Could you please tell me what became of Ralph Emery, the former host of Nashville Now?
—Vernon C., North Carolina
When Ralph Emery left Nashville Now in 1993 after 10 years, he stayed on with The Nashville Network for five years, doing a monthly interview show, On the Record. "I think we raised the bar for country music a little bit," says Emery, 72. "I take pride in it." He has authored four books, including his most successful, Memories, in 1991, and 2001's 50 Years Down a Country Road. Emery also has a comedy act that he occasionally takes to various state fairs and casinos. "Johnny Carson was my hero, and I enjoy watching comedians," says Emery, who particularly enjoyed working with Grandpa Jones and Minnie Pearl. "I studied their timing," he says. He and wife Joy live in Nashville, Tenn., and have two sons, and Emery also has a son from a previous marriage. When weather permits, Emery plays golf with his buddy, singer-songwriter Tom T. Hall. "We play twice a week and we go out on the golf course and solve the world's problems," he says, laughing. "And some of our own."
