her Juke-Jointers are back with their third album, Between the Whiskey and the Wine, and it is the best work they’ve done to date. There are a few faces missing from the original Juke-Jointer lineup, and a few new ones in the mix now, but this current lineup will certainly never be faulted for not playing authentic, hardcore honky tonk music because this sounds like an album that might have been recorded in the sixties. In fact, if you like Ray Price’s Night Life album, you’re going to feel right at home listening to Between the Whiskey and the Wine.

Leslie wrote all thirteen of these new songs herself, something of which she is justifiably proud, and it is obvious from her vocals that she has a strong emotional attachment to the lyrics of each of them. Between the Whiskey and the Wine is about real life, that everyday world in which stress, financial problems, a wandering eye and a readily available night life often combine to ruin a relationship and lead the unwary to seek comfort in the nearest bottle.

A glance at the titles of a few of the album’s highlights says it all: “I’m Done with Leaving,” “Between the Whiskey and the Wine,” “I Can Get Over You,” “In the Matter of Me and You,” “You Left Me a Long Time Ago,” and “I’ll Walk Out.”

This is traditional honky tonk music at its finest, and longtime fans of the genre will discover that its timeless sound brings back many a memory from the day when Honky Tonk truly was king of country music. There’s lots of fiddle, lots of crying steel guitar, some very fine harmony provided by Leslie’s sister, Hillary Sloan, and lyrics to kill for. Leslie’s first two albums were remarkable recordings, but this one is another giant step forward for a young lady who deserves to be a star of real country music.

Don’t miss this one.

Jan, Sam, Cindy, Nancy and I enjoyed yet another extremely pleasant weekend in Owensboro, Kentucky at this year’s ROMP (River of Music Party) Festival, thrown by the good people of the International Bluegrass Music Museum which is based out of that town. It was my second year at the festival, but I believe it was the third trip for the rest of the gang. I missed Thursday’s Legends concert again, like last year, but Sam wrote a terrific post at RCR about that event, so you can still read about it.

My experience began with a zen-like, stress-free drive of six hours from Atlanta. When I got to the Motel 6, my friends had already gone to Yellow Creek Park, the site of the festival, but Cindy had left with the hotel clerk a gift bag with my passes, a rain poncho, snacks, and the RCR business cards that she made for all of us (sweet!). One goal we had, of course, was to try to spread the word about Real Country Radio and Bus of Real Country.

This year, the stage was oriented differently, facing north instead of east, so fans would better be able to take advantage of the shade trees which separated the field from the nearby service road. When I caught up with my friends, they shared the sad news that the great Hazel Dickens had had to cancel her appearance due to heart trouble. Though I was excited to see Cherryholmes and Dry Branch Fire Squad, Hazel was the #1 musical draw for me, so I was just crushed. However, ROMP’s amazing lineup of bluegrass talent made it easy to focus on the pleasures of the moment.

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Country Ham was the first act we enjoyed at ROMP. The band is led by Carl Pagter, who books bluegrass festivals in California, and his wife, Judie. (Look for Cindy’s interview with Carl in another RCR post). Their humor and their musicianship set Friday off on a very happy note.

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The Brainstormers were an old-timey act, very populist a la Woody Guthrie. Tom Sauber, on the left, plays with Alice Gerrard. They’re from California, and are yet another example of a great band I would not have seen were it not for ROMP:

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The legends of bluegrass came on next, giving fans a return to the magic that went down at the concert Thursday night:

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Sam tipped me off and made me pay attention to Don Rigsby and Midnight Call. We didn’t recognize him at first, because he’s dropped a lot of weight. He is, according to his website, “. . .the first full-time director of Morehead State University’s Kentucky Center for Traditional Music, an innovative program designed to preserve and promote traditional music in all forms, including programs for schools and a minor in Traditional Music at MSU.” He spoke of his work proudly. And his voice, man, what a tenor! He was great:

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I loved hearing Hamilton County Bluegrass Band at ROMP ‘08! They were excellent, and doubly endearing because of the obvious pleasure they were experiencing playing for the crowd. They are from New Zealand, and worked their tails off scraping the money together to make it to Kentucky. They put a delightful twist into the country classic “Y’all Come”, inviting the crowd to make it down under to their beautiful country:

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Next up were are the peerless Dry Branch Fire Squad, led by the charismatic Ron Thomason, who, steeped in dry humor, cuts up plenty between songs. DBFS are truly one-of-a-kind, one of the best in the business to be sure:

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From left: Brian Aldridge, Dan Russell, Ron Thomason, and Tom Boyd.

DBFS marked the end of our day at ROMP, even though there were a few more acts. The threatening sky drove many away early, but that’s okay, because it gave us a chance to actually get a good night’s sleep before ROMP cranked up again at 10am the next morning.

