Chubby Howard plays a little travelin' music on Saturday mornings

One of these Saturday mornings, I hope Chubby Howard will play Buck Owens' "They're Gonna Put Me in the Movies," and dedicate it to Colin Ryan.

And all he's gotta do is "Act Naturally."

OK. Maybe the song is actually "Act Naturally." I'm not sure.

What I am sure is this, Buck Owens' country classic was part of the "Remember the Titans" soundtrack. And Colin and I love that movie.

Colin, for those of you who may not know, is my favorite son. Colin's dad – and both of his grandfathers – appreciate old-style country music much more than he does.

Chubby Howard, for those of you who may not know, is one of my favorite Saturday morning radio show hosts.

When he's not hanging out at Tudor's Biscuit World – at the corner of West Second Street and Allison Avenue in Xenia – Chubby can be heard on WKFI AM 1090 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on most Saturdays.

As it happens, on most Saturdays, my son and I are usually making a few newspaper deliveries and checking on our overall circulation. (Route checks, we call them.)

We also listen to the radio. We – or perhaps more accurately, I – especially enjoy the Chubby Howard show.

Whether he's talking about the Jamestown Bean Festival (I like beans and cornbread, but don't forget the diced raw onions on top), or scrambled eggs and sausage at Tudor's, Chubby is the perfect classic country music radio show host.

In fact, he brings to classic country what Marty Brennaman brings to Reds baseball.

The radio station website at www.myclassiccountry.com calls Chubby "an encyclopedia of country music folklore" and "one of Ohio's most renowned steel guitar players."

What Colin and I like most about Chubby are the stories he tells before or after playing his fans' country music requests.

The other morning he played a Patty Loveless song, but not before sharing with listeners that she is a great person as well as a talented musician.

When Randy Travis – who has as many or more No. 1 hits as George Jones – got into a little trouble down in Texas this past summer, it was just before his concert in Franklin, Ohio. Chubby was there. He talked about Randy Travis and his music. What happened in Texas stayed in Texas.

That's what I like about Chubby's show. He'll start to play a Merle Haggard tune or a George Jones tune or a Johnny Paycheck tune and then tell a little story about the artist.

Chubby's been around, you know.

In addition to playing the steel guitar, Chubby might even talk about playing football, back in the day. He'll mention the Fraternal Order of Eagles and the Veterans of Foreign Wars and their lodges where he often plays his own style of country music.

In fact, if my sources are correct, Chubby Howard's 15th annual Steel Guitar Jamboree is set for this Sunday, Oct. 7 at the Fairborn Eagles Aerie. And I think he may have played at this year's Greene Countrie Towne Festival in Greenfield along with Eric Huff. (I'm sure George Foltz will let me know if I'm wrong!)

When Chubby's on the air, he'll talk about Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers. Maybe mention Bucks Braun or Roy Hatfield, too. (The other day, maybe two or three weeks back, Bucks Braun took exception to someone who emailed his displeasure with Bucks over helping a listener win a trivia contest. The next caller didn't get any help whatsoever – just the correct answer. You have to appreciate the guy's sense of humor.)

What I appreciate about Chubby – in addition to his down-home style – is that his station is the only place where I can listen to:

• Patti Page's "Tennessee Waltz."

• "Crazy," by both Patsy Cline and Willie Nelson.

• "Chiseled in Stone," by Vern Gosdin.

• Anything at all by Gentleman Jim Reeves.

• "Walkin' the Floor" and "Waltz Across Texas," by Ernest Tubb.

• Bobby Bare's "Detroit City."

• "Honky Tonk Angels," by Kitty Wells.

• Anything by Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys.

• Hank Williams. (Senior and Junior.)

• Alan Jackson.

• Possum.

• Cash.

• Price.

• "Old Dogs, Children, and Watermelon Wine," by Tom T. Hall.

• Sammie Smith's version of "Help Me Make It Through The Night."

• Waylon.

• Willie.

• And The Boys from Bakersfield. Buck, Merle and Dwight.

Thank you, Chubby. And thank you AM 1090 for playing classic country music in southern Ohio. Since R. Phil and Betty Marie Kilgore left local radio several years ago, 1090 is one of the last (local) radio bastions of real country music.

We'll be listening on Saturday morning. Thanks, again, Chubby. If you're ever in Hillsboro, please stop by 128 South High Street. You're always welcome.

Rory Ryan is publisher of The Highland County Press. He played Christmas music in the office on Monday, Oct. 1 and was told not to do it again before December. His George Jones CD is ready to hit the play button tomorrow...