Radio Promo Veteran Buddy King Dies at 79

/by

Buddy King. Photo: Courtesy Alan Young Promotions

Radio promotion veteran Buddy King of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, passed away Friday, Aug. 21. He was 79.

King’s career in the industry spanned over six decades. He began as a radio DJ and later became a program director, before transitioning into radio promotion. He had recently promoted singles for Bobby Wills, Rachael Turner and CJ Solar, and worked with Alan Young as part of the team that took Solar’s “Airplane” and “American Girls” to No. 15 and “Coming My Way” to Top 10 on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio chart. The unique industry veteran didn’t own a cell phone or computer, choosing to work the old school way with pen, paper, and his home phone over modern technology.

Singer-Songwriter Justin Townes Earle Dies At 38

/by

Justin Townes Earle. Photo: Joshua Black Wilkins

Americana music star Justin Townes Earle died yesterday (Aug. 23) at age 38.

Earle was a singer, songwriter, recording artist and producer who released eight albums and won awards from the Americana Music Association. He was the son of celebrated singer-songwriter Steve Earle and the nephew of critically acclaimed Nashville tunesmith Stacy Earle.

Born in Nashville in 1982, Justin Townes Earle was raised by his mother, Carol Ann Hunter. He began performing in local clubs as a teenager, including weekly gigs at Springwater. He also played in the rock band The Distributors and in an acoustic group called The Swindlers.

He joined his father’s road band The Dukes when he was 20. He can be heard on Steve Earle’s 2003 live album Just an American Boy.

But both father and son agreed that Justin should chart his own course as an artist and not be tied to his father’s stardom.

Justin Townes Earle issued an EP titled Yuma in 2007 and his first full-length album, The Good Life, in 2008. His style at the time was low-key and poetic, with a bluesy tinge. His second CD, 2009’s Midnight at the Movies, led to his being named Emerging Artist of the Year at the 2010 Americana Music Awards. The record was nominated as Album of the Year and he also received an Artist of the Year AMA nomination.

He came into his own as an artist with 2010’s Harlem River Blues. More fully produced with R&B influences than his earlier efforts, the record made him an Americana star. Its title tune was named Song of the Year at the AMA’s 2011 awards show, where Justin Townes Earle was also again nominated as Artist of the Year.

He performed “Harlem River Blues” on Late Night with David Letterman with Jason Isbell backing him on guitar. The singer-songwriter also appeared at Bonnaroo, MerleFest and the Grand Ole Opry.

In 2012, he produced Unfinished Business, an album by rockabilly legend Wanda Jackson. He wrote one of its songs and sang a duet with her on the collection.

Like his father, Justin Townes Earle experienced periodic setbacks due to substance-abuse issues. But his disc output continued steadily with 2012’s Nothing’s Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now, 2014’s Single Mothers, 2015’s Absent Fathers and 2017’s Kids in the Street.

In 2017, he toured with the acclaimed Canadian group The Sadies serving as his opening act and backing band.

Justin Townes Earle turned a promising artistic corner with his 2019 album The Saint of Lost Causes. Its character-driven songs touched on social issues and brought new depth to his rootsy style. He toured in support of the record until the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in March.

Justin Townes Earle married his wife Jean Marie in 2013. They became parents to daughter Etta in 2017.

No cause of death has been announced. Funeral arrangements are also unknown at press time.

Americana Music Association’s Harriette Dew Dies

/by

Harriette Dew

Harriette Dew, the Americana Music Association’s accounting manager, passed away suddenly on Sunday, Aug. 16, after a battle with cancer.

Dew, a passionate music fan, was drawn to the Americana community back in 2013. She volunteered for several years before being hired for a staff position in 2017. Dew was the mother of AMA festival producer and marketing director Sarah Comardelle and her brother Alex Dew, who volunteers every year and helps build the AMERICANAFEST app.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Nashville Children’s Theatre or the Americana Music Association Foundation (AMAF).

