Country Music People November 2016 | Page 3

14 COUNTRY MUSIC PEOPLE- NOVEMBER 2016

Duncan Warwick talks beaches, work ethics, and Cosmic Hallelujahs with the superstar performer.

Words by Janet Aspley. Pictures by Joe Simes.

George Strait

y name is Janet and I am an that as a child, she was taken to the tributes to the greats who have passed addict. My drug of choice Goo Goo Cluster factory and allowed to away this year, as an a cappella quartet is the Nashville-produced buy mis-shapes in the adjoining shop. that included Buddy Miller and Alison delicacy known as the Goo Goo I can’ t imagine what a mis-shaped Krauss sang for Dr Ralph Stanley; Joe cluster. I am not selective about cluster looks like. They are great

Henry paid tribute to Allen Toussaint; the form in which I get my fix: the uncontrolled, uncontained dollops of Steve Earle offered up Desperadoes‘ original’, a simple concoction of sugar and fat. Waiting For A Train for his hero and peanuts, marshmallow and caramel, I mention this, not by way of role model Guy Clark; and a besandled covered in chocolate of a dubious confession – although I do crave

Bob Weir of The Grateful Dead sent quality; the smoother, peanut butter redemption- but to give you a feel for up Mama Tried to Merle Haggard. It variety; or the‘ Premium’ cluster, the unrelenting pace of AMA week in was a pertinent way for the celebration with its creamy pecan( pronounce Nashville. This was my sixth, and it to start; Americana, although loosely p’ cahn) chunks. I have even resorted never gets any more leisurely. Some defined, is built on the idea of roots to the drug in liquid form, presented fellow Brits conquer the fatigue by and likes to honour its founders. Later as a milkshake and administered dousing it in beer, but I prefer the sugar in the show, Buddy Miller, who again through a straw which, like all drug high provided by a Goo Goo cluster; led the house band, and Steve Earle paraphernalia, is deceptively mundane it clears the head, lifts the spirits and would form a duet to honour the until you notice that one end has been hangs the nerves on tenterhooks. The Delmore Brothers by performing their widened to allow the glutinous puree advantage of the milkshake is that you Freight Train Boogie. of marshmallow and peanut to be can add a double espresso. It’ s like

The Awards show is always a delight. channelled more easily to the mouth confectionary cocaine.

Sitting on the unforgiving Ryman pews, and, hence, to the bloodstream. Just The trouble with AMA week is that it is a pleasure to be swept away by so you don’ t make the same novice from breakfast time till way after what the cascade of talent as it flows, just mistake as I did, I’ ll tell you that the would be my normal bedtime, there is the right side of slick, across the stage. wider end goes down into the shake just too damn much good stuff going There is a sense of awe at the sheer and not into your eager, gaping mouth. on and you can’ t miss it. This year number of icons of the genre who pass

If you have never had the guilt-tinged there were more than a dozen venues across the stage, either to pay tribute pleasure of eating a goo goo cluster, and more artists than I could begin to to others or perform. This year we I would describe it to you as kind of count; although I saw and heard loads saw some of the show’ s regulars, like like a Marathon bar, but more; more of great stuff, I missed a lot more. Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris, and marshmallow, more peanuts, more

The Honors and Awards show, held Rodney Crowell, who won Group / Duo caramel, more chocolate, just more. at the Ryman Auditorium, provided a of The Year; and Lucinda Williams, And round-ish. A friend of mine swears focal point for the week. It opened with who I swear performs on the show

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56 COUNTRY MUSIC PEOPLE- NOVEMBER 2016 beaches, sleeveless shirts, flip-flops and Mojitos. He even named his 2007 tour the‘ Flip-Flop Summer Tour’ and his 2003 festive charter was All I Want for Christmas Is A Real Good Tan. And it is an image that has served him well. In a career spanning nearly 25 years he has become the king of the‘ Gulf & Western’ sound, had 28 number one singles, shifted more than 30 million albums, consistently been among the highest earners in music across all genres thanks to his crowd-pleasing live shows( he is the only country act to feature in Billboard’ s Top touring Acts of the Past 25 Years) and he makes it all look so easy.

Initially glimpsing success via a short-lived Warner Brothers

Dwight Yoakam

every year – she is quite rightly nominated for something or other, and this year it was Artist of The Year. Hers was one of the standout performances of the evening, whose intensity brought a hush to the excitable Ryman. She also led the tributes to Woody Guthrie, who received this year’ s President’ s Award. As well as celebrating the past, the show anoints icons – this year it was the turn of one of our own, Billy Bragg. Billy received the Spirit of Americana Award for Free Speech In Music. There was a moment of surprise for British attendees when, introducing Bragg, Joe Henry acknowledged him for having freely expressed his views in song‘ without the protection of the first amendment’, making it sound as though Britain, in its lack of a written constitution, were some sort oppressive state. But we got over it.

