Soon after winning the entertainer of the year title in the Nashville Network-Music City News awards, Ricky Van Shelton picked up what seems to have been an even less-expected plaudit from Country Music People magazine in England.
Shelton, who never has been across the Atlantic (or the Pacific, for that matter), was named international male vocalist in a vote he was told was taken ”in every country in the world that has anything to do with country music. I said, `Wow!` ”
Asked if this honor is causing him to consider rewarding some of his international fans with a personal visit, he says he has ”been talking about it.”
”Steve Buckingham (his producer) went over there (to Europe) last winter for about two weeks, took some of my records and went around to some of the clubs and stuff to find out what the mood was, and he said there was a big demand for my music,” Shelton said.
”I`m going to have to go over there, and I dread it; there`s the terrorism thing, plus I don`t like to fly. If I go, I`ll take the Concorde. Two and a half or three hours is a lot better than 8 or 10.”
On the record: Speaking of Shelton, he says he thinks the gospel album on which he recently has been working will ”probably” be out in the fall. . . . Johnny Cash`s new single, ”Cat`s in the Cradle,” was a No. 1 pop hit for Harry Chapin in 1974. . . . Ronnie McDowell, who was first known for impersonating the voice of Elvis Presley, is working that vein again with his new Curb Records release, ”Paralyzed,” a redo of the Presley classic. . . . Song title of the week: ”Jack Daniels, You`ve Lied to Me Again” by Bruce Innes.
Patty Loveless says she included one song on her new ”On Down the Line” album partly because of her admiration of Dolly Parton. That song is ”The Night`s Too Long,” about a Texas waitress who quits Beaumont for the lights and more entertaining nights of a bigger city.
”Whenever I go into it onstage,” she said, ”I always tell people this is a song about a girl named Sylvia, so they`ll know it`s not about me, because it`s got some rough lyrics.
”But I love it because it`s so visual and so much of a story-song. I always liked the story-songs Dolly did: `Blue Ridge Mountain Boy` and so many others. And this gave me an opportunity to do a story-song like that.”
On the road: Alabama, Clint Black and Lorrie Morgan recently drew a sellout crowd of more than 10,000 and grossed more than $195,000 at Fairfax, Va. . . . The recent 19th annual International Country Music Fan Fair drew a record 24,000 fans from across North America and around the world to Nashville in a gathering that, for the first time, had to be limited. Country Music Association personnel were forced to stop registration at the 24,000 mark when the exhibit areas and grandstand at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds became jammed to capacity.
July 14 in Fayetteville, N.C., K.T. Oslin and Ricky Van Shelton are scheduled to kick off a 28-date coast-to-coast tour that will feature Les Taylor, Doug Stone or Baillie & the Boys as opening acts, with Oslin and Shelton alternating in the closing spot.
From North Carolina, the itinerary zigzags through Ohio, West Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware and Pennsylvania, then to Illinois for three shows (including one at the World Music Theatre in Tinley Park Aug. 19 with Doug Stone), to California for eight shows, Washington state for one and Texas for two.
Both Oslin, who hasn`t toured in 10 months, and Shelton reportedly will premiere new shows.
Et cetera: Before becoming a successful recording artist in her own right, Country Music Association female vocalist of the year Kathy Mattea toured with Bobby Goldsboro, Don Williams, the Oak Ridge Boys and Gary Morris. . . . Dwight Yoakam lends some vocal help to Buckwheat Zydeco on the new Buckwheat Zydeco single of the Hank Williams (Sr.) classic, ”Hey, Good Lookin`.”
Chet Atkins missed a call from President Bush the other day when he, Dire Straits guitarist Mark Knopfler, publicist Bonnie Rasmussen and this columnist were having breakfast at a non-posh Nashville spot called Arnold`s Country Cooking.
Bush, who called to thank Atkins for a telephone call offering him best wishes on his birthday, was informed by Atkins` wife, Leona, that Chet himself would turn 66 in the next few days.
”Well,” the president told her, ”tell him it doesn`t hurt.”
