I had not seen Marty since 1977 when I was 16. For some reason, I knew that would be the last time I would see him. However, I kept up with his career, off and on, and was very happy for his success.

Early in February something very unfortunate happened to me. I was falsely accused of something, and was forced, without representation, to sign a reprehensible legal document. I was not, and am not, guilty of the things I was accused of, but I was forced to sign anyway or face losing my career. The man leveling the charges against me is a very powerful man in our community.

I turned the matter over to the Lord and pled my cause before my Father in Heaven, asking Him for help and guidance for my family and me during this difficult time. It wasn't enough that I was hurt. The man's actions against me caused great emotional distress to my husband and children.

I continued praying and keeping my focus on the Lord, knowing that I would somehow, someway, be delivered from the horrific emotional and spiritual affliction I was facing.

Then...I was inspired to look up Marty's official website, and clicked on the Tour button. That is when I learned he was scheduled to come to Osceola, Iowa, in April!

From that moment on, the miracles in my life have not ceased! The Lord has fought my battles with the man in question and has delivered to me a decisive victory! When my husband and I returned from Osceola that night, I could not stop crying for the miracle that was Marty and his Fabulous Superlatives, and great credit goes to their fans, who were such sweet and supportive people! I felt good to be in their company, and Marty and his Superlatives are just that....SUPER SWEET KIND WONDERFUL GENTLEMEN!!!

The night before Marty was due to arrive in Osceola, I, too, had a dream. I dreamed that Marty approached me, dressed in his Country Music suit, and reached out to me to give me a ' High-Five,' When I touched his hand, Marty told me that my life would flow with milk and honey.

It has flowed with milk and honey since April 17, 2009 and the blessings haven't stopped coming!!

I knew Marty when he would come to Arkanss in the 1970s with Lester Flatt.

Connie Smith...the more I learn about her, the more I am convinced she is an Angel sent to Earth to bless my life!! And I've never even met her!! I feel good when I think of her, and wish she and Marty would come to Osceola soon!

There is a God, and He has blessed my life with Marty, Connie, and the Fabulous Superlatives!!

I drive a taxi in Madison, Wisconsin and decided to drive an extra shift on my day off as I had taken a sick day off earlier in that week. It was Saturday, September 20, 2008 and Marty was playing with Travis Tritt at the Overture Center that night. I saw the ad in a local weekly paper along with other happenings in the area.

I was posted up waiting for a call to happen and took a call at a hotel in the downtown area. As I pulled up, I noticed a tour bus parked out front and wondered who it belonged to. The name "Stewart" was on my call. I pulled up and saw Marty Stuart waiting inside. Now I like some country music, but I'm particular. I was somewhat excited to see Marty coming to my taxi. He asked if he could sit in the front seat and I said "sure." I told him he needed to put on his seat belt and he said "no problem." I asked if he was Marty Stuart (even though I knew he was) and he said "yes" and asked my name. I told him that my name was Connie. He said that it would be easy to remember as his wife's name is Connie.

I said I had wondered whose tour bus that was. He said he was killing time and he was headed for an antique mall on the east side of town. On the way we chatted about different things. He asked how long I had been driving a taxi. I replied that I first started driving a taxi in 1974 when I was just 21. He said that he had started in the business in 1972. I asked him if he started young in the business and he said he had. I asked if his father had been in the business and he replied his father-in-law had. I asked who his father-in-law was and he said "Johnny Cash." I asked if he was married to Rosanne and he replied he was married to her sister Cindy.

I asked if he wanted me to wait for him and he said he didn't know how long he would be. He asked if there were any antique stores specializing in stained glass and I told him to ask once he got inside as this store was a mall and had many booths. They would know where to steer him once inside. I asked him if he wanted me to come back for him and he said that would be great. I gave him our business card with my name on it and told him I would make arrangements with the office to let me know when he was ready. I said I would take a break nearby.

When he was ready, I went back for him. He wanted to go to another antique store on the other side of town. This gave us more time to chat. We talked about Madison and I pointed out some points of interest as we went through the different areas of town. He said that I should be a tour guide. I said I wanted to do that but there isn't much call for that in Madison.

He was inside the next antique store only a few moments. When he got back inside my taxi, I asked if he found what he wanted. He said he did and it only cost $1.00. I said that sometimes the best items are only a $1.00.

I wondered out loud if there were any tickets left for his show that evening. He asked if I wanted to come and I said "I would love to." He took my name and phone number down so one of his people could call to let me know a ticket was there for me. When we got back to his hotel, he gave me a kiss on the cheek which I returned. He also gave me his autograph on the ad. He tipped me nicely on the 1st ride and I considered the ticket a great tip on the second ride.

I waited for that call to come but it never did. I decided to go anyway and, sure enough, there was a ticket waiting for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the concert!! I enjoyed that the music was acoustic. I had a good seat and didn't have long to wait for it to start.

