Dallas Frazier wins the 1982 Songwriter of the Year award from the readers of Music City News. Photo: Courtesy Robert K. Oermann
Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Dallas Frazier has passed away at age 82.
Regarded as one of the greatest country songwriters in history, Frazier’s classics include “There Goes My Everything,” “Beneath Still Waters,” “Elvira,” “Fourteen Carat Mind” and “All I Have to Offer You Is Me.” His songs helped make stars of Connie Smith and Charley Pride. More than a dozen members of the Country Music Hall of Fame recorded Frazier’s works. He was also a much admired recording artist.
He was born in Spiro, Oklahoma in 1939, but was raised in Bakersfield, California. Frazier recalled his early years as being characterized by labor camps and cotton fields. The boy was highly musical, teaching himself to play guitar, piano and other instruments. He was writing songs by age 12. That is when he was discovered by Ferlin Husky at a singing contest.
Frazier joined Husky’s road show as a juvenile attraction. This led to a 1954 recording contract with Husky’s label, Capitol Records. The youngster became a 1954-58 regular on the Los Angeles TV show Hometown Jamboree, where he was frequently paired with fellow teen performer Molly Bee. Frazier also worked regularly on Cousin Herb Henderson’s Trading Post TV series in Bakersfield. These gigs put the teenager in the company of Tommy Collins, Jean Shepard, Buck Owens, Wynn Stewart and the rest of the country entertainers who would form the bedrock of Bakersfield’s country community.
Dallas Frazier met and married his wife Sharon in 1958. They remained together throughout his subsequent triumphs and trials.
His youthful Capitol singles didn’t take off, but his songwriting did. Frazier’s pop novelty ditty “Alley Oop” became a No. 1 hit for The Hollywood Argyles in 1960. The group was a recording-studio concoction of Gary S. Paxton, Buddy Mize, Scotty Turner and others. Frazier briefly performed as a member of the touring Hollywood Argyles. “Alley Oop” was so popular that it was released in a competing version by Dante & The Evergreens which became a top-20 pop hit. An R&B outfit called The Dyna-Sores also charted with the tune in 1960.
Dallas Frazier. Photo: Courtesy of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Dallas and Sharon Frazier moved to Nashville in 1963. Husky again took the songwriter under his wing, signing him to his publishing company and recording “Timber I’m Falling” as Frazier’s first country hit in 1964.
The songwriter next signed with Acclaim Music, Jim Reeves’ song-publishing company. It was run by the singer’s former Blue Boys band member Ray Baker, who took Frazier’s “Mohair Sam” to Charlie Rich in 1965.
It became a pop hit. Frazier followed Baker to the latter’s Blue Crest Music, and this is where his long run of country songwriting successes ensued.
As a singer, Dallas Frazier re-signed with Capitol Records. He recorded two excellent, R&B flavored albums for the label, Elvira (1966) and Tell It Like It Is (1967). The title tune of the former appeared briefly on the pop charts in 1966, as did “Just a Little Bit of You.” The Capitol singles “Everybody Oughta Sing a Song,” “The Sunshine of My World” and “I Hope I Like Mexico Blues” were mid-sized country chart entries in 1968. Frazier also co-wrote and recorded 1969’s “The Conspiracy of Homer Jones” as a parody of “Ode to Billie Jo” and “Harper Valley P.T.A.”
Meanwhile, his songs scored big on the country charts for others. “Baby Ain’t That Fine” became a 1966 hit duet for Gene Pitney & Melba Montgomery. Jack Greene recorded Frazier’s “There Goes My Everything” in 1966. It remained at No. 1 for seven weeks and was named the CMA Song of the Year. The song received a second boost in popularity when Elvis Presley hit with it again five years later.
Also in 1966, Connie Smith hit with Frazier’s “Ain’t Had No Lovin’” and George Jones scored with “I’m a People.” Both artists showed their appreciation and admiration by recording entire albums of Dallas Frazier songs, Jones in 1968 and Smith in 1972.
George Jones returned to the songwriter’s catalog with 1967’s “If My Heart Had Windows, which Frazier wrote for his wife Sharon, plus “I Can’t Get There From Here” (1967), “Say It’s Not You” (1968), “Beneath Still Waters” (1968) and “Tell Me My Lying Eyes Are Wrong” (1970). Connie Smith encored with Frazier’s “Run Away Little Tears” (1968), “Where Is My Castle” (1971), “I’m Sorry If My Love Got in Your Way” (1971), “Just for What I Am” (1972), “If It Ain’t Love (Let’s Leave It Alone)” (1972), “Dream Painter” (1973) and “Ain’t Love a Good Thing” (1973). Smith has recorded 68 Dallas Frazier songs, more than anyone
Frazier’s songs also aided the ascent of Charley Pride. “All I Have to Offer You Is Me” (1969), “I’m So Afraid of Losing You Again” (1969), “I Can’t Believe That You’ve Stopped Loving Me” (1970) and “Then Who Am I” (1974) all became No. 1 hits for the singer.
Jack Greene resumed recording Frazier songs with “Back in the Arms of Love” (1969),“Until My Dreams Come True” (1969) and “Lord Is That Me” (1970). Brenda Lee’s transition from pop stardom to country hit maker was aided by Frazier’s “Johnny One Time” (1969) and “If This Is Our Last Time” (1971).
The songwriter’s string of country successes also continued with Charlie Louvin’s “Will You Visit Me on Sundays” (1968), Jerry Lee Lewis’s “Touching Home” (1971), Ferlin Husky’s “White Fences and Evergreen Trees” (1968), Elvis Presley’s “Where Did They Go Lord” (1971), Nat Stuckey’s “She Wakes Me With a Kiss Every Morning” (1971), Johnny Russell’s “The Baptism of Jesse Taylor” (1974), Roy Head’s “The Door I Used to Close” (1976), Moe Bandy’s “Does Anyone Make Love at Home Anymore” (1976), Tanya Tucker’s “What’s Your Mama’s Name” (1973) and Stoney Edwards’ “Hank and Lefty Raised My Country Soul” (1974). He also scored a pop success as the writer of O.C. Smith’s 1968 hit “The Son of Hickory Hollow’s Tramp.”
