Warm Heart...Cool Hands: new CD compiled by Susan McCray

Former Little House on the Prairie Casting Director, and Getting to Know You talk show host, Susan Sukman McCray, has compiled a new CD of her father's work with the Vincent Falcone Trio. Warm Hearts...Cool Hands is now available for purchase at http://www.blue-eyes.com and http://www.cdbaby.com.

Harry Sukman was an Academy award-winning composer who received an Oscar for "Song Without End". When Frank Sinatra asked Harry to write a few arrangements for his personal appearances, Vincent Falcone, Sinatra's musical director/pianist, began paying visits to Harry's home. This was the beginning of a life-long friendship between two rare talents in the music industry.

For more information about Harry Sukman, the Vincent Falcone Trio, and to listen to selections from the new CD Warm Hearts...Cool Hands, visit http://www.susanmccray.com/warmheartcoolhands.htm

Getting to Know You with Susan McCray

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: COMING IN OCTOBER - SUSAN MCCRAY WILL HOST A LIVE CALL IN SHOW ON KSAV.ORG INTERNET RADIO.

One of my great loves is the television show Little House on the Prairie (LHOP). The former Casting Director, Susan McCray--wife of LHOP executive producer, Kent McCray--now hosts her own talk radio program on KSAV.ORG.

On October 23rd, Susan will have a live version of "Getting to Know You" where listeners can call in and ask her questions about the shows she has cast, Michael Landon, past guests on "Getting to Know You", and about her father--Academy Award-winning composer, Harry Sukman.

Call 1-800-407-5728 starting at 6:30PM Pacific and 9:30PM Eastern. Susan will also accept questions about her past guests on "Getting to Know You" via email at susan@ksav.org.

Susan has also written a charming children's book titled, Harry's Piano which is about the young life of her father, which would make a fine holiday gift for young musicians. For more information about Harry's Piano and to order your autographed copy, go to http://www.harryspiano.com/

Celebrating the life of Dabbs Greer

Dabbs Greer, who is most remembered for his role as Reverend Robert Alden on the show Little House on the Prairie, passed away on April 28th. Some of the fans wrote sympathy letters to his family and were encouraged to share their memories on Lennon Parker's Prairie Talk forum (http://www.pioneerontheprairie.com/prairie_forums/index.php).

This is my letter, part of which was read on Getting to Know You with Susan McCray (http://www.susanmccray.com/) on KSAV Radio (http://www.ksav.org/). Susan McCray was the Casting Director for LHOP.

What a sad time for the world of TV. Dabbs had such a wonderful career, and I could never see anyone else playing our beloved Reverend Alden.

Kind, understanding, and full of wisdom, Reverend Alden embodied all that we laymen might seek in a spiritual leader. Remember the time he thanked the children for getting him a box to carry his Bible in. Mary and Laura had taken the Sunday School money and bought patent medicine with it so that they could get him a better gift, but it didn't turn out the way they had planned, and the only thing they had left was the box that held the medicine.

Another great Reverend Alden memory was when he spoke to Charles about Mary right before she went blind. He admitted that his human mind could not comprehend why God was allowing this to happen to Mary, but that he was sure God had chosen her for a very special purpose. Charles could not accept that at the time, but Reverend Alden was right--Mary helped Adam open up a new blind school in Dakota Territory.

And like someone else mentioned, his scene in The Last Farewell where Reverend Alden walks around the blown up town of Walnut Grove crying at the destruction--if I live to be 100, I will never get the pain-filled face of Reverend Alden out of my mind as he looks upon the town he has called home for so many years.

Dabbs Greer brought Reverend Alden to life for me, and while he was talented in so many other shows and films, my fondest memories will be from his role as the spiritual minister of Walnut Grove.

May God bless the Greer family at this time and comfort them in their loss.

Cheryl