tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6344993590139159352.post7912983364661192086..comments2024-03-26T23:59:24.053-04:00Comments on Fayfare's Opry Blog: Remembering Hank Snowfayfarehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00173166778978335059noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6344993590139159352.post-71289156872705313472019-09-19T20:00:37.845-04:002019-09-19T20:00:37.845-04:00Is carol lee cooper still alive ?Is carol lee cooper still alive ?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00162108345895755491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6344993590139159352.post-40382456497995882812013-09-21T17:56:30.066-04:002013-09-21T17:56:30.066-04:00I would like to hear all that anyone can recall ab...I would like to hear all that anyone can recall about his conversion experience. I believe I heard his son say that in Hank's later years he was looked after by some people in his (Jimmie's) congregation, and that Hank dedicated his life to the Lord, and I heard from someone else that after his conversion he looked up his father? To say he forgave him. Or would that be step-father? What I wondered was, how could the father still be alive in Hank's later years? If anyone knows more, the story should be told!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6344993590139159352.post-70417773287727455622012-01-13T20:43:58.514-05:002012-01-13T20:43:58.514-05:00I met Hank at the old Flame cafe in Minneapolis in...I met Hank at the old Flame cafe in Minneapolis in the late 60s. He had three beautiful women at the table with him and would not talk to me; told me to "get lost". In another instance, back stage at the Minneapolis Auditorium, my song wrtting friend offered Hank several peanuts as a joke. He said "Hank, here is your pay". Hank told him where to go. In 1991 I wrote Hank telling him we would be at the Opry and wanted to visit with him. He sent a letter back to me and said ok, so we set up the time to meet him. When we got to the Opry that night, he refused to meet with us.chuckhesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11912214300732164542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6344993590139159352.post-9162557334688110122011-05-14T09:09:39.512-04:002011-05-14T09:09:39.512-04:00Johnny, I did get your comments about fixing up Ha...Johnny, I did get your comments about fixing up Hank's house, and I don't know where that post went as I did not delete it. As I said in my post (which also disappeared), his former home is pretty run down. You can still see the barn out back, and make out the words, "Rainbow Ranch" on it. The security gate is still up around the property, and Hank must have been really worried about security as all the windows have steel bars on them. The gate was open when I went past in February.<br /><br />But, the property is very run down and as I said in that post, I am not sure who owns it now. I think Jimmy got it after both his parents died, but in the divorce from Dottie, I do not know who owns it now. I do know that all the taxes were not paid and it was listed in the paper under tax delinquents. Same with the house next store, where Jimmy and Carol Lee lived when they were married, and I assume, where Jimmy and Dottie lived after they were married.<br /><br />Sorry to say that this whole area of Madison is not the star studded area that it used to be. Back in the 50's and into the 70's, not only Hank Snow lived in this area, but so did Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper, Kitty Wells and Johnny Wright, Maybelle Carter, June Carter, Rod Brasfield and many, many others. I think the only one left in this area now is Kitty. What was once a great neigborhood is now middle class, at best.Byronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07610237116677181633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6344993590139159352.post-33609167084048720672011-05-12T13:00:58.359-04:002011-05-12T13:00:58.359-04:00They ought to fix Hank's place up the way it u...They ought to fix Hank's place up the way it used to be.Make it a showplace.johnnynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6344993590139159352.post-49033383843956765792011-05-11T21:41:42.419-04:002011-05-11T21:41:42.419-04:00Great story Barry!!!
As far as Dottie, if I under...Great story Barry!!!<br /><br />As far as Dottie, if I understood right, and I could be totally wrong on this one, Dottie kept the house after the divorce. What I do not know, is who owns Hank's former home now, if it is Jimmy or if it got mixed up in Jimmy's divorce. <br /><br />What I do know is that the taxes were not paid on the property and a notice was published saying that taxes were due. And it was a small amount, something less than a couple hundred dollars. And I know when Jimmy closed up his last church in Madison, there were some issues with that. <br /><br />When I was in Nashville in February, I went past his former home and both houses and properties were in pretty run down shape. To me that was a shame, as Hank always kept his property up. <br /><br />The barn was still up in the backyard, and you could make out the words, 'Rainbow Ranch' on it and the security gate and mailbox were still around the property, although the gate was open. I think he had a camera installed, pointed at the gate, and the frame for it was still there, but not sure on the camera. Up until Jimmy's divorce, Hank's old tour bus was still parked in the back, on the drive way and you could see it from the road.Byronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07610237116677181633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6344993590139159352.post-59725191539449121822011-05-11T00:22:17.007-04:002011-05-11T00:22:17.007-04:00I almost got run over by Hank Snow one time. Well...I almost got run over by Hank Snow one time. Well, not really...but near enough. <br /><br />Back when Opryland still existed there was a metal building that stood between the hotel and the Opry House that served as the park's administration building and any time I went out to visit backstage on an Opry night that's where we would park and then walk down the road that runs behind the Opry House to the guard shack (since only artists and staff parked in the reserved parking lot).