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Published: December 16, 2011 from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Gene Williams, of Sherwood, Ark., founder and host of the Gene Williams Country Television show died unexpectantly on Wednesday afternoon, December 14. Harold Gene Williams was born January 3, 1938 in Tyronza to Rubel and Elease Hughes Williams. His grandparents were James Albert and Unis Williams and Robert and Elizabeth Hughes. Gene grew up and attended school in Dyess, AR where his schoolmates included the country music legend Johnny Cash. Williams' 50 plus year career in country music began as a DJ for KWAM in West Memphis in 1957. In 1961, he was named the Grand Ole Opry DJ of the year.

The Gene Williams Country Junction Show began its live broadcast in 1963 on the new Jonesboro television station KAIT-8. A special on the station's 30th anniversary several years ago credited Gene's show with helping the new station stay on the air since it was the show that generated the bulk of advertising revenue. Gene Williams and the Country Junction Band opened tours for the Johnny Cash Show which included Carl Perkins, the Carter Family and Statler Brothers. One of these tours included the famous recording of Folsom Prison Blues live in Folsom Prison.

Williams also was an entrepreneur and promoter. Over the years he had owned and operated movie theaters in several Arkansas communities. He also owned and operated KHAM radio in Horseshoe Bend where his live country music shows featured country stars such as Bill Monroe, Dolly Parton, Johnny Paycheck, Ernest Tubb, Roy Acuff, Carl Smith and Mickey Gilley to name a few. Mr. Williams was also editor and publisher of the former Mid-South Trucker's News and Ozark News. His Gene Williams House of Talent was the booking agent for many Grand Ole Opry stars of the 1960-70's and included such artists as Jack Greene, Del Reeves, Johnny Carver, Ronnie Sessions, Claude King and Tommy Cash.

He was also a distributor for Lucas Oil Products. Forrest Lucas, the founder of Lucas Oil, and Gene had a friendship and business association for over 20 years. Lucas Oil Products was the main sponsor of Gene's television show. The Gene Williams Country Music Television show is taped live in Branson, Mo. and has been aired on 173 stations in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Ed McMahon of the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson was a friend and announcer for the show until his death. The show featured Branson performers and country stars such as Mickey Gilley, Johnny Lee, Roy Clark, the Oak Ridge Boys and many others. The show was the recipient of four 2007 Telly Awards.

His endeavors in the music industry resulted in being named to the George D. Hay (founder of the Grand Ole Opry) Music Hall of Fame. Gene has the distinction of having eight different days proclaimed "Gene Williams Day" by five different Arkansas governors, including former President Bill Clinton. He mixed his love of country music and politics by providing musical entertainment for the political rallies of such diverse candidates as Winthrop Rockefeller and Justice Jim Johnson. Mr. Williams had invested heavily in the Dyess community in recent years to help preserve the rich history of the area. He made major contributions to help restore the Dyess Colony Community Building. A street in the town bears his name and he was currently serving as a city council member. While country music was his passion, he also had a strong love for Razorback Basketball and the LA Dodgers.

Williams is predeceased by his parents previously mentioned. Surviving him are his two sons, Glen (Donna) Williams of Dallas and Robert Williams of Little Rock; four daughters, Debbie (Bo) Plyler of Little Rock, Donna (Stan) Barrett of Memphis, Gena (Shaun) Wright of Haworth, Okla., Jackye Palmer of Benton; 10 grandchildren: Kathryn Williams of Napa, Calif.; Megan Williams of Dallas; Blake and Anna Kathleen Plyler of Little Rock; Austin Barrett of Memphis; Gage Williams of Little Rock; Britton, KateLeigh, and Grayson Wright of Haworth Okla., and Will Palmer of Broken Bow, Okla. Also surviving him are his brother Jimmy (Billie) Williams of Marion, Ark. and Judy (Jerry) Jernigan of Osceola, Ark., numerous relatives, friends and long-time family/business friend, Leroy Ware of McAlmont.

To read more about founder and host of the Gene Williams Country Television show click on the links below:
  KAIT
  Lucas Oil

THE NEWLY REMODELED, MICKEY GILLEY TEXAS CAFÉ AND CANTINA WAS FILLED TO MAXIMUM CAPACITY WITH EACH AND EVERY AVAILABLE SEAT OCCUPIED DURING ALL THREE SHOWS. THE GENERAL MANAGER-MIKE GILLEY AND STAFF, PROVIDED EXCELLENT SERVICE, FROM THEIR SIGNATURE COCKTAILS TO THE EXQUISITE ARRAY OF MENU OPTIONS WAS PLEASING TO EVERY GUEST.

 ALTHOUGH MANY PATRONS WERE TURNED AWAY EARLY ON THE OVER FLOW CROWDS PATIENTLY WAITED OUTSIDE ANTICIPATING SEATING AVAILABILITY FOR LATER SHOWS. GREAT FOOD, GREAT EXCITEMENT, AND GREAT ENTERTAINMENT WERE SERVED UP IN ABUNDANCE AT THE MICKEY GILLEY TEXAS CAFÉ & CANTINA LIVE WITH THE GENE WILLIAMS COUNTRY MUSIC TELEVISION SHOW.