Dallas Frazier returned to record making with a pair of country albums for RCA, 1970’s Singing My Songs and 1971’s My Baby Packed Up My Mind and Left Me. Both were co-produced by Chet Atkins. In 1969-72, Dallas Frazier made the country charts with such RCA singles as “California Cotton Fields,” “The Birthmark Henry Thompson Talks About,” “Big Mable Murphy” and “North Carolina.”
It is a measure of how gifted and prolific he was that Dallas Frazier was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1976 when he was only 36 years old.
In the late 1970s, Johnny Russell revived “The Son of Hickory Hollow’s Tramp” and Rodney Crowell brought back “Elvira.” These revivals of Dallas Frazier classics continued in the 1980s with Emmylou Harris singing “Beneath Still Waters” (1980), The Whites doing a harmony treatment of “If It Ain’t Love (Let’s Leave It Alone)” (1985) and Patty Loveless scoring a hit with “If My Heart Had Windows” (1988).
Biggest of all was The Oak Ridge Boys revival of “Elvira” in 1981. It crossed over to the pop charts, earned a Platinum Record, won a Grammy Award, was the CMA Single of the Year and became the group’s signature song. Also in 1981, Gene Watson hit No. 1 on the country hit parade with Dallas Frazier’s “Fourteen Carat Mind.”
Among the hundreds who recorded his songs were Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Dottie West, Bobby Bare, Ernest Tubb, Hank Williams Jr., Vince Gill, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, Ricky Skaggs, Don Gibson, Bill Anderson, Conway Twitty, Kitty Wells, Glen Campbell, Peggy Lee, Englebert Humperdinck, Tom Jones, Keith Richards, Kenny Rogers, Ray Price, Patti Page, Anne Murray, Hank Snow, Webb Pierce, Eddy Arnold, Percy Sledge, Nick Lowe, Manfred Mann, Quincy Jones, Bobby Rydell, Mickey Gilley, The Statler Brothers, Slim Harpo, The Beach Boys and Sonny James.
“There Goes My Everything,” “All I Have to Offer You Is Me” and “Elvira” all earned Frazier Grammy nominations for Country Song of the Year.
Noted for his gentle nature and generosity, Frazier was notable as the mentor of fellow Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee A.L. “Doodle” Owens. His other collaborators included fellow Hall of Famers Whitey Shafer and Earl “Peanut” Montgomery.
Dallas Frazier became a heavy drinker. In the 1980s, he resolved to get his life back on track. He enrolled in Emmanuel Bible College in 1985-89. He quit the music business in 1988 to become a non-denominational minister, channeling his creative energies to write weekly sermons instead of songs.
Throughout the 1990s, he declined almost all overtures to rejoin the Nashville music community. One exception was when he agreed to take part in the Recording Academy’s 1999 documentary Nashville Songwriter, which inaugurated the organization’s oral history program.
About five years later, he began feeling the urge to write again. Sharon Frazier persuaded her husband to appear at a Songwriter Session at the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006. This inspired the museum to launch its “Poets & Prophets” series the following spring.
Frazier stepped down at his church and began writing songs again in 2007. He returned to the Hall of Fame to take part in its multi-media “Poets & Prophets” series in 2010. Two years later, he marketed a new album, Dallas Frazier: Writing and Singing Again.
Director Scott McDaniel created Elvira: The True Story of Dallas Frazier, and the documentary debuted at the Franklin Theater in 2020. The movie continues to screen at film festivals.
The family announced Dallas Frazier’s death on Facebook on Friday, Jan. 14. He passed following several months of declining health. Since last August, he had suffered two strokes.
Frazier is survived by his wife of 63 years, Sharon Carpani Frazier; daughters, Robin Proetta, Melody Morris and Alison Thompson; four grandchildren; one great-grandson; and a sister, Judy Shults.
The funeral service will be 11:00 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 20 at the chapel of Alexander Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 584 Nashville Pike, Gallatin, TN. Visitation will be Wednesday, Jan. 19 from 4:00-8:00 p.m. and Thursday, Jan. 20 from 10:00 a.m. until time of service. Online condolences may be submitted at alexandergallatin.com. Frazier requested that donations be made to the Nashville Rescue Mission in lieu of flowers.
Songwriting Titan Dallas Frazier Dies
/by Robert K OermannDallas Frazier wins the 1982 Songwriter of the Year award from the readers of Music City News. Photo: Courtesy Robert K. Oermann
Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Dallas Frazier has passed away at age 82.
Regarded as one of the greatest country songwriters in history, Frazier’s classics include “There Goes My Everything,” “Beneath Still Waters,” “Elvira,” “Fourteen Carat Mind” and “All I Have to Offer You Is Me.” His songs helped make stars of Connie Smith and Charley Pride. More than a dozen members of the Country Music Hall of Fame recorded Frazier’s works. He was also a much admired recording artist.
He was born in Spiro, Oklahoma in 1939, but was raised in Bakersfield, California. Frazier recalled his early years as being characterized by labor camps and cotton fields. The boy was highly musical, teaching himself to play guitar, piano and other instruments. He was writing songs by age 12. That is when he was discovered by Ferlin Husky at a singing contest.
Frazier joined Husky’s road show as a juvenile attraction. This led to a 1954 recording contract with Husky’s label, Capitol Records. The youngster became a 1954-58 regular on the Los Angeles TV show Hometown Jamboree, where he was frequently paired with fellow teen performer Molly Bee. Frazier also worked regularly on Cousin Herb Henderson’s Trading Post TV series in Bakersfield. These gigs put the teenager in the company of Tommy Collins, Jean Shepard, Buck Owens, Wynn Stewart and the rest of the country entertainers who would form the bedrock of Bakersfield’s country community.