Bluegrass Star Steve Gulley Dies

/by

Steve Gulley. Photo: Courtesy Mountain Home

Award-winning bluegrass guitarist, songwriter and tenor vocalist Steve Gulley died on Tuesday (Aug. 18). He was 57.

Noted for his work at Kentucky’s Renfro Valley Barn Dance and in the groups Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Mountain Heart, Grasstowne and his own band Steve Gulley & New Pinnacle, the East Tennessee artist was widely liked and admired in the bluegrass community.

Gulley’s death at age 57 came less than a month after he was diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas.

He was a native of Cumberland Gap, Tennessee. His father was a country DJ and a member of The Pinnacle Mountain Boys bluegrass ensemble. Gulley initially rose to prominence as a cast member at the Renfro Valley Barn Dance.

He joined the award-winning Quicksilver in 1994. Gulley and fellow Quicksilver bandmembers Jim VanCleve (fiddle) and Barry Abernathy (banjo) formed the basis of Mountain Heart in 1996. The group recorded five albums over the next five years.

Dobro IBMA award winner Phil Leadbetter and acclaimed mandolinist Alan Bibey joined Gulley in forming Grasstowne in 2006. He recorded three albums with the group before leaving it to continue under Bibey’s leadership.

Gulley recorded his solo Sounds Like Home CD in 2006. Next came a 2010 duo album with Tim Stafford titled Dogwood Winter.

He formed Steve Gulley & New Pinnacle in 2014. The group’s disc, Aim High, led to a 2016 IBMA nomination as Emerging Artist of the Year. Other albums have included Time Won’t Wait, Steve Gulley & New Pinnacle, High Peaks and New Ground and Family, Friends & Fellowship.

Steve Gulley was well regarded as a bluegrass songwriter. His works have been recorded by Kenny & Amanda Smith, Blue Highway and Lawson, among others. His “Through the Window of a Train” was named the IBMA’s Song of the Year in 2008.

His cowriter on that song was Tim Stafford. Prior to his death, the two had recorded a second duo album sadly titled Still Here. This has not been released.
During his career, Steve Gulley appeared more than 90 times on the Grand Ole Opry.

In addition to his performing, recording and songwriting activities, Gulley worked as a DJ on WDVX in Knoxville. He was the co-owner of the Curve recording studio.

He is survived by wife Debbie, son Brad and daughters Lyndsey Hunley, Alyson Robinson, Kim Beers and Amber Doss, as well as by 10 grandchildren, his parents Don and Linda Gulley, sister Kristi Laws and his beloved dog Rip.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Steve Gulley’s home church Summey’s Bridge Missionary Baptist Church in his memory. The address is Summey’s Bridge Missionary Baptist Church, 200 Providence Road, Cumberland Gap, TN 37724.

The family will receive friends Sunday, Aug. 23, 2020 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. with funeral services to follow at 6 p.m. in the Claiborne ~ Overholt Funeral Home Chapel, 1106 HWY 33 South, New Tazewell, TN 37825. Private graveside services will be conducted in the Kibert Cemetery. All in attendance are required to wear a face mask for the protection of everyone in attendance.

Songwriter/Music Producer Edward "Felix" McTeigue Dies At 48

/by

Felix McTeigue

Edward “Felix” McTeigue, a Grammy-nominated songwriter and music producer with chart-topping hits that include Florida Georgia Line’s “Anything Goes” and Lori McKenna’s “Wreck You,” died July 24 after complications from surgery. He was 48 years old.

“He had an extraordinary ability to harness magic in the room that no one else could see,” McKenna said. They collaborated on many songs, including “Wreck You,” which McKenna included on her Grammy nominated album, The Bird & The Rifle. The song was also nominated for a Grammy and Americana Music Award.

“We always wrote great songs together,” offered fellow collaborator Chris Tompkins. “The first time we met, we were instant friends. I’m so thankful for the good times we had and the beautiful songs.” McTeigue, Tompkins and Craig Wiseman wrote FGL’s No. 1 hit “Anything Goes.” McTeigue and Tompkins also wrote Canadian country singer Dallas Smith’s chart-topping single, “Jumped Right In,” title track for the Juno nominated Gold-certified album and Platinum-certified EP.

