Nashville Songwriter-Artist Sandy Pinkard Passes

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Sandy Pinkard

Sandy Pinkard has died at age 78.

The singer-songwriter left his mark on the Nashville scene as half of the music/comedy team Pinkard & Bowden and as a songwriter for Brenda Lee, Jim Nabors, Cher, John Anderson, Mickey Gilley and more. He and Texas songwriter Richard Bowden formed Pinkard & Bowden in 1984 and were signed to Warner Records. Between 1985 and 1993, the duo issued five albums and 12 singles.

They were famous for their witty parodies of country-music songs. Five of them made the country popularity charts in 1984-89, including “Mama She’s Lazy” (a parody of “Mama He’s Crazy”), “She Thinks I Steal Cars” (“She Thinks I Still Care”) and “Somebody Done Somebody’s Song Wrong.” Other highlights included “Help Me Make It Through the Yard,” “Delta Dawg” and “Drivin’ My Wife Away.” John Denver’s “Leaving on a Jet Plane” became “Libyan on a Jet Plane.” Claude King’s hit “Wolverton Mountain” became “Three Mile Island.” Willie Nelson’s “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” became “Blue Hairs Driving in My Lane.”

Independent of the novelty duo, Sandy Pinkard was noted for co-writing such award-winning hits as “You’re the Reason God Made Oklahoma” for David Frizzell & Shelly West (1981), which won the ACM Award for Song of the Year. “Coca Cola Cowboy” was a 1979 No. 1 hit for Mel Tillis that appeared on the soundtrack of the Clint Eastwood movie Any Which Way You Can. Glen Campbell had a top-10 hit with the film’s title tune. Tanya Tucker’s top-10 hit with “Pecos Promenade” was on the soundtrack of the 1980 Burt Reynolds movie Smokey & The Bandit II.

Vern Gosdin scored his first chart-topping hit with 1984’s “I Can Tell By the Way You Dance.” Anne Murray hit No. 1 with “Blessed Are the Believers” in 1981. The superstar duo of Ray Charles & Clint Eastwood charted with “Beers to You” in 1980.

He was born James Sanford Pinkard Jr. in 1947 and was an Air Force veteran during the Vietnam War. He was a member of the Masons and the Church of the Latter Day Saints.

Sandy Pinkard resided in Kingwood, West Virginia, where he died at home on Saturday, July 26. He is survived by his wife Lisa Ann Bennett, son Tom Maxwell, daughters Pamela Way and Mary Athalia Irwin, grandson Henry Stuart Irwin and brother Chris Pinkard.

A graveside service will be held at the West Virginia National Cemetery, at 42 Veterans Memorial Lane in Grafton, WV 26354, on Thursday, July 31, at 2:00 PM, where full military honors will be accorded. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Louis A Johnson VA Medical Center.

Designate checks to Veterans with Guitar Programs 1901, C/O Louis A Johnson VA Medical Center, Attention Voluntary Services, 1 Med Center Drive, Clarksburg, WV 26301.

Online condolences to www.kingwoodfuneralhomewv.com.

CMA Award Winner Helen Cornelius Passes

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Helen Cornelius

Singer Helen Cornelius died on Friday at age 83.

With vocal partner Jim Ed Brown, she earned the 1977 CMA Award for Vocal Duo of the Year. The team was also nominated for this honor in 1978 and 1979. Its string of top-10 hits included “I Don’t Want to Have to Marry You” (1976), “Saying Hello, Saying I Love You, Saying Goodbye” (1977), the Grammy-nominated “If the World Ran Out of Love Tonight” (1978), “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” (1979), “Lying in Love With You” (1979), “Fools” (1979) and “Morning Comes to Early” (1980).

Born Helen Johnson, she was a native of Missouri who began singing at an early age. As a high-school student, she formed a trio with sisters Judy and Sharon. The siblings competed successfully on the Ted Mack Amateur Hour TV show in 1960.

She married truck driver Lewis Cornelius and channeled her music ambitions into songwriting while working as a housewife and raising children. She was signed as a staff writer by Screen Gems in 1970, and her songs were eventually recorded by such stars as The Oak Ridge Boys, Reba McEntire, Charlie Louvin & Melba Montgomery, Jeannie C. Riley, Lynn Anderson, Barbara Fairchild and Connie Smith, among others.

