I Dreamed Of A Hillbilly Heaven
by Hal Southern and Eddie Dean
"It was actually
about a dream. When I woke up the next morning, I
practically had the complete song written, because it
was as if somebody had laid it out for me, and all I had
to do was copy it down. The song is exactly like the
dream. Cowboy Copas is the only one who has passed away
since recording the song. There was a very popular DJ on
the West Coast by the name of Squeakin' Deacon Moore,
and he always talked about Bell Gardens, California,
being 'Hillbilly Heaven' because there were so many
country music lovers in that town, and I think that
hearing him talk about it so much made me subconsciously
dream about a song with that idea in mind. So I had the
dream, wrote the song, Eddie Dean recorded it and it has
had a profound effect on my life that I never dreamed
possible when I had the dream. — Hal Southern
I Dreamed Of A Hillbilly Heaven
I dreamed I was there in Hillbilly Heaven
Stars' Hall Of Fame I had found
I heard all the stars in Hillbilly Heaven
Oh, what a beautiful sound.
Recitation:
Last night I dreamed I went to Hillbilly Heaven and
Just as I arrived, the gold curtains lifted, the stars
Were on the stage and there was Mr. Country Music
himself
Mr. Hank Williams, presenting for the very first time on
The Big Show in the sky, America's Original Soul Singer,
Mr. Red Foley.
After the applause had faded away, Hank stepped to the
Mike and said, "Thank you, Red Foley, for a tremendous
performance. And now, let's welcome some friends who
just flew into today for this command showing. Four
wonderful friends of mine, Cowboy Copas, Johnny Horton,
Gentleman Jim Reeves, and the new queen of Hillbilly
Heaven, Miss Patsy Cline."
Well, after the show I got some autographs and I talked
to Patsy a while, and she asked me, "Hal, are you
staying over for the next show?" Well, I just had to ask
her, "Patsy, who are the next stars booked here in
Hillbilly Heaven?" She hesitated for a moment, then
said, "If you promise not to tell, I'll whisper the
names to you," and there was Marty Robbins, Eddy Arnold,
Ray Price, Eddie Dean, Tex Ritter, Hank Snow, Johnny
Cash, Roy Clark, Glen Campbell, Hal Southern . . Hal
Southern! Well that's when I woke up, and I'm sorry that
I did, cause . . .
I dreamed I was there in Hillbilly Heaven
Oh, what a beautiful sound.
