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FROM THE (CLUTTERED)
DESK April 2012 Good morning everyone! It's Friday the 13th and I thought the best way to start this day would be to write a message to you....can you believe it??? It has been such a beautiful spring, and I'm afraid I just took every opportunity to be outside instead of in the office....hope you have been doing the same. Since I'm so far behind I'll start with a quick wrap-up of the end of last year. On October 3rd I was hosting a segment of the Opry when my husband Gene got the call telling us we were new great-grandparents to a beautiful little baby girl, Arden Sue! I signed off the show saying "I've got to go hold our new baby....see you next time" and we went straight to the hospital! The proud parents are Gene's grandson Shane Bolinger and his wife Brooke. Hopefully you've seen some of the many photos we've shared. There are some here on the website....just click on the "Photo Album" page, then wait a few seconds until all the photos load. I can't believe Arden is 6 months old already! Also in October we attended my husband's Homecoming at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee. It was a pleasure for me to meet many of his classmates and hear their stories (and there were some good ones) and catch up on what they are doing today. Last fall Shannon McCombs with WSM asked me to do some shows for the station in their celebrity DJ series....how fun! She brought her setup over here and we just talked and played some music, all from my kitchen table overlooking the Cumberland River! So many folks commented that while listening to the shows they felt like they were right here with us! When I joined Joe Limardi during his broadcast from the Opry Backstage Grill recently, he asked me to do some more of those shows....and even said he would like to come and be a guest....how cool would that be??!! Hopefully that will happen, so please stay tuned! Gene and I had a wonderful holiday season. We rode in the Donelson Christmas parade as usual....it was a very nice day and we didn't freeze for a change! It's always so much fun to see the children's excitement along the way....I always tell them to keep watching 'cause Santa Claus is coming....I saw him! And I don't know who likes the sirens, horns, and lights on Gene's dune buggy the most....him or the kids! We were able to spend some fun times with our family and friends over the holiday season. We spent New Year's Eve on a plane flying to Hobbs, New Mexico, where we did a show on New Year's Day with Billy Troy, T.G. Sheppard, Gene Watson, and all of his fine band....what a great way to start 2012! January is always a whirlwind of putting away Christmas decorations (did I really put up this many??!), pulling out office files and setting up new ones....and then getting ready for the Grand Ole Opry Cruise. I tried to simplify that this year, reminding myself that it's all about having a good time and making sure our guests do the same. The cruise went very well....how could you not have a good time with Jean Shepard, Jan Howard, Mandy Barnett, T.G. Sheppard, Ralph Emery and most of the Opry band with special guest Dawn Sears!! Then came the bad part....many of us got the Norovirus that makes you so deathly sick. I kept going by Jan's room to check on her and take her whatever she needed....I knew she was going to be alright when she asked me to get her some good facial cleanser even though she couldn't hold her head up....no wonder she always looks like a million dollars! Unfortunately I got ill on the plane coming home, but the angels heard my prayers and got me home before I went down....thank you Lord! You probably saw on the news where four big cruise ships were hit with that virus....and we were one of them....not the way we wanted to make the news. It was unfortunate also that I had to cancel the Country's Family Reunion Roadshow in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan....my apologies to all the fans there and thank you for your understanding. My thanks also to Teea Goans for stepping in at the last minute to replace me on the show....I know all of you enjoyed her....she's one of my favorite singers. Gene and I took a short break away and joined our friends Lee and Becca Thompson up in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. It is always so beautiful in the mountains in the spring. Gene is from East Tennessee, so he gave us a great tour of the surrounding areas with all the history. We visited Dandridge, which he told us is the second oldest town in the state. It is very quaint with an old hardware store, drugstore with a soda fountain, and of course some antique stores. We toured the Courthouse where Gene first practiced law....tried his first case there....and he won it too! Then we had lunch on the porch of an old house turned into a restaurant....Cheyenne slept through it in her carriage beside the table....a good day! Billy Yates invited me to do "Tin Pan South" this spring, which is an annual city-wide songwriters' event here in Nashville. On the bill with us were Buddy Jewel and Eddie Heinzelman. All the proceeds go to the programs of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), including a medical clinic for writers in need. We had such a good time sharing fun stories as well as some great songs. I thank the boys for including me. One new project that I put together this year was re-printing the book I wrote back in the 80's. It has been out of print for quite a while....then all of a sudden old copies started showing up here and there and folks started asking me about it. I then realized there is a whole new generation who has not experienced these words of questionable wisdom! I call this a 'thought book' because it is a collection of some of the thoughts I've had through the years about everything from the music business to trying to help raise children. (I didn't realize that you had to grow up first before you could be a parent!) I reprinted the book just as I had written it....but you'll have to wait until I get through with my current notes about life as a senior!! The book is titled "Pieces Of A Puzzled Mind"....You can't judge a book by its AUTHOR....which tells you it is not real serious material....Jim Ed Brown says he keeps his copy in the bathroom for quick reading! We have a new home for the Nashville Nightlife Dinner Theatre....we moved up to the Music Village area close to the Ernest Tubb Record Shop and Texas Troubadour Theatre. The facility has been renovated and it is beautiful!....Felix the cook has a brand new kitchen and the food is even better! Diana Murrell has always put together a great show, and I'm proud that I get to perform there when our schedules permit....check us out at www.NashvilleNightlife.com. Tim Watson is often on the bill there as well....a great entertainer. Congratulations go out to fellow Opry members Connie Smith and Garth Brooks, along with legendary keyboard player Hargus "Pig" Robbins, who were named in March as the newest members of the Country Music Hall of Fame! Also congratulations go out to my great-nephew, Cole Seely, on winning a Supercross race this year, and continuing to make us proud as he travels the Supercross circuit!! Gene and I are looking forward to seeing Cole race again in Las Vegas. I was very honored to be asked to join Mayor Karl Dean at a ceremony on April 12th to celebrate the completion of a renovation project involving the historic alley located next to the Ryman Auditorium. As you probably know, the alleyway has been used by many country artists as a link between the backstage of the Ryman and the honky-tonks of Lower Broadway. Renovations on the alley recently wrapped up after eight months of work....and at the rededication ceremony they wanted me to share stories and some of the history of the alley from an Opry artist's perspective. I told the audience that when I mentioned to some of my fellow entertainers that I'd been asked to tell some stories, they said "Don't!!" I also reminded the audience at the ceremony that a lot of business was carried on in that alley....of course there was the real business and the 'monkey' business! And I told them that, for me, the thrill of following in the footsteps of all those who came before me did not just start on the Opry stage....they started there when I walked that same alley that they walked, climbed those same steps they climbed, and walked through that back door, knowing that I finally belonged. Plans are already underway for the "Country's Family Reunion and Larry's Country Diner Cruise" in January of 2013, and I've been asked to join them. Of course I'm always happy to join Bill Anderson and everyone in that group, whether we are working or not! You can check out all the artists who will be part of the cruise....and very importantly make a reservation to join us....at www.CFRCruise.com. I'm looking forward to a fun summer....hopefully I will see you on some of our travel