<br /><br />One cold night in January I got permission to bring some friends along to visit the show and we had a great time. Long story short: we stayed that night until after the 11:00 Coke show that Hank Snow always hosted and then headed back to the car. As we're all casually walking down the dark road, there is the sound of gravel and asphalt slinging and we all looked up to see a big, black Cadillac come peeling out of the artist parking lot and bearing down on us doing what had to be 70 mph (the speed limit being a strange 22 on the service road). Naturally, my friends and I jumped out of the way and as the car sped past, picking up speed as it went, we all saw the unmistakable profile of the great Hank Snow behind the wheel, still dressed in the lime green Nudie suit with red roses that he had worn on the Opry that night. It struck me as hilarious since the picture of this maniac driver simply didn't go with the reserved on-stage demeanor I had always seen. I was told later that driving could be a harrowing experience with the Singing Ranger behind the wheel...something I never doubted after watching that big car peel around the curve at the hotel entrance and head off toward Madison without ever slowing down!Barryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04287831362702766918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6344993590139159352.post-68835700653408334692011-05-10T19:39:11.293-04:002011-05-10T19:39:11.293-04:00Byron, I have faith in you not just on your knowle...Byron, I have faith in you not just on your knowledge, but on the intent of your spelling! Of course, in the case of the divorce, as with Hank Snow's entire life itself, there are two sides at minimum to any story, and he was friendly with Wilma Lee and Stoney. Also, in the late 1970s, Mr. Snow wasn't selling as well as he had, and RCA dropped him in 1981, so doing something different wasn't necessarily the worst idea--and his duets with Anita Carter had done well in the 1950s.<br /><br />To show that it truly is a small world, Jimmy's second wife, Dottie, was the daughter of Dot and Smokey, and now they have divorced, and she married Glenn Tubb!Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01998867386294693956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6344993590139159352.post-61412056601122655682011-05-10T19:06:33.616-04:002011-05-10T19:06:33.616-04:00Sorry about the last sentence. I do really know ho...Sorry about the last sentence. I do really know how to spell. It should read that Jimmy writes about the divorce in his book.Byronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07610237116677181633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6344993590139159352.post-78719271620089917732011-05-10T19:04:36.884-04:002011-05-10T19:04:36.884-04:00Michael, I agree with your comments that the whole...Michael, I agree with your comments that the whole Kelly Foxton thing just did not seem right. I know at the time there were a lot of duets in country music including Porter & Dolly; Conway & Loretta; Jack Greene & Jeannie Seely; Bill Anderson & Jan Howard/Mary Lou Turner and Johnny Cash & June Carter. So maybe it was an attempt to capitalize on that. <br /><br />But Kelly was an unknown and if you remember her and Hank wore matching outfits. The album they did was not that great and to be kind, they just did not look or sound good together. And, if I am thinking right, Hank was about 65 at the time and Kelly was about 25. If you go on Kelly's website, she has a picture of the album cover.<br /><br />While I don't know the story between Hank and Kelly, I do know that the duet was not a success and did not last long together. And, I am sure you remember, he featured her on one of the PBS shows. <br /><br />Finally, you are right about Carol Lee. He did feature the Carol Lee singers a lot and I think Hank really like Carol Lee (as a friend). He was close to her parents and like you mentioned, I think he was not too happy about the marriage ending with his son. They did live next store to Hank and in one of the older Opry picture history books, he is pictured holding the 2 grandchildren. <br /><br />Jimmy Snow rights about the divorce in his book, or at least his version of it.Byronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07610237116677181633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6344993590139159352.post-89037972873210065292011-05-10T12:45:22.623-04:002011-05-10T12:45:22.623-04:00Fred, it's good to see you here. And Diane Di...Fred, it's good to see you here. And Diane Diekman really does great work.<br /><br />As I recall, Mr. Snow had dementia at the end, and that tends to make the bad side worse, you might say--so whatever quirks he had, dementia would have made worse. I think that book is vital to understanding the bad side, too, considering his horrible childhood.<br /><br />Byron, it may not be something to go into here, but I always felt uneasy about Kelly Foxton. I'll just leave it at that, except to say that I know Minnie Blanche put up with a lot--indeed, he said so in his book, and that's just for what he put in there! As for the toupees ... I wondered about that. Looking at him over the years, I wondered if he was just doing a bad combover.