Tom was another person who was different. He was the kind of person who was easy to get along with but was very strange. For example, Tom asked Peanutt and me to spend the day with him, so we did. The very next day, Tom called and asked us to come back over to his house. By the time we got there, he would not even answer his door for us. About two hours later, Tom called back and wanted us to come back over to his place. Tom was a very private person, but he loved having the association with all the music people.
When I finally got to meet Billy Sherrill, I was surprised. I had told several people in Nashville that the one person I wanted to meet was Billy. I was told that he was extremely arrogant. I met Billy after Peanutt started writing for Tammy’s publishing company, Altam that she and Al Gallico owned. We were in Billy’s office quite often pitching songs to Billy, George, and Tammy. Then on many occasions we were in the studio at Columbia when they would be recording. Billy was always there since he was the producer. I was a little bit nervous around Billy at first because of all the warnings I had been given about him, but I found Billy very nice, and he never made me feel uncomfortable. I went with Peanutt to his office and to the sessions and Billy never seemed conceited or arrogant to me.
I’ll never forget one day when we were in the studio doing a session with Tammy and George. Billy came over to the little sitting area at Columbia and asked me for a dime. There was a coke machine that required a dime for a cup of coke. What made me feel good was the fact that he wasn’t too proud to ask me for the money. I felt like he was comfortable around me. Another time, he asked me for a cigarette. Once he scolded me because right in the middle of a recording, I flipped a Zippo cigarette lighter open, and the sound picked up on the tape. He simply asked that we keep the noise down while he was recording. He didn’t know who did it, but it was I. To me, that was not being arrogant, Billy was doing what he had to do, and it was my fault because I should have known better.
“Why do women like Charlie Rich over Waylon Jennings?” Billy asked me one day. “It looks to me like women would like Waylon better.”
“Women like Charlie because of his hair,” I explained, “and they don’t like Waylon because of his hair. Waylon’s hair looks like he just came out from under a greasy vehicle.”
Billy died laughing. I meant that Waylon looked more like an auto mechanic than a recording artist. Charlie was suave. Once, Billy asked me if I had ever tasted a drink called, “Sambuca.” I told him no because I didn’t drink. He insisted on taking Peanutt and me out to eat one time after one of Tammy’s recording sessions. He wanted me to try this drink, Sambuca. We went inside with Billy, and he ordered the drink for me. One of the drink’s features was coffee beans in the bottom of the glass. I loved the taste of it. I am not a drinker, but I told Billy that if I were, the Sambuca would be my favorite drink.
Billy was not conceited or arrogant. He was reserved, and I’d say choosy of his associations and to me, that makes him a wise person. Billy most likely got his reputation because he didn’t yoke himself up with every Tom, Dick, and Harry he came in contact with. Billy was a serious businessman. He knew the do’s and don’ts of the business world as well as music. He didn’t have to act goofy to get attention. He didn’t need attention and frankly didn’t want attention. Billy was serious about his artists. He spent time knowing who his artists were, and what they were about. He studied their characteristics, so he would better know how to deal with each of them. He was concerned about their careers, and he only wanted the best for them.
Billy once told me that it would hurt him to lose his artists; and especially, Tammy Wynette. Tanya Tucker had just left him, and he said that really did hurt him. He couldn’t stand the thoughts of losing George or Tammy, but he did.
Tammy would have stayed with Billy forever had it not been for her new husband, George Richey. George Richey was also a producer, songwriter, piano player, and publisher. Tammy had become his wife. He felt he should be able to control who her producer would be because she was his wife. Tammy left Billy Sherill and George Richey began producing Tammy. It was disastrous for Tammy’s career. There were no records of Tammy anywhere. You could go to Walmart, music stores, truck stops, and anywhere they sold records, but Tammy Wynette records were nowhere to be found. I couldn’t believe that an artist as hot as Tammy didn’t have any records on the market to be purchased. I think leaving Billy was the biggest mistake she ever made in her life, and I think Tammy knew it.
