Country Competition

During all history of country music, there are and were many famous singers and music bands.

Everybody knows some hitparade in every kind of music, as well in Country music. Every year there is official competition - Grammy Awards. It is rating of professionals in more categories.

Let's try to create some own TOP 5. Here are only four categories:

• Singer - Man (Never mind if interpret is still alive or dead.)


• Singer - Women (Never mind if interpret is still alive or dead.)


• Music Band (Never mind if music band still exists or not.)


• Song (during all rich country history)

Please write it to comments under this post. Everybody can nominate 5 nominees for each category.

The contest will be close after 2 month and results will be published asap.

In the end, there will be evaluation and one of the voting will have his link on this site for 4 months.

Billy Craig

In this post there are used also information which were send me by Billy Craig.

Billy was born in small town Big Rapids, in Michigan, US. He was the second youngest child of nine kids.

The first experiences with music he got very early, when he watched and listen his older siblings - brother and sister. When he was seven years old, his mother bought him his first guitar. From that time, he had unforsaked it. In his eight years, he started play with his older brother. In the same year, he won the Eastern Michigan Battle of the Bands and gained more fans.

From childhood, he has had many shows, he has played with players, who were much older than he.

Later he established his own music bands, playing jazz, country and rock. He played in front of many thousands people in all USA. He played also abroad included Scandinavian countries - Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark.

Bill was featured in two radio show named Country Legends in the Making and The American Collection with his last CD This Side Of Somewhere. This CD was prepared two years and was recorded in legendary Sun Studio (This recording studio is the birthplace of rock & roll, launching household names like Johnny Cash, Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis and U2's Rattle and Hum . . .).

In present time, he is one of the hardest working artist in this business, his radio presence is growing in states and abroad too. He prepare the new project, with 18 new songs, which will come in spring time.

His music is being played on country stations in the USA from Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, New Jersey, New York, Maine, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Oregon, Oklahoma, Texas, Mississippi, Florida and around the world including Canada, Ireland, England, Australia and New Zealand.

Stations include, off the shores of England Radio Caroline, Radio Logan (Down Under) 101FM, My Country 105.9 FM Australia, Oamaru Heritage Radio 88.3 & 107 fm, 98.1FM Raglan Radio New Zealand, WORLD.FM, 1.FM Absolute Country Hits, Country Music USA, K94 New Country, LA’s Hot Country, Arizona’s Pure Country and Arizona’s Pure Country Canada as well as Detroit’s 99.5 The Wolf Country, Constant Country KRS, The Right Country Radio Network, FunSeekers Radio Network which includes WCON, WDMG, WHIE, WKLY, WTRP, WKUN, WMTM, WCOH, WTWA, WIMO, WGAA, WHEP, WSFC, WCVP, WPCC, WCLE, WBRY as well as WCTH , WDYN, WMME, WATZ, WQTE, WWBR, WGDN, WBWC, WCRC, WRBC, WFDU, WCEF, WCYO, WRVK, WDXE, WNKX, WVIM, KEIF, KVLG, KBUK, KYTE FM, WOYS, WOCY, KSOC and CHFX and the list is growing as America and the world discover this exciting new artist

Unfortunately I can't offer you any video, I was able to find nothing.

Christmass time

Now it's Christmas time. I think, no coutry singer is, who has some christmas song.
That's why here are some presents for you:

Jim Reeves - Blue Christmas


Alan Jackson - Let It Be Christmas


Faith Hill - Where Are You Christmas


Johnny Cash Christmas Show '77 - Cash, Orbison, Perkins, Lee

Heavenly sound from the Grand Ole Opry III - Patsy Cline

Black day came on March 5, 1963. She returned from benefit show, which was at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall, Kansas City, Kansas. Her last song in this show was I'll Sail My Ship Alone. It's irony of destiny, that Dottie West invited her to returned back with her and her husband Bill by car. But Patsy wanted to be asap with her children and that why she used airplane. It was in forest near town Camden in Tennessee, the airplane crashed at 6:20 p.m., only 90 miles from the Nashville.

Patsy Cline died in her 30 old. There were also Hawkshaw Hawkins and Cowboy Copas. There were no survivors. Loretta Lynn, her very good friend came to know this horrible message in the morning from radio. It was great loss for all Country World.