I had never really listened to his music before but had seen him on TV shows. I just couldn't believe that he was so down to earth and easy to talk with. When we came to stop lights I was able to look at him and noticed he had very long eyelashes. When I got back to work the next Monday, I made it a point to check into him. I'm very impressed with his accomplishments! I'm buying his music and I like what I hear. I've even been checking him out on You Tube.

Reading other Marty Moments encouraged me to write my own. I look forward to Marty returning to the Madison area in the future and will be sure to go to his next concert. Any time he wants to come and relax in the area I would be happy to be his guide for anything he wants to do.

This was the 2nd or 3rd year I'd worked in the Strawberry Festival. You start in January and work hard through May. It was an aggressive festival year with 10 days of lots of things going on. It was an expensive year as well.

Several weeks before the festival, they usually announce the Headliner for the main entertainment. T.G. Sheppard was there the year before, and the Forester Sisters, folks like that. But for some reason they were holding off on announcing it that year, then wanted to have a big meeting of all the volunteers and Event Coordinators. Unfortunately, the night before the meeting, a good friend of mine who worked for the local radio station called me to tell me they were bringing Marty to Dayton, Tennessee. I laughed at her and said "Sue, I'm one of the Event Coordinators, wouldn't I know that?" I could not believe it. I told her they all knew what a fan I was of Marty and they would for sure tell me. I still couldn't believe they would or could bring Marty to Dayton. Sue asked me if they might be going to surprise me. It hadn't occurred to me. But I told Sue I still didn't think it was going to happen.

They had asked me to bring a tape player to the meeting for some intro music they wanted to use to announce the Headliner. My kids were there as they were part of my "volunteer committee". They took the tape player from me and got it ready and sat it at one end of the table. They hemhawed around about who would turn on the music when they announced it and finally said "Just let Mary do it," like no big deal who did it.

The really played it up and then pointed at me and the song "This One's Gonna Hurt You" started playing. Well, does any Marty fan not know Marty's music after the first few chords and I'm sure a 1,000 flies could have easily flown in my mouth. I looked at my kids and said "Do you hear that, do you know who that is?" They nodded.

The next few weeks was a whirlwind of mailing out stuff to the fan club, and getting everything ready. I was going to be the Event Coordinator for the Concert along with two other women.

For those of you who missed the Marty Stuart show here at Stone Mountain Arts Center, I am so sorry. I can truly say it is not just the best show I have seen here at SMAC, but it is the best show I have ever seen in my life!!

So here’s the thing, if you don’t know who Marty is, let me explain.....He is a country legend...played with Johnny Cash for years, has won countless grammy and country music awards...is in the country hall of fame, a regular performer on the Grand Old Opry...blah, blah...get the picture? ......he is a big star in the country music world.

I tell you all this to drive the point home that this big act coming up to our small neck of the woods, is kind of an awesome tale in itself......but the fact that they really got a “taste” of our little community is the best part of the story........

These big acts have kind of a weird schedule when they are on the road....They play a gig, get in the bus, and drive all night to their next destination. Often they arrive at the venue in the wee hours of the morning and park and sleep until nine or ten and then go to the hotel to catch a cat nap in a real bed, and shower before their sound check. Meanwhile the crew works on the elaborate stage production. So now with that background, I will describe their day here in Brownfield.....

They got to our always controversial town at 4:00 AM in the morning, and started up our Dugway Road, only to find a tree across their right of way.... a casualty from that crazy storm we had the other night. Anyway, they had to back down a mile of country road, that is not easy to maneuver going forward, never mind a big rig! But being laid back country folk themselves, they pulled into the Brownfield Town Garage unruffled and slept till 8:00. The driver said, there was a moment of panic from the Marty camp, when a few early risers looked out the window and spied the town garage thinking it was the Stone Mountain Arts Center. But soon my Jeff came down and escorted them up a more treeless route to their Blake neighborhood destination. That huge tour bus towing an equally long trailer, came rolling in and they poured out wiping the sleep for their eyes. 12 hours later they were dressed in their spangly jangly country duds, and took the stage.

During the day, we shuttled them in a borrowed van from a kind local canoe rental business that said “15.00 a Day" plastered on the side, advertising this band of Southern musicians as if they were for hire. (I wish Marty was that cheap!) They showered and caught some cat naps at the Snowvillage Inn and then requested a place to have lunch and a band meeting at noon time away from the venue. Unprepared of course, I had a moment of panic, but luckily I knew just who to call.

I reserved the "function room" in the back of the quaint and colorful Eaton Village Store where Phil treated them to his famous cheeseburgers. I told Phil that I would be picking up the check, and consequently the band racked up a whopping $32.00 worth of sustenance. (Phil waved the room rental ...haha) On the way back, they took pictures of the beautiful foliage and mountains that we get to see every day.

