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Now Pam Tillis is one of the great female country music singers in town. She is a fabulous guitar player. She didn't bring a band; she accompanied herself on guitar and Marty helped out on mandolin. Pam has a wonderful sense of humor and I love her music. She performed "Violets and a Rose" and "Detroit City," both of which are on her tribute album. "Are you all holding up okay?" Marty asks. "Are you doing okay? How's it sitting on those church pews? Stand up and shake it all off. That's all you got to do. We're at the halfway point. We got four more hours coming up."
"Music Cares, when musicians get in trouble or anybody in our family gets in trouble, they're there to take care of the bills confidentially. If there is substance abuse, any kind of hard times. Rent gets behind, Music Cares takes care of it. And thanks to you tonight, there's a whole lot more funds for Music Cares to help with. Thank you very much."
"Is everything all right so far?" Marty asks. While Travis Tritt's band was tuning up and getting ready, Marty says, "If I live to be 100 years old, I can honestly say he's the best friend I've got. He's my brother. I got a question. What's your favorite Travis Tritt song?" The audience screamed out several different titles. "Here's A Quarter?" Marty asks. "When I started talking about this show, the first person I asked to do it was my Bubba and he said 'Uh huh'." Still stalling for time, Marty's trying to get more favorite Travis song titles. He's still asking, "Anymore? Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde?" Marty then sings, "It's a great day to be alive ......" and the audience joins in after the first two words. "I love that one, too," Marty says.
The audience applauded and Marty sings, "I can't hide the way I feel about you anymore." The crowd screamed. "I wanna hear Bubba. Is Bubba ready? He's almost there. Anybody else wanna get married? Anybody need to get a divorce? Come on down. Bring it on down to the Mother Church of country music - to the altar. Think about ole Hank Williams. He'll help you out."
Travis brought Marty front and center. Marty brought his stool along with him. Travis says, "I'm gonna sit down too. They're gonna bring me a stool and bring me a drink." Marty says, "Don't do it." "Travis laughed, "It's okay. I'm not driving!" Marty says, "I've always wondered what it'd be like to stay up this late. I've never been up this late, have you?" Travis says, "Me neither. Never have one time." He laughs and adds, "I ain't talking no more." You get these two crazy musicians together and you just never know what they will say or sing next. They did an awesome job on "This One's Gonna Hurt You."
Marty decided he needed to switch microphones with Travis once they decided to stand up to sing. Marty says, "I was hearing much more of your ass that I want to. No offense." Then he points off stage and says "Look, there's Hank Williams." In introducing their last song, Travis says, "Actually, this song was one Marty and I used to do. We kinda countried it up just a little bit. But this song actually was an old, old rock and roll song." They performed "Let it Roll." To a standing ovation, Travis hugged and picked Marty up. Travis also signed autographs as he walked up and down at the edge of the stage.
Nashville, TN |
Marty says, "I got a call from somebody that I love -- I truly love. Pam Tillis. She called me not too long ago and said she was doing a record of all her daddy's songs and she was doin' it her way and she wanted me to come over and play mandolin on it. It is one of the greatest records I've heard in a long time. It's probably one of the best records I've heard come out of this town in years. And she is ready. I can't wait to hear her. Ladies and gentlemen, would you make welcome my good friend, Pam Tillis."
"I want you to know this show tonight was a sell-out. Thank you very much. This is our first time to do it. The main reason we want to do this show is so we can play you all kinds of country music and you can come here and let your hair down and have fun and enjoy with us. But the money, after the expenses, goes to a foundation called Music Cares. It's sponsored by NARAS -- the Grammys. Music Cares is an organization -- it's a safety net for a lot of musicians -- a lot of your favorite people. As we get on in our careers, it doesn't matter. There's no age limit to it. Sometimes we all have hard times, sometimes we have struggles and things don't always appear to be what they seem. And if anybody understands hard times and struggles and family problems, it is country music fans. I know that with all my heart. You all proudly stand behind us during tax time, during divorce time, when we get in trouble, when we go crazy, when we come back and our records get hot and our records cool off. I think the deal is if we treat each other right, we've always been there for you but, most of all, you've always been there for us. Thank you very much. That's the way it is."
Somebody yells something out at Marty. Marty quips, "That's probably Travis out there hollering for his self. Or is that Billy Ray Cyrus? I don't know. Hang on, brother. There's more to come. I want you to meet somebody. I heard a record this year that really knocked me out. This guy's got a great future. His first record is in the top 20. His name is Joe Nichols." Joe came out and sang his hit, "The Impossible." Marty insisted that he stick around for a couple more songs. Marty accompanied him on "Foot Lights" and sang with Joe on "Okie from Muskogee." I don't keep up with most of the new country music acts, but Joe Nichols has an incredible voice.
"Hey, wait a minute," Marty continues. Is there a guy named Jimmy George in the house? I need to see you right here. We've got fans here from Australia. We've got some here from Germany. We got somebody from Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, my home state, Texas." Marty introduced Jimmy George as "one of my favorite buddies" from Minnesota. Jimmy is a professional fisherman. Marty said Jimmy had brought him some Walleyes and "the dressing room smells real good." Marty was kneeling on the stage and Jimmy was on the main floor. Marty, holding the microphone, says, "I feel like Dick Clark." Jimmy wanted to propose to his girlfriend. Luckily, she said "yes."
