Newsical Notes
Doc Dockery traveled to Meridian, Miss., last month for a visit with his son and his father (who used to perform at Renfro Valley), during the Jimmie Rodgers Festival. Doc sang his original tune "Daddy Sang Those Jimmie Rodgers Blues" during the course of the event. We were hoping to run a three-generation photo of the Dockery men in this newsletter but unfortunately one didn't come through in time. Doc had a great time at the festival and encourages others to check it out next year.
Doc is busy getting ready for his trip to England to spread some of his music around and do some recording. We'll be interested in hearing all about it when Doc returns.
Karen Kraft, one of Louisville's favorite performers, represented herself and a couple of LASC songwriters well on the recent WHAS Crusade for Children. A regular on the popular fund-raising event, Karen included in her set the Diana Black and Alan Morris original "Walk on the Wild Side."
That's co-oping at its finest.
Diana was in the area around Derby time but, unfortunately, was under the weather, which cut into her socializing time. The culprit was thought to be all those bloomin' blooms that were at their peak during early May.
Speaking of Karen Kraft, the lively chanteuse has recently been working on a recording project with Charlie Walls at his Springfield studio. And there's talk of . . . well, better wait a while on this one.
And speaking of Charlie Walls, he was prominently featured in an article in the June 1993 issue of Fur-Fish-Game magazine. The article was about "Kentucky's singing C.O." (Conservation Officer) Rodger Coombs, who has recorded a tape of songs dealing with the need for wildlife conservation. (And if Charlie were here right now, I'm sure he'd have some clever remark about "wildlife," being an alert songwriter, you understand.)
Charlie's connection to the project is that he produced, performed on and mixed the ten-song cassette album of Coombs' originals, Sportsman's Delight, and obviously did an excellent job. Referring to Charlie, Coombs said: "When I take one of my songs to him it's like watching a rose bloom."
Copies of the bloomin' album are available from Charlie for $7.75.
Jack Schupp was spotted in Marty Brown's audience at the Dixie Highway Wal-Mart on June 5 and I snapped a great picture of the two songwriters when they temporarily swapped hats while Marty was greeting the fans and signing autographs.
I also glimpsed former LASC and NSAI songwriter Reba Ashcraft, who was at Wal-Mart in search of a book about writing books. Reba, who married Ron Hogan shortly after Christmas, is writing her own account of the music biz. Good luck, Reba, and belated best wishes and congratulations from your fellow songwriters.
And by the way, a belated thanks to Reba for introducing Ray Yates to the LASC. Don't know what we'd do without him.
On the subject of books, I know that at least two of our fellow songwriters have put aside their songwriting and are busily engaged in writing them. How's it going, Joyce Trammell and Mary Washburn? Let us know when and where the book signings are going to take place. Well, you've gotta believe, don'tcha ?>
Former LASC member Tom Flood, who many of our songwriters will remember, continues to gig around town as a solo act. Tom was scheduled to open for the group Kansas at the Phoenix Hill Tavern on June 30. Hope some of you were able to be there. It was Tom's plan to include on his playlist "I've Got My Doubts About You, Boy," a Prez Paul Moffett original.