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Country Artist Bobby Joe Ryman Gets Back to the U.S.S.R. With Long Lost Release From Behind the Iron Curtain
by Rich and Laura Lynch
The story goes that country artist Bobby Joe Ryman was a novelty act in Nashville in the late 70's and 80's who was also competing for the title of the "hardest working man in show business." Now, a long-lost album that was a hit in the Soviet Union is readying a release in the States under the title of Country Boy In Moscow.
Bobby Joe Ryman is prepping a release of a Country Boy In Moscow in Nashville.
In the late 1980's - as the spirit of Glasnost was spreading across Russia and its vast territories - Bobby Joe Ryman was a restaurateur and performer singing for eight and nine hours a day at the Melrose House Restaurant in Berry Hill. There, he entertained hundreds of diners a day - selling them his prolific number of releases on cassette tape format, signing publicity photos and passing the tip hat - all while perfecting his impersonations of 132 country voices past and present.
It was this well-oiled version of Bobby Joe Ryman that made his way to the MIDEM convention in Europe accompanied by his then manager Stan Cornelius. Apparently, the Russians loved him and made the likable character the first American artist ever signed to a Russian recording contract when he secured a deal with the Soviet-state label Melodiya. The album was a hit selling 5 to 6 million copies behind the Iron Curtain. But, much to Ryman's chagrin, a promised American version and its attendant royalty payouts never materialized in the States.
Bobby Joe Ryman at the offices of Nashville City Productions.
That is until now. Bobby Joe Ryman has taken the remnants and historical records of the project to the offices of Phil Harris and Nashville City Productions to produce a new version of the album for his fans in Music City and beyond. The 12 songs on Country Boy In Moscow represent a high quality take on the Nashville sound made popular decades ago that also puts Ryman's quality impersonation skills on display. The original title track recalls Elvis at his country peak while "All The Girls" find the singer doing his best Willie Nelson. On other selections the more authentic voice of Bobby Joe Ryman moves to the forefront.
On the strength of his original release, Bobby Joe Ryman became a legitimate country music star in Russia who made several trips from Nashville to Moscow to take advantage of his good fortune while visiting his adoring fans - especially the Russian ladies - who still remember him and his music to this day. Now, he gets a chance to relive those glory days in his own homeland at a time when Russian/American relations dominate the headlines once again. Funny how the more things change the more they stay the same. For Bobby Joe Ryman, hopefully everything about that adage will apply with the coming release of Country Boy In Moscow. Well, everything except for the royalties mix up - he is a capitalist after all.
As this photo proves, Bobby Joe Ryman was a very prolific artist back in his day.
Related Links:
For more information on BOBBY JOE RYMAN and the other organizations mentioned please visit the following links -
U.S.S.R. |
Nashville City Productions, Inc.
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