Kick Back Tracks (2025)

31/01/2025

Two Brothers will be Singing in the Spotlight this week on KBT!

Yes, the BELLAMY BROTHERS will perform some of their biggest hits from the 70's and 80's. The duo had considerable musical success in those two decades, starting with the release of their crossover hit "Let Your Love Flow" in 1976, a Number One single on the Billboard Hot 100. Then, they found success in country music as well, charting twenty Number One singles and more than fifty hits overall on the country charts, many of which David Bellamy wrote himself.

Plus they hold the Record for the most duo nominations in both the Academy of Country Music (ACM) and the Country Music Association Awards (CMA). So be ready for some great harmony as the Bellamy's hit the stage this weekend on KBT!

In addition, you'll enjoy some other very memorable songs that hit #1 this week in Country Music History including Mickey’s Lonely Nights, Henson Cargill’s Skip A Rope and Loretta’s One’s On The Way (just to name a few)! Add to that a few requests that came in and it will be a show of great variety from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s as well as that tasty touch of the 50’s as you enjoy the Country Legends and the Songs that made Nashville Famous this weekend on Kick Back Tracks, so don’t forget to bring your favorite Groundhogs along! –Prince

24/01/2025

RICKY VAN SHELTON sings in the Spotlight this week on KBT!

Boy, talk about a Great Singer with an awesome Deep Baritone Voice, Ricky can sure belt out a ballad, which he became famous for! Growing up in Virginia, he started singing Gospel in church as a young boy, as his father also sang Gospel. Later as a teenager, he would discover Country Music and started singing in his brother’s band at any gathering he could find. Later, after graduation from High School, he moved to Nashville in 1984 with his girlfriend (who he would later marry) and started singing at various clubs looking for a record deal.

His big break came in 1986 when a newspaper columnist who would later become his manager, loved his demo and got him an audition with Columbia Records. He was immediately signed to CBS records and recorded his first album “Wild-Eyed Dream” that same year and after a couple moderate hits, he had his first #1, “Somebody Lied” the next year, beginning a string of five consecutive #1 songs!

The rest would become musical history as each of his first three albums would go to Number One and become Platinum Albums, each selling over a million copies. Along with that, he would have a string of 16 Top 5 hits including 10 of those becoming #1 Singles! During his 20-year career, he also took home over 20 awards from the CMA, ACM’s, Music City News and others as well as scores of other nominations that included the categories of Male Vocalist of the Year, Single of the Year, Album of the Year, and even Entertainer of the Year! Quite the very popular male vocalist of the mid to late 80’s into the 90’s.

Thus, this week I’ll be walking you through his career story in timeline fashion and play for you some of his select hits from his first four Platinum studio albums. In addition I’ll be sprinkling in a ton of tunes that hit #1 this week in Country Music History including Crystal’s Sound Of Goodbye, The Hag’s A Place To Fall Apart and Mickey’s Talk To Me (along with 13 others)! Add to that a couple requests that came in this week and it will be another Great show for you to enjoy with the Country Legends and The Songs That Made Nashville Famous, this weekend on Kick Back Tracks! -Prince

17/01/2025

DOLLY PARTON sings her solo hits of the early 70's in the Spotlight this week on KBT!

Talk about a gal who has done it all! Dolly is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, actress, author, businesswoman, and philanthropist. Her music includes 25 certified gold, platinum and multi-platinum album awards. She has had 25 songs reach No. 1 on the Billboard country music charts, a record for a female artist (tied with Reba McEntire). She has 41 career top-10 country albums, a record for ANY artist, and she has 110 career charted singles over the past 50 years. She has also garnered nine Grammy Awards, two Academy Award nominations, ten Country Music Association Awards, seven Academy of Country Music Awards, three American Music Awards, and is one of only seven female artists to win the Country Music Association's Entertainer of the Year Award. As far as Grammy Nods, Dolly has received a total of 47 Grammy nominations!

