Live With Les Episode 201 Music Business Management with Don Reid
live with this. getting started. just a couple of minutes early. I want to get some uh some of the pitches and some of the some of the stuff out of the way. so we can just dig in with Don Reid here in a little bit and play some great gospel Quartet music of the Statler Brothers. All of that coming up here in just a little bit but uh as always, gotta pitch the old mug right there live with Les, old chubby, chubby face, chubby cheeks right there live with Les. See
there with the Southern Gospel Music Memorabilia memories, and ministry. All of that. Okay. Alright and uh let's see. What else can I say? Oh, uh don't forget always the last few shows I'm going to put this up here to remind you the uh walking by Faith. Great big Shindig and homecoming right there is the phone number. Look
Look at that. Drop this down. I'll explain what's going on. 4 days and three nights as you can see, all inclusive resort weekend getaway there uh in North Carolina at Fontana Dam and it is something else to behold. Uh you can call Amy, right? eight. 7355 or you can go to the website there at the very bottom Kind of cut it off there. Walking by Faith Mountain Homecoming.com.
Walking by Faith Mountain Homecoming.com. Okay? And uh let's see you got walking by Faith, your host group, the Rochester's Primitive Quartet, Young Inspirations. Uh right there, you see some of those pictures right there. Some great preaching. It's just
going to be a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful weekend at Fontana Village in North Carolina. Good stuff right there. Alright. So we got that knocked out uh and out of the way here. So, let's see what else we got. We got um Oh, let's talk Youtube. Go to live with Les Butler. Go to
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have to like the whole lot live with less Facebook page for that. Okay. And then Uh if you uh subscribe to the YouTube channel, we give away a pair of tickets to um Eureka Springs, Arkansas just south of Branson. So, you'll make a Branson weekend out of it. Uh the passion play, okay? So, go do all that. Now, when you go to my YouTube channel, check this out. Just today, we've added videos uh where to go from the cathedral Quartet, the Blue Ridge, Quartet, a couple of Statler Brothers, Gospel videos that are really great and also we've added six Harmony Road TV shows that I host. So if um If
you haven't seen them on television, you can just dial them up there on YouTube at my YouTube channel and Bang Zoom. There you are. Okay, You're watching Harmony Road TV Thirty-minute Gospel Music Show hosted by yours truly. So, all
of that is found on my YouTube channel. Go and subscribe. Go to Live with Les Butler there on YouTube. Subscribe, hit the little bell. You'll get the prompt every time I'm on live. Okay. Alright. So, uh there you
are. So, that's all of that stuff. I think that's all I wanted to tell you. Yes, that's
it. Alright. So, uh tonight, we are going to be talking music. Business is what we're going to be talking as well as again, playing some great Quartet music from our friends, the Statler Brothers, all of that happening tonight but uh I uh what prompted this was you know, I read um the anthology book that Harold Reid wrote and was proof and approved by his brother Don And then I got the audio book of it and I've been listening to some of that and I read every single word of the book every single word but when you hear him say it, I don't know. It's hitting me differently. I may talk to him about that in a moment. It's
just hitting me differently. Hearing Don actually read the book and and it has prompted some things and one thing in particular that tied into the Duke of Paducah. We'll talk to Don about that in a moment really is what spurred this whole thing of, you know, what he knows business stuff. He know music business stuff. and
I want him to share some music business stuff with us. So, if you are um in the uh uh gospel music business, and you have a question about music business stuff and how it may pertain to gospel music, some of the things he went through as uh in management with the Statler Brothers as one of the owners and uh all of that then uh type in your question and if it makes sense for me to read, I'll read it. If it doesn't, we won't and I'll try to uh maybe help you after after the show in some way. Okay? So, go ahead
and type in your question if you have a question and if you know of any artists that maybe they don't know that the show is going on today, you know what you need to do. You need to call them, text them. Uh message them in some way and say, listen here, go to Facebook. dot com and type in Les Butler and go watch this live or go to YouTube and type in Live with Les Butler and you can watch the show now live on YouTube or that Facebook uh page and have them go right now and then have them ask their question if they are a singer and maybe they have, they've always wanted to ask a question to someone that's been in the business forever and I've been in it a long time but Don's been in it longer than than myself and and much more successful than I. So, uh we'll
we'll let you ask the questions to to me or to Don but if I'm you, I'm asking Don Reid it, not me. You know what I mean? So anyway, This right here is what stirred it all. So, if you bought the book, let me do a picture here for Don as great as the book was and I read every word and I couldn't put it down I'm II missed sleep because of it. Get this, get
this and let Don talk to you about uh the book and man, this is it's just all riveting stuff to me. I can't help it. Love, love, love, love it. Alright. So, before we play any music or anything. What do you say? We just go ahead and get things started. and bring in my friend and a man that knows the music business. I promise you that.
Mister Don Reid of the Statler Brothers. Hello, Don Reid Les. How you doing my man? I'm good. I'm good. How's how are things
in Staunton, Virginia? Stanton is wonderful. I'm sitting here watching you doing all that plugging for the book and for the DVD and thank you pal. Appreciate it. Yeah, yeah,
yeah, yeah, we did. We gave this test run earlier today and the videos looking good and we got the audio going. So, it's wonderful. Okay. Alright. So, uh 4 o'clock tonight. I don't
know what we're commemorating here. Well, we're talking about um we're talking music business. We're talking about we're both wore black shirts tonight. Oh. oh yes we did. Yes. I need to get I need to
get you one right here for my company, Butler Music Group. See you there. Absolutely. Yeah. I'm going to put your name on the back of it. I'll
have it. No, I can't. I can get yours. Mine isn't on the back but I can get yours on the back. Okay, let's softball team. What are we doing? That's
what we're going to look like. Well, we're talking uh today, tonight, music business night. now. um you know, you when you got started, you were just a teenager but as you continued into the business, obviously, you got eyeball deep into the business of music throughout the years. and you kind of touch on certain things in the book and one of the things that made me go, you know what I'd like like to bring Donna on and let's talk about music business and stuff was this story that you gave about the of Paducah Now, this isn't really management but it is. it's business and he he he stopped you on stage or on the side of the stage. tell that story a
little bit then we'll go on from there. We had joined the Johnny Cash Troop. It is the 1964 where I was like 18 years old and we had joined the troop and there's a lot of people on the tour. Sonny James and Bill Anderson and he was emceeing the show and doing some comedy. So anyway, we're brand new. We were green and I stood on the side of the stage every night and just watched everything.
