Country Music News
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It's all about hurtin', holdin' and hangovers in our list of the genre's all-time best songs
By Shirley Jinkins and Malcolm Mayhew
Star-Telegram Staff Writer; Special to the Star-Telegram
Just as they did with rock 'n' roll, naysayers once predicted that country music wouldn't last, that it was just a passing fad. Of course, a lot of that naysaying happened in the 1980s, when Elvira was popular. Who coulda blamed 'em for wanting that song to go away?
But country music, of course, hasn't gone anywhere. If anything, its popularity has blossomed even more than at the height of the so-called "Urban Cowboy" movement in the '80s. Country music today has as big a role in popular music as hip-hop, rock, indie-rock and every other genre, and looking back at country's history, it's safe to say that pop music wouldn't be what it is today had Johnny Cash, George Jones, George Strait and the Dixie Chicks not come along.
Here is our tribute to all of those artists and the many others who shaped or otherwise significantly contributed to country music -- a list of the 100 best country songs of all time.
We kept this list, in the words of Strait, pure country: No Wilco. No Flying Burrito Brothers. No Old 97's. No alt-country -- there's a time and place for honoring those heroes, and this ain't it.
We based this list on two things: popularity and our own opinions. Just because a song was popular, however, doesn't mean it made the cut. Same goes for the quality of the songs; because of space restrictions, we had to leave a bunch of our faves on the editing-room floor.
Still, in our opinions, these are indeed the 100 best country songs of all time. Let the disagreeing begin.
1. Ring of Fire, Johnny Cash
The horns, the tempo, Cash's smoldering voice and June Carter's dead-on songwriting remain as exciting now as in the 1960s.
2. Sweet Dreams, Patsy Cline
The gold standard of songs for Cline wannabes -- it takes pluck to attempt her triumph of vocal range and emotion.
3.Mama Tried,Merle Haggard
Haggard was still a handsome rebel himself when this tale of misspent youth made us all a little restless.
4.He Stopped Loving Her Today,George Jones
Death, unrequited love, third-party gossip, it's all here -- along with Jones' hangdog baritone.
5. Whiskey River, Willie Nelson
How many concerts have you attended that started with TWANG, TWANG, TWANG, TWANG, then these two words? We thought so.
6. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry, Hank Williams Sr.
He had bigger hits, but Williams' elemental ode to sadness has been covered by dozens of artists and taken to heart by millions of fans.
7. Faded Love,Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys If the twin fiddles of this Texas dancehall favorite don't get you, move somewhere else. Quickly.
8. Orange Blossom Special,Johnny Cash
Of the many versions of this fiddler's classic, anyone can sing along with Johnny Cash's cover of THE best train song ever.
9. King of the Road, Roger Miller
A quirky, laid-back singalong song that was novel enough in the '60s to draw rock-crazed crowds back into country music. Fort Worth native Miller was the perfect foil for the British popsters of the day.
10. Cryin' Time, Ray Charles
Another vintage 1960s song that gave people something to slow-dance to, as Charles' wistful voice transformed the mournful tune into a crossover hit.
11.The Devil Went Down to Georgia,
the Charlie Daniels Band
The drama, the sizzle of an irresistible melody paired with a good-versus-evil morality tale, all delivered with lightning-fast licks.
12. Blue Moon of Kentucky,Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys Often covered, never imitated, Blue Moon helped the Father of Bluegrass introduce a new American music form to commercial audiences.
13.Luckenbach, Texas,Waylon Jennings "Baby, let's sell your diamond ring, buy some boots and faded jeans and go away," sang grizzled ol' Jennings, drawing country fans away from slick Nashville and "back to the basics of love."
14.San Antonio Rose,Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys Another Western Swing classic that put Wills and company on every jukebox shortlist in the '40s and keeps cheerfully scooting boots even today.
15.I Can't Stop Loving You,Ray Charles Another Charles classic from his country years that continues to find appreciative audiences and willing vocalists.
