This is a message Jack Williams has sent to his contacts with the Mickey Newbury fans....  I wanted to include it here as well.

     I've been asked, by a few fans and friends of Mickey's music, about the new CD, "How I Love Them Old Songs - Ronny Cox Sings Mickey Newbury". I'll start by saying that Ronny knew Mickey well, and was among a great number of friends whom Mickey would call up, in the dead of night, just to sing his new songs on the speakerphone. Ronny's incredible memory (as a full-time movie/tv actor) served him well in learning dozens of the songs of Mickey's that he loved. The album is a real labor of love.

     There are some fans who were especially drawn to Mickey's rich and unique singing voice. It's important to understand that Ronny Cox makes no pretense at being able to interpret this music with anything like the voice Mickey had. (And who could sing it like Mickey? And why should one bother to try?) Ronny's love for the Songs themselves is abundantly clear from his sensitive interpretations. He's always been more of a storyteller than a singer, but he brings a sensitivity and an understanding to these familiar songs which I - and other listeners - find quite moving.

    I was eager and willing to participate in the project for several reasons: for one, I had a chance to once again to accompany 12 of the great songs which I had played hundreds of times on the road with Mickey. Also, I was given the opportunity to arrange these songs the way I had always wanted to hear them - for instance, using a real string quartet to accompany four of the songs like I'd always felt they deserved to be arranged, rather than using a single keyboardist who would merely improvise with synthesized string parts. All of the accompanying musicians are excellent, such as Freebo on tuba! (remember him from Bonnie Raitt's great band), and Phil Parlapiano on mandolin and accordion (accompanied John Prine and many others).  And of course, Ronny's son, John on the fretless bass.

   The Americana Award, the Folk Alliance Tribute, and the presence on the market of TWO albums of Mickey Newbury songs gives much welcome assistance to all of us who wish to make this great American music more accessible to a larger audience. I ask for your support in spreading the word about these CDs and events, for the sake of Mickey Newbury's legacy.

    Ronny Cox is an active singer/songwriter who "moonlights" as a well-known movie, TV, and stage actor. He has several CDs of original and cover songs to his credit. Visit him at ronnycox.com. You can see his performances as Drew, the guitar-playing adventurer in "Deliverance", as Woody Guthrie's pal in "Bound for Glory", as well as in "Beverly Hills Cop", "RoboCop", "Taps", "Murder at 1600" (one of his five roles as president of the U.S.), TV shows "St. Elsewhere", "Stargate SG-1", "Star Trek", "Desperate Housewives" (a tongue-in-cheek role as husband to Carol Burnette) and about 80 other major roles. At either of our websites (mine is JackWilliamsMusic.com) you can sign onto our mail-lists and be informed of when we'll will be coming to your area to perform together. We're looking forward to playing Mickey's songs together on the road. I believe you'll enjoy Ronny's stories and songs, and I'd be happy to play for you, as well.
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I'm going to Folk Alliance in Feb. and I'm going to do several showcases there with my friend Jack Williams.  In fact jack and i are going to do a number of concerts together this year.  He's doing his best to get me back up and going.  What a wonderful friend!  If you check out my schedule you'll see where we can been seen. 

Jack also produced my new album.... a tribute to Mickey Newbury... "How i love Them Old Songs"  which will be out in just a few weeks.  All the songs on the CD, with the exception of two songs I wrote, were written by Mickey.  I'm very proud of the album.