Patsy Cline was buried in her hometown of Winchester, Virginia, at Shenandoah Memorial Park. In the forest near Camden there was erected the bell tower to the memories of Patsy with help of Loretta Lynn and Dottie West. The bell plays hymns daily at 6:00 pm, the hour when her death. Many item, which were found in the place of airplane crash, were donated to The Country Music Hall of Fame.

After death the sale of the records didn't stop. Singles of Sweet Dreams of You, Leavin' On Your Mind and Faded Love came the greatest hits of 1963, the songs When You Need a Laugh and He Called Me Baby in 1964 and song Anytime in year 1969.

Patsy had inspired many country singers, such as Loretta Lynn, Reby McEntir, Sylvie. Loretta Lynn did homage to Patsy by her album I Remember Patsy in 1977.

In 1973 Patsy was elected to The Country Music Hall of Fame. In 1985 there was produced the movie about her life, named Sweet Dreams: The Life and Times of Patsy Cline by HBO/Tri Star Pictures.

Discography:
During her live were released these albums:
1957 Patsy Cline
1961 Patsy Cline Showcase
1962 Sentimentally Yours

Charted singles:

• 1957 Walkin' After Midnight
  
• 1957 A Poor Man's Roses (Or a Rich Man's Gold)
  
• 1959 Cry Not for Me
  
• 1959 I Fall to Pieces
  
• 1961 Crazy
  
• 1962 Who Can I Count on
  
• 1962 She's Got You
  
• 1962 Strange
  
• 1962 When I Get Thru' With You
  
• 1962 Imagine That
  
• 1962 So Wrong
  
• 1962 You're Stronger Than Me
  
• 1962 Heartaches
  
• 1962 Why Can't He Be You
  
• 1963 Leavin' On Your Mind
  
• 1963 Sweet Dreams (Of You)
  
• 1963 Faded Love
  
• 1963 When You Need a Laugh
  
• 1964 He Called Me Baby
  
• 1968 Anytime
  
• 1980 Always
  
• 1980 I Fall to Pieces
  
• 1981 Have You Ever Been Lonely" (w/ Jim Reeves) 5
  
• 1982 I Fall to Pieces" (w/ Jim Reeves) 54
  
• 1999 There He Goes
  

A Tribute


Remembering Patsy Cline


How Can I Face Tomorrow


I've Loved and Lost Again


A Bottle Of Wine and Patsy Cline


Pick Me Up On Your Way Down

Heavenly sound from the Grand Ole Opry II - Patsy Cline

In Decca Records Patsy started to cooperate with famous director Owen Bradley, who was responsible for success also other country singers - Loretta Lynn and Brenda Lee.

The most successful record in Decca was ballad I Fall To Pieces. The song had in the top of two charts - country and pop. It could tell you, it was also the most famous song of Patsy Cline. It was written by Hank Cochran and Harlan Howard. The other famous songs were Crazy, Who Can O Count On?, She Got You, Strange and When I Get Through With You.

The dream of Patsy was to sing in Grand Ole Opry, and this dream came the true in 1961. Patsy Cline became the greatest star of it.

Patsy befriended with many women, with came to Grand Ole Opry and help them with their carriers, such as Loretta Lynn, Brenda Lee, Dottie West, Barbara Mandrell, Jan Howard, Roger Miller, Hank Cochran, Faron Young, Ferlin Husky, Harlan Howard, and Carl Perkins.

Honky tonk pianist, Opry star and Patsy's friend Del Wood said of her:

"Even when she didn't have it, she'd spend it — and not always on herself. She'd give anyone the skirt off her backside if they needed it."

and singer George Riddle said of her:

"It wasn't unusual for her to sit down and have a beer and tell a joke. She'd never be offended at the guys' jokes, because most of the time she'd tell a joke better than you! Patsy was full of life, as I remember"

The year 1961 wasn't only happy of her. She had very dangerous car accident (the second) in Nashville and she was near of death. She spent on month in hospital. She received many greetings and flowers from her fans. After leaving the hospital, she had many marks of accident in her face. But she didn't lose fans.
The friend Loretta Lynn sang Patsy Cline's hit Crazy and got standing ovations. This song was during the Top 10 in three different charts (Hot Country Songs list - No. 2, the US Hot 100 list - No. 9, the Adult Contemporary list - also No. 2).