They were amazingly gracious and referred to my husband Jeff and I often throughout the performance. I heard from their agent today, who wanted to book them a return visit right away.....they said that our little place was the best stop on the tour. They said our audience was "powerfully enthusiastic and full of love", and our chef fixed them, and I quote, "the best dang food we ever had on a tour....nice to have some home cookin' for a change!" They commented on what a beautiful dressing room we had, and I admitted to him that we had just finished it the night before thanks again to the help and creativity of friends and neighbors.

Marty was very kind and talked to Jeff and I for a long time after the show about our dream, and how important it was. He said we had something very special here, including the audience. It reminded me of why we did this, and why we have risked so much.

He also asked me if he could borrow my Silvertone guitar for a recording he was working on...it was just the sound he was looking for. He offered to rent it, and feeling like a groupie, I told him just to take it with him, and then he would HAVE to come back. “He said, honey, we’re already comin’ back!”

So you know those days you have, when you think wow, we are so lucky to live here.......look around .....no, not just at the scenery....at the people. Marty did. He will be back in September.

I want to tell you all about the Sparkle and Twang Exhibit at the Tennessee State Museum. In case you did not know, this as a small part of Marty Stuart's enormous collection of Country Music Memorabilia. It is being displayed at the museum for about a 6-month. period, and set up in true museum style with videos to go along with the displays, telling the stories. There are probably five to six large rooms housing this display.

My husband and myself, and our son from the West Coast got there about 1 p.m. and began to browse through the displays. There is so much. There is a lot of Johnny and June memorabilia, letters, clothes, instruments, etc.

We had been there close to two hours, taking in all the wonderful items, and reading their history and had talked to several of the security guards watching the premises. One of them motioned to my husband to get my son and I....and as we gathered, this lady security guard asked us if we were Marty Stuart fans, and we nodded. She said...."if you want to meet him, he is right over there...go shake his hand!"

I had on my Black and Silver CASH shirt, the one that Joanne Cash had admired at CASHBASH.

As we turned the corner where the guard had directed us to go, there stood Marty Stuart and his mother. He motioned us over, we walked up and shook his hand, and he could not have been more gracious. He asked us if we were enjoying the exhibit, and several other questions. We talked for probably five minutes. His mother was just as friendly, asking us what brought us to Nashville, and when we explained about the family reunion, she laughed, indicating we should get some really good food there!

As we continued to talk, he noted my shirt, and I mentioned that we had been to the cemetary, and by his house that morning (for those who do not know, Marty lives next door to the former Cash home site). He asked if I had seen it before, and I explained about my visit at CASHBASH, and that I was a member of the Johnny Cash Forum. I told him we were going to the Fold this year, and he said, "You will love it...they will pet you and love on you, and you will hear some great music."

If any of you get a chance to go see this exhibit before it leaves (I think in November), I encourage you to do it...you will be amazed!

My husband and I first saw Marty Stuart at the Rocky Gap Music Fest in the early 1990's. I believe we saw him there two years in a row and were blown away by the energy and "realness" in his performances. We then saw him when he came closer to our hometown and played at Hershey Park. We don't ride, but paid the admission to the park so that we could catch Marty; and sure enough, we weren't disappointed. He gave two shows, each entirely different but wonderful just the same.

My "Marty Moment" however, comes years later in the summer of 2003. I now had two young boys and was VERY pregnant with my third. It was a blistering hot night. We took the boys to the outside concert and they loved hearing him play, especially his rendition of "Ring of Fire." At intermission, we stood in a very long line of fans waiting to meet Mr. Stuart. I thought the boys should be able to meet a "star." I watched him be so kind and genuinely warm to each person that he met, making each one feel very special. When it came to our turn, he spoke very kindly to each of my sons, asking them questions and shaking their hands. He then came upon their very large-with-child mother and after greeting me, was very concerned that I might be hot, or too tired from standing in line. He offered me a drink and a seat. Not wanting to miss the next part of the show, I didn't take him up on the offer or I'd miss getting back to my seat! I took away from that concert, not only the fact that Marty Stuart is perhaps the greatest entertainer of our time, but a genuinely kind and generous person......one that I am happy to spend my money to see.

I finally got to see Marty in concert and meet him. Marty was here November 21 at the DeltaPlex in Grand Rapids, not far from my house either. My husband, Ryan, got tickets for our anniversary which is the 22nd. Ryan knew that it has always been a dream of mine to see Marty in concert, so he got us tickets. What an anniversary gift!

Marty put on a wonderful show! He looked wonderful! I was able to get right up front and take some pictures. After the concert, they had where you could meet Marty and the band and get an autograph. Ryan bought me the Marty Christmas ornament so I had something for Marty to sign. I was so nervous I made Ryan hold the ornament. I was so afraid of dropping it. My hands were shaking so much.

