Parting Shots

This past July, former presidents of SBCA met for dinner and a tour of the Country Music Hall of Fame. Musician Richie McDonald, solo artist and lead singer of the country music band Lonestar, performed for the group. “It was a very enjoyable time,” said Richard Brown (above right), who served SBCA as president in 1999. “[A reunion event is] something that I’d like to see every year going forward.”

The reunions, he said, are not only a chance for “getting together with old friends,” but also a chance to pass along perspective. “The young fellas, the people who are new to our industry, don’t see where we came from,” Brown said. Restarting the reunion dinner after an eight-year hiatus is one way to maintain a long-term vision of the industry’s progress. “We’ve had setbacks because of the economy,” Brown concedes, “but the path ahead is very bright.” 

Above left, pictured L to R: Lenny Sylk, John Herring, Barry Dixon, Scott Ward, Mike Ruede, Roger Gibbs, Koss Kinser, Dan Holland, Richard Brown, Ben Hershey, Merle Nett, Joe Hikel and Don Groom.