A song that I remember from my formative years was "A Child Of The Fifties" by the Statler Brothers. In the song, there was a line that said "When Elvis Died, We All Knew That We Could Too." That was a sentiment that I remember from my favorite authors, Lewis Grizzard, when he was writing his thoughts about August 16, 1977. Of course, being a teen-ager or in my 20s, mortality isn't something you think about too much.
The past few years have changed that outlook considerably. Losing a parent is always one of the first stages of this, or so I have been told. I am also reminded of a quote by Bill Anderson that the legendary producer Owen Bradley once said about a sign of getting older is going to more funerals. Though some still say that I am a "baby" when I get worried about my career future, 35 isn't as young as it once was. But at the same time, it isn't as old as I once thought it was....if that sentence makes any sense whatsover.
Like many children of the 70s and 80s, I was saddened early Thursday morning to learn of the death of Farrah Fawcett. She enchanted so many during her career with her Texas charm and irresistible beauty. Though "The Poster" (As if you have to be told which one) came out in 1976...it still had a life of its' own in the 1980s. I was telling my wife that I remember my brother (from another Mother) Randall and I being quite the Farrah fan in the 80s. How could you not? Even after her run on "Charlie's Angels" ended, she was in plenty of movies....and even though the Catherine Bach poster was maybe a little bit bigger in the early 80s......the Farrah poster lived on!
After I went back to checking e-mails, I began to recall that there was only one time in almost thirty years of knowing him that I ever got mad at Randall. It was the spring of 1984, and we were having an Easter egg hunt at Burns Elementary School. Randall won the big prize----a Michael Jackson poster. Keep in mind that this was the age of THRILLER---which, no matter what happened in the 90s and beyond to Jackson, will always stand as one of the best Pop albums of all time. At that time, there was no one any more cool. I had my share of MJ memorabilia---tapes, trading cards, magazines...and since Randall wasn't a fan---I assumed that I would be getting the poster. However, there was a higher bidder---one of our mutual friends offered him $ 5 for it. That was the equivalent of a week's allowance back then---which could easily be redeemed for quarters for video games, or even a Stomper! So I didn't get the poster....Well, I didn't stew about it too long...and actually I smiled about that as I thought back to my youth. That was about 3:30 that afternoon or so.....
Then, about 4:30, I logged on to see the news that Michael Jackson had been taken to UCLA. Then, not too long after, came the news that the "King Of Pop" had died. While there were a lot of aspects to Michael Jackson's life that many of us may not fully comprehend--He was a era-defining artist, who (lest any of us forget) was also a son, brother, and father.
The subject line of this blog sums up my emotions of the day about as good as I can say it. It's not so much about death, because as Dan Miller (WSMV Anchorman who passed away earlier this year) was quoted as saying...."We're all in line, we just don't know where we stand at." and though I can be a wayward child of God at times, I know where I'm going....but these two deaths, as well as the events of the past few years prove more than ever that 1983 is never coming back. Not that I thought it would, but nostalgia is a sweet place to visit....if only in the mind.....
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Unknown?
This week was somewhat of a busy week, a few Children;s appointments, a couple business meetings, a couple of interviews, mowing the grass (It's a big lawn!), and the usual stuff...so I didn't have a lot of time to come up with something to write about....so....that leads me to this piece. Earlier this year, I wrote a series of columns called "In My Eyes" that have never been published.....Some were about music, but this one,,,,is a little different. If anything else, it might make you think about those mysterious people in photos from long ago!....Hope you like!
It's kind of interesting how one word in the English language can fire up the imagination. How many words are listed in Webster's Dictionary? Well, I can't claim to know the answer to that…..but seeing just one of those seemingly endless words in print the other day kind of inspired me….and troubled me, at the same time.
I was having lunch with some friends of mine at their house just north of town, and one of them brought out some old pictures they had just recently received of their second grade class. The exposures had been redone, and the names of the students had been printed at the bottom of the picture. Everybody was accounted for in these shots from almost sixty years ago…….Everybody was identified in the picture, that is….except for one…..who was named "Unknown."
