“ALPHABETICALLY YOURS” SERIES 18 (R) – By Des Kelly

From one “story-teller” to another. Firstly, the original “S.T”., came from America. I have written about Tom T. Hall very often. His “stories in song” were always appreciated by his audiences all over the World, and the double entendre that I offer the readers of eLanka are also favourites of mine. Tom wrote “Ravishing Ruby” after visiting this truck-stop cafe in Redding, as a truck-driver, where her met this young waitress and decided to write a song about her.Clayton Delaney was also a personal friend of Tom, I believe, and both songs are superb “Country-fare”.

Following Tom. T. Hall, is Australia’s “Story-Story-teller”. Another fine Aussie talent who eventually went off to America, then toured the World, making music, was Kevin Johnson. He was a singer/songwriter/guitarist & entertainer of no mean repute. While the icon of Australian Country was, and will always be, Slim Dusty, Slim mainly “stayed-put” in Oz., while Kevin Johnson actually made his name in America, recording what has to be an original composition with the longest “title”, I have ever heard of.
“Rock n roll I gave you all the best years of my life” was his song, performed to perfection by himself. I loved the song, the “single, flip-side” of which was “Mohair-Sam” (the Charlie Rich version), I present to my readers, purely for the reason that, not only was it in contrast, but also the version that I preferred. Kevin Johnson did compose the song, but, as usual, I tend to pick the BEST for my readers.Please, ladies & gentlemen, listen to the best of them, I give you, Tom T. Hall, Charlie Rich and Kevin Johnson.