We're just soaking it in everything I can imagine and he said, me for some reason. I don't know why he singled me out. not knowing that I would be doing his job. The next tour but he said, son, remember, if you ever introducing somebody on stage, find out for which side of the stage they're going to enter and then you exit the opposite side so you don't bump into them and spoil their interests. Yeah, yeah. It's a great sense. He was an old of
all and old show and he knew Whitey Ford was his name. and uh So, I said, yeah, that's that's great. Well, by the next tour, I'm doing John and come to me so that because I see with the Statler part of the show and he said, I want you to introduce all the items. Okay, So, I've got to wear it for the next, you know, five or 6 years. That's what I would do
every night on top of uh the Statler stuff. I would introduce whoever was on the show, Whoever else text Ritter, Carl Perkins or Kenny Wells, whatever it might be but I always learned that and I found out what they wanted to be said about them. What side you're coming in on and so I never bumped in to anybody. Thanks to the old Duke. Yeah, Wow. And that's such a kind of like a no brainer kind of thing to do but I have to admit, I don't know.
I've emcee over the 43 years of doing this, I don't know a 1002000. I don't know me and I don't know that I've ever conscious consciously made the attempt to come in from the other side II. Hope I have every time because it makes so much sense but I probably right in the middle of everything and messed things up before. Well, we never know when we're not, we're not thinking but that's just one of those things to think about and it works are are important part of the show. It is. Let's talk about that because you know, some folks have to emcee their own programs. Sometimes they're on
a program with multiple artists and in gospel music, you know, the budgets are normally pretty tight and all that and they may not be an emcee that was paid to be there to do the show and somebody then that's on in in the uh one of the groups will just take on that responsibility and we'll be the entity. So talk about saying what are some of the things that someone can do to really help themselves to be a top-notch Mc. Alright, If you're like you're involved in the promotion of a show and you got a gospel group and you say, well, I'm going to go out and I'm going to introduce them, get them on stage. I think it's
important to realize that they are the attraction. go out there unprepared. Go and think about what you're going to say before you introduce them and do it in an effective way and to do it be concise and get them on stage as as you can and don't start out there start rambling and talking and thinking uh do you gotta fill up some time? You don't Let the A fill up the time They're they're the that's what they're thankful for. Yeah. Did you ever have them? Did you ever have something kind of in the back of your mind Just in case something really weird happened? Like you're ready to introduce the the artist and you're on stage but you see the artist hasn't made it yet and oh my goodness, I really do have to kill time. Now, what do you do? Well, I think if you got something to say, you got something to plug, you got something to be a joke that you know, okay but don't just stand there at home and haul best thing to do is be honest with the audience and say, alright, I know it's 730. Uh he's not here yet. The group's not here
yet. So, we're just going to wait for another 20 minutes. Everybody go get some popcorn and a drink and talk to your neighbor and I'll be back out here in 20 minutes and introduce him. Yes, you can always be honest with the audience and they will always be appreciative. Well, that's
such a great statement right there. Always be honest with the audience. Now, we're talking gospel music and all that You would like to think that we're always honest about everything all the time. Maybe not so much all the time. Maybe not. Maybe not. Yeah, But but
being honest with the audience, what a great statement like that because you know what? I have found over my time of doing this. They can see right through stuff. Oh, yeah, absolutely. You don't want to
have anything from and if there's something going on on stage, if it's a joke, let them in on it. If there's a problem on stage, let them know. Hey, we got a problem here with this microphone and we're going to change to come out and the tech guy comes out and uh let him know what's going They they'd appreciate it. Don't try to cover up and it'll just make things worse. Yeah. we've got some uh we've got some folks here that are online with us. I want to read a post to get in here Yes. Yes. Um okay. Um let
me do this. This will help right here. So, we've got Brenda Mcglone all saying hey to everybody. Jimmy. Hey. saying hey to everybody. Barb wise. Now, I remember um doing
our uh series that I did with you the seven part series that I did. I remember Barb on there and um and loving the Statler Brothers. Do you do you happen to know Barb by any chance? Does that ring a bell to you? The name rings a bell just from the fact that we hear from her a lot. Yeah. Uh and a lot of them on the Facebook and whenever we post anything II, remember I know that name and uh so so many names I know but I know our faces but yeah yeah.
Phil Campbell says looking for LeBron Amen is my favorite album. That was a good record. That was our last studio album. Yeah. one of my favorites too. and David Stewart says, hey, buddy. Uh Darrell. she says,
I'm here Christian. David says, hey, Les. Glad to see you back at it again. Feeling better. I know uh I can tell you that I'm sure from Ohio. so they're full of Campbell. Huckabee is a good
man and you know what? I have to agree with that. Do you do you know my country Oh yeah. I've done the Huckabee show. I did it to when I was promoting the Statler book, the Anthology. Uh yeah, he's got a
good heart. Yeah. yeah. Uh Ruth Clark's from Central New York. We've got uh Sarah from Murphy, North Carolina. We've got Rebecca from Mount Sterling, Kentucky. They're from the post on Blackwood Brothers Tribute was special that the stats did. Everybody loves that one, Tom.