While I'm sure that in any one class at any given moment in time, someone floated into town for a year, and then was gone to another town, another city, another state….that phrase troubled me just a little. The girl, who was about six or seven, wasn't a mystery to everyone…Was she? Surely, there was someone who would remember her name….What kind of candy bar was her favorite….Who her favorite teacher was that year….But, on the picture….just one word used….Unknown.
I had a basketball game to broadcast that night, then it was home to Centerville after that. I will say that I didn't lose a minute's sleep thinking about it…but the next day, some questions did enter into my mind.
First, there was the obvious….Just who was this person? She wasn't smiling that big in the picture. Why? I wondered…..Did she move away some sixty years ago because her father, who could have just gotten back from the war…found another job elsewhere? She would have turned eighteen in 1960, I figured. Was college in the cards, or maybe a trade vocation. 1960? That's the year my mother graduated from high school. Could she have known her at some point? Did she have a high school sweetheart that she married….one that joined the service immediately after graduation? If so, that would have put in within a few years of possibly having to go to Vietnam. If there was a husband, and if he did go….Did he come back? If not….How did she make it without him? If there were children….How did she raise them by herself? Did they make her a grandparent, just like the friends who had invited me to lunch that day?
Now…I will be the first to admit that there's quite a few if's in this story….and this person is someone that more than likely I have never seen. However, you never know. This person could have been a nurse in Dickson one Sunday night in 1974 when I was born. She could have been a waitress at a restaurant I ate at in Bakersfield, CA….or Mount Vernon, IL, or Abingdon, VA…..three of the towns I have been blessed to visit over those thirty-five years. I have posed several questions here , I know…..but I don't think I have raised anymore than what lies behind that one word…..Unknown. Surely someone knows!
It's kind of interesting how one word in the English language can fire up the imagination. How many words are listed in Webster's Dictionary? Well, I can't claim to know the answer to that…..but seeing just one of those seemingly endless words in print the other day kind of inspired me….and troubled me, at the same time.
I was having lunch with some friends of mine at their house just north of town, and one of them brought out some old pictures they had just recently received of their second grade class. The exposures had been redone, and the names of the students had been printed at the bottom of the picture. Everybody was accounted for in these shots from almost sixty years ago…….Everybody was identified in the picture, that is….except for one…..who was named "Unknown."
While I'm sure that in any one class at any given moment in time, someone floated into town for a year, and then was gone to another town, another city, another state….that phrase troubled me just a little. The girl, who was about six or seven, wasn't a mystery to everyone…Was she? Surely, there was someone who would remember her name….What kind of candy bar was her favorite….Who her favorite teacher was that year….But, on the picture….just one word used….Unknown.
I had a basketball game to broadcast that night, then it was home to Centerville after that. I will say that I didn't lose a minute's sleep thinking about it…but the next day, some questions did enter into my mind.
First, there was the obvious….Just who was this person? She wasn't smiling that big in the picture. Why? I wondered…..Did she move away some sixty years ago because her father, who could have just gotten back from the war…found another job elsewhere? She would have turned eighteen in 1960, I figured. Was college in the cards, or maybe a trade vocation. 1960? That's the year my mother graduated from high school. Could she have known her at some point? Did she have a high school sweetheart that she married….one that joined the service immediately after graduation? If so, that would have put in within a few years of possibly having to go to Vietnam. If there was a husband, and if he did go….Did he come back? If not….How did she make it without him? If there were children….How did she raise them by herself? Did they make her a grandparent, just like the friends who had invited me to lunch that day?
Now…I will be the first to admit that there's quite a few if's in this story….and this person is someone that more than likely I have never seen. However, you never know. This person could have been a nurse in Dickson one Sunday night in 1974 when I was born. She could have been a waitress at a restaurant I ate at in Bakersfield, CA….or Mount Vernon, IL, or Abingdon, VA…..three of the towns I have been blessed to visit over those thirty-five years. I have posed several questions here , I know…..but I don't think I have raised anymore than what lies behind that one word…..Unknown. Surely someone knows!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Just In Time For Father's Day......
Just a few weeks ago, I used this forum to pay tribute to some special women in my life to celebrate Mothers' Day. With Fathers' Day coming up this weekend, I thought it would be appropriate to do likewise concerning a few men that have been very influential in my life, as well.
