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Crete beaches

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The coastline of Crete has 155 kilometres of beautiful sandy beaches. Chania prefecture has two dramatic beaches, Falasarna and Elafonissi, not forgetting Almyrida with its safe blue flag beaches.  

There is a stunning long stretch of beach on the north coast of the island at Georgioupolis, and Europe’s only natural palm grove at Vai beach on the north east point of the island.  

South of Heraklion is Matala beach; the caves at the side have been inhabited since prehistoric times, most recently in the 1970’s by hippies.  

Recommended beaches to visit in Crete are Kato Zakros, Malia, Paleochora, Prevelli, Frangokastello, Istro, Agia Pelagia, Menies, Xerokampos and Makrigalos.  

Crete is the largest Greek island at 3,220 square miles. It is a very popular destination for holidaymakers and tourists.  

Crete map

Visitors to the island of Crete are amazed by magnificent coastline and the imposing mountain chain that runs the length of Crete, the Island is home to a profusion of flora and fauna numerous endemic to Crete which only adds to the beauty of Crete.  

Most tourist areas are positioned on the north coast of Crete; here you will find beaches that offer beach entertainment, hire a pedalo, ride a banana boat, try water skiing or windsurfing. The south coast with its captivating ruggedness has isolated coves and beaches worth exploring. Get a map, hire a car then explore some of Crete’s more isolated but astounding beaches.  

Crete is unrivalled when it comes to choice of beaches compared with the rest of the Greek islands. There are many beaches ideal for sunbathing on Crete’s coastline, whether you can lounge around, read a book, or play and swim in the water.  

Like me, any visitor to the island tastes the food and falls in love with the Cretan food as much as they fall for the glorious beaches and the wonderful inhabitants. After all eating out is part of your holiday, trying the different takes on the Greek dishes at a plethora of cafes, restaurants and taverns.  

 The delightful beaches and fine weather, dramatic scenery and good food are the main reasons that so numerous tourists stay here in the summer. It’s easy to see the allure of this spectacular island.  

The accommodation on Crete caters for all budgets, getting to Crete is easy; There are two good international airports at Heraklion and Chania. Ferries also run from Piraeus, Athens to Heraklion, Souda and Rethymno on Crete.

Crete is an idyllic Greek island, located in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Known for its rich history, stunning landscapes, and crystal clear waters, Crete is an ultimate destination for anyone seeking a relaxing vacation. One of the most remarkable features of Crete is its beaches. With over 1,000 kilometers of coastline, Crete boasts a wide range of beaches, from secluded coves to bustling tourist hotspots. In this article, we’ll explore some of the best beaches on the island.

Elafonisi Beach
Elafonisi Beach is one of the most famous beaches in Crete, and for a good reason. Located on the southwest coast of the island, it features crystal clear turquoise waters and pink sand. The pink sand is created by tiny pieces of shells and coral, and it creates a truly stunning contrast with the azure waters. The beach is ideal for families, with shallow waters and plenty of sunbeds and umbrellas available for rent.

Balos Beach
Balos Beach is a truly breathtaking sight. Located on the northwest coast of Crete, the beach is accessible only by boat or by hiking down a steep path. But the journey is well worth it. The beach features turquoise waters and stunning views of the nearby island of Gramvousa. The beach is ideal for swimming and snorkeling, and there are plenty of sunbeds and umbrellas available for rent.

Falassarna Beach
Falassarna Beach is located on the west coast of Crete, and it is considered one of the best beaches on the island. The beach stretches for several kilometers, and it features crystal clear waters and fine golden sand. The beach is ideal for swimming, windsurfing, and kitesurfing, and there are several tavernas and beach bars where you can grab a bite to eat or a cold drink.

Vai Beach
Vai Beach is located on the northeast coast of Crete, and it is known for its unique palm forest. The beach features golden sand and crystal clear waters, and it is ideal for swimming and sunbathing. There are several tavernas and beach bars where you can enjoy a meal or a drink, and the palm forest provides ample shade on hot summer days.

