October 29, 2007

     It's been a while since I've updated this page, so I'll briefly bring you up to date on what's been happening in my life.
     As you know if you've checked the Tour Dates page, I'm working 5 days in Michigan next month (November).  It's going to be great to be back in that area again, I've probably worked as many shows in Michigan as in any other state in America.  I'll be working with a great band in that area called Kentucky Strait.  I've been in touch with them several times and they're a great bunch of guys.  They're already working hard to learn my material and I know they'll do a great job.
     So I've been rehearsing and those of you who have followed this page probably know how boring that is for me.  Don't get me wrong, I love performing.   But sitting in a room by myself for at least an hour a day, singing and re-building the calluses on my guitar playing fingers, isn't exactly the most exciting thing I can imagine. Well, I really don't mind it that much and I want to be in the best shape I can be and that takes work.
     The weather is very Fall-like here in middle Tennessee and it's great to have a break from the really hot weather we've had this summer. We've also had a couple days of rain which we really needed as this area has been in a drought all summer.  Jane and I started feeding the birds to help augment their diet − which was quite scarce because of the dry weather − and we have a big variety of our feathered friends who come to eat each day. They also love to drink and bathe in the water we supply for them. We have a group of squirrels who come to eat, too, and I've added a couple of feeding stations for them.
     Jane and I are in good health, for which we are appreciative.  We watch what we eat and, of course, I'm still jogging 80 - 100 miles a month.
     Until next time, take care of yourselves and each other. --Jim Glaser      

     September 14, 2007

     The Dalles, Oregon.   It's near the end of our first day here. Jane and I are relaxing at our motel, which looks out over the Columbia River, where our sons, Jeff and Jim II, and our youngest daughter, Connie, are still out in Jim's boat fishing for sturgeon. Jim's wife, Patty, went out with them for awhile, then they came back and picked up their sons, Alex, Dylan and JB. Daughter Kayla, opted to stay here at the motel and do some homework.
     My jog this morning took me across the bridge over the Columbia and into Washington state. The bridge is close to one of the many dams that span the river and I have a great view of the barges going through the locks on their way upstream or downstream.  And off to the southwest, Mt. Hood lifts its head 11,235 ft. into the pale, blue sky.
     As soon as I got on the bridge I was hit by a headwind that nearly blew me off my feet. The wind and the gradual uphill terrain made the 2 miles out seem more like 4. But then I turned and headed back and, going downhill with the wind at my back made it feel almost as if I were floating along.

Mt. Hood, Oregon, taken a mile out on my jog.

     I apologize to those of you who are ordering CDs from my web site during the next few days. I promise I'll get them in the mail as soon as I get back to Tennessee.
     Until next time, take good care of yourselves and each other.  --Jim Glaser

     September 10, 2007

     Dollywood has come and gone.  It was wonderful, as always.  It's such a great place for a performer to work; the band is top quality, as are the singers/dancers, the staff, and everyone connected to our shows.  I’ll be posting pictures on the Photos page of my week there as soon as I can get them worked up.

     Jane and I will be heading out to Seattle on Wednesday, September 12^th, for a visit with our youngest, Jim II, and his family.  Our son, Jeff, and daughter, Connie, will also be going and will join Jim II for their annual sturgeon fishing expedition on the Columbia River.  Our daughter, Lynn’s, work schedule prohibits her from joining us at this time.

     As you may remember, Lynn is a television producer, working much of the time with Tail light Productions here in Nashville.  Lynn, along with the owners of Tail Light --Tom and Jillian -- came to one of my Dollywood shows, as did Jane and our daughter, Connie, our granddaughter, Keri, and several of her friends.  I really appreciated it, and it was a memorable week!

     I want to thank all of you who attended my Dollywood performances and who came down to the edge of the stage to say hello.  It always means a lot to me.

     Oh, and it looks like I’ll be performing in Michigan in November.  Right now there are 2 days contracted, and I’ve posted the dates, cities and show times on the Tour Dates page.  I'll add the information for the other days as soon as I get it.