16.Stand By Your Man, Tammy Wynette The country woman's anthem, presented with loyalty and resignation, though somehow we all knew Wynette really wouldn't put up with all that funny business. One bad marriage to George Jones later, she didn't.
17.Making Believe,Emmylou Harris Harris' sadly eloquent voice made this song of self-deception more than a tear-jerker du jour.
18.Coat of Many Colors, Dolly Parton This homespun country tale of a loving but impoverished childhood introduced fans to Parton's warmth and storytelling capabilities.
19. You Never Even Called Me by My Name,David Allan Coe And now for something completely different -- Coe's masterpiece of irreverence is a song-within-a-song that still has all of country music laughing at itself (and at mama, trains, prison and gettin' drunk ...).
20. Folsom Prison Blues,Johnny Cash There were plenty of songs about being sent to prison, but when Cash performed Folsom Prison Blues, outsiders could finally grasp the frustration and boredom of those who were in prison.
21.Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down, Kris Kristofferson Everyone, including Johnny Cash, rushed to cover this portrait of despair and isolation after Kristofferson's recording, but his own world-weary voice means that this remains the best version.
22.Countin' Flowers on the Wall,the Statler Brothers Quirky on the surface and ultimately more sinister, this song lightheartedly danced into the mind of a cheerful man losing his grip on reality. Millions of fans embraced its split personality.
23.Behind Closed Doors,Charlie Rich Sexy, sultry Rich was dubbed the Silver Fox when he recorded this sophisticated love song that pointed out the virtues of privacy.
24.Take This Job & Shove It,Johnny Paycheck Oh, come on, there isn't a rank-and-file wage-earner alive who hasn't committed Paycheck's timeless working-class rant to memory.
25.It's Only Make Believe, Conway Twitty Power ballads like this song, with its building crescendo, helped make the strong-voiced Twitty a staple on the country concert circuit until his death in 1993.
26.Walking the Floor Over You, Ernest Tubb Though Tubb had a voice only a bullfrog could love, the straightforward lyrics and easy melody made this song a two-stepping favorite, and only Tubb's version will do.
27.Your Cheatin' Heart,Hank Williams Sr. Williams was already dead in 1953 when fans first heard this good rant about a bad woman. The song is loads better than the 1964 movie bio of the same name.
28.I Hope You Dance,Lee Ann Womack The hopeful advice of this heart-tugger from 2000 was the perfect sendoff for old flames, new college students, best friends and significant others.
29.Will the Circle Be Unbroken,the Carter Family In 1933, A.P., Sara and Maybelle Carter recorded this song of desperate hope during the deepest years of the Great Depression, and its simple optimism is still comforting today.
30.El Paso,Marty Robbins Robbins' border song of lust and gunplay stands as the most intriguing story-song ever.
31.Waltz Across Texas,Ernest Tubb Tubb's voice and the simple lyrics lent a spare, moonlit-night quality to this waltz, which makes Texans proud to be where they are.
32.Hello Darlin',Conway Twitty An intimate song that's both a conversation and a romantic ballad, and it's the one Twitty fans always remember first.
33.Before the Next Teardrop Falls,Freddy Fender Here's Freddy's signature, a rich bilingual dance favorite from the '70s that had everyone singing along, though not as distinctively as the crooning Fender.
34.Crazy,Patsy Cline One of Willie Nelson's finest compositions paired beautifully with Cline's conversational, why-am-I-doing-this tone.
35.Okie From Muskogee, Merle Haggard An anthem for many, mere irony for some, this song made a middle-America statement at the end of the turbulent 1960s.
36.Help Me Make It Through the Night, Kris Kristofferson It was recorded by many, but Kristofferson nailed the loneliness behind many a love tryst.
37.Walking After Midnight,Patsy Cline We promise we won't list every Cline hit here, but can't you picture her restlessly pacing in the dark on this one?
38.Family Tradition,Hank Williams Jr. Bocephus' bit of rowdy genealogy gave country fans a sense of continuity as new artists moved in on the charts during the late '70s and early '80s.
