Paper Trails

Fans join in service for Brown

A FOND FAREWELL: Family, friends and fans gathered at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn., Monday morning for a public memorial service to honor longtime Grand Ole Opry member and Sparkman native Jim Ed Brown, who died of cancer June 11 at age 81.

The country music artist gained international fame in the 1950s and 1960s, and he topped country and pop music charts as a member of The Browns family singing trio with songs such as their 1959 No. 1 single "The Three Bells." After sisters Maxine Russell and Bonnie Ring retired to raise their children, he continued with a long, successful solo career.

This spring, Jim Ed Brown and the Browns, the Oak Ridge Boys and the late Grady Martin were announced as the 2015 inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame. During a ceremony this fall, the other inductees will have a medallion placed around their necks, but Brown was presented his by Hall of Fame member Bill Anderson during a special ceremony in Brown's hospital room. Those attending included Hall of Fame executives and some members. The group then sang "Will the Circle be Unbroken."

The memorial service Monday included performances by Brenda Lee, Vince Gill, Crystal Gayle, Craig Morgan, Rhonda Vincent and the Rage, Lady Antebellum, the Gatlin Brothers and the Oak Ridge Boys.

BOOKING IT: Former Hot Springs resident Dave Wasson, who graduated from Lakeside High and currently lives in Pasadena, Calif., has written and illustrated a children's book, The Big Ideas of Buster Bickles, published by HarperCollins. Wasson, who studied animation and filmmaking at the California Institute of the Arts, is an animation director for Disney. He also has worked on cartoons for Nickelodeon and the Cartoon Network, and he is writing and directing the new series of Mickey Mouse shorts for the Disney Channel.

TALES FROM THE ROAD(SHOW): Some interesting tidbits are found in the "frequently asked questions" section of Antiques Roadshow at pbs.org for those who were lucky enough to score tickets to the show's Little Rock visit at the Statehouse Convention Center on July 25. Each ticket-holder (limited to one pair of tickets per household) can bring two items and will receive a free, verbal approximation of their items' value, regardless of whether they are selected to be taped for the show. Children 18 and under must be accompanied by parents or legal guardians, and those 12 and under do not need tickets to attend.

Only ticket-holders with items to be appraised will be admitted. About 70 appraisers (yes, the Keno twins are on the roster) in more than 20 categories will see about 600 people per hour.

Items that won't be appraised? Vehicles, stamps, stock certificates, paper currency, coins, bicycles, tools, fossils, glass fire extinguishers, and explosives or hazardous materials. Episodes filmed here will air next season, beginning in January.

Contact Linda S. Haymes at (501) 399-3636 or lhaymes@arkansasonline.com

SundayMonday on 06/21/2015

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