That was a favorite thing to put together. Les. I was such a fan as we all were but I sat down and took it all. There's so many other song titles and just put it together to tell the story of what they mean to us and they did me to James Blackwood. He's he's the king for my money for sure. Elaine Sledge says, watch me from Bowling Green. I could hear Don's voice while I was reading The anthology. Good. That means
that was conversational and that's what I always want my writing to be something that's conversational and easy to take. Yeah. David Stewart says, I have both of the Statler Brothers Just love them. Um let's see A Patty Graham read the the you know, the Anthology book at uh at my pro by the way I want to say on that and the book was great. She said, Daryl. Daryl Sheely. Now, I know you know Daryl. I know, you know, you Yes, I do. He's
on here. He's he says I have to see you and the Kindle version So, Kendall. So you're on Kendall? Yeah. It's all kinds
of ways you can read it. Yeah. Okay. that's cool. Uh Jimmy Hays loves his uh Brothers. Kevin Krueger. question for Don. Let me see. Uh Oh, this is a good question here. So, uh Kevin Krueger um
has a radio station called Affirm Southern Gospel. So, uh go online maybe sometime and listen to it. It's a great station. Here's his question. It says um are there any songs that stats passed on and later regret it? Uh no, there's something they got away from us. I won't say we pass on them. Uh check out the story in the book. Um me and Bobby
Mcgee, I had the first right after Chris wrote it in the uh he pitched it to us. We said, yeah, we're going to record it but before we got it recorded, he pitched it to Roger Miller and Roger beat us in the studio to get it. So I know I've always love that song. I think
it's just probably the best thing that Chris ever wrote and he wrote some terrific things. uh baptized Jesse Taylor and Cedar Creek. you know, remember that Yeah. Frazier wrote it and uh it was sent to their um to our record label and but that was never sent to us. So, um
what we heard that we just love the song but we did put it on the album later. We put both of those songs on the album later. Okay. Alright and I don't know
if this question is for me or for you but the question is, do you have a favorite song recorded by the Statler Brothers? If the question is from me um uh the very first song I ever purchased from my wife on a Forty-five was out loading my goal of love. You. Well, that couldn't be any better of a clue of a cue for I like that. Okay. Yes, I was trying to be subtle. I'll go to
my grave other than you, do you have a favorite Statler song? Oh, hey. well, I gotta say that one. I wrote it. It was a big hit for us. It was just um it's
very special to me too. Yeah. So um That's that. I couldn't I couldn't do any better than that. Although I get into the album stuff and there's just so many that I love that people may not be aware of that I like better even than the some of the hits in the singles but uh yeah. yeah. you take it very
personal. Philip Campbell asks, how is Phil doing He's doing fine. I see Phil. excuse me, I see him all the time. We still go to church together and so I always see him every Sunday morning and I would pop into each other at the office from time to time during the week and uh He's doing good. And
Philip will also says this, I'm sure you're proud of Jenny with brotherly love. What do you think of that book Absolutely. Matter of fact, I'm going to go see him here in about 3 weeks in concert. Uh Jimmy is just maybe the best Tinder singer or maybe just the best singer in the world. I just absolutely
love him. I love his music and we're so proud of him. What he's done. Yeah, yeah. He's uh
he's a special special man. We all love him. I love him. Uh somebody said Sylvia says, says, we're listening from Columbia, Nebraska and they're loving it and let's see. We've got uh Terry Kelly saying how to get our songs heard and recorded. Okay, so there's a good music business question.
How if you're a rival, um how do you get into the hands of folks? I would say the best way and people don't always do that. They're trying to get it to the artist. That's a very difficult thing to do. Go to it
may take some time to go to Nashville or wherever your headquarters are for the type of music that you want to get involved in and go writer to a publishing company and make the rounds go to the publisher. Let them hear three or four of your best songs and they'll kick you out the door and you go right down the street and play for the next publisher and just keep going because once you have a publisher behind you, they will find the artist if they believe in your music but that's the best way up. Okay, Sean Porter says, good evening to two legends. Well, I've I've I see one. I'm not you know
he's talking about you. I'm trying to find out where the second guy is. I don't know. Let's see. Arlene says hi from Oklahoma from uh uh Marietta, Georgia. I have so missed the
Statler since you all retired. I mean, you've got to hear that every day. You know, we do and uh we Fairchild, my son and my nephew would like and will they work and traveled around all the time and they hear that from fans every night that they miss us and they still love the music. There's our fans are
still out there. They're all have been so loyal and they passed it down to the next generation and the next generation and it is so fulfilling with these people still remember the views you still want to hear. Yeah. And here's a good uh here's a good question. This is from Greg Wahlberg. Please ask, what is most common? The most common mistakes singers make in the music business that singers make. Yeah, the most common mistake uh in thinking that they did it on their own that they think it's their talent got them to where they are and that's not what it was. The
fans that got in the way they are your talent got there attention but the fans got you there and they kept you there and most people forget that one all the way up and after they get sitting on the throne for a while, I should have recorded this and taking this to the National Quartet Convention and played it for every single artist that I have to deal with that. I mean, not just I'm talking about the whole gospel music world has to deal with. Well, I have the field. You know, I'm talking about every field, you know. Yeah, It's so good
though. I love it. Uh let's see Lori is listening from Minnesota Uh let's see we've got uh listening in and Sean Porter and they're all talking to each other here in our little community and uh Mary Bowling says listening from Richmond, Virginia First song I heard was Flowers on the wall also I'll go to my grave Loving you. We have a local radio station that does our request hour and I'm kind of their Statler Brothers fan. So, what
is it going? Yeah, he's calling radio asking for Statler brother music and here you've been retired for how long? Oh, for since 2000 2002 and still getting requests on the radio. Yeah, that's nice. Yeah, that's good stuff right there. Okay. so let's see. Um let's go and and maybe I'll read through the comments here in a moment but let's go back to um us a little bit. How about how about uh