I have never had the pleasure of meeting Marty Stuart, but the man saved my life. It happened several years ago on November 28, 1995. I need to lay the groundwork first. It was the middle of October and something happened that led to this life-changing event. I lived alone in an apartment in Sacramento, California. The owners of the apartment complex decided to have cable installed in all of the apartments free to the tenants. I am not a fan of cable so it wasn't high on my want list. I lived from paycheck to paycheck so cable was a luxury. Once the cable was installed I surfed the channels and watched when not working, which turned out to be one day a week. I worked six days a week as much as ten hours a day and barely made ends meet.

One evening I ran across TNN. They were advertising a Marty Party special that would air November 28, 1995. Being a fan and loving his music, I really wanted to see this show. There were two obstacles in my way. One -- it was a Wednesday night and I had not had a Wednesday off in two years and truthfully I couldn't afford to take a night off. My second problem was that my VCR would not pick up TNN so I couldn't record it. I couldn't decide whether to ask for that night off or just work and miss the show. After a couple of days of indecision I finally gave up and asked God for a sign. I asked HIM to decide for me the night of November 2.

The morning of the November 3rd, I had an answer. I had a dream about Marty. He stood in a room that was totally dark except for the spotlight shining down on him. He smiled and told me to take the night off. I said I couldn't afford too. He said I couldn't afford not too. I argued and he smiled. Then he said, "If you trust me and the man up stairs, you'll do as I say." Well, when I woke up, I knew I would. I went to work wrote out a request for that night off. Since I never asked for a night off before I figured I'd be granted that request.

The week of the Marty Party show, my schedule was posted and I got that night off. Wednesday November 28, 1995 rolled around and I got ready to enjoy the show. I watched and enjoyed Marty do his thing. It was a great evening of fun and music. The next morning I was called into work early and discovered the unthinkable had happened. You see, I worked in an ice cream parlour and, while I was watching the show, a man with a gun came into the ice cream parlour. He robbed the place threatening the two workers with being shot and possibly killed. When I got home I dropped to my knees and thanked God and Marty. If Marty had not had that show, I would have been looking down the barrel of a gun.

I turned on the TV and flipped to TNN. It was now scrambled. I called the cable company to find out why. I was told it wasn't part of the apartment complex cable package and if I had got it then, it was by mistake. I took my off day and went around asking some of the other tenants if they had gotten TNN. No one had except my friend who I watched it with. She didn't order it extra and now she couldn't get either! That is when I became a true believer in God and a life long fan of Marty Stuart. I hope that some day I get the chance to thank him in person.

Man, did I have a Cosmic American experience last night (January 26, 2002). Went to see Marty Stuart at the Ram's Head Tavern in historic Annapolis, Maryland, a venue of about 120. Sat about four feet from the stage. As we arrived, I looked for, but did not see the Tele that Clarence White had immortalized. I was bummed. About five minutes before the show, a roadie brought out the Tele and I got goosebumps. The last time I had seen the guitar was the only other time I saw Marty play. That was at the Gram/Clarence Tribute in Nashville in 1989. Before that, from 1970-1972, I was a hanger-on with the Byrds, going to numerous shows, volunteering to carry equipment, and adept at getting backstage. My favorite memories are of Clarence and Gene playing backstage before shows; not rehearsing, just having fun with guitar, banjo and harmonica. Oh to have had a tape recorder!

Anyway, back to the present. I wore my StringBender t-shirt (courtesy of the Gene Parsons webstie), which got Marty's attention early on. I also brought some photos I took of Clarence with the Byrds from a Central Park concert in July 1970 that I attended. When Marty was switching from his Martin back to the Tele about three quarters through the show, I handed him a photo of Clarence backstage at Central Park. He commented about the "original owner" of the guitar that he was playing. I told him that I had carried that guitar 32 years ago. He shared this with his young (and very talented) band members. At the end of his set (before the encore), he handed me the Tele to hold. I did flirt with the idea of making a break for it, but social skills prevailed.

As I handed him back the guitar, he asked if I could hang out after the show. Marty was waiting for me in the dressing room. We swapped Clarence stories for about a half an hour, the Tele on my lap (man, I wish I could play more than three chords), his band mates enraptured, and me wishing for a camera. He shared the story of how he purchased the Tele from Clarence's widow, Suzie, in 1974 when she was selling a lot of Clarence's things to make ends meet. Roland had introduced Marty to Suzie and Marty assumed she was going to offer to sell him Clarence's backup guitar. Instead, she brought out the Tele. Marty said he couldn't believe she was going to sell it. He opened his checkbook and asked, "how much?" She replied "$1,450." He said, "No way. One string is worth more than that." She said that she needed the money to pay her mortgage and Clarence would not want her to ask for more than she needed.