Tammy and Billy Sherrill. She told me many times that she’d never leave him. She always spoke so highly of him and praised him for what he had done for her. I felt that there was a bond between Tammy and Billy, and that all the King’s horses and all the King’s men could never tear them apart. Evidently, there was a stronger force behind her than what I had anticipated. That same force tore down every aspect of her stunning career and went on to literally destroy her life. Billy knew what was going to happen even before it happened. When George Jones and Tammy split, it ruined everything. There was a family-type atmosphere around Billy’s office when Billy, Tammy, George, Narrow Wilson, Carmel Taylor, George Richey, Sheila Richey, Peanutt, and me would get together. We’d all gather in Billy’s office and pitch our songs. It was a pleasant and happy time for everyone.
After the trouble with George and Tammy, it was all messed up. There were those who sided with Tammy, and those who sided with George. It was hard to be mutual friends with all involved. You either had to be on George’s side or Tammy’s. If you were on Tammy’s side, you could have nothing to do with those who associated with George. There was a great separation created among the whole family of associates, and it hurt everyone involved, and eventually hurt Billy as well.
Tammy told me that she would see to it that an Earl (Peanutt) Montgomery song would never get cut by Billy Sherrill or anybody else where she had influence. She was mad at Peanutt for taking up with George after they split up. Tammy failed to realize that Peanutt had known both Billy and George before she ever came on the scene. Peanutt didn’t care if he got a song cut or not; he was not turning his back on George regardless of the consequences. Peanutt loved Tammy and always praised her for her talent as well as her tolerance of George. Peanutt has said many times that Tammy was the most graceful lady he had ever known. Tammy didn’t try to sell her body with sexy movements; she didn’t have to. Tammy Wynette sold her talent. She had what people wanted because it came from her heart. How can anybody knock what she did? She was total success!
Tammy was also a very good person. She was from the country, and her country roots showed up from time to time. She also had a classiness about her that would make some people think she’d only been raised on the streets of New York City. George Jones was the same way. He was also from the country but was very classy in his own way. He chose to be down to earth and different than most country music stars. George only wanted to be himself. Tammy sometimes liked the feeling of knowing she was a star. Other times, she couldn’t believe who she actually was.
Billy Sherrill never seemed any different every time I met him. He was always neatly dressed, clean-shaven, and looked the role of a true professional. I appreciated what I saw in Billy. Some of the people in the music business literally made me sick. They couldn’t get anything done without the help of alcohol, pills, and sleeping around. I noticed that after a session, Billy was finished working with music for the day. He didn’t go hanging out at the bars with the artists and songwriters. He’d have other plans. I’ve never seen him out of line in any kind of way in all the years I was around him. He was really respectful to the people he associated with. He might acknowledge that he knew a person was there, and he might not. He was capable of walking right by you and never saying hello. That was Billy’s disposition. Those who didn’t know him might take that as an insult, or that he was conceited or strange. I took it as a man who was there on business, and his job was all he had on his mind. He didn’t have time for the nonsense. Billy had no apologies to make. He was de
finitely smart and had been extremely successful. It all paid off for him whatever flavor someone wants to call him.