39.I'm Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin' Song),Brad Paisley Looky here, Paisley's biting comment on female-versus-fish struck a nerve with millions of guys who'd trade a creek bank for a couch any day.
40.Blue, LeAnn Rimes Rimes' yodel-friendly delivery of this Bill Mack composition moved the darling of Dallas-Fort Worth into the national spotlight and helped revive a love of classic sounds.
41.On the Other Hand,Randy Travis Temptation. Fidelity. Powerful themes, delivered in Travis' weathered baritone, though he seemed too young for this in the late 1980s.
42.Blue Eyes Cryin' in the Rain, Willie Nelson This sentimental folkish tune could've been a Carter Family song in the 1930s, but Nelson brought the gentle ballad into the outlaw movement with no sweat.
43.I Will Always Love You,Dolly Parton Parton's at her best on sweet, sad ballads like this one.
44.Make the World Go Away,Eddy Arnold What a universal and timeless sentiment, not to mention a rich delivery by one smooth stylist. Makes you want to sit by a fireplace and cuddle.
45.39 and Holding,Jerry Lee Lewis Boomers, this is your country song, delivered in honky-tonk style by a rockabilly pioneer.
46.Live Like You Were Dyin', Tim McGraw A sensitive song about living well, wistfully delivered by McGraw, who can display a wide range of emotion.
47.Wildwood Flower,June Carter Cash Cash's versions of her family's timeless folk tale ranged from outgoing in her youth to pensive as she aged. Only a great singer, and a great song, can do that.
48.Act Naturally,Buck Owens Yes, we know about Ringo Starr's version, but Owens' 1960s cut was full of fun and irony, 'cuz he could play the part so well.
49.Guitars, Cadillacs, Dwight Yoakam Hillbilly music made a huge comeback in the late '80s, when slinky Dwight Yoakam brought nasal distinction to a song about all the trappings.
50.My Home's in Alabama, Alabama The leadoff, title track to Alabama's 1980 album set the stage for all the band's hits to come. But it also epitomized the group's home-state love and simple approach to making music.
51.The Dance,Garth Brooks If Brooks knew how to do anything, it was construct emotionally riveting ballads that touched a nerve with his audience. This is early proof from his 1989 self-titled debut.
52.When I Get Where I'm Going,Brad Paisley/Dolly Parton Pint-size genius Paisley is usually at his best when he's poking fun at something, but on this 2005 duet with Dolly Parton, a song about dying proves he can do much more than make you laugh. Who's got a tissue?
53.Kaw-Liga,Hank Williams Sr. One of the many, many songs Williams wrote that illustrated just how lonely life can be, even for a wooden Indian. Itcame out in 1953, shortly after Williams' death.
54.For the Good Times,Ray Price No slight to Kris Kristofferson, who wrote this song, but the lush, orchestral rendition by Texan Price, released in 1970, surpasses all other versions. And there are a lot of them.
55.Friends in Low Places,Garth Brooks The ultimate go-to-you-know-where anthem from Brooks' excellent 1990 album, No Fences. The song is so good, in a raunchy, vengeance-is-mine sort of way, you almost forgive Brooks for that whole Chris Gaines thing. Almost.
56.Dang Me,Roger MillerKing of the Road is, obviously, Miller's best-known song, but Dang Me, released in 1964, was no slouch, either. It earned a whopping five Grammys.
57. Sixteen Tons,Tennessee Ernie Ford Ford genre-surfed from pop to gospel to country, leaving his mark on the third with this 1955 hit, written by Merle Travis, who based the song on his family's experiences in the coal-mining industry.
58.All My Rowdy Friends (Have Settled Down),Hank Williams Jr. A slightly depressing lament of the past disguised as a silly party song. This 1981 No. 1 is actually one of his most thoughtful moments, a reflection of the rambunctious lifestyles of his friends, as well as his own.
