----- Original Message -----

From: Randy Bridges

To: skeeter@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Saturday, May 27, 2006 8:12 PM

Subject: Re: [skeeter] Bettie Walker & Golden Voice Awards

I got an email from one of my groups,crazyforpatsycline, that Joshua had passed away from his injuries, too. Much needed prayers go out to the Walker Family. Randy

"Larry L. Stout" <gowdy@...> wrote:

Nola, you mentioned the death of Billy Walker.  As most of you know
in the same auto accident, Billy was killed as was his wife Bettie
and 2 band members, Charles Lilly and Danny Patton.  Also injured
and in critical condition was Bettie's grandson Joshua Brooks, age
21 (he needs our prayers). 
Of course, Billy and Bettie were good friends of Skeeter and both
were very active in their church with Billy being an Elder in the
church.
Did you know that it was Bettie that started the Golden Voice Awards
in 1999 to honor the forgotten legends in country music?  Kitty
Wells won the Female Vocalist the first year and Skeeter won it in
2000, Connie Smith in 2001, Jan Howard in 2002 (she gave hers to
Goldie Hill-Smith) and finally Jean Shepard in 2003 (the final year
for the awards).  There were other catagories including Career
Achievement which was won in 2002 by Billy.  I sat next to Skeeter
in 2000 when she won that award and she was thrilled, to say the
least.  And, needless to say, it was one of the greatest thrills in
my life to be not only be present but to be sitting next to her. 
I have to relate a funny story that happened at the awards.  Ex,
Ralph Emery, was up for DJ of the year.  Just before that catagory
was announced, Skeeter got up and left for the bathroom.  While she
was gone, the winner was announced and it wasn't Ralph.  Skeeter
returned shortly afterwards and asked me if he won.  I said no, and
she said "good."  Then she laughed and said that people would think
that the reason she got up and left was that she didn't want to be
present at the time if he had won but she said wasn't the reason ...
she really had to go to the bathroom.
So, it was Bettie Walker that was responsible for these awards.  She
was one of my email buddies that I used to correspond with and
exchange jokes.  She, Billy and the 2 band members will be greatly
missed at the Opry and in country music as a whole.  Thank God for
Vince Gill at the ACM awards for mentioning it.  If he hadn't, the
whole evening would have gone by without any mention.  Of course,
the majority of today's fans probably was wondering what he was
talking about.  It is a shame that the true legends are honored by
the industry.

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