Dallas Frazier met and married his wife Sharon in 1958. They remained together throughout his subsequent triumphs and trials.
His youthful Capitol singles didn’t take off, but his songwriting did. Frazier’s pop novelty ditty “Alley Oop” became a No. 1 hit for The Hollywood Argyles in 1960. The group was a recording-studio concoction of Gary S. Paxton, Buddy Mize, Scotty Turner and others. Frazier briefly performed as a member of the touring Hollywood Argyles. “Alley Oop” was so popular that it was released in a competing version by Dante & The Evergreens which became a top-20 pop hit. An R&B outfit called The Dyna-Sores also charted with the tune in 1960.
Dallas Frazier. Photo: Courtesy of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Dallas and Sharon Frazier moved to Nashville in 1963. Husky again took the songwriter under his wing, signing him to his publishing company and recording “Timber I’m Falling” as Frazier’s first country hit in 1964.
The songwriter next signed with Acclaim Music, Jim Reeves’ song-publishing company. It was run by the singer’s former Blue Boys band member Ray Baker, who took Frazier’s “Mohair Sam” to Charlie Rich in 1965.
It became a pop hit. Frazier followed Baker to the latter’s Blue Crest Music, and this is where his long run of country songwriting successes ensued.
As a singer, Dallas Frazier re-signed with Capitol Records. He recorded two excellent, R&B flavored albums for the label, Elvira (1966) and Tell It Like It Is (1967). The title tune of the former appeared briefly on the pop charts in 1966, as did “Just a Little Bit of You.” The Capitol singles “Everybody Oughta Sing a Song,” “The Sunshine of My World” and “I Hope I Like Mexico Blues” were mid-sized country chart entries in 1968. Frazier also co-wrote and recorded 1969’s “The Conspiracy of Homer Jones” as a parody of “Ode to Billie Jo” and “Harper Valley P.T.A.”
Meanwhile, his songs scored big on the country charts for others. “Baby Ain’t That Fine” became a 1966 hit duet for Gene Pitney & Melba Montgomery. Jack Greene recorded Frazier’s “There Goes My Everything” in 1966. It remained at No. 1 for seven weeks and was named the CMA Song of the Year. The song received a second boost in popularity when Elvis Presley hit with it again five years later.
Also in 1966, Connie Smith hit with Frazier’s “Ain’t Had No Lovin’” and George Jones scored with “I’m a People.” Both artists showed their appreciation and admiration by recording entire albums of Dallas Frazier songs, Jones in 1968 and Smith in 1972.
George Jones returned to the songwriter’s catalog with 1967’s “If My Heart Had Windows, which Frazier wrote for his wife Sharon, plus “I Can’t Get There From Here” (1967), “Say It’s Not You” (1968), “Beneath Still Waters” (1968) and “Tell Me My Lying Eyes Are Wrong” (1970). Connie Smith encored with Frazier’s “Run Away Little Tears” (1968), “Where Is My Castle” (1971), “I’m Sorry If My Love Got in Your Way” (1971), “Just for What I Am” (1972), “If It Ain’t Love (Let’s Leave It Alone)” (1972), “Dream Painter” (1973) and “Ain’t Love a Good Thing” (1973). Smith has recorded 68 Dallas Frazier songs, more than anyone
Frazier’s songs also aided the ascent of Charley Pride. “All I Have to Offer You Is Me” (1969), “I’m So Afraid of Losing You Again” (1969), “I Can’t Believe That You’ve Stopped Loving Me” (1970) and “Then Who Am I” (1974) all became No. 1 hits for the singer.
Jack Greene resumed recording Frazier songs with “Back in the Arms of Love” (1969),“Until My Dreams Come True” (1969) and “Lord Is That Me” (1970). Brenda Lee’s transition from pop stardom to country hit maker was aided by Frazier’s “Johnny One Time” (1969) and “If This Is Our Last Time” (1971).
The songwriter’s string of country successes also continued with Charlie Louvin’s “Will You Visit Me on Sundays” (1968), Jerry Lee Lewis’s “Touching Home” (1971), Ferlin Husky’s “White Fences and Evergreen Trees” (1968), Elvis Presley’s “Where Did They Go Lord” (1971), Nat Stuckey’s “She Wakes Me With a Kiss Every Morning” (1971), Johnny Russell’s “The Baptism of Jesse Taylor” (1974), Roy Head’s “The Door I Used to Close” (1976), Moe Bandy’s “Does Anyone Make Love at Home Anymore” (1976), Tanya Tucker’s “What’s Your Mama’s Name” (1973) and Stoney Edwards’ “Hank and Lefty Raised My Country Soul” (1974). He also scored a pop success as the writer of O.C. Smith’s 1968 hit “The Son of Hickory Hollow’s Tramp.”
Dallas Frazier returned to record making with a pair of country albums for RCA, 1970’s Singing My Songs and 1971’s My Baby Packed Up My Mind and Left Me. Both were co-produced by Chet Atkins. In 1969-72, Dallas Frazier made the country charts with such RCA singles as “California Cotton Fields,” “The Birthmark Henry Thompson Talks About,” “Big Mable Murphy” and “North Carolina.”
It is a measure of how gifted and prolific he was that Dallas Frazier was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1976 when he was only 36 years old.
In the late 1970s, Johnny Russell revived “The Son of Hickory Hollow’s Tramp” and Rodney Crowell brought back “Elvira.” These revivals of Dallas Frazier classics continued in the 1980s with Emmylou Harris singing “Beneath Still Waters” (1980), The Whites doing a harmony treatment of “If It Ain’t Love (Let’s Leave It Alone)” (1985) and Patty Loveless scoring a hit with “If My Heart Had Windows” (1988).
