LifeNotes: Lura Bird Bainbridge Brothers

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Lura Bird Bainbridge Brothers

Lura Bird Bainbridge Brothers


Music Row realtor Lura Bird Bainbridge Brothers died on Thursday, May 2.
Brothers attended Graham Eckes School in Palm Beach, Fla. before graduating from University School in Nashville. Prior to entering into the real estate business, Brothers worked at Clement Recording Studio and Monument Records. After working with Dobson & Johnson for six years, she formed her own company, Lura Bainbridge Real Estate, in 1985. She was a member of the National Association of Realtors, the Tennessee Association of Realtors and the Country Music Association. She quickly became a well-known figure in Nashville business.
Known as the real estate agent to the stars, she worked with artists including Kenny Rogers, Alan Jackson, Clint Black, John Fogerty, Tanya Tucker, Randy Travis, Garth Brooks, J.D. Souther, Rosanne Cash and Rodney Crowell. She was among the first real estate agents to recognize the land value of Music Row and handled many transactions involving Music Row real estate.
The family will hold a memorial service on Thursday, May 9, 2013 at Belmont Church (68 Music Square East). Visitation begins at 1 p.m. with a service to follow at 2 p.m. Contributions may be made to Caleb Company; Word of Faith Christian Center; Sarah Cannon Fund; the Nashville Union Rescue Mission; or the charity of your choice.
Brothers is survived by her husband, Judge Thomas W. Brothers; son, Thomas Bainbridge; her two granddaughters, Peyton and Grace; sisters, Annie Bird Cansler, Linda Bird Laughter and Catherine Bird. She was preceded in death by her parents and brother, Bobby. Honorary Pallbearers are Jean Ann and Mike McNally and the Music Row Bible study group, Dane Bryant, Colonel Silas Purvis, Rose Drake, Rick Sanjek, Sandy and Tom White, Harris Gilbert, Beverly Keel, Dr. John Brothers and Martha Woods.
A full obituary is available here.
 

Instrumentalist and Artist Tim Hensley Dies

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timAccording to The Tennessean, multi-instrumentalist and recording artist Tim Hensley died today (April 30) at age 50. Hensley was a member of Kenny Chesney‘s touring band and studio musician team for 11 years. He suffered from liver failure.
Hensley released one solo album, Long Monday, in 2008. Chesney and Buddy Cannon produced the project containing a mixture of bluegrass and Americana songs and it became a Top 10 album on the bluegrass charts.
Prior to his work with Chesney, Hensley toured with Patty Loveless for a decade and also worked with Ricky Skaggs.
 

GEORGE JONES DEAD AT 81

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georgejonesCountry Music Hall of Famer, Grand Ole Opry member, and Kennedy Center Honoree George Glenn Jones died Friday, April 26, 2013 at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. He was hospitalized April 18 with fever and irregular blood pressure.
[MusicRow gathers reflections and reactions from artists and the Country Music industry]
 
