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June is here, and so is rainbow capitalism

One of her biggest songs…and she’s never even gotten so much as a “thank you.” While it may be most closely associated with Reba McEntire these days, “Fancy” was actually written and recorded by Bobbie Gentry way back in 1969. The mysterious Gentry, who had hits with songs like “Ode to Billie Joe” and “All I Have To Do Is Dream” before all but disappearing in 1982, saw “Fancy” as a feminist anthem of sorts: “”Fancy” is my strongest statement for women’s lib, if you really listen to it. I agree wholeheartedly with that movement and all the serious issues that they stand for — equality, equal pay, day care centers, and abortion rights.” The song was a minor hit for Gentry at the time on both country and pop radio, reaching the top 40 on both charts. But it wasn’t until 1990, when Reba recorded it for her Rumor Has It album and released it as a single in 1991, that “Fancy” took on the life it has today. Reba’s version peaked at #8 on the charts but has since become one of her signature songs, and has even been featured on numerous lists as one of the greatest country songs of all time. It almost didn’t happen though: Reba first wanted to record her version of “Fancy” back in 1984, but her producer Jimmy Bowen (who was also the head of MCA Records) wasn’t exactly thrilled about the idea, both because the song was so closely associated with Gentry, and because a song about prostitution wasn’t really the image they were going for: “The first time I ever heard it I fell in love with it because I like story songs. I’m a huge fan of Dolly Parton, Tom T. Hall — people who write story songs — Bobbie Gentry, ‘Ode to Billie Joe.’ Well, ‘Fancy’ was the first one that was really big in 1968. Later on, when I got to start recording and singing old songs, I wanted to do ‘Fancy.’ Jimmy Bowen wouldn’t let me because it’s a rags-to-riches song and probably in a very not appropriate form. She’s a prostitute.” Yeah, I guess that makes sense. But luckily, Reba would finally get her shot at the song a few years later. When Bowen left the label in the 1980s, and Tony Brown took over as producer for Reba, they were finishing up her album Rumor Has It, and Brown asked Reba if there was anything else she wanted to include: “I always wanted to record it. Then Tony Brown said, ‘What’s a song you’d like to do a remake of?’ And I said, ‘Fancy.’ He said, ‘That’s one of my favorite songs, too.’ And so we recorded it.” And the rest, as they say, is history. Much to their astonishment, “Fancy” became a Reba McEntire staple, surpassing Bobbie Gentry’s original on the country charts, and joining the ranks as one of country music’s greatest songs. But what does Gentry herself think about Reba’s version? Well, we have no idea. Gentry’s final public appearance came at the ACM Awards on April 30, 1982. She was 40 years old at the time, and apparently unhappy with life and a career as a public figure – and reportedly unhappy with how she was treated as a woman in the music business. So she just gave it all up. With no notice or sign that it would be the last time she would appear in public, Gentry withdrew from the spotlight and went back to being just a regular person, although one who at one point was one of the biggest country music stars in the world. In fact, very few people even know where she lives. It’s been reported that Gentry lives in Los Angeles now, but it’s also been reported that she’s living just outside of Memphis. One reporter for the Washington Post claims to have talked to Gentry on the phone back in 2016 – but only briefly. According to the report, when the reporter called the number she managed to get for Gentry, who he claimed is indeed living outside of Memphis, a woman answered the phone. And when the reporter told her who he was and why he was calling, the woman on the other end of the line simply said “There’s no one here by that name” and hung up. And Reba hasn’t never talked to her either. A few years ago, Reba revealed that even after making her song a massive hit, Gentry never reached out and has never answered any of her attempts at communicating with the mysterious country star: “I talked to so many people who have gotten to work with her and know her and do stay in communication with her and I would say, ‘Hey, would you tell her that I’d really like to meet her sometime or talk to her or email or text or smoke signals or anything.’ I don’t care, I’d just really like to communicate with her. I’d love to know where did she get the idea of ‘Fancy’ and what was the thinking behind it.” A photo of Gentry, reportedly from 2014, surfaced a few years ago without much context, but other than that, it’s been over 40 years since the public has seen or heard from her: Have only just discovered that there is a photo of Bobbie Gentry taken in 2014. And she looks just as amazing as you could want her to. pic.twitter.com/CPA9O3o0pZ — Hello, This is Ivan (@hellothisisivan) June 18, 2018 There have been reports that Gentry may be interested in getting back into the music business at some point, with author Tara Murthy telling the LA Times: “She does make phone calls and sets up appointments with people from time to time, but always cancels them. So maybe one day the mood will strike.” I’m sure nobody is hoping the mood strikes more than Reba – who would love to have a conversation with the songwriter behind her signature song for the first time, over three decades after it was released. The post The Songwriter Behind One Of Reba McEntire’s Signature Songs Won’t Even Talk To Her first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

The power of the right woman. Marcus King has been teasing new music, and when he said it was coming sooner than we fans thought, he was not kidding. Last week, Marcus King announced that he was releasing a new tune this week, and today is the day that song is gifted to fans. Following his last single, “Honky Tonk Hell,” in which King vulnerably shared how he’s given up alcohol and his partying ways, this first single since the release of Mood Swings highlighted that we are still going to get real and raw lyrics from the South Carolina native. “‘Honky Tonk Hell’ is an anthem for anyone out there like myself who have struggled with the permanence of sobriety – those who fear the thought they will never again howl at the moon. This song for me serves as a reminder to take it all one day at a time.” After working with Rick Rubin, who encouraged King to use his pain and past experiences as therapy, “Honk Tonk Hell’ proved that he’s still leaning into that while going slightly back to his soulful Southern blues roots. The same vibe is found in his latest single, “Carolina Honey,” which King teased heavily across social media prior to its release. King penned “Carolina Honey” and produced it with Eddie Spear. The blues-inspired song has an instant groove that fans get into, and the lyrics depict how meeting his spitfire of a wife, Briley King, changed the trajectory of King’s life. “‘Carolina Honey’ is all about how I met my wife and what a significant impact that chance meeting had on my life that one night after a show in Raleigh, NC. I woke up still hurting from the night before – still feeling I didn’t have much to live for. I’d given up on any thought that I could ever be ‘happy.’ All that changed when Little Bird walked into my life. After my set, Briley came backstage to say hello – she started playing Linda Ronstadt and singing and for the first time I saw something or someone in front me that gave me ‘hope.’ Someone I wanted to be my BEST self for – Someone I wanted to grow old with, someone that made me want to grow old ‘at all.’ ‘Carolina Honey’ takes the listener through my mentality that day, my change of heart that night and my burning desire for her to feel the same way too.” King has openly talked about how meeting his wife changed his life. King slid into Briley’s DM after a show one night and invited her to come to a second show after she claimed he didn’t play her favorite song. He set her up with tickets and invited her back on the bus after the show to make it up to her. The rest of their love story is history, and King claims he knew then and there that he wanted to marry her and that she saved his life. And that’s not dramatic because she really did. While King was on the tour, he met Briley, and he had planned on drinking himself to death. “I had an escape route already decided for myself and a backup if that didn’t work.” However, after meeting Briley King and Rick Rubin, Mood Swings came to life, and he was no longer hiding his mental health struggles while playing behind a guitar. He was using them to his advantage to share what he’d gone through, which deeply resonated among fans who have experienced similar hardships. King carries that vulnerability into “Carolina Honey.” In the lyrics, you can hear King touch on how his addictions were taking control of his life with subtle undertones of what his plan was on that tour. But in the chorus, you hear how that plan changes after meeting who would