One of the great things about the internet is that it often puts you in contact with people you never thought you'd ever track down, make contact with, or even knew existed. It can make abstract figures concrete. A post about Jerry Colonna brought comments from his son, an article about Don Adams welcomed input from his son-in-law and a video featuring Mad Magazine publisher William M. Gaines brought comments from Mad's most senior writer and Bill Gaines' daughter.
Well, this week a small, dormant thing I wrote about legendary truck driving music singer/talker Red Sovine over a year and half ago brought on a fascinating and heated discussion in the comments section from some people that were mentioned in one innocuous paragraph. The paragraph in question went like this:
"In 1974 the LP It'll Come Back by Red Sovine and The Girls was released. The Girls, as featured on the cover, were terrifying blonde haired triplets, around eight years old, dressed in nightgowns, crawling all over their uncle Red. The unnerving images on the record sleeve conjure up the notion of what The Shining would've been like had it taken place not in a lavish hotel, but at a filthy truck stop instead. The Girls do not just creep us out on the cover, however, but also join in on several songs. The strangest track is probably Red's So Fine (HA! Get it!?), in which the horror movie triplets sing about how "fine" their uncle is. Sovine seemed to have a slightly morbid fascination with odd afflictions. Other than utilizing young shrill blonde haired triplets, Sovine sang/talked tunes about dead truckers, blind truckers, blind children, paralyzed children, and suicidal depressives."
The comments that appeared this week started off interesting enough - and then transcended into an oddly esoteric debate between siblings. The comments appeared as follows:
OMG! What you wrote about 'Red Sovine and the Girls' just cracked me up, However, you are not correct... Funny but incorrect. How do I know this? I AM ONE OF THE 'GIRLS'! On the album cover, I am the 3rd 'girl' poised on Red's left.
* We are not triplets, as a matter of fact, we range 1-3 years apart in age. Born in: 1964, 1965, 1967. * Only one of us had blonde hair at the time. Mickie, the youngest of us. Kelly and I are brunettes. * Those dresses are NOT night gowns. They are in fact 'dresses'. * We weren't 'crawling all over Red'. The photographer told us to 'grab his arms like we were giving him a bear hug'. * You failed to mention that 'It'll come back' went doulble gold in
the Country Music Charts, AND that album still hangs in the Country
Music Hall of FAME!!! (not to mention in MY KITCHEN) While I think your writing is creative, funny and rather opinionated, I am happy to see someone actually still cares. ? Red was like a second father to us. He was a sweet, warm and
wonderful man. he did for country music, what Ray Charles did for the
blues. Rest in peace, Red.
We had no part in deciding what we were going to wear. Mom did that. And the Dingo boots were REAL, too.
Respectfully submited,
Casey 'A Girl'
I , too, am one of the girls that sang with Red Sovine.
Hey , as my little sister , Casey said, any publicity is good publicity. However, I am the mean sister.
So get ready. Here it goes, hotshot ....
You sound like you really were checking out those"little 8 year old
triplets in nightgowns..". You sound like a "perv". Why don't you come
on back and talk to teddy bear now!!
We are all grown up. I believe, as one of the "little girls" that you just trash talked, I could take you on! Bring it. Wimp.
What were you doing when you when 8 years old???? Picking your nose, and getting hung by your underwear in the locker room, no doubt. Geek.
You messed with the wrong "girls".
It did come back.... Just like Red said. You are a loser!!
I am the last of the "worden" sisters to post a comment. And might I add, the blonde one.
My sister Casey was right on. Red was a warm, caring, and great man. May he rest in peace!
One of the best times in my life was having the chance to sing with Red Sovine, as well as, Dolly Parton! I'll never forget it.
It is amazing how so many people still remember Red and his music. Some may like it, some not. It doesn't bother me in the least, those negative critics don't have a Gold Star at the Country Music Hall of Fame!!!!
Kudos for keeping Red's legend alive,
Mickie (One of the girls)
I am pretty sure that one of the above so called singers with Red Sovine is not whom she says she is. Most likely a worn out street person who found a computer in a public library or bathroom and started blogging.
Nevertheless I informed the remaining sisters, of your Keeping the Red legend alive,
and wish to also inform you, that the Girls also did backup with Dolly Parton.
That album was "Harvest Gathering" the song was "Take Me There" 1976.
And Dolly didn't require the night gowns.
I think one of them worked closely with Pee Wee Herman on underground music.and still wears her nightgown quite often
Some people will laugh, some people get angry.
But one will hang on tightly to the coat tails ..or "nighties"
of their sisters.
how sweet of you to remember and keep this so alive
maybe you can start a reunion reality show of the girls.
since you are so into dredging this up, and making sure you get credit for
doing nothing. (by the way, you were at home playing atari pong when we were singing.)
hey, maybe we should recount votes from a certain election that was unreal, shall we.
hmmm, oh , you still lost that one.
boorah!!!
That must of been the sister at the public library !
who do you think this is???
never in a million years will you figure this out.
why are you all allowing this common yet unknown radio jock to rip apart what was important to your mom, Donna??
you all act like this person followed your lives. did he??? who is he???
when Donna passed away, your family went separate ways.
all that is left is memories....
and this radio "dio" is making money off ridiculing you and yours... this is a pity!!
do you all think a record deal is coming your way through his demeaning venue??
think again...why stroke his ego??
stand up for what you believe in.. and big brother....act like one.
this radio god made strong remarks regarding your parents discretion, young sisters talents
and lead us all to believe red sovine had poor moral standards. this
moment in time was Donna's crowning moment, one of her proudest
accomplishments.
stand together like a family. defend the works of Donna.( at the least)
I knew her, and this article sickens me.
p.s. she wrote"red's so fine"... read the cover.