Born September 12, 1931, Jones is regarded among the most important and influential singers in American popular music history. He was the singer of enduring country music hits including “She Thinks I Still Care,” “The Grand Tour,” “Walk Through This World With Me,” “Tender Years” and “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” the latter of which is often at the top of industry lists of the greatest country music singles of all time.
“A singer who can soar from a deep growl to dizzying heights, he is the undisputed successor of earlier natural geniuses such as Hank Williams and Lefty Frizzell,” wrote Bob Allen in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s “Encyclopedia of Country Music.”
Jones was born in Saratoga, Texas, and he played on the streets of Beaumont for tips as a teenager. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps before returning to Texas and recording for the Starday label in Houston, Texas. In 1955, his “Why Baby Why” became his first Top 10 country single, peaking at number four and beginning a remarkable commercial string: Jones would ultimately record more than 160 charting singles, more than any other artist in any format in the history of popular music.
Jones’ first number one hit came in 1959 with “White Lightning,” a Mercury Records single that topped Billboard country charts for five weeks. He moved on to United Artists and then to Musicor, notching hits including “She Thinks I Still Care,” “The Race Is On,” “A Good Year for the Roses” and “Walk Through This World With Me.”
Jones signed with Epic Records in 1971 and worked with producer Billy Sherrill to craft a sound at once elegant and rooted, scoring with “The Grand Tour,” “Bartenders Blues” and many more. Sherrill also produced duets between Jones and his then-wife Tammy Wynette, and in the 1970s they scored top-charting hits including “We’re Gonna Hold On,” “Golden Ring” and “Near You.”
By the time “Golden Ring” and “Near You” hit in 1976, Jones and Wynette were divorced, and Jones was battling personal demons. His solo career cooled until 1980, when he recorded “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” a ballad penned by Curly Putman and Bobby Braddock that helped Jones win Country Music Association prizes for best male vocal and top single. “He Stopped Loving Her Today” revived a flagging career, and Jones won the CMA’s top male vocalist award in 1980 and 1981. He also earned a Grammy for best male country vocal performance.
In 1983, Jones married the former Nancy Ford Sepulvado. The union, he repeatedly said, began his rehabilitation from drugs and alcohol and prolonged his life. He signed with MCA Records in 1990 and began a successful run, and he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1992. His guest vocal on Patty Loveless’ “You Don’t Seem To Miss Me” won a CMA award for top vocal event in 1998, and it became his final Top 20 country hit.
In 1999, Jones nearly died in a car wreck, but he recovered and resumed touring and recording. He remained a force in music until his death, playing hundreds of shows in the new century and collecting the nation’s highest arts award, the Kennedy Center Honor for lifetime achievement, in 2008. In late 2012, Jones announced his farewell tour, which was to conclude with a sold-out, star-packed show at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on November 22, 2013. Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks, Randy Travis, Charlie Daniels, Kenny Rogers, Sam Moore, The Oak Ridge Boys and many others were set to perform at Jones’ Bridgestone show.
Jones is survived by his loving wife of 30 years Nancy Jones, his sister Helen Scroggins, and by his children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Canada's Rita MacNeil Passes

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Rita MacNeil


Beloved Canadian country-folk singer and songwriter Rita MacNeil will be buried in her hometown on Cape Breton Island on Monday. She died at age 68 on Tuesday evening (April 16) as a result of complications from surgery.
During her career, she recorded 24 albums, had more than a dozen hits, starred in a national television series, earned three Juno Awards and was named a member of the Order of Canada. MacNeil was voted Entertainer of the Year at the Canadian Country Music Association Awards in 1991 and 1992.
Her biggest songs included 1987’s “Flying on Your Own,” which Anne Murray released as a U.S. single in 1988, and “Working Man,” which reached No. 11 on the British pop charts. MacNeil’s Canadian country hits also included “Leave Her Memory” (1987), “I’ll Accept the Rose” (1988), “Reason to Believe” (1988), “What Do I Think of You Today” (1990) and “Watch Love Grow Strong” (1991).
Between 1987 and 1994 she recorded eight albums that were Platinum-plus sellers north of the border. In 1990, she was Canada’s top selling country artist, outselling even Garth Brooks. The Canadian icon was also popular in Australia.
Her stardom was unconventional in several respects. MacNeil was short and heavyset with a cleft palate, in sharp contrast to the standards of beauty that are the norm in the music world. She was also extremely shy. In addition, she did not achieve wide popularity until she was well past the age of 40.
Nonetheless, she was adored by her fellow Canadians. Her Rita and Friends TV variety series was a staple on the CBC network from 1994 through 1997. It was watched by more than two million people a week. Her annual homespun Christmas variety telecasts were also very popular.
She published On a Personal Note as her memoir in 1998. In 2000, a biographical musical play based on her life was staged. It was titled Flying On Her Own.
MacNeil’s funeral will be held in the tiny village of Big Pond, Nova Scotia, at St. Mary’s Parish Church on Monday afternoon (April 22). She is survived by son Wade, daughter Laura, several grandchildren and a large extended family.