"Here's my best friend, my brother -- the Georgia Flash -- Travis Tritt. Travis came out to thunderous applause (and that was just Marty. LOL). He opened with "Here's A Quarter," and the hits just kept on coming: "It's A Great Day To Be Alive," "Best of Intentions," "Country Ain't Country No More," "Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde," and "T-R-O-U-B-L-E." During Travis' performance, Marty sat on a stool on the side of the stage, taping his foot and taping the microphone on his leg
Marty says, "Think about it. We're sittin' here on the stage of the Ryman. Fifteen years ago, we couldn't get a ticket to this place, much less being on stage. This is a Hillbilly Seance. Think about it, man. Hank Williams stood here. Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and Billy Gilman." (Marty cracks up laughing.) Travis says, "Did Shania play here?" Marty laughs, "I hope so." Talking to Travis, Marty continues, "Here's what I want you to do for me. I was supposed to hear you sing 'Here's A Quarter,' and that is a great country song. Any song that's a valid country song that happens right here on this stage has got a license to go to the world. I've always wondered what would happen if Bob Dylan and Hank, Jr. was to sing 'Here's A Quarter'. If I be Bob Dylan, will you be Hank, Jr?" You cannot imagine the hysteria that this brought to the audience. Marty sang the first two lines as Bob Dylan, Travis sang the next two lines as Hank, Jr. Then they sang the chorus together. (I must have been busy taking notes and I missed Travis and Marty opening up their shirts to look a little more like Bob and Hank, Jr. Check out Beverly Kerr's review for her picture of this.)
Travis says, "When I give you the look and you will know the look, ask me how I'm doing." Marty says, "Brother, how are you doing?" Travis says, "Faaaabuuuuuulous." Marty adds, "Did you all see the tribute that Travis and Bocephus and me did for Waylon? Wasn't that great?" Travis interrupts, "Let me tell you something, Hoss. In '92 we did a tour called the No Hats Tour and you may have noticed I'm wearing a hat tonight and you're saying 'huh??'. Well, as Bocephus would say, 'I have never shown my buttocks.' We did a No Hats Tour. It wasn't really anything, any kind of real serious message but neither Marty or I either one have been known for big hat-wearing and the thing is I'm wearin' this one tonight out of tribute to the same guy that we paid tribute to the last time we were on stage here."
Marty says, "Remember that time we played that show when we did the No Hats and Waylon and Willie both were there. We did 'Can't You See'. Travis confirms, "We did 'Can't You See'." Marty continues, "And Waylon ws standing over there and me and Travis were waving him out and we did it and I was up there on the stage just playing my tail off and these people were hollering." Travis says, "And I turned around to him like this." Marty says, "And Waylon was going ........ I thought it was coz I was doing good and Travis, he said, 'Your zipper's down, brother'." Marty thinks for a second and says, "Just a minute, I gotta check." He turns his back to the audience. Travis says, "I'm good." Marty laughs, "I felt a breeze. I didn't know what it was." Travis made some smart remark and Marty says, "Your last record was big wasn't it, brother?" Travis boasts, "As Bocephus would say, '92 weeks in the Top 20 brother does not suck.' Thank you Sony Records." Marty says, "I bought all them records."
Marty and Travis performed "Good Hearted Woman" in honor of Waylon and "No Hard Times" in honor of the Father of country music, Jimmie Rodgers. Travis says, "Talk about Hank Williams playing on this stage and I'll tell you what. Hank Williams, Sr. tore this place up when he came here. In the late 1940's -- Bocephus didn't do too bad the night we was here. And kinda along the same lines as the song we just did, we used to play this one a few years ago. They performed Hank Sr's "Honky Tonk Blues."
"Sit down. We've got more," Marty says. He gave the times he was signing at his booth. "I wanna hug your neck," he said. "If you go to our booth, you're gonna find it sparkles. My booth looks like Porter Wagoner's closet exploded. It looks good." Killing for time, he recognized a few fan club members sitting down front and had the spotlight put on Lisa Phillips. Then Marty asked all of his fan club members to please stand up. "Everybody who wants to be in my fan club, please stand up. Come on. We want you; we need you. If you're able, stand up. I need you to join my fan club."
"You can't beat a pro. Let me tell you a true story. My mama's favorite singer was this lady. I used to listen to her from this stage right here and I loved her voice. She came to my hometown when I was 12 years old. Here's a country music story for you. I had an album called 'Miss Smith Goes to Nashville'. I loved that record. I'd stare at it and she was so pretty. She was like an angel. She came to my hometown. I met her and told my mama that night I was gonna marry her. 25 years later, I did it. She's my favotie country singer. I love her. She's my heart. Would you please make welcome, my wife Miss Connie Smith."
Connie walks on stage. "Hey baby, welcome to Fan Fair," Marty tells her. Connie says, "Thank you. I'm glad to be.....I'm just so proud to be here." Marty says, "Yeah, me too. We're up late tonight. Ain't no telling what will happen ...... or not." Marty's waiting for everything to get ready on stage. He comments, "Travis ain't that pretty." Continuing to stall, he breaks out in song, "Once a day......" At last everyone was ready. Marty and Connie performed the duet, "After The Fire Is Gone." Connie sang "Once A Day." Marty was trying to do background vocals but kept forgetting to come back to the micrphone. Connie closed with her incredible rendition of "How Great Thou Art." The audience stood on their feet. Marty said, "We enjoyed it. We'll see you next year. Good night." It was nearly 3 a.m. when it was all over. They were selling posters of the event (which Marty had autographed) as well as t-shirts honoring the Jam. I picked up a t-shirt (like I don't have enough Marty Stuart t-shirts now). Everyone is looking forward to next year's event.