Biggest of all was The Oak Ridge Boys revival of “Elvira” in 1981. It crossed over to the pop charts, earned a Platinum Record, won a Grammy Award, was the CMA Single of the Year and became the group’s signature song. Also in 1981, Gene Watson hit No. 1 on the country hit parade with Dallas Frazier’s “Fourteen Carat Mind.”
Among the hundreds who recorded his songs were Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Dottie West, Bobby Bare, Ernest Tubb, Hank Williams Jr., Vince Gill, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, Ricky Skaggs, Don Gibson, Bill Anderson, Conway Twitty, Kitty Wells, Glen Campbell, Peggy Lee, Englebert Humperdinck, Tom Jones, Keith Richards, Kenny Rogers, Ray Price, Patti Page, Anne Murray, Hank Snow, Webb Pierce, Eddy Arnold, Percy Sledge, Nick Lowe, Manfred Mann, Quincy Jones, Bobby Rydell, Mickey Gilley, The Statler Brothers, Slim Harpo, The Beach Boys and Sonny James.
“There Goes My Everything,” “All I Have to Offer You Is Me” and “Elvira” all earned Frazier Grammy nominations for Country Song of the Year.
Noted for his gentle nature and generosity, Frazier was notable as the mentor of fellow Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee A.L. “Doodle” Owens. His other collaborators included fellow Hall of Famers Whitey Shafer and Earl “Peanut” Montgomery.
Dallas Frazier became a heavy drinker. In the 1980s, he resolved to get his life back on track. He enrolled in Emmanuel Bible College in 1985-89. He quit the music business in 1988 to become a non-denominational minister, channeling his creative energies to write weekly sermons instead of songs.
Throughout the 1990s, he declined almost all overtures to rejoin the Nashville music community. One exception was when he agreed to take part in the Recording Academy’s 1999 documentary Nashville Songwriter, which inaugurated the organization’s oral history program.
About five years later, he began feeling the urge to write again. Sharon Frazier persuaded her husband to appear at a Songwriter Session at the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006. This inspired the museum to launch its “Poets & Prophets” series the following spring.
Frazier stepped down at his church and began writing songs again in 2007. He returned to the Hall of Fame to take part in its multi-media “Poets & Prophets” series in 2010. Two years later, he marketed a new album, Dallas Frazier: Writing and Singing Again.
Director Scott McDaniel created Elvira: The True Story of Dallas Frazier, and the documentary debuted at the Franklin Theater in 2020. The movie continues to screen at film festivals.
The family announced Dallas Frazier’s death on Facebook on Friday, Jan. 14. He passed following several months of declining health. Since last August, he had suffered two strokes.
Frazier is survived by his wife of 63 years, Sharon Carpani Frazier; daughters, Robin Proetta, Melody Morris and Alison Thompson; four grandchildren; one great-grandson; and a sister, Judy Shults.
The funeral service will be 11:00 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 20 at the chapel of Alexander Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 584 Nashville Pike, Gallatin, TN. Visitation will be Wednesday, Jan. 19 from 4:00-8:00 p.m. and Thursday, Jan. 20 from 10:00 a.m. until time of service. Online condolences may be submitted at alexandergallatin.com. Frazier requested that donations be made to the Nashville Rescue Mission in lieu of flowers.
“Dean Of Country Broadcasters” Ralph Emery Passes
/by Robert K OermannRalph Emery. Photo: Courtesy of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Country Music Hall of Fame member Ralph Emery died on Saturday, Jan. 15 at age 88.
He was country music’s leading broadcaster for more than 50 years, first on radio and then as the genre’s ambassador on national cable television. Emery was also a recording artist, a presence in syndicated TV and the author of several books. His relaxed, avuncular style made country stars comfortable as they experienced their first mass-media exposure.
Walter Ralph Emery was born in McEwen, TN in 1933. He was a rather lonely and sad youngster. His alcoholic father and mentally unstable mother led to him being partly raIsed by his farmer grandparents. The introverted boy found solace in listening to the radio and became intrigued with the idea of making it his profession.
Ralph Emery. Photo: Mercury Records
Following a move to Nashville in 1940, he graduated from East High and enrolled in the Tennessee School of Broadcasting. Emery’s teacher was the legendary R&B deejay John Richbourg, who was famed on WLAC as “John R.” Emery was taught proper diction, learned to read the news, modulated his voice and lost his rural accent. John R recommended him for a 1951 job in Paris, TN on WTPR. Emery then returned to Nashville for a stint at WNAH, then one at nearby Franklin’s WAGG. That station is where he learned to interview country celebrities such as Del Wood and Webb Pierce.
Next, he landed a job back home in Nashville at WSIX in late 1953. He did sports announcing for live wrestling broadcasts and emceed a pop-music show by Pat Boone. This led to an offer from WLCS in Baton Rouge, LA in 1956. He only lasted a month there before returning to the Nashville airways on WMAK, a pop-music broadcaster. He was fired by that station. Luckily, he landed a job at WSM in 1957, which paved the way to his national fame.
The station put him on the air on its all-night shift at $90 a week. During the next 15 years, Emery transformed the overnight show. He invited artists to visit the program and encouraged them to bring guitars or to sing playing the station’s piano. Marty Robbins, Patsy Cline, Tex Ritter, Jim Reeves, Loretta Lynn and many other top stars stopped by to chat because of his open-door policy. His easy-going interview style made him an audience favorite, and WSM’s clear-channel, 50,000-watt power meant that the night owl was heard in 38 states nightly. By the time he signed off in 1972, the all-night show was known as “Opry Star Spotlight.”
He was also an announcer on the station’s iconic Grand Ole Opry in 1961-64. Emery’s second wife was Opry star Skeeter Davis, to whom he was married in 1960-64.
His popularity as a broadcaster led to an offer to record for Liberty Records. Emery made an “answer record” to Faron Young’s “Hello Walls” (written by Willie Nelson), and his “Hello Fool” became a top-10 hit in 1961. He also recorded for Mercury, ABC-Paramount, Elektra and other labels, but never made the charts again.
