Rick Dees

The couple have a son, Kevin. Lauren St John, Hardcore Toubadour: The Life and Near Death of Steve Earle, Fourth Estate, 2002 ISBN 1-84115-6116. Dees is married to Julie Dees, a voice actress. He is also the subject of a biography:. Dees served as host of two television shows, Solid Gold and Into The Night With Rick Dees. Steve is the subject of a documentary film entitled Just An American Boy (http://www.popmatters.com/music/reviews/e/earlesteve-justanamericandvd.shtml), directed by Amos Poe. Dees has appeared in several movies and has made many guest appearances on television shows such as Married With Children, The Love Boat, and Diagnosis Murder. In February 2005 he recieved a Grammy Award for best contemporary folk album for the album The Revolution Starts Now.

Though he currently does not have host a morning show, Dees is under contract with Clear Channel until January 1, 2005. In 2004 he was given a Lifetime Achievement Award for songwriting by the UK's BBC Radio 2. Seacrest also serves as host of American Idol and replaced Casey Kasem on American Top 40. The controversy did however manage to raise Earle's profile in the media and didn't seem to damage his record sales in the slightest. Rick Dees in the Morning was replaced by Clear Channel Communications in 2004 with Ryan Seacrest's On Air with Ryan Seacrest. Some critics had trouble comprehending that a songwriter is not necessarily the character they're describing and branded Earle a traitor and a Taliban supporter. Dees was inducted into the Radio Hall Of Fame in 1999 and has also received the People's Choice Award and has a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. In 2002, Earle managed to land himself in trouble by writing a song about John Walker Lindh ("John Walker's Blues" on Jerusalem) written from Lindh's perspective (lyrics (http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/earle-steve/john-walkers-blues-2206.html)).

Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 is currently heard on over 350 radio stations in the United States, as well as in 125 other countries. He is also a supporter of and regular participant in the Concerts for a Landmine Free World, benefitting the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation. Dees began his weekly Top 40 show, still currently in syndication, in 1983. From 1990, Earle also worked to educate the public about, and abolish, the death penalty. In 1982, Rick Dees moved to KIIS, a radio station in Los Angeles, where he served as host of Rick Dees in the Morning until 2004. Steve was named Country Artist of the year for 1986 by Rolling Stone magazine. The single sold over six million copies and reached number 1 on Billboard Magazine's Hot 100 chart on October 16, 1976. It was a critical success and sold over 300,000 copies.

Dees recorded "'Disco Duck'" in 1976 while working at WMPS, a station in Memphis, Tennesse. He had to wait until 1986 before his first album Guitar Town was released. Dees worked in various radio stations through out the southeastern US. However, despite his early success in gaining a job as a songwriter it was not until 1981 that he achieved a top ten cut with "When You Fall in Love" recorded by Johnny Lee. Dees graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1972. Steve was one of the backing vocals on Guy's, "Desperados Waiting For A Train" together with Emmylou Harris on Guy's first album Old No 1. Dees began his radio career in 1966 at the age of 17 at WGBG, a Greensboro radio station. Guy was instrumental in Steve being employed as a songwriter by the Sunburry Dunbar publishing division of RCA.

Dees was born Rigdon Osmond Dees on March 14, 1950 in Jacksonville, Florida and was raised in Greensboro, North Carolina. In 1975 he moved to Nashville where he met and worked with fellow Texans Guy Clark and his wife Susanna Clark. Dees is best known for his syndicated radio show Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 and for the song "Disco Duck". There he met Townes van Zandt (who became a mentor) and other artists like Jerry Jeff Walker, Lucinda Williams and Nanci Griffith. Rick Dees is a radio disc jockey who currently lives in the San Fernando Valley area, near Los Angeles, California, USA. He dropped out of school in 8th grade to move to Austin, Texas and learn more about the music business. He was born in Ft. Monroe, Virginia and was the eldest son of an air traffic controller.

Steve Earle (born January 17, 1955) is a country musician who grew up in Schertz, Texas. Revolution Starts Now - 2004. Just An American Boy (live) - 2004. Jerusalem - 2002.

Side Tracks - 2002. Transcendental Blues - 2000. The Mountain - 1999. El Corazon - 1997.

I Feel Alright - 1996. Train A-Comin' - 1995. Shut Up And Die Like An Aviator - 1991. The Hard Way - 1990.

Copperhead Road - 1988. Exit 0 - 1987. Early Tracks - 1987. Guitar Town - 1986.