With her husband and three children in tow, she moved to Music City. Established Grand Ole Opry star Jim Ed Brown was introduced to the newcomer by RCA Records producer Bob Ferguson. The duo clicked with such sexy tracks as “I’ll Never Be Free” (1978), “The Bedroom” (1980) and “Don’t Bother to Knock” (1981) and co-starred as hosts of his Nashville On the Road nationally syndicated TV series in 1976-80.

Brown and Cornelius had an affair, which became embarrassingly public when they broke up in 1980. She became a solo artist with charted singles released by the RCA, Elektra and Ameri-Can labels. She released her debut solo LP in 1985 on Dot Records.

Helen Cornelius became the opening act for The Statler Brothers and for Conway Twitty. In 1984, she starred in a road company production of Annie Get Your Gun that played 64 cities. Cornelius briefly reunited with Jim Ed Brown for a tour in 1988. In 1991, she opened a theater called Nashville South in Gatlinburg. She performed there nightly for the next five years.

Returning to her native Missouri, Cornelius settled in Branson to headline at the Jim Stafford Theater. In recent years, she has often been featured on Larry Black’s Country Family Reunion series on RFD-TV.

Helen Cornelius passed away in Nashville. No cause of death has been reported. She is survived by her children, Christy and Dennis Cornelius, by two grandchildren, by brother Elvin Johnson, and by her beloved dog, Bella.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, PO Box 5014, Hagerstown, MD 21741 (MichaelJFox.org). Visitation will be held on Friday, July 25 from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. with a service immediately following at the Williamson Memorial Funeral Home, 3009 Columbia Ave, Franklin, TN 37064. A private burial will be held after for family and close friends.

BREAKING: FBMM Co-Founder Frank Bumstead Passes

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Frank Bumstead.

FBMM Co-Founder Frank Bumstead passed away on yesterday morning (July 20) in Nashville. He was 83.

Before his time at FBMM, Bumstead served as CEO at JMR Investments for 14 years and was a proprietor at Bumstead Company for a decade. Bumstead founded FBMM alongside Mary Ann McCready, the late Chuck Flood and John McCarthy in 1990. Under Bumstead’s leadership, FBMM was the first business management firm to provide services from a seasoned economist. In 1991, Bumstead negotiated and arranged the sale of CMT network to Opryland, and also led the merger of MusicRow Magazine with SouthComm in 2008.

Bumstead was heavily involved in the community. In 2018, Bumstead was honored with the Frances Preston Outstanding Music Industry Achievement Award by the T.J. Martell Foundation. He also was awarded Nashville Opera’s Francis Robinson Award in 2019 for significant contributions to the arts. CMA also recognized him in 2022 with the William Denny Award for a lifetime of dedication and distinguished service to the CMA Board of Directors.

He was also a board member of CMA, where he served as President in 2014 and Chairman in 2015, along with other leadership positions. He also served on the boards of the Armed Services Mutual Benefit Association, Blue Chair Bay® Rum, Brookdale Senior Living, Conway-Welch Family Foundation, Fishbowl Spirits, LLC, Junior Achievement of Nashville, Junior League Advisory Board, Nashville Wire Products, United Supermarkets of Texas and Watkins Institute.

Bumstead was a founding member of the Memorial Foundation’s Board of Trustees and chaired the Foundation’s Finance & Investments Committee for more than 20 years. He was also chairman for Overwatch Alliance and involved with the Armed Services Mutual Benefit Association.

“Frank was brilliant, passionate and a role model to all of us at FBMM,” says Jamie Cheek, Owner and CEO of FBMM. “His expertise in investments and finance was key to FBMM’s ‘edge’ over the years and why we called him our ‘secret weapon.’ Frank was one of a kind, and we will continue to honor the legacy he instilled of hard work and dedication.”

