A Word on Words; 1025; Scott Faragher

we're delving into the world of books and their authors this week's got further talks about the city panel on your host for a word un words mr jon seaton dollar chairman of the freedom forum's first amendment center vanderbilt university and once again welcome to your own words was in that really gotten about country music really talking about music's a battle on that's the name of a new book that's just out it's written by scott farah welcome scott jordan were upset to hear from you about this book that deals so with the lives of stars then you know all they knew had relationships with mickey delay and with charlie mclean and with lou rawls and with james brown them with her line millsaps in with ricky scaggs unless saints almost airless you worked on music row you were

responsible for getting the start before the people on the road and it's quite as quite a detailed babylon russo says it all and i had that actually done i've chosen to talk about heaven honestly after that song by tex ritter is andrea knows there'd have an elitist away o'connell was from a hose i was no razor and continues creating like they had just come on this caucus as olive green well i think that i think that women and they're working title but i guess i could make a case that there were moments and some pretty striking moments and criticism some moments that were elongated more than moments when it was built the hell and it was still believe the long time and that's part of trying to address the book the public does not know the pressure that everybody's on not just the large strong pressure to be at a certain place to perform to continue to record hit music their careers in

constant jerky not only from just coming out of the limelight themselves but that it might they may be eclipsed by defrocked by changing the musical ties to buy another artist who's you know chant that they had it there in their heels trying to take over their place and none and then behind the saints be the artist managers the agents they publish the people all these people are constantly under pressure to continue to deliver non stop songwriter sign for them sign for everybody you sort of fell into this this this agency business by accident you lost let you graduated from dental work when vanderbilt yes and that was that was my intention and then i was over my sister's house one night and this was in nineteen seventy three and she was a secretary for united talent at that time which was a talent agency known by loretta lynn and conway twitty she was laying there with chuck blazer to start another town a dc called innovative say a he was impressed with our

conversations and ailes offered a job then this is joe glaser the tumble gleeson yes of the drive in nineteen seventy three and so our stardom started this i had the three hours left in suspense spanish basically get my degree and i said i could be that later and nassau started the war and immediately withdraw them with these great names in music we might begin the talk in a little bit about the lead great before i was a great character making a delayed at the time you tell us about maybe gillies fifty thinks of himself as a lady's man he's teaming up with charlie mclean you give us the background of how that whole thing to developing and she's a lot will a guy who's an actor and wants to be a singer and she gets upset me with it as you say it was it was a professional largely known

but because he was a ladies' man and wouldn't put down the idea that the two of them i bet little relationship will something a parcel going she became upset with him and that worries so seemed to be the genesis of a dispute that result in unless it was a disaster what should have been a wonderful marriage that i start that chapter talking about pal the way more solidity rivers and megan gailey and i was afraid that they were going to take to incline as well you away from a solid to a meeting that charlie called the studios of right before christmas in nineteen eighty three an op ed that meeting piccadilly so what'd i just wanna walk using any more money and willing barbara mandrell lot of money that timeline the seventies others and asa war you know us and make our thinking on that borrowed way more side say which meyer may not have been true but it there was anybody from their agency there saw my muppets enough that not only did not

lose jobs plan which are very much afraid of you afraid because and nikki going and john mcclane were doing duets that he would pay her louis marcell i knew that they were going to tour and i knew that was inevitable on them almost like that that elmo which was which they already have a number one selling off of a new notion of the success and i knew there were two regular and what happened was a chore inclined not under contract my company making daily was under contract wayne morse i figured that they would end up stealing jon klein is a plan and as it was i ended up taking you know one day i get from reading your book is that stealing is a common practice among agent and his talent i mean you all to let your buddy else's work you were private all of that whatever talent agent has even if there is a contract it isn't secure lot of extra i would like for agents to have local pollack that dreaded school better than just robin a man called abide by the iranians smugglers

of are but in others though some truth to that that stereotype yes absolutely i consider any body art anywhere in the sinai and then as i was as a threat whether they were smaller big if they were small those best people near if there were big was the best find weakness and go after dispose of all the people you write about the one who strikes me and this world to fight in a button nose and then about him one that strikes me as the most erratic and the most difficult almost dangerous to be with jerry lee lewis talk a little bit about about immediately you talk about those mood swings it would take in that would take over his personality suddenly and somebody who was a good friend and somebody liked and admired the case friend and colleague sitting across the room in joliet look at the audience mouth and came in syria

