Country Reunion m a g a z i n e
May 2021
Tony Jackson
Bill Owens Cowboy Bill Doyle Lawson
George Lindsey Nadine’s Corner
Diner Chat Hager Twins
Linda Davis Glen Campbell
… and more
November 2020
Country Reunion Magazine Who’s inside? Bill Owens, p. 3 Tony Jackson, p.4 Cowboy Bill, p. 6 SC Musicfest 2021, p. 8 Charley Pride, p.9 Doyle Lawson, p. 10 Glen Campbell, p. 12 Areeda’s Cooking, p. 13 Scott Family, p. 14 Bluegrass Hall of Fame, p. 12 Diner Chat, p. 16 George Lindsey, p. 17 Hager Twins, p. 20 Nadine’s Corner, p. 21 Brotherly Love, p. 22
Published monthly by Country Road Management, 710 N. Main St., Suite B Columbia, TN 38401 Larry Black, Publisher Paula Underwood Winters, Editor, Print Layout & Design Claudia Johnson, Writer, Online Layout & Design Online Subscriptions $15 per year http://countryreunionmagaine.com/ Annual Print Subscriptions $29.95; renewals $24.95
November 2020
Dolly Loses Beloved Uncle Bill Owens Dolly Parton, who lost her brother Randy earlier Owens wrote songs that were recorded by this year, is now mourning the loss of her beloved Loretta Lynn, Porter Wagoner, Ricky Skaggs, Kris uncle, Billy Earl Owens. Kristofferson and many others. He also traveled the “I knew my heart would break when he passed, road with many big artists playing his guitar, and it did,” Parton said in a Facebook post on April including playing on stage with Parton in her early 7, 2021, the day he passed away. “I'll start this eulogy years in Nashville. by saying I wouldn't be here if he hadn't been there. Born Sept. 28, 1935, Owens worked at Dollywood He was there...there in my young years to encourage from the time it opened in the Parton family show me to keep playing my guitar, to keep writing my for many years. songs, to keep practicing my singing. And he was “He was funny, friendly and generous,” Parton t h e r e to h e l p b u i l d m y recalled, adding that “he confidence standing on always had a kind word for stage where he was always everybody and gave good standing behind me or close advice to young people beside me with his big ol' starting in the business.” red Gretsch guitar.” Owens joined forces with Parton said that Owens Dollywood, The American was there to take her around C h e s t n u t Fo u n d a t i o n , to all the local shows and University of Tennessee at that he secured her first job Chattanooga and The on the "Cas Walker Show.” American Eagle Foundation Owens took her back to bring back the and forth from her home in endangered chestnut tree to the Smoky Mountains to the Great Smoky Mountain Nashville through the years area. He also championed and walked up and down the the cause of protecting the streets with her, knocking natural environment at on doors until he could get Dollywood in 1986. During her signed with recording that time, he took it upon labels or publishing himself, with his wife Sandy, companies. to plant 70,000 trees on the Bill Owens and a young Dolly Parton “It's really hard to say or theme park’s property. to know for sure what all “I bet a lot of our own you owe somebody for your success, but I can tell relatives don't even know all of the great things that you for sure that I owe Uncle Billy an awful lot,” Uncle Bill did behind the scenes through his life,” Parton said. “Uncle Bill was so many things. He Parton said. “But the greatest thing he ever did for loved the music, loved to play, loved his guitar and me was to help me see my dreams come true and for loved to write and sing. He wrote great songs, at that I will be forever grateful. I'm sure that Uncle least 800 of them through the years. We wrote Bill's friends, fans, his wife Sandy, his kids, grandkids several songs together, the biggest one being "Put It and great grandkids will join me when I say that we Off Until Tomorrow." We won our first big award on will always love you. Rest in peace, Uncle Bill.” that one back in 1966…BMI Song of the Year.” Courtesy of Dolly Parton’s Facebook page Page 3
May 2021
Tony Jackson: Banker Turned Country Music Tony Jackson is almost certainly the only major bank executive ever to abandon a prominent IT job in finance at a Fortune 500 company to embark on a career in Country music. The banker turned performer, who guest stars on “Larry’s Country Diner” on May 27, released his debut album, “Tony Jackson,” in May 2017, and has been moving growing his fanbase ever since. The son of a Navy man, he led a baseto-base existence, at one point living with his family in Rota, Spain, for three years. His earl y musical background was sketchy at best. “I sang 'White Christmas' in the Christmas play in the sixth grade,” he recalled. “Everybody seemed to love it, but I was a wreck. My mother forced me to sing in the church choir, but I was kind of buried in the voices along with everybody else.” This was basically his entire musical resume until 10 or so years ago when a friend whose band had lost its lead singer asked Jackson to try out for the spot. “I did,” he said, “and I was hooked after that.” Two weeks after graduating from high school, Jackson joined the Marines. “I told my dad I was joining because I was sick of taking orders,” he said with a wry grin. “I was a computer and electronics geek as a teenager. When I talked to the recruiter, he told me the Marine Corps had just started a computer science school in Quantico, Virginia. Fortunately, I scored high enough on the entrance exam to go to that school.” It was a smart move. When he finished service, a prominent bank in Richmond snapped him up to work in its Information Technology division, initially assigning him the lowly chore of re-setting passwords. “I was way overqualified,” he says, “so I got promoted fast. I was a senior vice president by my early 30s.” It was while in the Marines that he first started paying serious attention to country music. “My mother listened only to gospel,” he said. “My dad was into jazz, hip hop, R&B, new jack Page 4
swing – stuff like that. But Armed Forces Radio played everything. When I was living in Spain when I was 10 to 13, Randy Travis came over there on a USO tour. Some friends and I were out there early when they were setting up the stage, and we actually got to talk to him before we realized he was the guy who’d be performing later. He was really cool to us. In the Marine Corps, when my friends and I played music for each other, we were all homesick. So when you’d listen to these country songs that talked about family and home and heartbreak, it would really grab you.”