59.Forever & Ever Amen, Randy Travis Not all songs in country are about leavin', cheatin' or murderin'. Take this warmhearted, I'm-so-committed-to-you 1987 single. Perfect wedding song.
60.All My Ex's Live in Texas,George Strait This is not such a perfect wedding song, unless you're cool with polygamy. But it's all in good fun, with Strait rhyming names of girlfriends with Texas towns. Our favorite: "Dimples who now lives in Temple's got the law lookin' for me."
61.Take Your Memory With You,Vince Gill Back before he got all gooey-hearted -- you know, before he married Amy Grant -- Gill churned out several terrific spitball fireballs, including this 1991 kiss-off.
62.I'm Tryin',Trace Adkins Simple but effective song about trying to put your life back together after a divorce. Love the line "still ain't used to putting 'ex' in front of 'wife.' "
63.My Maria,Brooks & Dunn The best covers are sometimes the ones that sound absolutely nothing like the originals. That's not the case with B&D's reworking of B.W. Stevenson's pop hit: It's pretty much a note-for-note retry, but an exceptionally good one.
64.Love Hurts,Emmylou Harris & Gram Parsons Both Parsons and Harris specialized in country-rock arrangements, though in vasty different ways. On this 1974 duet, their dissimilar styles mesh hauntingly well.
65.The Fireman, George Strait Full of hilarious, perhaps intentional cliches ("I can cool 'em down while they're smolderin' hot"), this 1984 single was one of the gazillion Strait would eventually have. But this was the most rambunctious fun.
66.Wreck of the Old 97, Vernon Dalhart Texas native Dalhart's wonderfully compelling 1924 song about the real-life derailment of the Southern Railway Fast Mail train No. 97. Also gave a certain Dallas alt-country band a good name.
67.Stand by Me, Mickey Gilley Gilley's complete overhauling of Ben E. King's classic was not just a high point of the Urban Cowboy soundtrack but also a highlight of '80s country music.
68.Together Again, Buck Owens The king of Bakersfield country released this wildly influential gem in 1964, paving the way for so many followers.
69.Battle of New Orleans, Johnny Horton Born in Los Angeles but raised in East Texas, Horton found success with this 1959 unlikely success story, one of his many saga songs. It was sort of like Yes without the drum solos.
70.You Ain't Woman Enough (To Take My Man), Loretta Lynn Lynn made it a habit to spit in the face of Nashville, but here, she was spitting in the face of a woman who was flirting with her husband.
71.I Sang Dixie,Dwight Yoakam Rumored to be based on any number of Yoakam associates who died of alcohol abuse, this could easily be about anyone who has suffered that fate.
72.Whoever's in New England, Reba McEntire Thought by many fans to be McEntire's answer to Barry Manilow's Weekend in New England, this song about a husband messing around in New England earned the singer her first Grammy.
73.Elvira,the Oak Ridge Boys Slightly silly, with lyrics like "oohm bop a mow, mow" and "hi yo silver away!" Still, it became one of the Oaks' biggest songs. You're humming it right now.
74.When I Stop Dreaming,the Louvin Brothers A beautiful country-gospel song, released in 1955, that would later become one of the most covered country songs ever.
75.Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout the Good Old Days), the Judds A simple and pretty ballad about the changes time inevitably brings.
76.A Better Man,Clint Black The first single from his 1989 debut, Killin' Time, was prophetic: With each new record, Black got better.
77.Please Remember Me,Tim McGraw McGraw's melodramatic plea is undeniably touching.
78.Get Drunk and Be Somebody, Toby Keith Keith's anthemic opener from his 2006 White Trash With Money epitomizes a faction of blue-collar life -- folks who work without reward and find what they need in their friends and their bottles.
79.Love in the First Degree,Alabama This single contains more legal lingo than an episode of Law & Order but still manages to be sweet, in a cornball sort of way.
80.Long Black Veil, Lefty Frizzell A 1959 hit for the country music icon, and the song most closely associated with his legendary status.
