Country Music News Round-Up- Mavericks, Eddy Arnold & Bobby Bare

 ·        The Mavericks are back. Valory Music Company announced that the band will release a new five-song EP titled Suited Up and Ready, on May 29. The release is expected to be followed by a full-length project this fall. You can hear their first single “Born To Be Blue” on their Facebook page. It will be added to radio at the end of this month.

 “We poured our hearts and soul into the new music and we think it’s our best work yet,” said Mavericks lead singer, Raul Malo.

Suited Up and Ready tracklist:
1. Back In Your Arms Again
2. Born To Be Blue
3. Come Unto Me
4.  Amsterdam Moon
5. That’s Not My Name

·        A brand new label was launched this month in Nashville called Ploughboy Records- named in honor of Eddy Arnold. “The first Plowboy Records release will be a new album from Bobby Bare, the Grammy award-winning outlaw artist who has over 30 Top 20 singles. Bobby is currently recording at famed RCA Studio B in Nashville cutting a mix of traditional folk and blues songs, and contemporary Americana with a band that includes Buddy Miller, Randy Scruggs and other members of Robert Plant's Band Of Joy.”

·        Two Foot Fred, a member of Big & Rich’s Muzik Mafia and frequent participant in their live shows, has a brand new autobiography coming out this month. Check out the EPK here. 

Country Music Loses Songwriter Don Wayne

Country artist/songwriter Don Wayne has passed away at the age of 78 following a battle with cancer. Wayne had written for numerous country music artists and is best known for his song “Country Bumpkin,” which won CMA and ACM “Song Of The Year” in 1974.

In an interview with Wayne, "I think "Country Bumpkin" is by far my best song and it will always be special cause "it" came along and picked me up at a very low point in my songwriting career. I love all my songs but I also feel a special affection for those recorded by the heroes I idolized as a youngster, among those are "Don't Water Down the Bad News" by Ernest Tubb, "What in Her World Did I Do" by Eddy Arnold and "MacArthurs Hand" by Tex Ritter."

In 1978, Mr. Wayne was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Mr. Wayne went on to serve as president of the Nashville Songwriters Association International, and he remained devoted to songwriting throughout his life. His songs were recorded by numerous artists, including Country Music Hall of Famers Bill Anderson, Jean Shepard, Eddy Arnold and Ernest Tubb.

“You could sit in a room to write a song with him, but he wouldn’t sit,” said friend and co-writer Glenn Warren. “He would pace back and forth, like there was no one else in the room, and what he was doing was working out the line exactly the way he wanted it to go. Don was a perfectionist. Nothing was good enough unless he thought it was great.”

Grand Ole Opry Star Billy Grammer Passes Away

My friend and wise Grand Ole Opry historian Byron Fay had this touching biography on his website earlier today on the passing of longtime Opry star Billy Grammer:

The music industry and the Grand Ole Opry lost another legend as Billy Grammer passed away earlier today. Billy was a great Opry member who has been more or less retired in recent years. He was also one of the nicest men there was. The following biography on Billy is from "The Encyclopedia of Country Music", and was written by Walt Trott:

"Gotta Travel On" put singer Billy Wayne Grammer on the musical map. Adapted from a 150-year-old British folk tune, that October 1958 release landed him on a trio of charts: country (#5), pop (#4) and r&b (#14). In addition, the million-selling record was the first hit for Monument Records and its founder, record producer Fred Foster. A 1961 release, "Bonaparte's Retreat" b/w "The Kissing Tree," is estimated to have sold 500,000 units.

The eldest of thirteen children, Grammer began playing guitar at five and from an early age played locally with fiddler father Arch Grammer. Billy Grammer made his radio debut on WJPF-Herrin, Illinois, in 1940. After military service in World War II he worked for Connie B. Gay at WARL-Arlington, Virginia. There Grammer performed on Jimmy Dean's CBS-TV show (1957-58). Grammer joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1959, remaining there until he lost his eyesight.

He designed the Grammer Flat Top Guitar, donating his first model to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1969. The agile guitarist's sophisticated licks garnered numerous studio sessions with artists such as Eddy Arnold, Louis Armstrong, and Patti Page, and inspired other guitarists, such as Roy Clark. In 1965 Grammer had his own syndicated TV series.

Deeply religious, Grammer delivered the invocation for the Grand Ole Opry House opening on March 16, 1974.