RALPH KIMBRO----I remember being seven and eight years old, and becoming the sixth son of Ralph and Jeanette, due to their being parents of my "brother," Randall. No matter whatever I have needed over the years, I have always known that I could count on Ralph Kimbro. It's kind of interesting to note that before I ever knew his son Randall, he and my father were good friends. In fact, I often wondered who the "Ralph" was that was written down on the back of the old telephone books. Needless to say, I found out.
BOBBY GALYA----You know, as you grow older, you realize that life isn't always about being perfect. That could be said of Bobby, who is the stepfather of one of my oldest friends. One of the things that I have learned about him is that life isn't always about what you might have….or how you might believe. It comes down to how you are treated……….and Bobby Galya has always treated me like a second son……with one of the most irreverent senses of humor I have ever come across.
KENNY GIBBS----When I was nine or ten, I noticed this guy at my Church that I never saw in a shirt or a tie. One of the first questions I ever asked Kenny Gibbs was "Why don't you wear a coat or tie." His answer was simply "I don't like them." He probably thought I was a little bit on the smart-alecky side, and after knowing me for about twenty-five years or so…..he knows I'm on the smart-alecky side. In all that time, I have only seen him wear a coat (no tie!) once or twice….but in his case, the clothes definitely don't make the man. One of the best people I have ever met……even though if he reads this, he probably will just roll his eyes and say "Whatever!"
MIKE BORCHETTA----Over the past eighteen years, I have been very blessed to make some wonderful friendships--both in and out of the music business. Mike Borchetta transcends those lines. I remember meeting him in the summer of 1999, when he was promoting a new artist named Ray Hood. The record didn't stick, but Mike sure did! He has been one of the most supportive friends that I have----in business or out. He and his wife Martha, I affectionately call "Pop and Mom." He's someone who probably believes in me more than I do myself, and one of the best friends I have.
LARRY PETTY-----You know how some people you don't actually remember meeting? It just seems that he has always been my friend. Larry worked at one of WDKN's biggest sponsors, the Greater Dickson Gas Authority, for many years, but his friendship goes deeper than that. We all say we have people that we can call at 1pm or 1am, but Larry Petty is one of those…..Trust me, I've called at both times.
RANDY TIDWELL----More than any of the afore-mentioned people, I have known Randy Tidwell the longest. He was my P.E. teacher at Burns Elementary for several years, and also my bus driver. Now if that was where the story ended, he might still make the list…..but in 1991, I started working with him at WDKN, and for the past thirteen years, he and I have travelled to exotic locales such as Fayetteville and Paris broadcasting High School Sports. I will tell you if there is a definition of what "Class" and "Gentleman" means, it's Randy Tidwell. But don't take my word for it, just ask anybody in Dickson County…..They'll tell you! We may have called our last game together, but either way…he's one of the best!
EUGENE ESTES----God puts people in your life at the right time. In the winter of 2005-2006, I was seriously in the dumps due to the passing of my mother. It was around this time that I met a man at Church named Eugene Estes. He was already in his 70s at this point, but he became quite the big brother / grandfather figure in my life…..but you might not know it by seeing us interact. We spend most of the time talking trash to each other, whether around the table at Buddy's (a popular Burns restaurant), or me tossing a zinger his way while doing announcements at Church, he taught me to laugh at a time I needed it most….Still, if God put this angel in my life, and I believe he did…….He's a strange looking one……!
Well, that about closes this post. But there is one person to tell you about. That is my father, Charlie Dauphin, Jr. There are so many memories that I have of growing up…..Whether it be going to the old Tennessee Air National Guard and taking a tour of one of the C-130 airplanes that he worked on…………..going to Co-Op in Dickson on a Saturday morning (home of one of the coldest water fountains on the planet!)…………or him taking me to a concert or Fan Fair….He also picked up quite a few prizes I had won from WSM-AM as a child….....While those memories are something I will always cherish…..What means the most now (and something that I didn't quite grasp until a couple of years ago) is how he kept it together, and kept things moving forward. I don't know how many times there was too much month at the end of the money when a wife was sick, and a son just had to have the latest Kenny Rogers record….or needed money for school. True, he said no sometimes………but very rarely. I didn't know and (to an extent) didn't appreciate how much he did….until the shoes have turned…..and I am now a father. Dad, I thank you for all you have done (and continue to do) for me. Happy Father's Day!