“Frank cared deeply about this industry and the people in it, whether you were a client or not,” adds Sarah Trahern, Country Music Association CEO. “I first met Frank during my interview for the CMA role in 2013, and I’ll never forget his sharp, thoughtful questions–or the unmistakable twinkle in his eyes. He helped lead several important initiatives that positioned CMA for long-term growth and stability. Although he left the Board in 2021, we remained in close touch over the years. My heart is with his wife, Ann, their sons, and all who knew and loved him. Frank was truly one of a kind.”

“Frank Bumstead has been a father figure to me for over 30 years,” shares Frank Thomas, National Baseball Hall of Famer. “Through the ups and downs, he was my anchor. There was nothing I couldn’t call and ask him, but he always kept me in line to do what was right. Some people you can’t replace in your life and that person is Frank Bumstead. I will miss him dearly. God bless the Bumstead family.”

“Although Frank was the primary architect of the [Memorial] Foundation’s sound and successful fiscal strategy, what was most important to him was that the Foundation’s funding supported local nonprofit organizations that helped make life better for others,” Board Chair Dr. David McKee says. Varina Buntin, the Foundation’s Board Vice Chair, shares “Frank’s wise counsel and passion for the Foundation’s mission since its inception has been invaluable, and he will be sorely missed.”

“I have a sincere appreciation for his guidance and leadership throughout the years of working together,” adds Mark Woodforde, International Tennis and Sport Hall of Famer. “He inspired me to grow both personally and professionally. I will miss his friendship and words of encouragement, and he will be deeply missed, but the heavens above have gained a true gentleman.”

“Frank Bumstead was a true patriot having served in combat as a Navy officer in Vietnam,” says Judge George C. Paine II. “He gave generously to veterans’ causes in time and treasure, whether personally or through advocating for them within the Memorial Foundation. Personally, I loved swapping “war stories” with him, and will greatly miss him, his wit, financial acumen and wisdom.”

FBMM will continue to be led by owners Julie Boos, David Boyer, Jamie Cheek, Duane Clark, Jen Conger, Dan Killian, Carmen Romano and Erica Rosa.

An informal visitation/celebration of Bumstead’s life will take place at Mount Olivet Funeral Home on Saturday, Aug. 9, from 12–2p.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests the following organizations for memorials and tributes in honor of his life: Cumberland Heights, Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, Family and Children’s Service, and the Frank M. and Ann S. Bumstead Scholarship at Owen Graduate School of Management.

Acclaimed Composer Stacy Widelitz Passes

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Stacy Widelitz

Stacy Widelitz, a celebrated composer, songwriter, photographer and arts advocate, passed away Tuesday morning (June 17) following a recent diagnosis of pancreatic cancer that had metastasized. He was 69.

Widelitz first rose to prominence with the song “She’s Like the Wind,” co-written with his friend Patrick Swayze and featured on the Dirty Dancing soundtrack. The track reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart, contributing to the massive commercial success of the film’s soundtrack.

Over the course of his career, Widelitz composed music for feature films and more than 20 made-for-TV movies, and was nominated for an Emmy for his work on ABC’s World of Discovery. He also penned the end-title song for Disney’s Pocahontas II.

A native of Plainview, New York, Widelitz spent nearly two decades in Los Angeles before relocating to Nashville in 2000. In Music City, he continued his work in music and became deeply engaged in the broader creative and civic community.

He served on the boards of numerous local organizations, including the Nashville Opera, Nashville Film Festival, Alias Chamber Ensemble, and Dismas House, holding the role of President at several. He was also a longtime member and Past President of the Leadership Music Board of Directors. From 2016 to 2020, he served as a City Commissioner in Oak Hill, Tennessee.

In recent years, Widelitz explored a new creative path through black-and-white street photography, earning multiple awards and exhibiting his work at Chauvet Arts in Nashville. His photography took him around the world, including to Italy, Cuba, Paris, London, Berlin, Barcelona and across the United States.

In a note Widelitz wrote a few days before his death, he said: “When I look at my life, I’ve been on an incredibly lucky streak. I pursued my dreams of a career in music from an early age, and made a success of them. I even found further satisfaction and success with new and unexpected pursuits, such as photography and civic leadership. It’s been gratifying, fascinating, at times challenging and infuriating, but mostly it’s been a whole lot of fun. I’m not torturing myself with ‘shoulda” or “coulda.’ As Edith Piaf sang, ‘Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien’ – I regret nothing.”