<br /><br />Two more things about him, for what it's worth. One is a story Faron Young told about bringing his mother to the Opry. When she saw Hank Snow, she ran over, grabbed him, and hugged him, hard. After a couple of minutes, he said, "Faron, your mother is attacking me." It was amusing, but when you think about it, poignant.<br /><br />The other thing is that Mr. Snow always seemed to bring the Carol Lee Singers up front when he sang, and he'd make it a point to compliment them. I had the feeling that he never figured out how in the world his son could have ended up being divorced from Carol Lee Cooper! Come to think of it, that's a reasonable thing to question ....Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01998867386294693956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6344993590139159352.post-41921745124831761492011-05-10T08:53:13.735-04:002011-05-10T08:53:13.735-04:00Hey Fred, thanks for coming on board. And I agree ...Hey Fred, thanks for coming on board. And I agree with you on Faron Young's biography. Diane Diekman did an excellent job and I understand that she is writing a biography on Marty Robbins. Can't wait. And, I agree that Ronnie Pugh did a great job with the Ernest Tubb book. <br /><br />Yes, there is a lot Hank did not cover in his book and maybe somethings that he spent too much time on, but overall all, I did think it was a fascinating book. And, you are right, he did not mention his son a lot in it.(And I should point out that his wife and son had some very pointed and unpleasant comments made about Hank after he died). And he certainly left the whole Kelly Foxton mess out of it and the "real" story surrounding those terrible toupees he used to where. <br /><br />I did enjoy his comments about RCA and Elvis, and his view of those events. Especially in his views of "Parker" as he called him and not his fake "Colonel" title. Some bitter feelings there by Hank. <br /><br />There is no doubt that Hank was a difficult and complicated man, and the opinions of him change depending on who you talk to. But, there is no argument with the fact that he was a true legend and superstar in country music, with a unique style that will never be copied.Byronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07610237116677181633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6344993590139159352.post-60691617230050069142011-05-10T07:37:49.611-04:002011-05-10T07:37:49.611-04:00Agreed, Michael -- as per, perhaps, the Faron Youn...Agreed, Michael -- as per, perhaps, the Faron Young story as excellently written by Diane Diekman.(I have a good friend who insisted, right up until I gave him a copy of that book, that Faron had died of cancer.) Of course, all we have to do is look into our own flawed selves to realize that our musical heroes have warts of their own. And who knows how often those flaws even contribute to the greatness of their music, as in the case of Hank Williams. Their torment, our gain.<br /><br />By the way, everybody, I don't mean to hide out behind 'Anonymous' -- it's the only way I could figure out how to post. My name is Fred, I live in Bismarck, N.D., and I have enjoyed Byron's site as a reader for a couple of years.<br /><br />Incidently, the decline of the Opry is another example of painful yet necessary reading.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6344993590139159352.post-56171151525419971162011-05-09T19:40:04.537-04:002011-05-09T19:40:04.537-04:00Anonymous, I agree. But of course, HE was telling...Anonymous, I agree. But of course, HE was telling his story. I think Hank Snow would be a fascinating biography, but I also think it wouldn't be a very happy biography, if you get my drift. A lot of stuff would be in there that would make us uncomfortable--for example, his relationship with his son, which went back and forth over the years.Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01998867386294693956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6344993590139159352.post-8062246685290076372011-05-09T19:07:14.271-04:002011-05-09T19:07:14.271-04:00Hank is also my No. 1 or No. 2 all-time favorite, ...Hank is also my No. 1 or No. 2 all-time favorite, and I bought the autobiography when it was new. I found it disappointing for its failure to talk about his music. He would have been better served here by a biographer who was also a critic and fan -- such as Ronnie Pugh was for Ernest Tubb.<br /><br />But Hank always insisted on doing it his way -- usually a strength, but occasionally a weakness. For instance, he wouldn't give us a word about his son's marriage to Carol Lee Cooper -- an exasperating omission that a biographer would not have been guilty of.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6344993590139159352.post-64387525684135554222011-05-09T17:03:07.758-04:002011-05-09T17:03:07.758-04:00great stuff on Hank,Byron.great stuff on Hank,Byron.johnnynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6344993590139159352.post-49743356959422023042011-05-08T23:43:45.095-04:002011-05-08T23:43:45.095-04:00Byron, your piece on Hank Snow is just wonderful, ...Byron, your piece on Hank Snow is just wonderful, and I agree with you in everything you say. A great job.<br /><br />His autobiography is also interesting for what it does NOT say or alludes to, in terms of his own behavior and misbehavior. But he tells a lot, especially about his road to success, and that was the message he wanted to get across. On the album "Backstage at the Grand Ole Opry," based on the TV show, Connie Smith talked about how tough it was to become a big country star on her first song, and then Mr. Snow talked about how lucky he was to have to work his way up. That's a great perspective to have.<br /><br />And I count 22 members that night.Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01998867386294693956noreply@blogger.com