Patsy Cline was the pioneer in record industry, who showed the female could surpass the men in record sale and tickets of concerts. She opened the door for the other singers such as Lynn Anderson, Crystal Gayle, Reba McEntire, Faith Hill, LeAnn Rimes, Shania Twain and Carrie Underwood.

I Fall To Pieces


Crazy


Three Cigarettes

Heavenly sound from the Grand Ole Opry I - Patsy Cline

She was famous but also maximum schlemiel.

I'd like to introduce Patsy Cline, American country music singer, She was born in September 8, 1932, in Winchester in state Virginia as Virginia Patterson Hensley.

Her career started very early. As 4 years old girl, she won amateurish tap-dancing competition. Later she started to learn to play on piano and to sing in church with her mother. Patsy as small girl decided to be famous singer.

She went to radio and asked to sing in radio show there. DJ Jimmy McCoy agreed and new talent was on the world. Her ascent wasn't finished, it was only beginning. In 1948 she won trip to Nashville, where Patsy presented herself in some clubs. After that, she returned home.

In 1953 she married with Gerald Cline. This marriage was short, only 4 years. The second man in her life was Bill Peer, who gave her name Patsy. But he wasn't her husband. It was Charlie Dick.

Patsy became on Connie B. Gay's Town and Country television show and also had appearances in Grand Ole Opry.

In 1955 she singed the contract with Four Star Records and recorded song A Church, A Courtroom & Then Good-Bye. During years 1955 and 1957 she released more materials in honky tonk style, but without big success. The Record's producer had insisted Patsy would record in country style and during contract with Four Star Records she released 51 songs.

Great moment of Patsy's career came in 1957. She met Charlie Dick , the love of her life. And also she won talent competition - Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scout and was invited to show again. She sang song Walkin' After Midnight, which became hit in country and also pop charts. This song was also in her the first album Patsy Cline. The song was written by Don Hecht and Alan Block and she didn't like it. But the song had success and she decided to recorded it as single.

In 1958 Patsy and Charlie moved to Nashville in Tennessee (after the birth of the third child - daughter Julie).

In 1960 the contract with Four Star Records finished and she decided to sing new with Decca Records-Nashville. She also started cooperation with Randy Hughes, who became her manager. Her career started to grow up to the top.

Walkin' After Midnight


A Poor Man's Roses (Or a Rich Man's Gold


San Antonio Rose

Party Cake

     Country and folk doesn't mean only music. It's also clothing and cooking. Yes, you read it right. Cooking. Oh, don't switch off. It doesn't mean, that now I will write only about cooking. Please, excuse me.
     Ok, keep your caps, we start. And what will we cook? What do you say something sweet: Cake is perfect choice. I like to cook cake. It doesn't mean I like to eat that. No, I like to cook it. And it isn't bad, just vice-versa, it's tasty.
     Right, right. I'm going to start.

Nut cake (for Richard's birthday in this year) :

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs white
• 20 decagrams sugar
• 20 decagrams assorted flour
• ½ baking powder
• 1 spoon of hot water
• 1 vanilla sugar
• snow from eggs white
• salt
• 2 spoons cocoa (I use it, but it isn't necessary)

Procedure:
     Mix eggs white with sugar, add hot water. All substance will be puffy. I use mixer and during mix I prepare other ingredients – flour (I prefer 10 decagramme of smooth flour and 10 decagram wholemeal), add baking.powder and cocoa.
     I mix it separate and than I add it to eggs white with sugar. Don't forget it. In the end, mix cold eggs white with a bit salt and add to other ingredients. My advice: Use so many spoons of cold water like many eggs white.
     I bake it on 180 degree of Celsius 45 minutes.

Stuffing cake (it's your decision – I prepared nut stuff.)

Ingredients:

• 12 decagrams of nuts
• 10 decagrams powdery sugar
• 1 deciliter of hot milk
• 1 spoon of rum
• 1 vanilla sugar
• 18 decagrams of butter

Procedure:

     Grind nuts with sugar, add hot milk and vanilla sugar, mix together. If you'll prepare it for adults, use rum(only few spoons). In this case, forget milk. Or brandy, whisky or other alcohol drink. It will be stronger. :o))
     I prepared it for children, that's why I leave alcohol and .I used more milk. In the end add butter and mix and mix and mix.