A Celebration of Life has been set for Wednesday, Aug. 20 at the CMA Theater (222 Rep. John Lewis Way S., Nashville, TN 37203). Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. central, with the program beginning at 6:00 p.m. A cocktail reception will follow in the Grand Foyer at 7:00 p.m.

Music Industry Veteran Mike Borchetta Passes

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Mike Borchetta

Longtime music executive Mike Borchetta passed away this morning (June 14) at the age of 84, surrounded by family.

Borchetta’s influential career spanned decades and included key roles at some of Nashville’s most notable labels. As President of Lofton Creek Records, he earned a No. 1 hit with Heartland’s “I Loved Her First” in 2006. During his tenure as VP of Promotion at Curb Records in the late 1980s through the mid-1990s, Borchetta was instrumental in signing Tim McGraw.

He also held positions at Broken Bow, Capitol, RCA, Mercury, Philips Records, Rebel Engine and operated his own promotion company, working with artists across genres including Hal Ketchum, The Four Seasons, The Beach Boys, Glen Campbell, Dusty Springfield and Wayne Newton.

Outside of the music business, Borchetta and his wife Martha bred and trained thoroughbred horses for many years. Several of his children—Scott, Adelle, Chris and Angela—have also built careers in the music industry.

Borchetta’s life will be celebrated on Aug. 6 at 14TENN (1410 51st Ave N, Nashville, TN 37209), with a memorial service at 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and a lunch following. Please RSVP here. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests a donation to ALS.org in Borchetta’s name.

Jonathan Mayers, Bonnaroo & Superfly Entertainment Co-Founder, Dies

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Jonathan Mayers, co-founder of Superfly Entertainment and the co-creator of festivals including Bonnaroo and Outside Lands, has died. His age and cause of death are unknown at this time.

Mayers, a New York native and a graduate of Tulane University, began his work in music through New Orleans venue Tipitina’s and the long-running Jazz Fest celebration. He co-founded Superfly in 1996 with Rick Farman, Richard Goodstone and Kerry Black. In 2002, the group launched the first Bonnaroo. Mayers was later an integral part of launching Vegoose in Las Vegas, Clusterfest and Outside Lands in San Francisco, and creating immersive fan experiences for shows including Seinfeld, The Office, South Park, Arrested Development, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Daily Show, Friends and more.

 

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Mayers parted from Superfly in 2021 and created Core City Detroit, which sought to raise money to invest in a “culturally rich neighborhood anchored by a music campus providing world- class services, infrastructure, and housing for local/national artists & industry along with entertainment experiences for the public,” according to an investment deck on the project.

Company officials at Another Planet Entertainment issued a statement to Billboard following Mayers’ passing. “Jonathan was a bright light, always pushing new and creative ideas in the entertainment space,” they said. “He was a visionary who was integral in the founding and the spirit of Outside Lands. Everyone in the Another Planet family will miss him dearly.

“Jonathan was one of the true real visionaries of the modern concert world and one of the core minds behind Bonnaroo,” longtime friend Peter Shapiro, founder of Dayglo Presents and the Brooklyn Bowl tells Billboard. “Modern-day festivals are all in some way built off of his vision.”

Top Songwriter Tony Haselden Passes

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Tony Haselden, who succeeded as both a rock artist and a country songwriter, died last Friday (May 16) in Louisiana at age 79.

Haselden was in the cult-favorite rock band LeRoux and wrote the group’s biggest hit, 1982’s “Nobody Said It Was Easy.” LeRoux was founded in Baton Rouge and was active in 1977-85. Haselden then became a hit country songwriter in Nashville with dozens of cuts and five top 10 hits on his resume.

He wrote or co-wrote Shenandoah’s “Mama Knows” (1988), Keith Whitley’s “It Ain’t Nothin’” (1990), George Strait’s “You Know Me Better Than That” (1991), Michelle Wright’s “Take It Like a Man” (1992) and Collin Raye’s “That’s My Story” (1994), among dozens of other country favorites. More than 40 Nashville artists recorded his works.

