(1905-1977) – Born in Spiro, Oklahoma, Albert E. Brumley moved to Hartford, Arkansas in 1926 where he studied with E. M. Bartlett at the Hartford Music Institute. He was one of the most beloved and prolific songwriters in Southern Gospel Music history. Among the 700 songs penned by Brumley are the gospel standards “I’ll Fly Away,” “Jesus, Hold My Hand,” “Turn Your Radio On,” “If We Never Meet Again,” “I’d Rather Be An Old-Time Christian,” and “I’ll Meet You in the Morning.” Brumley was inducted into the Nashville Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in 1977. www.therestorationmovement.com/brumley

 (b. 1960) – Birth name Floyd Elliott Wray, this country music singer was born in DeQueen. His hits include “Love Me, “In This Life,” “All I Can Be,” and “Little Rock.” He has had a total of fifteen No. 1 singles, eight Top 5 singles, fifteen No. 1 videos, four CMT Top 100 Videos of All Times, appeared in seventeen television specials and numerous television programs. The Country Radio Broadcasters gave Raye its Humanitarian Award in 2001 to recognize his charity efforts, especially those pertaining to Special Olympics, Al-Anon, and Childhelp USA. His hometown of DeQueen has a celebration “CollinFest” every summer honoring this hometown hero who gives back to its citizens through charitable projects in the DeQueen and Sevier County area. www.collinraye.com

 (b. 1939) – Born William Edwin Bruce Jr. in Keiser, Arkansas on December 29, 1939, like so many other artists, this country music singer and song writer got his start as a rockabilly act for Memphis’ famed Sun Records. His label-mates included Jerry Lee Lewis, Charlie Rich and Johnny Cash. He is best known for penning the song, “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys.” His acting career in both television and the movies, includes the CBS mini-series “The Chisolms,” the NBC movie “The Return of Frank and Jesse James,” a co-starring role in “Bret Maverick” with James Garner, and the role of Sheriff Lloyd in the Steven Segal feature “Fire Down Below.” www.edbruce.com

 (b. 1949) – A producer on Broadway and around the world since 1989, Williams received the Tony Award for Best Musical for her production of “Crazy for You” (1992) plus the Best Revival Tony for both “The Real Thing” (1999) and for “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (2000). Together, with partner Anita Waxman, Waxman Williams Entertainment has garnered 71 Tony nominations and 16 Tony Awards, more than any female producing team in history. Ms. Williams’ and Ms. Waxman’s recent Broadway productions include “Bombay Dreams,” “Gypsy,” “Flower Drum Song,” “Topdog/Underdog” and “Noises Off;” along with London West End productions of “By the Bog of Cats,” “Ragtime” and “Hitchcock Blonde.” In addition, her Four Corners Productions company is responsible for “Crazy for You,” “Into the Woods,” “the Secret Garden” and “Moon Over Buffalo.” From 1984-1989, she served as vice president of Mutual Benefit Productions and Fifth Avenue Productions, which created art and theatre investment funds. The company also served as the American financiers for Cameron Mackintosh by syndicating theatrical partnerships and helping finance the West End, Broadway, Australian and U.S. national touring companies of “Les Miserables,” “Phantom of the Opera” and “Miss Saigon.” Williams has served on the board of directors of the 52nd Street Project and is a past chair of the board of directors of the New York Theatre Workshop. www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net 

 (b. 1932) – Jim Porter was born in Little Rock in 1932. He graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1954 and entered the family businesses of warehousing, moving and storage, food and appliance distribution. But it was the music business that called Porter; not as a performer, but as an agent and manager and as a promoter of famous jazz artists. Porter presented such artists as Ray Charles, Count Basie, Lionel Hampton, Dizzy Gillespie, Erroll Garner, Louis Armstrong, Ramsey Lewis, Pete Fountain, Al Hirt, Stan Kenton, Harry James, Four Freshmen, George Shearing, Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Woody Herman, Dave Brubeck, Buddy Rich, and Maynard Ferguson. Porter’s long and outstanding career with promoting jazz in Arkansas is the reason he was inducted into the Arkansas Jazz Hall of Fame. www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net

 (b. 1954) – Former rock star in the late 1960s, with the group Mason Proffit, pioneered the Country Rock that became the mainstay of modern Country Music. Now a moving force in Christian music, Talbot leads the monastic-style Little Portion, a Roman Catholic community a few miles east of Eureka Springs. Catholic music’s number one recording artist with sales of around four million records worldwide, Talbot’s numerous awards include nine Dove award nominations, a Dove Award for the album “Light Eternal,” and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) President’s Merit Award for “Song of the Poor.” www.johnmichaeltalbot.com

 (1927-2005) – A Brinkley native, Weston was born on December 12, 1927. The singer/songwriter combined fine songwriting with a deep Delta Blues style. A self-taught harmonicaist and guitarist, John began performing in 1970 and by 1977 had built a local audience in Marianna where he was living. His lyrics, which grew from his personal experience, reflect the humor and irony of daily life. He became a popular festival performer in the Delta and all over the world. He performed solo for many years although he occasionally played with a band. In 1989, John won the Lucille Award (named after blues singer B.B. King’s infamous guitar) at the Handy Awards in Memphis. In 1995 he began performing as a duo with Little Rock slide guitarist Mark Simpson. His CD “Got To Deal With The Blues” contains several cuts featuring the two. On April 20, 1996, John Weston and Mark Simpson performed in Jonesboro at Hairy Larry’s. The performance was taped for broadcast on “Something Blue.” www.deltaboogie.com

 (b. 1954) – Born September 14, 1954, the career of Lawrence Hamilton has been paved with bold and creative achievements worldwide. A native of Foreman, Arkansas he attended the Foreman Public Schools and received a Bachelor of Music Education Degree from Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. He served as musical director for opera star Jessye Norman, performed at the White House, for Pope Paul II at the Vatican, and in concert with the legendary Lena Horne. At the Arkansas Repertory Theatre he appeared as Whining Boy in “The Piano Lesson,” created Souvenir (an evening of song featuring the works of Randy Goodrum) and directed the 2006 production of “Crowns.” An inductee into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame and Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame, he currently serves as the Director of Choral Activities at Philander Smith College in Little Rock. www.lawrencehamilton.com

 (1928-1975) – William Orville “Lefty” Frizzell was born on March 31, 1928 in Corsicana, Texas. His family moved shortly after his birth to El Dorado, Arkansas where they remained until the early 1940s. He was an American country music singer and songwriter of the 1950s and a leading exponent of the “honky tonk” style of country music. His relaxed style of singing was a major influence on such later stars as Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson. His song “Saginaw, Michigan,” which was released in 1964, earned him a Grammy Award nomination. In 1972, Lefty Frizzell was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1982. He was also the first country star to have his name enshrined on Hollywood’s “Walkway of the Stars.” His song “If You’ve Got the Money, I’ve Got the Time” earned him a Grammy Hall of Fame Award. www.rockabillyhall.com/LeftyFrizzell