Country Gossip

by Frank M. Roberts

January 2017

I'm riled up. Here's the story. I sent a package to a museum in Jerusalem. My son, Clavis, took it to the post office, i.e. The United States Post Office which, seemingly, does not test employees on geography.

Seems the young lady behind the counter decided to send the package south. She 'knew' that Jerusalem was in South America. Evidently, it's been a while since her last church visit. Another young lady straightened 'the brain' out. I was going to write a letter to the editor of the local paper, but didn't feel like starting a 'brouhaha.' Anyway, everybody knows that Jerusalem is 648 miles south of Venezuela.

Something else disturbed me. I get several local newspapers and, of course, at Christmas-time there are beaucoup letters to Santa from the kiddies. I just glance the lists, but one caught my eye. It was signed -- Isis. Honest! Hey, parents ---- .

A recent "Price Is Right" program" made me smile. One of the contestants was an attractive young lady in a Navy uniform. When host, Drew Carey, asked her what her job was she said she was a Navy instructor. "What do you teach?" he queried. Her reply, with a big smile, was a doozy: "Navy stuff."

The rest of this column is for mostly country music fans - especially country music fans who like -- gossip.

Bonnie Owens died recently, an Alzheimer's victim. The former cocktail waitress was married to a pair of country music biggies - Buck Owens, of course, and Merle Haggard.

Supestar, Blake Shelton, was once married to a gal named Kaynette Gern who went by the name, Kaynette Williams. His later loves bore more familiar names as he flitted back 'n forth. Kaynette guided his early career - longtime sweetie, road manager. But, he divorced her to be with Miranda Lambert, whom I met briefly when she 'concertized' at the Norfolk, VA. Naval Base. Anyway, they married - they split. My youngest granddaughter, Christy, met him (thanks to moi) and his picture is plastered all over her home. Hubby, Chuck, takes it all with a little - very little - grin. Anyway, they are expecting my fifth great-granddaughter -- granddaughter, that is,'cause if it was gonna be a boy she was set to name it - yep - Blake.

My namesake but, unfortunately no relation, Julia Roberts, wed Lyle Lovett who, I must say, was absolutely one of the nicest performers I ever met. It seemed an odd coupling. The weddin' came about after she split with Kiefer Sutherland. J and L had known each other for three entire weeks. They eloped -- they divorced - amicably, thank you and, they've remained friends. Miss Julia is currently married to a cameraman and they have three young'uns.

Montgomery-Gentry was (were?) hot stuff on the country charts a few years ago. These days, Eddie Montgomery is struggling financially. He filed for bankruptcy in Danville, KY. with $13.4 million in liabilities, and $1.9 million in assets. Do the math. Reason for the problem was a steakhouse he owned. (No stake). To add to his problems, he and wifey dee-vorced. I never met him but several years before he came on the scene his brother, John Michael Montgomery, was hot stuff. The granddaughter mentioned above was a youngster then and had a major crush on him - an affection returned by the very nice man.

Clint Black - short, dark, and handsome, after some cajoling, finally got his wife to 'duet' with him. (He said - let's -- ) and they had two fair-sized hits. Wife, Lindsey, you probably remember, was a "Knots Landing" star. (Yes, yes - they tied the knot).

Randy Travis, who went from problem to problem, eventually married the woman who guided - directed, actually, his career. Sharp-eared Lib Hatcher heard him sing and went 'voila'. (He has one of the best pure country voices). To 'un-complicate' things the pair never acted romantic-al. Better for his career if he was thought to be single. In 1991, they wed, and she still represents him - though not in the bedroom. Yeah -- divorce.

A profitable marriage musically involved Rodney Crowell and Johnny Cash's daughter, Rosanne. He produced her - he divorced her. She lives with her pop producer hubby, Jn. Leventhal in NYC. He is wed to Claudia Church.

And, there's Trisha Yearwood, initially Mrs. Robert Reynolds a member of 'The Mavericks'. They took their vows on the stage of the old Grand Ole Opry house, the Ryman Auditorium. Five years later, it was 'bye-bye'. She of course, stepped up in the country music world as Mrs. Garth Brooks. (Speaking of nice folks, that superstar is top of the list. Spent time with him twice).