dates which are listed here on the website on the "Appearance Schedule" link. Of course when I'm not on the road you can usually find me home at the Grand Ole Opry which continues to be a joy to me....and I would love to have you visit us there! Gene and I built a new deck even closer to the river, bought a new grill, and are looking forward to our children and friends coming to cook for us!! And we have vowed that we won't let another summer pass without spending more time in our motorhome....who knows....we might even see you along the way! Thank you for continuing to visit our website....and thank you for all of your nice comments. Would you do me one more favor? Would you please tell Ron Harman that this message was good??!! And tell him how much we all appreciate his help!! Until next time....God bless! Jeannie September 2011 Hello Everyone! It does not seem possible that this year is going by so quickly! Why it seems like only yesterday Ron Harman was reminding me that I had not written a message to all of you since the Opry Cruise!!! Oh, yeah, that was just yesterday that he reminded me for the umpteenth time! I did, however, cook a complete dinner for Ron and Jan Howard recently, so I have been productive!! And please know that during these lapses it's not that I don't think of you all, because I certainly do....it's just that I don't do anything about it! I will try to catch up as fast as I can.... We had a wonderful time on the cruise with Jim Ed Brown, Helen Cornelius, Charley Pride and newcomer Chris Young. We all enjoyed getting to know Chris and his family better and are very proud to see how well his career is doing. He is one of the new entertainers I feel is carrying on the traditional values in county music, but with the sound of his generation as it should be. After the Opry Cruise it was back home to the reality of winter....repacking and heading to Manistee, Michigan, for even more of a winter reality check. We again traveled with Jim Ed and Helen, meeting up with Bill Anderson, all the Po Folks band and Jan Howard for a show at the casino....had a great time....I don't remember winning any money though!! I was delighted to be invited to entertain at the Cowboy Festival out in Pasco, Washington. It had been a long time since I had been out that way, and Washington is the one state Gene had never visited so we were looking forward to that trip.....and the folks out there definitely didn't let us down....they showed us a great time, seeing the sights and enjoying some good food! I was also pleasantly surprised when my singing buddy for many years, Jack Greene, showed up a day early and joined me onstage!! Back home our whole neighborhood was buzzing with preparations for our flood anniversary party which we called "Mudstock"....we blocked off the street, escorting guests on golf carts down to the picnic area. Our guests were all the volunteers, police, area churches....anyone who assisted us during this devastating time in our lives...even our Mayor Karl Dean! We were especially happy that our new friends, Scott, Nancy, Peyton and Paxton Morgan could be with us from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, that weekend too.....they just showed up in 'scruddies' a few days after the flood, introduced themselves and asked if they could help....we took them up on it.....and we've just decided to keep them! Gene had a wonderful time riding us all around in his dune buggy and on his antique fire engine. The first weekend in May found us once again in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the World Championship Motocross races. We don't mind braggin' one bit that my great-nephew, Cole Seely, came in 2nd place in the World!! His dad Jeff got us passes to go down into the pit and see the 18-wheelers that transport his race team. Gene said he was going to meet Cole this trip if he had to stand in line with all the teenage girls to do it! We just about had to....he was busy doing interviews, talking to sponsors, etc. the whole time he wasn't on the track. Check out his website www.ColeSeely.com....pretty amazing! That's why you see Cole Seely #36 stickers on all my gear now!! I want to say a special 'thanks' to all those who have purchased my new "Vintage Country" CD released earlier this year....and I certainly appreciate all the nice comments and feedback you've provided. In March I did an Opry Store signing and was a guest on the WSM morning show with Charlie Mattos, in April I hosted the Ernest Tubb Midnite Jamboree and one evening in May I was a guest for a couple hours on Eddie Stubbs' program on WSM. Thanks too for the compliments from all the folks who watch RFD-TV and wrote to say how much they liked the "Larry's Country Diner" show that I was a guest on. In the spring I also taped the "Music City Late Night" show with host Ronnie McDowell...and in late June I once again enjoyed hosting the Midnite Jamboree. Thanks also to all the fans who continue to come out to the shows and show their support....I truly appreciate you!!! Speaking of fans, I was honored to be a part of several activities related to the "CMA Music Festival"...or what some still refer to as "Fan Fair". On that Wednesday evening I performed at the Texas Troubadour Theater for Billy Yates' "Countriest of the Country" show, a fundraising event to benefit "Christmas for the Children"...I then rushed over to the Nashville Nightlife Dinner Theater to perform there....and then hurried on to the annual R.O.P.E. Summer Spectacular at the Al Menah Shrine Temple where I was proud to sing with duet partner Jack Greene as part of an event that also reunited Bill Anderson & Jan Howard, Jim Ed Brown & Helen Cornelius and David Frizzell & Shelly West. The next day I hosted and performed on the "Classic Country Show" on the Chevy Stage in downtown Nashville....and it was fantastic to have Gene Watson, Rhonda Vincent, T.G. Sheppard and Moore & Moore as part of that show. The following day Gene and I flew up to Wisconsin...it was wonderful to visit Wisconsin Dells again this year with "Country's Family Reunion Roadshow"....they always treat us so well there! Believe it or not, Gene and I took a little vacation trip...spent some time traveling the coast of North Carolina visiting with old friends and making some new ones...thanks to Kerry and Katherine Marx who allowed us to tour their unique home/studio right on the coastline with one of the most incredible views ever! I think the next time I record a CD we need to 'toil away' in that studio!! Private joke...but I think we will bring the dessert next time!! In July we flew to Orlando for the Fraternal Order of the Eagles Convention where we opened for Opry brother Randy Travis and his fine entourage. It was so good to get to visit with Randy a little bit since everyone always keeps him busy when he has an opportunity to come home to the Opry. He is such a credit to our industry in that he made it 'okay' to be traditional!! My agents, Carrie and Debbie Moore of "Moore & Moore" fame accompanied me on that trip and joined me onstage for some good 'girlfriend' time...I'm sure our version of "Rock-A-Bye Boogie" will go down in history...!! We were very honored to be inducted into the Order of the Eagles and we thank everyone with the organization for accepting us and we promise to strive to be worthy of the honor. My good friend and former record producer, Billy Troy, asked me to join him for a show in August at the Stateline Showroom in Hobbs, New Mexico. They are carrying on the tradition of the old Stateline Club, an historic venue where everybody in country music played at some point during their career. We shared the stage with another Opry brother, Jim Ed Brown and 'super-singer' Gene Watson and his great band.......what a good time we had.....we will be looking forward to going back! Also in August, I hosted the Source Awards by myself this year as Brenda Lee had some surgery and couldn't be there....we missed her! I said being up there without her, I kind of felt like a fizzled firecracker following "Little Miss Dynamite"! She is recovering and doing fine, we are happy to report. Overall it has been a wonderful summer....and I got to spend time really enjoying my home again. One thing about going through something like the flood, it does make you realize what is important in your life. My friend Carolyn McClain and I decided that we really had too much 'stuff' anyway. I know now that if you are not using something, don't leave it stuck in a corner taking up your space and your energy...find someone who does need it....and there are many out there in need....we just need to be more aware of the need. Don't mean to lecture.....just think about it. We lost three wonderful members of our Opry family this year....Charlie Louvin, Mel McDaniel and Billy Grammer....and they will each be sadly missed, but also remembered for their great songs and for their impact on country music. On July 8th I was delighted when the Oak Ridge Boys were