By JIM PATTERSON, Associated Press Writer
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Ailing country singer Johnny Russell watched some of the biggest stars in Nashville trading vocals Thursday on his hit ``Act Naturally'' during a benefit concert in his honor. Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs and Roy Clark sang verses of the song recorded by Buck Owens and The Beatles. Banjo legend Earl Scruggs took a solo. The lineup at the show at the Grand Ole Opry House to help pay Russell's medical bills also included Garth Brooks, the Oak Ridge Boys, Bobby Bare and John Conlee.
Russell, who also wrote hits like ``Rednecks, White Socks, Blue Ribbon Beer,'' has been sidelined from performing for nearly a year by a series of medical woes, including a heart attack and diabetes. He has been on dialysis for more than five years. The 4,400-seat Grand Ole Opry House was about three-quarters full for the show. ``I love him,'' Brooks said. ``I'm a fan, and if this show can help him get better, I'm all for it.'' The 61-year-old Russell said he was ``humbled'' by the tribute. ``Every time I've done a benefit, I always hoped and prayed that this would never happen to me,'' he said. ``I don't want my (financial) problems to fall back on my kids.'' Born in Mississippi's Sunflower County, Russell began recording as a teen-ager in California. The first song he recorded, ``In a Mansion Stands My Love,'' became the flip side to the No. 1 Jim Reeves hit ``He'll Have to Go.'' In 1963, Buck Owens recorded ``Act Naturally,'' which went to No. 1 and was recorded by the Beatles two years later. Russell moved to Nashville, where artists including Loretta Lynn, Patti Page and Dolly Parton recorded his songs.
His own recording career didn't take off until the 1970s. His biggest hit was the working class anthem ``Rednecks, White Socks and Blue Ribbon Beer,'' which went to No. 4 in 1973. Russell joined the cast of the Grand Ole Opry in 1985, and over the years became the regular closing act of the popular radio show. ``He can make his version of ``Kaw-Liga'' (by Hank Williams) last for a half hour, because he keeps interrupting it to tell jokes,'' said Sam Lovullo, the former producer of ``Hee Haw'' who organized the tribute.