RALPH KIMBRO----I remember being seven and eight years old, and becoming the sixth son of Ralph and Jeanette, due to their being parents of my "brother," Randall. No matter whatever I have needed over the years, I have always known that I could count on Ralph Kimbro. It's kind of interesting to note that before I ever knew his son Randall, he and my father were good friends. In fact, I often wondered who the "Ralph" was that was written down on the back of the old telephone books. Needless to say, I found out.
BOBBY GALYA----You know, as you grow older, you realize that life isn't always about being perfect. That could be said of Bobby, who is the stepfather of one of my oldest friends. One of the things that I have learned about him is that life isn't always about what you might have….or how you might believe. It comes down to how you are treated……….and Bobby Galya has always treated me like a second son……with one of the most irreverent senses of humor I have ever come across.
KENNY GIBBS----When I was nine or ten, I noticed this guy at my Church that I never saw in a shirt or a tie. One of the first questions I ever asked Kenny Gibbs was "Why don't you wear a coat or tie." His answer was simply "I don't like them." He probably thought I was a little bit on the smart-alecky side, and after knowing me for about twenty-five years or so…..he knows I'm on the smart-alecky side. In all that time, I have only seen him wear a coat (no tie!) once or twice….but in his case, the clothes definitely don't make the man. One of the best people I have ever met……even though if he reads this, he probably will just roll his eyes and say "Whatever!"
MIKE BORCHETTA----Over the past eighteen years, I have been very blessed to make some wonderful friendships--both in and out of the music business. Mike Borchetta transcends those lines. I remember meeting him in the summer of 1999, when he was promoting a new artist named Ray Hood. The record didn't stick, but Mike sure did! He has been one of the most supportive friends that I have----in business or out. He and his wife Martha, I affectionately call "Pop and Mom." He's someone who probably believes in me more than I do myself, and one of the best friends I have.
LARRY PETTY-----You know how some people you don't actually remember meeting? It just seems that he has always been my friend. Larry worked at one of WDKN's biggest sponsors, the Greater Dickson Gas Authority, for many years, but his friendship goes deeper than that. We all say we have people that we can call at 1pm or 1am, but Larry Petty is one of those…..Trust me, I've called at both times.
RANDY TIDWELL----More than any of the afore-mentioned people, I have known Randy Tidwell the longest. He was my P.E. teacher at Burns Elementary for several years, and also my bus driver. Now if that was where the story ended, he might still make the list…..but in 1991, I started working with him at WDKN, and for the past thirteen years, he and I have travelled to exotic locales such as Fayetteville and Paris broadcasting High School Sports. I will tell you if there is a definition of what "Class" and "Gentleman" means, it's Randy Tidwell. But don't take my word for it, just ask anybody in Dickson County…..They'll tell you! We may have called our last game together, but either way…he's one of the best!
EUGENE ESTES----God puts people in your life at the right time. In the winter of 2005-2006, I was seriously in the dumps due to the passing of my mother. It was around this time that I met a man at Church named Eugene Estes. He was already in his 70s at this point, but he became quite the big brother / grandfather figure in my life…..but you might not know it by seeing us interact. We spend most of the time talking trash to each other, whether around the table at Buddy's (a popular Burns restaurant), or me tossing a zinger his way while doing announcements at Church, he taught me to laugh at a time I needed it most….Still, if God put this angel in my life, and I believe he did…….He's a strange looking one……!
Well, that about closes this post. But there is one person to tell you about. That is my father, Charlie Dauphin, Jr. There are so many memories that I have of growing up…..Whether it be going to the old Tennessee Air National Guard and taking a tour of one of the C-130 airplanes that he worked on…………..going to Co-Op in Dickson on a Saturday morning (home of one of the coldest water fountains on the planet!)…………or him taking me to a concert or Fan Fair….He also picked up quite a few prizes I had won from WSM-AM as a child….....While those memories are something I will always cherish…..What means the most now (and something that I didn't quite grasp until a couple of years ago) is how he kept it together, and kept things moving forward. I don't know how many times there was too much month at the end of the money when a wife was sick, and a son just had to have the latest Kenny Rogers record….or needed money for school. True, he said no sometimes………but very rarely. I didn't know and (to an extent) didn't appreciate how much he did….until the shoes have turned…..and I am now a father. Dad, I thank you for all you have done (and continue to do) for me. Happy Father's Day!