He next made the move to television. Between 1963 and 1991, Emery hosted WSMV-TV’s local, early-morning broadcast. It was named The Ralph Emery Show in 1972. The weekday program featured one of live local television’s only surviving studio bands and was notable for giving breaks to up-and-coming artists such as The Judds, Randy Travis and Lorrie Morgan. For a time in the 1970s and 1980s, it was the highest-rated local morning television show in the U.S.
He also had an afternoon program, Sixteenth Avenue, in 1966-69. He was featured in the movies Country Music on Broadway (1965), Nashville Rebel (1966), Girl From Tobacco Road (1966) and The Road to Nashville (1967).
The pace was grueling. Daily all-night radio, early-morning TV, syndicated-show tapings and announcing work resulted in an addiction to amphetamines. Emery overcame this as his national profile rose.
He launched a syndicated radio show titled “Take Five for Country Music” then “Goody’s Presents Ralph Emery.” This was carried by 425+ stations in 1986-91. Radio syndication led to syndicated television. He hosted Pop Goes the Country in TV syndication in 1973-79. In 1976, he was the announcer for Dolly Parton’s syndicated seres.
When cable television emerged in the early 1980s, Ralph Emery jumped on board. His first show was Nashville Alive, which aired on Ted Turner’s TBS channel in 1981-83. Beginning in 1983, Emery hosted Nashville Now on TNN. It brought him the biggest national audience of his long career. As the flagship show of the network, it attracted a who’s-who of country stardom to Emery’s TV stage and desk. In 1986, he was voted America’s Favorite Cable TV Personality by the readers of Cable Guide magazine.
Photos of Ralph Emery vary widely, depending on the decade. Always insecure about his looks, Emery underwent cosmetic jaw/dental procedures, face lifts and hair transplants. He discussed these candidly in his best-seller 1991 autobiography, as well as several of his private problems.
Fame and popularity from his nightly Nashville Now shows led him to reactivate his recording career in 1989. Emery signed with RCA and issued Songs for Children and Christmas With Ralph & Red. These were in conjunction with Steve Hall’s puppet Shotgun Red, who’d become a regular on Nashville Now.
Ralph Emery was elected to the Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame in 1989. The following year, Barbara Mandrell organized an all-star salute to Emery featuring 70 top country stars.
In 1991, he published Memories: The Autobiography of Ralph Emery. The book spent 25 weeks on the New York Times “Bestseller” list. He followed it with More Memories (1993), The View From Nashville (1998) and 50 Years Down a Country Road (2000). The books were cowritten, the first two with Tom Carter and the last two with Patsi Bale Cox.
Emery left Nashville Now in 1993, but continued to host specials on TNN. He returned full time to cable TV with Ralph Emery Live on RFD-TV in 2007. By the time that show ended in 2015, it was titled Ralph Emery’s Memories.
Known as, “The Dean of Country Music Broadcasters,” Ralph Emery was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007. He became a member of the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2010.
Ralph Emery is survived by his wife Joy Emery; sons, Steve, Matthew and Ralph Jr.; five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Funeral arrangements have not been announced.
Jeremy Camp To Set Out On ‘I Still Believe Tour’ In March
/by Lydia FarthingPremier Productions and Grammy nominated singer-songwriter Jeremy Camp have revealed the “I Still Believe Tour” with special guests Riley Clemmons and Jordan St. Cyr.
The trek will span 20 cities and feature some of Camp’s biggest hits, including “Dead Man Walking,” “Keep Me in the Moment,” “When You Speak,” “I Still Believe” and more. The “I Still Believe Tour” will kick off on March 10 in Amarillo with additional stops in San Antonio, Lexington, Tampa, Knoxville, and more before wrapping on May 1 in Melbourne, Florida. Tickets will go on sale to the public on Jan. 20. For a full list of dates and cities, click here.
“I can’t wait to get out on the road for the ‘I Still Believe Tour’ in March,” says Camp. “It’s going to be an amazing sight to be worshipping again with people soon! I’m excited to have Riley Clemmons and Jordan St. Cyr, and love that they wanted to jump on board and be a part of this tour! Evangelism is such a huge part of my heart, so I want to encourage everyone to bring a friend who needs to experience the love of Jesus; that is what this night is going to be about, celebrating Jesus’ name!”
“We’re so honored to be working with Jeremy on this special tour,” says SVP of Global Touring with Premier Productions, Dan Rauter. “His authenticity and passion have resonated with audiences from day one and made him an important fixture in our space. His message of hope and perseverance is as timely and relevant now as it was when he first burst on the scene with ‘I Still Believe.’ We’re thrilled to be able to give audiences the opportunity to experience these songs live and hear Jeremy’s powerful testimony firsthand.”
In 2020, Camp celebrated the release of the film I Still Believe, which chronicles his personal story, starring KJ Apa, Britt Robertson, Shania Twain and Gary Sinise. Camp also released a greatest hits album in February 2020, along with re-releasing his I Still Believe memoir.
Criticism Over Morgan Wallen Grand Ole Opry Performance Makes Nationwide News
/by LB CantrellMorgan Wallen. Photo: David Lehr
After he made a surprise appearance at the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday (Jan. 8), Morgan Wallen and the organization have been the subject of scrutiny nationwide.
Wallen joined Big Loud label-mate Ernest during the singer-songwriter’s Grand Ole Opry debut to perform their new collaboration, “Flower Shops.” Ernest is a co-writer on many of the tracks on Wallen’s blockbuster sophomore album, Dangerous: The Double Album.
The performance was Wallen’s first appearance on the hallowed stage since a video surfaced of the singer using the N-word in February 2021. What started as backlash on social media turned into an abundance of media attention from outlets such as The Tennessean, News Channel 5, NBC News, CNN, Fox News, Newsweek, The Hill, Billboard, Rolling Stone, and many more.
