Ray Walker dropped out of school
in 1955, moved to Centerville, Tennessee, where he helped to build a radio
station, WHLP, worked with the local Church, and, became the youngest school
principal in the history of Tennessee. He came back to college in 1956 and
graduated in June 1957, with a BA Degree in Speech, Music, Bible, and,
Education; worked for Werthan Bag Company during the Summer. By that time Ray
and wife Marilyn's third child was on the way.
Ray continued working for the local Church and, in the Fall began teaching
school in Davidson County Schools, where he was Assistant Principal, Coach, and
commanded a split seventh and eighth grade class. It was April 1958 now, and
through a business call to David Lipscomb College, Ray was put in touch with the
Jordanaires by his former Choral Director. Gordon Stoker had called there, just
prior to Ray's call, to see if the Music Department knew of a bass singer who
might fit their requirements. When Ray spoke with the professor, he said to
give them his name, which the professor did. Ray was called that afternoon,
auditioned at 11:00 that evening, was called at the school the next day and
asked to go to Hollywood to do some recording. The school board let him off, he
went, came home and completed his school year of teaching, and joined the
Jordanaires, officially, June 1, 1958.
Since that time, while working with the Jordanaires, he had a successful,
daily, morning show, "YOUR OWN TIME" on the ABC Channel in Nashville
in 1976. Ray has done modeling, numerous radio, television, magazine and
newspaper commercials (locally and nationally). He was a deputy sheriff (as a
liaison between trouble youth and distraught families) for twenty-some years
and, as were all the Jordanaires, an honorary member of the Tennessee Governor's
Staff in Tennessee for many years.
Among the accolades the group has received during his tenure with The
Jordanaires is induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the NACMAI (North
American Country Music Association International) Hall of Fame, the Gospel
Music Hall of Fame, Rockabilly Hall of Fame, Vocal Group Hall of Fame and
others. Ray was inducted into The Rockabilly Hall of Fame, individually,
in 2013. He was, also, awarded the "Avalon Award", the
highest award given for contribution and accomplishment by his alma mater',
David Lipscomb University, in 2005.
It is estimated that Ray Walker has been recorded on more than 200,000
songs and including his professional recording with the Jordanaires,
and is reservedly believed to be the most recorded voice in the history of
music.
Ray was the Bass Singer in
"THE JORDANAIRES" for 54 years and 345 days, when upon the passing of
Gordon Stoker, March 27, 2013, "THE JORDANAIRES" as a group,
officially, came to an end. Ray, occasionally, performs with country
crooner Ronnie McDowell, and others, in programs dedicated to the memory of
Elvis Presley.
And don’t forget to purchase a copy of my book
entitledCheck the Gs -the true story of an eclectic American family and their
Wacky family business … or the second edition entitled …Wacky Shenanigans on F
Street- ‘Proud to be Politically Incorrect in Washington DC’... available now
at amazon.com. You’ll live it!!!
For over forty years,
the inspirational Country & Gospel renderings of Joe Bonsall,Duane
Allen, William Lee Golden and Richard Sterban, have perpetually and affectionately
delivered positive, wholesome, and enj
oyable music while the Oak
Ridge Boys served as America’s patriotic and spiritual
ambassadors to the world.
In ourlast
interviewin
March of 2014, Joe Bonsall,
the legendary tenor of the Oak Ridge Boys was brimming with exciting news …
news that included their jubilant 40th anniversary as a group together and the
upcoming release of their first live album ever entitled … Boys Night Out on
Cleopatra Records. ‘The Boys’ had also returned from sea on their
annual Oak Ridge Boys Rally-at-Sea aboard the Celebrity Reflection,
and of course their touring schedule which has been extraordinarily relentless
for over the past four decades.
In myrecent interviewwith Joe, he was still brimming
with exciting news, and 2015 would prove that the group is as busy as ever! The
Oak Ridge Boys continue to persevere and instill their amazing success into
America’s hearts. Probably the biggest news ever in their illustrious 40+ year
career is the news that the group will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame …
class of 2015. The official induction will take place later this year during a
medallion ceremony in Nashville. Congrats guys!
You want more? The Oak
Ridge Boys recently released their critically-acclaimed CD entitled ‘Rock of Ages, Hymns and Gospel
Favorites, an awe-inspiring
collection of classic hymns that also features Merle Haggard and The Isaacs.
