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Show Ron Stephens: "The Music Man" Dugway resident! helps tune music makers careers by SCT Dave Pinnick During the regular work week, Mr. Ronald L. Stephens is in charge of the Photo Lab, in the Optical Data Branch at Ditto area, but in the evenings and on weekends, hes helping make new stars in the music world. Ron has been a booking agent for many singers and groups, and also has his own publishing company and record label. Country music is his forte, the people who make and write the music, his clientele. IIE COT his start into the music business in a ' round-aboway, over a period of years.lt began after he left the Army in 1959, following a three-yehitch, when he went to the New York Institute of Photography. He was trained there, and returned to Dugway where he worked in the area of motion picture photography. During this period, good narrators seemed to be scarce, so Ron attended the Columbia School of Broadcasting to improve on his techniques. Part of the course required Ron to have several hours of actual broadcast over a radio station, so he began working at KDYL in Tooele for four hours every Saturday. His experience as a DJ, gave him the opportunity to interview' some of the country music business celebrities and promoters, who were passing through the area. Several of them indicated to me that there werent really any booking agents in the area who handled country music, Ron stated, only those who handled rock music. RON HAD done a lot of research into country music, the people and the background, and many of those he interviewed suggested that he start is own hooking agency. Theres no school to become ar booking agent, Ron explained, other agents are in competition with you, so you cant expect any help from them. Its mostly learned by experience, the school of hard knocks and getting burned a few times, like I did, he reminisced. But in 1969, he officially opened up Stephens Productions and Talent Agency and for two years, on a part-tim- e basis, he set up tours for. name country artists. One of the people he arranged these early bookings for, was an artist named Johnny Rodriguez in 1970 and has booked him five times since then. SOME OF the groups Ive booked are, Tex Ritter, Hank Thompson, the Tammy Wynette show. Tommy Overstrfeet, Janet Jay, the Mel Tillis show, Leroy Van Dyke and the Earl Scruggs Revue. ut ar Three years ago, he opened the agency on a e e basis in Salt Lake City, with a agent, another who worked on a commission basis and an office clerk, taking care of the paperwork and running the office. The office operated for two years, he said, before We closed it in December 1979. He continued, Our office agent developed an illness that would have taken her from the office for six months or more, and it was too hard to get a replacement trained quickly enough because of the complex nature of contract negotiations, etc. full-tim- It really bothered me, Ron stated, that you had these talented people working hard to produce quality songs and material, only to be tied up on an indefinite basis. So Ron, in an effort to get this material out into public exposure started Great Basin Publishing and more recently his label, Hobo records. These are under Robar Inc. Rons corporation that owns the two companies. It is also licensed by BMI, Broadcast Music Incorporated. full-tim- of Iowa for a two-mon- th period. He also arranged for local talent to be booked in Salt Lake, and in other areas through other agents. Exchanging acts with other agents was a common practice with Rons agency. He routinely exchanged acts with agents in Canada, and most of the states as well. - As a booking agent, Ron arranged with those establishments and persons seeking talents, the fees for performing, and other contractual arrangements such as accommodations, length of stay, percentages of the house take, and sometimes even food. ALTHOUGH. Ron is no longer actively booking acts, he still refers some old clients; and friends. Hes been attempting to help Dugway country singer Jerri Jones with some promotional assistance, and nas referred her to a good publicity photographer. They have also discussed the possibility of Ron publishing and cutting a single record for her at a later date. Ron said, I kind of backed into publishing and putting out my own label, because of things that I had run into while a booking agent. RON BEGAN the move form booking agent to publisherrecording producer while handling Randy Copas (son of the late Cowboy Copas). In managing Randy and several other artists, he found out that they all had a lot of material tied up by less than ethical, but not illegal publishers and record companies. gospel albums. These will be sold to help the Alliance. Most of the performers donate their work but money is needed to cover the expenses of mainIt is not a taining equipment, transportation, etc. break-even profit making enterprise, but merely a effort. . As for Rons other musical enterprises, they are too, but Ron just enjoys helping mostly break-eveothers while working with the music he loves. I FEEL really good about it, he said, and music is an important part of my life. Ill probably always be involved with it in some way, including the people who make it, because I do care aobut them. For Ron Stephens, music isnt just a hobby, it is a great part of his life, or as he said with a grin, Have music, will travel. . n, HE IS proud of the fact that his agency was one of ' the largest in the intermountain area and had the largest turnover