Days after the performance, neither the Grand Ole Opry nor Wallen’s team has responded to MusicRow‘s request for comment.
Wallen and the Opry posted photos of his surprise performance Saturday evening, leading country music community members to express their disappointment that he should be allowed back onstage.
The Black Opry, an organization led by Holly G that supports Black artists and fans of country music, was at the forefront of the pushback. She tweeted an open letter to the institution relaying her frustration.
Holly pointed out that not only had the Opry tweeted on June 9 of 2020 that racism “has no place at The Grand Ole Opry,” but that the institution had honored the 55th anniversary of Charley Pride‘s debut performance on the hallowed stage just a night before. Pride is one of only two Black Grand Ole Opry members, the other being Darius Rucker.
Grammy-winner Jason Isbell also shared his frustration, saying that he was “real sad for a lot of [his] friends.”
Newcomer artist Joy Oladokun added: “Morgan Wallen’s thoughtless redemption tour is the nail in the coffin of me realizing these systems, and this town is really not for us. imma keep making my lil music in my attic, y’all can listen if you want. i don’t know that i’ll do this work forever.”
Other artists who shared their disappointment included Yola, Allison Russell, Rissi Palmer, Will Hoge, and more.
Despite the video of Wallen surfacing in February of last year, the controversial entertainer had one of the most successful albums of 2021, with Dangerous becoming the most consumed album of the year in the U.S., according to MRC data.
Immediately following the incident, Big Loud suspended Wallen’s recording contract, WME dropped him from their talent roster, and he was removed from many country radio playlists and disqualified from major awards ceremonies. But in August, Big Loud sent his new single “Sand In My Boots” to country radio, where it currently sits at No. 7. In November, Wallen announced a 46-date tour, to which he added more dates due to high demand.
Wallen has only done one interview on the matter. In July, during a talk with Michael Strahan on Good Morning America, Wallen said that while he was using the word in a “playful” way, he knew it was ignorant and wrong to use the N-word.
During the same interview, when asked if he thought country music had a race problem, Wallen said “it would seem that way,” but he hadn’t “really sat and thought about that.” See the full interview here.
Chart Action: Maren Morris Dominates Charts With Latest Single
/by Alex ParryMaren Morris earns the most-added distinction at country radio this week with her single “Circles Around This Town.” She debuted at No. 25 on the Billboard Country Airplay Chart with 75 new stations adds. On the Mediabase chart, she saw 101 new adds and debuted at No. 29. On the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart, Morris earned 29 first week adds and is the highest debut at No. 48.
Written by Morris, Ryan Hurd, Julia Michaels and Jimmy Robbins, “Circles Around This Town” broke Amazon Music’s record for most streams for a country song debut by a female artist. The song also debuted as the No. 1 country song and No. 7 all genre song on Pandora’s Top Thumbed Hundred Chart.
In addition to her new single release, Morris also announced her upcoming album, Humble Quest, which is set for release on March 25 via Sony Music Nashville’s Columbia Nashville imprint.
For more chart data, view the latest edition of The MusicRow Weekly.
Zac Brown Band To Embark On ‘Out In The Middle Tour’ Beginning In April
/by Lorie HollabaughZac Brown Band. Photo: Danny Clinch
Zac Brown Band will embark on their 2022 “Out in the Middle Tour” beginning April 22. Joining the band once again will be Caroline Jones, who performed as a special guest during “The Comeback Tour.” The Robert Randolph Band will also open on select dates.
The trek will see the award-winning band return to some of the nation’s most iconic venues, including Boston’s Fenway Park, where Zac Brown Band currently holds the record for most consecutive sold-out shows. The run will also include performances at Atlanta’s Truist Park, Wrigley Field in Chicago, and the legendary Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and more through Nov. 19.
“Performing in front of millions of fans around the world is one of the most electrifying and humbling feelings,” says Brown. “We’re so excited to go back out on the road and keep the unbelievable momentum going from ‘The Comeback Tour.’ It’s been such an incredible year for the band, debuting some of the best music we’ve ever made, and we are thrilled to continue playing live for our amazing fans.”
Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, January 21 at 10 a.m. local time. The Zamily Fan Club presale will begin on Tuesday, Jan.18, followed by the simultaneous Spotify and Live Nation presales on Jan. 19.
“Out In The Middle Tour” 2022 Dates:
Friday, April 22 – Greenville, SC – Bon Secours Wellness Arena+
Saturday, April 23 – Charleston, SC – Credit One Stadium+
Friday, May 20 – Oklahoma City, OK – Paycom Center+
Sunday, May 22 – San Antonio, TX – Real Life Amphitheater
Thursday, June 2 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center+
Friday, June 3 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage+
Friday, June 17 – Atlanta, GA – Truist Park+
Friday, July 8 – Akron, OH – Dowed Field*
Saturday, July 9 – Chicago, IL – Wrigley Field+
Friday, July 15 – Boston, MA – Fenway Park^+
Thursday, July 28 – Indianapolis, IN – Ruoff Music Center
Friday, July 29 – Detroit, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
Saturday, July 30 – Mt. Pleasant, MI – Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort
Friday, August 12 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre+
Saturday, August 13 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center+
Sunday, August 14 – Hershey, PA – Hersheypark Stadium+
Thursday, August 18 – New York, NY – Citi Field+
Friday, August 19 – Endicott, NY – En-Joie Golf Course*
Friday, August 26 – Camden, NJ – BB&T Pavilion+
Saturday, August 27 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live+
Friday, September 23 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater+
Saturday, September 24 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion+
Sunday, September 25 – Birmingham, AL – Oak Mountain Amphitheatre+
Friday, October 7 – Jacksonville, FL – Daily’s Place+
Saturday, October 8 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre+
Sunday, October 9 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre+
Thursday, October 20 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena+
Friday, October 21 – Vancouver, BC – Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena+
Saturday, October 22 – Portland, OR – Moda Center+
Friday, November 4 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Bowl+
Sunday, November 6 – Oakland, CA – Oakland Arena+
Saturday, November 19 – Phoenix, AZ – Chase Field**
*Tickets on-sale now
**Ticket on-sale date to be announced
^Tickets go on-sale Thursday, January 20th
+Special Guest Robert Randolph Band
Priscilla Block Welcomes Fans To The Block Party On Upcoming Debut Album
/by Lorie HollabaughPriscilla Block is set to release her debut album, Welcome To The Block Party, on Feb. 11. On the heels of this announcement, her brand new song, “My Bar,” written by Block, Stone Aielli, and Lexie Hayden, is available everywhere now.
