Columnist Joe Delaney: Country music has edgy history

Joe Delaney

Thursday, Nov. 4, 1999 | 9:34 a.m.

Joe Delaney's column appears Thursdays and Fridays. Reach him at 259-4066 or joe@vegas.com.

"Edgy country music" was the subject of an article in Monday's Sun Accent section. ... Country music has always been edgy, adding and expanding. ... Jimmie Rodgers, "The Singing Brakeman," 1895-1933, is acknowledged as the Father of Country Music. ... In 1927, on Rodgers' classic "Blue Yodel, No. 9," he asked jazz greats Louis Armstrong and clarinetist Jimmie Noone to join him.

Armstrong and Noone were recording in the next studio. ... Both artists, Rodgers and Armstrong, were under contract to RCA. ... In the 1930s Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys were a big country dance band that ranked favorably with Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller.

Country artist Red Foley was one of Bing Crosby's favorite singers. ... In the 1940s Foley's "Chattanooga Shoeshine Boy" and "Sugarfoot Rag" topped both the pop and country charts.

More edginess

Eddy Arnold, who still appears here at the Orleans hotel, was a country contemporary of Red Foley. ... The Arnold hits catalogue was a vital factor in the early recording success of Eddie Fisher in the 1950s with "Anytime" and "Just A Little Loving." ... Col. Tom Parker managed Arnold, pre-Elvis Presley, and was responsible for Fisher recording songs made popular by Arnold. ... Arnold and Fisher were both with RCA.

There have always been country music outlaws. ... Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson and Johnny Cash are best known. ... Growing up in Abbott, Texas, Nelson was greatly influenced by Wills and his Texas Playboys and a crooner named Frank Sinatra.

It was these early influences that led Nelson to later record such great pop standards as "Stardust," "Blue Skies" and "Deep Purple." ... Nelson, at age 66, is still edgy, still a work in progress.

In conclusion

Clint Black has a new unplugged album with guest duets. ... The Dixie Chicks are departing from their norm on the new CD. ... Garth Brooks has a pop-rock album as alter-ego Chris Gaines. ... Willie Nelson's breakthrough in the early 1980s was with a radical departure, a concept album, "The Red-Headed Stranger." ... In both pop and country music, everything that is old and good can be made new again.

Star-policy rundown

It's George Carlin (Bally's); Howie Mandel (Caesars Palace); Dennis Miller (Desert Inn); Buddy Greco and Lezlie Anders, Fridays only (Flamingo Hilton); Patsy Cline Tribute (Gold Coast); Bill Acosta (Luxor); Penn & Teller (MGM Grand); Engelbert Humperdinck (Monte Carlo); Righteous Brothers (Orleans); Alain Choquette (Paris Las Vegas); and Danny Gans (Rio).

Broadway in Las Vegas: "Rent" (LV Hilton); "Chicago" (Mandalay Bay) and Tommy Tune in "EFX" (MGM Grand). ... New impressionist: Andre Phillippe Gagnon (Venetian). ... New hypnotist: Justin Tranz "Hip-nosi," upstairs in O'Shea's Comedy Theatre.

Producer Bonnie Saxe is back at the San Remo with "Les Trix." a revue featuring the off-the-wall comedy of Joe Trammel, Clint Carvalho and his incredible bird act and the Showgirls of Magic: Julie Northrup, Jessica Moore, Tiffany Grey, Nikki Oxley and Jennifer Rohlman.

A day away

Saturday attorney George Foley Sr. and this columnist flew Southwest to Sacramento, rented a car, drove 32 miles to Vacaville and had lunch with Alan Jarlson and his wife, Betty Jo. ... Jarlson was one of the Sun's best and most colorful reporters in the 1960s before joining CBS. ... Foley and I flew back that evening. ... Jarlson was scheduled for radical throat surgery on Monday. ... We'll keep you posted.

Jarlson, Hank Thornley, now retired, the late Mal Harris, Chris Chrystal, the late G.L. Vitto, Barry Zevan, the weatherman, and myself, covering entertainment, made up the Over The Hill Gang, doing early and late news on KSHO, now KTNV Channel 13, in the early 1970s.

We brought regards from the Greenspun family, ex-Gov. Mike O'Callaghan and Ruthe Deskin. ... Foley added letters from his brother, John, an attorney, and Judge Joe Pavlikowski. ... It was a good day.

Thursday addenda

Longtime LV headliner favorite Jerry Vale will perform 8 p.m. shows Friday and Saturday at Boulder Station. ... Another LV venerable, Frankie Laine, 86 years young, still full strength, will appear in the Orleans hotel showroom, Nov. 19-21. ... See you Friday.