On May 1st
Harvest House Publishers released Joe Bonsall’s (5) star
review novel entitled …
2016 will continue
where 2015 left off … On January 16th thru 23rd the Oak’s will be sailing the
high seas on the Holland America Westerdam Cruise Line to perform onboard
for ‘The Country Music Cruise.’The incredible music
lineup stars… Kenny Rogers, Randy Owen, lead singer of Alabama, The Oak Ridge Boys, Mel Tillis, Kathy Mattea, B.J.
Thomas, The Bellamy Brothers, Johnny Lee, Shenandoah featuring Marty
Raybon, Jamie O’ Neal, Riders In The Sky, Deborah Allen, Quebe Sisters, Chuck
Mead & His Grassy Knoll Boys, Host Lorianne Crook, Deborah Evans Price,
Elvis Tribute Artists … and more to be announced!
The
Oak Ridge Boys have sold over 41-million records. The group has scored 12
gold, three platinum, and one double platinum album—plus one double platinum
single—and had more than a dozen national Number One singles and over 30 Top
Ten hits.
Joe
Bonsall and I discussed
their upcoming induction into the ‘Country Music Hall of Fame,’ the Oak Ridge
Boys latest release …‘Rock of Ages, Hymns and Gospel Favorites’,
the Oak’s strong Christian faith and their recipe for success
… and much-much more!
Here’s my recent
interview with singer, author, 40 year plus veteran of the Oak Ridge Boys,and American Patriot
… JOE BONSALL.
Ray
Shasho:How are you doing Joe, where are you at today?
Joe
Bonsall: “Hello my
brother! I’m at home here in Hendersonville, Tennessee.”
Ray
Shasho:Well, the Oak Ridge Boys have a lot going on these days as they
always do …
Joe
Bonsall: “It’s just
amazing to me Ray, I sometimes sit back and I just wonder how the heck we do
it. At our age and to have this Hall of Fame thing, to have two new albums out,
to write this new book on the group like I did, and I can’t even believe I did
it, I thought for sure I wrote all there was to write about the Oak Ridge Boys
eleven years ago with An American Journey but Harvest House Publishing Group
came to me and said, hey man, we want a new book on the Oak Ridge Boys, and we
want you to write it … can you give us something new and fresh? So it’s amazing
Ray how many good things we’ve got going on.”
Ray
Shasho: Joe, congratulations on the exciting news that the Oak Ridge
Boys will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame during the Medallion
Ceremony in the fall this year. What were your thoughts after the announcement
was made?
Joe
Bonsall:“It’s the ultimate of all honors! It’s been
about a month now since they told us about it at the ceremony downtown and
we’re actually officially inducted into the Hall of Fame in October. But we are
inductees … I guess like the Governor elect or President elect, you’re not
President yet but you’ve been elected. So we’re inductees, and I’ve got to tell
you man, every once in awhile it hits you like a freight train …the Country
Music Hall of Fame! It’s kind of funny, I finished that book and it just came
out about three weeks ago. I totally finished my writing in January and I wrote
in there, I think we’ve done enough to make it in the Hall of Fame, but I don’t
know, my only hope is if it does happen we’re alive when it does, and doggone
all of a sudden it’s our time. Thank God we are alive to see it happen. I keep
thinking about that plaque coming out with our four faces on it together, as it
has always been and will always be.”
Ray
Shasho:“The Oak Ridge Boys have won
countless awards over the years, I can’t think of another group that may have
earned more.
Joe
Bonsall: “ Maybe ‘Alabama’ has
won the big-big share of awards, I’d have to put them on that same level. We’ve
won all kinds of different awards. In fact, we’ve been spokesmen for the
American Legion and they’re about to give us the Legion Patriot award in
Baltimore on September 2nd.”
Ray
Shasho:Joe, I really enjoyed the ‘Oaks’ recent gospel
release … ‘Rock of Ages, Hymns and Gospel Favorites,’ and I noticed an
appearance by Ban-Joey on “Power in the Blood?”