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Tom, Tina, and the U. S. Express opened ROMP’s Saturday bill, Saturday, June 28, 2008. They were good musicians full of good humor. Tina really went for it, putting a lot of holler into her singing:

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Tom and Tina were followed by Cats & the Fiddler, who have been glowing reviewed elsewhere here at RCR. Suffice to say that I’m in total agreement: These three are gifted and charming, and a promising sign for the future health of bluegrass:

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As a culminating activity, student musicians of bluegrass at the International Bluegrass Museum performed on the ROMP mainstage - hundreds of ‘em! With their blue shirts uniting them and their myriad of facial expressions setting each apart from the another, it was a wonderful photo opportunity:

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My friends and I headed back to the hotel for awhile around then, letting go by an act we should have caught (Claire Lynch, sorry Claire) and some we were glad to miss. When we were back on the scene, Crooked Still was playing. Their “alternative” bluegrass sound is not an acceptable alternative to our traditional ears (no offense intended to any Crooked Still fans out there):

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Cherryholmes was up next. Now, Cherryholmes, prior to my seeing them play, was little more than a name to me. Their recordings show their talent, but don’t give a real indication of their unbelievable, jaw-dropping onstage charisma. They are confident and assured, almost to the point of arrogance, but I cannot bring myself to fault them for that:

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It was at that point I looked backward through the crowd and realized that many, many new people were arriving - the walk-up traffic that the festival organizers were counting on. Now this, finally, was a full house, most of whom, I hoped, got to experience the amazing Cherryholmes and were ready for the night’s other highlight, Dailey and Vincent.

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I believe my RCR friends would say, and I would agree, that Dailey & Vincent are the best torchbearers of traditional bluegrass that we saw at ROMP. Their performance made me feel very good about the health of the genre. They were alternately sincere and funny, and were in complete control of their performance. Their ability to sustain their harmonies was something I’d never heard done quite that expertly.

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Last on the bill were the Infamous Stringdusters:

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They were another band, like Cadillac Sky and Crooked Still, of the “alternative”, noodling variety. By the time they were into their third song, the crowd shrunk to half the size it had been for Dailey and Vincent. I took that to be a sign that a lot of people believe as my RCR friends do - that bluegrass does not have to change much to maintain its importance, popularity, or longevity. For us, it will always be the traditionalists, the musicians whose spirit is in alignment with the founders, who will be our heroes.

So thanks again to the ROMP festival organizers and the International Bluegrass Music Museum for providing another unforgettable weekend! Here’s hoping they will be able to pull it off yet again next year.

Everything about this one was perfect. Ron Thomason, front-man for the Dry Branch Fire Squad, kept the crowd laughing during his introductions of three legendary bluegrass gospel groups that were to open this year’s music celebration (The Sullivan Family, The Lewis Family, and the Isaacs), setting a nice, friendly tone for the rest of the evening.

First onstage was the Sullivan Family, a band that came together in 1949 and is led by Enoch and Margie Sullivan. The Sullivan Family band includes longtime standup bass player Joy Deville who, together with a young fiddle player, combined with Enoch and Margie for a rousing, toe-tapping start to the evening. Enoch’s stories and Margie’s rousing vocals were the highlights of their set.

Lewis Family, “America’s First Family of Bluegrass Gospel Music,” was next on stage and, with “Little Roy” Lewis leading the way, their pace was at times a frantic one. The Lewis Family, with its beginnings in the early 1950s, today consists of the three sisters, (Miggie, Polly and Janis), Little Roy and Janis’s son, Lewis Phillips. But most eyes, as usual, were on banjo picker, Little Roy, who has an intensity on stage that few performers can even come close to matching. The Lewis Family show is a nice blend of comedy, stories, and old time gospel music guaranteed to leave the crowd hollering for more.

Then it was time for the highlight of the evening: more than 60 first generation bluegrass legends introduced one-at-a-time and seated on stage so that the audience could express its appreciation for the accomplishments of each of them. The sheer talent and history on that stage was so overwhelming that it became a little difficult to keep up with all those there to be honored but I remember: Eddie Adcock, Martha Adcock, Homer Bailes, J.D. Crowe, Doug Dillard, Rodney Dillard, Ramona Jones, Jesse McReynolds, Tex Logan, William McCormick, Jimmy Case, Bobby Hicks, Haskel McCormick, Hisashi Ozaki, Yasushi Ozaki, Bud, David and Ralph Reed, Roni Stoneman, Bob Moore, Rose Maphis, Mac Martin, Tom Morgan, Gloria Bell, Al Hawkes, Carl Pagter, and Paul Williams (with apologies to those I’ve failed to mention).

And who amongst us will ever forget Roni Stoneman’s fake swoon into Doug Dillard’s lap and where his hands “innocently” ended up when he so chivalrously kept her from falling to the floor?

Little did the Thursday night crowd know that, because Hazel Dickens would be unable to appear on Friday afternoon, we would be treated to a Legends Jam Band performance at Yellow Creek Park the next day, almost an hour of bluegrass standards by some of the people who started it all. Watching these guys pull songs together on the fly and perform them to such a high standard was an impressive thing for the Friday afternoon crowd to witness.

But before that wonderful surprise performance, many of us were treated to a story-swap between some of the legends who gathered Friday morning to continue their reunion with friends, many of whom hadn’t seen each other for several years. Among the interesting tales told, it was particularly fun to hear Rodney Dillard describe how the Dillards ended up in Hollywood rather than in Nashville and how they so quickly made their way to the Andy Griffith show.

The Isaacs closed the Thursday night show with a performance of gospel and inspirational music that served as a nice bridge between the old and the new. The Isaacs include Lily Isaacs, her two daughters, Sonya and Becky, and her son, Ben, the group’s standup bass player. Although the Isaacs were noticeably younger than most of the others on stage Thursday, they have been a family band since the ‘80s and have 30 albums to their credit. They are not as straight forward traditional bluegrass gospel as the Sullivan Family or the Lewis Family but their music is equally inspirational and the audience loved them, and its enthusiasm was rewarded by a nice encore presentation.

Yes, we’ll be talking about this one for a long, long time.

Lewis Family, Chicken Song: