Talk:Donny Kees

When did he move to Nashville?

@Twelve31 I was taking a look at the The Charleston Gazette sources I had found on ProQuest to which you do not have access and there are discrepancies between them and the Tennessean article:

• "Later in 1968, while many young people in America were still on the high from the Summer of Love, Kees was in Nashville trying to peddle songs. Producers weren't listening, so Kees signed a record deal instead. Kees' break as a songwriter finally came in 1972. His first song to be recorded by a major artist came in 1979, when Conway Twitty recorded "Riverboat Gambler." Kees decided it was time to move to Nashville full time." - Rusty, Charleston Gazette, April 2003, footnote 2
  • Note this one also says "Kees was born in the small mining town of Carbondale and moved with his family to Chesapeake, where valuable life lessons were learned early, he said." so you can re-add he was born in Carbondale using this source
• "He moved to Nashville in 1968 to pursue a songwriting career and thus began a 40-year journey that continues today in the country music industry." - Thomas, Charleston Gazette, April 2003, footnote 3
  • Other potential useful bits from that source are Kees made his musical stage debut in Chesapeake. "There was a little joint in Chesapeake back in those days called Ralph's. It was the first place I ever played with my own band. When Ralph was living, I tried to get up to Chesapeake to see him and his wife, June, when I would come in from Nashville or off the road. It was quite a place, and Ralph was quite a character, but a great guy if you were on his 'good side,'" Kees recalled.
  • Kees attributes his career course and passion for music specifically to his late father's influence. "My entire inspiration for music and songwriting is directly associated with my dad. I really never wanted to do anything else but to be involved in music. His passion for music, even though he had a regular job selling insurance by the time I was old enough to be involved, was instilled in me very early.
• "In 1984"..."Kees moved here to write." - Edwards, Tennessean , August 1990, footnote 4

Can you provide any clarification? S0091 (talk) 21:05, 3 January 2024 (UTC)

@S0091 While he made many trips to Nashville over the years as well as Muscle Shoals, he didn't move here until 1984. The Conway Twitty song was released in 1986, on this album: Fallin' for You for Years (album). Maybe they got the dates mixed up and meant he moved here in 86 not 68. In 1968 he was in Vietnam and in 1969 he was in Germany and didn't return to the states until 1970.

Now he moved to work in Nashville as a songwriter in 1984 but lived in Portland TN which is just north of Nashville and didn't actually move to the city until 86. Maybe that is the confusion in some of the sources.

The stage debut at Ralph's, all true. In fact, years later, Donny had a 5 time platinum award made of the Pure Country album after it had surpassed 5 million sales, and gave it to Ralph. It said, "Thanks for the start".

Also, the influence of his father, all true. His father was a trumpet player and had spent time playing Jazz in New Orleans. Twelve31 (talk) 21:38, 3 January 2024 (UTC)

@S0091 Ok I added a few lines into the early life section. Feel free to reword them, however, I don't have the links to create the citations. Can you add those? Twelve31 (talk) 22:03, 3 January 2024 (UTC)

@Twelve31 I expanded and made some changes to the Early life section and did a little restructuring. I also saw you had changed the language about Brokenheartsville being his first no. 1 hit, switching it from Kees to Nichols. However, Billboard explicitly states it was Kees' first no. 1. Looking at the Billboard article and charting of both Brokenheartsville and I Believe, they are referring the main "Hot" charts, so I updated it to clarify it was Kees' first no. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart (too many charts!). I also removed his DOB from the Infobox since it is unsourced and made a couple tweaks. For something like DOB, Wikipedia will accept social media postings from the subject's verified account or personal website but I didn't find anything on his website. Let me know if you have any concerns. S0091 (talk) 19:31, 4 January 2024 (UTC)

And a question...when did he play with Don Juans? What that the band he was with for his first performance? S0091 (talk) 19:53, 4 January 2024 (UTC)

@S0091 The don juans started in Junior high and went about 3 years into high school. It was the band he was with at his first performance at Ralph's. Twelve31 (talk) 20:28, 4 January 2024 (UTC)

@S0091 Good question. Now that I look at it, it is a bit confusing. Looks like in 1996 his and Ewing song, "Im Not Supposed to Love You Anymore" peaked at number 4 on billboard. However, I believe it went number 1 on R&R (Records & Radio) charts. He has a number one award for that song, I have seen it haha!. I guess technically, they way you have it laid out is correct if the US billboard chart is the standard. I know back in the 90's, R&R charts were considered the main one for Country in Nashville.

The Don Juans was a high school band. Twelve31 (talk) 20:12, 4 January 2024 (UTC)

@S0091 The revisions and wording are great that you did. Plus the sources you found! Thank you! Twelve31 (talk) 20:15, 4 January 2024 (UTC)

@S0091 On the chart thing. It is very confusing. He has awards for 4 number one singles. However only two reached the top spot on Billboard. Not sure what to do about that information.

These five songs were all BMI award winners:

When Did You Stop Loving Me

I'm Not Supposed to Love You Anymore

If I Never Stop Loving You (song)

Brokenheartsville

I Believe (Diamond Rio song)

Of those, only "When did you stop loving me" did not reach number one on either chart. I believe it peaked at 6 on billboard and 3 on R&R. I can't seem to find any of the R&R chart records though. Twelve31 (talk) 20:24, 4 January 2024 (UTC)

For R&R (magazine), check this archive I just found. I think adding an Awards and nominations section may also help because charting and awards to two different things. S0091 (talk) 20:37, 4 January 2024 (UTC)

@S0091 Yes, June 7th issue 1996, Bryan White "I'm Not Supposed to Love You Anymore" Number 1.

So should I denote that it was R&R on that chart I have in the article? Twelve31 (talk) 20:56, 4 January 2024 (UTC)

R&R is not a recognized chart, at least that could tell from looking at WP:CHART (double check me though) so should be removed from the table. However, you can add it the prose with the R&R source and I think it would be fair to say something like it was his first no. 1 on a country music chart. I am assuming folks who are familiar with country music during that time will understand the meaning of charting on R&R. S0091 (talk) 21:17, 4 January 2024 (UTC)

@S0091 Will do. Very strange. It's not listed on the do not use section but also not on the US "recommended" section. I remember it being the standard during that time for the publishers in Nashville. Twelve31 (talk) 21:32, 4 January 2024 (UTC)

@Twelve31 A guess, but likely because it is only relevant to a specific genre, rather than being THE chart for all major genres for an entire country. S0091 (talk) 21:39, 4 January 2024 (UTC)

@S0091 if you look through the issues, they chart every genre. However, I just know that back during that time, Music Row used that chart as the standard, Doesn't really matter, I just want to get it right. I think what we have now works concerning that. Twelve31 (talk) 21:47, 4 January 2024 (UTC)

@S0091 OK I think this works now with the charting and I cited the source in the body where we already had this listed as a number one. Twelve31 (talk) 21:44, 4 January 2024 (UTC)

OK I made the changes to the singles chart and cited a source for the two that had higher peaks on R&R. Twelve31 (talk) 21:17, 4 January 2024 (UTC)