New Jersey native McTeigue grew up with parents Joan and Frank McTeigue. He was already showing an interest in songwriting when he discovered that his birth mother was Maggie Roche of folk band the Roches. He met wife Liz Lynch at a folk rock adaptation of the Odyssey at The Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture. They have two children.

He spent time in the New York City music scene, and released albums Felix McTeigue, Radio Perfecto, and The New Deal (under the moniker FDR) which attracted champions in the music industry. After the birth of his children, he transitioned to become a sought-after songwriter and producer. As a producer, he recorded more than 30 albums. Kobalt Music Publishing represents hundreds of his songs, several dozen of which were in various phases of production at the time of his death.

McTeigue is survived by his wife Elizabeth Lynch, his children Nora and William, his mother Joan, sister Alvina and her family, and brother Frank.
In honor of his life, a GoFundMe page has been set up both to support his children and to create a Scholarship Fund to provide educational opportunities in music, for youths of all backgrounds.

Former BMI Exec Tom Annastas Dies

/by


Tom Annastas, who served for 39 years as an executive at BMI, died Thursday, Aug. 13.

Tom was born on Feb. 11, 1953 in New York, NY. He eventually moved to West New York, NJ where he attended Memorial High School and met the love of his life, Alice DeGregorio. Tom graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University. After he graduated, he and Alice married in 1973.

That same year, he joined BMI as Operations Manager in Broadcast Licensing, and was promoted to Vice President, General Licensing in 1986. Two years later he became Vice President, General Licensing. He retired in 2012.

During his tenure at BMI, Annastas was responsible for several innovations in the Licensing department, including the use of direct mail and telemarketing techniques to broaden the company’s customer base. He held a Bachelor of Science degree from Farleigh Dickenson University. He served on the board of the TJ Martell Foundation, where he was active with Country in the Rockies, the Best Cellars event and Honors Gala. He also served on the boards of Vanderbilt Ingram-Cancer Center and the BMI Foundation.

He was a member of Leadership Music’s Class of 2008.

He is preceded in death by his Wife Alice, Father George, and Mother Bertha Annastas. He is survived by his two sons Thomas Annastas Jr. (Becki); Paul Annastas (Karianne); grandson Mattox Annastas; granddaughters Maia Annastas, Sophia Rose Annastas and Willow Annastas; and sister Patricia Joan Annastas Gaeta (Anthony).

A celebration of life is planned (pandemic permitting) is planned for Feb. 11, 2021. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be sent to The American Heart Association:

In Memory of Thomas George Annastas.
American Heart Association/ American Stroke Association
PO Box 840692
Dallas, TX 75284-0692

WAKG Music Director Alan Rowe Dies At 66

/by

WAKG music director and MusicRow radio reporter Alan Rowe died Thursday, July 23, at age 66, following a brief battle with cancer.

Rowe spent part of his career at WDVA and WYPR before joining Danville, Virginia’s WAKG in 1992. He started as the station’s Music Director and nighttime air time personality, then moved into middays where he entertained the “at work” crowd for over 25 years.

Over the past two years, he also became a presence at WAKG sister station WBTM. An avid supporter of music, Rowe was also a bass player himself and performed in local bands including The Flaming Blue Iguanas, KICKS, and ZMAX.

A Memorial Service is planned for Thursday, Aug. 13 at Norris Funeral Home, Mt. Hermon Chapel, in Danville, Virginia.

WAKG Music Director Alan Rowe. Photo: WAKG

Country Radio Legend Bill Mack Dies At 91

/by


The voice of the long-haul trucking industry and a Grammy-winning songwriter, Bill Mack was one of the greats of classic country music.

The longtime national broadcast personality passed away at age 91 on Friday (July 31). Mack was elected to the Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame in 1982, to the Texas Music Hall of Fame in 1995 and to the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999.

