The response to last week's "Thus Saith JD" has been overwhelmingly surprising. I thought I'd get a few e-mails from people saying how much they enjoyed reading his bits of wisdom - but readers, by the truckload, of this diary have been asking for more. The e-mail box was full and all of them said the same thing: give us more.

So....here's "Thus Saith JD- Part 2"

January, 1992

Oh yeah, and one final 'thank you' to Bill Gaither, who let me spend one whole day humming behind George Younce. What a thrill that was! I have now made it! I SANG behind Elvis Presley and HUMMED behind George Younce! But at least I got paid by Elvis! Oh well, I started out with good intentions! It just seems like I'll never amount to nothing!

February, 1992

The Kingsmen's bus is five feet longer than mine. The extra five feet is for two thrones; one for Jim Hamill, and one for Eldridge Fox. In Lenoir, after everything was set up, in walks Eldridge. When he got to the door, the lady informed him it would cost him $10 for a ticket. Eldridge told the lady that he was Eldridge Fox. She told him that she didn't care if he was Elvis, it would still be $10. He said, "You don't understand. I"m one of the Kingsmen." She said, "I own Wal-Mart, and its still $10."

To make a long story short, Eldridge had to come to the back of the auditorium and slip in!

March, 1992

Roy Pauley said the OLD Statesmen - and he named them - were the best quartet in the world. Well, in the first place, they were not! There was this little group called The Blackwood Brothers who opened their show every night and gave them a run for their money. Roy even suggested who they should have in the NEW Statesmen. Roy, quit trying to bring back the sixties. I don't think it can be done.

May, 1992

But to settle any doubt why I'm going to Europe, it has to do with $10,000, five paid airplane tickets, five hotel rooms and our eats. Yes, to remove all doubt from those minds that will say, "I knew it, The Stamps are singing for money." You can rest assured, we are not going on a love offering. I'm talking about money, the kind of money that my family will use to further our desires, such as eating, house notes, car notes, things that take place in the real world.

August, 1993

I was given a tape by one of my best friends, a live recording. I had to drive about 300 miles home. On this tape was a testimony and it was quite long. I played almost all the way home. The singing was excellent, but you hear a testimony about three times in a recording and you get sick of listening to that testimony. If you like a tape like this, go out on I-24 between Chattanooga and Nashville and there is one on the side of the road.

December, 1993

Let me start off this month by saying that I will never apologize for anything I write in The Singing News, but I will apologize if what I write hurts any body's feelings.

When Perfect Heart first started, for two or three months I cut up quite a bit about Perfect Heart and I was told by Maurice Templeton that they could not have bought that much advertising.

I even like Cecil "Sonny" Simmons...and you have to get up early in the morning to like Cecil. One thing about Cecil is he's too much like JD. You never have to wonder what either of us is thinking - it will come out.

I love Ronny Hinson. I still can't figure out how a song like The Lighthouse could come out of a Gourdhead.

I wrote last month about Gold City. The reason I did was because of the stupid rumors being put our by our radio stations, even to the extent that Gold City is breaking up the first of the year. This came from the wonderful world of GOSSIP MUSIC.

Donnie Sumner, who is closer to me than a son, used to sing lead with The Stamps. The Sweet Inspirations, who were opening for Elvis show at the time were goofing up, and I wanted The Stamps to open up those shows with Gospel Music. I passed a rule for everybody to be downstairs ready and dressed at 8:00PM. If you weren't there on time and ready, it was a $50 fine. Donnie was late seven times in one week and it cost him $350, just for being late. So, Donnie quit - which broke my heart.

February, 1994

I don't believe the Lord has ever led anyone from one group to another. Most of the time it is because you are sick of working with that group or you want to have your own group so you can be boss, because you know you are smarter - and it usually don't take long to find out that you were wrong.

November, 1994

In California I sat down and listened to Heaven Bound's complete stand, and they gave Jesus a hand thirteen times. Giving Jesus a hand only amplifies the applause one gets. The last time I worked with Heaven Bound, Jesus was down thirteen to one.