Tony Haselden was born in South Carolina, but moved to Louisiana as a teenager. During his four-year service in the Navy, he taught himself to play guitar. Following his discharge, he earned a college degree.

He co-founded LeRoux in 1977. Originally named Louisiana’s LeRoux, the band recorded five albums during its heyday. It initially signed with Capitol, but found greater success after it shortened its billing and signed with RCA. Its 1982 LP Last Safe Place contained the group’s rock-chart success “Addicted,” as well as Haselden’s “Nobody Said It Was Easy.” Other LeRoux fan favorites included “New Orleans Lady,” “Take a Ride on a Riverboat” and “Carrie’s Gone.”

The band’s national TV appearances included Solid Gold, The Midnight Special and Don Kirchner’s Rock Concert. During its eight years of national touring, the band shared stages with the Allman Brothers, Journey, Kansas, Heart, the Doobie Brothers, Foreigner, ZZ Top and The Charlie Daniels Band, among others. It also contributed instrumentally to albums by Tab Benoit, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

When LeRoux split up, Haselden made his way to Nashville. His country songwriting career took off when Shenandoah scored with “Mama Knows.” In 1990, Sweethearts of the Rodeo had a mid-sized hit with “This Heart,” which was revived and charted again for Jon Randall in 1994. The Whitley and Strait No. 1 hits with Haselden songs occurred in 1990-91. They were followed by Shelby Lynne’s version of “Don’t Cross Your Heart” and Martina McBride’s single of “That’s Me” in 1991-92.

Haselden’s streak with female vocalists continued with the Michelle Wright hit in 1992, plus Shania Twain’s career-launching “What Made You Say That” in 1993. Collin Raye scored with “That’s My Story” the following year. Also charting with Haselden songs were Billy Ray Cyrus (1995’s “Fastest Horse in a One-Horse Town”), Reba McEntire (2006’s “Love Needs a Holiday”) and Kid Rock (2017’s “Po-Dunk”).

The songwriter’s “Music Is What I See” was introduced by Mike Dekle, but achieved more prominence as the title tune of Rhonda Vincent’s 2021 bluegrass album. Several of Haselden’s titles were recorded by Tim Mensy, who was his frequent songwriting collaborator. The rock bands Uriah Keep and Bobby & The Midnites both recorded Haselden’s “Lifeline.”

During his Nashville career, Haselden’s songs were embraced by such top country artists as Toby Keith, Glen Campbell, Conway Twitty, Barbara Mandrell, The Statler Brothers, Patty Loveless, Tracy Lawrence and Janie Fricke. Among the many who recorded his works were also Rodney Atkins, Pam Tillis, Marie Osmond, Billy Dean, Doug Stone, Highway 101, Rick Trevino, Joe Nichols, Suzy Bogguss, Mark Wills, The Forester Sisters and Gary Puckett. Haselden also became a Nashville record producer. He worked in the studio crafting tracks for The Kinleys, The Wilkinsons and Georgia Middleman.

A greatest-hits album, 1996’s Bayou Degradable: The Best of Louisiana’s LeRoux, inspired Haselden and LeRoux to regroup and return to performing. In 1997, the band filmed a special for Louisiana Public Broadcasting. It also resumed recording.

Tony Haselden and his family left Nashville and returned to Louisiana in 2008. Two years later, he was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.

He is survived by Julia, his wife of more than 50 years, and by his daughter Casey and three grandchildren. Funeral arrangements were trusted to Ordoyne Funeral Home, 1489 Saint Patrick Street Thibodaux, LA 70301. A memorial service will be scheduled for a later date.

Sugar Hill’s Barry Poss Passes

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Barry Poss

Barry Poss, the founder of the esteemed roots-music label Sugar Hill Records, died this week in North Carolina at age 79 following a battle with cancer.