Friday, June 5, 2009
ONCE A FAN, ALWAYS A FAN
This week is the favorite of many Country Music fans throughout the world as Nashville rolls out the red carpet for the CMA Music Festival. Once known as "Fan Fair," the event has grown steadily each year since its' inception. Fans come to Music City to see their favorites in concert, but also to possibly get to spend a few moments with them and get their autograph and a snapshot with them. To fans of other genres of music, it might sound a little hokey….I mean, can you imagine Madonna, Justin Timberlake, and Beyonce all signing autographs and meeting fans in one place at one time?
It's truly a unique experience, and though I spend many nights up at 12 or 1 in the morning trying to come up with words that some of you might find entertaining or informative….I've got to tell you…..I wouldn't be in the business if I wasn't myself a fan at one point.
To be honest, I can't tell you where my love of the music business and the musicians who excel at it started. My parents were both music fans, but it in no way was something that either was passionate about. Well, my mother did have a crush on Marty Robbins, and my father on Barbara Mandrell (some things are just hereditary, I guess!)…..but music wasn't the big thing that commanded their interest, like it did mine. I remember so many Saturdays growing up watching TV shows like Hee Haw, That Good Old Nashville Music, and Nashville On The Road. Then, there was the music coming over the radio growing up……."The Gambler," "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue," "Sleeping Single In A Double Bed,"….songs that simply put…were classics.
Even my pre-teen reading habits were dominated by books like Fifty Years Of The Grand Ole Opry, Sing Your Heart Out Country Boy, and Bill Malone's Country Music, USA. Once I hit thirteen, and needed to be studying my school books….Billboard, Country Song Roundup, and Music City News took precedence.
I say all that to say this….Though I do consider myself to be a professional, I definitely consider myself to be very blessed to do what I do. Though the past few months have had their challenges, and I'm not totally sure where I'll be in six months career-wise, there's something very cool about what I do….that I wouldn't love as much….if I didn't love the music.
If an eight-year old hadn't gotten an autographed picture of Kenny Rogers in the mail after sending him a fan letter……If a eleven-year old hadn't won tickets to a Hank Williams, Jr. concert that his father took him and his brother to….and if they hadn't killed an hour walking in the Magnolia Lobby of the Opryland Hotel where he first saw WSM-AM DJ in action…….If that thirteen year old's father hadn't carried him to his first Fan Fair in June of 1987……I wouldn't be (for better or worse, and depending on who you ask or my bank account, there are varying answers) who I am today.
Since this is CMA Week, I thought I would share a few memories about my Fan Fair experiences. Seeing so many of the stars up close and personal was an overwhelming experience……but meeting Reba McEntire was one better than that. I was smitten for many years…..Getting to meet Keith Whitley was one of those things you don't forget. I also remember in 1993, like many at the Fairgrounds….I was scurrying over to the building where some guy named Garth was signing….I wasn't expecting to get even close to an autograph…just a glimpse of the biggest star of the day. As I was walking in that direction, I passed by the Warner Brothers booth. I saw a tall blonde who was signing autographs…albeit one I had never heard of, as her first single was still a few months from being released….I got her autograph that year, and the next year…there was a five-hour wait to spend one minute with Faith Hill. If there's a morale to the story….take time to meet the newcomers…because you never know.
You also never know about stars that are on the other end of fame as well. As I told you, Hee Haw was one of my favorite shows growing up. As I was walking around the exhibit hall back in 1987, I saw the great comedian Archie Campbell signing autographs. Probably on my way to see how long the line was for Randy Travis, I thought to myself "I would love to get his autograph….Maybe next year." Less than three months later, he was dead. The legendary Conway Twitty hosted an autograph party each year at his record store on Division…and I never went…..Those are two of my biggest Fan Fair regrets…Never turn down a chance to meet a legend, because likewise….you never know!