Country Artist Jim Seal Passes

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Jim Seal


Country artist Jim Seal passed away April 17 at his home in Nashville. He was 68.
Seal performed most of his early career in the Los Angeles area, and began recording in Nashville in the late 1970s, earning the Billboard chart hit “Bourbon Cowboy” in 1980.
In 1994, Jim was an independent A&R consultant for BNA Records, and later played a role in bringing California artist Gary Allan to Nashville producer/songwriter Byron Hill. Jim is survived by his wife Keven, and son Marc Seal.
Service arrangements have not yet been announced.

Gospel Great George Beverly Shea Passes

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George Beverly Shea


Gospel Music Hall of Fame member George Beverly Shea has died at the age of 104.
Known as “America’s beloved gospel singer” and/or “the first international singing star of the gospel world,” Shea passed away on Tuesday, April 16, in Asheville, N.C. For decades, he was the vocalist of the Billy Graham Crusades. This made him arguably the most widely heard gospel performer of all time. It is estimated that Shea has sung in front of more than 200 million people. He is notable for popularizing the standard “How Great Thou Art.” In addition, he co-wrote the gospel classics “I’d Rather Have Jesus” and “The Wonder of It All.”
A bass-baritone with chesty resonance and impeccable diction, Shea recorded more than 70 albums during his career. His 1966 LP Southland Favorites, recorded with the Anita Kerr Singers in Nashville, won a Grammy Award. In 2011, Shea was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Recording Academy.
Born Feb. 1, 1909 as the son of a Methodist minister, Shea was a native of Ontario, Canada. As a young man, he worked for Mutual Life Insurance in New York City. His singing career began with radio stints in Manhattan and Philadelphia. In 1939, he became a staff announcer and singer in Chicago on WMBI, a station owned by the Moody Bible Institute.
He met Billy Graham there in 1943. Graham recruited Shea to perform on his radio show, “Songs in the Night” (1944-52). Shea was also the host of the ABC network religious show “Club Time” (1944-52). Later, he and Graham starred on the long-running weekly broadcasts “Hour of Decision” (1950-present).
He was featured at the first Billy Graham Crusade, staged in Charlotte, N.C. in 1947. In fact, Shea was initially billed above Graham, since he was the better-known of the two at the time. He also began his recording career in 1947.
George Beverly Shea was the author of several books, including Then Sings My Soul (1968), Songs That Lift the Heart (1972) and his 2004 memoir How Sweet the Sound. He is also the subject of the 2009 authorized biography George Beverly Shea: Tell Me the Story.
He was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1978.
Shea is survived by wife Karlene, plus children Ronald and Elaine and several other descendents.
 