countryreunionmagazine.com
May 2021
A song that particularly appealed to Jackson was George Jones’ heartbreaking 1974 hit, “The Grand Tour.” When Jones died, Jackson and some friends went into a Richmond studio and recorded it. In the process, they also made a performance video that eventually wound up on YouTube. By sheer accident, singer Donna Dean Stevens saw the video and instantly decided Jackson should do “The Grand Tour” on the “Old Dominion Barn Dance,” which she had just resurrected. After she witnessed Jackson’s standing ovation, an honor that hadn’t yet been accorded to any of the show’s headliners, she offered to co-manage and co-produce him with noted talent mana ger Jim Del la Croce. A commanding performer in her own right, Stevens recorded for Mercury Records in Nashville as Donna Meade. She is also the widow of Country Music Hall o f Fa m e m e m b e r Jimmy Dean and a zealous guardian of his vast musical legacy. Stevens and Croce then whisked Jackson to Nashville, where he recorded most of “Tony Jackson” at the hallowed RCA Records Studios. The respect Jackson has already earned within the music community is evident throughout the “Tony Jackson” album. It features songs and/or performances by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members John Sebastian, Steve Cropper and Dr. John “Mac” Rebennack, Country Music Hall of Famers Vince Gill, Bill Anderson and Conway Twitty and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame luminary Norro Wilson. Since the highly-praised debut album’s release, the affable singer has already been invited to perform on the Grand Ole Opry (multiple times) and at CMA Fest, and has appeared on several national TV shows. His initial videos from the album excited more than 62 million Facebook views and 1.1 million shares seemingly overnight. Prior to Covid-19, Jackson toured tirelessly in support of his music. Page 5
Rolling Stone magazine cited Jackson’s single, “County Road,” as one of the 10 Best Country and Americana Songs to Hear Now stating that the “fiddle, harmonica, pedal steel guitar fill this lessknown James Taylor salute to the rolling ribbons of backwoods blacktop, but it’s Jackson’s voice – which could easily pass for Taylor’s classic croon—that packs the biggest punch.” It is ease with which Jackson makes every song— even the familiar ones—distinctly his own that sets him apart. Who else would dare to try and then succeed in bringing a fresh layer of emotional urgency to such a classic as Jones' “The Grand Tour” or Twitty's eternal “It's Only Make Believe?” On the first-time and lesser known songs, Jackson mints his own c l a s s i c s . Wi t h i t s sweeping steel guitar fl o u r i s h e s and ambient barroom clatter, he transforms John Sebastian and Phil Galdston's “Last Call” into the sweetest, most affectionate separation ballad imaginable. With reverence and a twinkle in his eye, he enlists Sebastian and Vince Gill in revivifying (after 50 years) the Lovin' Spoonful's 1966 romp, “Nashville Cats.” “When asked if we should recut the song,” Sebastian begins, “I said absolutely but we have to get Vince Gill, Paul Franklin and today’s real Nashville Cats in on the session and fortunately that session was preserved on video,” he beams. After capturing perfectly, the excitement of new love in Anderson's “I Didn't Wake Up This Morning,” he moves on to a memory-stirring homage to Merle Haggard, Hank Williams Jr. and Willie Nelson in “They Lived It Up,” a lyrical scrapbook from Anderson and Bobby Tomberlin. Jackson shines as a keen-eyed songwriter in his own right with such memorable excursions as “Drink By Drink,” “Old Porch Swing” and “She's Taking Me Home.” Learn more about the singer and his music at tonyjacksonmusic.com. May 2021
Smilin' Cowboy Bill's Career Boosted by Competitions By Claudia Johnson Some of today’s biggest Country names, including megastars Miranda Lambert a n d Ca r r i e Un d e r wo o d , launched successful careers after appearing in televised talent competitions. Similar opportunities were afforded to rising young talents in the 1930s when radio stations hosted talent contests with prizes like regular radio appearances or even recording contracts. At the very least, an astute winner could use the victor y as a career steppingstone. That’s what William Newcomb did. Born Sept. 29, 1912, in the Missouri Ozarks in the small town of Caledonia, Newcomb became interested in singing during his school days when he attended a little one room schoolhouse. Newcomb’s parents divorced during the 1920s, and by the time the 1930 U.S. Federal Census was taken, his mother, the former Ethel Rose Beeman, had remarried and his brother Lawrence, who was two years younger, was living with his mother’s new husband, Otto Dubois, and his children in South Bend, Indiana. At that time Newcomb, according to United States military records, had begun serving in the Navy on the U.S.S. Arizona on June 3, 1929, and was discharged on Oct. 22, 1931. Upon his return he married Florence Bond, a girl from his hometown. Although he frequently sang at socials and entertainments around the countryside, Newcomb admitted to interviewers that he learned to play the guitar so he could accompany his father, William Walter Newcomb, a blacksmith by trade, on the fiddle rather than to accompany himself as he sang. According to an article in the April 1938 issue of Stand By Magazine, Newcomb’s father saw how hard his son worked to purchase the latest albums from his musical role models and how inspired he Page 6
was by their music. In support of his son’s love of music he purchased him his first guitar. Sadly, this guitar was consumed by the flames of a house fire that completely destroyed the Newcomb family home. It was said that at the time of the fire, the Smilin’ Cowboy could be seen racing one of his horses at top speed, riding bareback toward the flames in an effort to save his prized possession, but the effort was in vain. Not to be deterred, the aspiring singer formed the group Mystical Billy and his Musical Billys, known for their mountain/old time western style. They began playing for dances and events, and that eventually led to a radio audition at WMBH in Joplin, Missouri, following which they appeared on the station for seven months. That’s when Newcomb began entering a series of amateur contests, branding himself as Cowboy Bill Newcomb. He won his first at Webb City, Missouri, earning an all-expenses-paid-trip to Springfield, Missouri, for another competition. He won first place again and had his expenses paid to KMOX in St. Louis, where he made a guest appearance on the air as winner. That was only the beginning.