In addition, Dolly was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999. She has composed over 3,000 songs, notably "I Will Always Love You" (a two-time U.S. country chart-topper for Parton, as well as an international pop hit for Whitney Houston), "Jolene", "Coat of Many Colors", and "9 to 5". She is also one of the few to have received at least one nomination from the Academy Awards, Grammy Awards, Tony Awards, and Emmy Awards. Wow! So, I'll be walking you through her Early Career and share her story with you as well as play some of her memorable solo hits she had during the early to mid 70's.

On top of that, I'll play a few requests that came in this week like Country Girls and If I Didn’t Have You as well as a ton of tunes that hit #1 this week in Country Music History including Sonny’s You’re The Only World I Know, The Hag’s Sing Me Back Home and Clint’s Nobody’s Home (just to name a few). It'll be a Blast from the past as you enjoy your Classic Country Favorites this weekend on Kick Back Tracks! Bring some friends over! -Prince

10/01/2025

The Gal with a Beautiful Voice (and Beautiful long hair) sings in the spotlight this week on KBT!

Yep, CRYSTAL GAYLE will grace the airwaves on this week's edition of Kick Back Tracks! Crystal had twenty #1 country songs during the 1970's and 1980's (18 on Billboard and 2 on Cashbox) with six albums certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. She also became the first female artist in country music history to reach platinum sales, with her 1977 album We Must Believe in Magic.

Also noted for her nearly floor-length hair, she was voted one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world by People magazine in 1983. She is the younger sister of the country singer-songwriter Loretta Lynn and the singer Peggy Sue and a distant cousin of singer Patty Loveless. Crystal is a member of the Grand Ole Opry and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, near her sister Loretta Lynn's star. As a Special Treat, I'll be featuring Crystal's EARLY tunes from the 70's as well as walk you through that part of her career in timeline fashion! Many of these early hits you may not have heard in quite a while.

Plus some great tunes that hit #1 this week in Country Music History I'll play for you including Reba’s What Am I Gonna Do About You, John Conlee’s Lady Lay Down and Dan Seals with Bop (just to mention a few). Also quite a few requests too! So roll on by this weekend for another fun edition of Kick Back Tracks! -Prince

03/01/2025

ROGER MILLER sings his memorable tunes in the Spotlight this week on KBT!

Talk about a versatile entertainer! Roger got a love of country music in his teens when he often listened to the Grand 'Ol Opry and became influenced by the likes of Hank Williams and Bob Wills and wanted to become a songwriter and singer, in fact at 17 he ran away from home and started performing in Oklahoma and Texas Nightclubs. He then joined the Army and became quite a fiddle player in a military music group, then, after his discharge went to Nashville. He Met Chet Atkins and did an audition for him, Chet told him to come back after he gained more experience.

Roger stuck with his dreams and would work odd jobs by day play clubs at night and soon joined Minnie Pearl's band as a fiddle player. Later he met George Jones, who he collaborated with on a couple songs they wrote together including Tall Tall Trees. He also began recording some of his own songs, but just didn't see much initial success with those tunes. He continued to write songs and Later he would get a Big Break when met Ray Price and ended up as member of his band The Cherokee Cowboys, also he wrote a big hit for Ray "Invitation To The Blues" which helped him land a deal with a publishing company to write more songs including his FIRST #1 as a songwriter, Billy Bayou that Jim Reeves would take to the top. As time went by Roger became one of the Biggest Songwriters of the 1950's!

As the 1960's came around he almost quit the music business and then after appearing on late night comedy shows, he finally signed a record deal with SMASH records and in 1964, with a song that only took him 4 minutes to write, It turned out to be his First #1 Record! You'll hear that First #1 along with many others from Roger as I walk you through his career in timeline fashion this week on KBT!

Plus you'll hear a few requests like Some Memories Just Won’t Die and I'll play quite a few songs that hit #1 on the charts this week in Country Music History including Billy Crashes "Broken Down In Tiny Pieces", Gene Watson’s "Fourteen Carat Mind” and Eddie Rabbitt’s “The Best Year Of My Life" plus 12 MORE! Another memorable adventure back in time awaits you this coming weekend on Kick Back Tracks! -Prince

27/12/2024

This week on KBT we'll be enjoying The Jolly Greene Giant in the spotlight!

