Music Row Salutes “Have You Forgotten?”
Music Row saluted the writers of Darryl Worley’s phenomenally popular “Have You Forgotten?” Thursday (May 8) with parties at ASCAP and BMI, the two major performance rights organizations. Worley is affiliated with ASCAP, Wynn Varble, his co-writer, with BMI. Each was a guest at the other’s celebration. “Have You Forgotten?” is spending its seventh week at No. 1 on the country singles chart. It is the first No. 1 for Worley as a writer.
At the ASCAP party, Worley and Varble made special presentations to members of the armed forces including the 18th, 82nd and 101st Airborne divisions. Connie Bradley, ASCAP senior vice president, presented Worley with a citation from Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfield recognizing Worley’s recent Pentagon performance. Also in attendance were Worley family members and band members.
During the BMI ceremonies, Varble thanked his dad, a World War II vet, for raising him with a strong sense of patriotism. Worley called the song the “high point” of his career and joked that he might not be able to make that statement again. “We didn’t even know the song would have a chance at radio,” he marveled.
Three-year-old Georgia Claire Varble came forward to join her daddy and the other guests of honor and chirped to the crowd, “Thank you for this day and for this beautiful day.” In addition to the plaques and engraved cups presented to the two writers and their publishers, Varble took home a special gift. Singer and songwriter Leslie Satcher gave him a card saying how proud she was of him and a bottle of Jack Daniels whiskey. He is currently recording his first album for Sony.
“Does [being] legendary get me double [union] scale?” cracked Worley’s producer, record label president and session drummer when he was introduced as “the legendary James Stroud.” Stroud said Worley is “as real as it gets. When we’re making a record, his heart shows.”
Worley admitted that there was another side to “Have You Forgotten?” besides waving the flag and winning awards. “It’s finally allowed me to do shows and make a little money."
