A Kelly Klassic – Another Legend is no more – Jerry Lee Lewis – “Precious Memories” – by Des Kelly JERRY LEE LEWIS, also known as ‘The Killer’, started very young, even before his teens, teaching himself to play an old ‘pianner’ at home, playing Gospel songs and singing them at Church, then goes down to the old ‘Sun’ recording studio, meets up with Johnny Cash, Elvis  Presley, Carl Perkins and a couple of other would be Country Legends to start recording some Country-Gospel songs, backing himself with his own inimitable style of Piano-playing, that made everyone who saw him play, STOP & listen, in amazement.   That done, he goes out and marries his 13 year old cousin, followed by no less than six more wives, changes over to Rock n Roll Music, playing the piano like no-one could do, to the extent that no other entertainer even wanted to follow ...

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“A COUNTRY LIVING LEGEND” – by Des Kelly HE IS ONE OF A VERY FEW ACTUAL LIVING LEGENDS OF COUNTRY MUSIC, OR THE “MUSIC OF LIFE”, AS I REFER TO IT. HAS BEEN AROUND WITH PAST ICONS (IN MY BOOK), SUCH AS MERLE HAGGARD, GEORGE JONES, RAY PRICE, AND CHARLEY PRIDE, TO NAME JUST A FEW, STILL PLAYS AN ACOUSTIC/ELECTRIC GUITAR THAT HAS CERTAINLY SEEN BETTER DAYS, NAMED TRIGGER (AFTER ROY ROGER’S HORSE), HAS “BEEN THERE & DONE THAT”, WITH THE BEST OF THEM, INCLUDING THE LATE, GREAT WAYLON JENNINGS, HE CERTAINLY LOOKS THE PART, AND HIS AGE, AND DOES NOT EVER BOTHER TO EVEN TRY TO LOOK ANY YOUNGER THAN HE IS, ALTHOUGH WILLIE NELSON WAS QUITE A HANDSOME YOUNG DUDE DURING HIS HALCYON DAYS, QUITE A FEW YEARS AGO. WHAT STRUCK ME ABOUT WILLIE NELSON WAS HIS “STYLE” OF SINGING. SURE, HIS TONES ARE SLIGHTLY MORE NASAL THAN ...

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“BOXCAR BRILLIANCE” – by Des Kelly Merle Ronald Haggard was born in a converted boxcar at Oildale California on the 6th of April 1937. At the tender age of 3 months, his dad & mum noticed him “keeping time” to the radio music outside his bassinet. It was obvious that he already had music on his brain and in his heart. His dad passed on before Merle was even ten years old, leaving his mum to look after the family. Merle turned out to be a little musical rebel, who quickly picked up an old guitar, left by his dad, disobeyed his mum, and, in his early teens, got involved in various unlawful escapades with other young teenagers, getting themselves frequently into trouble with the police and even into jail on several occasions, prompting him to then also become an “escape specialist”, until finally, he really got into big trouble ...

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“The ultimate Country love story” – By Des Kelly           He was a “Rock-Star” to begin with, singing and playing his guitar, backed by several guys who became “stars” in their own right, as the years went by. Waylon Jennings, a tall, handsome figure of a man, singing songs in a deep gravelly voice, was an attraction to many gals who attended his shows, who, in reverse, was also attracted to many pretty girls, married three, even becoming a dad, in the process, was then picked out by guitar great, Chet Atkins, who was convinced that this guy would make a superb Country Entertainer, who, not much later, founded the “Outlaw” movement  & together with Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, &  Willie Nelson, began touring and entertaining thousands of Country music fans, wherever they went. A beautiful female by the name of Jessie Colter, now comes into ...

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               “ADVICE FROM ELVIS” – by Des Kelly He was taken away far too early, but as my good friend Chris Lawton also knows, Elvis, like so many “Stars” of Show-biz., also started their careers  singing Gospel songs, giving the World around them sound advice on how to live their lives. This generally came from watching their own parents, grand-parents, etcetera, live life under much more strife than themselves, and still adhere to the words written in the Bible, commonly also referred to, as the Word of God.  Country Stars such as Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, George Jones, and even “Rockers” like Jerry Lee Lewis, all started their careers by recording simple Gospel songs, and although Elvis was the exemption,ribute to Jesus Christ and the Holy Christian Family.  ...

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    “THE HAG” – By Des Kelly Quite possibly, one of the best know names in “Country Music”, certainly, one of my top favourites, he was a Songwriter, Singer, fiddle-player, and guitarist, all in one, and, like so many other great Country Icons of America, had a tough life, not only before he became a “Star”, but even after~ when many pretty young ladies (he married five of them), gave him a hard time, trying to keep him toeing the line, which he refused to do, even when it was for his own good. I have always admired Merle Haggard, God rest his Soul, as he died exactly 79 years after he was born, he passed on to the old Opry in the sky, on his 79th birthday.           There are definitely many more amazing things about this guy, who will always be fondly remembered ...

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