A highlight of every concert I’ve seen by Willie Nelson has been hearing him introduce members of his longtime band, then when he gets to drummer Paul English, sing “Me and Paul,” written about some of their experiences. English officially joined the “family,” as Nelson called his band, in 1966, though they met a decade earlier. So I was sad to see that English died on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2020 after suffering from pneumonia. He was 87.
Paul English brushes the snare drum during “Me and Paul” on Oct. 5, 2012 in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Willie Nelson was among performers at that year’s Johnny Cash Heritage Festival. Photos: Michael Hibblen
While covering the annual Johnny Cash Heritage Festival on Oct. 5, 2012, I was able to shoot photos of Nelson and family from the pit in front of the state. The festival raises money to restore and maintain Cash’s boyhood home in Dyess, Arkansas. Cash and Nelson had long been friends, performed together in the supergroup the Highwaymen, and released a live album together in 1998 — the incredible VH1 Storytellers, in which they alternated stories and songs. So it seemed a natural that Nelson would perform to help support the project for his late friend’s home, which had its roots in a New Deal program during the Great Depression.
Willie Nelson at the Oct. 5, 2012 concert in Jonesboro, Ark.
As I heard Nelson introduce “Me and Paul,” it was great to see a spotlight shine on the drummer, providing amazing lighting to get a photo of English in his signature hat and black outfit. I interviewed Nelson in 2005, with audio and photos of that, as well as photos from the 2012 concert at this link.
English had a colorful history, not only providing rhythm for Nelson, but also serving as his protector. The Oxford American (which is based in Arkansas) detailed that history in a 2015 article titled “Watching Willie’s Back,” which delved into the many roles English held over the years. That included being road manager, and in the early years, being the strong-armed collector of payments from club owners for the band. Armed with a pistol in his boot, he was prepared to protect anyone that threatened Nelson or the band. RIP Paul English.
Veteran reporter, editor and manager at newspapers, radio and television stations. I’m also a photographer, historian and author, having written the 2017 book Rock Island Railroad in Arkansas.
About two or three times a year I get the pleasure of sitting in for Flap Jones hosting her alternative country program Not Necessarily Nashville on KUAR. On Saturday, June 22, I filled in playing several songs from Willie Nelson’s new album Ride Me Back Home, which had been released the previous day. I also aired some James McMurtry, Marshall Tucker Band, Gram Parsons, Joe Ely, Tom T. Hall and an advance track from an album Rodney Crowell will be releasing in August.
I also featured an interview in the second hour with Dr. Ruth Hawkins, director of the Arkansas Heritage Sites program, who has been key in overseeing the restoration of Johnny Cash’s boyhood home in Dyess, Arkansas. I’d interviewed her many times over the last decade about the project and, as she is about to retire at the end of June, wanted to hear her thoughts looking back. This interview was conducted by Johnathan Reaves, news director of our partner station KASU in Jonesboro.
AUDIO: Hear the first hour of KUAR’s Not Necessarily Nashville, June 22, 2019.
AUDIO: Hear the second hour of KUAR’s Not Necessarily Nashville, June 22, 2019, which begins with the interview with Dr. Ruth Hawkins about her work overseeing the restoration of Johnny Cash’s boyhood home.
Among the recollections shared by Hawkins was bringing Cash’s siblings through the house after the restoration was complete in 2012. I was there that morning and ended up using audio from that to produce a six minute feature about the project that aired nationwide on NPR’s Weekend Edition. You can hear that report here.
Dr. Hawkins (left) taking notes as Johnny Cash’s siblings got the first tour of their childhood home on Oct. 6, 2012 after its restoration had been completed. Here Tommy Cash is inspecting a cabinet as sister Joanne Cash Yates looks on. Photo: Michael Hibblen.
I always enjoy filling in for Flap on Not Necessarily Nashville. It’s a changed of pace from my current job as news director and reminds me of my early days in radio when I was a disc jockey, sitting back and just enjoying the music.
Veteran reporter, editor and manager at newspapers, radio and television stations. I’m also a photographer, historian and author, having written the 2017 book Rock Island Railroad in Arkansas.
It’s probably safe to say most people from my generation were familiar with Bob Dorough, even if they didn’t know his name. He was musical director of Schoolhouse Rock!, the animated television series that ran during the 1970s and early ’80s on Saturday mornings between cartoons on ABC. He also wrote and sang on many of the catchy three-minute songs that taught math, grammar and civics lessons, including the songs “Three Is a Magic Number” and “Conjunction Junction.”
Dorough was born in Cherry Hill, Arkansas in 1923, grew up in Texas and became part of the New York jazz scene in the 1950s. When we got word at KUAR Monday, April 23 that he had died that day in Mount Bethel, Pennsylvania at age 94, I reached out to musicologist Stephen Koch, host of the weekly Arkansongs feature that runs on public radio stations in the state. He met Dorough several times over the years in Arkansas and recorded an interview in 2006. With the interview, Stephen’s comments and clips of his music, I prepared an obituary for KUAR, which you can read here, as well as hear a five minute report I produced for the following morning.
AUDIO: Hear my report for KUAR on the death of Bob Dorough, which aired Tuesday, April 25.
I thought I knew a lot about Dorough, but learned a lot more while reporting on this. It was sad that we’d lost another musical treasure who got his start in Arkansas, but he had a great long life! I also filed a report that aired nationally on NPR’s All Things Considered.
Veteran reporter, editor and manager at newspapers, radio and television stations. I’m also a photographer, historian and author, having written the 2017 book Rock Island Railroad in Arkansas.
This is the online home of Michael Hibblen, managing editor of Newsroom Ventures, which publishes six Arkansas newspapers. I've worked as a reporter, editor and manager for newspapers, radio and TV stations for more than three decades, with this website telling the story of my career. Also featured are outside interests I've researched. The views expressed here are my own and might not reflect those of my employers.
Preserving the Rock Island Depot at Perry
Since 2017, I've been part of a group working to preserve the former Rock Island Depot at Perry, Arkansas. To keep it from being demolished, we raised money to move the depot to an adjacent lot, still alongside the tracks, which is now owned by the city. The building has since been listed on the National Register of Historic Places and our group has become a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PRESERVATION OF THE DEPOT.
My Book
Released by Arcadia Publishing in 2017, Rock Island Railroad in Arkansas delves into the history of the railroad, which once had a huge footprint in Arkansas. The book features historic photos and tells the story of the Rock Island, which was shut down in March 1980. READ MORE ABOUT MY BOOK.
For 13 years, from May 2009 to December 2022, I worked for NPR station KUAR-FM 89.1 at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. That included 10 years as News Director while continuing to anchor and report. You can read and hear reports from that time on Little Rock Public Radio's website.