Sugar Hill is best known as the home of a who’s-who of bluegrass music. It was also a launchpad for the careers of Marty Stuart, Ricky Skaggs, Nickel Creek and The Whites. At various times, Rodney Crowell, Dolly Parton, Kathy Mattea, Willie Nelson, Connie Smith, Johnny Paycheck, Sweethearts of the Rodeo, Sara Evans, Don Williams, Lee Ann Womack, Wanda Jackson and Uncle Kracker recorded for Sugar Hill, as did such troubadours as Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, Pat Alger, Jewel, Lyle Lovett, Robert Earl Keen and Jesse Winchester.

Recordings on the imprint have won 13 Grammy Awards in the bluegrass, country and folk categories, including two for Parton’s efforts and two for collections by The Nashville Bluegrass Band.

Barry Lyle Poss was born in rural Ontario, but moved to Toronto as a boy. After college at the city’s York University, he moved to North Carolina in 1968 to pursue a degree in sociology from Duke University. While he was a graduate student, he attended the Union Grove Fiddlers Gathering and fell in love with traditional sounds.

Poss went to work for the Virginia bluegrass labels County Records and Rebel Records. He learned the roots-music business from County’s Dave Freeman. He and Freeman co-founded Sugar Hill in 1978. The label’s first record was by Boone Creek, which featured Skaggs and Jerry Douglas, both of whom would go on to issue solo LPs for the label. Douglas also went on to produce a number of Sugar Hill’s other artists. Poss took full control of Sugar Hill Records in 1980 and moved the company to Durham, North Carolina.

The firm quickly became the home to such stellar bluegrass bands as The Osborne Brothers, The Bluegrass Cardinals, The Country Gentlemen, Hot Rize, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, The Seldom Scene, New Grass Revival and The Del McCoury Band. Noted for its classy graphics, excellent distribution and musical integrity, Sugar Hill also attracted Tim O’Brien, Peter Rowan, Sam Bush, Chris Hillman, Carl Jackson and other influential stylists.

Barry Poss was known as a good-humored, warm-hearted record executive who had a hands-off attitude about his artists’ creativity. In the studio, he produced with a light touch, embracing the musicians’ judgement about their own music. He relinquished more power than most label chiefs. In short, he offered what recording artists all yearn for, artistic control.

He said that he wanted people to see the Sugar Hill name and trust that any record on the label would be worthwhile. John Prine said he was inspired by Poss to form his own company, Oh Boy Records.

As Sugar Hill grew, Barry Poss embraced a wider vision of what later became known as Americana music. Artists as diverse as The Austin Lounge Lizards, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Jonathan Edwards, Pat Green, Jeff Bridges, The Red Clay Ramblers, James McMurtry, Joey + Rory, Tom Paxton, Doc Watson and Maura O’Connell recorded for the label.

In 1998, Poss sold Sugar Hill to The Welk Music Group. He remained with the label as its president and in 2002 was named its chairman. He moved Sugar Hill to Nashville in 2007, but did not move with it. Sugar Hill continues to operate as an imprint today.

In 2015, the label was acquired by the Concord Music Group, the world’s leading independent music company. This umbrella firm has also absorbed such imprints as Vanguard, Stax, Rounder, Fantasy, Milestone, Prestige, Specialty, Vee Jay, Razor & Tie, Riverside, Fania, Easy Eye Sound and several other notable firms.

Barry Poss was in the 1985 group that forged the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) and was a founding board member of the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, located in Owensboro, Kentucky. He also served on the boards of the Carolina Theater, the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke, Merle Fest and the North Carolina Folklife Institute, among others.

He was given a Distinguished Achievement Award by IBMA in 1998. The Americana Music Association presented him with its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. Charmed by his label’s name, Parton wrote a song called “Sugar Hill” and included on her 2002 Halos & Horns album for the company.

“Barry gave me a sense of direction and opened doors for me when all others were shut,” recalled Hillman. Even more succinctly, Keen said, “Barry Poss is one of a kind. There is no other.”

The executive was modest about his legacy. “I used to joke that I had the perfect qualifications for being in the music business,” Poss said. “I had no business training…no formal music background, either. But I teach Sociology of Deviant Behavior.” His business plan was simple: “Keep it real. Know and love what you record. And put it out into the world.”