invited to become Opry members....and I was thrilled to host the segment on which they were inducted on August 6th and introduce them as the newest members of the Grand Ole Opry. The Oaks have been great ambassadors for country music, and I have the highest admiration and respect for each of them. Along with sending out my congratulations to the Oaks, I want to note how pleased and happy I am that my Opry sister Jean Shepard was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on May 22nd at the Medallion Ceremony...a much deserved honor! And also congratulations to Opry brother Bill Anderson who observed his 50th Opry Anniversary in July....I made a "stepping stone" for Bill to say how glad I am that he crossed my path 50 years ago! I am so honored to call these legends my friends!! I hope you'll be able to join us for the 2012 Opry Cruise...we'll be leaving out of New Orleans....sailing from January 28th to February 4th with stops at Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. Ralph Emery will serve as the host. The performers this year will be Jean Shepard, Jan Howard, Mandy Barnett, T.G. Sheppard and myself. I'm thinking they should have billed us as "The Ladies and the Ladies' Man" J....now don't any of you go telling my friend T.G. that I said that!! Thank you as always for your interest in me, my career and my somewhat erratic and crazy life...and thank you for allowing me to be a part of yours. My best to you always, Jeannie Seely January 2011 Let me start by first wishing you all a Happy New Year!! I just read my last message and couldn't help but laugh at my naive comment "I'm going to do some spring housecleaning".....little did I know at that time how DEEP my spring cleaning would be! As most of you know, I was seriously affected by the Nashville flood of May 2, 2010....losing my car and most of my possessions with three feet of water in my house. I do live right on the bank of the beautiful Cumberland River, however, the water that came through our house came from across the street when the Corps of Engineers opened the Dam on us with very little warning. I am one of the lucky ones able to rebuild my home and I am back home....with all new appliances, computer, television, DVD, radio, telephones, etc. that I don't know how to operate! My new washer and dryer now tell me what to do....which of course does not settle well with me, but they are bigger than I am and they know I need them so they can do whatever they want to....I'll adjust! Once again let me thank all of the friends, fans and organizations who donated their time, funds and prayers during that very difficult time....it took all of you to get me through. I sincerely appreciate all the support and assistance you provided!! It was a very busy summer for me with the rebuilding, refurnishing, decision-making and all with the house, as well as working our road dates and the Opry....but it was also a very rewarding one. We did make some great improvements on the house....I did get a new car....and I'm still working on acquiring a wardrobe....I know girls that's a tough job, huh? :) In June I was part of the "Classic County Show" with several other artists during the CMA Music Festival in downtown Nashville. Our tour dates took us on some fun adventures with fellow artists on the Country Family Reunion Roadshows, and a special treat in August at the fair in Wyoming, Rhode Island, with the Grand Ladies. Jean Shepard, Jan Howard, Helen Cornelius and I have all been friends for so long, and it is always a pleasure to share dressing rooms and time onstage together. I also felt honored to once again co-host the SOURCE Awards here in Nashville with Brenda Lee during the summer....and also to perform at the Dixie Carter Performing ArtsCenter in Huntingdon, TN. September and October got even busier....in addition to a pretty hectic road schedule, Country Family Reunion tapings, a couple of business trips to Memphis and San Francisco, the annual R.O.P.E banquet and show, the re-opening of the Opry House and a family wedding....Gene Ward and I decided to get married! So with all the other decisions I'd been trying to make....now I'm trying to plan a wedding, shop for a dress, choose invitations, caterer, etc.!! They said it couldn't be done in five weeks but we did it! On November 20, 2010, I married the most wonderful man I have ever known....that was the BEST decision I made!! We could not choose attendants from so many friends and family members so Gene just stood alone at the alter and I walked down the aisle by myself....I was going to have Cheyenne walk with me as my 'flower dog' but I wanted everyone to look at me a little bit...and I knew that wouldn't happen with her by my side! And my dress was RED....yes, a deep cranberry red with matching satin boots....so fun....and my groom was very handsome in his black tuxedo! You can see some photos here on the website on the 'Photo Album' page. We were married by Judge Bill Higgins who has been a close friend to both of us through the years....he is wonderful and funny....he said he 'doesn't tie any loose knots'! We spent the night at the newly restored Opryland Hotel in a beautiful suite that was a gift from the Grand Ole Opry. We appreciated that very much, and we were treated like royalty (eat your heart out William and Kate!) Then we took a leisurely trip to the North Carolina Coast....a trip that we had planned to take before the flood. Cheyenne was able to accompany us and enjoyed her new parents' honeymoon! We made a short stop in the mountains on our way home. In December I was thrilled to be able to help celebrate Little Jimmy's 90th birthday at the Grand Ole Opry....and that month Gene and I also enjoyed a wonderful concert at the Bridgestone Arena by Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood....what a wonderful display of generosity and support! Gene, Cheyenne and I spent a great first Christmas together very quietly at home with Christmas dinner at our grandson's new home, newlyweds Shane and Brooke Bolinger and other grandson Gregg Bolinger....and then at my other home, the Grand Ole Opry. Later that week we flew to Las Vegas to meet up with Gene's brother, Jess and Doris Ward and family from California, and my brother Bernie and Barb Seely and their family from Arizona. I'm looking forward to the New Year and I think it's off to a good start....we just finished a new CD project (finally) called "Vintage Country" which includes some wonderful classic songs that are favorites of mine....and I think probably yours too. There will be more information about the CD on this site as well as on Facebook. And again, none of this would be possible without the assistance of Ron Harman....please thank him for me as you correspond with him....I have said I don't know what I did to deserve him, but if I did, I would do it again! Love you Ron. My very best to all of you....as you try to keep your New Year's resolutions....don't be too hard on yourself....remember....you can always make them again next year! Most important of all, enjoy your life....it's the only one you get!! And time goes by so very quickly....so don't put off what you want to enjoy!! I've got to go pack for the Opry Cruise....so we will pick it up from here next time......See Ya! Jeannie April 2010 August 2009 January 2009 April 2008 June 2007 January 2007 Well Happy New Year everybody! I hope the Christmas season was a wonderful time for you and your families. We had a quiet but very nice one and as always I enjoyed the holiday time with my Opry family as well. BUT'..now is the time to make those New Year's Resolutions'..and try to figure out a way to keep them!! We have a fun thing we've done for several years you might want to try (I don't think it's too late!). You make a list of your resolutions, then take them outside, read them again, then burn the paper and send them drifting to the heavens. I believe that is to confirm your commitment and maybe request a little divine assistance?? It can be a fun thing to do with friends if you have some as crazy as mine!! Since I haven't written a message for the website for some time, I better go back and pick up where I left off last July. It seems as though summers come and go a little quicker than they used to! But what a great summer it was for me. Truly one of the highlights was my trip in August to Carthage, Texas, to host the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame Awards Show. My friend and 'adopted little brother' Ron Harman accompanied me and I think it was a toss up of who had the best time! Since he also works at the Country Music Hall Of Fame in Nashville, it was particularly interesting to him to tour the facility in Carthage and we were both so impressed with the displays and the wonderful folks who sponsor the booths and the ones who keep it operating so smoothly. We all owe a lot to Tommie Ritter Smith for her dedication to this foundation. Ron and I arrived on Friday and served as judges for the