That completes the biography. But I will add a correction. Despite his eyesite problems, Billy did not give up his Opry membership. He would appear at the Opry every once in a while, although after 2006, he did not appear again until he celebrated his 50 year as on Opry member in 2009, and he was always with his wife, Ruth, who usually stood by next to him on stage. (They were married in 1944). Even during his last Opry appearances, on Friday February 27 & Saturday February 28, 2009, when Billy was honored for his 50 years as an Opry member, Billy's voice was great as was his guitar playing. What I remember most about that Friday night, was that Billy did his great hit, "Gotta Travel On", and he extended it into about a 10 minute number. He was very gracious and really enjoyed himself that night.

A Year-End Farewell To Country Stars Crossed Over

K.F. Raizor, (a freelance journalist since 1989 and whose work has appeared in "Hard Country Beat" and also an editor at TV.com and TVRage.com), is one of the best music industry historians. His resources on his website are endless. He's compiled a huge list of music industry folks that met their maker this year. We've shortened his list to country music only. We hope they're all having fun playing & singing in the big Opry in the sky...

Eddy Arnold (pictured)- (May 8, complications from a fall, age 89). Billboard's #1 country singles artist according to Joel Whitburn's books, his voice delighted country and pop audiences for seven decades. Arnold remains, to date, the only artist to be named the Country Music Association's "Entertainer of the Year" after being inducted into the Hall of Fame. We will never see the likes of him again, sadly.

Sally Arnold (March 11, Alzheimer's disease, age 87). Eddy Arnold's loving wife passed away two months before her husband.

Bill Bolick (March 14, natural causes, age 90). The elder of the great brother duet the Blue Sky Boys.

Danny Davis (June 12, cardiac arrest, age 83). A man with many hats, Davis brought his trumpet and background in pop production to Nashville, formed the Nashville Brass with Grammy-winning success, and produced a number of country acts (including Waylon Jennings).

Paul Davis (April 22, heart attack, age 60). Pop songwriter and singer, best known for his 1977 hit "I Go Crazy." He also had two #1 country hits, "You're Still New to Me" with Marie Osmond and "I Won't Take Less Than Your Love" with Paul Overstreet and Tanya Tucker.

Danny Dill (October 16, unknown causes, age 84). Prolific country songwriter. Bill Anderson said at Dill's passing that if he had only written that one song he'd still be one of the greatest songwriters in country music history. "That one song" in question is Lefty Frizzell's immortal "The Long Black Veil."

Earle Hagen (May 26, illness, age 88). The man who gave us "The Fishin' Hole," the theme song to The Andy Griffith Show. Griffith himself recorded the song for Capitol Records.

Jim Hager (May 1, heart attack, age 66). With identical twin Jon, Jim delighted audiences for years on Hee Haw with their singing and comedy.

Buddy Harmon (August 21, congestive heart failure, age 79). Billed as "the most recorded drummer in Nashville," Harmon was on just about every one's records in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. He was also the Opry Staff Band drummer.

Don Helms (August 11, heart attack, age 81). The last member of Hank Williams' Drifting Cowboys Band. Helms co-wrote and recorded a song, "The Ballad of Hank Williams," about life in the band with Hank Williams Jr. for The Pressure is On.

Leo Jackson (May 4, suicide [gunshot], age 73). Jackson's career began at age 17 as guitarist for Jim Reeves and went into session work for decades for numerous artists including Alabama.

Bobby Lord (February 16, illness, age 74). One-time member of the Grand Ole Opry, best-known for his 1956 top ten hit "Without Your Love," Lord retired from the music business for life as a real estate agent.

Ken Nelson (January 6, natural causes, age 96). A one-time A&R man at Capitol Records, his Hall of Fame resume turned to record production for the Louvin Brothers, Jean Shepard, and countless others on the Capitol label.

Jerry Reed (September 1, emphysema)- We wrote our own dedication to this versatile guitarist, actor and brilliant songwriter HERE.

Jack Reno (November 1, brain cancer, age 72). A country singer who racked up a dozen charted records between 1967 and 1974 including his biggest hit, "Repeat After Me."

Charlie Ryan (February 16, heart disease, age 92). The man who gave us one of the greatest road race songs in history, "Hot Rod Lincoln."

Jo Stafford (July 16, congestive heart failure, age 90). A legendary pop singer, she was the "girl singer" on Red Engals & Natural Seven's hit "Tem-Tay-Shun."

Charlie Walker (September 12, colon cancer, age 81). Country singer with a Texas swing, Walker gave the legendary Harlan Howard his first #1 song as a songwriter with "Pick Me Up on Your Way Down."

Jerry Wallace (May 5, congestive heart failure, age 79). Like many others, Wallace traded a successful pop career ("Primrose Lane," "In the Misty Moonlight") for a country career, scoring 35 charted hits. The biggest was a song he recorded for an episode of Rod Serling's Night Gallery TV series: "If You Leave Me Tonight, I'll Cry."