Rodger's Country Gems

09/03/2025

Come on along! Join Rodger and Angie at the concert….on our radio show. We remember seeing Merle in Owensboro, Ray Price in Nashville, Indiana, Willie in New Albany, Mickey, Mel, Pam, B.J. And many more in Branson, and Wanda at Renfro Valley just to name a few. Thanks to Chandler Madden for the theme idea!
We head to the archives for the Best of country music expert, Bill Yarbor…and a feature on the early days of Webb Pierce. Gary Dawson brings us his picks of the week! Join us for a fun way to enjoy classic country music! Saturday morning beginning just after local news and information at 7 AM only on 100.5 WSJD.

08/26/2025

In honor of Labor Day weekend:
We salute the working men and women of this nation! Lots of Hag in this show, including Working Man Blues….salutes to truck drivers: Dave Dudley…. Bartenders and Waitresses: Johnny Lee and Ronnie Milsap…Coal Miners: Tennessee Ernie, Merle Travis, and Jimmy Dean….and even DJ’s: Stonewall and Ernie Ashworth! So much more in this Labor Day weekend show:
Patriotic tune by Tracy Lawrence
and Alan Jackson does the Kendall’s on our Anything Goes segment! Happy Labor Day! Join us Saturday morning just after 7 AM only on WSJD 100.5!

08/20/2025

TV and Movie songs and great country instrumentals! A dual theme this Saturday morning on Gems! We’ll kick it off with the last instrumental that reached number one on the Billboard chart—Buckaroo! Other music masters include Charlie McCoy, Flatt and Skruggs, and Boots Randolph! From the movies and TV: Dukes of Hazard, Beverly Hillbillies, True Grit, Petticoat Junction, and High Noon!
Gary Dawson brings us his picks of the week and our Anything Goes Country segment finds Hall of Fame country stars doing Pop standards!
Join us Saturday morning after local news and obituaries at 7 AM on 100.5 WSJD!

08/14/2025

IF! Such a small word with huge implications! No wonder it’s a part of so many classic country hits! Join us Saturday morning on WSJD for Gems! You’ll hear songs like: If You’re Gonna Play in Texas, If My Heart Had Windows, If We’re Not Back in Love By Monday, If I Were A Carpenter, and If We’re Not Back Make It Through December! Gary Dawson talks Ferlin Husky and Ray Price and Anything Goes Country segment explores an early American explorer! It’s classic country at its best every Saturday morning on 100.5 WSJD, beginning after local news at 7 !

08/08/2025

Songs that need no introduction. That’s our theme tomorrow morning on Gems! Straight to the lead vocal with Thinkin’ Problem, Dang Me, He Stopped Loving Her Today, and Make the World Go Away. We remember Jeannie Seeley on the Anything Goes Country segment. Classic Country every Saturday morning on WSJD, thanks to our sponsors: Wabash General Hospital, S.K. Smith Electric, Shular Homes, Siemer’s Glass, White Family Trust, and Big R Farm and Home. Join us just after 7 AM!

08/04/2025

We are heartbroken to announce that Tommy Nallie, the Sons of the Pioneers affable and passionate former trail boss who extended the group’s legacy into a tenth decade, died Aug. 4 of prostate cancer at Cox Medical Center in Branson, Missouri. He was 77.

Nallie, born in Beaumont, Texas, in 1947, first joined the group in 1983 and represented the last of the hugely talented Nallie family dynasty that was a vital part of the Pioneers’ success since 1969, when his older brother Luther Nallie joined. Tommy took over as the group’s fourth trail boss in 2015, when Luther stepped down. Tommy recently handed the role of trail boss to fellow Pioneer John Fullerton.

A fine tenor singer, Nallie was also talented on guitar, bass, violin, drums, and other instruments, and his deep knowledge of the Pioneers’ musical catalog and intricate harmony arrangements provided a strong backbone for the group as it traversed a modern musical landscape. As a tireless leader, he was committed to keeping the group’s legacy alive and preserving the traditional “Pioneer sound.”

A full obituary with funeral arrangements will follow.

We thank Tommy for his stewardship, his passion, his talent, and his friendship. He was a lovable leader, and we will miss him deeply. Godspeed, Tommy.

08/02/2025

❤️

08/02/2025

07/31/2025

Standing the test of time. This Saturday morning , every artist we feature will have achieved—at least 20 consecutive years on the Billboard Country chart! So yes…many of your all time favorites like Willie, Faron, Bocephus, Waylon, Ernest, Tammy, the Possum, JohnnyCash, Tanya, Glen….and so many more earned that designation! On the Anything Goes Country segment: Carl Smith revives a 50’s classic and Nitty Gritty Dirt Band salutes the Workin’ Man. Gary Dawson brings us his picks of the week too! Join us for Classic Country at its best every Saturday morning just after 7 AM on 100.5 WSJD!

07/23/2025

We honor the life of Helen Cornelius this Saturday morning. We will feature several of the great duets with Helen and Jim Ed Brown—-and the theme of the show is duets! Yes, Johnny and June, Porter and Dolly, Conway and Loretta, George and Tammy, Willie and several stars will join in! Get ready for duet harmony! Anything Goes Country spotlights rare cuts from Amazing Rhythm Aces and Bobbie Gentry! Gary Dawson brings us his picks of the week!
Join us each Saturday morning if you love real country music! Our show starts after local news and information just after 7 AM Saturdays’

07/23/2025

Music is the heart of Nashville. For one shop in the city, there's a deep-rooted history that is coming back.

07/20/2025

I was only 20 years old when I joined the Jim Ed Brown Show with Helen Cornelius. It was during the time they were named CMA Duo of the Year, and for years we entered America's living rooms through the TV show "Nashville On The Road."
Talk about an education in country music, I got it there. I traveled the country with Jim Ed, Helen and the band, and I had more fun than a person has a right to.
So it makes me sad tonight to hear of Helen's passing. I'm flooded with memories this evening that haven't crossed my mind in ages.
Stories that I can tell.
Stories that I can't tell.
But each story is a part of me,
and made me who I am today.
I'm thankful for my time and 45 year friendship with Helen.
Thinking tonight of her children...not much younger than I am now. In many ways, we all grew up together.
God bless you, Helen.
May you rest in peace, sweet friend.