May 2021
While in St. Louis he entered 15 amateur contests. Out of the 15 he won 12 first prizes, two seconds and placed third in one. In 1937 Newcomb won the amateur contest that changed the trajectory of his career. This time it was a contest sponsored by Chicago’s WLS home talent shows under the direction of Arthur MacMurray. As a result he appeared for a month on the National Barn Dance. After that Cowboy Bill joined the staff of WLS at only 25 years old. Soon he was regularly heard weekl y on National Barn Dance and on “Pat’s Afternoon S p e c i a l ” w e e k l y. He w a s featured on the Pinex show at 8 a.m. each morning and the early m o r n i n g “ S m i l e Aw h i l e . ” Occasionally he appeared on the “Homemaker’s Show.” “When you hear a WLS announcer say here comes 6 feet of smiling cowboy you can be sure he’s talking about Cowboy Bill Newcomb,” wrote Marjorie Gibson in a February 1939 interview with Newcomb for Rural Radio Magazine. “The description fits him to a T, or he has one of the most engaging smiles you’ll see anywhere. And when he’s tagged out in his cowboy outfit with his big black sombrero, black and white boots and white silk kerchief tied loosely about his neck, he cuts a striking figure.” Gibson, who seemed more than a little enamored with the young star, added that he “has twinkling blue eyes and dark brown hair that waves slightly. He’s of Scotch Irish and English descent.” In the interview Newcomb talked about growing up in the Ozarks, frog gigging and fishing in the Big River and hunting the forests. “In the winter we did a lot of ice-skating and in the summer, we’d go swimming in the river just about every day,” he said. “Most of all we went hunting and trapping. I remember one day I shot a big bobcat off a limb high up in a sycamore tree. When the cat landed, it lit amongst the dogs and tore at them almost chewing them to pieces and then made his escape from the howling dogs. I Page 7
couldn’t get another shot at him because he disappeared into the brush.” During his boyhood days on the farm Newcomb became an expert horseback rider and an expert roper. He told Gibson that he continued to work constantly on trick roping as a hobby and that breaking horses is still his idea of good sport. Someday, he told the reporter, he hoped to have a big cattle ranch of his own down in the Ozarks. That never happened. Newcomb pursued his music, and in the 1940 U.S. Census is listed as “radio performance entertainer” living in the home of his in-laws with his wife, Florence, and their son, William Jr., who died in 2020 at age 87. With world war looming in 1940, like all men of his age, Newcomb was required to register for the draft. Both he and brother Lawrence provided the home address and name of their mother as emergency contact on their registration cards and listed their employer as Bendix Aviation Corp. Newcomb and wife Florence appear in South Bend, Indiana, City Directories for 1941 and 1942. On March 10, 1945, he was deployed with the Merchant Marine, serving on the on the U.S.S. Mississippi, and was released from service on June 13, 1945. Although no records can be found of divorce from Florence or of her death by searching historical records, it appears that she was living alone and working as a clerk in South Bend Indiana, by 1951, according to the City Directory. In 1963 he married the former Isabella Tolar, who was the mother of three daughters. Together they had one daughter, Shirli, who was listed along with Newcomb’s natural children William Jr., Patrick and Michael in his 2008 obituary. So, what happened to Florence? Without such a disposition, Cowboy Bill becomes a bigamist. After his singing career waned, he worked with Ventura Flood Control in Ventura, California. He and Isabella moved to Mountain City, Tennessee, where he passed away on Friday, July 4, 2008 at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Mountain Home, Tennessee, at age 95. He is buried at Sunset Memorial Park in Mountain City. May 2021
Country Music Fest
Features Variety of Artists in 2021
Darius Rucker Though many music festivals ha ve been cancelled for 2021, Country music fans can make plans to attend the sixth annual Carolina Country Music Fest (CCMF) June 10 – 13, 2021, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The premiere event in 2015 brought in more 20,000 attendees and has grown each year. The most recent edition of CCMF in 2019 welcomed 30,000 people to the festival. After having cancelled last year’s festival due to Covid-19 concerns, the outdoor CCMF three-day (Friday through Sunday) event celebrating Country music begins June 10 with the McDonald’s Thursday Ni g h t K i c k- O f f Concert Po w e r e d by MyrtleBeach.com. A tribute to the life and music of Joe Diffie, who died of Covid 19 last year at age 61, will be a special memorial performance during the festival, which includes performances by more than 3o artists. CCMF spans 18 acres of coastal area from the boardwalk to Ocean Boulevard. A fourth stage was added in 2018 to accommodate more artists and larger crowds. The stages include the Coors Light Main Stage, the American Crown Royal Stage, Bluemoon Sound Stage and the Coca-Cola Stage. The site boasts a zip line, two VIP areas, concessions areas, merchandise booths and more. Page 8
The festival address is 812 N Ocean Blvd, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577, which is at the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk within the Burroughs and Chapin Pavilion Place. Ticket options range from a general admission three-day pass starting at $199 with installment payment plans available. First responders and active m i l i t a r y d i s co u n t s a r e available. Other admission options include VIP passes, four-day passes and the kick-off event. Click here for performers and tickets.