     Until next time, take good care of yourselves and each other.  --Jim Glaser

 August 10, 2007

     On August 4th, I participated in a panel discussion at the Country Music Hall of Fame in connection with the opening of their new Marty Robbins exhibit, "Among My Souvenirs."  The exhibit will run from now through June, 2008.  (Click here to see photos)
     The panel was moderated by Eddie Stubbs, who did an absolutely wonderful job in that difficult role.  On the panel were Marty's son, Ronnie, along with Okie Jones, 1950's recording artist and later bus driver for Marty, Bill Johnson, song writer, ("Wound Time Can't Erase," and others) and steel player, who worked with Marty for several years, and Joe Babcock, whom the Glaser Brothers brought to Nashville in 1959 to replace Chuck Glaser who was in the army and who stayed on with Marty for several years after the Glaser Brothers had moved on.  I was also on the panel and we all were given the opportunity of telling our favorite stories of our time with Marty.  (See pictures on Photos page.)
     The hot weather continues here in middle Tennessee.  Several schools have suspended their football teams outdoor practice sessions until it cools off a bit.  I've had to start carrying a bottle of water on my jogs, the first time I've ever had to do that.
     Thanks to all of you who have emailed me, and I apologize for taking so long to respond.  This is a busy time for me -- I'm not complaining, mind you -- but sometimes it seems there aren't enough hours in a day.  I'm sure many of you seniors out there know what I mean.  Still, it's much better than sitting around twiddling my thumbs.
     Dollywood grows ever closer and I'm really looking forward to it, as always.
     Until next time, take care of yourselves and each other.  --Jim Glaser

     July 27, 2007

     We've had a few days respite from the 90+ degree temperatures here in Tennessee, but we're back up there again now, which makes outdoor activities, (including running/jogging), a bit more of a challenge.  We've had a little rain, but we're still over a foot behind for the year.
     Our granddaughter, Jessica, arrived from Los Angeles yesterday, and we had a nice family dinner here last night.  Our daughter Lynn flew to L.A. yesterday to do some advance production work for the next, "Giants," TV show, for which she is the Production Coordinator.  This time the show will feature Hank Williams, Jr.  It will be filmed in October and shown on CMT later in the year.
     I'm doing vocal exercises and singing to get ready for the Dollywood shows.  Most of this I do in the car as I'm driving around town which is, I'm sure, a constant source of amusement to the other drivers sitting next to me at traffic lights.  Oh well, at least they can't hear me.
     And that's about all the news I have this time.  My life is wonderfully simple and happy most of the time these days, the way semi-retirement should be.
     Take good care of yourselves and each other.  --Jim Glaser

     July 3, 2007

     On July 1st, Virginia, wife of my older brother, John, died of pancreatic cancer.  She had known for several months that she had the disease and that there was no cure for it. She was a remarkable lady whose faith was strong, and she took the news with dignity and grace.
     All of John and Virginia's children had gathered several days before her passing, and were able to be with her at the last. They are: Lisa (& husband Michael) Danze, of Omaha; Kevin (& wife Patty) Glaser, of Oconomowoc, WI; A. J. (& wife Catherine) Glaser, of Ft. Collins, CO; Aleta (& husband Mark) Stevens, of Omaha, NE; Renata, (& husband Jeffrey) McCall, of Overland Park, KS; Mara (& husband Daniel) McCahan, of Washington, DC; and Loren Glaser, of Washington, DC.
     I flew into Omaha Thursday morning and returned home on Saturday.  Jane couldn't accompany me, as her sister, Sarah, had had open heart surgery on Monday, July 2nd.  Sarah's recovery in the first days after the surgery wasn't proceeding the way the doctors had hoped, and she was kept in intensive care until Friday, July 6^th.  Naturally, Jane wasn't comfortable leaving her sister, so I made the trip alone.  Sarah is doing much better now, doing the difficult physical therapy involved in the recovery from the surgery.  She will leave the hospital and return home on Monday, July 9^th.
     Take good care of yourselves and each other.  --Jim Glaser

     June 3, 2007

     Dollywood is over, and it was great!  It's always such a pleasure to work with that great band and those talented singers and dancers.  The, "behind the scenes," people are professional and very good at what they do.  I almost get the feeling I'm really in, "show business."  I remember a few shows early in the Glaser Brothers career when we worked with acoustic instruments and no sound system.  Once we did a show out on the side of a hill, the crowd all just sat in the grass and we sang as loudly as we could.  And then there were all of those tiny, smelly, crowded clubs...  Oh, I loved working all the different types and sizes of venues over the years, but I really do appreciate working at the Pines Theater in Dollywood.
     I went to see the show in the Pines Theater that was on right before our show.  It's called, "Dreamland," and is a period piece set in the late fifties through the early seventies.  It's very well written and solidly performed by a good cast and contains many songs from that time period, all of which were favorites of mine.  If you get to Dollywood, be sure to go see, "Dreamland."
     I drove back to Nashville after the last show on Saturday and drove through such a heavy rainstorm that traffic had to slow down to a crawl.  But it didn't last, and only a few drops fell in my part of the state.  We're watering our garden and flowers two or three times a week.
     That's about it for now.  Take good care of yourselves and each other.  --Jim Glaser

     May 15, 2007

    "I grow old...I grow old...
     I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.

     Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach?
     I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach.
     I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.

     I do not think that they will sing to me.
                              --T. S. Eliot, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

      Well, the reason the mermaids won't be singing to me is that they're probably afraid I'll sing back to them.  (To rehearse or not rehearse, does it make any difference?)
     Forgive my momentary descent into existentialism, but I've been seriously exercising my voice to get ready for the Dollywood shows and each year it's harder to get the old pipes in shape.  At times like this I really feel my age, which is always a bit depressing.  In my mind, you see, I still sound the same as I did back in the 1980s, but when I start these rehearsals, I'm forced to face reality.
     Still, I'm really looking forward to the shows, even though there are only 5 days.  I've heard I may do more later in the year but that's only hearsay at this point.
     I'll be doing 3 songs a show again this year, so it's certainly not going to be too stressful.  And I'll look forward to seeing any of you who make it to the park this year.
     And speaking of growing older, I've started adding this to my emails, in small gray type, like this:

Anything in this email that repeats things I've covered previously, or appears to wander randomly, or reads like the writings of someone losing his mind, is the fault of Mother Nature stealing, little by little, my brain's ability to function in the manner to which I had so smugly become accustomed. I apologize for this but assume absolutely no responsibility for it.

     And so, until next time, take good care of yourselves and each other.  --Jim Glaser

     May 10, 2007

     This year here in Tennessee we've gone straight from winter to summer, it seems.  Jane and I have been doing lots of yard work, pruning tree branches killed by that late freeze, planting a few tomatoes, green peppers, cucumbers, etc.  I'm not a yard work person by nature but Jane is, so I wind up out there with her from time to time.
     Still no final word on Dollywood but, as that's normal for them, I'm proceeding as if it's solid.  That means that I'm singing for at least an hour a day to get my voice back in shape.  By the time I do my running/jogging and vocal exercises, the day is mostly gone.
   One of my cats, Junior, is old and creaky and takes some special care.  I found him in 1990 (April) and he was a year or two old then, which makes him 18 or 19 years old.  In cat years that's over a hundred, I guess.  He's nearly blind from cataracts and wobbles when he walks, but still makes his way around the house quite nicely.  I hope I can do that well when/if I'm a centenarian.
     Until next time, take care.  --Jim Glaser

     April 18, 2007

     This past week I had lunch with Diane Diekman, who's writing a biography of Marty Robbins.  (Diane also wrote a Faron Young biography, called "Live Fast, Love Hard: The Faron Young Story,"  which is available on Amazon Dot Com.
     Also at the lunch was my childhood friend, Joe Babcock.  (Click here for photo)  Joe grew up not far from where I did in Nebraska and when brother Chuck was drafted into the army in 1959, it was Joe Babcock we called to replace him.  Joe hurried to Nashville from California and was a Glaser Brother until Chuck was discharged.  We were traveling with Marty Robbins at the time, then toured for awhile with Johnny Cash, which included an appearance at Carnegie Hall.  After Chuck returned to the Glaser Brothers group, Joe traveled with Marty Robbins for a few years, then started working with vocal backing groups on recording sessions.  Soon he and three other background singers formed their own group, known as the "Nashville Edition."  Throughout the seventies and part of the eighties they were the hottest studio backing group in town.  They were also the backing group on most of the "Hee Haw" television shows.
     Joe and his wife Carol will always be a dear friends to Jane and me.  As a matter of fact, it was Jane who introduced Joe and Carol back in 1959, when she and I were dating.
     Until next time, be good to one another.  --Jim Glaser

     April 16, 2007

     Bill, of Wilmington, North Carolina, sent in a picture of the Glaser Brothers taken on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry in 1990.  (Click here for photo)  The occasion was the celebration of Hank Snow's 40 years as an Opry member.  The Brothers had not appeared together since 1984, but when Hank called and asked us to help him celebrate this landmark of his career, we were proud and pleased to accept his invitation.
     The person between Tompall and Chuck is Bill Holmes, who played bass for the Glaser Brothers.  The person to the left of Tompall's head is Richie Simpson, drummer.  On steel guitar, hidden behind Chuck, is Doyle Grisham.  These guys worked for the Brothers in the 60s and 70s and again when we re-united in the 1980s.  Doyle and Bill also worked in our offices for Glaser Publications and Glaser Studio.  Doyle has been traveling with the Jimmy Buffet show for the last few years.
     This was the last time Tompall and the Glaser Brothers appeared together.
     Until next time, take care of yourselves and each other.  --Jim Glaser

