Joe Diffie passed away March 29 after having tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19). We became friends in the ’90s when Joe cut a song by Randy Boudreaux on his first album. We’d hang out at Barbara’s bar and restaurant with Joe, Tim McGraw, Tracy Lawrence and others. Joe’s first release was “Home,” followed by “If the Devil Danced (In Empty Pockets),” “Third Rock From the Sun,” “Pickup Man,” and “Bigger Than the Beatles.” Diffie charted 18 Top Ten singles, with the majority reaching the Top Five, including the 1993 radio staples “Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die)” and “John Deere Green.”
- Lyrics from “Prop Me Up By the Jukebox”: “Just let my headstone be a neon sign/ Just let it burn in memory of all of my good times,” he sang. “… I’ll be the life of the party, even when I’m dead and gone.”
Jan Howard died March 28. The Grand Ole Opry icon was 91. Jan was painfully shy and never imagined herself as a performer despite having such a great voice. It was her third husband, songwriter Harlan Howard, who heard her singing and realized her talent. It was the first time she’d ever let anyone hear her sing. Jan sang a demo of Harlan’s song, “Mommy For a Day” which was a hit for Kitty Wells in 1958. She recorded many more demos that became hits for other artists, particularly Patsy Cline, until she was signed to a recording deal by Decca Records’ Owen Bradley. Jan was plagued by anxiety, many phobias and stage fright. After her divorce from Harlan Howard, Jan became a songwriter herself and also recorded numerous duets with Bill Anderson and found emotional support from fellow Opry members Jean Shepard, Skeeter Davis and Patsy Cline.
- Jan was considered an ‘honorary member’ of Mother Maybelle & the Carter Sisters: that’s her voice singing the line “Mama sang tenor” on the 1969 Johnny Cash hit, “Daddy Sang Bass.”
- In 1968, she wrote “My Son,” a recitation in the form of a letter to her son, serving in Vietnam, as a mother’s plea for him to return home safely. Bill Anderson insisted she record it, although she resisted at first, and cried throughout the recording. Two weeks after the song’s release, she heard that her son Jimmy had been killed in the war. She never sang the song in public, but received thousands of thankful letters from soldiers and their parents.
- Her big solo hits included “The One You Slip Around With” (1960), “Bad Seed” (1966) and the Grammy-nominated singles “Evil On Your Mind” (1966) and “My Son” (1968).
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“I Know Country” Q&A from www.IKnowCountry.com
QUESTION: On April 1, 2008, MCA released George Strait’s 25th album that included the smash hit, “I Saw God Today.” What was the one-word title of this platinum-certified album.
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It’s NOT only make-believe: There is now a street named after Conway Twitty. Earlier this month, family members and Hendersonville, TN, city officials gathered in Drake’s Creek Park for a ceremony to unveil the sign for Conway Twitty Lane. Twitty found success with songs that scored on the pop, rockabilly and R&B charts as well as Country. Born Harold Lloyd Jenkins, he allegedly chose his stage name after looking at a road map and seeing Conway, Arkansas and Twitty, Texas. He was a long-time resident of Hendersonville and fans flocked to ‘Twitty City’ particularly during the Christmas season.
- Full disclosure: I wrote the liner notes for the album Timeless, Conway Twitty’s first album release in 26 years. You can find the album at http://www.countryrewindrecords.com/
- After high school, he was offered the chance to play pro-baseball with the Philadelphia Phillies organization but was drafted into the US Army where he began to write and sing rock & roll songs.
Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood were a bit too popular during last week’s online ‘at home’ concert show. 5.2 million fans watched (or tried to watch) and ‘crashed’ the Facebook page. Realizing they need a bigger platform, Garth is teaming up with CBS TV to air a special called “Garth & Trisha Live!” set for 8:00 pm CST, Wednesday April 1st on most CBS affiliates. (Check local air time in your area.) The show will take place without an audience and with a minimal crew. CBS describes the special as “an intimate concert for viewers looking for the comfort and shared joy of music during this difficult time.” In a release, Garth, Trisha and CBS said that together they will donate $1 million to Covid-19 relief efforts. See https://garthbrooks.com/
Following his March 20 death at age 81, Kenny Rogers scores his first No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart in over 34 years. For the album chart dated April 4, The Best of Kenny Rogers: Through the Years rocketed to the top. According to Nielsen Music. It is Rogers’ 12th Top Country Albums No. 1 and first since The Heart of the Matter. The album is also at No. 9 on the all-genre Billboard 200 album chart. And “The Gambler” is No. 1 on the Billboard Country Digital Sales chart
Billboard Country Airplay Top 5 for the week of April 4 (last week’s position in parentheses)
- (3) “What She Wants Tonite” Luke Bryan
- (5) “Catch” Brett Young
- (1) “Homemade” Jake Owen
- (6) “Slow Dance in a Parking Lot Jordan Davis
- (2) “Homesick” Kane Brown
Highest new entry on the Airplay charts: “I Love My Country” by Florida Georgia Line at No 18
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“I Know Country” Q&A ANSWER: The album’s title: Troubadour. It peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.
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On this day in Country Music
April 1, 1967 The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum opened at the foot of Music Row, 16th Avenue at Division Street. In 2001, it was moved to a new location, closer to the Ryman Auditorium.
April 1, 2008 “Small Town Southern Man” sung by Alan Jackson was at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Singles chart. It was Jackson’s 23rd No. 1.
April 1, 2019 MCA released Jordan Davis’ “Slow Dance in a Parking Lot” to radio… so it has taken 52 weeks at country radio to climb to No. 4 on the Airplay chart. A full year of promotion by Jordan, and hoping to reach No. 1.
This week’s Country Music Birthdays
March 29 Brady Seals, 1969
March 30 Justin Moore, 1984
Thomas Rhett, 1990
April 1 Jim Ed Brown, 1934 (died June 11, 2015)
Kip Moore, 1980
Hillary Scott (Lady Antebellum), 1986
April 2 Billy Dean, 1962
April 3 Billy Joe Royal (Down In the Boondocks)
Preshias Harris is the author of “I Know Country” with 366 daily country music questions and answers. You can buy and instantly download your e-book copy at www.IKnowCountry.com.
Harris is also a music career development consultant with the emphasis on new and aspiring artists and songwriters. Visit www.collegeofsongology.com for more details. Follow her blog at www.nashvillemusicline.com
