Q-and-A with Janie Fricke

Country singer Janie Fricke had major success with country music duets.

She joined Charlie Rich for “On My Knees” and Johnny Duncan for “Come A Little Bit Closer” in the 1970s. She also recorded “A Place To Fall Apart” and “Natural High” with Merle Haggard, “All I Want To Do In Life” with George Jones, “Who Cares,” with Ray Charles and “From Time To Time (It Feels Like Love Again)” with Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin Brothers.

“She’s Single Again” became one of Fricke’s best-known solo hits. The song is sung from the point of view of a female who is warning wives in town of a woman who’s single again. As the lyrics go, “Is this number four? Or is this number five? How many husbands has she buried alive? She uses the favors that the good Lord gave her with the devil's desire.”

Many of Fricke’s best-known songs are stories of heartache including “He’s A Heartache (Looking For A Place To Happen),” “Down To My Last Broken Heart,” and the smash hit “It Ain’t Easy Being Easy.” Topping the country charts in 1982, it remains a classic country radio favorite.

As a solo artist, Fricke’s recorded 18 number-one hits, recorded 23 albums and released 36 singles. Her music and style inspired a generation of female country artists including Reba McEntire and Trisha Yearwood.

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Fricke will be joined by recording artists TG Sheppard, Billy “Crash” Craddock, and Darin and Brooke Aldridge at a concert on Feb. 1 celebrating the life and career of Earl Scruggs.

“Remembering Earl,” a fundraiser for the Earl Scruggs Center in uptown Shelby, presents the 7 p.m. show at Shelby High School’s Malcolm Brown Auditorium, followed by a VIP reception at the Earl Scruggs Center.

General Admission tickets are $27.50-$47.50, available through the Don Gibson Theatre by visiting Dongibsontheatre.com or calling 704-487-8114. The cost for VIP packages is $125 each and is available by calling the Earl Scruggs Center at 704-487-6233. VIP packages include a concert seat and admission to the reception.

Here’s a Q-and-A with Janie Fricke about her country music career:

Question: Is Janie Fricke your birth name or a stage name?

Answer: “That’s my birth name. That’s my maiden name. I don’t know if people assume that or whatever, but that’s the name I had growing up since birth.”

Q: What’s it like doing a “package show” with other singers?

A: “It’s just a nice variety. It has something more to offer than just one act. It kind of livens up the night. You have fans from all three different artists. I guess we’ll probably sign autographs after the show and get out there and meet the folks.”

Q: Tell me about your new album.

A: “I have a new release that’s like a greatest hits but it’s almost like a double because there are 40 songs on it including some of the duets I did with Johnny Duncan and Merle Haggard and George Jones. It’ll have some of the songs I’m doing that night at the show, also. “It’s called It Aint Easy: The Complete Hits.”

Q: How have audiences changed through the years?

A: “Oh, you know not that much really. The enthusiasm is very similar. It’s the same. It’s what I’ve seen through the years. It’s always interesting to see all the different generation gaps. It seems like the music we did back in that time, some of it’s timeless. It goes on and on and people love it. It’s kind of like when you hear an old Merle Haggard song or an old Willie Nelson song… it’s retro country cool, I call it. A lot of people do like going back to the retro and it’s become popular again and it never really goes away. I like that part of it.”

Q: Of the singers you’ve recorded with, who was the most memorable?

A: “Like you say, there a lot of different ones. Even Ray Charles. In fact, that duet is on my new album… I did a duet with Larry Gatlin that was very memorable. Going back to Ray Charles, just sharing the piano bench with him. Working with what he wanted me to sing.”

You can reach Wade Allen at 704-669-3331 and follow him on Twitter @wadeallenstar.