Wringing humor from an unlikely situation

...right here, with this scalpel-sharp conclusion: "...all of Music Row observed a moment of silence in (Vern) Gosdin’s honor before returning to their usual task of chipping away at the core of everything he stood for by marketing soulless ’80s pop/rock as modern country music."
Never mind Gary Levox. Gosdin was indeed "The Voice," another of those singers who could make even a singing of the phone book sound good. "Today My World Slipped Away," Chiseled in Stone," "Do You Believe Me Now," "Set 'Em Up Joe," all his records were great ones. He was always one of my favorites and he'll be missed indeed, but his work will live forever. As a fan of Real Country Music I hope his influence does as well.
On a related note, upon Gosdin's passing I thought of the great comic actor Jim Varney, one of whose famous roles was as Ernest P. Worrell. I could be wrong, but I seem to recall that Vern, the off-screen neighbor Ernest was always talking to, actually got his name from Vern Gosdin. I know Mr. Varney and Vern Gosdin were good friends, but I never knew that's where Vern got his name. I always thought that was pretty cool.

Oh yes, another of those songs that'll remain forever new, at The Roadhouse, Sirius Ch. 62: "Bet it ain't a-rainin' back home, bet your sister's still on the phone..."