He was famed for his all-night broadcasts from Ft. Worth, Texas over WBAP. “The Bill Mack Trucking Show” began in 1969 and continued for more than three decades with its creative programming that featured a diverse musical mix, a wide variety of guests, trucker call-ins and information for long-haul drivers about weather and road conditions.

Mack was a native Texan, born Bill Mack Smith in Shamrock on June 4, 1929. He played guitar and harmonica and formed a band while at Shamrock High School. He began his radio career in the late 1940s as a college student at West Texas State College. He worked at stations in Amarillo, San Antonio and Wichita Falls before arriving in Ft. Worth.

His dulcet speaking voice carried over into a strong singing talent. He signed with Imperial Records in 1951 and recorded such proto-rockabilly numbers as “Sue-Suzie Boogie” and “Play My Boogie.”

On Starday Records, he recorded such rockabilly classics as “Kitty Cat” and “The Cat Just Got Into Town” later in the 1950s.

He subsequently recorded for United Artists, Hickory, MGM, Phillips and other labels. His most successful single was “Ladonna” on Hickory.

But he had more success as a songwriter than he did as a recording artist. Mack’s jazzy “Drinking Champagne” became a big hit for Cal Smith in 1968. The song was revived by George Strait and again became a smash in 1990.

The songwriter’s other major copyright is “Blue.” Originally recorded by Mack in 1959, he intended to pitch it to Patsy Cline, but never did. Following her 1963 death, the song lay fallow for decades until a teenaged LeAnn Rimes launched her career with it in 1996.

It earned Bill Mack a Best Country Song Grammy Award. “Blue” was also named Song of the Year by the Academy of Country Music.

His songs have also been recorded by George Jones, Ray Price, Jerry Lee Lewis, Dean Martin, Waylon Jennings, Boxcar Willie, Hank Thompson, Don Gibson, Jim Ed Brown, Johnny Cash and more.

His gospel tune “Clinging to a Saving Hand” has been recorded by Rimes, Connie Smith, Conway Twitty, Bill Monroe, The Chuck Wagon Gang, George Hamilton IV, John Conlee, Dale Ann Bradley and others.

Mack’s overnight trucking show was variously titled “The Bill Mack Trucking Show,” “The Midnight Cowboy Trucking Show,” “The U.S. 1 Trucking Show,” “Open Road” and “The Country Roads Show.” WBAP’s clear-channel signal meant that the broadcaster could be heard in most of the continental United States.

He left WBAP to launch a similar program on Sirius/XM satellite radio in 2001. He remained there until 2011, then returned to terrestrial radio on KSNZ in his hometown, Shamrock, Texas.

In addition to his trucking show, Bill Mack was the host of the nationally syndicated “Country Crossroads.” This gospel-oriented series was launched in 1969 and aired on more than 800 stations at its peak. He also hosted the syndicated “Overtime Top Ten Countdown” show.

In addition, Bill Mack was a television emcee. He hosted such syndicated series as The Buck Owens Show, The Bob Wills Show and Cowtown Jamboree. His radio show was translated into the cable TV series Country Crossroads.

He published an autobiography in 1971 titled Spins and Needles.

His death was due to complications resulting from the COVID-19 virus, with underlying conditions. His wife Cynthia (“Sweet Cindy”) was frequently his collaborator on the air, particularly in later years. She survives him, as do his children Debbie, Misty Dawn, Billy Mack Smith III and Sunday Renee, as well as several grandchildren.

Publisher/Producer John E. Denny Dies

/by


Longtime Music Row business figure John E. Denny died Tuesday (July 21) at age 79. He had been battling diabetes and Alzheimer’s Disease for years.

Born John Everett Denny, he was the son of Country Music Hall of Fame member Jim Denny (1911-1963).

Opry manager Jim Denny founded Cedarwood Music with Webb Pierce in 1953. Along with Acuff-Rose and Tree, this was one of the cornerstones of the Nashville song publishing business.

