TRADITION BULLETIN NOVEMBER 25. 2013

TRADITION BULLETIN

 

Wow,
it’s a cold dreary day where we’re stuck at in Van Horn, Texas.  Snow,
sleet, hail, ice, blizzard conditions, wind, and lightning.  Not good.
We’ve been stuck here two days, probably one more and we can head
further west.  Willie Nelson’s bus, westbound on I-30 crashed into a
bridge pillar causing some injuries to the musicians.  Willie wasn’t on
the bus.  Paul English suffered a broken ankle, Billy English a bruised
hip, and Tom Hawkin a cracked rib.  All of Willie’s November gigs have
been canceled, but they will be made up.  Saw a picture of the bus, it
was tore up pretty bad.
 
Bob & Sheila Everhart “were” on our way to Albuquerque
for a couple of reasons.  One to perform for Manny & Ethel, friends
we met through Bob Duff, who also came to see us in Anita.  All the
Albuquerque stuff failed to materialize because Manny died
unexpectedly.  Another reason, we wanted to be in Albuquerque last night
to attend the Western Music Association’s 25th Anniversary Awards Show
at the KiMo Theatre.  Then we were going on to Santa Fe for our
traditional Thanksgiving celebration.  Here we sit in Van Horn, Texas,
unable to move, waiting for the ice storm to go away.  Looks like we’ll
be able to get back on I-10 tomorrow, but we’ll be heading to California
now.
 
One of Blake Shelton’s close buddies, Wayne Mills, was shot
to death by Pit & Barrell bar owner Chris Ferrell.  Happened early
Saturday morning in Nashville.  Ferrell said he had a dispute with Mills
about smoking in the bar which is prohibited.  Mills attacked him, and
Ferrell drew a gun and shot him.  Mills has had previous arrest records,
including driving while under the influence and reckless endangerment.
 
President Obama notes that after 50 years in the business,
Loretta Lynn still reigns “as the rule-breaking record-setting queen of
country music.”  Obama presented Loretta, and 15 others, with the
Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest award the United States can
bestow upon civilians.  He pointed out that he was just 19 when she
first won big at the local county fair, for her canned vegetables.  He
went on to say she brought home 17 blue ribbons, and was named ‘canner
of the year.’
 
Kris Kristofferson, 77 years old, has indicated he is
suffering from memory loss.  He is a Rhodes Scholar and also has an
English Literature degree from Oxford, and known to have an outstanding
memory during his 40-year singer songwriter career.  He said he is
having difficulty remembering ‘things’ but he remembers his song
lyrics.  He thinks maybe being a boxer when he was younger might be a
cause of it, but I can say, at my age of 77, I also have some memory
loss, but I was never a boxer…..I don’t think I was?  Kristofferson
has a wife of 33 years, and eight children, and said, “I’m blessed and
am at a good point in my life.”   Me too!
 
George Jone’s family has established a scholarship fund in
his honor at Middle Tennessee State University.  His widow, Nancy, made
the announcement at the unveiling of the George Jones Monument in
Memorial Park.  The Jones Family have already made an unknown financial
contribution to the fund which will be overseen by MTSU’s Recording
Department.
 
I’ve been working for several years to get John Prine into
to our Hall of Fame, without much success.  Now, it’s been reported he
has an operable form of lung cancer.  He is 67 years old now, and will
under go surgery in December.  He’s feeling secure in the rfact that
doctors found the cancer early on and there’s no reason why he won’t
fully recover.  He’s had to cancel a few dats, so for our prayer
warriors, please offer up a prayer for John Prine’s complete recovery. 
He’s a remarkable singer songwriter, composer of one of my favorite Jim
& Jesse songs “Paradise.”
 
Ricky Skaggs is set for several national television show
adventures supporting his new autobiography “Kentucky Traveler” as well
as his new CD “Cluck Ol Hen.”  November 23rd on Fox Channel’s “Red Eye”
with Greg Culfield aqs well as performing on Fox’s “Fox & Friende.” 
He’ll also be on the Hallmark Channel on Thanksgiving.  The new CD
“Cluck Ol Hen” is a duo with Bruce Hornsby taken from their ‘live’
performances with Skagg’s band Kentucky Thunder this past summer. 
Skaggs promotion of his book ‘Kentucky Traveler’ is his first ever
unprecedented piece of bluegrass and country music.
 
George Hamilton IV is meandering out to Arizona for a few
shows in the town of Surprise.  He’ll be performing at a place called
“Arizona Traditions,” January 10 & 11.  He continues to appear as a
regular cast member of the Grand Ole Opry, and performs on the road as a
solo artistk doing acoustic music and telling stories of country music
and its many legends.

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