81.Travelin' Soldier, Dixie Chicks This bittersweet tale of a young girl whose love is killed in Vietnam is one of the Chicks' finest moments.
82.Neon Moon, Brooks & Dunn A wonderfully written ballad, with that unforgettable refrain, "watch your broken dreams dance in and out of the beams."
83.Am I the Only One (Who's Ever Felt This Way),Dixie Chicks The Chicks have marvelous taste in covers, such as their devastatingly believable cover of this Maria McKee song.
84.Don't Rock the Jukebox, Alan Jackson Not exactly one of Jackson's more pensive moments but still a lot of fun.
85.Hurt,Johnny Cash You can't get grimmer than Nine Inch Nails, but Cash did in 2002, with his bare-bones reading of this NIN heartbreaker.
86.Golden Ring,George Jones & Tammy WynetteGolden Ring is NOT the song you want played at your wedding, despite its optimistic title.
87.Ya'll Come Back Saloon, the Oak Ridge Boys The Oaks' official switch from gospel to country paid off big time with this 1977 hit.
88.Ode to Billie Joe, Bobbie Gentry This was a 1967 B-side, but DJs sniffed a hit and played it, catapulting it to No. 17 on the country charts and to No. 1 on the pop charts, turning the singer into a superstar.
89.My Favorite Memory,Merle Haggard Hag's sweetest, most melancholy song.
90.I Still Miss Someone,Johnny Cash No other version of this song can match the haunting and emotionally numbing reading Cash gave it on his appropriately named 1958 album, The Fabulous Johnny Cash.
91.Kiss an Angel Good Morning,Charley Pride One of the few black male singers in country music had his profile heightened considerably with this insanely catchy 1971 chart-topper, which won Pride the Country Music Association's Entertainer of the Year award.
92.Tumbling Tumbleweeds, Sons of the Pioneers This 1934 song, chugged out by the famous cowboy group that featured Roy Rogers, made such an impact that it inspired a Gene Autry movie.
93.Riders in the Sky, Burl Ives This song rose only to No. 21 in 1949. Over time, artists and fans began to appreciate the strange tale of fire-breathing cattle getting chased by ghostly cowboys, and many singers covered it, including Johnny Cash, Duane Eddy and, of course, the band Riders in the Sky.
94.Drive (For Daddy Gene),Alan Jackson If Father's Day had an anthem, it would be Jackson's 2002 nod to dear old dads.
95.Ain't Livin' Long Like This,Waylon Jennings Ha! -- Jennings outsmarted this '70s staple by living a nice, long and extremely meaningful life.
96.I Believe in Love,Don Williams Williams' easygoing vocal style and poetic lyrics perfectly married on this 1980 hit.
97. If I Could Only Win Your Love, Emmylou Harris Harris has dabbled in so many genres, it's easy to forget her honky-tonk background. This is a reminder from her incredible 1975 record, Pieces of the Sky.
98.Holding Her, Loving You,Earl Tomas Conley One of countless country songs about being with one person yet loving another. Few are as moving as this 1983 hit.
99.Louisiana Saturday Night,Mel McDaniel Don Williams wrote this ode to dancing in the kitchen till the morning light, but McDaniel skyrocketed with it.
100.Rose Colored Glasses,John Conlee The mortician-turned-singer struck gold in 1978 with this beautiful tear-jerker.
By Karen Gardner
BRUNSWICK -- Douglas Gomery came to Brunswick in search of Patsy Cline.
Mary Jo Brown, Margo Cannon Smith and Brunswick Mayor Carroll Jones shared memories Tuesday of the late country singer with Gomery, who is writing a book about Cline's life.
Gomery is a retired University of Maryland professor. He became interested in Patsy Cline when he realized her greatest hits album remained one of the top sellers on the Billboard music charts throughout the 1990s.
"That had to mean something," he said. Gomery, 62, is the resident scholar at the Library of American Broadcasting at the university.
Cline, a crossover pop-country music singer, got her start in dance halls, fire halls and clubs in Virginia and Maryland in the 1950s.
