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APRIL 2017 Volume 48 Number 4 Issue 566
Editor Duncan Warwick
Contributors David Allan , Janet Aspley , Donnie Ayers , Craig Baguley , Larry Delaney , Don Cusic , Julie Flaskett , Kelly Gregory , Michael Hingston , Spencer Leigh , John Lomax III , , Douglas McPherson , Stephen O ’ Hanlon , Roland Purdy , Adrian Peel , Paul Riley , Wayne Smart , Chris Smith , Alison Stokes , Tom Travis , Walt Trott , Jack Watkins
Special projects coordinator Kelly Gregory
Photographers Helen Parish , Patricia Presley , Ian Tilbury , Barry Dixon , Billie McAleer
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News
Founding Suns
Passions run high
Ed Morris , longtime Billboard trade magazine writer-reviewer , premiered his one-act play “ The Passion of Ethel Roseberg ,” a one-woman drama-with-music , starring Keri Pagetta and directed by Carolyn German , at Nashville ’ s Atmalogy Celebrate Cafe on March 2 . Convicted of espionage in the post WW-II era , Ethel and husband Julius ( pictured ) were executed in the electric chair June 19 , 1953 , reportedly for supplying Atomic bomb data to the Soviets . Morris , who currently contributes to CMT . com , won the 1993 Journalist of the Year award from the International Bluegrass Music Association . This topic veers off course for Morris , a West Virginia native , who previously authored the books “ Garth Brooks : Platinum Cowboy ” ( 1992 ), “ Ed Morris ’ Complete Guide to Country Music Videos ” ( 2010 ), and “ At Carter Stanley ’ s Grave ” ( 2011 ). Performed in the round , “ Passion …” explores housewife Ethel ’ s imagined personal feelings and frustrations stemming from her situation , including exasperation over her mother ’ s pleading with her to provide prosecutorial
Walt Trott in Nashville Duncan Warwick in London
Chuck Mead ( of BR5-49 ) served as music director for the new CMT Sun Records series , spotlighting Drake Milligan as Elvis Presley , Kevin Fonteyne as Johnny Cash , Dustin Ingram as Carl Perkins , and Christian Lees as Jerry Lee Lewis . Incidentally , Christian ’ s brother Jonah Lees portrays Jerry Lee ’ s cousin Jimmy Swaggart , and Chad Michael Murray plays Sam Phillips , who founded Sun , credited as the birthplace of rock and roll . Mead had earlier served in that capacity for the stage musical , “ Million Dollar Quartet ,” based on Sun musical talents Presley , Perkins , Cash and Lewis .
evidence against husband and friends , to save herself for the future of her sons , just as Ethel ’ s brother David did , by pointing his finger at the Rosenbergs , to obtain a lighter sentence . A former actress and singer , Ethel ponders the injustice of sentences meted out to other American women then accused of treason , specifically Axis Sally - Portland , Maine native Mildred Sisk - who broadcast pleas to US fighting men to abandon battle in Europe , receiving a maximum sentence of 30 years , but was freed in 1961 ; or Tokyo Rose - a . k . a . Iva D ’ Aquino from Los Angeles - broadcasting for the Japanese , who served six years of a 10-year sentence ( and in 1977 was exonerated by President Gerald Ford , allegedly due to perjured testimony against her ). Morris ’ play proved riveting throughout , with both actress and author receiving welldeserved standing ovations . Today , Ethel ’ s sons Robert and Michael continue to seek exoneration for their mother , who they contend was wrongly convicted , citing circumstantial evidence and less than credible witnesses .
Subsequently , the Rosenbergs were the only American civilians executed for espionage-related activity during the Cold War . William Rogers , US deputy attorney general , later noted , referencing her death sentence admittedly imposed initially to extract Julius ’ s full confession , “ She called our bluff .”
4 cmp - APRIL 2017