The E-Mail Edition                                                            
            June 15, 2001

One Tennessee bourbon. two shade trees and a hammock is a southerner's
delight.  But, if you like your hammock a-rocking, read on, read on.  
Southern Delight, made with the Finest in Country Rock won't have time for a
hammock this weekend.  Fri- day Night, June 15th, the boys may do a verse of
"After The Loving" at Humper- dincks, 4460 N. Federal Highway, Pompano Beach.
 On Saturday Night, June 16th, the band will work the OLDEST bar in
Hollywood.  It's Club M, 2037 Hollywood Boulevard.  They begin at ten and
they have good food.  And, on Father's Day, should you get enough of being or
trying to become a Pappy, Southern Delight plays the great new British Pub
and Restaurant - The George and Dragon.  Fort Lauderdale's touch of jolly ole
England is nestled among the traffic at 4140 N. Federal Highway.

Happy thromping to those at the 30th annual Fan Fair, June 14-17 in
Nashville.  I've never wanted an autograph bad enough to stand in line to
seek it.  Though, this year's slammer is most inside.  I am not dosing cold
water on Fan Fair, but.  My observation of the event now is a bunch of kids
yelling and wriggling, waiting for their non-country heroes.  They wouldn't
know Hank or Jimmie or Lefty if they ran into their ghosts.  Like me, you no
doubt remember when tickets had to be ordered nearly a year in advance.  The
legends are doing a show and the only two recognized as legends are Bill
Anderson and Little Jimmy Dickens.  This is why so many stars now say, "NO"
to working the Fair.  I understand, that lounges had to bone up on mixing
Shirley Temples.  Some lounges even considered ice cream.  Just made myself
ill, booze and ice cream in the same sentence.  For grownups, they should
freeze Jack and Coke on a stick.  Ridiculous, perhaps.  We who love Country
Music should not have to be subjected to the music, Nashville calls country.  
The Country Music Association's concept of fans meeting artists and vice
versa was excellent.  Now, the concept needs some thought.  You can bet that
Fan Fair is putting dollars in someone's pocket or they'd drop it like a s
(please say, "soiled") diaper.

I hope Fan Fair will make Jeff Blair a household name.  One of the better
singers in Florida has a booth at the Fair.  Jeff and I have been friends
for, guess cuz we like each other.  I like his singing.  What he likes about
me....I have no clue.  I got to know Jeff when he worked with Clay Daniels at
the Town Pump in Orlando.  Jeff has a good ol' country voice.  He is still
keeping suds gruzzling country alive.  His current CD is "Memories & Pain"  
Jeff currently works with The 3 Amigos, Clay Daniels, Roy Marler and himself.

MEMORIES OF WAYNE RANEY....AND OTHER DJ's
I guess a 100,,000 watts station just across the border in El Paso, Texas,
could be credited with the all-night DJ syndom.  The FCC limits US stations
to 50,000 watts.  The station in El Paso was heard nearly throughout North
America at night.  The Carter Family had a nightly program on the station for
years.  Primarily, the border station was known for quack doctors selling
their cure-all remedies and "hell and damnation" preachers.  The station was
more like a flea market with little music.  In the south, WLAC-Nashville was
taking a significant bite out of the border station's popularity.  A white
DJ, who called himself John R. was playing and selling "black" music, plus he
had a "white" following.  He had retailers like Randy's Record Shop (Randy
Wood would later start Dot Records), Ernie's Records in Nashville, Royal
Crown hair treatment and other mail order businesses.  After John R.'s., Bob
Jennings would come in at 4:00 with country until dawn.  Jennings just
disappeared after his years with WLAC.  Country Music's answer to WLAC was
WCKY-Cincin-nati.  I can remember listening to the station in the late 40's.  
It was Lonnie Glossen, and later Wayne Raney, selling their harmonicas and
harmonica lessons.  I don't recall Lonnie very well.  Wayne was from Arkansas
and there was other kind of music, except country.  He recorded "sacred"
music with his children, Wanda and Zendall.  Wayne's claim to fame was "We
Need A Whole Lot More of Jesus And A Lot Less of Rock and Roll."  The song
was in a package of twenty-four songs for $2.98.  Raney sold everything from
his records to 100 "live" baby chicks, fish bait oil to Rockdale Monuments
(tombstones), etc.  He was always very serious.  If it wasn't country, it was
thrash.  When Ray Price released "Night Life" or one of his songs with
violins and a chorus, Wayne refused to play it.  He raged about how Country
Music was heading for destruction.  This was at the start of "the Nashville
Sound."  Then, Country Music was Country Music to me and I was a huge fan of
Ray Price.  I could see no reason for Raney's rage.  A year later, I was
editorially agreeing with Wayne.