Yes, "Jack Greene" that is :) Nicknamed the "Jolly Greene Giant" due to his height and deep voice, He was a long time member of the Grand Ole Opry. A three-time Grammy Award nominee, Jack is best known for his 1966 hit, "There Goes My Everything". The song dominated the Country music charts for nearly two months in 1967 and earned Greene "Male Vocalist of the Year", "Single of the Year", "Album of the Year" and "Song of the Year" honors from the Country Music Association.

Jack had a total of five No. 1 country hits and three others that reached the top ten, plus Billboard magazine named him one of the Top 100 "Most Played Artists" of all time! I'll be playing all of his #1's plus a top 5 hit he did with Jeannie Seely as I walk you through his career in timeline fashion.

Plus, a number of tunes that hit #1 this week in Country Music History including George with Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind, David Houston’s Baby, Baby (I Know You’re A Lady) and the Cherokee Cowboy's "She's Got To Be A Saint" (just to mention a few). So drop on by this weekend for another memorable trip back in time with Kick Back Tracks! -Prince

20/12/2024

JANIE FRICKE shines in the spotlight this week on KBT!

Indeed! Considered one of the most popular female vocalists of the 1980's, Janie moved to Nashville in 1975, where she initially became an in-demand background vocalist. She sang background for numerous other artists at the time; including Dolly Parton, Barbara Mandrell, Crystal Gayle, Ronnie Milsap, Lynn Anderson, Tanya Tucker, Conway Twitty, Eddie Rabbitt and Charlie Rich. However, Fricke's work as background vocalist on several recordings by Johnny Duncan really brought her to national attention. After collaborating with Johnny on the #1 hit "Stranger" she landed her own recording contract with Columbia Records.

Her biggest success would come during the 1980's when she was rewarded in 1982 and again in 1983 with Female Vocalist of the Year from the Country Music Association. So I'll be playing for you many of her memorable hits and walk you through her career in timeline fashion.

In addition, I'll also be playing quite a few songs that hit #1 this week in Country Music History including Larry’s Houston, Vince’s Don’t Let Our Love Start Slippin’ Away and Keith’s When You Say Nothing At All (Plus 15 more!!).

I'll also play quite a few requests that came in this week including Johnny’s Ragged Ol Flag. Lots of surprises await your ears on this week’s edition of Kick Back Tracks, so stop on by don't forget the Egg Nog & Cider! -Prince

13/12/2024

This weekend on KBT we'll be enjoying an American country music vocal group consisting of lead singer Sharon White, her sister Cheryl (born 1955), and their father Buck (born 1930). In the 1980s, they scored such hits as "You Put The Blue In Me", "Hangin' Around", "Give Me Back That Old Familiar Feeling", "Pins And Needles", "If It Ain't Love (Let's Leave It Alone)", "Hometown Gossip", and "When The New Wears Off of Our Love".

Yep, we're talking about THE WHITES! Talk about a family group who have been members of the Grand Ole Opry for decades and have been entertaining millions around the world with their blend of Country, Bluegrass, Texas Swing, Folk and Gospel. In August 1981, Sharon White married Ricky Skaggs, who performed on several of the Whites' early releases. In 1987, the couple released the hit love song, "Love Can't Ever Get Better Than This". Ricky also produced many of their tunes in the 80's. So get ready to enjoy some truly Forgotten Favorites with the sweet harmonies of The Whites in the spotlight this weekend on KBT!

Plus many tunes that hit #1 this week in Country Music History including John Anderson’s Black Sheep, Kenny’s The Gambler and Brooks & Dunn’s My Next Broken Heart (just to name a few). Plus a slew of requests like Party Time and Just Another Woman In Love, along with your other Legendary Country favorites from the 60's, 70's and 80's on this week’s edition of Kick Back Tracks! -Prince

06/12/2024

One of the Country Music's most successful male vocalists of the 1970's sings for us this weekend on KBT!