When Jim Denny died, sons Bill Denny and John Denny assumed control of Cedarwood. John was Cedarwood’s vice president. The company was sold to Mel Tillis in 1983.

John Denny wrote several songs for the Cedarwood catalog, including the novelty numbers “All I Want for Christmas Is a Go-Go Girl,” “Jesus Took the Outlaw Out of Me” and “What’s Tootsie Gonna Do When They Tear the Ryman Down.”

One of the firm’s spin-offs was the Dollie Records label. John Denny produced Dollie singles for Carl Perkins, including “Country Boy’s Dream” and “Shine, Shine, Shine” which charted in 1966-67. He also produced Diana Duke and others for Dollie. The label’s acts included Johnny Wiggins, Marti Brown, Gene Wyatt and Johnnie Bailes.

In 1965, he formed his own Denny Music Group. The publishing arm, John E. Denny Music registered 422 titles with BMI. Most of its songs were recorded by independent country artists.

He had his own recording studio, Denny’s Den.

He also founded JED Records (named for his initials). The label released singles by Kent Westbury, Bobby Sykes, Scotty Stoneman, Rusty Adams, Chris Gantry, Jimmy Smart, Max D. Barnes, Ruthie Steele, Audie Ashworth and more before folding around 1980.

John E. Denny received the Lifetime Achievement award from R.O.P.E. (Reunion of Professional Entertainers) in 2004. He was one of the organization’s founders.

He is survived by his wife Pandora, son James Rae Denny II, sister Linda Gayle, brother J. William, a grandson and a granddaughter.

There will be a private family gravesite service on Thursday (July 30) at Mount Olivet Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made in John’s name to the Country Music Hall of Fame or to the charity of your choice.

Singer-Songwriter Craig Martin Laid To Rest

/by


Country songwriter Craig Matthew Martin Sr. died suddenly this month at age 52.

The vocalist and hit tunesmith passed away on July 3 and was buried in his native West Virginia on July 11. Martin is best known for co-writing the Tim McGraw hit “Don’t Take the Girl.”

By coincidence, his cowriter on that song, Larry Johnson, died exactly three weeks before Martin did. In 1994, “Don’t Take the Girl” became the breakthrough No. 1 hit for McGraw. It sold two million copies and earned its writers a BMI Award.

Craig Martin was born in Wheeling, West Virginia. He formed a successful regional band at age 15. Following high school, he worked as a correctional officer. He moved to Nashville in 1991 and was signed as a recording artist for Mercury/PolyGram in 1992-94.

Believing in his warm, baritone singing voice, but evidently not his songwriting, the label rejected “Don’t Take the Girl.” As a result, Martin took to song to McGraw.

Craig Matthew Martin Sr. spent much of his time in Nashville billed as “Craig J. Martin.” He was a staff writer at Dennis Morgan Music and co-wrote with such top names as Morgan, Hank Cochran, Billy Don Burns, Marty Haggard and Kent Blazy.

He wrote songs for George Jones, Southern Comfort, Creed Fisher, Rod Stewart, Gerald Smith, The Backstreet Boys and Coly Preston. Clinton Gregory recorded several Martin songs, including the music-video fan favorite “She Did.” Western Flyer scored a Top 40 country hit with his “What Will You Do with M-E” in 1996.

He also continued to record, himself, notably releasing the singles “I Have a Dream,” “Let Him Walk You Home” and “I’m a Kid in Trouble.” He performed at such local venues as Nashville Shores, The Listening Room Cafe and the Maxwell House Hotel. He also worked as a Lyft driver.

Craig Martin died of a sudden “cardiac event,” according to his son, Keith. The family established a GoFundMe account to pay for his funeral expenses, and the effort achieved its financial goal within a week of his death.

Surviving are his five children, Amanda, Craig Jr., Keith, Sami and Scarlett, plus two sisters, two brothers and six grandchildren. Arrangements were handled by Altmeyer Funeral Home in McMichen, West Virginia, and he was buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Wheeling.