countryreunionmagazine.com
Joe Nichols May 2021
Texas Rangers Name Practice Field for Charley Pride Country legend Charley Pride, who died last year from complications related to Covid-19, has been honored by the Texas Rangers. The Major League Baseball team named their spring training complex at Surprise, Arizona, “Charley Pride Field” after the entertainer who was not only a fan but held a part-ownership stake in the Rangers. “The Texas Rangers join the Country Music world in mourning the loss of Charley Pride," the Rangers stated upon his died Dec. 12, 2020, death. "While Mr. Pride was a legendary performer who entertained millions of fans in the United States and around the world, we will remember him as a true friend to this franchise." The statement recalled that Pride pitched professionally in the Negro and Minor Leagues throughout the 1950s before embarking on his Hall of Fame singing career of more than 60 years. Pride then became a regular participant at Texas Rangers spring training camps in Pompano Beach and Port Charlotte, Florida, and Surprise, Arizona, working out with the team and staging an annual clubhouse concert for players and staff, a tradition that continued through spring 2020. “Mr. Pride’s first love was baseball," the statement said, adding, “The Rangers have been honored to have Mr. Pride be a part of the team’s ownership group for the last 10 years. A longtime Page 9
resident of this area, he was a regular at home games when his schedule permitted." He sang "The Star Spangled Banner" one final time before the first regular season game ever played at Globe Life Field on July 24. “Mr. Pride was a true gentleman, and we will never forget the lasting contributions he has made to the Texas Rangers organization," said the statement. To honor Pride's legacy the Rangers have established the Charley Pride Fellowship Program, giving local college students the chance to earn a 10week internship with the organization's front office. A “Pride Fellow” will be able to select three departments of interest in which to work during their time with the Rangers. This person will be able to experience firsthand what front office executives experience daily while exposing them to the professional baseball industry. For more information click here.
countryreunionmagazine.com
May 2021
Doyle Lawson Plans 2022 Retirement The 43-year veteran leader of Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, recently announced that he will be retiring at the end of 2022. The popular bluegrass musician has nearly six decades of entertaining under his belt,. Lawson still plays regularly at festivals, concerts and churches all over the United States, as well as occasional tours overseas. Doyle says he has been considering the decision for a while now. “I’ve been thinking about this for a long time," he said. "2022 will be coming up on 60 years in music, and I feel like this is the time to step away from my position as a bandleader. I think it’s been 43 years for me in this role. In a few days I’ll be 77 years old, and while my voice has held up well and my hands feel good, I want to leave while I can still feel proud of my performance on stage.” Lawson, who was born on April 20, 1944, near Kingsport, Tennessee, started his musical career on banjo with Jimmy Martin in 1963. “I met Jimmy Martin when I was 14 years old," Lawson said. "He is from Sneedville, Tennessee, where we had moved to in 1954. Around that time, I made up my mind that I wanted to play music for a Page 10
living and realized that only playing one instrument was somewhat limiting, so I made it a point to learn how to play the banjo and guitar, too." Four years later, in February 1963, Lawson went to Nashville and got the job playing with Martin. "In 1966, I started working with JD Crowe in Lexington, Kentucky," Lawson said. "I first played guitar and later switched to mandolin. In 1969, I was back with Jimmy Martin for about six months playing mandolin and singing tenor but then went back with J D Crowe until August of 1971. I started with the Country Gentlemen on Sept.1, 1971, and stayed with them until March 1979. By this time, I had played in bands for more than 10 years, that had their 'sound' before I joined them. I wanted to put together a group that would have ‘my sound’." Even in retirement, don’t expect Lawson to disappear from the bluegrass scene. “I plan on still doing some producing and other things in music, but Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver will not be after 2022," Lawson said. "I’ve been talking to the guys in the band, and it looks like they want to continue on as a band. They plan to stay with me through the end of next year." He will have a new CD with this current group and one more Gospel CD with Quicksilver.
countryreunionmagazine.com
May 2021
"I think it would be fitting for me to go out with that as a band leader,” Lawson said, adding that the "time comes for all of us. Father time has a way of taking a step from you. It’s always been my desire to walk away while I felt good, while I could still play. I’d rather step away while I can still feel proud of what I can do on stage. I feel like my voice has held up well, and I can still play." He said his health is good and he is not quitting for any other reason that what he's announced. "I like producing people in the studio, and I may pop up on other projects if people want me.” He’s not done yet! He and the band have a full schedule booked for the rest of this year, including
Page 11
the 41st annual Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver Bluegrass Festival in Denton, N.C. over Mother’s Day weekend, and they are building a schedule for 2022 as well. In retirement Lawson hopes to spend more time with his wife, Suzanne, whom he married June 24, 1978. The pair have three children – Robbie, Suzi and Kristi. "We spend much of our spare time playing with our grandson, Spencer," Lawson said. "We are all members of Cold Spring Presbyterian Church, and while Suzanne and Suzi are there almost every Sunday, I miss a few when I'm out on the road.”
