
Posted by Doris Gath on June 23, 2008, 6:51 am, in reply to "Re: Bill Rains, Bilings, MT"
Message modified by board administrator June 23, 2008, 7:14 am
Hi Joyce:
Good for you! What an honor to be invited to an unveiling of this marvelous sculptor's newest project.
Have a good, safe trip and tell us all about it when you get back.
Always for Jim, Doris
--Previous Message--
: Joyce, I found your story about sculptor Bill
: Rains quite fascinating. I'm not sure if
: I've ever seen any of his work, but from
: what you've said, he must be very good. A
: few questions: Where is the sculpture of Jim
: today because I would really like to see it!
: I wanted to hear more about the Elvis
: sculpture as well. You said that you and
: Bill had delivered it to Graceland in 1986.
: Did you present it to Priscilla or Lisa
: Marie Presley? Is it on display at
: Graceland today? I've always been intrigued
: by the relationship between Jim and Elvis,
: probably because not a lot has been written
: about it. I've heard Jim make a few comments
: here and there about Elvis, but I've never
: heard or read any comments from Elvis about
: Jim. I know they worked together briefly on
: the Hayride but I always wondered what they
: thought of each other as performers.
:
: --Previous Message--
: Hi Everyone:
:
: On Jun2 29th. Bronze Sculptor, Bill Rains
: will be unveiling his bigger than life
: bronze of baseball's great Dave McNally.
: Dave was with the Baltimore Orioles and I'm
: told that he is the only professional
: pitcher to have hit a grand slam home run in
: a World Series game. He passed away about 5
: years ago.
:
: This will probably be Bills last bigger than
: life bronze of a human being. Prior to this
: one Bill did some country music artists and
: some old west figures.
:
: Jim was the very first country artist that
: Bill did, but it was only 30 inches high.
: He did one of Ernest Tubb the same way.
: Later David McCormick, owner of The Ernest
: Tubb Record Shops commissioned Bill to do a
: bigger than life bronze of Ernest which is
: located at The ErnestTubb Record Shop in the
: Music Valley area of Nashville.
:
: He has also done Hank Williams, Sr., Johnny
: Cash (Johnny cried when he saw his), Hank
: Snow, Buck Owens, George Jones, Merle
: Haggard and Willie Nelson. Of the newer
: artists, he has done Garth Brooks.
:
: Bill has invited me to come and be a part of
: the unveiling as he says I am a part of his
: history and since I have known him since
: 1975 and worked with him in selecting photos
: for the one of Jim, I guess I am a little
: part of his history.
:
: In 1986, we took the 3-phase bronze of Elvis
: that Bill had done to Memphis and to
: Graceland. Bill, his wife Melissa and their
: son Dustin had stayed with me and we all
: took it using my "Country
: Cadillac" (a pontiac station wagon)and
: a U-Haul.
:
: I am very honored to be asked to be a part
: of Bill's history and will be driving to
: Billings on the 28th. Jim is still keeping
: folks together because if it wasn't for Bill
: wanting to do Jim, I would never have met
: him. This sort of thing along with of
: course his music is what makes Jim the
: legend that he is.
:
: Just wanted to share this with you and again
: thank you for being loyal fans and friends
: to Jim.
:
: Always for you Jim
:
: Joyce
:
:
:
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