Happy Weekend, Everyone!
Between broadcasting Creek Wood Red Hawks District 11-AA Tournament action, interviews, and a day of being a D.J., it has been a busy week. I have had a few conversations with some of my friends this week concerning "What If" some of the more legendary acts in Country Music hadn't met an untimely death at a young age....That got me thinking back to last year, when I wrote this article. I'll be the first to admit it is a little bit fictional, when dealing with the question of "What If?".......I would love to hear your thoughts on these....
March 5 marks the 47th anniversary of “the day the music died” for country music fans. On that evening, a Piper Comanche airplane carrying Patsy Cline, Hawkshaw Hawkins, Cowboy Copas, and the pilot, Randy Hughes crashed not more than two hours from Music City on the way back from a benefit concert for a Kansas City air personality, killing all aboard. With that sad date in mind, let's look back on ten of the most tragic dates in country music history. In each of these cases, I will offer my thought on what would have happened had these events not occurred, in an attempt to answer the never-ending question “What If?”
• January 1, 1953----Somewhere between Knoxville, TN and Oak Hill, WV---nobody knows for sure---Hank Williams passed away in the backseat of a Cadillac while on his way to a New Years’ Show in Canton, OH. Though his personal life had been erratic during the past few years, a new marriage and huge success on the charts in 1952 offered hope that things would improve in the New Year. With radio being more prevalent than during the time of the death of Jimmie Rodgers some two decades ago, the death of Hank Williams is one of those moments that fans who were alive then remember. While it did cut short his life, it also froze him in time, captivating audiences almost six decades later.
WHAT IF?----Williams arrived in Canton safe, and performed a show that kick-started a strong year for him. After a couple of years away, he rejoined the Opry in 1954, and though the rock and roll crowd took away some of his traditional-based audiences, he remained a chart and crowd favorite through the 70s and 80s, before turning over the spotlight to his son, Hank, Jr. His songwriting still became the gold standard in the format.
• November 4, 1960----Johnny Horton’s ultra-cool voice and matinee-idol looks made him a natural for cross-over stardom, and he did just that. Horton recorded some of the biggest story songs of the era, such as “North To Alaska,” and “The Battle Of New Orleans.” However, after a concert date in Austin, TX, he was killed on his way back to his home in Shreveport. Incidentally, his widow—Billie Jean was no stranger to tragic ends. Her first husband died on the road, as well. His name? Hank Williams.
WHAT IF?----Horton returned from his concert date, and kept recording for Columbia with much success. His rockabilly style made him a natural to record many songs from pop star Roy Orbison---the biggest being 1966’s “Oh, Pretty Woman.”
• March 5, 1963---Never before, and never since, have three giants in country all died in the same crash. While Cline’s name gets the most attention now, some argue that Cowboy Copas was the biggest name at the time of the crash. Maybe, but Cline was developing a name as the pre-eminent female vocalist of the day, and there was nowhere to go but up. Copas and Hawkins were both in the middle of career comebacks, with the latter’s “Lonesome-77203” hitting the airwaves just a few days before the tragic accident.
WHAT IF?---The plane arrived safely that evening at Nashville, and Cline continued her career climb. She recorded a long string of hits with Owen Bradley and Decca that kept her on the charts through the mid-70s. Her biggest musical risk paid off as well, a 1969 album entitled Moods---recorded in Memphis, which inspired countless female singers in pop, soul, and country. The careers of Hawkins and Copas also stayed steady, with Copas becoming a semi-regular on Hee Haw in the mid-70s. A switch to Capitol in the late 60s saw Hawkins record frequently with his wife, Jean Shepard
• July 31, 1964-----Flying back from business trip to Arkansas, Jim Reeves was at the controls of his Beechcraft plane when he entered into rain upon approaching Nashville. The storm proved to be too much for Reeves to overcome, and the plane crashed a few miles south of Nashville. At the time of his passing, Reeves was one of the biggest stars in Nashville---and he stayed that way afterwards---due to an amazing supply of unreleased recordings that kept him on the charts until 1984.
WHAT IF?---Reeves made it home that fateful Friday? He had just released his first film, Kimberley Jim, and with his popularity here and abroad, there was no reason to think more acting wasn’t in the cards. He would have still been a giant on record, and his duet with Dottie West, “Love Is No Excuse,” hinted at a successful recording partnership with the newcomer. As long as he stayed on the charts posthumously, it’s intriguing to wonder if his run of hits would have lasted longer had he survived. One thing is for sure, he was one of the smoothest singers Music City had ever seen.