May 2021
Where the Stars are Buried by Renae Johnson, Renae the Waitress
Glen Campbell: 1936 - 2017 Glen Campbell died at age 81 on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2017, from Alzheimer’s disease, which he had been battling since 2011. Glen Travis Campbell was born April 22, 1936, in rural Billstown, Arkansas. He was one of 12 children and began playing a five-dollar guitar bought from a Sears Roebuck mail order catalog when he was four years old. After dropping out of high school at 16, he went out west with his uncle, living in Albuquerque as a bandleader and fill-in sideman. But it wasn’t long before he made his way to Los Angles, California, where he got job writing and recording demos. His guitar and singing talents lead him to the Beach Boys and his most famous studio contribution on the song, “I Get Around” by the Beach Boys. He continued to play on sessions, with an astounding 586 sessions in 1963 alone. His first recording as a featured singer was “ G e n t l e o n My Mind.” Then came his hits “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” Wichita Lineman,” “ G a l v e s t o n” a n d “Rhinestone Cowboy.” All of his No . 1 h i t s o n t h e Country charts crossed over with success in the pop music world. He had his own TV show, the “Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour,” between 1969-1972. His show was aired internationally giving him worldwide popularity. He released more than 70 albums and received nine Grammy Awards. He also moved into the film world as the co-star of John Wayne in the 1969 film “True Grit.” His song for the soundtrack was nominated for an Academy Award, and Campbel l wa s also nominated for Most Promising Newcomer at the Golden Globes. Page 12
He was inducted in 2005 into the Country Music Hall Of Fame and into the Musician’s Hall Of Fame in 2007. Campbell once said he didn’t consider himself a country singer but “a country boy who sings.”
Celebration of Life Only one day after his death there was a private funeral and memorial held in Delight, Arkansas. Campbell’s nickname to friends, “Harry” with his image adorned every sign headed into the town. A Memorial Service held on Aug. 25, 2007, in Nashville to pay tribute to Campbell by his fellow performers at the CMA Theater in the Country Music Hall of Fame. Dolly Parton was among many stars who paid tribute, describing Campbell as "one of the greatest voices of all time". New Autobiography “Gentle On My Mind: In Sickness and in Health with Glen Campbell,” by Kim Woolen, is a no-holds-barred story of their 34-year marriage. Kim tells about the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, including his battle with a d d i c t i o n s a n d h i s g r e a te s t c h a l l e n g e w i t h A l z h e i m e r ’s disease. May 2021
Areeda’s southern cooking by Areeda Schneider Stampley
Golden Macaroni & Cheese Hearty and creamy. 8 ounces bite-size macaroni ¼ cup butter ¼ cup all-purpose flour 3 cups whole milk ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon dry mustard ¼ teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided Cook macaroni as directed, drain, and set aside. Melt butter in large saucepan. Blend in flour. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly. Add seasonings. Cook until sauce is thickened. Add 1 cup cheese and stir until melted. Add macaroni to cheese mixture. Mix well. Turn mixture into a buttered 8” square baking dish. Sprinkle top with remaining cup of grated cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and place under broiler until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned. 6-8 servings. A cooking tip: Lightly grease potatoes and sprinkle with kosher salt before baking to produce a tender tasty skin. l ingredients except sugar. Add sugar and continue beating on medium speed 2-3 min. until mixed well.
To purchase Areeda’s Southern Cooking, a collection of old-fashioned recipes send $24.45 check (no credit cards) and mailing address to Areeda’s Southern Cooking, P. O. Box 202, Brentwood, TN 37024. Order online with PayPal or credit card at www.areedasoutherncooking.com.
Page 13
countryreunionmagazine.com
May 2021
Family Traditions: Hillary Scott, Linda Davis and The Scott Family
by Sasha Dunavant Lady A’s Hillary Scott was only 7 years old when her mother, Linda Davis, was chosen to join Reba McEntire for the 1993 Grammy-winning duet “Does He Love You,” an opportunity that changed the lives of both Linda and Hillary. “The first time I heard Linda sing was in 1989 when I was listening to songs for my next album,” Reba McEntire said of Davis’s voice. “I kept hearing this one particular female vocalist on the demos that just blew me away. It had been a long time since a voice had moved me that way, and I just had to find out who she was." After Linda’s initial success, she released several chart-making albums including “In a Different Light,” “Shoot for the Moon,” “Linda Davis,” “Some Things Are Meant to Be” and “I’m Yours.” Linda and husband, Lang Scott, Hillary’s father, a musician and entrepreneur, were on the road performing during portions of the childhood of Hillary and sister Rylee, during which time they lived with their grandparents in Nashville. Doubtless, Hillary inherited not only her musical talent but also her dreams from her talented parents.
She joined her mother onstage for a Christmas performance and was included on her parent’s 2003 “Family Christmas” album while still in high school. While her parents continued travel with Linda performing in numerous venues across the country and releasing two more albums, 2004’s “I Have Arrived” and 2007’s “Young at Heart,” Hillary pursued her own musical profession in earnest. She focused on musical studies as a student at Middle Tennessee State University, worked with singer-songwriter Victoria Shaw and auditioned twice, unsuccessfully, for “American Idol.” Scott teamed up with Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood in 2006 for both songwriting and performing, and the trio signed a record deal in 2007 as Lady Antebellum, now Lady A. When their self-titled debut album was released in 2008, it debuted at No. 1 on the Country Albums Chart. It has been certified platinum and produced several chart-topping tunes including “I Run to You,” their first No. 1 hit. Lady A’s second album’s title track “Need You Now” remained on Hot Country Charts for five weeks and topped Adult Contemporary and Hot 100 charts.
