(Click on photos
for larger a view)
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June
I've spent the
month of June at
home recovering
from my hernia
surgery of May
25th. The first
three weeks were
pretty rough -
I'm better now
and must get my
voice in shape
and my strength
back for my July
shows. Thanks
for your cards
and calls. I
look forward to
being home with
Loretta on her
Birthday, July
3rd.
Note:
I have added more
information to my
February News which
names others who played
in my band.
Photo:
Narvel Felts Homecoming
American Legion
Malden, MO
Dec. 6, 2003
Courtesy of Faye Huffman
(click on
photo for larger view) |
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Narvel & Marty Raybon
Choctaw Event Center
Durant, OK
Oct. 18, 2008
Photo courtesy of Royce & Ruth Burks
Marty was lead singer of Shenandoah who
had 26 country hits including the #1
hit, "The Church on Cumberland Road" and
four more #1 hits between 1989 and 1994.
(click on photo
for larger view)
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My plans were to
leave May and
June open to
have hernia
surgery. It was
scheduled for
May 4th but was
rescheduled for
May 25th. This
still gives me 7
1/2 weeks
recovery time
before my next
show.
I was home with
Loretta on
Mother's Day. We
enjoyed the
visit from our
daughter,
Stacia. That
same weekend the
episode of
"Country Family
Reunion 2010"
with me singing,
"Somebody Hold
Me" was shown on
RFD-TV. All the
legendary
country artists
in the studio
plus the band
and vocal group
gave me a
standing
ovation. What an
HONOR!
The following
weekend, Midwest
Country was
shown on RFD-TV
with me singing,
"Pink and Black
Days", "I'm
Gonna Be Strong"
and "Kiss-a-Me
Baby".
I got word the
other day that
Terry Wood, who
hosts the, All
Request Lunch
Hour" on
"Classic Country
95.9 The Wolf"
in Jonesboro,
Arkansas had
three requests
from three
different
listeners for my
records during
the first
fifteen minutes
that the lines
were open. They
were for,
"Somebody Hold
Me", "Lonely
Teardrops" and
"Reconsider Me".
I'm told that
Terry plays one
of my records
almost every
day.
Many pictures
were taken in
Spain last month
but none have
been sent to me
so I've included
one I could
find.
Final farewell:
Johnny Maestro,
as lead singer
of The Crests.
He sang "16
Candles" and
their other
hits.
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Narvel in Concert
Rialto Theater
Morrilton, Arkansas
March 27, 2010
Photo: Faye Huffman
Read Faye's Review of the show
here
(click on photo
for larger view)
(
Backstage
Carl Mann, Narvel Felts, J. M.
Van Eaton
International Rock-a-Billy Hall
of Fame
Jackson, TN, April 10, 2010
Photo: Rod Pyke
Courtesy: Essie Shell |
April
Remembering
Narvel
"Bub"
Felts,
Jr.
April 1st would
have been our
son Bub's 46th
birthday, but he
will forever be
31.
Rockabilly
Fest in
Jackson,
TN
April 10th I was
headliner at the
Rockabilly Fest
2010 staged by
the
International
Rock-a-Billy
Hall of Fame in
Jackson, TN.
Other artists
there were Carl
Mann, Little
David Wilkins,
Eddie Bond, J.
M. Van Eaton, Os
Rebels (from
Brazil) and Wade
Jackson. Bands
were Double
Edge, who did
their usual
great job
backing me plus
Red Hot & Blue.
The show was
outside, the
weather was cold
but the crowd
gave me a warm
reception with
standing
ovations. They
were from
Tennessee,
Missouri,
Kentucky and
England. An
autograph line
awaited at
Huey's Record
Rack.
Valencia,
Spain
April 15th I was up
early to make the 2.5
hour drive from my home
to the Memphis Airport.
On my way, I heard on
the radio that because
of a volcano eruption in
Iceland, airports were
closed and passengers
were stranded from
Scandinavia to France.
When I checked in at the
airport I was told that
the flights to London
and Paris were cancelled
but not those to Madrid.
I flew to Dallas,
changed planes, flew
through the night to
Madrid, changed planes,
then on to Valencia. I
arrived at 1pm on the
16th; my guitar did not!
Jackie, who would
interpret for me and
drive me around met my
flight. We had to wait
in a long line to find
out about my guitar. I'd
have to personally
return at 5pm and endure
another long line to
claim it. I was in Spain
to headline the
"Valencia Hall Party"
Saturday the 17th. Among
the other artists and
bands performing on the
festival were Levi
Dexter (from the USA),
Dimaggio Connection
(From Italy), Loveless
Cousins and Earth Angels
(from Spain) and Small
Town (from Portugal).