recording before you went to record an album? What kind of preparation did you and the guys make before stepping into the studio? We did total preparation. We would sit down. At first, we chose our songs and then we would sit around the conference room table and we would work up the arrangements and we knew what we wanted to do. We would converse with Jerry Kennedy, our producer over the phone. We'd send him rough copies of what we were doing and when we walked in the where we were ready. We knew everything we wanted. It was just a matter of the pickers, the set of musicians to do their part. As
you know, they're fast learners and we're searching and we would always usually always get free songs a session and that's a 3 hour session is what that amounts to. Uh there were times when we get four then there were times when we get we get two but but basically, we were prepared and we didn't waste a lot of time in the studio That's really the process today. just so you know, it's been, you know, it's been years since you've been in the studio to record an album but just so you know, I mean, it looks the same today but now, I have known artists Les that would go into the studio with no idea what they're going to do and would write a song during the session while the pickers are out back eating hamburgers and drinking coffee and they write a song and then they would teach it to the picker to the musicians and record it and that's a long and expensive process Oh yes. Yeah. And it's not getting any cheaper. Don
since you guys did it. Just Just you know, I'm sure not. I'm sure it's not. Okay and uh somebody asked, this is a good question and I know the answer to this question but I I want you to give the answers because it's so cool. They says, how did the stats go about choosing songs? I love this story that was in your book. We use what we call the four star system.
We would pitch, we have to say we wrote a song or we heard something we want to record. We pitch it to each other sitting around the table and then we today about 2025 songs we've come up with and then we would narrow it down because we're just going to vote and we get an equal say and if it's the song, I like this a lot. So, I'm going to give it four stars. That's the you give it.
I like it pretty well, I'm going to give it three stars. I know that. So, so I give it two and a half and then when we get that, we'd add them all up and whichever song starting with sixteen stars because we each get 416 Stars would definitely get on the album. Fifteens would get album fourteenth and that way everybody had an equal say and it was it was always waited by the way. What was the
highest number of songs ever got that you can remember? Sixteen. We've had a lot of sixteen for all four of us would put down four stars for it. So, a lot of those are usually be the singles of the album. whatever the sixteenth what was the lowest number you can recall and you don't have to say the song. I'm just wondering how low it got. You
know, I've still got some of those sheets in the files. I'll have to look uh but I don't know but we probably nothing like eleven or twelve would probably be all it would be on the Yeah. Yeah. Because there's one guy not liking it but maybe he'd give it a one and somebody else like it before but everybody's got a voice. So, there you go. That's good. That's good. And there are
many, you know, there's probably some some groups watching tonight. There's there's some soloists so it would be easy for a soloist. all the way they just get to choose. I'll tell you and II would never want to have that.
uh responsibility because all of a sudden, I like that song to do this. I mean, sometimes that's too much authority and you gotta bounce it off and you're a group man. I know you are and I am too and we love bouncing things off of each other. What do you think about this? And if somebody might not say, well, I love it. They might say yes. So, so if you use some work, Alright, good.
That's what I want to hear. Yeah. Well, and if if there are any soloists watching tonight, um let me get a little business advice here and that is to Don's point Call your producer and let's producer weigh in on some of this stuff. Oh, Jerry Kennedy was a producer Lifelong and he was so good at that he could and anything we did, he could polish it and make it better. Uh he was like a fifth Statler to us and and still is. So, I talk to him all the time.
I love the guy. Well, let's see who else we have here with us. Kathy Moore from Gulfport, Mississippi, David Mattingly uh saying flowers on the wall. He's already been mentioned.
Please ask to why they only sing first and third verses on stage during many of their performances. A lot of times uh with songs we would just do a condensed version to get more songs in on the show. Kind of like you would do We're doing a medley where you just do. Of course. Of course. Of course.
And so that was one of them that we just cut a middle verse out of just to just to for time that we got to do another song. Not too good. Uh Don Prather says, hey, listen and Don. Love seeing you. Question for Don. I remember you were thinking of doing a picture book. Excuse me
in the update on that, the last time we talked, I really hit you hard one in the picture. No, I think it was your idea instead of mine. Uh maybe so, maybe he's to ask you that one last. I don't know. Yeah, I hadn't thought too much about a picture book. Okay. Okay. But
but like in your car, you know and and well in all your books, you have pictures and there was uh and they're just so interesting and there's always behind those pictures. I bet you it would be great. I'm pitching it again. Don. I'm hitting you hard. I'm going to talk about it because you know, I'm like you. I love looking at old pictures. even people that
I don't know. I love looking at old pictures so. That's right. Uh you know what? Speaking. Okay. Uh Uh let's talk a little bit about going back into the the music of business, the business of music a little bit Uh what kind of things can artists do to uh sell more than just just music? I mean, you all had like for example, here's a little show and tell item that I've got you had, you know, books with with new pictures and stories and different things and uh uh your music product and T shirts and hats and stuff like that. Did
you did you sell anything kind of unusual? that that was pretty good and profitable for you? Well, the show books were always very profitable along with the records and then we had a we had a catalog of all kinds of things. You can mail order uh you know, T shirts to uh a night gowns to uh coffee mugs and just all kinds of things. My son said he handles all that stuff that you can probably give me an old cookie dough cookie jars. We had we
had a stunner Brothers clock and watches Oh yeah. I don't I don't even know where some of that stuff is. Let me tell you. This is Southern gospel music. I'm going to weigh in here. Uh huh. Get you some cookie jars
and some. There you go. Everybody needs and wants a cookie jar. Yeah, you buy it too. Southern gospel, man. We eat number one and number two, you always, you always have to go to homecomings and you sing at homecomings and all that. So, they're always feeding you.
