ROOTS of Country Music

Billie Jo Spears

(Dec. 14, 2011)

Country singer Billie Jo Spears, best known for her 1975 hit Blanket on the Ground, has died (Dec. 14)at the age of 74.

The sultry-voiced singer, who had 25 top-40 country hits between 1969 and 1984, died at her home in Vidor, Texas on Wednesday, according to reports.

Famed for her bluesy vocals, Spears had her first chart hit with Mr. Walker, It's All Over.

Her other top-10 hits included What I've Got in Mind, Misty Blue and If You Want Me.

Though her popularity waned in the 1980s, Spears continued to tour, despite having triple bypass heart surgery in 1993.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Dan "Bee" Spears

(Dec. 8, 2011)

Dan "Bee" Spears, the longtime bassist in Willie Nelson's family band, died Thursday (Dec. 8) after falling outside his Nashville home, the legendary country singer announced on Friday. According to Nelson, Spears, who was 62, died from exposure.

Spears spent more that 40 years keeping up with Nelson, whose guitar style relies heavily on playing just behind the beat of his songs.

Spears joined Nelson's band, called the Family, in 1968 when bassist David Zettner was drafted into the Army. The Texas native appeared on several of Nelson's landmark albums, including the 1970s classics Shotgun Willie, Stardust and Red Headed Stranger. He also appeared as Bo in the 1980 film Honeysuckle Rose, a romantic drama starring Nelson.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Paul Yandell

(Nov. 21, 2011)

Paul T. Yandell, C.G.P. who was born in Mayfield, KY on September 6, 1935 passed away quietly at his home in Hendersonville, TN with his family at his side after a long battle with cancer on November 21, 2011.

Paul Yandell was an accomplished player by the time he left high school in Western Kentucky, arriving in Nashville in 1955. Little did he know he would end up playing for the most renowned guitar player in the world. He joined Chet Atkins in 1975 supporting Chet in his career that lasted for 25 years.

Paul Yandell started his career with The Louvin Brothers, which lasted until 1959, with Paul playing on many of their greatest hits. After serving in the army, Paul joined the Kitty Wells & Johnny Wright show where he stayed from 1961-1969 after which he worked for about a year with George Hamilton, IV. He then joined Jerry Reed in 1970.

Making his place in Nashville's musical community as a session player, Paul played on many hit records with artists such as Chet, Jerry Reed, Dolly Parton, Steve Wariner, Hank Thompson, Perry Como, Roger Whitaker, Kitty Wells, Johnny Wright, The Louvin Bros., Les Paul, Woody Herman, The Everly Bros. and Mary Chapin Carpenter. Mr. Yandell played guitar on Stonewall Jackson's album, The Sadness In a Song, in 1962, which generated Jackson's hit single, Leona.

Mr.Yandell appeared on TV shows such as The Dinah Shore Show, The Tonight Show, The Today Show, The Pat Sajak Show, The Merv Griffin Show and Nashville Now.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Liz Anderson

(Oct. 31, 2011)

Liz Anderson, who wrote breakthrough hits for Merle Haggard and other country singers and recorded songs of her own about faithless men and beleaguered women, died on Monday in Nashville. She was 81.

Ms. Anderson had early success as a songwriter while living in California in the early 1960s, writing top-20 country hits for Del Reeves and Roy Drusky, as well as Just Between the Two of Us, a top-40 duet for Bonnie Owens and Mr. Haggard in 1964.

Although best known for the songs she wrote for other performers, including Jerry Lee Lewis, Waylon Jennings and her daughter, Lynn Anderson, Ms. Anderson also had seven top-40 country hits of her own. Several of them, including Mama Spank, a top-10 single in 1967 and Husband Hunting (1970), took wry aim at wayward or unruly spouses.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Johnnie Wright

(Sept. 27, 2011)

Johnnie Wright, who had a No. 1 hit in 1965 with'Hello Vietnam, has died. The Grand Ole Opry member passed away at his home today (Sept. 27) in Madison, Tennessee. He was 97.

Mr. Wright, was a country music singer-songwriter who spent much of his career working with Jack Anglin as the popular duo Johnnie & Jack and was also the husband of Kitty Wells.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Wilma Lee Cooper

Sept. 13, 2011)

Longtime Grand Ole Opry star Wilma Lee Cooper, who gained national prominence as one-half of the country-bluegrass duo Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper, died Tuesday (Sept. 13) from natural causes at her home in Sweetwater, Tennessee. She was 90.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Don Wayne

(Sep. 12, 2011)

Don Wayne was a country music songwriter best known for penning Carl Smith's smash hit Country Bumpkin, which received the Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music song of the year awards in 1974.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Marshall Grant

(Aug. 7, 2011)

The last living member of Johnny Cash & the Tennessee Two has died. Marshall Grant was a bandmate, road manager and dear friend to the Man in Black for more than four decades.

Mr. played the upright bass in the trio, alongside guitarist Luther Perkins, and is largely credited with pioneering the "boom chicka boom" sound for which Cash was so famous.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Billy Grammer

(Aug. 10, 2011)

Longtime Grand Ole Opry member Billy Grammer died in his home state of Illinois from natural causes. He was 85. An Opry member since 1959, Grammer is considered one of country music's most accomplished guitar players and is perhaps best known for the pop-country hit, Gotta Travel On, which reached the top-5 on both charts the same year of his Opry induction.