The promoter expected
1,000 to attend but 600
were coming from other
countries across Europe
whose airports were
closed. At the show time
400 fans standing in
front of the stage gave
me a rousing welcome.
Most of them were from
Spain. DImaggio
Connection did a fine
job backing me. I was
given an encore. An
autograph line awaited.
One man had a copy of my
Mercury Record, "Cry
Baby, Cry" which had
been released in Spain
in 1958. I had never
seen this Spanish
Release.
After a late Saturday
night Sunday was a day
to rest and repack.
Seventeen airports had
now been closed in
Northern Spain plus many
more across Europe.
Those from Italy had to
return by ship. Those
from Germany were
stranded, as I was
afraid I would be.
Monday, the 19th I
was up at 5:30am. My
flights to Madrid,
Dallas and Memphis were
scheduled to go... 27
hour later I was back
home. My guitar didn't
make it till three days
later.
Back Home
April 20th my sister,
Ogareeda had to have the
aortic valve in her
heart replaced. She is
recovering well.
I was on RDF-TV
across North America
each week in April. On
the 10th I sang three
songs on Midwest
Country. They were,
"Funny How Time Slips
Away" "Drift Away" and
"One Run for the Roses".
I was on Country Family
Reunion each Friday. The
23rd I sang, "Drift
Away".
My recording, "Before
You Have to Go" went to
#3 on the Hot Disc Chart
across Europe, Australia
and New Zealand.
I was home with
Loretta for our 48th
Wedding Anniversary
April 30th.
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On Saturday
March 6th I did
a concert at the
Rogers Theater
in Poplar Bluff,
MO. This is some
40 miles from my
home. I'd last
played this
theater in 1957.
I told this 2010
crowd, "I hope
you don't wait
53 years to have
me back... I'll
be 124!"
It was full in
'57 and on this
night in 2010 it
was sold out;
1046 people!
This show was
opened by the
Moon Pies who
did a great job,
as did Ralph
Innes as MC and
Double Edge who
backed me. The
crowd blessed me
with with
standing
ovations after
"Danny Boy", "My
Prayer" and
"Funny How Time
Slips Away". A
some 2 hour
autograph line
awaited me in
the lobby at
Huey's Record
Rack. Several
had been my high
school
classmates, some
had been my
National Guard
buddies. Most of
this crowd was
from south east
Missouri. Some
were from St.
Louis, some from
Illinois, some
from Arkansas.
March 27th I did
a concert at the
Rialto Theater
in Morrilton,
Arkansas. Not
long before the
show time a
really bad storm
came through
with dark
clouds, pouring
rain and hail.
This kept many
from that area
from attending.
Many from far
away had bought
tickets in
advance and had
already traveled
there. A good
crowd awaited as
Double Edge
opened the show
doing their
usual great job.
After the
intermission
Bandy introduced
me. The crowd
gave me a
rousing welcome.
They blessed me
with with
standing
ovations after
"Reconsider Me",
"Danny Boy", "My
Prayer" and
"Funny How Time
Slips Away". A
long autograph
line awaited me
at the edge of
the stage as
Huey's Record
Rack opened.
Through it came
friends and fans
from Minnesota,
Ohio, Louisiana,
Texas, Oklahoma,
Kansas,
California,
Missouri and
Arkansas plus a
lady from
Yugoslavia who
said she listens
to my music
every night.
Final Farewell:
Jimmy Minor, who
had been my 1957
& '58 publisher.
He also recorded
for Mercury and
United Artists
as a singer in
the 1950s.
Photos:
Narvel on Stage
Rogers Theater
Poplar Bluff, MO
March 6, 2010
Courtesy of
Leonard
Fulbright
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Our daughter
Stacia's
birthday was
Feb. 3rd. Our
granddaughter
Nicole's
birthday was
Feb. 6th. As I
didn't play a
show this month,
I'll take you
back in time 50
Years Ago.
Back in
Time -
1960
Though I spent most
of 1959 playing the
Canadian show club
circuit, I would end the
year and see the new
decade in at Pop Werners
in Malden, MO. At the
end of '59 my band "The
Rockets" went their
separate ways. Bass
player, J. W. Grubbs,
stayed with me. Matt
Lucas joined us on the
drums.
Other
musicians who were in my
band and toured with me
part of 1960 were: Bob
Halley (Piano and Bass),
Jerry Ran (Lead Guitar),
Jack Adkins (Bass) and
Huen Hubbard (Rhythm
Guitar).
1960 started
with my record,
"Honey Love", on
Pink Records
getting national
radio play
across the USA
and Canada. It
would go on to
make the
"Billboard Pop
Chart". MGM
started calling
from New York
saying, "Look
what you're
doing on that
little label,
think what you
could do on
MGM!." I made
the mistake of
going to New
York and signing
with them. They
would keep me
under contract
for two years
and never
release a
record.