FREE entertainment.... Devil, I don't have that luxury in my house.  It's
either a new dress, lace curtains or Fido needs to go to the vet.  Haines
City Parks and Recreation presents Thunder on The Ridge, Saturday, June 30th.
 There will be Arts & Crafts, Kids Rides, T-shirt Baby Pageant and tons of
food.  Then, when it cools off and shadows erupt, Country Music's Ricochet
will appear at 8:00.  The place is Lake Eva Park in Haines City.  Should you
desire added information, ring up, 863/421- 3700.  I never saw anything
there, but a mamouthed truck stop and an old man selling shelled peanuts.

The benefit for Grand Ole Opry star Johnny Russell raised $80,016.  The fund
raiser was to help with medical expenses.  The benefit cleared over $107,000,
but after ex- penses, it came to $80,016.  Mercy, why all the expenses?  The
Opry House has no bar or tabs.

Charlie Daniels has opened a museum on Printer's Alley in Nashville.  With
the successes (or lack of) for Daniels in recent years, their first goal will
be to answer the question, "Who is Charlie Daniels?"  Yes, I know that isn't
a nice way to put it.  Though, I guess "The Devil Went Down To Georgia"
bought him a farm and helped to feed his young'uns.

Received a very nice opening letter from Hilltopper Music Group.  The Group
an-nounced a new release by Robert Shields.  I love the song's title, "I'm
The Only One Who 'All Miss Me When I'm Gone."  That's a sure winner.  The
label says that the Opry's Ernie Ashworth will have some future releases with
them.  If you need a label, look toward Livington, Tennessee, and HOLLER
1-877-938-2987.

Mel Tillis received the Special Citation Achievement award from BMI.  The
award was for his "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town," performed over three
million times.

Congrats to Vince Gill on receiving the Career Achievement Award presented at
the CMT/Counntry Weekly Awards on June 13th.

I guess my #3 hero in Country Music was the late Wynn Stewart.  He was a
singer like Merle Haggard, Lefty Frizzell, Connie Smith and some others.  The
minute you hear them, you need not inquire, "Who's singing?"  Children,
you'll know there's ain't, but one Wynn Stewart.  Wynn's daughter, Wren
Stewart Tidwell, announced the re- lease of "The Very Best of Wynn Stewart
(1958-1962)."  She also said, "This is not the 'Greatest Hits' CD that I had
my mind set on doing (which is still in the works), but is a re-release of
Dad's earlier recordings."  Several of Wynn's winners while on Starday
Records were compressed on the CD.  He sings two with Jan Howard.  www.Wren,
if Wynn is your hero too.  www.wynnstewart.com or wren@wynnstewart. com

Oh yes, if you've been sitting up past your bedtime, waiting for K-Mart's TV
ad, featuring Wynn Stewart's "It's Such A Pretty World Today."  Wren says
that the store yanked the ad after only two weeks.

I made an error in the previous edition.  I made reference to the "late" Vern
Stovall.  Janet McBride set the ol' editor straight.  Vern lives in Lake
Whitney, Texas.  He is still in the recording industry.  Janet went on to
tell me the following.  She taught  Leann Rimes to yodel.  Janet said, "Leann
was seven when she came to our Mesquite Opry and auditioned in December 1989.
 She appeared many times from January 3, 1990 to 1994.  She started yodeling
in April 1990.  Leann sang "Cowboy's Sweetheart" on the show the first night
and  did an excellent job.  The fans loved it."  

The NEWS turns to bluegrass with the following.  The legendary Charlie Waller
and The Country Gentlemen has just signed a recording contract with
Orlando-based Pinecastle Records.  Charlie formed the "Gentlemen" in 1957,
hitting with such favorites as;  "Two Little Boys", "Legend of the Rebel
Soldier", "Waltz of  the Angels" and others.  In 1996, Waller was inducted
into The Bluegrass Hall of Honor in Owens-boro, Kentucky.  My friend Eddie
Adcock is a former Country Gentleman.

The FLORIDA COUNTRY MUSIC ASSOCIATION (Broward County Chapter) has (I guess)
postponed this Sunday's Jam, because of Father's Day.  Billy Helms said that
Gator Deluxe will be the host band for the June Jam.

Before I let this puppy fly into cyber space, thanks to the following
followers.  Jack Blanchard, (who sent his thanks - Jack and Misty are
featured in the current NEWS), Hermann Mann from Germany (for his CD), Wren
Tidwell, (who rejected my advances to get a complimentary Wynn Stewart CD.  
It ain't up to her), Clay Daniels (who refused to E-Mail me a Randy from
Dave, the barkeep at the Moose.  He said I'm to old for cherries ), Hal
Willis (for suspenders and support), and Will Campbell (who attempted to
E-Mail little Jim Burgess.  Jim was entirely too small).


Bye, bye,

Randy

J. Randall Collier
Editor
FLORIDA COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS
121 N.E. 47th Street
Fort Lauderdale, Florida  33334
954/771-6479  Fax 954/771-7u16
E-Mail:  JCountrylad@aol.com  Web Site:   http://amjon.com/florida