The‘ Emerging Artist’ Award gives an opportunity to check out some of the newer kids on the block. There was a buzz all week around Margo Price, who won the Award, was resplendent in an orange velvet dress as she sang her Tennessee Song. I love her bold, brassy style. Vocally, she doesn’ t quite have the expressive depth of a Tammy or a Lee Ann Womack, but she offshoot, Capricorn Records, in 1993, a youthful and mulleted Chesney barely dented the Top 75 with Whatever It Takes and The Tin Man, his first singles. Falling firmly in the‘ new traditional’ camp Chesney landed himself a deal with BNA when Capricorn was closed and hasn’ t looked back since his BNA debut, Fall In Love, made the Top Ten and peaked at # 6. It wasn’ t long before his first chart-topper( She’ s Got It All- 1997) and by the noughties he was picking up the CMA Entertainer Of The Year Awards seemingly every year.

It may all look as though Kenny Chesney can be best summed up by his beach-bum 2003 # 2 hit No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems, but that kind of success doesn’ t just happen, and the superstar who has just released his 16th studio album – Cosmic Hallelujah – puts it simply down to hard work.

“ I can tell you that we didn’ t wake up and do this. We didn’ t wake up one day and start playing all these football stadiums across America and have the audience that we have. It was built slowly but surely and I would not be the performer, entertainer, artist I am today if I didn’ t have those years of struggle because it made me so hungry and want it so hard and for years I was just so laser-visioned on this dream, and I’ m still that way. I’ m very focused. And I can tell you that my life would not be the same if there hadn’ t been those years of struggle and those years of learning and those years of wondering if it was really gonna happen. I get up there on the stage now and I look at that audience and I’ m a different person than I was then but I wouldn’ t be that person if it wasn’ t

NOVEMBER 2016- COUNTRY MUSIC PEOPLE 15

sure looks the part. She’ s sassy too, wonderment at his failure to become having the balls to acknowledge in her a mainstream star. He and his music acceptance speech that a number of are both so quirky, and so eclectic, and executives who‘ passed on my record’ he is such an original that it’ s painful were likely to be in the audience. to even imagine him being chewed

Jason Isbell has established up and spat out by the Nashville himself as someone who will be a star machine; who else, for instance, longstayer over the past few years. His would have dressed for receiving an performance of If It Takes A Lifetime award named after Porter as if he was assured and grounded, accepting had raided Porter’ s wardrobe? Strait of his right to be on that stage, but with was chosen to present Lauderdale’ s nothing of bragadoccio about it. He’ s award because he has recorded no less a keeper, and a touching moment of than fourteen of his songs – in itself torch-passing was captured as John a success of which most songwriters Prine presented him with the award in the competitive world of country for Something More Than Free as Best can only dream. In his acceptance Album; he also won Best Song for 24 speech, Lauderdale credited Strait Frames. Chris Stapleton, whose recent with enabling him to earn a living – breakthrough followed many years of something which for him has involved moderate success, followed his CMA releasing 28 albums across any genre triumph with an AMA Artist of the that might be said to fall under the Year title, but, disappointingly, did not Americana umbrella, sometimes two at perform. a time. His latest release, This Changes

The ultimate moment of CMA meets Everything, is a record so hardcore that AMA came when George Strait took to it earned him the title of Honky Tonker the stage to present Jim Lauderdale, of the Month in this very publication. who was hosting the Awards Show Strait brought a warm and relaxed for the 14th year running with the presence to the stage; he was in great WagonMaster Award – named, of voice, ending the celebration with a course, in honour of Porter Wagoner performance of Lauderdale’ s tribute- for Lifetime Achievement. I am never to Gram Parsons and George Jones, sure why the accepted narrative

King Of Broken Hearts, with Jim, who of Lauderdale’ s career is one of amongst his many other talents is the

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Kelly Gregory meets the Texas Troubadour forging her own path.

riding in horse shows, play days, and rodeos across the Southwest— before following in her father’ s footsteps and heading to A & M University in Texas. of somebody who is on three packs of Fortune stepped in when a guitar Marlboro Reds a day. that her mom had bought for her Growing up in Beaumont, Texas— father was left unplayed. the town that brought us George