Her career took off in the early 1960s. She had several No. 1 hits, including the song "Crazy," written by Willie Nelson. But in March 1963, Cline, then 30, was killed in a plane crash. She left behind some unreleased recordings. As new generations discovered her music, she remained a household name.
Cline, born Virginia Patterson Hensley, got her last name from a short-lived first marriage with a Frederick man, Gerald Cline, the son of a local contractor. They were married in a Frederick church in 1953. The marriage was not a happy one. By 1955, they separated and were divorced in 1957. Patsy Cline's divorce lawyer was future U.S. Sen. Charles McC. Mathias.
Although she was called Ginny, she got the nickname Patsy while singing in Brunswick in September 1952, Gomery said. A producer who watched her sing suggested it.
Cline and her first husband lived on East Patrick Street in 1953, and she traveled the dance hall circuit, trying to build her singing career.
Many of her early gigs were at the Brunswick Volunteer Fire Company's fire hall at 222 W. Potomac St. The fire hall, still there today, was built in the late 1940s and dances took place every Saturday night. Cline also sang regularly at the Brunswick Moose Lodge. Brown said the club has photos and mementos of her performances.
"This is a chance for Brunswick to finally be recognized as a starting place for Patsy Cline," Brown, 68, said. Brown met Cline when she sang at the fire hall's teenage dances. Her husband, Delmar Brown, actually danced with Cline.
Gomery previously researched Cline's appearances in Berryville, Va., another community in which she performed. He is the secretary of the Patsy Cline Museum in Winchester, Va., where she grew up.
Brown and Smith, who also attended the teenage dances, said Cline was a determined singer who was very ambitious about her career. In 1955, while still a regular performer at the Brunswick fire hall, she met Jimmy Dean, who also sang there. He asked her to appear on his show on Channel 7 in Washington. In 1957, she appeared on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scout and had her first big hit, "Walkin' After Midnight."
Brown recalled Cline's last visit to Brunswick, in 1958, when her budding career began to falter. After that, Cline and her second husband, Charlie Dick, moved to Nashville, where her career eventually got back on track.
Jones also knew Cline, but not in Brunswick. He rode a school bus with her in 1947, when he was a child in Bluemont, Va. Cline's family moved often around the communities of Northern Virginia, between Winchester, where she was born, and Purcellville, where she later performed.
Her family was working in an orchard when Jones saw her one day, under a peaches sign. He called her Peaches after that. He saw her a few years later, at the Apple Blossom Dance, in Winchester.
She wrote to him while he was in the service in 1956, and he still has some of those letters. She wrote about her performances, and included some autographs of Hank Snow, Tony Bennett and other performers she met.
He shared those letters with Gomery, who was happy to get copies of them.
Gomery said his book will be published one day by a university press, so it probably won't be a big seller. But he hopes it helps people understand the woman who sang in many local establishments before she became a household name.
News Release -- September 5, 2007
Jim McCoy’s Life Story Is Now A Book
Though he never had a chart-topping song, Jim McCoy managed to make a lifelong career in the hard-tumble Country Music business. He performed around the U.S., recorded for a Nashville label, introduced Patsy Cline to the airways in 1947 while still a teenager himself, and was the “Voice of Country Music” on Winchester, Va. radio. He also ran a record company featuring acts from West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania.