Marty also spoke of her sad fate a few years later when she was killed, along with her son, in a car accident. Man, oh man, what a special evening. I don't think I was a typical Marty Stuart fan from his response to me. When we departed, he hugged me like we were long, lost brothers. As close to a religious experience as I get.

Well, I have another Marty memorable moment, this time from Clarksville, TN's Museum on 9-6-01.

We went even though we really were not in the frame of mind to, in hopes of a distraction from our grief. We are fan club members and it was our first time going backstage to meet him. He had T-shirts on sale that evening (we had not seen them before) that had his hound Oscar Lee and him on the front and back. My husband spotted them a mile away and we purchased two of them. When we went backstage to meet Marty, we told him what had happened to our baby and he was really sweet and told us we needed to jump right back into it and get another one. He signed both of our shirts for us in memory of "George" from Marty. That one gesture on his part made our night easier to bear.

Well, we did jump right back into it the very next day. After looking through the paper we found the cutest, sweetest, longest-eared basset baby you ever saw. The coincidences surrounding this pup were amazing. The sire of the litter was the spitting image of our George that had passed away and the litter was born October 1st which was when George had been born and which shares my birthday as well. You know this pup was going home with us.

We named him in Marty's honor.
Marty Too Tone!

When I went to the tour on the 3rd floor of the Hall of Fame the night of the fan club party and got off the elevator, looked up, saw Marty, and walked over to him, he grabbed me, hugged me so tightly, and I returned the tight hug to him as well. That big, tight, hug he gave me is another moment I will always remember!

Back in the summer of 1989 or 1990, I was in attendance at a concert at Ponderosa Park in Salem, OH. I can't even recall at this point who the headliner was, but I know we were there eagerly awaiting the day's opening act. And wait we did. Although Marty Stuart had a few minor hits that charted, he was never hotter than he was right then. With "Hillbilly Rock" burning up the charts, airwaves, and dance halls, and knowing his long history through bluegrass and country music, I was hard pressed to believe that anyone would be anything but excited to see this new "legend".

After the day's local act finished up, the stage was cleared to make room for Marty's show. After approximately thirty minutes, it was announced that Marty's bus was broken down somewhere in Ohio about 3 hours away. At the time, Marty and his band were traveling in one of Ernest Tubb's old buses. Having read about Marty's affinity for country music artifacts, I didn't find this at all odd. The crowd was told that the generator on the bus had malfunctioned and a replacement was being located. The emcee also assured the crowd that Marty would be there as soon as he could to perform. "Yeah, right", I thought. "What are the chances of finding a generator for a bus that dated from the 60's on a Sunday afternoon in the middle of Nowhere, Ohio?" The headliner graciously agreed to perform before his opening act. Approximately two-and-a-half hours after the headliner finished, the handful of diehards that stuck around were treated to the sound of an old Silver Eagle rumbling up through the long gravel drive in a cloud of dry summer dust. Out of that cloud of dust, like an old western hero, strode Marty Stuart and entourage. Needless to say, they were met with rousing enthusiasm.

One could hardly imagine that after enduring such an exasperating trip, Marty Stuart and his band would have anything left to give. The "Hot Hillbilly Band" gave one of the best performances I have ever witnessed. Judging by the crowd's reaction, I think they agreed. Country music the way it was meant to be: incredible musicians, great singing, enthusiasm, a touch of the old, a splash of the new, a hot, sunny, summer day..........what more could you ask for.

The crowd was pleased, if not amazed, when it was announced that Marty would sign autographs after his 90-minute set. We stood in line for what seemed like an eternity as the glowing orange sun set over Marty's shoulder. Unlike most of the artists who signed autographs from inside the security of a small concession-like booth, Marty Stuart stood out among his fans -- toe-to-toe and eye-to-eye. It was almost time for my wife and I to step up for our brief encounter with Marty. Suddenly, I had a mischievous idea and only hoped that Marty still had a sense of humor after such an arduous day. As we stepped up to Marty, my wife extended her hand for a brief, but kind, handshake, an autograph and the customary pleasantries. As Marty turned his attention to me and offered his hand, I firmly deposited about seventeen or eighteen cents that I found in my hip pocket into his open palm. As he stood there looking quizzically at me, I informed him that I wanted to be the first to contribute to the Marty Stuart New Bus Fund. My wife was utterly aghast. Much to my relief, Marty broke into robust laughter. After both of us regained some composure, we shook hands and parted. It was only after we were started on our two-hour drive home, that I realized Marty kept the coins I gave him. Marty has long since retired Ernest Tubb's bus. Every time I see him rolling down I-65 now in his new bus, I can't help but laugh and wonder which seventeen cents of that bus I own. My wife ran into Marty a few months ago at the Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree. I asked her if she reminded him of this incident. She replied with an unequivocal, "No!"