The album follows Block’s 2021 self-titled EP, which marked the highest-performing country female debut EP of the year. Welcome To The Block Party includes 12 songs all written by the Mercury Nashville newcomer, including “Just About Over You,” the highest-peaking debut single from a female country artist in 2021.
The project also features a collaboration with writer Hillary Lindsey, “I Know A Girl,” as well as tracks penned by David Garcia, Josh Kerr, Emily Kroll, Liz Rose, and more.
“I cannot believe that my debut album is almost here,” says Block. “It has all the trash, all the sass, and all the sad. But hey, that’s my life, and I’m so excited for the world to finally hear this. I wrote all of these songs from a real and raw place, and I am grateful that I have the opportunity to show various aspects of where I’ve been and who I am. Everyone knows that I love a good bar, so ‘My Bar’ felt a perfect place to kick off the new record!! Welcome to the Block Party Baby!!!!”
Block, who was named one of MusicRow‘s 2021 Next Big Thing Artists, first found success on TikTok during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. With fan-favorite releases like “Thick Thighs,” “PMS” and “Just About Over You,” listeners rallied together to independently fund the recording of her debut single.
Welcome To The Block Party Track List:
1. Welcome To The Block Party (Priscilla Block, Mark Mulch)
2. My Bar (Priscilla Block, Stone Aielli, Lexie Hayden)
3. Heels In Hand (Priscilla Block, Robbie Artress, Josh Beale, Sarah Jones, Kate Hasting)
4. Like A Boy (Priscilla Block, Sarah Jones, Emily Kroll)
5. I Know A Girl (Featuring Hillary Lindsey) (Priscilla Block, David Garcia, Hillary Lindsey)
6. Ever Since You Left (Priscilla Block, Sarah Jones, Josh Kerr)
7. Thick Thighs (Block Party Version) (Priscilla Block, Emily Kroll, Sarah Jones)
8. I Bet You Wanna Know (Priscilla Block, Stone Aielli, Sarah Jones)
9. I’ve Gotten Good (Priscilla Block, Liz Rose, Phil Barton)
10. Wish You Were The Whiskey (Priscilla Block, Sarah Jones, Josh Beale, Kate Hasting)
11. Just About Over You (Radio Edit) (Priscilla Block, Emily Kroll, Sarah Jones)
12. Peaked In High School (Priscilla Block, Josh Beale, Sarah Jones, Kate Hasting)
Quartz Hill Records & Brown Sellers Brown Management Announce Promotions, New Hires
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R, top row): Suzanne Durham, Denise Miller; (L-R, bottom row): Maurisa Pasick, April Rider, Will Robinson
Quartz Hill Records and Brown Sellers Brown Management have announced a round of promotions and new staff hires.
Quartz Hill Records VP of Promotion April Rider has been promoted to Sr. VP of Promotion & Marketing for Brown Sellers Brown Management and Quartz Hill Records.
In her new role, Rider will oversee promotion and marketing efforts for both companies. Rider was one of Quartz Hill Records’ first executive hires and has led promotion and marketing efforts since the label’s launch in October of 2020. She previously served as the GM/Operations for Brown’s Stoney Creek Records, and also spent 11 years at Curb Records, rising to Sr. VP of Promotion. Rider also spent six years as a Managing Partner at RPM Entertainment. Rider can be reached at april@brownsellersbrown.com.
Quartz Hill Records Director of Regional Promotion Will Robinson has been promoted to VP of Promotion & Marketing for the label, reporting directly to Rider.
Prior to joining Quartz Hill in November of 2020, Robinson served at 19th & Grand and IRS Records. Robinson’s background also includes stints as the Program Director for WCAT and WCPP in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the Creative Director for WNEW in New York, the Assistant Program Director and Creative Director for WRBQ and WQYK in Tampa, and Music Director/ Midday Personality for WFRE in Frederick, Maryland. Robinson can be reached at will@quartzhillrecords.com.
New hires to the company include Maurisa Pasick, who has been named Director of Promotion for Quartz Hill Records, reporting directly to Robinson.
Pasick transitions from her most recent role as East Coast Director of Promotion & Marketing for Brown Sellers Brown Management, where she worked with Quartz Hill artists Joe Nichols, Ben Gallaher and Nate Barnes at radio. Prior to joining Brown Sellers Brown Management in July 2021, Pasick served as the National Director of Promotion for Riser House Records. She also previously spent more than a decade as the Northeast Director of Promotion for New Revolution Entertainment, spearheading regional promotion and marketing. Pasick can be reached at maurisa@quartzhillrecords.com.
Suzanne Durham has been named Director of Promotion for Quartz Hill, reporting directly to Robinson.
Durham joins the label with more than 25 years of experience in country radio promotion, most recently as Manager/Midwest Regional Promotion for 19th & Grand Records. Her previous career stints include time at both Show Dog and DreamWorks Records. Additionally, Durham served as the Country Marketing Manager for Universal Music Distribution for eight years. Durham can be reached at suzanne@quartzhillrecords.com.
Denise Miller has been named Promotion Coordinator for Brown Sellers Brown Management and Quartz Hill Records.