bruce or shelter for sheldon yett but now wright was he the most intimate most livable the most erotic here is the most volatile know i give a classic example in an in the book about the midst of fairness the irs was after jerry lee lewis's and though we have any way he'd been that on tv and that's as tv the people the fair held of held a telephone at the ten o'clock news and jerry lee lewis and i'd sure love to play for but nobody asked me meanwhile for weight before that we'd been working behind the saints and finally there is not a mega let him play not attached to get him to take the levee off us levee off the fire and i mean he just it was like the demand that any knowledge about logos he and mickey gilly are first cousins ti anna cousin ben and jimmy swaggart is another cousin they all came out that same community all three each in his own way remarkable performance but each is no way a rather difficult personality a difficult personality and also possesses some character flaw

some almost enough the classic greek tragedy sense of character flaws that they used to old jerry lee lewis i played actually operate twelve thousand dollars not that you put twelve thousand dollars in the second david to what you call his so called now there was kind of funny because when that when a larger new york was going over all as he said you know that sounds like a bride to may as we need to brian us about hiring a consultant he says but certainly it should be a large bea arthur got that money i say that i mean it never mind changer for the rc the massive and that would lob is very bad well i must say the eggs there there there is no code of ethics is far as i can tell to govern this whole business of how the asian people will we haven't we have an association called a nash national association of talent directors and it being asked aren't in the nineteen seventy three and i it was that's laudable love and worthwhile girls like that one times and the members will upper

grades for not trying to steal any consummate any the other fellow members of course it lasted about a week this and then then the one that was accused of soliciting the other acts that high i didn't call them they call me and it got into the bunches of management bicep thereby have to do it really good an end at the libyan that this is part of this is that you must keep and not talent on the road to pay the office expenses of fifty sixty thousand among there's probably a lot more than that now it's it's not only that it's just that i think of talent are in entertainment town successful talent financially as the crest away and there's always something falling off the back in and always something coming along the front and the skillful artist record conley hated manager whoever passports stay on that very thin crust because if he falls too far behind he left and if he gets to forget its

credits rolled under and it spits go and it's even more difficult now because the record companies are just machine gunning artist in the marketplace i also have the feeling that that that ethical based on to say that somebody's uncle follows my avenue of ripping off the artists and some some agency people you wrote about some food mart in fact one of those who died for nearly you say the question various worthy of stealing money from one of his clients whether or not he did you say you're a set up for the clients fought for the plants but i take it that that ethical questions raised again and again inside the industry is too well lit well on one hand the agent gets a full shape from the performance and you tell a couple of instances where somebody ritual for money and then on the other side there are the

performers they are paying too much or that they're not getting enough out of their performances on the road ethical ethical dilemmas or are really subtle and what happens is when a person mike's belong i'm all on an incorrect moral decision over little matters over a period of time then at some point when you least expect it expects he's presented with a big city a big decision mike song one bad habit before his term response to think about now the classic example is an artist says he's sick and you know very well mr souza drop or just don't wanna go the show the ages faced with a signal out that it or cigna protect the artist and say whatever the city barred from being saved and tom i have been in situations like that and all of all types of situations and e the way you go it's unknown situation now just like another example this happen frequently someone would come to me another agent was just are now the knowledge

economy and say look i've got this artist here and they're willing to give us a kick back you and me the ideas he still going to get their ten percent so but we won't get an extra will have victory ten percent between you and may cause i know you know you control the software so if you work with me on that in europe sohn sons ages you'll have him have this new guy open for this big act and we can split ten percent herself well so is that is that immoral or is an ethical the exits it still gets its attempts at the exit you've taken a kickback or a bribe or whatever you would call it the commission is working harder on the artist's behalf that he's getting paid for an but he's from in that artist career and the agency is making more money is reserved as a result of his efforts on the artist the head so is that dishonest and there a whole bunch of real subtle landslide that is it this honest when a publisher makes an artist give up makes a writer give up

writing and publishing are part of the writing part opposing to have a fine us are scholars aren't even though he knows them well you know i saw this and that happens every day you talk about several things that happen every day in this little and capsule a village called music city and the thickly on these are grown music city drop for example about the difficulty of young women have and being preyed upon by these stars are out promoters and and and developers of start and that it is not uncommon for young women too be caught up in the trap of glitz and glamour and money returned and mistresses and then after a period to be turned out and you say that for example happens every day and i'm sure that's right is wylie until story will end i have a chapter called around and around and that chapter i address that