     April 3, 2007

     Spring has arrived in all it's glory here in middle Tennessee.  As always, there is a plethora of  trees and flowers blooming everywhere (see photos page for a sample).  It's a bit tough on allergy sufferers but still a gorgeous time of year.
     I was hoping to have something definite to report on Dollywood, but negotiations are not yet complete.  Brent Taylor, my booking agent, tells me there is also a possibility of some concerts this fall in Michigan and Minnesota.  I'll tell you more about that if/when those are firm.
     Jane and I had a wonderful visit with my sister, Eleanor, and her husband, Pat, from Nebraska.  They were here for a week and were accompanied by their son, Lee, and his wife, Lois, from Topeka, Kansas.  (See Photos page).  Pat and Eleanor still live on their farm in central Nebraska.  Their son, Ken, and his wife, Diane, live on a farm nearby and he and Pat have a large farming operation.  Lee has his own computer consulting business in Topeka.  I put a link to his web site on the bottom of my home page, feel free to check it out.
     Today is the day Charlie Daniel's new book, "Growing Up Country: What Makes Country Life Country," is scheduled to be released.  I was asked to contribute something for the book based on my early years on the farm, which I was happy to do.  The book is available on Amazon dot com, just search for, "growing up country."
     That's about all the news for now.  Please take good care of yourselves and each other.  --Jim Glaser

     March 8, 2007

     I finally got to talk to a human at iPower and he was able to resolve my problems with the web site.  So, I guess I'll have to take back most of the negative things I said about them on my previous post.
     Jane and I had dinner with Rineke and Leo van Beek (from Holland) this past week.  Rineke writes for a Dutch Country Music magazine called, Country Gazette, and is the lady who was responsible for my trip over there last year to work the Floralia Festival.  They were in town for the Country Music Radio and Records Seminar (or whatever it's called these days) so we were able to meet up and have a nice chat.
     No word on Dollywood yet, it seems they take longer every year to decide.
     Not much other news, either.  Jane and I are healthy, the weather is unbelievably nice, and life goes on.  If you live in the North or Northeast I know you're having cold weather.  Maybe this will be winter's last really cold push for you.
     Today is our youngest son's birthday (Jim II) but I won't say how old he is.  He's the son who lives in the Seattle, Washington, area with his wife Patty.  Their children are Kayla, Alex and Dylan (his) and Amanda, Ashley and J.B. (hers).  Amanda has a daughter, Eleana, making Patty and Jim II grandparents!
     That's it for now.  Thanks to all of you who have emailed me, ordered CDs, etc.  Take good care of yourselves.  --Jim Glaser

     February 25, 2007

     I had already done an update to this page on the 21st and in the midst of all the problems I've been having with iPower, my new ISP, I lost it.  It didn't say much anyway, just that I've been trying since November 2nd to get this site transferred from my old provider to this new one and, as you may be able to tell, I don't have all the bugs out of it.  Oh well, it helps keep the brain young.  At least I hope so.
     But if you're looking for a new ISP, maybe you should think twice before going with iPower.
     I'll check back in here as soon as I can.  Still no word on whether or not I'll be back at Dollywood, but thanks to all of you who've asked me about it.
     Take care of yourselves.  --Jim Glaser

     January 14, 2007

     Last fall I read Thomas Wolfe’s, “You Can’t Go Home Again,” the story of a young man obsessed with being a great writer to the exclusion of everyone and everything else.  I’d tried to read it 20 years ago but never finished it, most likely because I was a young man obsessed with being a great singer/songwriter/performer to the exclusion of everyone and everything else.

     But this time I became totally engrossed in the novel and even felt I could see behind the author’s words to Thomas Wolfe himself, a young man obviously obsessed with being a great writer to the exclusion of everyone and everything else.

     When Jane and I and Chuck and Bev went to Nebraska for Bob’s funeral, we drove out to the farm where we were born and raised.  Nothing looks the same as it did when we were growing up.  Our house burned in 1945 and a tornado swept most of the other buildings away in the 1960’s.  But the way it looked when I was a child is the way I always picture it, the way it always appears in my dreams.  Dad tended every corner of those 1200 acres as if it were a garden, weeds constantly cut and grass neatly mown, corn rows straight and cleanly cultivated.  You could see Mom and Dad’s handprints all over the farm in those days.