Miller began her career as an Advertising Consultant/ Promotion Manager with Decca Records before spending more than 20 years as a client manager. Her former stops include Change Healthcare, Engage Patient, ICA Informatics USHealth Group, Agent Alliance, American Express, the Affinion Group and, most recently, Rainmaker Art Studio. Miller can be reached at denise@brownsellersbrown.com.
Additionally, Quartz Hill Records’ National Director of Promotion & Marketing, Matt Galvin, moves to an elevated role within the organization. More details on Galvin’s new position will be announced in the coming weeks.
Dolly Parton Releases Details About New Novel’s Accompanying Album
/by LB CantrellCountry music icon Dolly Parton will release her latest album, Run, Rose, Run, on March 4 via Butterfly Records in partnership with Ingrooves/UMG.
The album will serve as the companion project to Parton’s upcoming original novel of the same name, co-authored by James Patterson and releasing on March 7.
Parton was inspired to write, record and produce the companion album to the story whilst writing the novel. Co-produced by Richard Dennison and Tom Rutledge, the Run, Rose, Run album mirrors the story of a young woman who leaves home for Nashville to pursue her musical dreams and the dark secret from her past that threatens it all.
To give fans a taste of the country, Americana, and bluegrass sounds on the album, Parton has released the first track from Run, Rose, Run, a song called “Big Dreams and Faded Jeans.”
“So many people come to Nashville with their sack of songs,” says Parton. “Whether they’re running from anything or not, they’re running towards a future. That’s what ‘Big Dreams and Faded Jeans’ is all about. I am so pleased to finally share the first song from this exciting new album with all of you!”
To make things even sweeter, Parton has once again teamed-up with Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams for a second run of her wildly popular, “Dolly’s Strawberry Pretzel Pie” ice cream to promote the release of the album. An allocated portion of the proceeds from the flavor’s sales will go to Parton’s beloved literacy program, The Imagination Library.
Jeni’s will also offer customers an exclusive, special edition of the digital album which will feature an exclusive bonus track, “Rose Of My Heart,” for a limited time only at jenis.com.
Run Rose Run Track Listing:
Side A:
1. Run
2. Big Dreams and Faded Jeans
3. Demons (with Ben Haggard)
4. Driven
5. Snakes In The Grass
6. Blue Bonnet Breeze
Side B:
1. Woman Up and Take It Like A Man
2. Firecracker
3. Secrets
4. Lost and Found (with Joe Nichols)
5. Dark Night, Bright Future
6. Love or Lust (with Richard Dennison)
Hailey Whitters Revisits Her Roots On Upcoming ‘Raised’ Record
/by Lydia FarthingHailey Whitters. Photo: Harper Smith
Rising country artist Hailey Whitters will release her third album, Raised, on March 18 via Pigasus Records/Songs & Daughters/Big Loud Records. With the announcement, she has also unveiled the project’s first single, “Everything She Ain’t,” as well as its accompanying Harper Smith-directed music video.
The upcoming album finds Whitters reconnecting with her Iowa roots as she reflects on family, first kisses, and life amid sprawling cornfields. The 17 song album was co-produced by Whitters alongside producer Jake Gear, who produced Whitters’ The Dream and the subsequent deluxe album Living The Dream. The project also finds Whitters reconnecting with co-writers Brandy Clark, Nicolle Galyon, Hillary Lindsey, and Lori McKenna, among others.
“It’s been 14 years since I’ve lived in Iowa, but more and more I’ve been going back there mentally, and being pulled to the people and the places that raised me. The Dream was about my time and experience in Nashville and Raised is about taking the road back home to the Heartland,” Whitters explains. “If The Dream was my wings, then Raised is my roots. This feels like the record I was always supposed to make, but it took The Dream to put me on the radar of this town and this team. Now that I have it, I’m excited for my fans to connect more personally with who I am.”
She continues, “Raised is a celebration of the heartland, but I think it’s a common story no matter where you’re from. My experience growing up in the middle of the country is very relatable to a lot of people. We’ve all lived in a similar way—the only thing that’s different is the scenery.”
On Feb. 4, Whitters will kick off her debut headlining “Heartland Tour” at Wooly’s in Des Moines, Iowa. Late last year, she received her first Grammy nomination for Song of the Year for “A Beautiful Noise,” which was written by Ruby Amanfu, Brandi Carlile, Clark, Alicia Keys, Lindsey, McKenna, Linda Perry and Whitters, and performed by Keys and Carlile.
1) Ad Astra Per Alas Porci (Jordan Lehning, Pedro Palomino)
2) Raised (Hailey Whitters, Nicolle Galyon, Forest Glen Whitehead)
3) Everything She Ain’t (Hailey Whitters, Bryan Simpson, Ryan Tyndell)
4) Big Family (Hailey Whitters, Cameron Bedell, Nicolle Galyon)
5) Middle Of America (feat. American Aquarium) (Hailey Whitters, Bobby Pinson)
6) Plain Jane (Hailey Whitters, Hillary Lindsey, Cary Barlowe)
7) College Town (Hailey Whitters, Nicolle Galyon, Jimmy Robbins)
8) Interlude (Hailey Whitters, Pedro Palomino)
9) Boys Back Home (Hailey Whitters, Brandy Clark, Jessie Jo Dillon)
10) Everybody Oughta (Matt Roy, Craig Wiseman)
11) Pretty Boy (Hailey Whitters, Scooter Carusoe, Tom Douglas)
12) The Neon (Hailey Whitters, Rodney Clawson, Lori McKenna)
13) The Grassman (Hailey Whitters, Aaron Raitiere)
14) Our Grass Is Legal (Hailey Whitters)
15) Beer Tastes Better (Hailey Whitters, Lori McKenna)
16) In A Field Somewhere (Hailey Whitters, Jeff Hyde, Bryan Simpson)
17) Ad Astra Per Alas Porci (Reprise) (Jordan Lehning, Pedro Palomino)