particular sect scenario has been most frequent though the thing that our sixty minutes when i did a story on air's film in a quarter and yet the thing that they neglected that was a lot of people of it looms large sums of money to to these vultures are they do so as result of of of not taking care of business themselves and not in that checked that i have a lot of advice for people is your job for example you or people coming into town who want to get there there would be songwriters weren't at their songs got to be due to be where of people who say i can get through them all the whole are just another debate to make you pay a high price to get for high quality audio postcard and it's really a ripple and and they never promise you anything they just and i shoot by saying of course you will have a much better chance if the quality of the

bay devil is of such high quality of the you know that empty sure it's a you know you're not going to get on unless you have a high quality audio and therefore we'll enhance is audio no cost you more political issue lot more you say that's another common occurrence the revolver that the song to the smart businessman the smart unethical business man in that and what is what is a legitimate business custom sessions is a legitimate business when somebody comes down from wherever and day they want an album that they can sell on the road or the bandstand or that in the hometown of the region where they play and they pay a certain amount for certain service and the product is delivered according to everything everybody agreed upon in writing that's a legitimate business and that business has gotten a bad rap as result of an ethical practices of a few of those people i

guess if you're tougher i guess you are tougher on ricky skaggs as individually calling it repeat i guess that's what is pretty ricky was a termite is direct is what the other people call us come and what you get is the sense that it portrays one image to the public about the saints' he's a totally different birth now yes that's best for now applies to a lot of people in the book and when i made some some bed some and moral decisions under pressure accept responsibility for those but i accept responsibility for that if i am human i make mistakes so does everybody but an end and i try not to be judgment most of the time but when somebody starts talking about jesus and making jesus or god or whoever of a third party and bring them into their unethical and immoral actions that's when i'm gone far as well

be a fight at that point you come very close and then yeah thanks so and i thought i read over this i've read over this book it's been edited by two editors of religion almost every warden of thought about it and read it for years and i thought the other dallas i can i can't believe i said some of the things i said about some people like ricky skaggs for example i said i kept a couple pictures around and check you out a case around a toilet paper that's a little bit harsh but i was dating dinunzio yes but then someone else tell me you know the story that i did had forgotten about and in that in gulfport mississippi this story about using ricky skaggs in a time it was i'd want to put in or losses lovely calming having st something on some more about the book and i thought now that's what happened you know i mean he can't refuse get him a check our sit next to right price the salmon or john front row this year and he comes up shakes hands with ray price may dislike this like nothing happened while you cannot take the sign position

nothing happened i think that it always has to clean up for these people always has the contracts contracts don't mean anything beyond tom a contract means if anything is when it's absolutely too light and a person and that the parties involved whoever's trying to write it it just absolute things are not costing more to get out of it and then it's been it's worth neither on another fell on cases long says james brown tell really are not funny story about james brown getting reform were close to empty house and a promoter to put a lot of effort and there and he's in a town about short i guess on giving brown is that what he's got in his pocket and there is this discussion about any of this in about our how we tell james brown about and then they do tell but will you get what

cordell it still happens i had always mr james renner still the greatest scientists that has ever been in history of music but anyway when we started real once barbara mandrell and the staffers lined the steps toward making all this money i said now is my chance that some power here i'm gonna start doing the music the allied so i met james brown's phone number for mutual friend i'll call him up and down where couple couple distributors mandate boards will give moscow a letdown would dance on foot and made an investor and now we went to his house with his office and he told me what he was given and i told him what i thought i could get foreign or the night and know when we might end the allowable among very happy i started getting those offers from this one thing people use anyway i'm sorry air supply at the upper end of the spectrum these sailors are they use the top

naval dropper country are so whatever but anyway so a lot of the same people that would use warm and all the time the candidates for james bramley minutes and he was so much a diet for more money was given even working on in signing contracts that was the first time around in nineteen eighty five and this was a six bedded brokaw i was working with his result of his manager lou rawls said i'm going to mention james brown now what what can you tell me about a muscle what's actually mesa what you think it is a business awesome alice i would try again is not impartial sort through all that again and at this time james brown had the number one song the country living in america for iraq into a film and what about four hundred people showed up more on a challenge in a modern form and fifty and no votes leighton doesn't like else was flat as we met james randi up at the airport and we'll let go of the martin luther king center and james randi when you do it on