of acts for a booking agent in that area. Rons agency booked gigis or appearances for visiting groups that came from as far away as either coast and booked them from places in Nevada to Kansas As a further effort to help the group generate funds to continue putting on performances, Rons group is in the process of producing a series of RON GOT the idea of calling his record company as he puts it, . . . most entertainers Hobo, because spend a lot of their lives on the road, out doing shows, wandering and traveling ... Besides helping writers and performers make it in the music business, Ron also uses his talents and con- nections in another, very important way.. ' He recently founded another organization, called the Alliance of Good Samaritans. This group, are in Rons words, . . . a civilian version of the USO. . . because they put on it shows for those who would not normally have an opportunity to see talented performers. The ill, incarcerated and elderly are normally forgotten, Ron explained, and by bringing in a show, with some music and some caring, we let these people know that someone really cares. non-prof- - ; v ' The reaction to the groups efforts has been fantastic according to Ron. For example, when they sponsored a show at a local prison, the prisoners couldnt do enough to help the performers. None of the performers or crew had to carry any equipment, or do any setup or takedown of it. The group ate dinner with the inmates and the performance ran from after dinner until final curfew. THE ENTHUSIASM of the responses at the VA . '' X i . i'i ' t-- , ' : - f hospital and nursing homes to performances has been similar. The performers try to personalize and adapt their performances to the audience. In addition to setting up these performances, Ron occasionally emceed (master of ceremonies), the events as well. At the VA hospital, for example, he might have taken a few comments or jokes about a patient that was a notorious nurse-chase- r, or some other resident and worked it into his routine. The other character, entertainers would try to do the same,' so that the audience knew that this performance was strictly for their benefit. More than just a little bit country mro by Sgt. Dave Pinnick Jon My kind folk fi v JERRI LOST hundreds, possibly thousands of dol- ' when Country and western music has been a part of the performing - her songs. She has a very mellow, v lars in royalties fromthat deal. As to why, she said, and wistful American lifestyle, almost as long as the country has in her voice. longing been around. Jerri Jones, (known as Gerri Johnson, its difficult for an American living in the U.S. and YOU WOULDNT mistake her for anyone else, when shes not singing) is one of the new rising stars releasing music overseas to protect her interests and because both the songs shes written herself, or had in the world of country music. She is also a new resi- collect royalties, unless she has an agent overseas to written for her, leave the listener with a hauntingly dent of the Dugway Community. guard her interests. bitterswe'et feeling. 'Her songs trigger Jerri shrugs it off though, and chalks it up to exLiving here with her husband Benny Johnson, memories dreams, and (who works at GLCM Total Test Team on a two-ye- ar perience. But now, her first album has been released of another time and place. internship) Jerris musical background has been overseas, and is doing quite well. Its entitled Jerri she sings, the listener actually feels that Whatever in Las Vegas - Heartbreak Memoriesand is pubwith her, practically from birth. she knows them personally, and is sitting in the same SHE WAS bom Gerri Jones (the origin of her lished though an independent record company, room, singing only to the listener. This is a quality stage name) at Shady Point, Oklahoma, one of 13 called Antique Records. that she ties to put into all her songs, whether in conAs her career expanded and her popularity grew. children. cert or on a record. Jerri feels this is important, and Being from a large family, singing was a form of Jerri appeared with other country greats such as manufactured. recreation and a big part of my early life, she ex- -. Mel Tillis and sang in shows including the Ernest cant be faked or electronically live concerts and apher This at comes through plained. Momma would play the guitar and poppa TubbMidnight Jamboree in Jan. 1977, the Fan Fare some Unlike too. performers, Jerri the fiddle, and wed all sing along. Ive been playing in Nashville, and the Farron Young Club, Nashville. pearances; or keep them at a isolate doesnt her to audiences, try the rhythm guitar since I was about five years old as She also appeared in a film depicting the 1979 Miss distance. , California Contest, for which she won the award of a matter of fact, she said. doesnt just sing to the audience, she SHE BUT Jerri and her family attended the Assembly of Entertainer of the Film. God church, and this is where she first started makSHE HAS several singles to her credit, along with gets them involved in the show, making them a part her album, and has appeared in the Top 40 at various of the music. Sometimes the folks just hod, and clap, ing public appearances. while other times they THE CHURCH taught a more country kind of locations nationwide. One single, My Kind pf keeping time to the music,with chorus and the in me, she explained. sing gospel, and my younger sister, Louise and I started Folk, with the flip side song Youre Gone, You're join fellow one one night, got so carried away, ringing there. Soon, we were singing