I don't always carry a camera when I visit Nashville. So funny enough I don't have a shot of my best friend Ramona Simmons and her husband Preston Sullivan.
This is probably not Nashville's best-known face, but she is a genius. Her first album is probably the best recorded in Nashville over the last ten years. Besides that Kim Richey who "made" my trip many times was the first who had choclats for me too.
There are five outstanding female voices. One of them is definately Gail Davies, nickname "salmon face", because she always swam upstream and that hurts you in Nashville. She paved the way for many others, but being ahead of your time hardly pays off.
Gail gave me one of the best interviews I've ever done. We had a lot of fun, and still have when we meet. Who you don't see is son Chris, nine or ten years old and not pleased that his mother talked so long to this funny looking stranger, so he was not quiet all the time. Now he plays guitar and mandolin in his mothers' band.
No surprise this guy is Big Dave, and Goodwin is his last name. I found him on my search for Montana Rose, because he's from Big Sky Country. We're standing in front of his car and my dream car, a Lincoln.
Sometimes you're lucky.
I came in when Dave was talking to Claudia Williams (on the right). One of my remaining dreams is to see Montana Rose live. By the way, Claudia is my favorite voice in the States. But so far I only talked to her.
Now Steve Earle's E-Squared label is located in this building. But before... well, this is nostalgia. The old Warner building, a place where I met a lot of friends, like Jack Purcell, Bob Saporiti, now retired and entertaining Nashville as Josey Wales, and of course...
...Yumi Kimura! Always smiling, always in a good mood and very helpful. Through her I learned to appreciate Japanese food. She left the company, got married and is a proud mother now. Congratulations!
Here she is: Claudia Appling-Williams, the finest voice in the States. She did a demo for RCA, which shows her fantastic vocal abilities. Producer: Russell Smith. These demo's show what she can do if money doesn't play a part.
On the right, Kenny Williams, her husband and a fine singer too, and a great songwriter.
Pictures taken at the Douglas Corner gig.
Montana Rose in all its glory on a show where they also backed up Montana born-and-raised Kostas.
And by the way, Claudia taught it was more important to raise her children than to follow a Nashville dream. That' why the RCA demo's were the end of their Nashville adventure.