Give someone you love a subscription to Country Reunion Magazine interactive, online magazine. Click to order! $15 per year. Country Reunion Magazine Page 14
countryreunionmagazine.com
May 2021
“If anything, we just want to write songs that we believe in and are proud of and have lived and this was one of them,’’ Hillary told the Boston Globe in 2010 about “Need You Now.” The album was certified triple platinum with singles “American Honey” and “Our Kind of Love” reaching No. 1 on the Country Chart. "Just a Kiss,” the first single from their third studio album, Own the Night, became their fifth number one hit, remaining on the Hot 100 for 42 weeks, and was 2x certified platinum. The singles "We Owned the Night" and "Dancin' Away with My Heart" were certified gold. The singles “Downtown” from the album “Golden” and “Bartender” from the album “747” are certified platinum. Among the many accolades received by Lady A are seven Grammy awards, seven Academy Linda Davis and husband Lang Scott with Renae the of Country Music awards, six Country Music Waitress at a recent taping of “Larry’s Country Reunion” Association awards and CMT Artists of the Year for airing in June 2021 honors in 2010 and 2011. Most of the songs on Lady Antebellum’s Hillary’s mother, Linda, in recent years toured albums, which have sold more than 11 million records with Country Music superstar Kenny Rogers and worldwide, are written by members of the trio, and been a guest on “Country Family Reunion.” Hillary has co-written songs for other stars like Blake Prior to Covid-19 Linda toured schedule in the Shelton’s “Suffocating” and Sara Evan’s No. 1 hit "A United Kingdom, the Far East, the Netherlands and Little Bit Stronger.” She was named SESAC across the U.S. songwriter of the year in 2008, 2010 and 2011. A faith-based album, “Love Remains,” was a summer 2016 release by The Scott Family members Linda, Hillary, Lang and Rylee. The 13-track collection is a combination of hymns, newlywritten originals and songs made popular by other artists. Hillary wrote “Thy Will,” the first single to be released, after she and husband, Chris Tyrell, parents of a two-year-old daughter, experienced a miscarriage in fall 2015. “I wrote this song about an experience that left me heartbroken, asking why, and facing some of my most difficult days,” Hillary said. “This song is my letter to God. As I ask some really hard questions, I hold onto the truth that there is so much to the story of my life that I can't see, but that I still choose to trust Him.” November 2020
With Linda Davis and Lang Scott Happy Mother’s Day to all of you wonderful Mothers! Especially the ones who had to take over the job of “teacher.” Bless you all. Here in Nashville we are kind of getting back to normal. They don’t have the guards at the front doors of Wal-Mart any more counting and checking masks. That’s saying something! Phil and I flew to Arizona recently, and the plane was packed – no social distancing. They even offered us water, canned drinks with pretzels. Glory Be. Looks like the post office is working regular hours again. Most of you guys got the March and April “Country’s Family Reunion News” about the same time. Boy was that a mess. To add insult to injury poor, Paula called Chris Malpass by the name of his brother Taylor through the whole April front cover article. SORRY! But you knew who she was talking about, right? The “Diner” has been busy taping new shows again, so that should make everyone happy. We had a good mix of NEW artists and some of our FAVORITES. Tony Jackson, Suzy Bogguss, Linda Davis and Lang Scott, Teea Goans and Con Hunley are all back. Felt like old home week at the “Diner,” but it’s always good to have those artists you have heard of but never met.
With the Frontmen
With Suzy Bogguss
New book offered: “Me & Patsy Kickin’ Up Dust” by Loretta Lynn
Page 16
Loretta Lynn talks about her special friendship with Patsy Cline and how Pasty taught her so many things like how to dress for the stage, how to stand up for herself and how to fight right. It’s full of laughter and tears and how two women’s friendship changed country music. Their story celebrates music and their friendship up until Patsy’s tragic and untimely death. $29.95 + 6.95 s/h O r d e r : Re n a e Jo h n s o n P O B o x 6 8 1 1 7 8 Fr a n k l i n , T N 3 7 0 6 8 or www.Renaethewaitress.com March 2021 countryreunionmagazine.com
George Lindsey Interview, June 2002 by Michael Buffalo Smith, www.kudzoomag.com No, George Lindsey was not a country singer, but let’s face it, he fits the mold. After years as Goober on "The Andy Griffith Show" and a highly successful run as the same character on TV’s "Hee Haw," Lindsey was pretty much country. As a member of the cast on what is ultimately America’s all time favorite TV show, Lindsey created a character that will live on forever. As iconic as Goober is, Lindsey’s body of work went much deeper. From his hundreds of television and film roles, to his work on Broadway and his spearheading of The George Lindsey Film and Television Festival, Lindsey did some amazing things. All of this, combined with a vast amount of charitable work with organizations such as The Special Olympics help to paint a picture of a man who, while well-loved for his Mayberry antics, went a lot deeper than just that role. A man who did a lot of good in the world in which we live and helped countless others along the way. We spoke with Dr. Lindsey by phone from his Tennessee home in 2002. He passed away in Nashville on May 6, 2012. He was 83.
Is it true that you originally wanted to be Gomer? No, it is not that I originally wanted to be Gomer, but originally they had cast me as Gomer. That’s not how it works, whatever you want doesn’t make any difference. (Laughs) They give you what they want you to have. I was looking for a one role episode job. I had turned down the role of Charlene’s husband, and an actor named Hoke Howell had played that. I can’t remember what the character’s name was. Charlene in that episode was going to be married. But for some reason or another the universe told me not to take that role- and I needed the money- but that somehow or another I was going to be on that show. So, Jim got the part and when they spun him off with "Gomer Pyle USMC," they brought me on. All of the roles were auditioned for, you know. When they originally cast you as Goober was it going to be a continued role? I think there was a try out. I think the first one, and it was called “The Fun Girls” was a try out to see if that character worked, but it took awhile, because I think that the first year I was just impersonating Nabors. You do not find your footing in a show until about one year.
Do you have any idea how many episodes you did of the Andy Griffith Show? I think I did 101 of the original Griffith show and I believe 60 of "Mayberry RFD." There was 249 original Griffith shows. Why do you feel the show has endured the years so well? I find that there are a lot of life lessons to be found in the show. The bottom line was that it was funny and it made you laugh. I worked in Vermont this year and it’s just as popular in Vermont as in Tennessee. I watched one last night when Ernest T. was going into the army and I just fell out laughing. How did you end up getting the role of Goober, on "The Andy Griffith Show?"