I
also signed with a top
New York manager, Don
Seat. He put me on his
system with all my
earnings being deposited
in a New York bank with
my name on it. Two of
three signatures were
required to write a
check, with mine being
one of them. The others
were Don and his
accountant. This was
where they could pay my
bills while I was on the
road. I was given $100
per week allowance plus
a credit card to pay my
road bills. Don felt he
could break me through
as an actor easier than
he could as a singer so
he sent me to Betty
Cashman Drama Studio for
two months.
We'd played two
months in Canada
prior to this.
After four
months on the
road, we were
really looking
forward to
getting back
home to
Missouri. Don
told me to stop
by his office on
our way out of
town and be sure
to wear a tie.
He wanted to
take me to lunch
with the head of
Desilu. When I
showed up
without a tie
(which was
required to get
in the
restaurant) it
made Don mad. He
said, "Forget
it!"
We
made the 27 hour drive
back home in my red '60
Buick convertible. For a
couple of months we
played dates in
Arkansas, Missouri and
Illinois. My daddy made
the drive to Nashville
with me to record a
session for MGM. He
really enjoyed that
session. Don Seat flew
down to be there. We
were then back on the
road for two or three
months to Canada and New
Jersey. Mama let me know
that my car payment and
credit card bills were
not being made as she
was getting notices on
them. At the end of the
tour I went back to New
York, went in Don's
office and told him it
was over. He said, "You
can't leave. You owe a
lot of money to the
IRS." I paid him enough
to settle that. He said,
"If you'll stay I
promise you a part in a
movie. They're casting
for it now!" I said no
and headed back to
Missouri broke. Uncle
Sam would soon beckon.
Back to 2010:
Final Farewell
to Dale Hawkins,
Rockabilly
Legend, "Suzy
Q".
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Legends and Memories
Leon Everette, Narvel Felts,
Ronnie McDowell, Ronnie Dove,
Billy Joe Royal
Memorial Auditorium,
Spartanburg, SC
Feb, 22, 2009 |
January
Happy New
Year! Hope this year and this
decade will be kind to you and
yours. As I review this month,
all the months of 2009 are being
moved to the archives on this
web site. Each month of
2009
can still be found there. It is
the best month by month review
since my newsletter ended in
2005. I even take you back in
time to 1959 and 1979 plus
there's a rare 1957 photo.
Now to
January 2010: On the 16th I did
my 10th annual concert at the
Florida Sunshine Opry in Eustis,
FL. With Ray Price performing 30
miles away I was afraid I
wouldn't have a crowd but I did!
People came through my autograph
line from Canada, Delaware,
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Missouri,
Minnesota and Florida. When one
couple came through, she told
me, "I was one of the Teenie
Boppers that mobbed you in
Flint, Michigan in 1957!" The
Sunshine Opry Band did their
usual great job backing me. The
crowd gave me standing ovations
after my 1970's hits,
"Reconsider Me", "My Prayer",
and "Funny How Time Slips Away".
I'd gone through the hassle of
of flying from Memphis to Tampa
and back on this trip so I could
be home two extra nights.
Driving to the Memphis Airport
Friday I heard Terry Wood on
95.9 "The Wolf" radio play my
record, "My Prayer" from
Jonesboro, Arkansas. I rented a
car in Tampa and drove to Eustis
and back. This was the first
show of my 54th year of touring.
The 21st I
was in Nashville to be one of
the artists on the filming of
"Country Family Reunion 2010".
We filmed the last four shows of
a thirteen week segment that
will start airing on RFD-TV on
March 5th. This show is hosted
by Bill Anderson. About 25
gather in one room. Bill asks us
questions and each sings a song
or two. I was there with country
legends Jimmy C. Newman, Jim Ed
Brown, Duane Allen, Moe Bandy,
T. Graham Brown, Larry Butler,
John Conlee, Billy Grammer, Jack
Greene, Jan Howard, Johnny Lee,
Charlie Louvin, Melba
Montgomery, Ray Pillow, Charley
Pride, Jean Shepard, Jeannie
Seely, Rhonda Vincent, Gene
Watson, Stonewall Jackson,
Little David Wilkins, The
Whites and Shelly West. I sang a
song on two of the shows, one
was "Drift Away" and the last
was "Somebody Hold Me". At the
end of it, all the artists, the
Carol Lee Singers and the band
all gave me a standing ovation!
What an honor!
Final
farewell, to all those I knew
along the way: Willie Mitchell,
R & B legend, "Soul Serenade",
Carl Smith, Country Legend, "Hey
Joe", and Pug Thrasher, friend.
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