the amount so the idea that i know that are torn and he said he said but what about the crab nasa will be on the ticket sales are really low he said though about a curator nessel one evening he said he's a double take care and you know the promoter was going nuts because barry lose some money atlanta hawks john ford director had been there since nineteen sixty eight or something he was he was his actual matt forte decides it was rumored she said this is a small but volatile grabbed the same thing that when wilson pickett he says are going to be a show so on an out and talked to a gentleman who had insisted that he be called mr mccaughan everybody <unk> and i had some items up from near nashville in addition to me made him a promised during white glove which i can't really buy it was just the whole thing was was as a and i said what about the ayatollah but modi inherits the miles castor these are the people that god is great american i said the people that'll take your salt may have started off the sport coat he says yeah face of this for

this mindless crime which cut back on so it's just a weird it's that was it was worse than a lot of only a human wave of god they go on to take on a takeover take care of it i mean you told them of a vacant senate finally found a box go out the sad about what about what awaited forgot to take your butt the daughter to order it would carry on his real name is is this rivalry show yes or no it's a week if not for that and that was that was it he did the show yet now be out of the question of the question you mention one millsaps and that gets you into the rumor that you were involved in witchcraft voodoo and black magic well that that oil was emphatic however you know i didn't ever before mr of office and on top of that survey organ on top of it or coping skills with dice nassau <unk> america's good to me years ago and in the cabinet at a few times it reduced of just just like stuff you know was

written and i'm so the office was longer than most people are that enrollment with on with ronnie milsap this was after and concert shutdown this is about a year later about six months later now spoken to get him again isn't it just made him and i'm sorry because of the fortune teller and said you know i'm going to go to dallas and three days and that can have much an n and then firing a call from tommy curtis and the symbols general in saudi and enjoy our schedule and a hotel room with what was his traveling companion and hours at these three girlfriends minute and he walked in my briefcase and i had a couple books by the so called black magician outlook rally that was on the sergeant pepper's album furr by ribs in a way so i get that i caught on purpose i thought my ideal milsap was really represent him again eventually fired anti says many he had been booked song witchcraft invaded you had that devil rain he's an

asset and asked that we mean he said you won't talk about oh the court that your briefcase fat and books and art and i'd asked of us it up to us if the final step i'd be a lot more concern about him somebody going through other people because what some other course and read he said he said we don't care who thinks it's funny he said but i find us with questions and then i had and robust was that benefiting both have a shelter doubling or just a viking it was just as carefully you weren't used to using college of often comes over well we're all come you're your own you're the co ruler of lou rawls and in that encounter with him he comes over well yeah lou rawls as lou rawls right gentlemen the right of rights our right raises ethical rules you suggest the joy liane and he suggested a time when country music is really going to

a revival and the regeneration rebirth popularity and it was and he was in a downward slide here for a while when you suggest orlean we live set in the country music well an address that is cow like it's nice was chang somewhat since since i started in lead since nineteen seventy three continues in the sense that i knew a grown up as it is for the most part the bad thing it is but as that as i continue in the thoughts in the book i thought well maybe it's just the evolution and it's true that country music has changed as a result of incorporating other musical influence has become more palatable to a wider range of the public to the sense that he's done so it it has lost a certain amount of its character i'd say but also i think part of that is the roots from which country music's buying those that were those were words or not this that doesn't exist as much as it did people more

educated more informed through to television and almost every size and songs is going or been absolutely every small town that used to be a farming community is now looking for some soda industry in a shirt factory so the urban us and so that's change the character you mentioned two personalities who was a reflect the pears in the same chapter johnny paycheck and georgia the great george jones too real characters with a part of that although mores of continuity they are they are characters who are poor the old school metal main enemy cannon anyway at the george jones is one of the greatest country singers of all time classic years enjoying it and don't fight it is just as good in his own right of a very embody what the map my i guess my generation or save this country music world and perceive as country music still nails

it and that they know what they're all well johnny paycheck and ended timing he was low he had drug problems got fairer city babylon has been our guest on a word un were heroes to counseling involved in this program was produced in the studios of wbez in nashville is an air it's been