It’s always such fun to be with other writers at The Buddy Holly Educational Foundation retreats! Besides I always come home with new songs I would not have written on my own. Once a year I attend an early summer retreat in Glastonbury UK at a historical mansion, The Pennard House in Summerset. My friends, […]
To view Alan Mercer’s blog post on Kimmie Rhodes and view pictures press here: http://amprofile.blogspot.com/2019/05/kimmie-rhodes-life-meant-to-be.html
Austin Book Event for Radio Dreams Austin, Texas – February 2019 Texas Heritage Songwriter’s Assc. Buddy Holly Texas Tech Southwest Collections Library Inventory Listing First of all… I’m thrilled with this article written by Peter Blackstock for the Austin American Statesman. It has lots of great pictures of Joe Gracey and me that were taken by the newspaper’s […]
“T for Texas – T for Tennessee” It was one of those weekends for the music history books as artists from Texas and Tennessee joined the staff of The Country Music Hall of Fame for the opening weekend of “Outlaws and Armadillos: Country’s Roaring 70s” an exhibit that aims to put to rest the notions […]
The Buddy Holly Educational Foundation Lafayette, Louisiana Much gratitude to Mayor Pro-tem Jeff Griffith, The Buddy Holly Education Foundation and The South Louisiana Songwriters Festival & Workshop for a great few days in lovely Louisiana… especially to my home town Lubbock Texas for the special recognition and wonderful introduction to my show in Lafayette! A great honor! […]
Looking back on my girlhood I’m grateful that destiny gifted me with a loving musical role model who shaped my future and taught me the joy of writing songs. When I was an infant, only two weeks old, my mother, the breadwinner of the family, was forced to hand me over every morning so […]
In May 1978 upon hearing that legendary DJ Joe Gracey of KOKE-FM in Austin, Texas had lost his voice to cancer, his friend Ray Benson of Asleep at The Wheel, wrote him this poignant letter of encouragement. This is Ray Benson reading the letter he wrote back then.
Joe Gracey’s 1st Letter to Kimmie The day I first met Joe Gracey at his studio “Electric Graceyland” in the basement of KOKE-FM in Austin, Texas he had just undergone seven major surgeries and finally lost his voice to cancer. A mutual friend, TJ McFarland, who introduced us had already filled me in on some […]
Recording at Sun Studios in Memphis, TN with Jack Cowboy Clement “Just One Love” written by Kimmie Rhodes – recorded at Sun Studios with Joe Ely January 1989. Jack Cowboy Clement plays dobro and Joe Gracey plays rhythm guitar. Recording at Sun Studios in Memphis with Cowboy Jack in 1989 (l-r) Kimmie Rhodes, Joe Gracey, […]
My marvelously unique mother, Bettie Lee Grbavace, was the daughter of two immigrants from Eastern Europe. Her mother, Stella Ruth Piva, committed suicide when Mama was a very young girl. Bettie Lee suffered a brutal upbringing during the severe economic slump of the 30s, with her father, Mijo Grbavace, who kept a shabby “roof […]