If He Asked, You Said Yes

A flood of flashbacks this week as the Country music community remembered the accomplishments of a three Music City greats: Ralph Emery, Dallas Frazier and Jerry Crutchfield.

All three were great at their jobs: broadcaster, songwriter and producer, respectively.

Emery was the most famous radio and television personality in Country music history. He was the top radio guy from 1960 through the ’70s, and a TV star, first local then national, from the ’60s to the ’90s.

Loretta Lynn, The Judds, Lorrie Morgan, Barbara Mandrell, Tom T. Hall, Ray Stevens, Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins, Merle Haggard and Tex Ritter all had close relationships, personal and professional, with Ralph. His 10 years as the front man at The Nashville Network (TNN) made him well known all over North America.

He was comfortable on radio and TV. Ralph made the new stars feel safe and made them all look great.

Ralph was loved -- and I mean loved -- by a generation of Country stars now in their golden years, with far too many gone. He went into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007. Well deserved, and it’s where songwriter Dallas Frazier should be, too.

Frazier wrote a lot of songs, but none bigger than the now signature song of The Oak Ridge Boys, “Elvira.” Is there a much sadder Frazier song than the Grammy nominated “There Goes My Everything,” sung by Jack Greene?

Frazier’s pop hits, “Alley Oop,” a 1957 #1, and Charlie Rich’s “Mohair Sam,” showed he wrote hits, not just Country hits.

Crutchfield was one of those behind the scenes people who keep Music Row going. A label guy, publisher and producer of some fine songs, the Lee Greenwood hits for sure and Dave Loggins’ “Please Come to Boston.” He was a board member at all the big music organizations and, like Ralph, an understated star

It’s such a different time now than the world those three Music City stars operated in. As big a star as Ralph was, his local TV station called him Ralph “Emerson” in his internet death announcement. The times have changed.

If Ralph asked you to do something, it was like hearing from the Godfather. You did it, unless you were on the road or something very excusable. Even Merle Haggard, who was tough to pin down, made time for Ralph.

See the “60 Minutes” profile on Chris Stapleton? Go get it if you haven’t. CBS puts the “60 Minute” pieces on its web site and many on other social media sites.

Stapleton is as mysterious as he seems. You peel back the onion and learn a lot. He’s just not volunteering anything much. Very smart, very talented and very humble. He is also proud winner of at least four Golden Waffles, a.k.a. Tunie Awards. That’s the jukebox play award from Waffle House. He loves those.

If you have not already started, watch Tim McGraw and Faith Hill on the Paramount+ show “1883.” They are nothing short of amazing in this. Who knew they could do characters like these? The horse riding skills, all of it. Faith and Tim have both been in movies with great co-stars, but nothing like this. They make or break this production for sure. They are fantastic!

Some pretty amazing people have gone down 16th Avenue. Some gone, but never forgotten. Some still around waiting for the next challenge. Who knew Tim and Faith could do this? And who is next?