I'm telling you, cookies. That's the ticket. That's it. Alright. Uh let's see what else we have here. We have uh let me
see. Uh well, there's a lot of questions coming in for you here. Uh here now, let's see. Alright, good. Oh, it's hard for me to kind of do all this You say your sons are with you. Here's something to enjoy.
Wilson Fairchild. So tell them that that's from Barb Wise. Um hopefully they can uh come back to Branson. So so tell the boys
out there I'll tell them they're in Nashville right now recording. Okay, other son DeVos is one is here with me. I got you. Okay, I will are in Niagara right now recording.
So, they're just not far from you. What was uh somebody asked a question, I can't find it now but it was about songwriting. Did did songwriting? Um wasn't easy for you. uh relatively easy for me. I think it was just a gift. Some people have
that gift. Some have, you know, I can't drive a straight knee so everybody has a different gift and I was able to at an early age, put some words together and I started writing songs when I was nine and 10 years old. So, why I was given that night. Okay, here's a
here's a good um business question or thing to talk about and I'm and I have a very strong opinion on this. I'm wondering what yours will be if you a performing artist. be a soloist or you're part of the group but you write as well. just because you wrote the song does not mean you should record the song. Do you agree with
that premise? Absolutely. Always record the best song at hand no matter who wrote it, who published it or who pitched it to you and keep the politics and the money out of it. Don't worry. Hey, I got a good opportunity to put this on the album. No, that then you start loaded up with halfway songs and nobody cares about that. Man. I'm so glad to hear you
agree with me on that because I deal a lot in gospel music with people who write their own songs and they are the singer and I'm producing them and in our very first meeting, it's the very first thing that comes out of my mouth and that is I understand you're a writer, you're probably a great writer but let's let's be sure we can agree on this one thing before we go in to record ten songs, Let' not record them until we find the ten greatest songs that make sense for you no matter who wrote them. Absolutely. That's sometimes you want to go back and get old songs that fit good into an album. So, use an old song. use
an old standard. just that makes the album better use it. See Kevin saying Don's songs that were eleven or twelve or that were eleven or twelve. Okay, I guess in the in the uh a system that you're talking about. have you thought about pitching those to other artists So songs that maybe just barely missed the cut for your records? Uh yeah We had other artists recorded. I've had a lot of other artists have recorded songs of mine. Uh
Elvis for example, and the cathedrals recorded things and uh Tammy Wynette, the number of things, Oh, I could I could do. now, all of a sudden, I'm blank with some of the people that did but uh yeah, other people I know, I know you. I think well enough to know that you are absolutely not a name dropper and you are the most humble man that I've met in a long time but do you do Is that? And the answer to that question, the first two names that you you said was Elvis and the cathedrals recorded you That's pretty tall. Cotton Don. Yeah, I'll tell you, I want to tell you what you're talking about. Cotton. to me, that's the cathedrals. They might have
been the absolute best that I mean, all the guys in Georgia and Glenn were just legends and good friends and wow just hasn't been the same since they're gone. You know what? Let me let me let me turn this around on you a little bit. We're talking to you about maybe getting some ideas from the meat from your years in the music and the business side of it. Um Did you learn anything business wise from anybody in the gospel industry? And it's so what were those business things that you learn from them? Oh, yeah. We learned as kids showmanship from the statesman and the Blackwood Brothers and they are the two best teachers. They never knew
they were teaching us but they were we were just going to those all night scenes and sitting there and soaking it up to see Hobie Lister and the statesman come on stage. We learn how to come on stage for watching them but he said ladies and from Atlanta, Georgia. Lister, and the sensational station. I mean, all the energy in the building just went to that stage and they ran to the microphone and then with a with a song with a rhythm song that would just raise you up off the bleachers and we look, this is this is exciting. Yeah. Then we saw the
Blackwood Brothers that would stand there and some of the action things that they did and and some of the just pure harmony stuff they did. We learn we put those albums and we stole them blind. We learned You've got our education from the albums of the black woods in the states. Um you said something in the at the beginning of the answer to that question that I want to touch on a little bit and that was they didn't know that they were teaching you at the time which which brings up to this point to all artists and really this is a life question. This isn't a music question but the but the statement really and that is people are watching and they're learn. good or bad depending upon what you're feeding to them and that's a life lesson, not just a music lesson. You never know who you
have influence over. You never know who's watching and today, everybody has a camera in their pocket so they're going to capture that moment and so you you always need to be aware of who you are and what you might mean to somebody. and uh the actor board with me Here is a question from Norma. Tobias and um I think I might know the answer to this question but I'm kind of hoping that I'm wrong in what I'm thinking. how you're
going to answer this question and the question is there any and she has any in capital letters, any chance that we can hear Don singing again? I would say there's a good chance you won't uh I have no desire to see. Never wanted to sing alone. Never wanted to be as a soloist and when the stats retired in oh two and we knew Jimmy was going on, he needed to. he was the youngest but Harold and Phil and I pretty much said we're hanging up musically and that's when I started writing. I started writing books and I've got about ten books published since then. Yeah. And uh but no, I don't think you'll hear me sing again unless you go back and play some more albums and you love for you to do that. Oh,
that's going to happen. We're going to do that here in just a little bit um and we and we and by the way, uh I told you I was just going to give you a few minutes. I've lied. I just looked and we've been at it for about uh 30 minutes. I guess I
never expected you to tell me the truth. That's that's so cool. Well, yeah, I set myself up for that. I shouldn't do
that. Oh my god. I had to say that. Uh let me see my head in case people see me looking down. Oh, that's okay. That's alright. Uh when you get on my lap, do you do you need to leave? I mean III I'm yours for the night. Well, hold on now. You don't want to tell me that what I do? Uh what am I doing Hella on here. Alright, well,