THE NEXT TAPING WILL BE LIVE DECEMBER 5TH, 2011 @ 1:00 PM FEATURING WORLD FAMOUS CHUBBY CHECKER. DOORS WILL OPEN @ 11:00 AM FOR DINING, COME JOIN MICKEY GILLEY AND GENE WILLIAMS FOR LUNCH AND ENJOY THE EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCE LIKE NO OTHER IN BRANSON, MO.

Dalena Ditto, who has appeared on The Grand Ole Opry and has hosted her own show in Branson for 10 years, now adds her musical styling and humor as co-host to the Gene Williams Country Television Show, sponsored by Lucas Oil products.

The vocalist, also known for her comedic antics, has received rave reviews each time she has appeared on the show. A good indication the viewing audience likes the lady who was once first runner up in the Miss Iowa, Miss America Pageant.

“She’s one of the prettiest and most talented women I’ve ever seen,” Williams said. “She keeps me in line too. She is a welcome addition and I am happy to have her co-host with me.”

A broadcast journalism and music major at Iowa State University, Dalena started a television career as morning anchor and evening beat reporter for ABC affiliate WOI-TV in Des Moines.

It is no wonder she is at ease in front of a TV camera. Her television appearances include the Grand Ole Opry, ABC, CBS, CNN, The Vacation Channel, “The Penny Gilley Show” on RFD-TV and “On The Road with Al Rocker” on the Food Channel. The softhearted Dalena volunteers for veteran related events in Branson and throughout the United States. She is a featured entertainer and co-host of Variety, the Children’s Charity Telethon in Iowa and Missouri.

The star and creator of “The Gene Williams Show" using his TV know how to tout talent in Branson, MO. Williams began his career in 1957 as a country music deejay in Memphis, TN on KWAM. He was named Grand Ole Opry’s DJ of the Year in 1961 and made two country music movies that featured more than 39 Grand Ole Opry stars including Ray Price, Carl Smith, Kitty Wells, Little Jimmy Dickens, Marty Robbins, Webb Pierce, Ernest Tubb, June Carter, Bill Monroe and Faron Young. Williams is an inductee to the Memphis Music Hall of Fame and has been honored by the Missouri Senate and the State of Arkansas for his contributions to the tourism industry.

Dalena opens her 2011 on April 19 at the Hamner Barber Theater on the Shepherd of the Hills Expressway in Branson. She will also perform at The Second Annual Gene Williams Open House, a special FREE event Williams is hosting April 29-May 1 in Dyess, AR.

Entertainment for the event begins on April 28 with Gospel Night. April 29 features local and regional country acts. Johnny Cash tribute artist Jackson Cash headlines on April 30 and, back by popular demand, The World Famous Platters and star of one of Branson’s award winning shows and Gene Williams Country Television Show Co-Host Dalena Ditto will light up the stage.

Those attending will also be entertained by Former Arkansas State Representative J.R. Rogers, whose All Star Music Company is supplying the stage, lighting and sound for the event which also boasts ample supplies of food, fun, games, carnival rides and “the South’s largest car show” that will keep children of all ages happy.
 

Mickey Gilley Replaces Ed McMahon as Gene Williams TV Show Announcer

Gilley holds the record for the most number of repeat appearances as a guest star on the Lucas Oil sponsored Gene Williams Country TV Show and has even hosted the show. From the Hollywood Walk of Fame to Gilley’s in Texas and then Branson, Gilley has had his own theater in the entertainment town since the ‘90s.

"My friend Mickey Gilley has supported me for the nearly eight years I have been doing my show in Branson. He substituted as a host several years ago when I was hospitalized after suffering a heart attack. He has helped me tremendously and has been a regular guest. He talks about my show at every show he does in his Mickey Gilley Theatre and I return the favor on my show and talk about his live show here in Branson and his great career in country music," said Williams who began his country music television show in Arkansas 45 years ago.

"Among his 17 number-one hits biggest hits are Room Full of Roses, Don't the Girls All Get Prettier at Closing Time, and the remake of Stand by Me. Early in my country music career I was booking country artists in different venues, and I put Mickey on my stage in Horseshoe Bend, Ark. It’s important to me that after decades, we are still great friends," said Williams.

Seen coast-to-coast and border-to-border and broadcast to more then 50 million homes weekly the Gene Williams Country Television Show is taped live at the Gene Williams Theatre inside the Branson Mall. The show’s co-host Katie Lynn is also one of Gilley’s Urbanettes and has worked with Gilley for more than eight years. Williams and Katie Lynn interview a celebrity guest each week and the guest and Katie Lynn perform with Williams’ Country Junction Band.