• November 10, 1973----David Akeman, better known as “Stringbean,” had a reputation for being one of the top comedians and banjo players in the business. His joining the cast of “Hee Haw” in 1969 helped to make him a household name. He also had a reputation for carrying a large sum of money as he reportedly didn’t believe in banks. After an Opry performance one Saturday night, he and wife Estelle returned home---only to find two robbers waiting. The two were gunned down in what was definitely one of Nashville’s more dark moments.
WHAT IF?----As Stringbean was never a fixture on the charts, one can safely assume that he would have stayed on “Hee Haw,” and became a prominent fixture on the roots music circuit in the 70s. He probably would have kept up what he was doing----but only for many more years!
• July 17, 1974----Don Rich was the leader of perhaps the best back-up band in country music history, the Buckaroos. He could sing harmony, play guitar, and the fiddle like few before or since. He also had a love for motorcycles, which led to his death on a warm summer California evening. After his passing, Buck Owens—as a person or a recording artist---was never the same. Though his chart numbers in the 70s were not what he was used to in the 60s, after Rich’s death, he never hit the top as a solo artist again. Owens attributed the death of his “right arm” as one of the main reasons for his 1980 retirement from the stage. As a musician and a singer, Rich had few peers, and influenced so many that came after him, including Rodney Crowell and Vince Gill.
WHAT IF?---Though Owens had not crested the top of the charts in a couple of years, one can assume that he would have stayed in the game a bit longer. I think with Rich’s influence, Owens might have experimented a little bit more musically in the latter part of the decade---perhaps recording an album of Eagles cover songs. After all, he did record “Hollywood Waltz” for his 1977 Buck Em’ album on Warner Brothers, and with Rich backing him on songs like “Take It Easy” and “Lyin’ Eyes,” who knows? I think it could have been a hit!
• August 16, 1977----Of course, the importance of this date cannot be underestimated. About 4:00 CST that afternoon, the world stopped when it was announced that Elvis Presley had died. His importance to American music is obvious, but he had his first hits on the country charts, and his last hits on the country charts, a fact that many may not realize.
WHAT IF?---Since I haven’t delved into what happened to anyone’s personal life had they survived, I’m not going to start here. I think that Presley’s role in country music would have been as big as he wanted it to be. He would always have had an audience for whatever he desired to perform. I think he might have tried acting one more time, having been forced by Col. Parker to turn down A Star Is Born.
• October 21, 1978------Things were looking up for Mel Street. The much-revered singer had just signed a huge deal with Mercury Records, and there were plenty of show dates on the books. Everybody in Nashville considered him a singers’ singer---including his hero, George Jones. That being said, it was a shock when news broke the singer committed suicide on his 45th birthday, for reasons that he only knew. As a singer, he was one of few that could rival “The Possum,” who showed up at his funeral to sing “Amazing Grace.”
WHAT IF?----In Street’s case, I think the die was being set. His deal with Mercury should have carried him into the big time, and even though Nashville entered the “Urban Cowboy” era in the 80s, it wouldn’t have deterred Street, who would have had his hand on many of the top songs of the early 80s---giving Jones a run for his money!
• May 9, 1989----In an era where the media wasn’t aware of every move a country star made, the news that Keith Whitley had died from alcohol poisoning at the age of 33 shocked many fans. Most had no idea of the demons the singer dealt with---or how deeply they ran. His death froze him in time as a tragic hero, a la Williams or Street, and cut short what could have been one of the most successful careers of all time.
WHAT IF?----Whitley’s traditional style would have kept him on the radio through the mid 90s, at least. The pop sounds of the latter part of the decade would stifle some of his success, but he would rebound---first by recording a duet album with his former Stanley Brothers band member, Ricky Skaggs, then with a stunning tribute album to Buck Owens in 1998 that included a Grammy-winning cover of “Together Again” with his wife, Lorrie Morgan. The album would be dedicated to the manager of Whitley and Owens, Jack McFadden.
• March 16, 1991-----Reba McEntire had just been back on the road for a few months following the birth of her son Shelby. She and her band took different flights out of San Diego for the next flight. Not too long after take-off, the plane carrying her band crashed, killing all. She dedicated her next album, For My Broken Heart to her fallen band members, which included the poignant album closer, “If I Had Only Known.” Though she didn’t write the track, many consider the song to be a tribute to those she lost.
WHAT IF?----All of the musicians on the plane were talented artists in their own right, but Chris Austin was something special. He had recorded for Warner Brothers prior to joining Reba’s band, and I think that success would have been awaiting him---either in country or bluegrass.