JOHNNY RODRIGUEZ shines in the spotlight this week on KBT! Talk about a fella who became an overnight success in 1972 and afterward would have nearly 20 Top-10 hits including 15 consecutive Top-5 Hits with 6 Number One songs, all during the 1970's alone! He is also the First well-known Latin American Country Music Artist occasionally infusing his music with Latin sounds, and even singing verses of songs in Spanish. Plus as a very accomplished songwriter, he wrote many of his own hits and a number of great country songs for others. So be ready for Johnny R in the spotlight as I walk you through his career in timeline fashion and play for you some of his most memorable tunes.

You’ll also hear a ton of tunes that hit #1 this week in Country Music History including Janie’s Tell Me A Lie, Tennessee’s Mule Train and Sonny James with Born To Be With You (along with 15 more!) Plus I'll slip in a few requested tunes like You Still Move Me and many of your other country classic favorites along with a few forgotten favorites you may not have heard in years! Look forward to having you stop by this weekend for Kick Back Tracks! -Prince

27/11/2024

This weekend I'll be featuring a couple sisters that hit it big after winning the 1985 Wrangler Country Showdown and getting a record deal with Columbia!

Get ready for the SWEETHEARTS OF THE RODEO in the spotlight this weekend on KBT! Not only will you enjoy their memorable tunes as I walk you through their career in timeline fashion but I'll also be featuring some of their Forgotten Favorites that are sure to bring back some great memories, not to mention hearing the tremendous Nashville musicians that gave them their awesome sound on their studio albums along with their beautiful harmonies.

Plus as always, quite a few tunes that hit #1 this week in Country Music History including ETC’s Chance Of Lovin’ You, Randy doing a nice cover of It’s Just A Matter Of Time and Garth taking us to the American H***y-Tonk Bar Association (just to mention a few). Also quite a few requests that came in too like Act Naturally and Baby’s Got Her Blue Jeans On! So grab some drumsticks and leftovers and I’ll Catch Ya this weekend on Kick Back Tracks! -Prince

22/11/2024

The Rabbitt entertains us this weekend on KBT!

Yep, EDDIE RABBITT, the American singer and songwriter whose career began as a songwriter in the late 1960s, then spring boarded to a recording career after composing hits such as "Kentucky Rain" for Elvis Presley in 1970 and "Pure Love" for Ronnie Milsap in 1974. Later, in the 1970s, Eddie helped to develop the crossover-influenced sound of country music prevalent in the 1980s with such hits as "Suspicions" and "Every Which Way but Loose."

This weekend I'll play for you his memorable hits, all of which he wrote or co-wrote himself and walk you through his career in timeline fashion. So be ready for the Rabbitt this weekend on Kick Back Tracks along with plenty of requests like Love’s Been A Little Bit Hard On Me and Five Minutes, along with many tunes that went to #1 this week in country music history like Anne‘s Broken Hearted Me, Crystal’s If You Ever Change Your Mind Steve’s Lynda (just to name a few) plus some forgotten favorites you may not have heard in years!

Great entertainment awaits you This Weekend on Kick Back Tracks! -Prince

15/11/2024

The "Happiest Girl In The Whole USA" shines in the spotlight this week on KBT!

Yep, we're talking about DONNA FARGO who is best known for a series of Top 10 country hits she had during the 1970's, most written by herself, including 6 Number Ones! In addition to having her own success as a singer, she is also recognized as one of the leading country songwriters of the era, as Donna's songs have been recorded by Tammy Wynette, Sonny James, Kitty Wells, Tanya Tucker, Jody Miller, Marty Robbins, Dottie West and many other artists.

Additionally, almost everything Donna recorded for years was self-penned! Thus Donna Fargo ultimately became one of the most successful female country artists of the 1970's. So be ready to hear many of her big hits as I walk you thru her career in timeline fashion and share with you some interesting stories behind some of her songs!