as the Jones Gone was number one in Terre Haute, Indiana he Why, took cm and the microphone climbed up stage just sisters; all over Oklahoma on the gospel circuit, (WTIII Radio) for 13 weeks. she said. The same single was in the Top Ten at Joplin, ' away from me and started singing right along, she arid he was pretty good at it, too. The transition to the big time from the gospel Missouri, (WMBH) and also named a Billboard giggled, has Jerri performed several places stateside since circuit, was not an easy, or quick step for Jerri. I got Pick hit. she became a hit overseas, giving concerts in Texas, married young, like a lot of folks do in the country, Jerri attributes her success to the growth in the and my first husband didnt want me to have any- popularity of country and western music. Country Arkansas, Kansas and her home state, Oklahoma. THOUGH SHE has no plans for another album and western music's popularity she feels is because, thing to do with country music, she explained. now, she is working on a single, and is also in the pro. . . the audience can relate to Later, the marriage broke up, she continued, country music, and if cess of putting a band together to accompany heir. and I started working for the government in civil youll sit and listen to a country song, every one of She appeared . in Oklahoma City on the 22nd service. I was working in it for several years when I them tells a story. before shell go to Fanfare (a decided that I really wanted to get back into country SHE CONTINUED, the people that wrote them and the 27th of March, in music. have based the song in some way to something that country and western music people IT WAS something she wanted to do, and so she may have happened to them, or someone they know, Nadiville, sometime in June, Jerri will have a booth there set up and run by worked many hard and long hours towards that goal. at one time or another. some members of her fan club (over 1000 strong, She started out small, singing in some clubs around In answer to those critics who say that country worldwide). They will sell souvenir Oklahoma City, about six years ago. music is becoming too vulgar,, or Jerry and decoupaged mirrors, Jerri will be there to While on the club circuit, and steadily gaining states, Country music is like every day living. This Shell also give some concerts and popularity, a friend started up a fan club for her. old world isn't perfect and nobody in it is perfect sign autographs.shows as well. Then she got her first big break, going to England to either. Country music is p lot of real life, set to appear in some Her husband Ben is one of her biggest fans and music. perform. It was overseas where Jerri made her first big She continued, These songs are about life, and supporters, and smiling, she says, If I ever really make it big, and go on the road all the time, he says strides in the music business and she explained, I y living wouldnt always be rated PG hed quit his job to become my manager. went to England two years ago, to the Wimberly LMvuig'aim rosing someone, cheating, lying are as SOME OF Jerris songs can be found in the juke Festival, and ever since those appearances. Ive been much a part of life as the first kiss with your first a pretty big hit. love, or the smell of your mama baking bread, and box at the community club, br the rec center, but her alONE OF THE more unusual events was her your newborns first smile. All these things, good and there is no distributor in Utah currently forlack of a the or For Jerris fans, potential fans, achieving extreme popularity in Scotland, a place bad are a part of lfie, and thats what country is all bums. but real Jerri says local distributor can be a problem, shes never been to. It all started, she remarked, about, life. " is still there hope. while I was at the Wimberly festival. I met this D.J. tfTS THESE qualities, Jerri feels that allows the My publisher doesnt have anyone in Utah, yet, from Aberdeen Scotland, and he really enjoyed my listener to identify with the songs, because he or she if theyd like to get my albums, they can contact but songs, so I gave him some singles to take back with finds something in the song that they may have felt Antique Retards, Box 192, Pittsburg, Kansas 66762. him. Sometime later, he called me, and asked if I was at one time or another. (Terri Also has a few of the albums for sale herself, Jerri says about her songwriting, When I write getting royalties from my songs. I told him no, she said, and asked him why did my songs, I take a little something that! may have at the modest sum of $7 apiece.) Currently, Jerri doesnt have a fan club on Dughe want to know? folt. or experienced, or someone I know have may into country The Scotch DJ then explained that Jerri was experienced, ,change it around and it becomes me, way, but the way Utah is really getting Utahns disbefore of time matter a music, its only number one in Scotland and had been for three and part of the song I write. musical talent of Jerri Jones, Dug- months. This becomes evident in the sfyle Jerri shows cover the ways very own my kind of folk girl. - . -- half-remember- long-forgott- - ed en get-togeth- A BROKEN HYDRAULIC HOSE CAN COST YOU HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS ... in idle equipment, idle work crews, and jobs left undone while you wait for a replacement hose assembly to be shipped by the equipment manufacturer. z . Botitdoesnt hare to. T-shi- rts WE MAKE HOSE ASSEMBLIES WHILE YOU WAIT FUEL SAVER CARBURATORS day-to-da- 0.2.25 20 Jblng your own container |