One of the 'famousest' country music hitchings was, of course, George Jones and Tammy Wynette. I was with him a couple of times - laid back and easy to talk to. She is remembered for a song that tells about all of this mishmash - "D-I-V-O-R-C-E." The two had a lot of hits together - good stuff, too - . But, after six years the hitching went kaput. However, they continued performing together.

Another wedding that went sour involved a fine singer, Lorrie Morgan, and a not-too-friendly Sammy Kershaw. (gesundheit. Question - how tall is a 'gesund'?) The dee-vorce was bitter- restraining orders, etc. but, they still work together at times.

One of counry's biggest headliners put a new end to an old story. If you saw the excellent, "Loretta Lynn Story," you'll know that she was 13 years old when she married Doolittle. Doolittle 'dood' a lot for her career. She and Mooney had their first child when she was 14. Gad- today she would be subjected to Dr. Phil.

Want a goodie piece? Ricky Skaggs (a really, really nice gent) is still married to Sharon White, of 'The Whites'. They credit their success, and this shouldn't surprise you, to their commitment to the Lord. They hitched in 1981.

A sad one for me was hearing of the pending divorce between Reba and hubby-manager, Narvel Blackstock. I knew them both fairly well and recall one time when I was waiting in line with wife and friends. He knew us and told us to get last in line so we could spend more time with her. By the way, her situation comedy on tv was one of the best and, it is still re-running. Yeah, brag I but it's a small potatoes brag compared to a deejay friend from Portsmouth, VA. Joe Hoppel had lunch with her, at her (since sold) home.

Here's another good marriage -- so far: Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams have been wed for a dozen years. His philosophy, tho, is neat: "There's nothing worse than happy country songs. There's nothing worse than, 'aw, I love you and everything's great. It's better, like, "you cheating, no good -- . Yeah, those are the songs you want to hear in our format." The two have been married 12 years and, to make things ooky, recently renewed their vows."

Be that as it may, gotta say the "Achy Breaky Heart" man is, at least, top five of the nice folks I met in my 60 years in the biz so, happy to report that he and wife, Tish, have been happily married for 23 years, possibly close to a record showbiz hitch. I was with him, at length, twice while he visited my area in concert.

After a big three years of wedded 'un-bliss' Jake Owen and wife, Lacey, dee-vorced.

Vince Gill and '80s music Christian sensation, Amy Grant, have a good thing going. But, it was rugged going and not too good for her image. I met him a couple times, thanks to a friend of mine who was his drummer for 20 years. Her first husband, Gary Chapman (no relation to a writer with the same name) was described by a friend as 'abusive'. I saw that, first hand, covering one of her concerts. I was backstage when he walked by, busily chewing out a stagehand. It was an ugly scene. He also had an addiction problem.

One of the most uncomfortable events in Christian music concerns the very popular Michael English who fell from grace following a marital affair leading to public shame, divorce, broken relationships, drug addiction. The multiple Dove Award winner is, no surprise, working to get his life straight. G'luck.

Anothe 'Christian' singer got herself banned from the airwaves after not one, but two scandals. It was Sandy Patti; Watch Lawrence Welkon PBS? That cutie-pie couple, Guy Hovis and Ralna English who performed together and looked at one another with goo-goo eyes, divorced, but continue to perform together. He re-married, she remained single. He lives in Mississippi, she lives in Arizona.

I'm running out of space. Mayhap, some other time, I will write about many of the Christian performers I've known, mostly with the help of the very nice, Bill Gaither. There was only one I didn't care for. My favorite was Russ Taff - warm, friendly, sincere.

Anyway, hope you found something of interest and/or intriguing. And, remember, if you want to visit Jerusalem, hop a freighter to Chile. Jeez! Well, let me exit with a stoopid story - very stoopid: Mary Poppins moved to California and started a business telling people's fortunes. But, she doesn't read palms or tea leaves, she smells a person's breath. The sign outside reads: "Super California Mystic, Expert Halitosis." What - you don't think I can find something worse? Pshaw. "Show me a woman who feeds her son, Hans, a big dinner, and I'll show you a mother who has her Hans full."

Toodles!