In addition to Gilley and McMahon, the TV show’s guests have included the Oak Ridge Boys, Roy Clark, Barbara Fairchild, Sons of the Pioneers, the Osmonds, Johnny Cash’s band The Tennessee Three, the Blackwood Brothers, Helen Cornelius, Johnny Lee, Little Jimmy Dickens, Porter Wagoner, Wanda Jackson and more.

"My good friend Ed McMahon was one of my first guests when I started my television show in Branson and I appreciate his introducing me each week with his characteristic ‘Herrrre’s Gene.’ After all these years, it was time for a change and Mickey willingly filmed a new opening and closing. Look for other country artists joining in soon and perhaps a mixture of celebrities including Ed McMahon on future shows," Williams said.

George D. Hay Music Hall of Fame induction
to include Gene Williams, Loretta Lynn

Gene Williams, Loretta Lynn, Dot Rhodes and Mike Snider will be inducted into the George D. Hay Music Hall of Fame, named for the man who created the Grand Ole Opry.

The George D. Hay Music Hall of Fame and Foundation, located in Mammoth Spring, Ark., honors the memory of George D. Hay, who credited a hoe down in the town as the inspiration for his creation of the Grand Ole Opry. Both the hall of fame and foundation have the support and encouragement of Hay’s daughter, Margaret Hay-Van Damm.

“The (George D. Hay Music) Hall of Fame induction, by foundation selection, is a means of recognizing rare individuals who have played an outstanding and enduring role in the world of country music. Your musical history and career set you apart as one such individual,” said Bob Ross, president and 2009 awards chair of the hall and the foundation.

The induction will be conducted during the 13th Annual George D. Hay Music Hall of Fame and Hoe Down Awards Show on Sept. 20 at the George D. Hay Music Hall of Fame Theater in Mammoth Spring, Ark.

Williams’ love of country music began while in school – the same school attended by Johnny Cash in Dyess, Ark. His first job in country music was as a DJ for KWAM radio. He was named Grand Ole Opry DJ of the Year in 1961. 

It didn’t take Williams long to move into television and within four months he had three TV shows. Over the past five decades, his TV shows have won numerous awards and become the largest syndicated country music TV show not affiliated with Nashville. The show was rated as the most popular TV show in national ratings by WNGF Buffalo Broadcasting of New York and as a favorite TV show in a national magazine. Williams even helped Dr. Phil make a dream come true for one of his guests by making him a feature country singer on Williams’ show.

The Gene Williams Country Music TV Show was featured in the June 2009 issue of Better Homes and Gardens as a nostalgia experience in a live television show. For the past eight years the show has been taped in Branson live before a studio audience. Guests have included Mickey Gilley, who is his current announcer, the Oak Ridge Boys, Roy Clark, Johnny Lee, Barbara Fairchild, Sons of the Pioneers, Johnny Cash’s band The Tennessee Three, the Blackwood Brothers, Helen Cornelius, Leona Williams, Charlie Louvin, Mary Lou Turner, Cal Smith, Stonewall Jackson, Norma Jean, Porter Wagoner, Jim Owen, Buck Trent, Wanda Jackson and many more.

In Williams’ nomination biography, Ross wrote, “Gene is a man who strives to keep alive the spirit of country music for all music fans.” Williams’ fans recently presented him with a Gold Record for the #1 classic country music show in America 

Williams has been honored by his hometown with a road named after him following a 2007 key to the city presentation and a historical marker recognizing his support to help preserve the town’s history. A historical building in Dyess will be a museum recognizing former residents, Johnny Cash, Tommy Cash and Williams. He was grand marshal in the first Dyess Christmas Parade in 2008. 

He has also received the key to the city of Horseshoe Bend, Ark., for his work to bring significant country entertainment to the resort community during its early development and April 11, 2009, was named Gene Williams Day. 

Williams holds a honorary doctorate in television and broadcast communications from St. Martins College for his community commitment to the industry, was honored by the states of Arkansas and Missouri for his work in the tourism, entertainment and communities, has been nominated for induction into the Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame and is a member of the Memphis Music Hall of Fame.

Williams’ television career led to his making two movies, Country Music Jamboree and Sound of Country Music that starred more than 39 Grand Ole Opry stars. He has worked with such greats as Johnny Cash, the Carter Family, the Statler Brothers, Carl Perkins, Charlie Walker, Charlie Louvin, Del Reeves, Merle Haggard, Ray Price, Minnie Pearl and Jack Greene. 

Williams said, “I am honored to be included in the 2009 induction group along with country icon Loretta Lynn, Dot Rhodes, entertainer and wife of Hall of Fame member Dusty Rhodes, and Mike Snider, an extraordinarily talented musician in country music.”

Also read...
-Gene Williams works to benefit hometown
-Gene Williams presented key to hometown for helping preserve Dyess Colony history.
-Gene Williams donates to save hometown's history.
-Show Expands
-Winner of Three 2007 National Telly Awards!