I'll go a a little bit longer and then I'll I'll I'll give you a good night and then I'm going to feature some Statler brother music. I'm fine. Okay. However you want to do it, I'm fine. Alright, let me see. I'm going to give you the part B two a enormous questions she asked about if if we would ever hear you sing again and then she says, how about maybe you and uh and Phil and Jimmy So maybe a tree owns It's just a solo No, I don't think so. Okay. Yeah. Alright. That's
certainly nice to be wanted. It is a nice suggestion but it's not something and it may not sound the way she might think it would anymore. You know, it's really nearly 20 years ago. Well, in her parting comment is this and so uh I mean, feel good about this Don's voice is so soothing. I miss it. Thank you kindly. That's very sweet and I certainly appreciate those kind of orders. Uh Scott Edwards
says, oh yes, very interesting program tonight. We have to start with Brothers. Thank you, Scott. Come and see. Uh oh uh
Alexis is asking a question about the since Debo is there and the question now is, does Debo sing? You know, he does not Debo picks. He's the guitars. He plays the piano and he takes care of all of our business at the office and all the Statler business and runs and runs the show there but uh he doesn't say I've never heard him sing as well. He was a kid he wouldn't sing. Okay.
alright. Now, here's a he's a writer because II mean, I don't know songs for us. Yes. You'll see that on the album. Yeah. Okay. Uh let's see. Mike Keller says, always go ahead. say that
again. There's a lot of the singles Yeah, yeah. yeah. That's what we put together. That's what I thought. Uh let's see here. Uh Mike Keller says always love listening to you brother Don Singh and let's see what else do we have here? Uh Jasmine. Okay. any chance of
unreleased material being released I'm not sure if there's any unreleased material. There may be one or two things in the can at Mercury but it was in the can for a reason. Something we didn't think, you know, we just went out to be released then it probably wouldn't want to now but no, we really never put a lot of things in the can on hold and because we we we recorded what we wanted to do, what we believed in and we released it Philip Campbell says James Blackman song with the Statler Brothers. Uh I want to be more like Jesus every day. I'm one of your Gospel seconds on TV. I remember that
one that Good. Yeah. James Blackwood sang our closing song with us on TV and he's the only person that ever came and sang the song with us. We always did a gospel song on our TV series for 7 Years in the 90s. We'll
see you then every Saturday night and we that night we sang. I want to be more like Jesus and James Singer with us. You'll be fitting and I've I don't know if I've asked you this already but it's coming up here a few more times so I'm thinking maybe I missed it. How is Phil doing Phil's good. You did ask me but he is doing good. I see uh I see Phil so he's good. Phyllis totally
retired. He doesn't do any interviews. He uh he does. He sings in the choir at church and as I do, I sing in the pew in church and that's about the only time we really ever open our mouth is musically. Okay.
Does he still go out and jogging with cowboy boots? I think that was up. Yeah, probably does and he's still jogs. He still walks and he still Jo and it is younger days. I have seen him running
with cowboy boots on and at first, I thought somebody was after him because why would anybody else run with Cowboys on it? Yeah. So he was just doing it for the heck of it. Yeah. Alright. Well, uh let me see. I'm going to ask you one
more question and then uh I'll let you go and then will you appreciate your time? This has been wonderful. This is fun and I'm going to play some Statler Brothers music but my question is um at what time in your career did you get Marshall Grant to come in and manage the group because you all managed Willie yourself until that time, right? Well, Uh we basically, we were the manager of March. We came in as our agent and he put all the tours together and all the dates together and that was about 1982, I believe it was in March. We had known Marshall from the early Johnny Cash Days. He was part of John's
band Tennessee three and uh then he retired from that and went to work with us and so it's Eighty-two on up to 2002 the last 20 years in our career. Okay. uh What's your, when do you think AA Group is at the point to where they need management or need additional assistance? when they can't do it all themselves and sometimes you overextend yourself by saying, alright, I'm going to book the dates. I'm going to put them all together. I'm going to rent the auditorium. So, I'm going to do whatever and put it all together and then, I'm going to set up the sound. Then, I'm going to drive
the bus and then I'm going to do all that. You need to say, whoa, wait a minute, you gotta gotta stop and start relegated duties and that's when a management comes in and says we can get a better person to do this than do you do it all and sometimes you, that's what you have to do because you know, you yourself down to a frazzled by trying to do it all. Yeah. Yeah. We we were always lucky with four of us. We all had different duties. So, uh you
you didn't have to. Everybody do it themselves. Well, that's good for so for those who are who are a uh a trio or a Quartet Um how did you all get up the duties? Who who who did He coordinated all the dates with our agents with all the book, everything went through him. Phil did all the bookkeeping, all the CPA a CPAs, and large. All that went
through him and I did all the promotion, all the interviews for each tour every time we did it and all the magazines and radio TV interviews. So, I did promotions. So, that basically was how it was there. Well,
that's good. That's good news and that good. I shouldn't say good news but good information for who's uh listen, if you have somebody that kind of is the leader in the group, that's wonderful but one person cannot do everything that is needed for any kind of touring group no matter if you're gospel music, country music, it doesn't matter. You one person can't do it all. Yeah. You will wear yourself out. Yeah. Well, Don. Speaking of wear out, I
don't want to wear you out. You've been very kind and um I always enjoy talking to you. You're a good friend. You do a
great show and I watch it. I don't always send my name in but I want you to know, I'm always here looking at you and listen to you and I told you before, you're the one of the most maybe the most sincerest, the most sincere interviewer I've ever worked with. Well, you're very kind and I know you watch because often and uh II tell you thank you for this by the way, often, you will Email me. Sometimes, you can even Email me like really late at night where you just finished watching the show and uh something maybe I said or did or play or something touched you and you've always been trying to communicate that to me and and Don you you don't know what that means to me.