     I hope I don't need to explain how to put this stuff in the cake. Ok, OK, I explain it. Cut the cake on horisoltal line. Put the stuff on the cake and decorate it by nut and chocolate.

     And voilá, cake is in the world. And it's delicious, believe me.

Johnny Cash III.

     As many singers, also Johnny sang duets with famous singers and met many famous persons in his branch. I can tell you only some of them: June Carter (later became his wife), Bob Dylan, Luis Armstrong, Neil Young, James Taylor, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins etc.

     And how he got his nick "The Man in Black"? It was about year 1970. In that time he had created this image. He started to wear all only in black. Long knee length coat, also in black. In the next year he wrote song „Man in Black“ as explaining this suite.

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Jackson with June Carter


Blue Yodel No. 9 with Luis Armstrong


Girl From the North Country with Bob Dylan

Johnny Cash II.

Johnny is dead, but in our memory is still alive. Not only in CD albums, but also in many books and DVD.

     Every year you can find some new re-edition of his famous songs. In 2007 it was Johnny Cash: The Great Lost Performances. There are two duets with his wife June Carter Cash and some records form his live concert in 1990. This album is already 16th after his death. And not last. His album "American V" from 2006 was in July 2007 on the top of hit-parade Billboard 200.

In this year he won Grammy:
The best short music video
"God's Gonna Cut You Down",Johnny Cash
Tony Kaye, direction; Rachel Curl, production

     In January 2008 there had to be concert as annual memory (40 years) of famous Johnny Cash shows in Folsom State Prison in California. But it wasn't.
Prison officers stopped organisation, after problems with media license and trade mark.
(In January 1968 Johnny Cash sang in prison coffee-bar and from this shows came very famous album. His concerts in prisons during 60-teeth became legendary. Every shows he open with words: "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash." )
His last albums are classed to alternative country.

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Folsom Prison Blues


Bonanza & Five Feet High and Rising


I Walk the Line

Man in Black - Johnny Cash

My first blog I’d like to wish to famous singer. MAN IN BLACK. You know him. His name is Johnny Cash.

He was born in Kingsland, Arkansas in February 26, 1932. After his study, in 1950, he went through many jobs with low salary. In July, the same year, he came in US Army and with army he went to Germany. During this time he learnt to play on guitar and composed first songs.

In 1954 he got married to Vivian Liberty and started to live in Memphis. He worked as seller. Here he met Luther Perkins and Marshall Grant. They played in KWEM radio without salary. Their first single Hey Porter/Cry, Cry, Cry has huge success. Their name was Johnny Cash and The Tennessee Two. Next famous single with Cash original song Folsom Prison Blues hasn’t lower success and bring engagement contract in KWKH radio.

In same time he started with his tour. His songs were on the top of country hit parade. Group changes the name to The Tennessee Three. You could see Johnny Cash also in movies (the first was Five Minutes To Live - 1958).

Many concerts, a lot of work, and high speed of live – this everything had brought him stress and he started with pills. From 1961 they cooperated with June Carter, and played in Carnegie Hall. In 1964 he met Bob Dylan. They played together on folk festival in Newport. This moment was very important in his live. Unfortunately he became addictive to pills and he was many times in the prison for drugs. His carrier grown up, but his health was bad and his private life was in zero degree. In 1966 he divorced with Vivian Cash. Some times he spent on clinic and took to the therapy.

His next matrimony with June Carter was very successful in private and also in work life. From 60-tieth he got many appreciations. The movie critics wrote about his successful role of old gunman in The Gunfight (1970). From 70-tieth he inclined to religion. He visited Israel and made the movie about life there.

During his life he sold over 90 million albums. From 1980 he is in Country Music Hall Of Fame. His life finished in September 12, 2003 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Nobody forget his greatest songs I Walk the Line, Folsom Prison Blues, Rock Island Line, Ring of Fire, Man in Black, One Piece at a Time, Dirty Old Egg-Sucking Dog, Get Rhythm, Orange Blossom Special etc.

Songs of Johnny Cash were and are still famous. That’s why you can find many versions in other languages.

For example in Czech, you can find 4 different singers with their version of Folsom Prison Blues or Orange Blossom Special.

Also many tramps (boys and girls during summer nights sit near campfire) play on guitar own versions of these songs. Many of them don’t know original, they don’t know, who composed and sang it, but they like it.