Most people know that TEX RITTER and JOHN RITTER were father and son,
with John and his son, JASON RITTER, sharing the same
designation. But I'm in search of anyone who can confirm,
with as much specificity as possible, that Tex and the late Senator JOHN TOWER were distant
relatives. The two Texans shared an interest in
politics and they were even photographed together on September
12, 1968 (along with my friend, whom I met four years later, Tex's son TOMMY)
at the Nashville Airport.
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It's been a little more than seven and one-half years since invited
guests, including this writer, were on hand to join the OAK RIDGE BOYS at the February 25,
2011 news conference/unveiling of the quartet's caricatures, then as
now, on permanent display at the Palm. Most recently, JEREMY WESTBY has
invited us to join the Oaks on September 14, 2018 for a return visit as
they join the downtown Nashville restaurant in honoring JIM HALSEY with a
signature caricature of his own, as with the scores of other notables
honored, to be on permanent displa (When you see Jeremy, congratulte
him on his celebration of 20 years in the music business.)
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BARBARA PAYTON biographer JOHN O'DOWD wants those who have
taken an interest in Barbara's story to know that he is putting the
finishing touches on Barbara
Payton: A Life in Pictures, a 560-page coffee table "photo
book" to be published in mid-October, 2018.
Thanks to British Buddy DOUG
HALL for offering to add yours truly to the guest list
for LEAH BLEVINS' August 17,
2018 High Watt performance. "I will be
working with [Leah] going forward on her publicity and to say
I am beyond excited is an understatement... She has one of
the most beautiful, pure and honest voices I have ever heard and [is] a
talented, original and unique young singer-songwriter poised for major
success."
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Meet and
Greet, as well as interview opportunities and complimentary
drink tickets have been provided to media accepting BEV
MOSER's invitation to attend the August 9, 2018 CRAWFORD & POWER CD
release and performance party at the Wildhorse
Saloon.
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KENNY CHESNEY's August 11, 2018
email with the subject line "Happy Birthday to a True Friend" certainly
got my attention: Kenny has my email address? He
considers me a "true friend?" He thinks I'm a Leo and wants
to wish me a happy birthday?
I suspected something was not kosher in Denmark and the body of the
email (blast) proved me correct: Kenny wanted me and the other email
recipients to sign a birthday card intended for former
President BILL CLINTON (who, unlike me, has an August
birthday) and to "give a gift" in his honor.
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TAYLOR SWIFT, the cover girl for Harper's Bazaar's August, 2018
issue is not the subject of a feature in that issue.
Rather, Taylor turns interviewer, profiling PATTIE BOYD.
Swift concludes the interview by telling her subject "I would love to
look back on my life with the same clarity, wisdom, and peace that you
seem to have."
In June, 1960 Rydell was booked on a show in Australia with THE EVERLY BROTHERS and other top
rockers. Arriving at the Sydney airport, Bobby, Don and Phil
Everly deplaned to a warm welcome they assumed was for them.
Instead, the crowed rushed past America's rock royalty to get to some
stranger.
You guessed it: The welcome turned out to be for Craddock
who, at the time, had the #1 hit there that week, Boom, Boom Baby.
Another little-known fact of Rydell trivia; Bobby once played in a
charity golf tournament with TENNESSEE ERNIE FORD.
As it turned out, flight logistics prevented Herb's appearance, but
attendees' disappointment was minimized by the last-minute recruitment
of Darin's "better half," BROOKE and of JON RANDALL to join in the
performance of many of the songs from an album with a cryptic title
that actually references SHERYL CROW's home studio, atop a
horse barn.
"With the developers circling the wagons around Bobby's
Idle Hour, just the latest apparent casualty of Music Row 'redevelopment,' I
thought this song might help drum up
awareness about what we've lost, AND, what we stand to lose if the
wrecking balls keep reeking havoc on our beloved Music Row."
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A famous jingle to the contrary, there was
no love lost between JIMMY DEAN and SARA LEE after Dean sued the
company in February, 2004 in response to its dumping him in May, 2003
as its commercial spokesman for the eponymously-named sausage
company Dean founded in 1969.
(The Jimmy Dean Meat Company was originally overseen by Jimmy's
younger brother, DON DEAN . Don remained as
president of the company until he and Jimmy had a falling out; so
serious that the two only spoke once in the last 15 years before Don
died of cancer. Sara
Lee, then known as Consolidated
Foods Corporation, purchased The Jimmy Dean Foods, a
the growing company came to be known, in 1984 for $15 million.)
Jimmy's lawsuit argued
that, having given him the boot (no pun intended) Sara Lee continued to
use his name, signature and image on its products without Dean's
consent, violating the severance agreement by invading his privacy with
the misappropriation of Jimmy's name, thus unjustly enriching Sara Lee.
