Ruth White's latest book special . . . on R&B pioneer - Limited time only!


     “You Can Make It If You Try” by Nova Books’ author Ruth White - co-written with late R&B legend Ted Jarrett (Hillsboro Press, 256 pages, Nashville 2005) - relates the compelling and inspiring story of artist-composer-publisher-pianist-producer Ted Jarrett, who proved there was a lot more musically to Nashville than the Grand Ole Opry. His father was killed by his paramour’s boyfriend, and his mother abandoned him to a hard-scrabble existence with his mean-spirited step-grandfather-farmer, who discouraged his early songwriting talents, telling Ted only white men were composers. Yet Ted became a performer whose compositions not only hit high on the Rhythm & Blues charts by acts such as Louis Brooks & The Hi-Toppers, Gene Allison and Ruth Brown, but also became Top 40 pop crossover successes, and one - “Love, Love, Love” - even topped the country chart 13 weeks by Webb Pierce. Among others who recorded Jarrett’s songs, including “It’s Love Baby (24 Hours a Day)” and “You Can Make It If You Try,” were Earl Gaines, Johnny Ace, The Midnighters, and The Rolling Stones. As artist, writer and producer, Jarrett shared in the Grammy Award-winning 2004 release “Night Train to Nashville: Music City Rhythm & Blues 1945-1970).” This searing bio offers insight into the interaction of the black and white musical cultures that existed in Nashville, at a time when it was earning its nickname Music City USA. Regular $19.98 version, now in stock at $15, which includes S&H. Order your copy while they last!

“If Nashville had a patron saint, he just might have a favorite cap as his trademark, and puff on a well-broken-in pipe,” penned Brenda Lee in a portion of her foreword for the biography Country Music World of Charlie Lamb.
Once a familiar figure on Music Row in his Ivy flat cap and ever-present pipe, Charlie Lamb is one of two surviving founding fathers of the Country Music Association (the other is Mac Wiseman), and he turns 90 on Sunday. The former Knoxville native initially sold ads for trade journals and became a sales rep for Mercury Records.
But it was as founder-publisher of Nashville’s first trade publication The Music Reporter that he helped revolutionize the music scene by expanding the Top 10 to a Hot 100 chart and invented the “bullet,” indicative of rapid sales and airplay. Lamb also was on the founding board for the Gospel Music Association; was first president of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences’ Nashville branch; and helped promote the pioneering Disc Jockey Association.
In hungrier days, Lamb recalled: “I had to have someplace where people could contact me, so I paid a parking lot attendant next to the Ryman 25 cents a day to answer the pay phone there and say, ‘Charlie Lamb Agency.’ I gave it out as my telephone number.”
As publicist, Lamb would promote such stalwarts as Carl Smith, Kitty Wells and Elvis Presley. He managed stars of their day like Wilma Burgess, Ed Bruce and Connie Smith. A colorful character, Lamb’s “double-talk” gibberish first tickled the funnybone of notables like Eddy Arnold backstage, a talent that landed him on shows like Allen Funt’s practical jokes series Candid Camera, and later won Charlie the “funniest” crown and prize money on ABC-TV’s America’s Funniest People competitions (1992).Helped Fan Fair get started
Lamb parlayed his pitchman personality into parts on TV ads and in movies plus guest appearances in music videos, notably Hank Williams Jr.’s award-winning Young Country.
Charlie proved instrumental in promoting Fan Fair, first conducted in April 1972, but upon his suggestion was moved to June’s calendar to encourage wider family participation. Coincidentally, the first summer Fan Fair was held on June 12, Charlie’s birthday.
In further recognition of the diminutive dynamo’s deeds, Gary Walker, Great Escape music stores proprietor, created and sponsored the Charlie Lamb Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2001, which this year went to Canadian author Colin Escott for lifetime achievement; and to Tennessean reporter Peter Cooper for contemporary journalist and is presented annually at Belmont University.
We wish Mr. Lamb a very happy 90th birthday.
Walt Trott is a Nashville free-lance writer and historian.