Late, great Country Music Legend Freddy Powers, known as the Country Jazz Singer and a longtime songwriting collaborator of fellow country music icon Merle Haggard and producer and lifelong friend of Willie Nelson, will see his life story – “THE SPREE OF ’83” – brought to life on screen as Los Angeles, CA-based Yakima Productions has acquired the Film/TV rights to Freddy’s wild 50-year life story in Country Music.
With the hard cover book due to hit store shelves in July, 2017, The Spree of ’83 will depict Freddy’s start in the 1950s with Paul Buskirk and fellow unknown Willie Nelson before rising in the 1960s and 70s to the top draws on the West Coast Casino circuit, entertaining and socializing with mobsters like Jack Ruby, Lefty Rosenthal and Tommy Spilotro before kindling a 30 year friendship and # 1 songwriting collaboration with Merle Haggard, writing signature hits like “Natural High,” “I Always Get Lucky With You,” “Let’s Chase Each Other Round the Room Tonight,” and “Looking for a Place to Fall Apart” against the backdrop of Lake Shasta while living a rock and roll lifestyle aboard house boats where the songs and party never stopped. Freddy’s heroic battle with Parkinson’s Disease will also be chronicled in the film, as well as his role in discovering a new generation of country stars like Mary Sarah and Pauline Reese, both interviewed in the book along with extensive commentary from Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, John Rich, a foreword by Tanya Tucker, and others.
Catherine Powers, Freddy’s widow and co-author of their memoirs, shared her elation at the placement: “Freddy would be so delighted to see his life story and songs coming to life in film! We’re grateful to be working with producer Chris Wiehl and Screenwriter John Turner, along with our publisher Barbara Terry and Waldorf to The Spree of ’83 full circle and watch Freddy’s dream come true!”
Powers’ co-author, music biographer Jake Brown, who worked with Catherine and Freddy in his final years of life to write the 380 page tome, commented: “Working with Freddy and Catherine week in and out on the bus, both on Music Row and later in Perdido Key, this was by far the most personal and rewarding journey of my 15-year career. Catherine and I can’t wait to work with John Turner and the team at Yakima to bring Freddy’s story to life in script!” John Turner, screenplay co-writer, shared his own high spirits “to be a writer/creative consultant on this project!!”
Publisher Barbara Terry echoed her authors’ enthusiasm over the next step in the telling of this moving story: “Waldorf Publishing is thrilled to announce that Yakima Productions has licensed Film/TV rights for the upcoming Freddy Powers book!”, while producer Chris Wiehl, head of Yakima, expressed his own excitement “to be adapting the screenplay for the book ‘The Spree of 83’. We look forward to bringing the Freddy Powers story to the big screen.”
Keep up with the book’s development to film on social media at www.twitter.com/thespreeof83, www.Waldorfpublishing.com, or www.facebook.com/freddypowershouse