McCoy’s story has now been turned into a book, Joltin’ Jim: Jim McCoy’s Life In Country Music. Later this fall, two new CDs will fill out his tale musically -- The Real McCoy, a disc of McCoy’s songs sung by Matt Hahn, and a “Best of Jim McCoy” collection. Joltin’ Jim the book
The book Joltin’ Jim is McCoy’s life as told by John Douglas. McCoy earned the nickname in the 1950s when a friend noticed he was always “joltin’ around” from a day job at Montgomery Wards to radio shows to performing gigs. Now 78, Jim and his wife Bertha own The Troubadour, a nightclub and restaurant on Highland Ridge near Berkeley Springs, W. Va. Named for McCoy’s inspiration -- Ernest Tubb, “The Texas Troubadour" -- the bar is just a few hundred feet from where McCoy was born in 1929. The Troubadour is also home to the West Virginia Country Music Hall of Fame and McCoy’s personal collection of pictures and memorabilia from his 60+ years in Country Music. John Douglas, author of Joltin’ Jim, has worked with McCoy on several projects in recent years. Douglas is editor of The Morgan Messenger in Berkeley Springs and previously wrote profiles of McCoy for The Messenger and Goldenseal magazine. Last summer, he accompanied McCoy to Missouri Valley, Iowa, where McCoy was inducted into the National Traditional Country Music Hall of Fame. The story of their trip is included in the book. Joltin’ Jim is illustrated with scores of pictures of McCoy at different times in his career, often with Country Music stars of the 1950s and 1960s. Dozens of photos show other regional performers, members of Jim’s bands and vintage scenes from Winchester and Berkeley Springs. Douglas drew on McCoy’s memories and scrapbooks, as well as interviews conducted by John Newbraugh, a Berkeley Springs music collector. For several years, Newbraugh worked with McCoy to organize the session tapes from Winchester, Master and other record labels with which McCoy was associated. McCoy and Newbraugh have released several CDs of historic material as joint projects of McCoy’s Winchester label and Newbraugh’s NBT Records. Joltin’ Jim includes a first-ever listing of the records that McCoy had a hand in producing. Newbraugh did the pioneering work on the discography of Winchester, Alear and other companies. Area music fans and collectors will find it a treasure trove of names and information. The introduction to Joltin’ Jim is by Charlie Dick, husband of Patsy Cline. McCoy and Dick have been buddies since the 1960s. Even before that, McCoy knew Dick and Cline during both happy times -- Jim’s band played for their wedding reception -- and sad times -- Jim was one of Cline’s pallbearers. CDs coming this fall
As for The Real McCoy recording, it’s been in the works since Dr. Matt Hahn sang a couple McCoy songs at a Morgan County Public Library benefit two years ago. Hahn was lead singer for the Young Caucasians rock band, based in Washington, before becoming a medical doctor and moving to Berkeley Springs. He’s picked his favorites from songs that were written or recorded by McCoy. The album was recorded at Troubadour Studios with McCoy producing and Douglas assisting. It’s interesting to watch McCoy play around in his all-digital studio today, especially when you consider that as a farm boy in the Depresssion, he had to save radio battery power so he could listen to the “Grand Ole Opry.” Another current McCoy project is finishing up Joltin’ Jim McCoy: 50 Years Of Country Music. The CD collects the best of McCoy’s own recordings, including Nashville sessions from the 1960s, recitations that show off his radio voice and a few numbers that have never been released before. How to get the book Joltin’ Jim: Jim McCoy’s Life In Country Music is available for $15.95, plus $4 shipping and handling, from: Jim McCoy Book Project, P.O. Box 901, Berkeley Springs, WV 25411. West Virginia residents should add 96-cents sales tax, for a total of $20.91.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
JIM McCOY at 304-258-8314; email McCoyTroubadour@aol.com
Or JOHN DOUGLAS at 304-258-2715; email blindspring@verizon.net
Nashville Songwriters Buy Ole' Quonset Hut!!!
(AP) NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame is finally getting a building. The building on Nashville's famed Music Row was once where Patsy Cline, Brenda Lee, Marty Robbins, Sonny James, Elvis Presley, Jim Reeves, the Everly Brothers, Roy Orbison, Waylon Jennings and Dolly Parton cut records.
Columbia and Epic Records also formerly had offices there. Most recently, Sony Music Nashville occupied the two-story brick structure. The Nashville hall has existed for years as an organization, but never had a physical location. The hall will share space in the building with students enrolled in a new songwriting
major at Belmont University.
&
Curb College Partners with Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and Mike Curb Family
Foundation to ‘Celebrate the Songwriter’.
