Vince Young

Vince Young

Do You Feel Like Vince Gill?

 

Do you feel like Vince Gill?

 

After you read what BILL ANDERSON wrote, how do you feel, like Vince Gill?

I will ask you this question at the end of the article, ok gang. Marty Martel sent me Bill Anderson's written statement about the late Don Helms, and I don't know about you gang, but I am touched by Vince Gill, and his crying. Will you?

 

------------- Forwarded Message: --------------
From: "Marty Martel"
To: Jimmy Stix
Subject: Bill Anderson talks about Don Helms....This is Great....
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2008 21:52:00 +0000

Powerful words by a powerful writer. Read this if you read nothing else. I only wish I could write like B. Anderson. His mind and hands have been touched by the Lord.

Subject: Bill Anderson talks about Don Helms....This is Great....

August 12, 2008

{ 08/12/08 }

Hi Gang:

Sadly, an era in country music that has been dying piece by piece, legend by legend, over a period of fifty-five years finally came to its unhappy conclusion yesterday morning here in Nashville.

Don Helms, the great steel guitar player, passed away. He was the last surviving member of Hank Williams’ original Drifting Cowboys band.

He was also one of the funniest men and finest human beings it has ever been my privilege to know.

[More:]

If you were down in the dumps and you needed a good laugh to cheer you up, you called Don Helms. If you wanted somebody to tell you the real story of Hank Williams…his songs, his charisma, and his demons...you called Don Helms. You wanted a great steel player who never changed his style over the years, but whose style never went out of style, you called Don Helms.

I’ll never forget a night not long after I came to Nashville when I was riding home from a tour in the back of the Wilburn Brothers’ long black Cadillac. Don was working for them at that time, both as a road musician and as a businessman in their publishing and booking offices. On this particular night, he was also their chauffeur, climbing under the wheel somewhere in Michigan and pointing the car, as he had so many times during his career, toward Nashville.

For some reason, I couldn’t fall asleep that night, so I leaned across the back of the driver’s seat and began asking Don questions about Hank Williams. I found him more than willing to talk, to share stories…some funny, some sad…mesmerizing me mile after long, dark mile.

He told me about endless days and nights on the road before air conditioned cars and interstate highways….about Hank’s incredible back pain…about his problems with Audrey…about how he loved to fish…how much he loved Bocephus…and how he could turn a phrase and write a song in virtually no time at all. Hank had been my boyhood hero, and to find myself one-on-one with the man responsible for so much of his musical sound was almost more than a wide-eyed kid from Georgia could take.

In later years, when I needed someone to come talk about Hank on my radio shows, Don was there. When we needed a legend back in January of this year to play steel guitar on our Country’s Family Reunion videos, Don was there. For the rest of my life I will remember Don’s playing “Cold Cold Heart� all by himself in that studio filled with stars, Vince Gill sitting nearby, tears streaming down his face. When the song was over, Vince looked at the rest of us gathered in the room and said, “Guys, THAT’S the reason I came to Nashville.�

I consider myself so lucky to have known and traveled and existed in the presence of Don Helms. His music will live forever.

I just wish he could have done the same.

 

Bill Anderson

 

Well......... how did you feel after reading the article? Do you agree with Vince Gill?

No! Oh well, I tried again to express what our country is now missing, because of corporate country! It's missing the high respect for elders......... it's missing love........ kindness........ goodness........ the respect of heritage in every sense! Did Vince Gill show some kind of weakness, when crying for such a reason as that? Living around country music legends who today are shown no respect, and whom are ignored by many in country today, To me folks, Vince is a caring, loving, respectful man, and in my book, these traits........... of a honorable man standing tall in a crowd of corporate selfishness, is what draws me to super stars like Vince Gill!!

Vince Gill and others like him, are the giant superstars of our country, and supporting them and their music is what I will always do......... despite corporate's action against stars like Vince Gill for speaking out against their actions in ignoring the many legends of country!

I don't care if someone doesn't like me using the old expression; "He's Black Marked" by corporate for "Bucking-the-machine" (corporate country), and if Vince Gill and other stars are not "Black Marked" by corporate country, then why don't you hear about what these superstars are doing lately? Mass Media is ignoring their activity that's why! And don't tell me that nobody wants to hear Vince Gill anymore because his voice is not as good as it was!!! That's a big lie if someone tells you that! He's never sounded better than right now!

Bill Anderson himself is a legend of country music gang! How many of you really know Bill? He's still a live today gang! I must admit I do not know him well.......... but, I wish I did! I do know this, I have and played his music for years........ and I will go to my grave still playing his music, even his latest releases!! Would I cry if I had the opportunity to be in the company of Vince Gill, Bill Anderson, George Jones, Merle haggard, Willie Nelson, Little Jimmy, and so many other legendary stars in one place for any given time........ you bet I would....... it would be an honor I would treasure for life!!

Sadly, many in country now would just laugh at such an event......... they'd look at it as just an old get together by old stars, and old country music promoters like me, that can't let the past go! Is that how you feel about this issue gang? After all, Vince Gill isn't that old yet? He is feeling what I feel about these old stars of country, the living ones of today, and those who have died, like Tammy, Johnny, and Conway twitty!

You see gang.......... I'm not the only one in this country music profession who feels that corporate country has succeeded in taking the human aspect out of our country. Just look around you, listen to the NEW country music of these living legends now, today, buy some of their latest music, and listen to their crys, can you hear the cry of justice singing out from these old stars?? If you truly want to be a country person then allow their music to reach your hearts!

The young stars of country can still learn from the old stars............ and maybe if they can see what Vince Gill, Bill Anderson and others like us, are trying to convey to all country people........ then maybe those young stars will have somebody like Vince Gill cry at memory of them when they die and leave town.

Yours truly gang,

Sincerely,

Jimmy Stix

www.jimstix.com

jimstix@nycap.rr.com

_________________________________end of article.

 

 

About the Author

Jimmy Stix
www.jimstix.com
jimstix@nycap.rr.com

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