Talent Showcase that evening. There was an amazing array of talent onstage and a very enthusiastic crowd in attendance'.Carissa Amberly was named the winner and received some great prizes. The next day was pretty exciting as well, with all the booths set up on the lawn, folks performing, Maxine Brown was autographing her book "Looking Back To See" and all of us doing interviews with Tom Perryman....it reminded me so much of the old disc jockey conventions! Then later I was honored not only to share the stage once again with Jack Greene, but we performed our #1 hit "Wish I Didn't Have To Miss You" for the first time in 25 years!! Then we were joined by Candi Carpenter for a trio version of "Waltz Across Texas" in tribute to Ernest Tubb and the state of Texas. It was my privilege to host this year's event and to assist in the induction of Billy Joe Shaver and The Gatlin Brothers into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame. Both acts gave incredible performances showing exactly why this honor had been bestowed upon them. New artist and Texas native Casey Rivers also performed on the show. The entire experience was bittersweet in that Bettie and Billy Walker had been scheduled to be there along with band members Charlie Lilly and Danny Patton, and the tragedy of their loss was weighing heavy on everyone's heart. In September I flew to Bismark, North Dakota, to work the Prairie Knights Casino with Mel McDaniel and Jimmy Fortune. However, during the rehearsal I started feeling bad and a virus hit me so fast, by show time I couldn't even get up. They later called the medics and I spent the rest of the night in the hospital as I was dehydrated. Needless to say it was a pretty miserable trip for me, but I want to thank everyone at the Casino for their assistance and a special thanks to Mel and Jimmy for 'picking up my slack' by extending their portions to give the audience a great Grand Ole Opry style show. I have been rescheduled to return Jan 20th with Jim Ed Brown and Jack Greene so I'm looking forward to that. I was honored to co-host the Source Foundation Awards with Charlie Monk. This foundation honors women behind the scenes in the music industry for the incredible work they do in the offices of recording companies, studios, publishing and publicity companies etc. Brenda Lee usually holds this position but this year she was being honored with the Jo Walker-Meador Award. It was a lot of fun sparring back and forth with Charlie'we got some good laughs and we are all invited back next year!! Also in September, the Humane Society of the United States asked me to do a public service video reminding people to remember their pets in case they should become incapacitated or worse. Often our most trusted little companions get overlooked at such times so I urge you to consider that too. Cheyenne did an outstanding job of looking cute and I'm sure they only asked me to be there so they could have her!!! We closed out the month with a fun trip to Taylorsville, Illinois, for a show with David Frizzell and his fine group. We surprised the audience when I came back onstage and did Shelly West's part on 'You're The Reason God Made Oklahoma''.we had never done it before and it was really amazing to me after having the privilege of knowing Shelly since she was a little girl to be singing her hit song!! October found Cheyenne and me going to Dollywood! We always have a good time there. We've made so many friends there through the years and as always Cheyenne provides the entertainment for the entertainers between shows! She comes home with a carload of stuffed animals bigger than her every year! The weather was great most of the time we were there and of course the mountains were alive with color. Our Circle of Friends President Ann Allen was a wonderful host while we were there providing any kind of assistance I might need and Cheyenne and her Brittany have decided they should be playmates''Princeton sort of watches from the sidelines since he's a little too big for the girls'.but oh what great hugs he gives!!! Later in the fall, Ann too suffered a virus of some sort that put her totally out of commission for quite awhile. And of course as some of you know I had to have some surgery on November 6th which definitely changed my traditional Thanksgiving so we both apologize to our fan club members for missing the last newsletter'.and we will both understand if you want to vote in a new Star and President!!!! One thing the change did for me was make me even more thankful for good health and I don't intend to ever take it for granted again!! I am also thankful for the wonderful friends, family and fans I have'.I don't take you for granted either. My appreciation goes out to the R.O.P.E. organization (Reunion Of Professional Entertainers). Although I was not able to attend their annual dinner and awards show on November 7th due to my surgery the day before, I felt extremely honored to receive their award for 'Songwriter of the Year'. My congratulations go out to Jean Shepard whom they named their 'Entertainer of the Year'. Jean is certainly very deserving'.even if she does tell blonde stories about me on the Opry. That's okay because of course I enjoy telling blonde jokes too' On December 16th I hosted the Midnite Jamboree and as always I thank David McCormick and his staff for their hospitality at the Ernest Tubb Record Shop. My girlfriends Terri Williams, Helen Cornelius, and Carol Lee Cooper joined me onstage for a holiday song. In December I also rode in the Donelson Christmas parade with the kids from our neighborhood and we honored the brave men and women who serve in our military and to whom we all owe a great deal of gratitude. Throughout the year, I have been working some dinner shows at the Nashville Nightlife Dinner Theatre here on Music Valley Drive. Diana Murrell is doing a great job there and we hope you will add it to your list of places to visit the next time you are in Nashville'.and of course we always look for you at the Grand Ole Opry!
Love, July 2006 March 2006 September 2005 April 2005 December 2004
Hello Everyone,
I can't believe it's been so long since I've written you a message on my website but here it is finally!
I guess the last message was posted back in June. Besides celebrating my birthday during July I was able to be at home and at the Opry most of the time'.two of my favorite places to be. I also began doing some dinner shows at the Nightlife Theater again. My friends, Diana Murrell and her husband are managing it now and doing an excellent job. It is so close to home....I don't have to cook....and I have a good time there as well as keeping my "chops" up and trying out new jokes. It's a great place for the fans to see some of us "up close" as they say. Mel McDaniel, Steve Hall and Tommy Cash also play the theater quite often. Hopefully you'll check us out there when you come to Nashville.
I made a trip to Hiawassee, Georgia to work the Georgia Mountain Fair, and it was wonderful! I worked with the staff band and ran into Jerry Braswell, who used to play bass with Jim Ed Brown and Del Reeves several years ago'.we had some good laughs recalling old times. It is a beautiful drive down there and it was even more beautiful driving my new vehicle! I purchased an Infiniti FX, which is a luxury SUV, but not as big as most. It has 20' wheels and looks very European. I'm liking it more all the time. Cheyenne can see better and Shadpoke thinks it sleeps just as well as the Riviera did!!!
August started out pretty exciting for me....I got to see my godchild Mackenzie in the production of "Annie". She told me she didn't get the part she wanted, but she was an orphan and she was all right with that. Of course, to me, she was the very BEST orphan!!!
In August I flew up to Providence, RI and worked the fair at Wyoming, RI with Bill Anderson and his group. We had really good time and of course some pretty good fair food....yes, including those yummy french fries! Several folks requested that Bill and I perform a duet, so on the night show we sang "When Two Worlds Collide" which Bill and Roger Miller wrote. I was thrilled....I thought it came off very well on our first try, but I also teased Bill and told him it was hard to harmonize with a whisper!
Later in the month, I flew to Minneapolis, MN, and met my friends Steve and Coleen and they took me to see Faith who is my new 'dog girlfriend'. She is a rescued greyhound and absolutely delightful. These dogs never see so many things our dogs take for granted....like stairs, hardwood floors, etc. not to mention any other dogs other than the greyhounds she raced with. She is learning very quickly and knows who is a pushover for a treat in the neighborhood.
They drove me up to Sandstone for the Midwestern Country Jubilee the following day. This year we tried something different....they booked some area acts and had me host a "Grand Ole Opry" type show. I really enjoyed meeting all the artists and was impressed with the talent.