Billy Sherill is one of my favorite people in the music business. I like his disposition, I like his way of doing business, and I like the very things that people told me I wouldn’t like about him. He was always interesting. He had very few words to say, but when he did speak, it had real meaning. He could sometimes be what you call, “cocky,” but that all came with his clever mind. One never knew exactly what Billy was thinking but if he heard something he liked, he’d jump on it with all focus. He didn’t hesitate to make a move on an idea that struck him just right. He knew what he liked and he’d go after it. Billy knew when something was right on the money. That’s what made him the producer, musician, and songwriter he was. If I was a recording artist wanting to make it in the music business, I’d feel cheated if I couldn’t have Billy Sherrill as my producer. If I was looking for a song, I’d want a song written by Billy Sherrill, and I’d want a Billy Sherrill contract behind me. Billy Sherrill spells success. He was the best.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Short Stories That Will Live Long
* * *
It was a cold December day, and Christmas was just around the corner. Peanutt and I were at George and Tammy’s house on Tyne Boulevard. We were in a discussion about the economy. Gas prices had just increased to seventy-cents a gallon from twenty-five cents a gallon at some stations. It was quite an increase from where the price of gas had been. George told Tammy that it looked like they would need to get a small car that would be easy on gas and proceeded to remind her that every vehicle they owned was a gas-guzzler. After discussing this for a while, Tammy had agreed that it wouldn’t be a bad idea. George made the remark that if gas went any higher, the dealerships would raise the prices on small cars because there would be a great demand for them. It all made good sense to us.
We decided to play a game of Aggravation. The four of us were sitting around the glass-top table in the eating area of the kitchen. George didn’t seem as interested in the game as he usually was.
“What’s on your mind, George?” Tammy asked him.
“Aww,” he said, “I was just thinking about nothing in particular.”
Tammy put on a pot of ham and dumplings. When we finished the game, George pushed himself from the table.
“Peanutt, come with me, I want you to ride to town with me.”
I didn’t really want them to go off together, but I thought since Tammy was cooking I couldn’t leave her. Tammy and I stayed home, and George and Peanutt went to town. While they were gone, George told Peanutt that he wanted to find Tammy a Vega station wagon. That’s what he wanted to get his wife for Christmas. Peanutt assured George he’d find her one. George said that once he found it, he would buy it and wanted Peanutt to keep it until Christmas morning and then bring it to their house.
When Peanutt and George returned home, we had dinner ready for them. We all sat down at the table to eat. George kept looking at me and smiling. Peanutt was acting a little anxious. They both appeared to have been up to something.
“Peanutt,” I said, “Where did you and George go?”
“I knew that was coming,” George quipped.
“We just went looking around.” Peanutt commented.
“Peanutt, go ahead and give it to her, there ain’t no need in waiting till Christmas,” George told him.
“Oh my goodness,” I thought, “there’s no telling what they have done.”
Peanutt reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small bag. He slowly opened the bag and handed me a ring box. I opened it right there at the table with George, Tammy, and Peanutt watching me. I thought I’d faint. It was a gorgeous three-carat diamond ring. It was the most beautiful ring I had ever laid my eyes on. I could not believe that Peanutt would buy such an expensive ring for me.
“Peanutt, this had to cost a lot of money,” I said.
“Yes, it did. I was going to get a smaller one, but George wanted me to get this one for you. It was the one he picked out.”
I turned to George. “Thank you too, George, I absolutely love it. There’s not a ring in the world that I would like better.” I was shocked. I loved that ring.
After we left, Peanutt told me what George had planned to get Tammy for Christmas.
“I’ve got to get on the phone and locate her a Vega station wagon,” Peanutt said.
He found one in Athens, Alabama. We drove over to look at it. It was a light tan color. We called George and told him about it, and he told us to tell the dealership to consider it sold. They held the car for George. Peanutt and I took the money to the dealership, bought the car, and kept it until Christmas morning. We fastened huge yellow ribbons to the car and tied some of the ribbon into a bow to make a present. We pulled it in the driveway early Christmas morning before they got up. When Tammy saw the car, she didn’t know exactly what to say.
When Tammy saw the car in her driveway she commented, “Well, that one will be easy on gas, and it will be great to take the kids back and forth to school and to run around town in.”
She was totally surprised with her gift.
George could be a schemer when he wanted to be. He could pull off just about anything he wanted anytime he wanted. He would find a way to get the job done. I liked the look on his face when he did something for somebody, and he surprised the person with it. His expression showed that he always enjoyed doing things for others, and he liked to watch the other person’s reaction.
