George Hamilton IV celebrating his 75th birthday
George Hamilton IV, long-standing member of the Grand Ole Opry, with many hit records under his belt, from his first, ‘A Rose And A Baby Ruth’, to his biggest, ‘Abilene’, will be celebrating his 75th birthday, July 19, 2012.
Along the way, George Hamilton IV has earned a well-deserved reputation as the ‘International Ambassador of Country Music’. GH4 (as his fans call him) and Bear Family Records are closely connected. When Bear Family was celebrating the 35th anniversary of the company in 2010, George Hamilton IV flew in from Tennessee on his own expense to perform at the birthday party.
Dear George,
Time flies. I still remember when we first met in London. You invited me to come to the Nashville Room on Cromwell Road, to watch the taping of your TV show. I then have been a regular guest during the tapings. Now that was about 40 years ago.
Time really flies.
Later on the way we met on and off, and then lost contact for about 15 years.
One day I was standing at the American counter at Nashville Airport. You tapped me on my shoulder and said “Hey, Richard.” It was really good to see you again. Since then you have come to see us during our 35th Anniversary Party, and we have met you and Tinky (Mrs. George Hamilton) many times.
Both Birgit and I hope to see you in Nashville later this year.
Very Best
Richard
Dear GH4, Bear Family Records is wishing you all the best for your birthday.
Good luck, enjoy the music, have fun, and good health. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Kitty Wells, the ‘Queen of Country Music,’ dies
Kitty Wells, country music’s first female superstar, will be best remembered as the first female singer topping the country music charts with ‘It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels’ in 1952. She was born Ellen Muriel Deason on August 30, 1919 in Nashville, Tennessee. During the 1950s and ’60s she was one of the best-known country singers. In 1976 she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the second female vocalist, following only Patsy Cline.
Patti Smith’s guitarplayer Lenny Kaye praises Bear Family!!!
We dig that!!!!
♥ ♥ ♥ 
Open House at Bear Family’s, September 1, 2012
Once again, Bear Family’s mail order department will open its doors for friends and customers. Please, drop in on September 1.
Dear friends of Bear Family,
Expressly encouraged by the great feedback of the 2010, and 2011 outdoor events, the company’s inviting you to come by again and visit our mail order warehouse. Let’s have a party! We are offering:
- Purchase items from our extensive catalogs, directly on location
- A large selection of remainders and drastically reduced CDs, LPs, DVDs, and books at very low prices
- Your one-time only chance to benefit from our open house Bear Family Records sales campaign. You may purchase Bear Family Records CDs (prefix BCD), and LPs (prefix BAF/BAFX) and DVDs (BVD) with a special 20 per cent discount
- Meeting with interesting people, a chat with our warehouse staff, insiders, musicians and collectors
- Live music with several live bands (Roots, Country, Rockabilly). Showtime approx. 2 pm
- Coffee and cake, snack bar, beer & soft drinks at incredibly cool prices. Continue reading
Buck Owens – Tall Dark Stranger: The Buck Owens & The Buckaroos Recordings 1969-1975
by Chuck Dauphin
In retrospect, 1969 might have been one of the biggest years of Buck Owens’ career. He topped the chart three times that year, and also began a seventeen-year run as host of “Hee Haw.” The effect that stint had on his career can be argued, but if you look at truth in numbers, his sales and chart success dipped dramatically once he took up residence in Kornfield Kounty.In the third release of Owens’ Capitol years from German-based Bear Family, we take a look at his recorded output from 1969-1975. Eight CD’s of material here chronicle a man who recorded some of his weakest material during this time – but also managed to stretch as a recording artist and cut some compelling music that stands with his all-time best. Continue reading Dick Damron’s ‘Lost In The Music’ 3-CD set – great online review!
There are songs here that will break your heart, teach you things you might not have known, and others that will just make you smile.
New Canadian Music, June 28, 2012
Read more about Bear Family’s 3-CD collection with Dick Damron‘s superb RCA recordings, made between 1978 and 1989 – the most successful commercial era of one of Canada’s best-loved and most-awarded country music legends.
Read the complete online review, published on www.newcanadianmusic.ca HERE