Page 17
I had done lots of TV and Broadway. But I auditioned for the part on the Griffith show.
What would you say was one of your favorite episodes? I do have a favorite episode and it was called “Man’s Best Friend” or “Goober and the Talking Dog.” It really shows you how cruel children can be to adults. My second favorite role is “Goober Grows a Beard.” Actually, the title of the show is “Goober, The Intellect.” I grew a beard and thought that it made me smart. I was boring everyone in town with everything. I picked an orange up in front of the store, and I said, “You used to be a seed.” (Laughs) It was always a joy to go to work. You couldn’t wait, and you almost hated it when you had been written out of an episode.
countryreunionmagazine.com
May 2021
Can you tell us about some of your co-stars from the show? There’s very little I can tell you, because I don’t know anything about their personal lives. You were working with one of the best casts in show business. Don won five Emmys and Frances won one. Howard McNeer is one of the greatest comedians that ever was. Andy without question is a legendary actor. To be thrown into that group and hold your own is the ambrosia of acting. What would you say if someone asked you to describe the character of Goober? How would you describe him? I asked Andy about that one time and he said, Goober is the type of guy that would go into a restaurant and say, “Hey, this is great salt!” (laughs) That is funny. I wanted to ask you, we were talking a moment ago about how everyone in the cast had careers prior to that show, can you tell us some of the TV and movie type things that you had done prior to that? I had appeared on Broadway in a comedy lead in a show called All American with Ray Bolger directed by Joshua Logan. I had done "Gunsmoke," "Alfred Hitchcock," "The Rifleman," "M*A*S*H," "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea." On your computer there is a filmography that lists everything. There is one on there that lists "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman," but that is not me that is my son and he is a Jr.
Not a reunion show, but a retrospective show I think. That’s what I have read in the paper. Did you see "The Carol Burnette Reunion?" Well, moving over to the Hee Haw end, like I said we watched that every weekend and I wondered how you were cast into that show? I just stopped by the producer’s office to say hello to Roy Clark and he asked me if I would do a couple of takes. Then I stayed, I think 18-19 years. I was perfect for that show anyway. Did you make lots of friends on that show? Grandpa Jones. I got to do his eulogy. You do those shows and then you never see these people again. I haven’t seen lots of them since the show. You make acquaintances. Minnie Pearl and I worked a lot together on the road. The thing about it is everyone you work with is so talented and you feel like that you have to do the best you can to be equal to them. I have not seen Buck and them since it was over. That was 100 years ago. A lot of them have passed away. The casual viewers probably just feel like the Hee Haw gang just call each other up on the phone. People in television work all day together, and they don’t run together at night. They all have families, so then you go to your real life family from your television family.
So your son is following in your footsteps? Yeah. Pretty much. By the way, I also had a long career on the "Hee Haw" show after "The Andy Griffith Show." You have done some animated features too, right? I did "The Aristocats" and "Robin Ho o d a t D i s n e y " a n d " T h e Rescuers." I did three over there. I am getting an award next week – myself and Dean Jones. Dean and I did a picture together called "Snowball Express," another Disney picture. He and I are being inducted into the Alabama Screen and Theatre Hall of Fame. A re t h e re a n y p l a n s f o r another reunion show?
Page 18
countryreunionmagazine.com
May 2021
This magazine does a lot of music and what is some of your favorite music? One of my favorite songs is my Ferlin Huskey, “My Cup Runneth Over.” I loved Charlie Rich, and I work with, on the road, The Oak Ridge Boys and Roy Clark and Mel Tillis. I love B.J. Thomas. I had two albums on Capital. As a matter of fact, I still have those albums, here at the house. Were they character albums? No, they were singing albums. One was called "Goober Sings" and the other is called "96 Miles to Bakersfield." Talking about music did they tell you that Mike Curb is going to be speaking at my festival? I understand you are also in the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. For what sport? I played football at UNA. But what it is really for is I have done lots for the Special Olympics in the State of Alabama through the celebrity golf tournament for 17 years. I brought 50 stars into Montgomery. Every year, people would come in and give their time for free. I had all kinds of stars, Ernie Borgnine, Andy Griffith, The Judds, Fred McMurray, Roy Clark. When I left we had 26,000 Special Olympians involved. Everyone thinks of you as funny, but it was said that on the Griffith set that you were one of the most serious actors about their work on the show. Well, you have to be 100% at 5 a.m. and if you are doing scenes with those kinds of actors, you better bring all your guns. And have more than one bullet... Acting with Don Knotts was such a pleasure, and I don’t even know him really. We get so enthralled with the show we feel like you all were good friends. Yeah. Did you know that The Darlings can actually talk? But on the show they didn’t speak and so everybody thought they could not talk. Yeah, well that’s a good job of acting. I imagine everywhere you go everyone is going to call you Goober. Think about Boris Karloff and he had to wear those things in his neck. Can’t you imagine that his wife would say ‘Boris put those things in your neck and we will go to
Page 19
the store.’ I do still work and I am working in a place in Arkansas a week from Saturday. I work in the Goober suit doing a stand up routine. Someone said that the three most famous hats in television were Goober’s, Argon’s in “F-Troop” and Bob Denver’s as Gilligan. Yeah, I guess all three of those should be in the Smithsonian. Well, I’ll tell you about the Smithsonian. They will take them but not tell you where they will put them, like maybe next to a Nazi helmet or something. Any advice for aspiring actors? What I would say to a young actor is, don’t let anyone talk you out of it. I came back after the first year of doing the Griffith show and the big thing was to get a barbershop shave. You know, this was the big deal. I went into the barbershop and got in the chair and he asked me what I was up to, and I told him that I was on a show called "The Andy Griffith Show," and he said, “No, I know that, but what kind of work do you do?” (laughs) Oh, if they only knew how much work was involved. Not only that but crying, terror, and everything you know. Every time you get a job you are out of work. My son is trying and he was on "America’s Most Wanted" on Saturday night and he was so proud of that. He got the job over 200 people. What was his role? They simulate people that are arrested and they did the story of that little girl in San Diego. They had the real guy and the actor playing the guy, that was my son. (In funny voice) He got him an actor’s job. You just have to be ready to jump when the time is right. I think the hardest thing about him being successful is having me as his dad. My kids would not tell anyone who their dad was because their daddy played kind of a moronic, dumb guy. They had to either fight or they were made fun of. Do you have any message for your fans? What would you tell them? I would say that I really appreciate you watching the show and believe me if you ever get a show I’ll watch you!