Barry Poss died on Tuesday, May 13, in Durham. He is survived by wife Michele Pas, sons Aaron and Jonathan, four grandchildren and many cousins, friends, relations and colleagues. Funeral services were held yesterday, May 15, at Beth El Synagogue, followed by burial at Durham Hebrew Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions in his name to Beth El Synagogue, to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina or to a charity of your choice.

Country Star Johnny Rodriguez Passes

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Johnny Rodriguez

Johnny Rodriguez, one of country music’s biggest stars of the 1970s, died in Texas on Friday (May 9) at age 73.

Famed for such hits as “Pass Me By” and “Just Get Up and Close the Door,” Rodriguez was a ground-breaking Latino artist in the country field. Songs such as “Eres Tu” and “Love Put a Song in My Heart“ were performed in both Spanish and English. Between 1972 and 1989, Johnny Rodriguez placed 45 songs on the country charts.

Born in Sabinal, Texas, Juan Raoul Davis Rodriguez was a juvenile offender. As a teenager, he was paroled to entertain at the Alamo Village tourist attraction near San Antonio. This was when he was dubbed “Johnny.” Tom T. Hall heard him there and took him under his wing.

Hall brought Rodriguez to Nashville to become a member of his Storytellers band. Rodriguez signed with Hall’s label home, Mercury Records. Hall’s brother Hillman Hall wrote the 21-year-old Texan’s 1972 debut single, “Pass Me By (If You’re Only Passing Through).” It became the first of a string of 15 consecutive top-10 smashes for the youngster. The song became a modern country standard recorded by more than 35 artists, including a 1980 hit revival by Janie Fricke.

Rodriguez and Tom T. Hall co-wrote “You Always Come Back (To Hurting Me).” In 1973, it became the first of his six No. 1 hits. Rodriguez also wrote “Ridin’ My Thumb to Mexico” (1973) and “Dance With Me (Just One More Time)” (1974). He won the ACM Award as Top New Male Vocalist of 1973 and was nominated for the CMA’s Horizon Award.

Music City’s top-tier country songwriters soon began providing Rodriguez with material. Larry Gatlin wrote “I Just Can’t Get Her Out of My Mind” (1975) and “If Practice Makes Perfect” (1977). Linda Hargrove wrote “Just Get Up and Close the Door” (1975) and “Savin’ This Love Song for You” (1977). In 1976, Mickey Newbury offered “I Wonder If I Ever Said Goodbye” and Billy Joe Shaver provided “I Couldn’t Be Me Without You.” Ben Peters was behind 1975’s chart-topping “Love Put a Song in My Heart,” and Dan Penn and Johnny Christopher co-wrote 1976’s “Hillbilly Heart.”

Rodriguez revived Lefty Frizzell and Whitey Shaffer’s “That’s the Way Love Goes” in 1974. The song later became a big hit for Merle Haggard, too. The 1978 Rodriguez hit “We Believe in Happy Endings” was penned by Bob McDill. Ten years later, it was revived in a duet by Emmylou Harris and Earl Thomas Conley.

The new star’s yearning tenor easily adapted pop tunes for country listeners, notably George Harrison’s “Something” (1974), Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil’s “We’re Over” (1974) and The Eagles’ “Desperado” (1977).

“Love Me With All of Your Heart” had been a huge hit for the pop chorale The Ray Charles Singers in 1964, but the song originated in Mexico as “Cuando Calienta El Sol.” In 1978, Johnny Rodriguez’s bilingual country hit brought the song back to its roots. “Eres Tu (Touch the Wind)” was an international smash for the Spanish pop group Mocedades in 1974. Rodriguez adapted it for country music three years later.

The handsome young country star guested on such TV shows as Adam 12 and The Dating Game. He was also featured in the 1976 B-movie Nashville Girl. He toured internationally, appearing in countries such as Switzerland, England, South Korea, France, Spain, Germany, Japan, Belgium, Guam and Poland, as well as Canada and Mexico.