Joe
Bonsall:“Yea man they let me put a banjo ride in
there, thank God for patient producers. (All laughing) It took awhile to nail
that thing, I have to be honest. Once I started playing it was scatterbrained
all over the place, so they said, well let’s do in sections. (All laughing) I
tell you what Ray, singing the old hymns were really cool, that came out of a
late night phone conversation between Bill Gaither and Duane Allen. Bill said,
the Oaks have recorded a hymn or two over the years but it would be great to
see you guys put your touch on some of the great old hymns. And in our Oak
Ridge Boys way we did that as well as some extra things on there that weren’t
hymns but still fit the format. For instance, Duane Allen had this song called
“Peace Within” for about ten years and we never had a project that it fit on.
Duane said, this would fit that Hymn album so well, it’s up tempo and a blue
grassy kind of thing and then Ben Isaac put the Isaacs Family on it and that
made it a real unique cut.”
Ray
Shasho:Merle Haggard also performed on the track “Sweet Jesus?”
Joe
Bonsall:“That’s another cool story because Haggard
wrote the song for us like two years ago and he sent it to us through Marty
Stuart. Merle said, I wrote a song for the Oak Ridge Boys and asked Marty if he
would give it to us. So what happened was, we were working on that live project
last year … Boys Night Out and the song didn’t fit that format, but as soon as
this hymns album came out, the first thing we thought was, hey, we can do the
Haggard song on here, now let’s get him to sing with us on here, which we did,
and it came out pretty cool.”
Ray
Shasho:A track that I got a little bit emotional with
was “Time Has Made A Change in Me,” such a beautiful and heartfelt song … “Time
has made a change since my childhood days; Many of my loved ones have gone
away, Some I never more in this life shall see, Time has made a change in me.”
Joe
Bonsall:“It’s not a hymn; it’s an old-old gospel
quartet song and Golden wanted to do that. You know what, when I guy comes and
says, I really want to sing “Time Has Made a Change in Me” … you know what, you
let him do it!”
Ray
Shasho:Golden also sounded like he was a little bit choked up by the tune
like I was.
Joe
Bonsall: “He was and I
think it was cool that they kept the version where he was a little bit choked
up because I thought it made all kinds of sense to do so. You know Ray, you
wake up one day and you’re 50, and then the 50’s blow by, and then all of a
sudden you’re 60, and then you see the 60’s blow by, and in my three singing
partners case, they’re already watching their 70’s blow by. I’ve got a
granddaughter who is about to turn 20 years old. How does that even happen? I
said this in the book, and this is thanking God for the health he has given us,
I don’t feel any different onstage looking out my eyeball windows, looking over
my microphone, than I did when I was younger. I may not jump quite as high or
move quite as much, but I’m still singing good and feeling pretty much the same
as I always had …until you go by a mirror.”
“We’ve been asked that
age old question, when are you guys going to retire? I don’t see that happening
here. We’re all progressive and forward thinking guys, we’re planning guys … we
don’t even know how to slow down let alone stop this machine. So to me, it’s
keep on going until God says not to keep on going … Joe ain’t coming to the bus
tonight, he’s dead … that will do it. (All laughing)”
Ray
Shasho:The Oak Ridge Boys are timeless; I’ve
interviewed a lot of great artists who are still touring in their 80’s.
Joe
Bonsall: “Look at Willie
(Willie Nelson), he’s a great example. He’s still out there playing lots of
dates, and Merle (Merle Haggard) goes out and still plays, you know the young
kids are ruling the roost right now but guys like the Charlie Daniels Band, the
Oak Ridge Boys, and the Bellamy Brothers … we still got big crowds to sing to
and a date book filled with dates. So there’s room obviously for everybody. I
remember a few years ago right before Ray Price died, I saw Ray Price sing and
he sang incredibly well, he was well into his 80’s and he sounded as good as
ever (Joe singing … “For the Good Times”). And look at Tony Bennett for crying
out loud.”
Ray
Shasho:William Golden can always launch a second career as the third
frontman with ZZ Top … he’s always had an awesome beard.
Joe
Bonsall: “He’s got the
best beard out there … better than those Duck Dynasty guys … people are always
talking about Golden’s beard and comparing his to ZZ Top and Duck Dynasty’s. He
always keeps it outside the covers so it can breathe; it’s like a living and
breathing entity. (All laughing)”
Ray
Shasho:How’s young Mary Sarah doing these days? I did
an interview with her back in late 2014, she’s very talented and I really
enjoyed chatting with her.