In addition, I'll be playing quite a few tunes that hit #1 this week in Country Music History including the Hag’s Daddy Frank, Randy's I Won't Need You Anymore and Eddy Raven's Bayou Boys (just to mention a few). Plus quite a few requests that came in this week too, including Don McLean's version of Crying. It'll be a Blast this weekend on Kick Back Tracks, so stop on by! -Prince

08/11/2024

This week we'll enjoy an American country singer, guitarist and musician who achieved his greatest fame during Country's "golden" H***y Tonk Era in the 1950's and early 1960's and was a long-time member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1956!

Get ready for some STONEWALL JACKSON! His breakthrough came on the country charts in late 1958 with a song written by a young George Jones, "Life to Go". It peaked at No. 2 in early 1959 and his follow-up record, "Waterloo", was No. 1 for five weeks and crossed over into the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it reached No. 4!! He also became the first artist to join the Grand Ole Opry before obtaining a recording contract. From 1958 to 1971, Stonewall had 35 Top 40 country hits (Many of them Top 10 hits).

Along with Ray Price, Webb Pierce, Carl Smith, Faron Young, Carl Butler, George Jones and Charlie Walker, Stonewall Jackson is considered a cornerstone, after Hank Williams and Lefty Frizzell, of the hard-driving h***y tonk sound in the late 1950s and early 1960s. And you'll be enjoying many of his memorable tunes from that period this week on KBT as I walk you through his career in timeline fashion!

Plus as usual, I'll play many tunes that hit #1 this week in Country Music History including Ricky’s Heartbroke, George’s Check Yes Or No and Marty’s Singing The Blues (along with 13 more)! So drop on by for another Great edition of Kick Back Tracks this weekend and don't be late! -Prince

01/11/2024

Whisperin' BILL ANDERSON turns 87 tomorrow! In honor of his birthday this week, we'll enjoy him in the Spotlight this weekend on KBT!

As I walk you through his career in timeline fashion, you’ll enjoy some of his early tunes you may not have heard in Years! As one of the most successful songwriters in country music history, Bill is also a popular singer, earning the nickname "Whisperin' Bill" for his soft vocal style and occasional spoken narrations. So be ready for some of his most memorable tunes from the 60’s & 70's!

In his career as both a writer and performer, he has been a long time member of the Grand Ole Opry and has received numerous awards from the Academy of Country Music, Country Music Association, Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame as well as being inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame.

Writers and music critics have considered Bill Anderson one of country music's most significant songwriters, not just for the songs he composed years ago, but he's also been the writer or co-writer of plenty of current favorites including writing songs in various musical genres! Quite the talented Man!

Add to that a ton of tunes that hit #1 in Country Music History this very week that I'll play for you too, including Sonny’s Here Comes Honey Again, John Schneider’s I’ve Been Around Enough To Know and Marty’s I Walk Alone along with 14 more! Plus a few requests that came in too which includes Wildfire! And as always a few surprise tunes too! It'll be a blast into the past, so bring a bag of Kit-Kats and join me This Weekend on KBT, Kick Back Tracks! -Prince

25/10/2024

T. GRAHAM BROWN shines in the spotlight this week on KBT!

The fella who started out singing commercial jingles for some big companies ranging from Coca-Cola to Taco Bell, when he first moved to Nashville in 1982 and went on to become a Great Country songwriter and singer with his very soulful and distinctive "Rootsy" Voice. In 2024, he achieved one of country music's crowning achievements when he was invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry! Prior to his induction, he had made over 300 appearances as a guest performer. Over his 40 year career, He has recorded a total of thirteen studio albums, and has charted more than twenty singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. Three of these singles — "Hell and High Water" and "Don't Go to Strangers" from 1986, and "Darlene" from 1988 — reached Number One, and eight more reached Top Ten. You'll hear those Number Ones along with a few more as I walk you through his career in timeline fashion.

Plus you'll hear some very special Forgotten Favorites that hit #1 this week in Country Music History including Conway's First #1, Next In Line, Ronnie’s Let’s Take The Long Way Around The World and Mickey’s I Overlooked an Orchid (just to name a few) along with some of YOUR requests! So be ready for another enjoyable trip back in time this weekend on Kick Back Tracks! -Prince

18/10/2024

The very talented MEL STREET will be in the spotlight this week on KBT!

