Sad to hear that Harold Reid, bass singer of The Statler Brothers, died on Friday, April 24, at the age of 80, from kidney failure. The quartet were elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008 and were the CMA Vocal Group of the Year every year from 1972 to 1977, then again in 1979, 1980 and 1984. They hosted their own TNN cable TV series in 1991-98. It was the network’s top-rated program.
- In case you’re wondering, the 1978 CMA Vocal Group of the Year Award went to The Oak Ridge Boys, and Alabama took home that Award in ’81, ’82 and ’83.
In addition to being the group’s bass singer, Reid co-wrote several of the Statlers’ biggest hits with his brother Don Reid. Harold Reid often took on the role of Lester ‘Roadhog’ Moran in the Statlers’ comedic act Roadhog Moran and the Cadillac Cowboys.
The Statler Brothers recorded more than 50 albums, earning 13 Gold records and 8 Platinum records. They placed 66 songs on the Country charts, and officially retired in 2002.
New music from Clint Black. Clint will release Out of Sane on June 19. It will be his 23rd album and follows his 2019 project, Still Killin’ Time, that marked the 30th anniversary of his music career.
Black has just released “America (Still in Love With You)”, the first single from the upcoming album. He wrote the song with Steve Wariner and said it was originally intended as a song about national unity during a ‘heated’ election season, but has taken on a new meaning during the current pandemic. You can watch the video of the new single at www.clintblack.com
Speaking of Steve Wariner… During the current lockdown, for the past five weeks Steve has hosted #WarinerWednesday live on Facebook. Last Wednesday, he was joined – remotely – by Garth Brooks. Steve and Garth reminisced about the 22nd anniversary of Burnin’ The Roadhouse Down, which included the title track duet with Brooks and also happened to be Steve’s first album release with Capitol Records, Garth’s label at the time. In October, Garth inducted Steve into the revered Musicians Hall of Fame. More about Steve and his Wariner Wednesday shows at https://www.facebook.com/OfficialSteveWariner/
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“I Know Country” Q&A from www.IKnowCountry.com
QUESTION: With whom did Dolly Parton perform on April 29, 1989, at Dollywood? It was the first time they had performed a full concert together in more than a decade.
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Ingrid Andress has set a new record. Her album Lady Like is the highest-streaming country female debut album of all time. The album’s success was largely driven by the popularity of “More Hearts Than Mine,” the first ‘official’ single from the project. (The album’s title track, “Lady Like,” was released earlier as a pre-release promotion for the album.)
Ingrid made a big impact on radio programmers who saw her on the New Faces show during Country Radio Seminar earlier this year.
She was asked by Variety in an interview if radio programmers gave her any feedback about not being the ‘typical’ female country artist. She said, “I’m sure they’re relieved that I’m not in there talking about how angry I am at somebody for cheating, or, you know, beer in trucks. I don’t drink beer, and don’t drive a truck.”
It’s not country, but a new song from The Rolling Stones: “Living in a Ghost Town,” a timely song about how life has changed for all of us during the Covid-19 pandemic. The music video at YouTube shows shots of empty streets, parks and subway stations all over the world.
You can search for me, I had to go underground
Life was so beautiful, then we all got locked down
Feel like a ghost, livin’ in a ghost town
In fact, Mick Jagger said he and Keith Richards began writing the song about a year ago, then decided to finish it up with slightly changed lyrics when the Covid lockdown made the song seem to fit the way everyone is feeling now. With their No Filter Tour on hold, Jagger and Richards have had more time to write more songs for their next album, which will be their first project of new material since 2005.
Billboard Country Airplay Top 5 for the week of May 2 (last week’s position in parentheses)
- (2) “Nobody But You” Blake Shelton w/Gwen Stefani
- (3) “Chasin’ You” Morgan Wallen
- (4) “More Hearts Than Mine” Ingrid Andress
- (1) “I Hope” Gabby Barrett
- (6) “Beer Can’t Fix” Thomas Rhett feat: Jon Pardi
- “Nobody But You” is Blake’s 27th Country Airplay No. 1 – and is Gwen Stefani’s first time to top this chart, but she topped the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 with “Hollaback Girl” in 2005.
- “Nobody But You” was written by Shane McAnally, Ross Copperman, Josh Osborne and Tommy Lee James
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“I Know Country” Q&A ANSWER: Dolly performed the show with her former duet partner Porter Wagoner.
- Dolly came to national attention as a regular on his TV program, The Porter Wagoner Show, and on his traveling show. After seven years with Wagoner, she left to launch her solo career.
- Dolly told CMT, “We fought a lot. We were very much alike. We were both stubborn. We both believed that we knew what was best for me.”
- Dolly’s 1974 song, “I Will Always Love You,” was about her feelings for Porter.
On this day in Country Music
April 29, 1973 Charlie Rich was No. 1 on the Billboard Country Singles chart with “Behind Closed Doors.” It was his first No. 1 and spent 20 weeks at No. 1, also becoming a ‘crossover’ hit on the pop charts. It would be named Single of the Year at both the ACM Awards and the CMA Awards.
April 29, 1991 Alan Jackson released “Don’t Rock the Jukebox.” It would be his second No. 1 on the Hot Country Singles chart, and received the ASCAP Country Song of the Year Award in 1992.
This week’s Country Music Birthdays
April 26 Jay DeMarcus (Rascal Flatts), 1971
April 27 John Osborne (Brothers Osbourne), 1982
April 29 Willie Nelson. 1933
Duane Allen (Oak Ridge Boys), 1943
Ashley Gorley (hit songwriter), 1977
Michael Ray, 1988
May 1 Tim McGraw, 1967
May 2 Larry Gatlin (Gatlin Brothers), 1948
Ty Herndon, 1962
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