Well, you mean a lot to me and I appreciate everything you do and thanks to everybody that listened in tonight and thanks for your questions. It's been fun and we'll do it anytime. want to you know, the first song I'm going to play as soon as we hang up, I'm going to play the King of Love My brother hasn't worked out the king of love. That's a great song. to the way it's put
together and I'm sure you have but the verse is they got the birth and you got the ministry and then you got the crucifixion in each three verses and it's um yeah, we've done it. We'd love it. John Johnny Cash recorded. We recorded it. It's been done a lot Well Don. Thank you, sir. I
appreciate it. Thank you Les. Have a great evening. Have a good night. Alright, buh bye. Alright, buh bye. Don Reid of the one and only Statler Brothers and then we are so glad and so thankful that he took the time to answer and that talk about some business stuff and I hope if you are an artist, you're listening now, let's get into the music because we were talking about the the uh the business of music. So, we've got the
business part of the way. What do you say? we get uh some music going here. Okay and as promised, let's start with the King of love. The Statler Brothers here on live with Les and even though Jesus knew his death had to be, he prayed that if any way possible, let this hour passing by but it was all part of the plan of god for man. Jesus said it has to be the father. My destiny. This is my
blood which I must give. I won't die. so you may live. He was a child. So he was the sun, the sun he was a He was he was he was the king. Jesus. died the world. was not a the wait. Let us rejoice. He
has risen from the dead. the king of love. The Statler Brothers here on live with Les.
We just had a great time of a conversation with Don Reid of the Statler Brothers and uh so we're going to feature some Statler brother music now. Hey, do me a favor if you're still watching and I hope you are um hit the share button so others can hear the conversation that we had with Don and hear this great Quartet music from a great Quartet known as the Statler Brothers and here is one of my very favorite songs from the Statler. I don't know how many times I have played one on the radio over 43 years. the Statler. What is a miracle?
There's a man. Miracle is an extraordinary event showing evidence of a supernatural work of god while he was on earth. He performed a lot of miracles and he performs a lot of miracles today. There's a man.
He walks on the water. and he gives back. life to the ones that's dead. 4000 with 4007 loaves of bread. There's a
man in here who makes demons cleaner cripples walk and it's even me, or he lives in my heart and I have no fear. I'm a There's a man in here that I'm looking for. at the door.
All your sins are all gone. up. and go your way and as he walks through the crowd, they heard him I can tell There's a man in the disciples cried when the ship was all from the side to side. so they won't him as the waves blew high and don't you care that we're about to die? And he said, peace be still and when the wind had laid, he said, where's your face? Why were you so so that you see what's and they said. thank you god that
the man in you. There's a man in here who turns water into wine and he walks on the water and get to the and he gives back life to the ones that's there. with loaves of bread. There's a man demons.
is You know who it is? What it is. Come on, Russ. Who do you think Harold and Don Reid wrote a lyric for the ages. and I'm going to end the show with that one tonight but let's see who else is on here with us, man. We had a good time with Don Reid. uh best man that ever
entertained says Chris LipSense, LipSense. Sorry about that, Chris. Uh Sandra, I love this song. Yeah, Nicholas, I was at my aunt's house when I found out Harold passed away with miss Harold What a funny man. Talented man. and um we
miss him and I know Don does for sure. Statler made a mark in the music world says Terry Carter Terry, that's an understatement. That's probably at least reason why you're singing quartet music. It is for me, that's for sure. Sylvia
says thank you Les. What a special gift indeed. There's no better group than the Statler. Nancy says, I love the Holy Bible albums especially the king is coming. You know, Nancy, I uh I ended all of my radio shows from 1978 to 1984. I hosted a show in the Chicago.
