European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 23, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Takes his past and shoves it Johny paycheck la out of Praton Back on tha Road and changing Hla ways. Paycheck country Star hits military club circuit by Anita Gosch staff writer a f message is the same a i but the messenger has a a country Singer Johnny paycheck can t remember where he heard that statement a he thinks it was from a movie on to the other Day a but he says it fits his life quite nicely right now. At age 53, paycheck still sings about wild times but he does no to live them anymore. He says he s quit smoking cigarettes Laid off the booze sworn off drugs cocaine was his preferred habit stopped getting in trouble with the Law and generally just does no to raise hell anymore. Quot i be lived my life the Way i Wanna live my life and i m doing that today Quot he says. Quot now i live a Good clean enjoyable life. The wild Days Are gone for what changed paycheck so drastically he says was a two year stint behind bars. In May 1986 he was convicted of aggravated assault and was sentenced to 7 to 9 /2 years in prison. He began his term in february 1989 and was released in january of this year for being a Model prisoner. Paycheck says he shot a Man in Sel defense after being cornered during a barroom fight. Quot there Are times when you gotta do what you gotta do Quot he says. Quot i myself the Only Way i knew How under those the Bullet grazed the Man s forehead but paycheck says he s Learned his lesson about i could have killed that boy. Luckily i did to Quot he says. Quot i came that close to losing the rest of my life. If i d a killed him id a been in prison forever. Quot so you look at that a and my family they suffered right along with me while i was in a you just look and say do i want to drink and be a hell Raiser or do i want to straighten up get my career Back in order and have my family enjoy the rest of my life it was t a hard decision at paycheck looks like a Man who has raised hell for decades. On his left Arm is a Tattoo of a Skull its two front Teeth missing with a statement that he says he advises women not to read Quot but they do on his right Arm is emblazoned the name Quot Carol Quot a Tattoo he got at age 16. Quot i can to even remember who Carol was Quot he says. Quot shows you How wild i but the years of abuse show mainly in his face a Small Man a he a Only 5 feet 5 inches tall a paycheck looks far older than 53 his Gray hair and moustache and weathered skin Tell tales of years of drug and alcohol addiction financial problems and a past prison term. While in the Navy in the Early 1950s, paycheck punched a Superior officer in the head and was sentenced to 18 years. He escaped twice but ended up serving time in a Federal Penitentiary. Quot i m one of them Guys that had problems All my life. Up and Down Quot he says. Paycheck s career has gone up and Down As Well. Born Donald Lytle the son of a truck Driver in Greenfield Ohio he left Home at age 14 and led the life of a Gypsy travelling around the country singing and playing guitar in bars and nightclubs. He ended up in Nashville and eventually did stints with country singers George Jones Ray Price and Faron Young. In 1965 he scored his first Solo hit a-11. In periods of sobriety in the 70s, he managed to get a string of hits when he embraced the Quot outlaw Quot country movement including in a the Only hell my mama Ever raised me and the irs the outlaw s prayer and what has become his trademark song a version of David Allan Coe s take this Job and shove it a tune that became an Anthem for the working class a paycheck says he has no regrets about his lifestyle. Quot i be lived my life the Way i see fit and in be lived it for me not Joe blow Over there Quot he says. Quot in be made some mistakes but i be done some Good since his release from jail he has been touring the United states and working on a new album expected to be released in time for Christmas. The first single lefty was right after All about a boy growing up listening to country Singer lefty Frizzelle a records already is out. He also has been working on an autobiography and he had a role in a movie Paradise Park. Paycheck says there s no Chance that hell Ever fail Back to his old ways. Quot if it was Gonna happen it would have happened Long before this. I Don t have any desire at All a for anything for booze drugs smoking a it s Likely that this time paycheck will keep his Promise. He has bronchial asthma and carries a vial of Medicine with him in Case of coughing attacks and he says he s been suffering from emphysema for the past six years a disease that killed his father at age 73. The emphysema has no effect on his singing he says since he sings from the diaphragm instead of his lungs. But his new attitude May change his show somewhat from the earlier Days. Quot in a not quite As wild Quot he says. Quot i be calmed Down and i present my stuff a Little less wild and extravagant. I give everything i got just not quite As crazy. Quot but it s still Johnny paycheck performs in the following locations in Germany Ramstein a no club nov. 23 Karlsruhe Neureul Cavern no club nov. 24 Hartstedt Lucius d. Clay Cavern Patton combined club nov. 27 Stuttgart Wangen longhorn club nov. 28 Ansbach Katterbach heliport-3/1 aviation hangar nov. 29 Wil Flecken top of the Rock no club nov. 30 and Sembach a no club dec. 1. For information Call Pavich Agency 061281498. Readers action Lin family of six questions air Force housing legs a my husband and i have four daughters Ages 8, 6, 5 and 3. Until moving to Kaiserslautern we have always lived in four bedroom government quarters. Upon arriving Here we were Given a three bedroom set of quarters the smallest bedroom is 8 feet by 10 feet. We have two children in this room. We live next door to a family with two children 8 and 11 one boy one girl yet they live in a four bedroom apartment. Could you please explain this policy to me i am grateful that we have government quarters but i do not understand the policy when we took the quarters we told the housing office that two children could not occupy a room As Small As the smallest. Housing stated Quot we Are sorry that s All we can do for we would have loved to turn the quarters Down and wait for a different set but due to the financial Strain of living on the Economy we were forced to take this set. Susan w. Wilder Kaiserslautern Germany be maj. Bruce e. Lewis jr., chief Public affairs 86th tac fighter Wing replies the writer states she has always lived in four bedroom quarters however she has lived on army posts not air Force. The two senior non commissioned officers Sicos in her building were assigned four bedroom quarters in july 1989 because the waiting list for Anco four bedrooms had been exhausted. They were offered the four bedrooms since there were no other Sicos on the waiting list in the Anco category. In her Case when her oldest daughter turns 9 years of age an application for four bedrooms May be made but the actual move May not occur until the 10th birthday a unless there is an exhausted waiting list. The move and the cleaning Are at the occupant s expense. To write us readers action line is the readers Quot court of last resort Quot striving to answer some of the questions about life overseas in a military environment or questions about policies and guidelines when other avenues for answers Are not readily available. If you have a question and done to know where to turn for the answer write to readers a action line co the stars and stripes Apo a 09211. All letters must be signed and preference will be Given to those seeking information of general interest to our readers. Page 16 a the stars and stripes saturday november 23, 1991