later be his bride, finding the will to fight for life. “Raleigh, you sure look fine I hope that this won’t be my last time I been killin’ myself Slowly, slowly every day Let me make love to your town Let me die on Southern ground Let me find somebody that makes me want to stay…” King makes his wife sound like a holy place (and for him, I’m sure that’s true). While this song is about his person, the depiction of the Carolinas in the lyrics makes them relatable to anyone with a special place or someone they cherish and keep close to their heart. “Carolina honey All that I desire Hold me to the fire, baby Take me even higher Heaven knows I need a light Broken heart can’t take one more fight But I can outrun my demons one more night Little bird, sing for me Needed to hear her melody Are we both fallin’ Or baby, is it just the wine?” I also love that King gives a nod to his nickname for Briley, Little Bird, which is also the name of her trucker hat company. The line about needing to hear his little bird sing also pays homage to the fact that these two are a harmonious match made in heaven, captivating the audience when they take the stage together to perform songs like “Delilah,” “Goodbye Carolina,” and more. King made this song not only highly personal but also highly detailed. “Carolina Honey” is an instant playlist add. Turn it up to max volume. Marcus King Tour Dates: June 12—Manchester, TN—Bonnaroo June 13—La Grange, KY—Ashbourne Farms June 26—Stockholm, SE—Fållan* June 27—Oslo, NO—Sentrum Scene* June 28—Odense, DK—Tinderbox Festival June 30—Warsaw, PL—Klub Stodola* July 1—Prague, CZ—Lucerna Music Bar* July 3—Munich, DE—Muffathalle* July 4—Pistoia, IT—Pistoia Blues Festival* July 5—Gardone Riviera, IT—Festival Del Vittoriale Tener-A-Mente* July 7—Bern, CH—Bierhübeli* July 8—Frankfurt, DE—Batschkapp* July 10—Brussels, BE—Ancienne Belgique* July 11—Dortmund, DE—FZW* July 12—Differdange, LU—Blues Express July 13—Weert, NL—Bospop Festival July 16—San Sebastian, ES—Victoria Eugenia Antzokia* July 17—Madrid, ES—Noches Del Botánico July 18—Vila Nova De Gaia, PT—Meo Mares Vivas July 20—Santa Domingo De La Calzada, ES—Rockland Art Festival July 27—Boise, ID—Knitting Factory July 29—Monterey, CA—Golden State Theatre July 30—Santa Rosa, CA—Luther Burbank Theater August 1—Mammoth Lakes, CA—Mammoth Festival of Beers and Bluesapalooza August 2—Sacramento, CA—Channel 24 August 14—Park City, UT—Park City Song Summit August 15—West Valley City, UT—Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre† August 16—West Valley City, UT—Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre† August 17—Jackson, WY—Snow King Mountain August 23—Charleston, SC—Marcus King Band Family Reunion Festival August 24—Charleston, SC—Marcus King Band Family Reunion Festival August 31—Aspen, CO—Jazz Aspen Snowmass Festival September 5—Madison, IN—Unbroken Circle Festival At Bicentennial Park September 12—Lincoln, NE—Pinnacle Bank Arena‡ September 15-21—Seattle, WA—Keeping The Blues Alive at Sea Alaska September 25—Green Bay, WI—Resch Center§ September 26—Milwaukee, WI—Fiserv Forum§ September 27—Des Moines, IA—Wells Fargo Arena§ September 28—St. Louis, MO—Evolution Festival October 2—Detroit, MI—Little Caesars Arena§ October 3—Lexington, KY—Rupp Arena§ October 9—Indianapolis, IN—Gainbridge Fieldhouse§ October 10—Grand Rapids, MI—Van Andel Arena§ October 11—Cleveland, OH—Rocket Arena§ October 16—Sugar Land, TX—Smart Financial Centre At Sugar Land** October 18—Austin, TX—Moody Center** October 25—Birmingham, AL—Legacy Arena at The BJCC‡ November 1—Gonzales, LA—Boots On The Bayou *with Fiend Without A Face †with Chris Stapleton ‡with Cody Johnson §with Eric Church **with Dwight YoakamThe post Marcus King Releases New Single, “Carolina Honey,” Dedicated To The Woman Who Changed His Life… His Wife first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Somehow, he lived to tell the tale. On August 8th, 1975, Hank Williams Jr. and his friend Dick Willey went hiking in Montana, up near the Idaho border around Ajax Lake. With Ajax peak resting up 10,000 feet, Hank encountered a snow field about a thousand feet below it, but when he attempted to cross, the snow underneath him gave way, and fell down the mountain about 530 feet. His face struck a boulder on the way down, fracturing his skull in a number of places. His nose, teeth and jaw were broken to pieces, his eye was hanging out of the socket, and a fracture in his skull had even left his brain exposed and sticking out through the hole in his forehead. It sounds like a picture out of a horror movie, and in his autobiography, Living Proof: The Hank Williams Story, Hank recalled the horrifying aftermath: “I put my hands up to feel my nose. Where my nose should be there’s nothing there. My teeth and parts of my jaw fall out in my hand. I raise my hand to my forehead, and where my forehead should be, there’s something soft and squishy. That’s my brain, I think.”  