September was an exciting, fun, and very busy month. I started off flying to Detroit and then being driven to Harrow, Ontario, Canada, to work their fair with Bill Anderson and his group again. It was an outside arena and the area was just packed with enthusiastic country fans'of course that just makes us work harder'.we both got standing ovations which we of course appreciated! It has nothing to do with ego, it just lets you know that you did your job well. I didn't sleep very well that night, however, as I spent most of the night worrying about whether I would be able to get back into the United States'.you see this blonde forgot she was actually leaving the country and didn't take her passport. It wasn't until we were driving through the Canadian border that I realized that the short drive from the airport was actually taking us into another country. Thank goodness they accepted my identification and permitted me to return home. It was a frightening feeling though. All of the folks in Canada treated me so great'.the volunteers that picked me up, the people that run the fair, and all the wonderful fans.
The next weekend I flew to Dayton, OH, and worked with my friends, Steve Lake and the Swingmasters on a Saturday night in Franklin, Ohio, for the Ben Franklin Festival. Then we left bright and (way too) early Sunday morning on their bus for Salem, Ohio, to perform at Ponderosa Park for a show with Mel McDaniel and his band along with Billy "Crash" Craddock and his group. It was a beautiful day and I was very happy that some of the "kids" I graduated from school with drove over from PA. My friends, the Harman family from Tionesta, were there as well as my 7th grade teacher, Mr. Harold Sargent and his beautiful wife.
Mr. Sargent always believed in me, as he did all his students. When I told him I was going to Nashville one day and sing on the Grand Ole Opry, he didn't laugh. He said I could do anything I wanted to as long as I worked hard and had a plan. He also gave me my first acting experience that year when we did a production of "The Camel and the Vampire"'.of course I was the vampire!
Speaking of acting, I performed in a new musical comedy the last two weekends of October here in Donelson, TN. It's a totally new show written and directed by Kaine Riggin, a very talented young man. The show is called "Could It Be Love?" and premiered at the Donelson Senior Center for the Arts. It's a win-win situation for all of us because we could rehearse a new show and the Center received much needed funding. Helen Cornelius also played a role as well as my friends, Dennis Nelson and Gordon Dillingham. We had an absolute ball and possibly we'll be performing it at other venues.
September was a sad month in having to say goodbye to Grand Lady Skeeter Davis and fellow Grand Ole Opry star Roy Drusky'.I was a huge fan of both and personally consider it a privilege to have known them as friends. I know a lot of you were their fans as well'.and I can tell you they appreciated you so much'.please cherish your memories of them as I will. The Whites and I, along with backup from the Carol Lee Singers, honored Skeeter by performing "The End of the World" on the stage of the Opry that she loved so much.
I drove to West Plains, MO, for "Jan Howard Homecoming Day" in late September. I was pleased to be asked to do a short performance and to host the rest of the show, introducing many dignitaries and reading messages from many of Jan's friends. Bill Anderson and his group were also there with his great show. As most of you remember, Jan starred on Bill's TV show, recorded many hits with him, and toured extensively during those years. Bill and I had some little jabs and stories to kind of 'roast' Jan a bit!
I hosted the Midnight Jamboree on November 20th, have been performing on the Opry quite a bit'and of course am trying to prepare for Christmas. Please have a safe and happy holiday season and as always, thanks for being my friends.
Much love,
Jeannie June
2004 I
guess I have quite a bit to catch you up on since the last time I wrote
a message in early February. I went down to Tampa for the Florida State
Fair that month and it was fun to see and work with some artists we
don’t see all the time at the Opry. Obviously the fans love that
type of show too. Later in February I went to Laughlin, Nevada, for
a show with Billy Walker, Jim Ed Brown and his band. In addition to
the fans, my family had a bit of a 'family reunion’ there.
My brother Bernie and his wife Barbara were motor-homing around the
country enjoying their retirement so they came out. Their son Bernie
and wife Penni came from California, as well as their other son Jeff’s
wife Caryn and her mom. Jeff and Caryn have a son who races motorcycles
in the Motorcross....his name is Cole Seely, he’s 13 and he’s
been racing since he was three! I got to see him in Hurricane Mills
at Loretta’s track a couple years ago and a while back he had
a feature story in a magazine called Final Lap. A lot of Bernie’s
friends from the Bluegrass circuit came out to the show in Laughlin
too and we always appreciate their support. I had the pleasure of introducing
Kenny Chesney on the Opry as a surprise guest on March 6th. Back in
January while I was on the Grand Ole Opry Cruise, Kenny called my house
late one night after a show just to say he loved me....so I called
him back, thanked him, and suggested he come out to the Opry and tell
me that in person. He was taping an A&E television special across
the hall in Studio A that night so he came over and asked for me to
introduce him. Needless to say...we were all thrilled! He also brought
along friend Uncle Kracker, who joined him for a song. Those unexpected
things are always special on the Opry. Recently I found myself looking
back thru my calendar trying to figure out exactly what I've accomplished
this spring. Did you ever have days where you were busy all day but
when you try to tell someone what you did.....well that's the way I
feel right now! I know a lot of time was spent in my office trying to
get last year's files out, new ones in, and working on TAXES! Every
year I think there must be an easier way to do this....but like
everyone else....I just don't like to do it! Then I started working
on my wardrobe, getting ready for a season change and Goodwill. This
is the time I look in my closet and say "who bought all these mistakes?"
I would much rather be at Lowe’s or the salvage yard looking for
something new to do with my house....and I do have some ideas! I hope you all got to see
the Nancy comic strip on May 27th. I was honored to be part of the comic
strip by its wonderful illustrator Guy Gilchrist who is a friend both
to me and to the Opry. Gil has made the comic strip part of his 'Celebrity’
series and you can order reproductions of it by going to his web site
at http://www.gilchriststudios.com/nancy/celeb6/main.asp. Later we stopped by a 90th
birthday celebration for my neighbor Bertha Cantrell and sang Happy
Birthday with all her family. Then home to regroup and go to the Opry
for the 6:30 show and say Congrats and Welcome to Terri Clark. Unfortunately
I couldn't stay for her reception as I was booked as the surprise guest
on the Mystery.Com event at the Opryland Hotel. What a fun party that
was, not to mention great food!! Believe me I was ready to kick my shoes
off and enjoy some 'puppy time' before falling into bed! Sunday morning I was up bright
and early (well the morning was bright!) and headed down to Riverfront
Park for the ROPE Show. The wonderful folks with Rope worked so hard,
but I was not pleased with the way they and this show were treated by
the CMA producers. Since we were all 'shortchanged' I felt like the
fans were also and there was absolutely no reason for it to be that
way. Hopefully there will be some changes for the better next year.