“ My mama bought it for him in Jones, Mark Chesnutt and Tracy Byrd; England when the Beatles were big famous for Cutter’ s nightclub; is and he wanted to learn to play but he synonymous with country music and never did, so I started playing around is considered the epicentre of Texas with that. I really didn’ t get a chance talent— from a young age, Glenna Bell to actually start learning until I went was constantly immersed in country to college when I was 17. I actually music. skipped my third year of high school“ I guess collectively all of the artists and graduated a year early. I went

I grew up listening to must have to Texas A & M university and I had a influenced me,” she affirms. roommate there from North Dakota

“ I loved Buddy Holly. I loved those and she had learned guitar from an love songs when I was a teenager and older man who was her teacher. She I would sing along with Dolly Parton had learned, I’ ve been told it’ s called all of the time when I was young. I’ d the Carter family style. Basically, she say that by the time I was about nine taught me to learn to play the guitar or ten I was listening only to country and now I realise, in hindsight, that music and I would try to sing along the style is unique today. It’ s rather with everybody and in some way try rare today because when I play people to sing like them. I guess that’ s how come up and say,‘ Wow, what is that?’ I learnt to sing really. And in some and then one day somebody told me weird way it came out my way, it that it’ s a Carter family style. always does.”

“ My friend, she lives in Austin now,

Glenna Bell lived the real country I said to her,‘ Thank you. Thank you life— running barefooted through the for teaching me all I know.’ And she tangled paths of the Big Thicket and said,‘ You don’ t consciously realise it

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“ I can take this thing over to Perk Williams’ house and I can get him to show me how he plays Release Me.

Duncan Warwick meets the purveyor of Western Swing.

fair amount of Western Swing and it wasn’ t until 1970 that I came so it got insufferably hot inside the comes my way, but Paul along and so I had the benefit of house and one day I picked up that

Schlesinger really impressed having parents that were a little bit 78 and it melted in my hand— I was with his Paul Schlesinger And His older than I guess what you would heartbroken. So using that I guess as Knights Of Western Swing album this say would be normal. And they had I got older I made it a point to try to year. a pretty good record collection and, find that record and I began collecting

Hailing from just East of Round to make a long story short, I always records and I mainly started collecting Rock, Texas, Taylor to be more precise, enjoyed listening to older music. My The Sons Of The Pioneers records Schlesinger is a true student of the mother’ s records, which she did have and at that time I was getting older genre. He lives and breathes Western a lot of original 45s of Elvis and Chuck in my late teenage years and that’ s Swing and his album was chock-ablock full of local swing legends, and and folks like that and as they got putting out a lot of their products. By

Berry and Bo Diddley and Buddy Holly kind of when The Bear Family started

is as much a tribute to local musicians, older they kind of got more into the that time I had enrolled in a College even the more obscure musicians country music and there was a lot of of Communication at the University who might not be known outside of the 60s and 70s country music in their of Austin in Texas where I went to their immediate local area except record collection. That’ s what I grew college and I graduated as a journalist by avid Western Swing aficionados. up with, thinking it was important. I and I had already started taking Names like Jimmy Heap and Cecil also had an affinity for the The Sons pictures of Western Swing musicians Harris aren’ t uttered quite as often as Of The Pioneers and I always seemed and making them the subjects of a lot that of Bob Wills but the impact they to be drawn to musical groups that of my essays.” have had on Schlesinger’ s music is had a lot of good harmonies, I always It was, it transpires, a Bear Family immense. enjoyed the vocal harmonies. And release that is more responsible than

Jimmy Heap is a legend down

I became an avid record collector. anything for Schlesinger’ s thirst for Taylor, TX. way, and one of Paul’ s main Primarily because I had a 78 of knowledge of the local Western Swing inspirations, but it wasn’ t just the the guy on a 78 record label from history. geography that led Schlesinger down Louisiana called Meladee Records, a“ There is a Bear Family distributor the Western Swing path. fellow by the name of Gene Rodriguez here in Austin and his name is Jurgen

“ It’ s more complicated than that,” And The Bayou Boys. The house that Koop and he and I have become says the fiddle maestro, explaining his we lived in was an older house and my friends and he was involved in getting musical interests. folks didn’ t have enough money to pay me lots of Bear Family products and“ My parents were married in 1960 for air conditioning all the time and stuff, and one day he says,‘ Hey Paul,

NOVEMBER 2016- COUNTRY MUSIC PEOPLE 53 and heart disease. A week before she had entered a hospice for round-theclock care.“ Today is one of the hardest days of my life,” announced son Harold Hawkins, Jr.“ Mom has been called home this morning and is now at peace. Please keep our family in your prayers during this tough time. Thank you everyone for your support.”