In 1963, he charted with his version of the country classic, Detroit City, which he recorded as I Wanna Go Home.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Mel McDaniel

(Mar. 31, 2011)

Grand Ole Opry star Mel McDaniel died after a lengthy battle with lung cancer. The singer, whose biggest hits included Stand Up, 'Louisiana Saturday Night and the 1984 No. 1,'Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On, was born in Checotah, Oklahoma, also the birthplace of Carrie Underwood.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ferlin Husky

(Mar. 17, 2011)

Country Music Hall of Fame member Ferlin Husky has passed away at the age of 85, after a long battle with heart disease. His family confirms to Nashville's Tennessean newspaper that the legendary singer died on March 17, at his daughter's home in Westmoreland, Tennessee.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Charlie Louvin

(Jan. 26, 2011)

Charlie Louvin, who, along with his brother Ira, influenced numerous country and rock performers from Dwight Yoakam and Emmylou Harris to Gram Parsons and the Byrds, died from complications of pancreatic cancer. He was 83.

Charlie's wife Betty, to whom he had been married for 61 years, confirmed to Nashville's WSM radio that Charlie passed away at around 1:30 AM on Wednesday (January 26).

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Buddy Charleton

 (real name: Elmer Lee Charleton)

(Jan. 25, 2011)

Renowned pedal steel guitarist. A member of Ernest Tubb’s finest band of Texas Troubadours, 1962-73. Session musician for Jack Greene, Loretta Lynn, Cal Smith, Jean Shepard, Porter Wagoner, Faron Young and more. Designer at Sho-Bud Guitars. Later a pedal-steel instructor who taught Bruce Bouton, Pete Finney, Bucky Baxter, Tommy Dettamore and many others. Member of the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Margaret Whiting

Jan. 10, 2011)

Pop star who was teamed with singing cowboy Jimmy Wakely for a series of highly successful duets, namely Slipping Around (1949), Wedding Bells (1949), I’ll Never Slip Around Again (1949), Broken-Down Merry-Go-Round (1950),“The Gods Were Angry With Me (1950), Let’s Go to Church Next Sunday Morning (1950), A Bushel and a Peck (1950), When You and I Were Young Maggie Blues (1951) and I Don’t Want to Be Free (1951).

Slipping Around made her the first woman to have a No. 1 hit on the country charts. Among the first pop stars to record the songs of Hank Williams. Also had a pop hit with Cindy Walker’s Dime a Dozen (1949). Original singer of the standard Baby It’s Cold Outside (a 1949 duet with her mentor, Johnny Mercer).

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Deaths 2010

Ruby Wright

(Oct. 27, 1939 ~Sep. 27, 2009)

Ruby Wrightwas an American country music singer-songwriter. Wright was the daughter of country singers Kitty Wells and Johnnie Wright.

Her most successful single was Dern Ya, an answer to Roger Miller's Dang Me.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Vern Gosdin

(Aug. 5, 1934 ~Apr. 28, 2009)

Vern Gosdin was nicknamed "he Voice by his peers. He had 19 top-ten solo hits on the country music charts from the late 1970s through the early 1990s.

Three of these hits went to number one: I Can Tell By the Way You Dance (You're Gonna Love Me Tonight), Set 'Em Up Joe and I'm Still Crazy.

Gosdin, who suffered a stroke in early April 2009, died at a Nashville hospital the evening of April 28.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Dan Seals

(Feb. 8, 1948 ~ Mar. 25, 2009)

Dan Seals, a revered pop and later, country music star, who lent his voice to fans around the world for over four decades, passed away on March 25, 2009, in Nashville, Tennessee after a battle with lymphoma. He was 61.

The younger brother of Seals & Crofts member Jim Seals, he first gained fame as the England Dan half of the soft rock duo England Dan and John Ford Coley. However Dan found greater commercial success and popularity after changing directions and breaking into the country music field as a solo artist.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Hank Locklin

(Feb. 15, 1918 ~ Mar. 8, 2009)

Hank Locklin was a country music singer-songwriter. A member of the Grand Ole Opry for nearly 50 years, Locklin had a long recording career with RCA Victor and scored big with the hits, Please Help Me, I'm Falling, Send Me the Pillow That You Dream On and Geisha Girl from 1957–60. His singles charted from 1949–71.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Ernie Ashworth

(Dec. 15, 1928 ~ Mar. 2, 2009)

Ernie Ashworth was a country music singer and longtime Grand Ole Opry star. Signed to the Hickory label, he recorded two studio albums in his career and charted several singles on Billboard Hot Country Songs, including the number one Talk Back Trembling Lips and six other top ten hits.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Molly Bee

(Aug. 18, 1939 ~ Feb. 7, 2009)

Molly was a country music singer famous for her 1952 recording of the early perennial, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus and as Pinky Lee's sidekick on The Pinky Lee Show.

Molly Bee was also well known in the 1950s in Los Angeles, California as a regular on Hometown Jamboree, a local television program featuring Tennessee Ernie Ford, later the host of NBC's The Ford Show. She also appeared several times on The Ford Show during its five-year run (1956–1961).

Molly Bee, who in her later years went by Molly Muncy offstage, died at Tri-City Medical Center in Oceanside, California of complications related to a stroke.