Three major Nashville organizations—Belmont University, the Mike Curb Family Foundation and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame—announced today an exciting new partnership focused on the foundation of the music industry: songwriting. Intended to create visibility and understanding of the songwriting craft, the partnership includes the establishment of a new songwriting major in Belmont’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business and a permanent location for the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, both of which will be housed in historic 34 Music Square East on Music Row. With a mantra to “Celebrate the Songwriter,” the event opened with Hall of Fame member Dolly Parton offering her thoughts. “When I first came to Nashville, all of us would just get in a huddle to try to write together, folks like me and Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson,” Parton said. “Most of us barely got through high school, much less college. Belmont has done a wonderful thing as a university and with the music program, and I think it’s great how they are embracing songwriting.” The building at 34 Music Square East—which is the former home of the legendary Quonset Hut, Columbia Studio A, Columbia and Epic Records, and Sony Music Nashville—joins Ocean Way and RCA Studio B as yet another valuable Music Row extension of the Curb College. Mike Curb said, “Belmont students can now further enrich their education of this industry’s history in Nashville in the historic Columbia Records Building and the historic Quonset Hut Recording Studio, the first recording studio on Music Row where great artists such as Marty Robbins, Sonny James, Patsy Cline and Brenda Lee recorded numerous hit records.” Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher, who tried to convince Parton to forego her “day job” to join the Curb College faculty, noted the immense opportunities the new partnership would offer. “It’s going to be a great learning environment for our students to come and learn and grow… [Though the students are young], like we saw with Josh Turner, they can turn their ideas into great songs.”
This fall Belmont became one of the first accredited universities in the nation to offer a major in songwriting with 50 student songwriters filling the first two introductory courses to capacity. Songwriting veterans Thom Schuyler and Bob Regan have joined the Curb College faculty as adjunct instructors to teach Introduction to Songwriting, the first course offered in the new major. Schuyler’s hit songs include “Love Will Turn You Around” (Kenny Rogers), “A Long Line of Love” (Michael Martin Murphy), and “I Fell In Love Again Last Night” (Forester Sisters),“ while some of Regan’s top cuts include “Your Everything” (Keith Urban), “Every Time I Cry” (Terry Clark), “Busy Man” (Billy Ray Cyrus), and “Thinking about You” (Trisha Yearwood). James I. Elliott, coordinator of the songwriting program and a Dove Award-winning songwriter, said, “We are very excited to have these two great songwriters and industry leaders partner with us to launch our new major. It is a wonderful opportunity for our students to learn from such accomplished songwriters.” Belmont’s new neighbor, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, is the first such organization honoring songwriters to emerge from a virtual entity to one with a physical location. Parton counts membership in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame among her highest accolades. "I'm just a poor wayfaring songwriter proud to finally have a home,” Parton said. “I'm very excited about the new Hall of Fame."
With the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame also housed in the 34 Music Square East building, Belmont students majoring in songwriting won’t need to look far for mentors and inspiration. “The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation is honored and excited about this partnership and the synergies it presents,” Roger Murrah, the foundation’s chairman and a 2005 inductee of the Hall of Fame, said. “We helped design the curriculum for the songwriting major, and our members are willing and available to share our experiences with aspiring writers. We hope we’re also a source of inspiration for them. This partnership gives us a chance to give back… It completes the circle—honoring the very best songwriters while training the next generation.” The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame currently boasts 162 members, including songwriting luminaries such as Bill Anderson, Gary Burr, Johnny Cash, Rodney Crowell, Sonny Curtis, Bob Dylan, Don & Phil Everly, Vince Gill, Harlan Howard, Bob McDill, Roger Miller, Bill Monroe, Roy Orbison, Dolly Parton, Carl Perkins, Jimmie Rodgers, Cindy Walker, Jimmy Webb and Hank Williams, Sr. The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame seeks to educate, archive, celebrate and honor the legacy of songwriting that is uniquely associated with the
Nashville music community.
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