The Country Music Hall of Famer first debuted on Billboard’ s charts in a big way with a 1953 # 1 country cut A Dear John Letter, that crossed over, becoming a pop Top Five. That number boasted a narration by Ferlin Husky, spawning an answer song- Forgive Me, John- that became a Top 20 pop favourite, while registering Top Five on the country chart that same year.

Not bad for a 19-year-old newcomer at Capitol Records. Well, Shepard also could proudly point to chalking up hits over three decades at the label, having hit Top Five in 1964 with her yodeling song Second Fiddle( To An Old Guitar),

Walt Trott looks at the career of the late Hall of Famer.

and scoring Top 10 with her ballad single( charting nine weeks).“ I’ m a Then He Touched Me in 1970. dummy,” smiled Shepard.“ I’ d never

I remember our 2008 interview, one done anything connected to a movie. of several we had through the years, Of course, they would’ ve handled but on that occasion, she shared one everything for me in the studio. of her big regrets, passing on 20th Thinking back, I just can’ t believe I Century Fox’ s request she dub vocals didn’ t do it! I’ ve listened to it and feel I for Hollywood’ s reigning sex symbol could have sung that song.” Marilyn Monroe in a heated Western She sang a bit of it:“ There is a river flick co-starring Robert Mitchum. Of called the River of No Return / Sometimes course, Marilyn could later thank Jean it’ s peaceful and sometimes wild and for passing up the opportunity, as she free / Love is a traveler, on the River of was asked by director Otto Preminger No Return / Swept on forever, to be lost in to try vocalising the title tune The the stormy sea...” River Of No Return herself, which gave Shepard experienced her share the star her one and only Billboard of stormy seas, including two brief charting(# 30, 1954). marriages, losing singer-husband

Why did Jean decline Fox’ s offer? Hawkshaw Hawkins, 41, in a fiery plane“ They wanted me to be her voice, you crash on March 5, 1963, just weeks know to overdub her singing River Of before giving birth to their second son, No Return, because she wasn’ t known Harold, Jr. Shortly after joining WSM’ s as a singer. Well, the thought of it Grand Ole Opry in 1955, she reportedly scared me to death. I had only a couple began a romance with Opry singer records out at the time and she was Doyle Wilburn, but rumour had it she such a big star... so I wouldn’ t do it.” rejected an offer of marriage due to his

Jean pointed out that Capitol drinking.( He later wed singer Margie label-mate Tennessee Ernie Ford Bowes.) sang the song for the movie’ s creditcrawl and ended up with a Top 10 on Nov. 21, 1933 in Paul’ s Valley, Okla

She was born Ollie Imogene Shepard.,

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contents

November 2016 cmp

Features

12 What’ s on the cover CD

Your guide to the artists on CMP’ s first ever cover mounted disc.

14 Kenny Chesney

Duncan Warwick meets the superstar for whom life is a beach.

20 All-time Top Songs

The results of the CMP Readers’ Poll. We list the most popular songs and the biggest artists.

22 Americanafest

Janet Aspley reports from The Americana Music Festival Conference and Awards in Nashville.

26 Glenna Bell

Kelly Gregory talks to the Texas singer-songwriter.

52 Paul Schlesinger

The fiddler and Western Swing purveyor talks to Duncan Warwick.

56 Jean Shepard

Walt Trott pays tribute to the Hall of Famer who passed away recently.

Reviews

30 CD Reviews 48 Live Review

Regulars

4 News 8 Tour Guide 10 This Month In Country Music 11 The David Allan Page 49 Americana Roundup 63 Write to Reply

Charts

64 Americana & UK Country Charts 65 Billboard Country Charts

Courtesy of Billboard Inc.

M

KENNY

CHESNEY

Postcards from the beach

mage is everything, they say. Mention Kenny Chesney’ s name

Iand the image that immediately comes to mind is one of sun-kissed

A

Under a Lone Star moon

�

“... when I play people come up and say,‘ Wow, what

GLENNA BELL

is that?’ and then one day somebody told me that it’ s a Carter family style.”

ith the true spirit of a Texas troubadour, Glenna Bell

Wwrites songs from the heart and delivers them with the gravitas

Paul

Schlesinger

A life on the fiddle

If he could teach me how to play Release Me I’ d consider my life complete.” ountry music lost one of its sauciest song stylists, when Jean

CShepard, 82, slipped away Sept. 25, after suffering from Parkinson’ s

Jean Shepard

1933-2106

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