After that I met my sister, Mary Lou Lang, and one of her friends, Luella
Shjerve, for lunch. Luella comes to Nashville for Fan Fair every year
and attends our church while she is here and that’s where she
met my sister and they became friends....it is a small world!! Well until next time, take
care of yourself and enjoy the summer months coming up! Love ya much, February
2004 Hello Everyone, I guess an update
to this page is a little overdue but it seems time just goes by faster
and faster and there’s more and more to keep me occupied....even
during these past winter months. Let me try to catch you up on what’s
been going on and what’s coming along. First I hope you
all have had a chance to pick up a copy of the new "Life’s
Highway" CD which I’m very proud of. It’s still amazing
to me that this project represents my fifth decade of recording since
I first began in the '60’s. We had a wonderful CD release
party on November 15, 2003, in conjunction with my hosting duties on
the Ernest Tubb Midnite Jamboree. My sincere thanks go out to the great
folks at OMS Records and the Ernest Tubb Record Shop...as well as
to the musical guests and everyone else who made that event so special
for me. I hope you all
got to see the great review of my CD in the January 20, 2004, issue
of Country Weekly magazine. Thanks to Chris Neal for his very complimentary
remarks in the review. And thanks also to Peter Cooper from The Tennessean
who published a "Behind The Head Shot" feature on me in
the December 14th Sunday edition of the newspaper. Ann Allen will be
sending out copies of these articles to all the fan club members with
the next newsletter. Before I forget,
I want to share a great story about one of the photos that have been
added to the 'Photo Album’ page of my web site. Those pictured
from left to right in the group are Slick McGoo, Gale Beamer, my brother
Bernie Seely, and Roger Moras. Gale worked with me on the Thailand tour
way back in 1969 and some time ago he happened to meet Bernie out west
after they both retired there. It’s a small world and it pays
to be nice....you never know when, where, or how people will show up
in your life again! The pets are all
fine now, but kept me pretty busy for the last several months...I had
some remodeling done on my house and Hamilton managed to get out and
get attacked by an outside cat I call Bruiser because he is so big.
Well needless to say, Hamilton lost that fight and after overcoming
infection from the puncture wounds, he developed a fungal infection
and we had to put him in the hospital for several days while I cleaned
carpets, upholstery, curtains, afghans, throws, pillows, Christmas rugs,
throws, and toys. Then I had to dry clean all the clothes in one closet
that he hides in and bathe both dogs! Then we assembled two dog crates
to make one 6' run for him as he had to be quarantined when he came
home since the fungus was contagious to both humans and other pets.
Of course he had to go back twice a week for treatments so I would take
him in the morning and pick him up in the afternoon. The wonderful news
is that we did it! He is doing fine now and there's this little naked
cat running around....they had to shave him but we are both happy! Shadpoke
turned 15 this month and is doing pretty well considering he can't see
or hear very well. He still has a good appetite and loves his walks.
Cheyenne is beautiful and very busy! She has to be in the middle of
everything going on...and if there is nothing going on...she starts
something! I'm told there is no doubt she is my dog! And like me...she
has a strong tendency to gain weight so her doctor just advised we cut
back a little on the treats and increase her exercise...funny...my
doctor told me the same thing!! No matter what I'm doing, all three
of them are right there to help and I love it! We are in the process
of lining up a pretty good season of shows...most of them not completely
confirmed yet but I hope you will keep checking with us. This month
will find us at the Florida State Fair in Tampa on the 12th, and then
at the Avi Casino in Laughlin, Nevada, on the 27th with Jim Ed Brown
and Billy Walker.....and then I am on to the San Diego area for a few
days. Hope to be able to visit with my sons Danny and J.R. Cochran and
their families, as well as my brother Bernie and his wife Barb on this
trip. Even though my brother Don lives in the Reno area, my sister-in-law
Nancy says I'll probably have to come there to see him...he took
his retirement much too seriously!!! Love ya much, Jeannie October
2003 Happy Autumn Everyone! I hope you all
had a great summer and are looking forward to the fall season like I
am. Can you believe that summer flew by as fast as it did? I guess it’s
been awhile since I’ve written an update so let’s catch
up on some of the many things that have been going on. I had a wonderful
time up at Dollywood in August and was asked to go back in September
to fill in for Jim Ed Brown who wasn’t able to make the trip.
I’ll be headed back there on October 12th for another week so
if possible please try to visit the park and stop by to see the "Country
State Of Mind" show where I perform with Randy Parton and some
other very talented entertainers. It’ll be your last chance to
see us at Dollywood this season. One of the more
exciting trips for me this summer was going thru Minneapolis (on my
way to Sandstone, Minnesota, to play Kathy and Joe Jensen's Theatre)
and visiting with my friend Steve Pasho. He just recently adopted a
greyhound named Faith and I got to meet her! They are really an interesting
breed of dog and have always fascinated me. Thanks to wonderful people
like Steve and the agency that place them, these retired race dogs are
now finding loving homes. And....I think she liked me!! I know many of
you – like myself – have been anticipating the release of
my new acoustic and bluegrass CD titled Life’s Highway. I’m
glad to report that the wait is almost over! I’m proud of this
project on OMS Records and will be anxious to hear what you think. I
was fortunate to have contributions from some great musicians like Josh
Graves, Glen Duncan, Steve Wariner, Jesse McReynolds, and Buck White
– as well as wonderful harmony vocals from Charlie Louvin, the
Osborne Brothers, the Whites, and Terri Williams. I also plan to
host the Ernest Tubb Midnite Jamboree on November 15th so be listening
on WSM 650 if you can tune in – or better yet come by the Texas
Troubadour Theatre if you’re going to be in the Nashville area.
We'll be doing some music from the new CD which will be fun. I learned just
recently that I was named the recipient of the 2003 Legend Award from
the Bluebird Country News. Many thanks to Virgie Warren and everyone
up in Flushing, Michigan. The award itself is very nice and something
I will certainly treasure. I also want to again thank the George D.
Hay Foundation and fine folks in Mammoth, Arkansas, for my induction
into the George D. Hay Music Hall of Fame in September. Around my house
the biggest excitement has been that Hamilton (my cat who has never
been outside) escaped during my bathroom remodeling project and tangled
with a stray cat – who needless to say was more experienced so
you can pretty much guess the rest of this story.....many trips to the
vet later he is recovering pretty well and does enjoy looking out the
new windows the remodeling gave him!!! Shadpoke is trying
to enjoy his 'retirement' but sometimes still has to go with me just
to get away from his little sister for awhile. Speaking of her...Cheyenne
is doing her job quite well most of the time. She will let Shadpoke
know when there is a squirrel at the feeder to bark at and when to chase
a leaf across the lawn since he can't see too well. However, she will
also take advantage of that situation and steal his biscuit from time
to time!! We have all been
having fun playing in the yard, decorating for fall. We have scarecrows,
mums, pumpkins, gourds, cornstalks, straw, and everything else we can
think of! We are also putting new yellow ribbons around our trees......we
are still waiting for our soldiers to come home. I know there's
probably more to tell you that I'm forgetting, but I better close this
letter and start carving this year’s jack-o’-lantern....if
I don’t start now I’ll never be done in time for Halloween!
Much Love, June
2003 Hello to Everyone, Well once again
I can't believe it’s been so long since I've written to all of
you! Time flies when you are having fun...and I have been making
sure I do that as much as possible!! Let's see what I need to catch
you up on...in March we opened at Dollywood in a new production
called "Randy Parton's Country State of Mind". It’s
a great show featuring some of the best young talent you could find
anywhere, and we perform in the Celebrity Theatre which of course is
my favorite! Randy does a great job as usual and makes all of us feel
so welcome to the park...I’m hoping to do a duet with him
when I go back in August. I came home the middle of April and got to spend a
little time getting my yard ready for spring...I love working out there
even though my allergies don't! Then I got to make a trip to my home
state of PA for a "Legends Fest" show with Porter Wagoner,
Jack Greene, Gene Watson, and myself with Johnny Counterfit hosting
at the American Music Theatre in Lancaster. The airline lost my luggage
when we flew in the night before, so after a quick trip to Wal-Mart
at midnight for a toothbrush and some things to get through the night,
I started early the next morning to shop for something to wear on the
show...from skin out!! Thankfully there was a nice mall there and I
was able to get by, and then my luggage showed up in time for the night
performance. It was a fun day with all the fans in that part of the
country, but especially spending time with some special friends. In May I was honored to be among those invited to share
in the medallion ceremony for the Country Music Hall of Fame inductions
of Bill Carlisle and Porter Wagoner. It was a nice ceremony with some
fun moments and comments from Dolly Parton and Vince Gill...and
a great musical tribute to Bill by his son and the members of his group.