Joe
Bonsall:“You know, she’s doing well, and she keeps
piling it on too. I’d love to see her just breakthrough one of these days
because I just love the girl. I love her parents, her family, and love her and
what she’s about; I think she’s a great young talent that cares … I pull for
Mary Sarah, I follow her closely. Actually her daddy and I keep in pretty close
touch and I’m always getting a text from him when Mary Sarah’s doing something.
So I’m a big supporter.”
Ray
Shasho:Talk about how the group’s strong Christian
faith has helped the Oak Ridge Boys over the years, and has remarkably kept the
group together for over four decades.
Joe
Bonsall: “I have to
give the faith thing a lot of credit for that. All the Oak Ridge Boys kind of
know our place, we know where the blessings come from and who to be thankful
for and thankful to, and everybody was brought up that way. And we were all
brought up with a love for gospel music. I think that love for gospel is what
cements us together. We don’t make our living with gospel music yet we can go
in the arena anytime and be friends with everybody and sing the songs. But
we’ve never been like everybody else and I think that’s another driving force
in the success of the Oak Ridge Boys. We were brought up, if we treated people
right, if we were honest, we honored God in our lives, if we do all these
things and worked hard … God would do good things for us. That’s why the new
book is dedicated to our four mothers, because we each had that kind of
upbringing, and again, I think it’s one of those solidifying factors in our
success and longevity. The most positive thing you could do in your life is to
be a man of faith, and to believe, and to pray, and appreciate God’s blessings
in your life … and that’s what’s important.”
Ray
Shasho:What is the most important thing you’ve
learned all these years as a performer and as a family man?
Joe
Bonsall: “Integrity. In
my book I have a chapter called the ‘ORB Doctrine’ and I think following it in
your personal life, on the road, treating people right and trying to do things
the correct way pays dividends. In my ‘What is Hard and What is Not’ chapter,
to me the only thing I found hard what I did is leaving family. Singing isn’t
hard, heck we sing songs, riding a bus isn’t hard; you get to travel around
with a bunch of guys having fun. My father worked in a factory man… I don’t
work in a factory. I sing songs for a living. The hardest part is those things
you do miss being a travelling person … you miss birthdays, weddings, and
precious moments with your loved ones that will never come back again. To me,
that’s the only thing that’s hard about it.”
Ray
Shasho: Joe, how many cats do you have now?
Joe
Bonsall: “I’ve got seven
right now. One of the ways you keep a marriage together is to know your place …
if we had five cats, I’d be number six. (All laughing) With seven cats, I’m
number eight. If we happened to get an eighth cat, I would drop to number nine.
So just know your place and be happy.”
Ray
Shasho:Joe, it’s always fun and a real pleasure to chat with you, I feel
like your family, and congratulations on being an inductee into the ‘Country
Music Hall of Fame’ Class of 2015!
Joe
Bonsall: “Ray, it’s always an
honor and a thrill to talk to you man, you’re a good dude!”
1. In The Sweet By And By
2. Rock Of Ages
3. Sweet Jesus (The Oak Ridge Boys, Merle Haggard)
4. Angel Band
5. There Is Power In The Blood
6. In The Garden
7. Hold To Gods Unchanging Hand
8. I Love To Tell The Story
9. Life s Railway To Heaven
10. Time Has Made A Change In Me
11. Blessed Assurance
12. Father I Stretch My Hands To Thee
13. Farther Along
14. Just A Little Talk With Jesus
15. Peace Within (The Oak Ridge Boys, The Isaacs)
- Please support Ray by purchasing his book so he
may continue to bring you quality classic rock music reporting.
…“Shasho definitely grips his readers from the very beginning.
Growing up amid the DC business wasn't easy, but it was never dull--and neither
is this memoir. This book is full of stories that many can relate to from their
own childhood misadventures. Ultimately, it shows the inside world of what it
means to be a Shasho. Also a great read for anyone that has ever felt a
personal connection to music. Check it out :)” -By Drew Stiles Format:
Paperback
Country Music’s
talented, young, and beautiful new star is nineteen year old Mary Sarah. Her
latest CD would surely appease the aspirations of any artist, to perform with
an incredible lineup of music legends. It’s a page right out of a storybook
that began with a tweet from Joe Bonsalland
an invite to perform with The Oak Ridge Boys onstage
at the Opera House in Galveston, Texas. Four years later… Mary Sarah and Cleopatra Records release
the critically acclaimed…Mary Sarah and Friends ‘BRIDGES’CD
-featuringDolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Ray Price,Merle Haggard,Lynn Anderson, Tanya Tucker,The Oak Ridge Boys, Vince Gill, Ronnie Milsap, Neil Sedaka & many more.
