I had a wonderful afternoon in the Western music world. Nashville friends Keenan Wade and Grace Adele, the husband-and-wife duo who perform under the name “The Farmer and Adele,” arrived here in Los Angeles for a meetup at the Gene Autry Museum in Griffith Park. Sage Guyton, the leader of the Lucky Stars Western swing band (who works for the Autry Museum) arranged for a behind-the-scenes visit at the museum.
I really wanted Keenan and Grace to meet Marilyn Tuttle, the 97-year-old Western singer, Town Hall Party television star, and widow of 1940s Capitol Records star Wesley Tuttle.
I picked up Marilyn at the Tuttle home in San Fernando, where she has lived since 1957, and we drove to the Autry Museum to meet the others. After a bit of talking and visiting, instruments were brought out and Keenan and Grace began to sing 1930s and 1940s Western songs in two-part harmony. Marilyn immediately jumped in, singing a third-part harmony like the seasoned show-business professional that she was and is.
Harmony singing is not easy; singing third-part harmony is even more difficult; and hitting that blend of specific harmony parts that make up the original Western music sound of the 1930s and 1940s is almost a completely lost art. But there was Marilyn, singing along, hitting those third parts naturally, doing something she had been doing since the 1930s. It was something to behold. I might have got a few goosebumps. I think all of us choked up a little.
We were then kindly treated to a tour of the backstage vault at the Autry Museum, but I was told not to post any photos. I will just tell you, it was as amazing as you would imagine.
Driving back to her house in the San Fernando Valley, the diminutive cowgirl Western singer in the passenger seat leaned over and said to me: “This might have been the best day ever.”
If I live to be 97 years old, I hope I can be like Marilyn. One of my favorite people, just an absolute sweetheart. Thanks to Sage and the people at the Autry Museum for accommodating us, Keenan and Grace and their 13-month old daughter Vera (what a cute little kid!). It WAS a great day!
