Page 56 - The Westerner Magazine Halloween 2018

two big stars behind the iron curtain—me You toured with Jim Reeves?

and Johnny Cash.” What I didn’t realize is
Oh yeah, I was friends with him. I was in
that I’d have to be there another week and
the hospital with mumps the day that his
I was hoping we wouldn’t win because I
plane went down. I got a get-well card
didn’t want to go to Russia. I wanted to go
from him that very same day. We hadn’t
back to Florida and my fishing. We came
been back from that promotional tour in
third or second in the end. The guy that
Europe long when he died. We got back at
won it went to Russia and came last. It
the end of April and I think it was June
must have ended his career—he was such
when he died.
a nice guy I still remember him.
That must have been sad.
You just didn’t know what you were
getting yourself into. For all involved.

Not at all. But a lot of careers have been Did you ever meet Slim Whitman?
started by Eurovision.
Kind of a quiet guy. He had a little speech
What made you go back into the studio impediment thing. He didn’t talk a lot.
to make your new album?
He became huge in England. I think he
I heard all these really good songs and I was bigger here than in the States.
wanted to go in and record them. That’s
what I do and have always done. That’s He was. He had such a wonderful voice.
what I’ll continue to do as long as I’m He was so great. “Indian Love Call.” Had
kicking it. I loved the song “I Drank.” The his own sound with that steel guitar.
one I wrote called “Things Change” that
we did on Eurovision. The one I wrote

with Roy Clark called “Trophy Girl.” It’s
just a good bunch of songs and I’m glad I
recorded them.

If a young guy came to you and asked
you to pick one of your records for him

to hear—which one would you pick?

Probably “Detroit City.” I’d had hits And now you’re touring with Bill
before that but that’s the one that changed Anderson—looking forward to it?
my life. That’s when people started
Bill and I are real good friends. No
wondering who was singing that song.
problems. It’s a pleasure to work with Bill.
That opened the doors up for a big career
I think we deserve that in our later years.
that thank God wound up in the Country
Music Hall of Fame.