She lived for her children..and would never have allowed her "girls" to
be written about in this manner by a parasite, money hungry "blogger".
never in a million years, get over it!
Red Sovine is a hoot, melodrama for days. Those girls need to lighten up a little and get a sense of humor holy cow....
Posted by: Rob Lett | September 28, 2008 at 11:40 AM
Salutations to my fans,
This is the photographer who took the original LP cover for "IT'LL COME BACK". It seems like it was only yesterday I was commanding three talented little girls to attack Red (Dead, as I liked to call him) Sovine and rip him to shreds with their bear claws. Unfortunately, they lacked the razor-sharp talons for the job and failed miserably. No matter how I encouraged the children to tear his flesh apart with their bare hands (even promising them each one lollipop for their efforts, respectively), they could not even leave a mark on his leather-tough hide.
In the moment after this photo was taken, I realized I would have to finish the job myself. I lept forth from behind my camera and proceeded to slap Red with my flat-foot-relieving shoe inserts. He would have been utterly destroyed had I not underestimated the stinging force of the aforementioned rubber inserts. Following the attack, I was arrested and subsequently sentenced to ten years of mopping a prison Tee Ball court. The prison time was hard, but the day of the photo shoot was the worst day of my entire life.
Since then, I have quit photography and gone back into the hosiery manufacturing industry. I find it to be a much more rewarding field... I revel in knowing that several pairs of stockings each day that I inspect could possibly wind up being worn by a prominent vice presidential nominee or wine vinyard manager (just look for number 34, that's me!). Photography had its upside too. It did get me close enough to almost slap Red Sovine to death with my medical shoe inserts. Look, I did my time and I have no regrets.
Thank you, "blog", for exposing this creep for who he really is! This makes all those years spent mopping a narrow strip of dust almost worthwhile. I would like to clarify one mistake that the girls made: I said to squeeze the life out of him in a bear-like death grip, not "bear hug"! What's wrong with you kids, are you deaf? That would explain the way that record sounds. I only hope that future generations can look back upon this record cover and remember the true struggle that occurred that fateful day behind a highway truckstop. We will never forget!
Sincredibly,
Wally S. Brown
Junior Inspector of Hosiery, National Hosiery And Feminine Legwear Inc.
Posted by: Wally Brown | September 28, 2008 at 02:46 PM
Interesting thread. I guess I missed it first time tho -
Truthfully Kliph, I am a little taken aback at the tone of your description. I thought only Nash Rose wrote in that voice.
Posted by: goober | September 29, 2008 at 11:48 AM
wally...........do you scratch and sniff the panty hose???
you are a wack job.
Posted by: grandma mahorney | September 29, 2008 at 09:46 PM
None of this matters or changes the original point, Red was hung like ox.
Posted by: Shitdate | September 30, 2008 at 12:47 AM
Although I have enjoyed your post, your purple prose regarding these little girls was creepy, reflecting on you much more than how "plain" or "ugly" you might have found the girls.
All in all, uncalled for. So what if they are a bit over the top in their anger. In the end it's you who looks bad. Save your satire for people in power big mister sarcasm man.
Posted by: Renaldo | September 30, 2008 at 03:26 AM
those little girls are smokin' hot now......
some kids grow into their looks....
some just remain obese, with stinky arm pit oder and chronic halitosis.
braces and wear a pocket protector.
klifford...or whatever you weird name is......these girls want a full on "discussion" of this matter.
you name the place...we will all be there.
let's do this, chicken shit.......
Posted by: renaldo for president.. thanks friend | September 30, 2008 at 06:27 PM
klifford, whatever
you brought this all on your self...
now what ya gonna do ...hot shot???????
accept this challange...or forever run... you no good
low life girly man!!!!!!!
Posted by: sting like a bee | September 30, 2008 at 06:33 PM
I am the guy behind the photographer that took the picture of the album cover that you people are slandering.
I was charging the battery for the camera and carrying the extra flash bulb (remember those?).
Those were really boys, dressed up.
PS< fmu heads..my favorite actor is jack nicklaus.
Posted by: anonymous | October 01, 2008 at 03:11 AM
no wonder you are anonymous..........
you will always be an official "bulb" holder.
how did you charge the battery??? did you shove it up you ass???
maybe you secretly wished we were boys, faggot.
Posted by: mean girl | October 01, 2008 at 02:37 PM
I worked at the ice cream creamery that supplied the ice cream truck that drove down the girls street, and I recall many a time hearing about how they would wave that Sovine ("So Fine") money around, act all hooty, and then do it again, especially after the Dolly Parton record. But they are all woman now, the hormones we fed the milk cows made sure of that.
Posted by: Mares Eat Oats | October 01, 2008 at 09:45 PM
whoopie.......the little rockers that they are.....i saw them on the CMA...
yep, they did a chinese acrobat act. "those little limber she cats" wow..took my breathe away.
Not only did they rock Red's world...they made my heart go "p,p,p pitter pat"....
Posted by: miss wiggins | October 30, 2008 at 01:29 PM
still ready to fight........
wfmu...well..why are you hiding behing your keyboards, and microphones..
we are still here and want to defend your outrageous comments.
mareen mcCormick got to have her say later in her career....
Let the girl's voices be heard once more.
Posted by: hunching terrior | January 12, 2009 at 08:18 PM