One of the blessings about my job (s) is that I have gotten to meet some of my heroes over the years, and in some cases…..get to call them friends. It's something that I feel very fortunate, and look forward to many more years of doing in the future.
So…welcome to Nashville, all who enter ye this week. There are things that will happen this week that you will have memories of for the rest of your lives. I can say to you first-hand that I've been there. Have a great week, but remember…bring sunscreen!.....Those CMA Music Festival / Fan Fair sunburns can hurt!
It's truly a unique experience, and though I spend many nights up at 12 or 1 in the morning trying to come up with words that some of you might find entertaining or informative….I've got to tell you…..I wouldn't be in the business if I wasn't myself a fan at one point.
To be honest, I can't tell you where my love of the music business and the musicians who excel at it started. My parents were both music fans, but it in no way was something that either was passionate about. Well, my mother did have a crush on Marty Robbins, and my father on Barbara Mandrell (some things are just hereditary, I guess!)…..but music wasn't the big thing that commanded their interest, like it did mine. I remember so many Saturdays growing up watching TV shows like Hee Haw, That Good Old Nashville Music, and Nashville On The Road. Then, there was the music coming over the radio growing up……."The Gambler," "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue," "Sleeping Single In A Double Bed,"….songs that simply put…were classics.
Even my pre-teen reading habits were dominated by books like Fifty Years Of The Grand Ole Opry, Sing Your Heart Out Country Boy, and Bill Malone's Country Music, USA. Once I hit thirteen, and needed to be studying my school books….Billboard, Country Song Roundup, and Music City News took precedence.
I say all that to say this….Though I do consider myself to be a professional, I definitely consider myself to be very blessed to do what I do. Though the past few months have had their challenges, and I'm not totally sure where I'll be in six months career-wise, there's something very cool about what I do….that I wouldn't love as much….if I didn't love the music.
If an eight-year old hadn't gotten an autographed picture of Kenny Rogers in the mail after sending him a fan letter……If a eleven-year old hadn't won tickets to a Hank Williams, Jr. concert that his father took him and his brother to….and if they hadn't killed an hour walking in the Magnolia Lobby of the Opryland Hotel where he first saw WSM-AM DJ in action…….If that thirteen year old's father hadn't carried him to his first Fan Fair in June of 1987……I wouldn't be (for better or worse, and depending on who you ask or my bank account, there are varying answers) who I am today.
Since this is CMA Week, I thought I would share a few memories about my Fan Fair experiences. Seeing so many of the stars up close and personal was an overwhelming experience……but meeting Reba McEntire was one better than that. I was smitten for many years…..Getting to meet Keith Whitley was one of those things you don't forget. I also remember in 1993, like many at the Fairgrounds….I was scurrying over to the building where some guy named Garth was signing….I wasn't expecting to get even close to an autograph…just a glimpse of the biggest star of the day. As I was walking in that direction, I passed by the Warner Brothers booth. I saw a tall blonde who was signing autographs…albeit one I had never heard of, as her first single was still a few months from being released….I got her autograph that year, and the next year…there was a five-hour wait to spend one minute with Faith Hill. If there's a morale to the story….take time to meet the newcomers…because you never know.
You also never know about stars that are on the other end of fame as well. As I told you, Hee Haw was one of my favorite shows growing up. As I was walking around the exhibit hall back in 1987, I saw the great comedian Archie Campbell signing autographs. Probably on my way to see how long the line was for Randy Travis, I thought to myself "I would love to get his autograph….Maybe next year." Less than three months later, he was dead. The legendary Conway Twitty hosted an autograph party each year at his record store on Division…and I never went…..Those are two of my biggest Fan Fair regrets…Never turn down a chance to meet a legend, because likewise….you never know!
One of the blessings about my job (s) is that I have gotten to meet some of my heroes over the years, and in some cases…..get to call them friends. It's something that I feel very fortunate, and look forward to many more years of doing in the future.
So…welcome to Nashville, all who enter ye this week. There are things that will happen this week that you will have memories of for the rest of your lives. I can say to you first-hand that I've been there. Have a great week, but remember…bring sunscreen!.....Those CMA Music Festival / Fan Fair sunburns can hurt!
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