Marty displayed the signs of a true legend that day. In the music industry sense of the word, sure, but also in the human sense of the word. Determination, professionalism, integrity, a strong work ethic, and a really good sense of humor..........what more could you ask for.

November 23, 1999

Today Marty Stuart played mandolin on my record, and even though I was anticipating the day to be wonderful, it was far beyond my dreams and imagination. I slept relatively well last night considering how nervous I was about him coming into the studio. I did wake up earlier than usual, anxious. I got to the studio right at 10 a.m. and started singing back-ups on "I Don’t Want You to Go." Marty arrived at about 11:20 a.m. or something like that. I didn’t have a watch. Paul said over the talkback mic, “look who’s here,” and I smiled into the control room and said I’d be right out. I came out and he was in the front lounge talking to Maude Gilman, the head of the creative department at Arista.

She came over with a digital camera to take pictures with Marty. I shook his hand and said, “Hi Marty, I’m Carolyn Dawn Johnson, it is such a pleasure to meet you. I’ve met you before as a fan.” Then Paul proceeded to tell him that I was his biggest fan in Canada, and I was kind of embarrassed - even though I wanted him to know how much I loved him and his music. He said, “I always say, be nice to your fans cause you never know when one of them will get a record deal. Ha! Ha! Ha!” He was very friendly and down home, but I was still a little uncomfortable. I have looked up to him for so long, it was truly hard for me to believe he was there. He started pickin’ on his mandolin and Maude started to take pictures of us and I had to go stand by him and stuff, and we took other photos by the console and we went out into the mic room and I pretended to sing and Marty was pickin’ on his mandolin so it looked like we were in the middle of recording.

So that was over and then Marty asked me if I could play "Tumble and Roll" on my guitar for him so he could get the gist of it, so I got my guitar and I started playing and basically I didn’t do very good because I was so nervous. Al Anderson usually plays the song and I’ve never really learned it - ‘cause I’ve never had to. So I basically stumbled through it and was embarrassed and out of time. Paul ended up going out there and wrote him out a chord chart and then we started to play. He did a great job and it really went great with the track. Then we listened when it was done and he complimented me on the song and the singing on it.

Then we listened to "One Day Closer To You" and Marty said that my songs were intelligent and that they had continuity between them. He said the band sounded the same and the vocals had their own thing going on. He said, “It’s great that you can play, sing and write.” I was very honored at his compliment. So then he played on it and he did a cool solo that sounds happy and hopeful to me, which is the whole idea of the song.

After we were done we all ate some wings and Marty had a salad as well. While we were eating he asked me a few questions about myself - who was my manager, how long I’d been in town, where my parents were and all that stuff. He seemed to be real interested, and genuinely listening. We went back in and listened and it sounded great. Marty said he had something for me; he went out to his car and brought me a copy of his new book, “Pilgrims.” It’s a book of pictures and stories he told about his life and musical journey and encounters with many other artists. I wanted the book anyways, so I couldn’t believe he gave it to me. He said, “I figure I better give you your Christmas present now” or something like that. I asked him to sign it and I read what he wrote later, and it said,

To Carolyn Dawn Johnson
Here’s how it was-
Now you show ‘em
How it is-
With Love and Respect
Go Get it!
Marty Stuart

Wow! How cool is that? I can’t believe it. I might have a supporter of what I do in someone I look up to immensely. The biggest part of my dream is to have the people I look up to, respect and admire my work and music. Could this really be coming true? Then he said that he is scoring two films and he may need my voice for some things and I told him I was a pretty good human synthesizer. Then he hugged me to say good-bye and Paul said, “I know I’m going to embarrass her by bringing this up, but you need to know this Marty. Carolyn, tell him about the letter.”

So I got really flustered feeling and I started to tell him how about 6 years ago I wrote him a letter. In it I had said, “maybe one day I might write with you or record one of your songs or maybe one day you will play mandolin or guitar on my record if I get a record deal.” And then I said, you made one of my dreams come full circle and he said, “That whole book is about my dreams coming true. I understand.” Then I said, “When I asked Paul if we could get you to play on my record he said, ‘we gotta make your dreams come true!’” And they did. Then Marty said, “if you need a mandolin player in your video, give me a call!” He gave me a big squeeze hug and that was the day, kind of in a nutshell and he left.

Then when I was talking to Clarke, my engineer about it and telling him what an unbelievable day it was, I told him how fast my heart was beating and I just started to cry. It was so overwhelming to me that this actually happened. I think Marty liked my music. He’s still my favorite male artist and he lives true to all the good thoughts I have thought about him for many years. Once again, God is so good to me. I can hardly contain my joy and happiness.