Mary Sarah performed duets with all the performers including the late Ray
Price. The album was officially released onJuly 8th and
available to purchase atamazon.com.
MARY
SARAH:began performing in
church at the age of eight. Mary’s hometown is Richmond, Texas. She later
appeared at various Opry Theatres, Town Squares, charity fund raisers, and
radio stations. At twelve years old she toured the U.S. for six months as a
featured lead vocalist and dancer with Kidz Bop,
a brand of compilation albums spotlighting kids performing popular hits from
the Billboard Hot 100 charts. The
Kidz Bop tourwas
an 18- song concert produced by Razor & Tie Records and Vee
Corporation.
Mary
Sarah also
became a seasoned veteran at singing National Anthems, over fifty to be exact,
so it was no surprise when she became the winner of a vote-in contest that led
her to sing theNational Anthemat a Houston
Texans/Carolina Panthers football game in front of over 70,000 people.
‘BRIDGES’ is an exciting new CD that delivers the
true spirit of country music. Mary Sarah’s duets are captivating &
inspiring … there’s definitely a new rising star in the world of country music!
I gave ‘BRIDGES’ (5) Stars!
Track
listings: -Mary
Sarah and Friends ‘BRIDGES’
1)“Jolene”(feat. Dolly Parton), 2) “Crazy” (feat. Willie Nelson), 3) “Fightin’ Side of Me” (feat. Merle Haggard), 4) “Heartaches By The Number”(feat. Ray Price), 5) “Go Rest High On That Mountain” (feat. Vince
Gill), 6) “Dream On”(feat. The Oak
Ridge Boys), 7)“Texas, When I Die”(feat. Tanya
Tucker), 8)“Rose Garden”(feat. Lynn
Anderson), 9) “What A Difference You’ve Made In My Life” (feat.
Ronnie Milsap), 10)“Where The Boys Are”(feat.
Neil Sedaka)
Bonus
Cuts: 11) “My Great Escape”(feat. John Rich and Big Kenny),
12)“All I Wanna Do Is Sing My Song” (feat. Freddy
Powers), 13) “I’m Sorry”
Back in July, I had
the warm opportunity to chat with Mary Sarah about…
The new ‘Bridges’ CD … Singing with music legends … Mary’s relationship with
The Oak Ridge Boys …Singing the National Anthem…The future… My infamous ‘Field
of Dreams’ question … and much-much more!
Here’s my interview
with the sensational young country singer & songwriter
Ray
Shasho:Hello Mary thank you for being
on the call today, I’m calling you only minutes away from beautiful Siesta
Beach in Sarasota today.
Mary
Sarah:“Oh my God, I am so jealous. I’m about twenty
five minutes outside of Nashville in Franklin.”
Ray
Shasho:I chatted with Joe Bonsall awhile back, he’s such a great guy. I
understand that The Oak Ridge Boys performed on your new CD entitled
‘Bridges’?
Mary
Sarah:“I love Joe Bonsall he’s like family to me
now. Kind of a funny story, it was actually about four years ago before the
‘Bridges’ project that they tweeted me. I don’t know from where Joe tweeted me
but he said I know you live in Houston and we’re going to be playing in
Galveston at the Opera House and we would like you and your family to come
along. At first, I had no idea that the Oak Ridge Boys even tweeted, so I
thought, is this real? (All laughing) He had watched my You Tube video. So we
made a trip to come down, and I watched rehearsals and then we all went to
dinner. At dinner I remember Joe looking at me and he said can you really sing
a cappella? I had sung “Where the Boys Are” by Connie Francis and had done a
cappella several times, so it was like my go to song. At dinner I told him that
I would stand up and sing for him, which I thought was very funny. He looked at
me and said, no-no-no, I mean; I want you to sing at the show tonight. (All
laughing)”
“At that time I was
fifteen years old and kind of freaking out that The Oak Ridge Boys wanted me to
sing at their sold-out show in Galveston while not even hearing me sing live in
front of them? So it was absolutely amazing and really cool for them to do. I
give a lot of credit to them and especially to this project. We sent me singing
“Where the Boys Are” on that stage to pretty much every artist, which was very
cool.”