Sara Lee had already removed Dean's personal quality guarantee from the
packaging of the products bearing Jimmy's name, but, as a result, of a
2005 federal district court ruling barring Sara Lee from continuing to
indicate that its Jimmy Dean products carried the singer's endorsement,
for the next decade Sara Lee cooled it even
as Jimmy Dean held on to one share of stock in what had once been his
company alone, just so he could attend the Sara Lee shareholders'
meetings (though Jimmy's presence at the annual meeting in 2003 made
for an unusually tense presentation).
A year after Jimmy Dean's death on June 13, 2010, Sara Lee
split into two units and its North American operations (including the
Jimmy Dean product line) took the Hillshire Brands corporate name
and in 2014, Tyson Foods acquired Hillshire and
Sara Lee, thus the Jimmy Dean brand.
One wonders what the sausage king would have thought of
Tyson's Summer 2018 ad campaign for its Jimmy Dean product line.
Evidently, Tyson has fashioned a lucrative agreement with
Dean's widow, DONNA MEADE (who married
Jimmy in October, 1991 following [MARY] SUE, Dean's wife
of 40 years, suing Jimmy for divorce, on grounds of adultery, in 1990)
since Tyson's ad campaign features Dean's voice, photo and cursive
signature.
The series of TV ads, all voice-overs, appear to have been culled edits
of past ads and perhaps other Dean snippets. Here are
transcripts of three ads currently running:
"I'm Jimmy Dean and, uh, isn't a sunrise something? I
honestly feel that way about Jimmy Dean Sausage. Get yourself
a large chunk of that good mornin' feelin,' Oh, that smells
good! Umph!"
"I'm Jimmy
Dean and, uh, Mother Nature sure doesn't cut any corners when she
paints a morning like that. And we know there is no shortcut
to quality. And that's why we use nothing but the very best
sausages money can buy. Paint yourself a beautiful mornin.'"
"I'm Jimmy Dean and, uh, I wish I
could tell you how I feel about a morning like this. And that
includes a good, hearty breakfast. You need something to warm
the whole body up and get it going. It's a great way to kick
off your day."
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Flag Day or, more specifically,
the evening of June 14, 2018, seemed to be an appropriate
time for the Mary Hong Gallery to host a
Tribute to TROY GENTRY. SHELLY
MULLINS coordinated the remembrance, occurring less than
three months before the first anniversary of Gentry's untimely death.
GUY GILCHRIST, (whose Nancy Loves Nashville and The Muppets Take Music City opened
June 2nd and will remain on display through the end of the month at the
gallery) came up with the idea to honor
Gentry, with a series of Gilchrist's hand-painted string instruments,
original pen and ink drawings, comic strip panels and other limited
edition cartoon memorabilia, serving as a backdrop for an evening of
music (featuring, Gilchrist, Halfway to Hazard and surprise
guest JIMMY PAYNE).
'Troy's widow, ANGIE was on hand to speak of the
work of the newly-announced Troy
Gentry Foundation, which will raise money for the causes
dearest to Gentry's heart, such as music education, homeless military
veterans and the eradication of cancer.
Foundation funds were kicked off with the auction of one of Gilchrist's
hand-painted guitars, which Guy was able to secure a $1,000 winning bid
by tossing in some of his artwork once the bidding reached $600.
Kids of all ages enjoyed the
fun that included the appearance of Batman, one of Gentry's favorite
costumed characters of print, stage and screen.
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There was a time when observers wondered when CONWAY
TWITTY's estate fight, bitter as it was, might end.
A quarter-century following the singer's death, the way has been
cleared to put many of his personal effects up for sale.
JARED
SMALL handled media credentialing and it was fun to mingle
with my national and local print and broadcasting peers as we heard the
president give (and update) his stump speech, speaking for about an
hour after a retiring GOP congressman, Republican midterm candidates, LARA TRUMP, a minister, a
Republican party official and Trace served as the chief
executive's "opening acts."
BEN RUEdiscusses life after a type 1
diabetes diagnosis with BAILEY McGRATH in the Summer, 2018
issue of Diabetic Living. (Ben
learned he was diabetic at age 14.)
Brad has 30 days from the date of service in which to respond.
Once a response has been filed, the case will be assigned to
one of the "two Phils:" Judge PHILIP SMITH or Judge PHILLIP ROBINSON.
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I'm not passionate about Christian Music, for obvious
reasons, but if you are, and would like "to serve songwriters and
publishers as a Publishing Administrator," do I have a job for you!
If selected, you'll "work with VP of Administration and Corporate
Affairs to assist with royalty administration tasks for HoriPro
Entertainment Group. The position will also assist
[sic] with some licensing and copyright duties."
Qualified applicants will have three to five years of music
publishing administration experience, be Microsoft Excel proficient,
extremely detail-oriented, highly organized, skilled researchers able
to "self-prioritize multiple workloads and maintain a positive attitude
under the pressure of deadlines," be quick-learners able to "master new
software and technology applications," and draw on "solid analytical
and mathematical problem solving abilities." They will also
need to be "excellent writers" and skilled verbal
communicators.
If you're interested in this full-time job (including benefits),
email your résumé, including references, to Carrie.
