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News From Narvel 2010

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L. V. Bryant


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February

 

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.

 
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".

 

   

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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