Ray
Shasho:This all must be one huge wonderful blur for
you?
Mary
Sarah: “Now that the CD
is released it really is. It’s exciting because we all worked so hard on it and
to finally show it to the world and get their opinions on it is just unbelievable.”
Ray
Shasho:I know the Oak Ridge Boys are a favorite of yours, who else did
you especially connect with in the studio while working on the CD?
Mary
Sarah:“I have to say all of them because they were
all absolutely amazing and especially because they did all this on a handshake,
which is crazy. I would probably say if I had to pick … Ray Price. It was a
very special experience and especially in the studio with him that day. I was
fifteen too, so it was a couple of months after I sang with The Oak Ridge Boys.
“Heartaches by the Number” was one of my favorite songs to sing at the Opera in
Texas and immediately when Ray got on the CD I said we’re totally doing “Heartaches
by the Number” and I hoped he’d say yes because that’s my favorite-favorite
song. And so to get to stand in the studio and hear him sing it live was like
none other and just a magical experience. I remember I was very nervous and
when he walked into the studio that day, I think everybody was nervous, but
there was something about him that calmed the whole room.”
“Another one is Dolly
Parton who was the first one to get on the project. I’m standing in one room
and I know she’s in the other room and I’m just freaking out. I’m thinking to
myself… what do I say to Dolly Parton? I just remember being so nervous and I
couldn’t think of anything. So I’m walking down this hall to go into the room
and I see her through the window door and I feel like my heart dropped down
into my stomach. So I walked in and she said, “You must be Mary Sarah?” And I
was like well you must be Dolly Parton? After the whole experience I talked
with my mom and asked her, did I say anything that embarrassed me? I don’t
think I remembered exactly what I said to her. All my experiences with those
legends were so amazing.”
Ray
Shasho: Another country artist I’d like
to interview is Reba McEntire, I think she’s so cool.
Mary
Sarah:“Oh My Gosh, my Brother is a huge Reba fan, he
says if I ever meet her I’m just going to get down on one knee and marry her.
(All laughing) Yea, we listen to Reba a lot.”
Ray
Shasho:Mary, you made your first
splash on the music scene in Kidz Bop?
Mary
Sarah:“Yes, I was twelve years old and on tour for
about six months across the east coast and Midwest and was one of the craziest
experiences of my life, because at twelve years old I never expected to be on
tour. The coolest thing about Kidz Bop was when I was in a theater; I think it
was the Fox Theatre in Detroit, and we were in the basement area and there were
signatures all over the walls, and I remember seeing Patsy Cline’s signature on
the wall, which for over a year I had been singing Patsy’s songs and really
looked up to her as an idol. The funny thing was, all the other kids my age
didn’t know who Patsy Cline was. So I was freaking out by the fact that Patsy
Cline’s signature was on the wall while the other kids were asking me why are
you freaking out? (All laughing) It was just a great feeling that day, seeing
her signature on the wall and then knowing I was going to sing onstage where
she sang.”
“So I go out to sing
and we each had a solo. After I began singing my solo everyone in the audience
began singing along with me and it sounded like a choir of angels, and for me
it was an overwhelming feeling of joy. I remember coming offstage and saying to
my mom… I don’t know what happened but I’m going to do this for the rest of my
life. My mom was probably thinking, oh My Gosh; she’s only twelve years old and
already knows what she wants to do for the rest of her life … (All laughing)
okay let’s see how this goes. So it was really a big moment for me and ever
since then I’ve been working hard at it.”
Ray
Shasho:What song did you sing onstage?
Mary
Sarah: “Move Along” by
The All-American Rejects. I had the bridge part of it where it sort of breaks
down, and you can find that on You Tube.”
Ray
Shasho:Was ‘Crazy Good’ actually your debut album?
Mary
Sarah: “I really wanted to
explore my own sound and try my hand in writing, and so that was kind of an
experimental album to try and figure out who I was at fourteen years old. So I
would say it was kind of a debut album and at the same time just an album I did
to figure out who I was. Starting the writing process and things like that.”
Ray
Shasho:It’s a really good album and I especially
enjoyed the title track “Crazy Good,” just an awesome tune.