Dick was able to run back up the mountain and find a park ranger who would radio for help. Hank was eventually rescued by helicopter, which flew him to Missoula Community Hospital…. but the damage was extensive, obviously. Williams spent over seven hours in surgery just to get him stable. By all accounts, he shouldn’t have lived, but he managed to pull through and lives to tell the tale to this day. The first two people Hank Jr. saw when he woke in the hospital was none other than his godmother, June Carter Cash and her husband Johnny Cash. “When I fell, there were only two people I saw when I woke up in the hospital bed, and that was Johnny and June. June put a cross on me and told me it was all going to be OK. I never knew if I would sing again or not, talk again or not, let alone think about what I was going to look like. It was a scary time.” According to The Tennessean, Audrey Williams, Hank Jr.’s mom flew up to Montana to help take care of her son, calling it a “miracle” that he even survived, adding that it was “just God’s will for him to live,” and I’d say that’s a pretty accurate way of explaining it all: “It’s just a miracle the boy is living, but he’s young and he’s tough. It was just God’s will for him to live.” Audrey died shortly thereafter, and Hank Jr. would go on to endure nine more surgeries to repair the damage to his head and face. We’re talking plates, skin grafts, the whole nine yards. To cover the scars and permanent disfiguration, Hank grew out his beard, started wearing sunglasses and a cowboy hat… hence the signature Hank Williams Jr.’s look that we all know and love. “I’ve had dreams about it. I should have died. The doctor said he had worked on plenty of boys in Vietnam and, to be frank, they looked good compared to me.” While I’m sure it still affects him mentally and emotionally, Hank Jr. also joked during an interview a few years ago that he still has a little back pain from time to time… “530 feet with a long way and 17 operations, yeah, I have a little bit of back pain now.” He remembers “all” of what happened, which has to be traumatic, but also part of the reason he survived something like that. It’s really hard to fathom that any human being could, but Hank explained being strapped to the outside of a helicopter, then getting to the hospital and having everything cut off of his body: “All of it. That’s why I lived, they said, because I remember every bit of it… they strapped me to the outside of a helicopter. That ride was pretty rough. Cold. Then you get down there and they cut everything off. I said, ‘Don’t cut my cross off.’ They cut everything off. I had a gun in the shoulder holster when I fell, cut the whole straw, cut all of that off. Operated all night. Woke up, I don’t know, a day and a half later or something like that.” It took years for him to be able to sing again, and many thought he’d never get his voice back. The fall put him in a position to “start all over,” and he was able to use the tragedy to push himself forward, rather than let it be a career-ending accident: “It was a long time after that, it was starting all over.” Hank Jr. went on to release another 20-something albums, win countless awards, and eventually be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. He was around 26 years old when this happened, so still very early in his career, and it really is a blessing that he’s still alive and well today. He still plays shows and is active in the country music industry, most recently releasing an album called Rich White Honky Blues in 2022, collection of blues covers produced by Black Keys frontman, Dan Auerbach. He even recently opened up a bar in Nashville called the “Hank Williams Jr Boogie Bar.” It’s right next door to Alan Jackson’s spot You can watch the 1987 feature on him for ABC’s 20/20., which provides more detail and commentary from Hank Jr. and his friend on the whole ordeal. It’s pretty graphic in terms of their descriptions, so fair warning if you’re squeamish… like me: The post Hank Williams Jr. Recalls Vivid Details Of Horrific, 500-Foot Fall Down A Mountain In 1975: “That’s Why I Lived… I Remember Every Bit Of It” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.