[Updated] Gordon Stoker of The Jordanaires Passes

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Gordon Stoker


Gordon Stoker, tenor singer for Country Music Hall of Fame vocal group the Jordanaires, died Wednesday morning, March 27, 2013, at Alive Hospice in Nashville. He was 88.
The Jordanaires’ harmonies can be heard on some of the most famous recordings from the 1960s and early ‘70s, particularly the Elvis Presley classics “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Are You Lonesome Tonight,” and “It’s Now or Never.” Stoker had worked with Presley beginning in 1956, on the star’s first sessions for RCA Victor.
During the 1960s and beyond the Jordanaires helped create the Nashville Sound on recordings by Ferlin Husky (“Gone,” widely regarded as the first hit recording to embody the Nashville Sound), Jim Reeves (“Four Walls”), and Patsy Cline (“Crazy”). The also group contributed to Don Gibson’s “Oh Lonesome Me,” Johnny Horton’s “The Battle of New Orleans,” Tammy Wynette’s “Stand by Your Man,” Conway Twitty’s “Hello Darlin’,” Kenny Rogers’ “Lucille,” George Jones’ “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” as well as tracks by rock & rollers Ricky Nelson and Gene Vincent.
The quartet’s members evolved throughout the years, but the line up elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001 is made up of tenor Stoker, second tenor Neal Matthews Jr., baritone Hoyt Hawkins, and Ray Walker. These men anchored the group for two decades. The Jordanaires were also elected to the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
Born August 3, 1924, Stoker was a native of Gleason, Tenn., where he grew up in a musical family. By age eight he was playing piano in church, and then performing at singing conventions. After high school graduation at age 15, he moved to Nashville to join the Daniel Quartet, which performed on radio station WSM. His served in the Air Force and attended Oklahoma Baptist University before returning to Nashville and the Daniel Quartet.
First organized in the late 1940s, Stoker joined the Jordanaires in 1949, when the group was backing Grand Ole Opry headliner Red Foley. By 1950 the Jordanaires were becoming noted for their spirited renditions of songs associated with both the black and white gospel traditions. They continued to mine this musical vein after signing with Capitol in 1951. In addition, the group had begun singing background on records by country hitmakers such as Foley (“Just a Closer Walk with Thee”). Their regular spots on the NBC network portion of the Grand Ole Opry and on 1955’s Eddy Arnold Time, a popular syndicated TV show of the day, brought the famed quartet into households across the nation.
The Jordanaires’ contributions to the Nashville recording industry include Neal Matthews Jr. popularizing the Nashville Number System. Advocates for broadcasting and film performers, the Jordanaires were also instrumental in establishing the Nashville offices of national performers’ unions representing radio and television artists and screen actors.
In 2002, in conjunction with Larry Ford & the Light Crust Doughboys, they won a Grammy in the category of Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Album, for We Called Him Mr. Gospel Music: The James Blackwood Tribute Album. Frequent headliners in Las Vegas, they made personal appearances worldwide, carrying country music around the globe.
Stoker is survived by wife Jean Stoker, sons Alan and Brent, daughter Venita, daughter-in-law Jeanne, five grandchildren and one great grandchild.
Visitation will be held from 6 – 8 p.m. Thursday, March 28, and Friday, March 29, at Woodlawn-Roesch-Pattton Funeral Home, 660 Thompson Lane in Nashville. A memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, March 30, at 2 p.m. at Christ Presbyterian Church, 2323 Old Hickory Boulevard in Nashville. A one-hour visitation will also be held prior to the memorial service.
Read more about Gordon Stoker from the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Stoker in 2011 at the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum's celebration of drummer D.J. Fontana. Pictured (L-R): D.J. Fontana, Jerry Chesnut, Country Music Hall of Fame member Gordon Stoker, David Briggs, Scotty Moore and program host Bill Lloyd. Photo: Donn Jones

Stoker in 2011 at the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum’s celebration of drummer D.J. Fontana. Pictured (L-R): D.J. Fontana, Jerry Chesnut, Country Music Hall of Fame member Gordon Stoker, David Briggs, Scotty Moore and program host Bill Lloyd. Photo: Donn Jones

[Updated] Spin Doctors Music Group's Erik Blumenfeld Passes

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Erik Blumenfield

Erik Blumenfield


Erik Blumenfeld, Director of New Business Development with Spin Doctors Music Group, passed away suddenly on March 20. He was 30 years old.
He was instrumental in fundraising efforts for Big Brothers/ Big Sisters of Nashville and SOLID (Society of Leaders in Development). He was also an avid golfer and traveler.
Blumenfeld graduated from the University of Arkansas with a degree in public relations.
Survivors include his mother and stepfather, Anna and Evan Marr Fogelman; brother, Cole A. Blumenfeld; sister in-law, Shara Burnham; grandparents, Jennie and Monroe Knight, Marilyn Marr Klepak and Dr. and Mrs. M.J. Fogelman; and girlfriend Brinn Black. He was preceded in death by his father, Peter S. Blumenfeld.
A graveside service will be held today, Monday, March 25, 2013 at 2:00 pm in Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery in Dallas, Texas.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Nashville, The American Cancer Society, or The Springboard Entertainment Foundation. Online condolences may be made here.
A Nashville memorial service is in the works but details have not been announced.