Mary
Sarah:“Thank you! You know what’s funny is a couple
years after releasing it; I never thought people would go back and listen to
it. People would say I love your song “Crazy Good,” so it’s really cool that
people really like it.”
Ray
Shasho:Are you musically committed to a Country Music route or will you
be experimenting with other genres?
Mary
Sarah: “I love Country
Music and I’ve sang in the Texas Opry for years. A big part of me is
traditional Country Music … so yes, I am sticking with Country Music.”
Ray
Shasho:Mary what are some of your favorite TV shows.
Mary
Sarah: “One of my
favorite TV shows is ‘Bones’ … that and ‘New Girl.’
Ray
Shasho:Here’s a question that all the
young guys out there are going to want to know about you … Do you have a
boyfriend?
Mary
Sarah:“I do have a boyfriend and it’s actually a
long-distance relationship. Originally he lived in Kansas City, Kansas, he goes
to Southeast Missouri State University for football now, and he’s an outside
linebacker. We met through my cousin who lives in Kansas City; they went to the
same school.”
Ray
Shasho:Are you in college or considering attending
college soon?
Mary
Sarah: “No, I’m actually not
in college at this time. I kind of consider what I am doing is my college
because I feel like I’ve learned just as much as a college student and getting
to live it at the same time. So I really feel like I am in college.”
Ray
Shasho:There was controversy surrounding the Houston Texans when you sang
the National Anthem at NRG Stadium … Carolina Panther Jeremy Shockey was upset
that the Houston Texans players were not respecting your rendition of the
anthem?
Mary
Sarah: “I sang the National Anthem for the
Texans game and I was very surprised to see that happen. I went out there to
sing it and to hear everything that happened afterwards was like …what the
heck? So it was pretty crazy. When I walked out to sing the anthem I walked
along the sidelines and there was a huge speaker playing music to 70,000
people, so it was extremely loud. I walked right past it and it literally
blasted my ears. When I went out to sing the anthem I actually sang it a whole
step higher than I usually do. I think it was the best National Anthem that I
ever did but probably would not do it again because it was very
nerve-wracking.”
Ray
Shasho:I think the National Anthem is a difficult
song to sing, especially in front of 70,000 people. What were the acoustics
like while singing it … was there an echo?
Mary
Sarah:“I have done a ton of National Anthems, so
when I got to the Texans, I had done at least fifty National Anthems before
that, so I’m kind of used to the bouncing back and things like that, but the
Texans had the roof closed so it really made the sound bounce around a lot. It
was a little funky but I’ve had worst I think. I did the Bristol Motor Speedway
and that was a little funky because the speakers were way-way up in the air.”
Ray
Shasho:Mary do you continue to write music?
Mary
Sarah: “I do … I’m
working on some new stuff. Now that we have the CD released and it’s out there,
it’s time to work on the newer stuff. I’m excited about finding a great
producer to work with, and I’m writing a lot while hoping to get some really
great songs on the next project.”
Ray
Shasho:I am essentially a classic rock music
journalist … do you also enjoy the occasional rock song?
Mary
Sarah: “I’m a big fan
of Journey. My dad introduced me to Journey and ever since we’ve gone to so
many of their concerts. Of course my anthem song is “Don’t Stop Believin’” just
like everybody else’s, but I love all of their songs.”
Ray
Shasho: Freddy Powers had quite an influence on your career?
Mary
Sarah: “Freddy and I
were introduced about four years ago and he is the executive producer on the
new CD. I give him a ton of credit on this because he really took a leap
of faith with me. We actually had Dolly Parton first and Freddy came on right
after Dolly and said that I really want to help you out with this project. So
he brought Willie Nelson, Tanya Tucker, and Merle Haggard to the CD and really
used a lot of his relationships to make this happen. He’s actually in stage 4
Parkinson’s, so it’s kind of his last project to do. I would say I’m the lucky
singer that got to do it. He and his wife Catherine have been a blessing in my
life.”
Ray
Shasho:You’ll be doing some dates with Merle Haggard?
Mary
Sarah:I’m pretty sure I’ll be opening up especially
in La Grange, Texas and getting to sing our song together. We’re still figuring
out additional dates on the schedule.
Ray
Shasho:Mary, here’s a question that I ask everyone that I interview. If
you had a ‘Field of Dreams’ wish like the movie, to sing or collaborate with
anyone from the past or present, who would that be?