“Life is such a contradiction and you can’t escape the fact.” That’s a line from one of my songs. I am a lucky girl and unlucky also. I had memories of my brother today and was happy sad ‘cause I wished he was here to see this. I know he’d be proud but maybe he can see and he’s proud anyways. It was a beautiful day; prosperous, filled with laughter, music and lots of smiles. I can go to bed and store this memory forever in a special place in my heart. What an amazing dream come true!!!!!

"I know, right before Christmas last year he invited me, he wanted to hear my album when it was done. We played phone tag for a long time. He had said 'I want to sit down and listen to your album, we'll have lunch sometime.' We'd try and get together and it would never happen, I phoned his office and I said 'I really don't mind, I don't want to put him out, I'll just mail him the album' and she said 'no, he's pretty adamant about listening to it with you.' I was like, are you sure? And she said yeah, so I said ok, and I gave her some dates and she ended up calling me back and we set up a date. I went in there and I spent about three and a half hours with him. He talked to me about the business, we listened to the entire record. About halfway through the record I was like 'you don't have to listen to all of this right now with me' and he said 'do you have the time?' and I said yeah, he said 'I've got the time, I made the time.' And I was like (screaming) I am SO lucky! (laughs) Sso we had a great time. He gave me lots of advice, and just said when I'm feeling low if I ever need to call him and get picked up, because he believes in me. He said 'you're important to this industry, so you'd better stay in it!' "

Greetings from Marty's northern fans! My brother Gary was injured in a logging accident four years ago this September 16 and Marty was amazing enough to come visit him in the Edmonton hospital that November when he was on tour. Then we were lucky to be Marty's guests at Cowboys in Edmonton the following September, not only to celebrate Gary's miraculous recovery, but Marty's birthday as well. Seems I always reflect on those times when the leaves start to change....it was an incredible time in our lives and I will never forget Marty's visit. The laughs we shared, the tears we cried, the powerful prayer Marty offered to give us strength and courage...he truly was an angel sent to guide us through a very dark time. I am happy to say Gary and Cheryl are doing fine. It has certainly been a hard four years making the transition from an able-bodied man to a paraplegic and Gary has seen many dark days. I'm sure there are times when he brings out the memory books I made for all of us of Marty's visit and relives that incredible day. But Gary is alive and still my big brother that I adore. I couldn't imagine my life without him. He has faith and alot of courage to see him through.

In love and spirit, Darcy

My most memorable Marty moment actually involves 2 separate concerts! One was in Myrtle Beach in May of 98. I had tickets for 7 rows back in the side section. Three seats on the front were stayed vacant so after the first song, my friend and I took off for the seats. Front row, dead center, less than 3 feet from the stage at the Alabama Theater. I held one side of the gas tank to my Harley Davidson the entire concert and Marty kept looking down at me with a real confused kinda look. When he came out for the encore, I was standing at the very edge of the stage and he walked right over and threw his towel at me. I reached up and over my head and grabbed it!!! He laughed and I laughed and everybody close to me was clapping.

After the show, I go to see him and he looked at me and said " What is that???" I told him " One side of the gas tank for my Harley-Davidson and I want you to sign it." I took a silver paint pen with me and he took all the time in the world to dab it off and we wiped the gas tank down and he signed it!!!! The tank is Pearl White with Pink flames and he said "This is going to be a gorgeous bike." I said "Thank you, it is NOW!!!" I came home and had it clear coated and now, every time I ride, I have Marty riding with me. When I went to see him at The Newberry Opera House in August, I took a couple pics of the bike. He said "It turned out good, We did that at the Beach didn't we? " I could not believe he remembered!!!!

One of my favorite Marty moments would have to be the first time I saw him live. It was in 1990 at a little club. I've seen him several times and that was the best show I have seen. He came on stage at 9:00 p.m. and didn't quit til 2:45 a.m. The place was supposed to close at 2:00 a.m. He was outstanding. I got to meet him then and I have been a loyal fan ever since.

Well are not all moments with or about Marty special? I have not had the chance to see him out and about like some of you, I would surely pass out if I did and then miss it entirely! Mine would be at Sparks at the meet and greet. I don't think I have ever been so excited!

You know we did have that great table for the show, and he came over and did that little bow in front of us, [ I could feel a case of the vapors coming on already!] Then at the meet and greet he said "How far did you come?" and I said, "2,500 miles" and he and Mike both said, "Is that all?" and THEN he grabbed me and gave me one of those all important HUGS and said, "Well I love you for it!" SHUT UP!!! [Major vapors at this point!] Then he asked me what I brought [Sherry's newsletter] and said, "let me see that, stuck his head around the people and said "y'all will have to wait I have to read something" and he said "Boy that Sherry knows more about me then I do!" I said "Yep and then she tells us!" Then he gave me another HUG and thanked me for coming. I somehow managed to move so Heather could have her turn. That's another reason this is special 'cause I got to meet Heather. What a great moment in Martyville.

