Ronny Scaife Day is celebrated November 1 on Hohenwald, Tennessee’s locally owned AM radio station, WMLR 1230

Ronny Scaife Day will begin inside Plunkett’s Playhouse on AM station WMLR 1230, Hohenwald, Tennessee from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. “We’re gonna play some of his demos, which I’ve been playing for a few years now, and get lots of requests for. Dad and some other songwriters are gonna come by,” Kori Plunkett, daughter of songwriter Phil Thomas said.  The celebration will continue later that evening at 6 p.m. at the River Rat Grill, on Maple Street in Hohenwald, where “we have people coming in from all over, including some of the members of Shylo, his former band. There’s gonna be a songwriters guitar pull, in celebration of his life and music” Kori continued.

“A celebration of his life and music with pickin’ and grinnin’,” WMLR’s Kori

Kori with her sister, Brandi, at Plunkett’s Playhouse at WMLR radio, Hohenwald.

Plunkett explained.  Kori is the host of Plunkett’s Playhouse.

“He was one of my heroes, and a music legend. Honestly, he’d be horrified that we’re doing this, because he was so modest when it came to his music and his talented abilities.  As my sister, Brandi said, ‘You shouldn’t of died, man.’  We were all his #1 fans!” Kori added.

Ronny Scaife wrote and recorded with the band Shylo for twenty years.  He wrote/co-wrote over two hundred songs, with many in the top ten, top forty, and top one hundred. In 1979, the Memphis

Ronny Scaife with Travis Tritt and Marty Stuart

Songwriters Association named Ronny Songwriter of the Year.  Conway Twitty’s recording of “I Couldn’t See Her Leaving, But I Can See She’s Gone” was a number one hit.  He co-wrote “Hardin County Line” with Mark Collie, which is the title song on Mark’s noted Hardin County Line album. “The Whiskey Ain’t Workin‘” and “Hearts Are Gonna Roll” were both awarded Gold Records.

Don Scaife, Ronny and Phil Thomas also wrote a Gold Record song for Montgomery Gentry. “The Whiskey Ain’t Workin’,” sung by Travis Tritt and Marty Stuart in 1998, was awarded a Grammy for Best Duo and went to #1 on charts in both Canada and in the United States. “Anything,” performed by Randy Travis, went platinum as did “Alabama Clay,” performed by Garth Brooks. Ronny played lead guitar in “Fireworks” on the double platinum 40 Hour Week  album. Scaife received a BMI award for “Wrinkles” by Diamond Rio.  “Hearts Are Gonna Roll” by Hal Ketchum peaked at #2.  He has written for Kenny Chesney, Charlie Daniels, Bob McDill, Mel McDaniel and many others. He has 650 songs written and demoed in the BMI catalog.

WMLR 1230, a locally owned AM radio station in Hohenwald, celebrates Ronny Scaife Day every year on November 1.