Mary
Sarah: “Oh My Gosh! I
think Patsy Cline. I read up on all the things she used to do and how spunky
she was, so it would be really cool to meet and talk with her. She said a lot
of the things she did was to just kind of go with the flow. That would be
someone from the past. Someone in the present would be Eric Church… I’m a big
fan of his. It would be really cool to collaborate with him.”
Ray
Shasho:I understand that you are an advocate for Juvenile Diabetes?
Mary
Sarah: “Yes, my brother
was actually born at one pound and a half and had several surgeries. By the
time he was fourteen, he developed type 1 diabetes and ended up having a liver
transplant. He’s actually twenty five now and doing very-very well. We’re
always doing walks for ‘JDRF’ and anything we can do to support it. Another
foundation that I am currently working with is ‘Caiden’s Hope,’ which they are
an organization who supports families who have babies in the NICU. My mom
actually raised my brother who was in an NICU for six months. So she went through
a lot of that struggle. It’s an amazing organization.”
Ray
Shasho: Mary, anything else you’d like to
promote or say?
Mary
Sarah: “I wanted to
thank ‘Cleopatra Records’ because they were the ones who distributed the
‘Bridges’ project.”
Ray
Shasho:Mary, thank you for being on the call today … you are
unquestionably Country Music’s shining new star, an incredible singer, a
beautiful girl, and a marvelous personality to boot. We’ll all be looking for
great and wonderful developments to take place during your musical career.
Mary
Sarah:“Thank you so much for interviewing me today …
I had a blast!”
Purchase
Mary Sarah’s latest CD released
on Cleopatra Recordsentitled‘BRIDGES’featuring appearances by The Oak Ridge Boys, Dolly Parton,Willie Nelson,Ray Price,Merle Haggard, Lynn Anderson, Tanya Tucker, Vince Gill, Ronnie
Milsap, Neil Sedakaandmore.BRIDGES’is an exciting new CD that
delivers the true spirit of country music. Mary Sarah’s duets are captivating
& inspiring … there’s definitely a new rising star in the world of country
music!
Track
listings:
1) “Jolene” (feat. Dolly Parton), 2) “Crazy”(feat. Willie Nelson), 3) “Fightin’ Side of Me” (feat. Merle Haggard), 4) “Heartaches By The Number”(feat. Ray Price), 5) “Go Rest High On That Mountain”(feat. Vince
Gill), 6) “Dream On”(feat. The Oak
Ridge Boys), 7) “Texas, When I Die”(feat. Tanya
Tucker), 8) “Rose Garden” (feat. Lynn
Anderson), 9) “What A Difference You’ve Made In My Life” (feat.
Ronnie Milsap), 10)“Where The Boys Are” (feat.
Neil Sedaka)
Bonus
Cuts: 11) “My Great Escape” (feat. John Rich and Big Kenny),
12)“All I Wanna Do Is Sing My Song” (feat. Freddy
Powers), 13)“I’m Sorry”
Very
special thanks to ‘the great’ Billy Jamesof Glass Onyon PR
COMING UP NEXT … Don Wilson guitarist,
pioneer, and co-founder of‘The Ventures’ …
and Folk/Rock singer & songwriter Jonathan Edwards (“Sunshine”).
Contact music
journalist Ray Shasho at
rockraymond.shasho@gmail.com
Purchase
Ray’s very special memoircalled ‘Check the Gs’-The True Story of an
Eclectic American Family and Their Wacky Family Business … You’ll LIVE IT! Also
available for download on NOOK or KINDLE edition for JUST .99 CENTS at amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com -
Please support Ray by purchasing his book so he can continue to bring you
quality classic rock music reporting.
“Check the Gs is just
a really cool story ... and it’s real. I’d like to see the kid on the front
cover telling his story in a motion picture, TV sitcom or animated series. The
characters in the story definitely jump out of the book and come to life. Very
funny and scary moments throughout the story and I just love the way Ray
timeline’s historical events during his lifetime. Ray’s love of rock music was
evident throughout the book and it generates extra enthusiasm when I read his
on-line classic rock music column. It’s a wonderful read for
everyone!” …stillerb47@gmail.com
COMING
SOON…
Ray’s exciting new book
project entitled...‘SAVING ROCK AND ROLL’