Something happens whenever Marty is related, never fails. You can call us Lucy and Ethel or Laverne and Shirley, they're pretty much the same as me and ol' Heather, so here goes.

We should have seen this as an omen NOT to go to Nashville in 1996. One of the gals that was going with us had to back out the day of the trip (her Daddy died); and the week before we left, Heather got hit by a car. But, with her on crutches, we went anyhow. Our first bad experience there was our first day - the city of Nashville and surrounding counties were under a tornado watch! Now, we're from California and NOT used to this. No tornado, so we were fine.

We got up the next day to drive to Grenada Lake, Mississippi to see Marty at a festival there. Since Heather couldn't drive, I had to do the entire 6-hour drive. We got there and had horrible wind and rain before the show. Luckily, it cleared just prior to the show. Meet and Greet was fine (somewhat muddy) and Marty and Mike were shocked to see us there, especially after the Heather vs. car incident! We go back out for the show and had to deal with all the drunks that had been on the lake all day drinking and driving and racing their boats, now are really drunk and rowdy. Security finally got them in check and the show began. Marty and the boys were a half an hour into it when all the dark clouds blew in, there was a huge bolt of lighting a clap of thunder and Marty says "See YA!" Then came the torrential downpour. I swear, I have never been that wet in my life.

We almost got trampled and there's Heather on crutches. A security guard saved her, got us over to a police car and the police officer saved us. He said he'd be more than happy to drive us back to our car - AFTER HE ESCORTED MARTY'S BUS BACK TO THE INTERSTATE!! So there we sat, waiting for crowds to clear out of the way, Heather in the back stretched out with our stuff and me in the front. Little did we know that the guys were on the bus wondering who in the world were the two women in the police car and what had they done to get arrested......It took us an hour and a half to get to our car....after our cop arrested someone for drunk and disorderly conduct (put HIM in another car!) a lady had a baby, and we passed an accident! We were soaked to the bone, but safe thanks to that cop. All the way from CA to MS for 1/2 an hour show. That's me and Heather!

NOW--------Fast Forward to Monday. Mike Copelin's mom opens a restaurant in Nashville and we go for the opening. Mike's Dad puts us out at a table on the patio so Heather can put up her foot and rest. Marty sees us, comes out on the patio and what's the first thing he says? Y'ALL DRIED OUT YET????" and gives us a little wicked laugh! NOW ----Fast forward to Fan Fair and the booth... the band is there to sign autographs. Talked with Gregg and we discuss the Grenada show....he mentions the police car that escorted them to the highway and says they never did find out what happened to the two women or what they'd done....so, I explain. He yells "THAT WAS YOU IN THAT COP CAR!!!" Next thing I know, I've got Brad, Gary and Mike asking for explanations.....they just thought that was the funniest thing! And all we got all week from Marty was "Y'ALL DRIED OUT YET????"

That was just one of many little bizarre stories of my book of "Marty Stuart Road Trips" Hope you enjoyed it! There's more to this story--Heather will post the rest of it!

My favorite Marty moment is probably always going to be when he turned Jordan's hat backwards and helped Jordan sing ["Hillbilly Rock"]with him onstage at last year's Fan Club Party! He was SO nice to Jordan and that means the world to me!! Not everyone would be that receptive to a little boy........he melted my heart for sure with that!!

I love all these great questions and it is so cool to hear about everyone's Marty moment!! I just remember trying not to shake and act like I was nervous the first time I met him!! Of course I probably blubbered like an idiot but he just smiled and listened to whatever I said. God knows I don't remember it anymore!!

OK here goes my Marty memory! Actually Marty wasn't even there for it!!! Convinced Hubby to take me to a county fair in Harford PA. We were running late so we were kinda speeding-when OOPS we get pulled over by a state trooper! I apologized for speeding and explained where we were going (even showed him my fan club membership card-hey-what can I say I was desperate. LOL), he looked at the card and my tag and license plate holder and guess what----HE LET US GO with no warning except to slow it down and enjoy the show!!!! Later I remembered Marty's letter to new fan club members about the card would turn you onto some good music but wouldn't get you out of any tickets (worked for me)!!!

That day also sticks in my mind because the skies opened up before the second show and we were all drenched---mud up to our ankles and soaked to the skin! The show did go on, but I'm sure we all looked like a really sorry group of people (LOL)!

My favorite Marty Moment was when I was having a very bad time at work, but knew I was going to see Marty in a few days. This was the only thing keeping me going. I wore a black blazer with a yellow flower embroidered on it. He smiled at me 4 times while I was in line. When I got up to him--he asked me if I got the jacket from Porter Wagoner.

I also remember the very first time I saw him on TV. TNN was having what they termed "Hunk Night." Marty walked out on stage and I almost passed out. The only other time that happened was when I saw Julio Iglesias singing with Willie Nelson on TV.