Before his career ended in tragedy in 1978, Mel Street was a talented hard country singer whose emotional style harked back to the h***y-tonk era of yesteryear. All through the 70's he was consistently getting radio air-play on tunes that remained very traditional and he enjoyed many top 20 and several top 10 hits during that period. Mel worked very hard for years establishing himself on the radio, TV Shows and a rigorous touring schedule. He was finally rewarded with a lucrative new contract with Mercury in 1978 and stardom appeared to be just around the corner. However, he had been battling depression and alcohol problems for some time, and as his touring schedule took more and more of a toll on his family life, he became increasingly unable to cope. Thus sadly he committed su***de on his 43rd birthday in October 1978.

Although his tremendous potential was never fully tapped, his contribution to Country Music during the 70's will always be remembered. I'll be playing some of Mel's most memorable hits and walk you through his life and career in timeline fashion. Also I'll have many tunes to play for you that hit #1 this week in Country Music History including Dave & Sugar’s Tear Time, George Strait’s Easy Come Easy Go and Eddy’s Shine Shine Shine (along with 12 more)! Plus a few requests that came in too! As Ed used to say, a Veeery Biiiiiig Biiiiiig Show awaits you this weekend on Kick Back Tracks! -Prince

11/10/2024

One of the most influential and groundbreaking female artists in Country Music will be in the Spotlight this week on KBT!

We're talking about DOTTIE WEST! As you may know, Dottie was just 58 years old when she died following a 1991 car crash on her way to a Grand Ole Opry performance, but her induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame has long been championed by those who knew her. That induction finally took place in 2018. She was a true pioneer in country music, dominating the male-centric industry in the '60s with 15 albums (she even earned a Grammy along the way!) and teaming up with Kenny Rogers in the '70s and '80s for hits such as "Every Time Two Fools Collide," "All I Ever Need Is You" and "What Are We Doin' in Love." In true West fashion, she nabbed her first No. 1 on her own, with her 1980 solo release "A Lesson in Leavin'."

Thus, In the Spotlight this week, I'll be featuring some of her most memorable songs including her first Top-10 hit "Here Comes My Baby" from 1964 to her final solo #1 from 1981 "Are You Happy Baby." I'll also share the story of her career with you in timeline fashion along with sprinkling in some of her other big tunes that helped shape her career as well.

Add to that enjoying 15 tunes that hit #1 this week in Country Music History including Conway’s I See The Want To In Your Eyes, Clint’s Killin’ Time and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s Fishin’ in the Dark (just to name a few). Plus a few requests that came in too including Dancin’ Cowboys and Love at the Five & Dime! Three hours of PURE CLASSIC COUNTRY on this week’s edition of Kick Back Tracks! Look forward to having you drop by this weekend! -Prince

04/10/2024

A TRUE Country Legend sings for us in the spotlight this weekend on KBT!

I'll be featuring music by MARTY ROBBINS and his hits of the 50's! The singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, and racing driver who had such a sweet voice and could write songs that would put you right into the story. One of the most popular and successful country and western singers of all time for most of his near four-decade career! Marty often topped the country music charts, and several of his songs also had crossover success as pop hits. His music of the 50's had a touch of rockabilly and were also considered Pop/Teen Idol in nature but certainly were Country recordings. Many of these 50's tunes I'll be playing from Marty you may not have heard in years, so you'll be in for a real treat!

Also, I will be playing some memorable tunes from the legendary KRIS KRISTOFFERSON, who passed away peacefully surrounded by his family last Saturday at his home in Maui at age 88.

Plus, as always, many of your Classic Country favorites that hit #1 this week including Steve’s I Got Dreams, Conway’s The Games That Daddies Play and Eddy Arnold’s Just A Little Lovin’ (Along with 9 more!) So, be sure to drop on by this weekend and Don't Go On Alone as you get ready to get dressed for the dance, as Marty will be singin' his tunes from the 50's as well as many of your other Classic Country Favorites on this week’s edition of Kick Back Tracks! -Prince

Kick Back Tracks