um Illinois market the third largest market in the country. every Saturday night from seven to midnight. It was called Crossroads for Christ and I ended every single show at 1158 from 1158 to midnight playing the Statler Brothers, the king is coming. because uh I wanted everybody to know at the end of that show that in fact, the king is coming and the stats had a great version of that and so I've played that at the end of every show for 6 years. The king is coming and oh by the way, although he hasn't come yet, look at me in my god-given eyeballs coming as sure as I'm in this seat. Yes, Daryl says,
there's a man in here is not only a great song, it's a fun song. It really is. I'm going recut that with the Quartet 1 Day 1 Day soon. I hope actually. Uh let's see here. My aunt Sue's on here. Hey, aunt Sue. I love that one. Every
word is true. Good choice Les. Butler says Sarah. Uh good evening, Terry. Uh Jeremy Brown never heard that but I like it. Alright. well, I don't know
which one that was but I'm glad you like it. Lo. Sounds amazing. on that song. You must have been talking about the uh the first one that I played the King of Love. Yes. Agreed. Uh Dennis uh Nance Best Quartet ever. Uh Elaine, I remember this one Uh uh Nathan says, enjoy this. Now, if I just had
a producer. Hey, Nathan. I caught that Oh yes. Praise the lamb of god. There's a man in here. You must have been
listening to that. Mike. What a song, huh? Uh Ruth says, thanks Don and less. great show. Thank you so much and again, thanks everybody for uh for watching tonight and please please hit the share button and don't forget when we're done tonight, go to my Live with Les Facebook page. You're on my personal page now. okay? So, on Facebook type live with Les. It'll take
you to that page because um moving forward uh starting next week, I have a show tomorrow afternoon at one Central to Eastern. So, come back here tomorrow but starting next week, uh I'm going to be having um the show's on the Live with Les Facebook page and on my YouTube channel. So, go to YouTube.com. Type in Live with Les Butler like that channel. Hit the little bell. So, anytime I'm on, it will tell you that I'm coming on live and you'll never have to miss a show and at the end of the week, every week, I give away a pair of tickets to the Mike Huckabee TV Show in Nashville and a pair of tickets to the Passion Play in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, just south of Branson. Okay. So, uh go do all
of that and also, let me see uh where is let me do this real quick. Uh let me tell you about my oh I'm dropping things. My schedule for uh next month. Hold on just a second here. Let me find it. Let me find it. Let me find it. right in close and
by the way, next month, I'm doing things differently. I'm doing things completely differently, different, different, different and so you gotta, you need to pay attention. I normally do about um I don't know, nine 1112 shows a month somewhere in there. Um in August, I'm doing them every Tuesday night. So,
that is five shows August tenth, seventeenth, and 31st. That's five shows and instead of typical basically hour long show. They're going to be 2 hour long shows and uh here's uh the lineup. So, on August 3rd, we're going to do Southern Sounds from the north. There's a book that was written titled Southern Sounds from the North. We're going to look into that book and we're going to play some of the Southern gospel artist that's represented in that book from the north and it's going to be great music you don't want to miss August 3rd, Tuesday night, seven Central eight Eastern 2 hour shows every Tuesday in the month of August. uh August
10th, we will be uh Butler Music group and family group music artist shows where I will feature the music from folks that uh I've produced and work with August 7th. We're going to um have uh the Skaggs White and Fairchild album from about 20 years ago that I'm going to feature some songs and I did a radio special with them about 20 years ago and I'm going to play some of the interviews and some of things that we talked about from that radio show that's going to be fun with uh uh Sharon Skaggs and uh uh uh Sharon White and Barbara Fairchild and just it's going to be good. Uh then on August 24th, a surprise show meeting it's going to be a surprise. and August 31st we're going to play this live Bootleg live concert from the couriers, the Cathedrals, and the Blackwood Brothers from 1969 What about that? That is going to be and by the way, it's it's just really cool and it's incredible music. So, that's going to be on August 31st. So, every Tuesday in August, 7 Central eight Eastern 2 hour shows instead of an hour and I'm not doing as many shows. So, we're
going to kind of see how uh how all that looks and how that feels and it's uh it's it's going to be great. We're going to have great music, some great guests, and uh some fun stuff going on. Okay. Alright, let me see who We've got uh talking to us here. Norma says, thank you for your efforts to spread the music of the stats to an entire new generation. Man, Norma, it is my honor and privilege to do so. So, um there's my wife. I'm
giving you a little uh written reminder there. Thank you, Bev Smart. Beautiful. My helper. I'm a blessed man. Uh Doris says all their songs are so real. They sing about the truth and facts. love the stats and
Sarah says, yes, you Highland Ll Sarah. I lived in Highland for 1967 to 1980. I think or four, three. No. So we got
married in 83 and we moved to the next town. Uh then so through I was in Highland through 1983. So, uh we've got uh a fellow river rat with us on the show tonight. Calumet River Rat. Uh let's see uh Les. That is awesome. Well, I don't know what was awesome but I'm glad it was. Thank you. Uh uh
saying surrender to God's call to the gospel ministry. After hearing the stats in concert 35 years ago. Patrick, what a cool story that is. Wow, man. I hope
Don's still listening. What about that Don Patrick Womack surrender to God's call to the gospel ministry after hearing the stats in concert 35 years ago. Hello, Nicholas, David Stewart. Hey, my buddy. Alright, everybody's talking to each other there. Peter says, someone should have asked about the business side of buses. Oh
no, we're not going to. We We wanted to have a nice and a good in a fun and a happy show. The business side of buses is it's all downhill. Don't buy a bus is what I'm saying. may
disagree and if we have it back again for business stuff, maybe we'll hit buses but I always tell artists, here's here's we'll we'll continue to the business, the music business conversation. I always tell artists do not buy a bus until you absolutely positively cannot go and do the things that you're being asked to do and being paid to do without having that kind of vehicle. us. If every week you're having to travel hundreds and hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of miles and you couldn't get rest otherwise and so forth and so on. Then, maybe think about a
bus but until that time until it's absolutely physically impossible to do what you do without a bus. do not buy a bus because you will start singing for your bus. and I am telling you now, I cannot tell you the number of people, number of artists that are no longer singing today because the bus payment and all the things that go wrong with the bus took them under Do not buy a bus There you go, Peter. That's my 2ยข. I wonder if Don would agree with that. Let's see. That's about
it, I guess. Alright. So, uh did you all have a good time? If you did, hit the share button. and tell others about it, okay? And be with me tomorrow. Um I don't know what I'm doing tomorrow. uh sometime between now and tomorrow. I
think it's just a surprise show. No telling what I'm going to do tomorrow. It could get pretty crazy and Zany tomorrow at one central to Eastern. Okay. Don Reid again. sir. Thank you.
It is greatly appreciated. Your time, your investment there. Thank you, sir. And if you don't already have it, get the book where he reads it to you and it's incredible. Go do it. Alright, God bless you all. See
you down the
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