When they lived at the Landing in Hendersonville, Tennessee, Tammy and I had gone shopping for the afternoon. When we started home, Tammy started trembling.
“Just look at me, I’m shaking!” she exclaimed.
“What’s wrong Tammy?” I asked her.
“George has been up to something, I just know he has. I feel it in my bones,” She explained.
“What are you saying?” I questioned.
“When I get like this, I’m usually right, and I know he’s been up to something.”
We had driven George’s car to town. When we pulled into their driveway, there was an unfamiliar car parked there. Tammy’s El Dorado was nowhere to be seen.
“My car’s not here; I wonder whose car that is?” she said while looking and peering around the premises.
We grabbed our bags, exited the car, and went in the house. George was sitting on the couch and grinning from ear to ear.
“Well, how do you like your new car? I traded your El Dorado in on that one,” George enthusiastically asked.
We went outside to inspect this new ride George bought. It was a Lincoln. At that time, it was popular for people in the music business to trade in their Cadillac’s and buy Lincoln’s.
“Oh, I really like it, it’s really nice,” Tammy replied.
She thanked George for getting her the new car, and I could tell her excitement was anything but genuine.
After we went inside the house, George and Peanutt went down to the deck to hang out.
“Crap!” Tammy yelled. “I loved my Eldorado. I haven’t had it very long, and I loved my car. Now it’s gone, and I’m stuck with this one. That burns me up, but I can’t let George know because it would hurt his feelings, and he’d probably pull a drunk if he thought I didn’t like it.”
“Tammy, it’s a beautiful car,” I told her.
“Yeah it is, but I’ve always liked Cadillacs and especially Eldorados. Well, I might as well drive it and accept it now.” She reasoned. George never knew how Tammy really felt about his surprise.
A story I love to tell is what happened on one of our trips to the Bahamas. We were staying with George and Tammy at their beautiful summerhouse in Lakeland, Florida, and it happened to be Peanutt’s birthday, February 6th.
“I’ve got an idea,” George said. “It’s Peanutt’s birthday, so let’s take a trip to the Bahamas!”
We were all in agreement with that suggestion. Bill and Patsy Sledge were also in Florida so
George invited them to go with us. George and Tammy had been doing some TV commercials for Babcock Furniture. George called their good friends, Cliff and Maxine, who lived in Lakeland, Florida and asked them to go. The entourage suddenly swelled to four couples making the trip, and in a few days we headed to Miami to board the Flavia Cruise Liner.
It turned out that we were in the Bahamas on Valentine’s Day. Trying to figure out how to occupy our time, the men decided they would leave the women and go do their own thing. That left the four women to decide what they would do for the day.
We decided to sun bathe, so we changed to our bikinis. We went up to the captain’s deck because it was more private. Nobody was supposed to be on that deck except the Captain and crew, but we didn’t mind breaking the rules. We stretched out on our lounge chairs, and I had unfastened my bra strap while lying on my stomach. I fell asleep and while sleeping, I turned over on my back.
I was sleeping really soundly when somebody yelling at me suddenly awakened me.
“Charlene, wake up, your top is gone!” Tammy yelled. She happened to look over at me, and I was totally exposed without a stitch covering me.
It scared me to death. She happened to look over at me, and I was completely topless. I was beyond embarrassed. I covered my breasts with my hands while we looked for the top that wasn’t anywhere near me. We found it wrapped around a pole and almost ready to blow into the ocean.
“Tammy, I’m proud we are on the captain’s deck cause nobody saw me but you girls!” I exclaimed.
“Oh, yes they have, look over yonder at that other ship.” Maxine pointed out.
There were at least a half-dozen men dressed in red coats, white shirts, and black bow ties. They were standing in the windows with binoculars looking straight at us, and what a view they had! I grabbed my towel and beach bag and ran off the deck as fast as I could while the girls were almost doubled over laughing.
The Legend of George Jones: His Life and Death Page 11