     Now it’s just another farm with no one living on it, the land farmed by people who lease the land and come in with big machines and plant the whole farm in less than a day.  Impressive, but it’s no longer a garden, no longer has any hint of the blood, sweat and tears of our parents.

     After less than half an hour we drove back to town, both Chuck and I aware of a terrible emptiness, as if a large part of our memories and our very connection to those early years had been stolen away.

     Although Thomas Wolfe’s title refers to more than just the emotional and personal difficulties faced in going back to the town or place of your upbringing, his words quoted below express much of what I was feeling  that day:

“Something has spoken to me in the night, and told me I shall die, I know not where. Saying:

“ ‘To lose the earth you know, for greater knowing; to lose the life you have, for greater life; to find a land more kind than earth -

“ ‘ - Whereupon the pillars of this earth are founded, toward which the conscience of the world is tending - a wind is rising, and the rivers flow.’ ”  -  Thomas Wolfe, “You Can’t Go Home Again”

     Until next time, take good care of yourselves and each other.  --Jim Glaser

     January 7, 2007

     It's a New Year again and I'm sure that most of you, like me, are still writing 2006 on letters and checks.  Other than that, everything is great here in middle Tennessee.  Our weather is still warm for this time of year and flowers and beginning to bloom as if it were springtime.  I wonder when the Powers-That-Be will admit that global warming is a reality and seriously start to do something about it?

     I went to a meeting in Nashville last month sponsored by the local chapter of the musician's union, consisting of a panel of folks from the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) and people from the Nashville music community including Country Music artists, song writers, musicians, and many other music industry people.  The meeting was to protest a bill that passed the House and Senate back in the 1990's and signed into law allowing corporations to own more than one radio station or television station in a single area or market.  As a result, all of our radio and television stations are now owned by a very few corporations.

     What does this mean to you?  It means that everything you hear on the radio is now dictated and totally controlled by these three or four corporations.  No record can be played that isn't on the playlist sent down from the head office.  I remember when I sent my CD, "Me and My Dream," to over 700 radio stations, I called and spoke to several disk jockeys at radio stations around the country and what they told me was always the same: "I'd love to play your new CD but if I did, I'd be instantly fired.  And since all radio stations are owned by these same people I would not be able to get another job in radio."

     The ramifications of these monopolies are more far-reaching than most of us can imagine.  It not only means that you're only allowed to hear music and artists that they control and allow you to hear, it means that what we see on TV is also controlled to a large degree.

     The FCC folks listened to the presentation and seemed to appreciate our concern.  Time will tell if anything changes as far as the monopoly problem is concerned.  One note: This meeting was called primarily to protest the FCC from allowing even more consolidation of air-wave ownership, something the lobbyists are pushing hard to get enacted into law.  If they are successful, a single corporate entity or conglomerate could own all of the airwaves and, if that's allowed to happen, we'd lose a very large part of our freedom.  Make no mistake, these people know that when you control the media, you control the people.  And what's really sad is that by our own complacency we're allowing more and more of our freedoms to be siphoned away.

     Sorry for getting on my soapbox but I'm a cranky old man now and I get a pain in my gut when I see what's happened to America just in my own lifetime.  I love this country so much and want to be so proud of her but it's getting harder and harder.

     I don't intend to turn this News Page into a political blog, but I may express my opinions from time to time, something I'd never do when my career was active.  If any of you have any thoughts about any of this you'd like to share, please let me know by clicking on the, "E-mail Jim" button at the top of any page on this web site and sending me an email.

     Until next time, take care of yourselves and each other.  --Jim Glaser

     January 1, 2007

     HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
     2007 has arrived and I hope it finds all of you doing great, in good health, and ready for the New Year.  Jane and I and all of our family and friends are doing well.  I want to thank all of you for your emails and cards of condolence, good wishes, Seasons' Greetings, and expressions of concern and friendship over this past month.
     I have some re-design work to do on this website for the new year which may take 2 or 3 weeks to complete as I'm still catching up from everything that has piled up recently.
     My sister, Eleanor, called from Nebraska last night to tell me that an ice storm has taken down the power lines all over central and western Nebraska and they are without electricity.  The daytime temperatures are below freezing so they are faced with quite a challenge to keep warm.  They have a gas range in their basement and they've moved most of their daily living down there so they are warm and,. being on a farm, they have a sufficient stockpile of food so they aren't going hungry.  I remember back in the late 1990s when I was living down down in the woods, an ice storm came through and I was without power for 9 days.  It really makes one realize how much we take modern conveniences for granted.
     Until next time, take good care of yourselves and each other.  --Jim Glaser

© 2007 Jim Glaser