Stompin' Tom Connors Passes

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stompin' tom connors1The life of Canadian country superstar Stompin’ Tom Connors was celebrated at a memorial service last week in Peterborough, Ontario.
On Wednesday, March 13, politicians, musicians and fans gathered to deliver eulogies and sing the songs of the singer-songwriter who was noted for his uncompromising style, iconoclastic beliefs and sturdy individualism. His casket was covered with the Canada’s maple-leaf flag and topped by his trademark black Stetson hat.
Connors was fiercely proud to be Canadian. He wrote story songs with themes about his homeland and decried fellow artists who aimed for stardom in the U.S.
Raised in poverty in New Brunswick, he hitchhiked across Canada at age 15. He broke into show business on the radio in the mining city of Timmins, Ontario, later the hometown of Shania Twain. He acquired his nickname while performing in Peterborough due to his habit of stamping his boot heel so forcefully that he damaged stage floors.
His best-known songs included “Bud the Spud,” “Sudbury Saturday Night,” “The Black Donnellys,” “Up Canada Way” and “The Martin Harwell Story.” His “The Hockey Song” of 1973 was played at all NHL games for many years.
In the 1970s, he had a national TV show titled Stompin’ Tom’s Canada on the CBC network. He formed his own record labels to promote not only his own works but those of other Canadian artists.
In protest of Canada’s broadcasters promoting non-Canadian artists, Connors quit recording in 1978. He resumed his career 10 years later.
Named Top Male Country Artist at the Juno Awards in 1971-75 and an Album of the Year winner in 1974, he returned all six of his trophies, stating that they should be given to “border jumpers.” He later told the CBC to “shove it” following a dispute about starring in a national TV special. In 1993, he declined induction into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame.
In 1996, he published Stompin’ Tom: Before the Fame as his best-selling autobiography. In 2002, he was presented with honorary doctorate degrees by two universities. In 2009, he was pictured on a Canadian postage stamp and given a SOCAN lifetime achievement award.
Stompin’ Tom Connors was reportedly a heavy drinker who smoked more than 100 cigarettes a day. He died at age 77 on March 6 of renal failure after stubbornly refusing medical treatment. He planned his own memorial service. On the day of his death he issued a message to his fellow Canadians to “keep the Maple Leaf flying high.”
He is survived by his wife Lena, four children and several grandchildren.

Singer Jack Greene Passes

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Jack Greene

Jack Greene


Country music singer Jack Greene passed away Thursday, March 14, at his home.
Known as the Jolly Green Giant, Greene branched into a solo career after time with Ernest Tubb’s Texas Troubadours band, where he worked as a drummer and relief singer.
Green’s first major hit, “There Goes My Everything,” charted at No. 1 for seven weeks and won four CMA trophies at the 1967 ceremony, including  Male Vocalist of the Year, Single of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year.
Greene’s additional hits included “All the Time,” “You Are My Treasure” “Until My Dreams Come True,” “Statue of a Fool” and duets with Jeannie Seely including “Wish I Didn’t Have to Miss You,” “Much Oblige,” and “What In The World Has Gone Wrong With Our Love.”
Since his induction in the Grand Ole Opry in 1967, Greene regularly performed on the historic stage, including a final time on Dec. 16, 2011.
Green was 83-years-old and had been suffering from health complications from Alzheimer’s Disease. Arrangements have been made for the Ryman Auditorium on March 27 at 11 am. The balcony will be open to the general public on an availability basis; no personal cameras will be allowed.