The hits came less frequently after Johnny Rodriguez signed with Epic Records. His co-written “Down on the Rio Grande” was a top-10 hit in 1979. The 1983 releases “Foolin’” and “How Could I Love Her So Much” repeated the feat. He wrote his Epic singles “Born With the Blues” (1982) and “Back on Her Mind Again” (1983). Other highlights during his tenure with Epic included the top-20 singles “Fools For Each Other” (1979, another song he co-wrote), “What’ll I Tell Virginia” (1979), “North of the Border” (1980) and “Too Late to Go Home” (1984). “I Hate the Way I Love It” was a 1979 duet with label-mate Charly McClain.

His final top-20 success came when he signed with Capitol and issued “I Didn’t (Every Chance I Had)” in late 1987. When Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson recorded their debut album as The Highwaymen in 1985, they invited Rodriguez to provide a Spanish vocal for their version of Woody Guthrie’s song “Deportee.” Another late-career highlight was his performance of “Across the Valley From the Alamo” on the CMA-nominated Asleep at the Wheel CD Tribute to the Music of Bob Wills & The Texas Playboys in 1994.

He remained a popular concert attraction, particularly back home in Texas. Rodriguez performed for the presidential inauguration of Texan George H.W. Bush in 1989. The singer was married three times, including a seven-month union with Willie Nelson’s daughter Lana in 1995.

Rodriguez developed drug and alcohol problems. In 1998, he shot and killed an acquaintance, believing him to be a burglar in his home. A jury acquitted him of murder in 1999.

His career never recovered. Rodriguez recorded little-noticed, independent-label albums for Intersound (1993), Hightone (1996), Paula (1996), Intercontinental (2001), KRB (2007), RunninWide (2012) and other small imprints. He continued to perform in the Lone Star State into his 60s and 70s. Johnny Rodriguez was inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007. He staged a triumphant revival at the CMA Music Fest in 2017.

Johnny Rodriguez entered hospice care last week. His death was announced by his singing daughter, Aubry Rodriguez. Her debut single is “Pass Me By” as a tribute to her father. No funeral arrangements have been announced.

Notable Music Journalist Gerry Wood Passes

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Veteran music journalist and colorful Nashville media figure Gerry Wood died in Florida last Saturday (May 3) at age 87.

Wood was the manager of the Billboard office in Music City. He was also a popular local television personality in the 1980s.

Born Gerald E. Wood in Lewiston, Maine, he began his entertainment career in radio. He was a news and sports reporter at WSON in Henderson, Kentucky, then polished those skills while also becoming a DJ at WVJS in Owensboro, Kentucky. He graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1960 and went on to earn a masters degree from Vanderbilt University in 1965.

Gerry Wood continued to combine his news acumen and on-air personality skills at WAKY in Louisville and WKDA in Nashville (1964-66). He then shifted to working on Music Row. He worked in public relations at Vanderbilt (1966-69) and ASCAP (1969-75). Wood began his first stint at Billboard in 1975. He was named the publication’s editor-in-chief in New York in 1980.

He moved back to Music City to become editor at Nashville magazine (1983-84) and Nashville correspondent for People magazine (1984). Gerry Wood returned to Billboard to become the general manager of the publication’s Nashville bureau in 1986.

On local television, he became known as “The Gamboling Gourmet” on WTVF-TV. He was also a regular reviewer on the TNN cable channel in the mid 1980s.

Boundlessly enthusiastic, he was omnipresent at music-biz parties and junkets. He was also a travel enthusiast.

His then-wife Ellen Wood became a publicist in the BMI Nashville office. They worked with an emerging group of media folks, including Ed Morris, Debbie Holley, Chuck & Sandy Neese, Jimmy Buffett and Kip Kirby. Wood won a Journalistic Achievement Award from SESAC in 1981.

Gerry Wood wrote a number of books. Ain’t God Good (1975) and Let the Hammer Down (1978) were collaborations with country comedian Jerry Clower. Other titles included The Grand Ole Opry Presents the Year in Country Music (1997) and Tales From Country Music (2003).

Gerry Wood wrote for Country Weekly, as well as many other publications as a freelance journalist. He was a member of the CMA, the GMA, NSAI and the Recording Academy. He served on the board of the Nashville Entertainment Association.

Following his divorce, he moved to Florida and wrote books as well as articles for local publications on the Gulf Coast. He passed away in Inverness, Florida. No funeral arrangements have been announced.