Somehow you just 'feel' the stature of the event in the walls of the
Hall of Fame Rotunda! Gentlemen's Quarterly magazine is publishing an article
on The Grand Ole Opry and they asked me to pose for some photos with
Jean Shepard, Jan Howard and Connie Smith. Needless to say there was
a lot of giggling going on most of that afternoon. I am always mindful
of how lucky I am to be among those ranks...as talents and as wonderful
women. I don't know if we will make it into the magazine or not...there
is only so much space...but I was told they quoted me!! I guess we will
all have to buy a copy to see what I said! Recently I was notified of a great honor...induction
into the George D. Hay Music Hall of Fame which is located in Mammoth
Spring, Arkansas. Unfortunately I will be unable to attend the actual
ceremony on September 21st due to a performance already scheduled that
weekend, but I am thrilled to be in the company of the other 2003 inductees
– Bill Monroe, Barbara Fairchild, Conway Twitty, Ernie Ashworth,
George Hamilton IV, Jimmy C. Newman, Jimmy Martin, and Clyde Moody.
Thanks to all the fine folks involved with the George D. Hay Foundation
which you can read more about on the Internet at www.GeorgeDHayFnd.org. Gary Fjelstad in Billings, MT extended an invitation
to appear on his fund raising show for the D.A.R.E. organization on
May 12th and since my sister's son Keith lives there I was happy to
accept and take my sister with me! We had a wonderful visit with Keith,
his wife Victoria and daughter Whitney...and we got to enjoy some
of the beautiful Montana countryside as well as contribute to such a
worthy cause. The show featured Moore & Moore, The Hager Twins,
Jack Greene, Candi Carpenter, and Johnny Rodriquez as well as myself.
They are talking about making that an annual event. Thanks to the staff at "Country Music Greats"
for recently publishing an article about me in their quarterly magazine.
You can order copies or subscribe on their website at www.PureCountryMusic.com.
Also don’t forget to order your copy of the "Changing Hearts"
movie that I had the pleasure of appearing in...there’s info
on the Fan Page of my site about how to order the movie...and your
purchase will help non-profit organizations dedicated to cancer research,
education, and patient support. And also on the Fan Page
is a fun trivia contest that is running through September 30th. I probably
shouldn’t say this...but I’m pretty sure I don’t
know all the answers myself! I’m really looking forward to Fan
Fair...I will be appearing at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
with Jean Shepard and Jan Howard on June 6th, as well as visiting with
Bill Cody on WSM that morning, and I’ll be visiting with Eddie
Stubbs on Saturday morning before going out to the Opry Fan Party. Hope
to see you all there. If we can't see you in person this year though,
hopefully you’ll be listening to everything on WSM radio and on
the Grand Ole Opry. If you haven’t already signed up for the 2004
Opry Cruise next January I hope you do so soon...I’ll be cruising
with some of my favorite friends like Brad Paisley, Bill Anderson, Jimmy
Dickens, and Eddie Stubbs...and I hope you can come along too! I also hope you
have a wonderful summer this year...pretend you are a child again, lay
back and look at the clouds on a pretty day, or if its raining, don't
be afraid to get wet...remember how much fun it was to run in the puddles!
Try it again, only maybe now you should just walk! Enjoy your life to
the fullest...and thank you for being a part of mine. Love, February
2003 Hi Everyone, I hope you all enjoyed your
holiday season and have enough memories to make you want to go through
all the decorating, shopping, baking, etc. again next year! My holidays
were wonderful - enjoyed my family, friends, neighbors and most of all
of course, my pets! My sister and I hosted a formal sit down dinner
for ten at my house on December 22nd and then we went to the Radio City
Music Show at the Opry House. It was so much fun to watch my great,
great (yes, that's right, great, great!!) nieces’ faces...they
are 12 and 9 and they had never seen a show like that before. It's really
a great show and I always enjoy it myself. On press night this year
they asked me to read a short version of "Twas The Night Before
Christmas" on the stage before the show started and they had about
ten children up there with me. It was fun and with my usual "rewrites"
I was able to get a few laughs from the adult audience, too!! We finally got all the decorations
down...thank goodness all the outside stuff was put away before
we got our snowstorm which literally shut down Nashville. I was home
most of it, although I did have to leave that night to go by tour bus
to Panama City, Florida on a LegendsFest show with Ralph Emery, George
Lindsey, and we met Gene Watson and his band down there. It was really
cold there also, but I did get to "hold hands" with a dolphin
and rub her belly!! They took my picture and I looked like I was scared
to death but I was just freezing!! My little Florida dog Cheyenne
didn't know what to think about all the snow...she had fun running around
until she realized her feet were freezing and then she'd look up so
pitiful. Shadpoke is an old pro at this and he loves playing in it.
They looked so cute in their sweaters. Hamilton the cat didn't see anything
interesting at all out there...no birds even came up to the feeder that
day!! So he spent most of his time in front of the fireplace until the
dogs came in all wet and wanting to get warm! I started doing Weight Watchers
before Thanksgiving and somehow I managed to lose about five pounds
during the holidays. Mostly I had just developed some bad eating habits
so this is helping me get back on track. I wanted to lose ten pounds
as I have some great costumes that I haven't been able to wear. I decided
to literally "put my money were my mouth is"!!!!!! My trip to the Florida State
Fair in February was a great time, not only for me but for the fans
as well...there were 39 acts I'm told. Didn't get to see much else
at the fair as there’s never time, but we did have wonderful weather
and wonderful food, including strawberry shortcake!!! One interesting
thing that happened is they cancelled my reservations when I didn't
come in on Wednesday as I had planned. There weren't any rooms so I
roomed with Jeanne Pruett and we had ourselves a fun PJ party! She reminded
me that a few years ago, Jan Howard and I had a room and somehow Jeanne
and Connie Smith didn't...so we all had a PJ party together that
year! So far I'm still losing about
1/2 pound every Weight Watchers meeting, but it has been hard to do
it with so much traveling, especially when there is strawberry shortcake!