May 2021
– by Sasha Dunavant The Hager Brothers, Jim and Jon, may have been born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1941, but fans of Hee Haw accepted the twins as pure Country. Their adoptive father, Jack Ha ger, was a Methodist minister, while adoptive mother, Frances, was a schoolteacher. The Hagers were very active in their church choir and performed on local television stations in their youth. After graduating high school, they joined the United States Military. The identical twins performed at Officer’s Clubs and NCO Clubs in the United States and Europe. Their talent followed them wherever they went, and they confidentially decided to move to California when their time in the service ended. The Hagers landed a job at Ledbetter ’s Night Club in Los Angeles, California, that boasted a lineup of performers that later became beloved stars such as The Ne w C h r i s t y M i n s t r e l s , T h e Carpenters, Steve Martin, John Denver and Kenny Rodgers. Country tycoon Buck Owens spotted the Hagers working at Disneyland and immediately signed them. They began opening for Country music acts including Billie Jo Spears, Lefty Frizzell, Tex Ritter and Wynn Stewart. The twins signed a contract with Capitol Records in 1969 and released the charttopping hit, “Gotta Get To Oklahoma (Cause California’s Getting’ To Me).” They went on to record several more albums with Barnaby Records and Elektra-Asylum. The singing twins were guitarists and drummers and initially arrived on the set as original members of “Hee Haw” in 1969 for the musical segments. As the show progressed the two were eventually worked in as comedy acts. "People laughed at themselves," Jim Hager said in a 1988 Associated Press interview about ‘Hee Haw.’ They liked the chemistry on the show and the fast pace… (the jokes) were not all platinum. The writers count on the person delivering the line to pull it off. It was cornball, no denying it.” Page 20
In addition to performing on Hee Ha w, t h e b r o t h e r s a p p e a r e d o n television series such as “The Bionic Wo m a n , ” “ C o u n t r y K i t c h e n” a n d “ S a n c t u a r y E a r t h . ” T h e y we r e i n te l e v i s i o n commercials and also starred next to Lillian Gish in a made for TV movie, “Twin Detectives.” In 1973 the handsome twins appeared in the pages of “Playgirl” magazine. "They had a fun personality," recalled Hee Haw producer Sam Lovullo. "They were also the answer to the Hee-Haw Honeys. We were always looking for the other side of the gender – for good-looking hunks. They fit the bill very nicely." The Hagers continued to perform long after their days at “Hee Haw” came to a close in 1986. Both brothers were very active in charitable events. "They were always contributing their talents to whate ver wa s needed, not for money but just so they could help out,” Lovullo said. “They did a lot of fund raisers and were supportive of young people who were ill." The pair told a media source in 1988 that they had always been together with the exception of three and a half years in the 1960s when Jon moved to Nashville and Jim remained in Los Angles before he, too, relocated to Nashville. In May 2008 Jim Hager was found dead in the parking lot of the Nashville coffeehouse, The Frothy Monkey. A Vanderbilt University Medical Center spokesman said he had died of a heart attack. "Jim was a delightful, funny, loyal friend,” Hee Haw cast mate Lulu Roman told the Associated Press. “He will be missed greatly as one of my true friends. He and Jon were a dynamic and extremely talented duo. I pray for his family." Eight months after the untimely death of his brother, Jon Hager died in his sleep from poor health exacerbated by deep depression. Friends reported that Jim’s death had consumed Jon. The Hagers are remembered for their AllAmerican good looks, charismatic personalities and true musical talent that made them stars of Hee Haw and beyond. May 2021
Nadine’s Corner I am not happy about getting old, or rather being old, I guess it is better than the alternative. I just want to give a shoutout to everyone who can still remember their childhood phone number but can't remember the password they created yesterday! You are my people! I don't always go the extra mile, but when I do, it's because I missed my exit! I don't feel too bad, Homer does that all the time! We are at a place in our lives where errands are starting to count as going out! Being a little older, we are very fortunate to have someone call and check on us every day. I bet you have someone like this too! He's from Georgia and is very concerned about our car warranty! I went with Homer to get a haircut yesterday. That was fun! I didn't know they had express chairs for 12 hairs or less! His barbershop is getting uptown! You know, one of the worst things about getting old is having to listen to advice from your children! One good thing about getting old is you don't get calls from life insurance salesmen anymore! I've been trying to get Homer to go get a hearing aid! He told me the other day, he wasn't doing it, he had heard enough! My friend, Louise, asked me the other day if I thought much about the hereafter. I told her, very time I open a drawer or a closet door, I have to ask myself, what am I here after?! It's not so bad getting old, you know why? I've read the last page of the Bible, it's all gonna turn out all right! Love y'all,
Nadine See Brother ly Love on “Lar ry’s Country Diner” May 20 and 22
Page 21
May 2021
Page 22
March 2021