But I don't have much more to go so I'm okay. The puppy dogs say I just
need to walk them more! There is great news that
I will be performing this year at Dollywood and I am really happy about
that....I missed everything about it not working there last year...the
park itself, the cast, the fans, and the great friends I've made down
there. I hope you can come see our show there this year...and/or
come visit us at the Opry! It’s always nice to
be recognized and I’m very proud to be nominated this year by
the Opry Fans Connection International (OFCI) as their "Entertainer of
the Year"...it’s especially great to be in the company
of Loretta Lynn, Jean Shepard, and Bill Anderson. The awards will be
presented in August. I’m also honored that
in a recent book released titled Heartaches By The Number: Country Music’s
500 Greatest Singles, my recording of "Don’t Touch Me"
was included at No. 97. The authors, David Cantwell and Bill Friskics-Warren,
were very complimentary and presented a nice message about the song. I guess that’s all
for now...take care of yourself until next time. (And think SPRING!) Love, November
2002 Well
hello everybody! Can you believe that fall is here already? I don't
know where the time is going but I AM having a wonderful time so no
wonder it's flyin'! I'm really getting excited now about my new CD on
OMS Records. I still don't know the release date yet as we have to work
around everybody's schedule to get it finished...but hopefully it will
be worth the wait! I almost missed all the goblins this year as I took
a few days off to go to the mountains and look at some of God's most
beautiful artwork but I did get back in time to greet my little "god-daughter"
who was dressed as a mouse! Now the "trick" is to get all
these "treats" out of the house before I eat them all! About
my redecorating job...I've always heard that it will take longer and
costs more than you planned and I can attest to that! But we're getting
there and I'm really pleased so far...alright alright...so I did
change my mind a time or two! Besides...our
priorities are dog walks (according to Shadpoke and Cheyenne) and catnaps
(according to Hamilton)!!! One
of the most exciting things that has happened for me recently was attending
the International Bluegrass Music Awards show as a nominee and ultimately
as a winner! Thanks again to Dr. Ralph Stanley for inviting me to be
a "Clinch Mountain Sweetheart" and for allowing me to share
in the honor of winning the "Recorded Event of the Year".
Congratulations to Dr. Stanley, his wonderful band, and his producer
Bill VornDick. I
have been very busy working road dates with some of my very favorite
people including Jimmy Dickens, Ralph Emery, Jack Greene, and Bill Anderson
just to name a few - and I had a wonderful time with Jean Shepard and
Jan Howard performing a "Grand Ladies" concert at Dollywood.
It's always an honor to share the stage with these great artists, and
our friend Marty Martel makes that possible for all of us on the Legendsfest
shows. Hope to see you at one soon! Speaking
of Dollywood, Shadpoke wrote a letter to Ms. Dolly and suggested they
have a Doggywood where puppy dogs can relax and refresh when they are
visiting her great park - and they are going to add it! Ms. Dolly wrote
him a letter herself......now how's that for being a VID (a Very Important
Dog for those of you not familiar with dog talk). Check it out as it's
supposed to open this holiday season! Since
my Christmas Breakfast shows got cancelled this year I think I'm going
to really enjoy my family, friends, and neighbors this season. I haven't
been able to attend many of the parties the last several years with
my schedule. And I think we're going to limit the commercial aspect
and put the emphasis on 'together time'. That's a great gift for me.
Thanks
to so many of you for showing an interest in my new fan club called
Jeannie Seely's Circle of Friends. I'm so grateful to Ann Allen for
talking me into doing it after all these years, and I'm glad that it
brings joy to people. All of you make me realize everyday how fortunate
I am to be able to continue to do what I love, and I love you for that! With
the Holidays just around the corner, remind yourself to take care of
YOU!!! Maybe I'll talk to you again before then, but let me tell you
to start enjoying RIGHT NOW! Love,
Jeannie and Family July 2002 Let me thank all
of you for visiting me via the web...it is still amazing to me! I'm
still learning how to do all this, but the good news is...I'm learning! I have been really
busy lately with several projects I'm excited about. I have been redecorating
my house, not only because I needed a change but also because I'm planning
to do a video here which I hope you will all find interesting once it's
done. I'm trying something a little different and that's all I'm gonna
tell you right now! Also, I have been
in the studio recording a new bluegrass album with Hugh Moore and Billy
Troy for OMS Records. It's pretty fun and we've chosen some really good
songs and some I think might surprise you on a bluegrass CD! So far
we just have the basic tracks done...I'll keep you posted along the
way. I'm looking forward
to going to Switzerland since I have never been there...it's going
to be a quick trip, but hopefully they will like me and I can go back
and spend a little more time. As most of you
know by now, I adopted a little girl dog in March. Most of the time
Shadpoke seems to enjoy Cheyenne, but when she pulls on his ears he
gets a little annoyed! I won't have to worry about Hamilton the cat
getting bored...she keeps him on his toes! She is three years old
but still puppy enough to teach me to pick up after myself...or she
will! I had a wonderful
birthday on July 6th and spent it at the Opry which was wonderful. Of
course as most of you know, I celebrate all year long, so I still have
some lunches and dinners coming...the greatest gift of all since
I don't like to cook! Actually, I feel that I'm helping the world by
conserving our energy resources...that story seems to be working
for now! Got to run, but
until I see you in person...just pretend you're getting a hug! March 2002 Hi Everybody! Gee
this is exciting...my very first web message! As slow as I am it's hard
to believe I used to be a secretary...it's probably best to keep
singing huh? First let me tell
you how pleased I am that you are visiting with me thru my website.
I really do appreciate your continued support and interest in my life
and career. We are just now booking dates for the season and hopefully
we'll be coming close to you. I've often said that visiting with you
after the show is like a living scrapbook for me because you folks tell
me about where and when you have seen me thru the years...most of them
good memories for me! The most important
thing going on right now is the adoption of a little sister for Shadpoke
and Hamilton. She is a little Shih Tzu like Shadpoke, only smaller and
he likes that! He weighs 8 ½ pounds and she weighs 6 pounds.
She's blonde with huge brown eyes and we think she looks as much like
Goldie Hawn as Shadpoke does Johnny Russell! Her new name is Cheyenne
and I think she likes it because she comes every time I call her, especially
if I have puppy treats in my hand! Shadpoke seems
to enjoy her except when he's trying to take a nap. Hamilton the cat
is another matter altogether! He is highly insulted that he must share
his domain with another canine! Needless to say this will take some
time! Thank goodness
spring is coming and we can spread out to screened porches and decks!
I'm considering screening the entire yard this summer! This year once
again I'm going to be sponsoring a girl's softball team in Donelson
called the "Seely Superstars". Good luck to all the girls
and I hope they have a wonderful season. One other item
of news is that I've been asked to join the Advisory Board for the East
Academy School here in Nashville and I'm honored to accept that position.
Well I must run...we'll
talk again soon! Thanks much. Love, P.S. I still hate
office work (and computers too). P.P.S. Oh yes,
I wanted to tell my neighbor's daughter who signed my Guestbook that
your mother is a wonderful neighbor. We just can't wait until she gets
old. We broke her leg and that still hasn't slowed her down! BIOGRAPHY:
Jeannie's bio is up and ready for viewing. DISCOGRAPHY:
See what records Jeannie has made throughout her career. APPEARANCES:
See when and where Jeannie is going to be appearing, She may be coming
to a city or town near you! GUESTBOOK:
Leave a message for Jeannie or tell everyone about a Jeannie sighting
you may have had recently. PHOTO
ALBUM: See photos of Jeannie and some of her Opry friends, and some
photos of Jeannie with friends like you. FAN
PAGE: See photos of Jeannie's Fans and read stories about their
Jeannie encounters. MERCHANDISE:
Buy some of your favorite Jeannie merchandise right here online. Please
feel free to drop us a note and let us know what you would like to see
or hear on the site by e-mailing: JSeelyWebsite@Comcast.net.
Feel
free to take a look around and be sure to come back often. Send
Jeannie an E-mail. |
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