Preveli Beach
Preveli Beach is located on the south coast of Crete, and it is known for its natural beauty. The beach is backed by a lush green valley, and it features turquoise waters and fine golden sand. The beach is ideal for swimming and sunbathing, and there are several tavernas and beach bars where you can grab a bite to eat or a cold drink.

In conclusion, Crete is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. From secluded coves to bustling tourist hotspots, the island offers something for everyone. Whether you’re looking for a relaxing vacation or an action-packed adventure, you’re sure to find it on the beaches of Crete. So why not book your trip today and experience the beauty of this Greek island for yourself?

Top beaches in Ibiza

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Mention the Balearic island of Ibiza to anyone in the know, and the most likely response you’ll get is a knowing smile and a reminiscent nod. With its reputation as THE party capital of the world, with its hedonistic nightclubs and twenty-four hour clubbing atmosphere, it’s an understandable mistake to make in thinking that is all this wonderful island has to offer. However, behind this dance music-led façade, you’ll also find some of the top beaches in Ibiza are also some of the best in the Mediterranean too.

If you’re looking for a peaceful escape from the better-known party aspects of Ibiza, then you can’t go far wrong with the beautiful retreat that is Benirras beach, found on the north of the island. Famous for being associated with drug-fuelled nights of debauchery back in the ‘sixties, today Benirras is a haven for the more sedate traveler. Laying in seclusion at the end of a long and windy road, the beach is the very picture of a perfect idyllic setting: deep blue seas surrounded by overhanging cliff faces and golden sands. The best part about this particular beach is that there is a protection order in place stopping hotel owners from building on it – a rare event in today’s world, and another reason why it was recently voted one of the top beaches in Ibiza.

Another of the more relaxing beaches in Ibiza is the Cala Llonga, which is situated just slightly north of Ibiza town itself. Although the beach itself is fairly small, it has a surprisingly deceptive depth to it, enabling it to accommodate many more beach-goers than you may have first thought. Since it’s in the north, where many of the more boisterous revelers tend to leave alone, this offers a relaxing and peaceful atmosphere.

If it is the more intensive and party going vibe that you’re after on your visit to this wondrous island, you should be checking out the infamous Playa d’en Bossa beach, which at a mere 2km from Ibiza town itself, is right at the heart of all the action. With almost all the bars playing loud dance music along the whole of the beach-front, it’s not for the weak-hearted. However, as the starting point for your big night out, it can’t be faulted.

However, one of the most popular beaches in Ibiza is surprisingly not Playa d’en Bossa (although it runs a close second) but the rather wonderful Salines beach. This offers a happy medium between all-out partying and simple relaxation – with a long and relaxing walk along the beach front, interspersed with bars galore on the way to the much-loved ultimate beach bar Sa Trinxa, it’s a great way to ease yourself in to the long night ahead.

Although Ibiza does quite rightly hold the reputation of being the ideal destination for any party-loving animal, it shouldn’t be ignored when it comes to the more traditional kind of relaxing holiday either, as the likes of Benirras and Cala Llonga and the other top beaches in Ibiza will have you discover.

Beaches and night life in Ibiza

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The lively Ibiza Island boasts of over 50 beautiful beaches and outstanding beach facilities with fine, clear blue waters and golden sand, adding up to over more than 30 miles of dazzling coastline. You can locate the best beaches in the Island by heading south-east, where they lie between Cala de Santa Vicent and Santa Eularia des Riu.

A typical beach in Ibiza Island includes a diversity of water sports, beachside bars and restaurants. Nonetheless, one can relish a quiet moment in the countless private coves and beaches. Swimming in these beaches is safe, even in the smaller beaches which don’t have lifeguards. Of importance to point out, topless sunbathing is allowed, thus, you got no reason not to enjoy the alluring Ibiza island sun on your skin against the backdrop of blue calm waters.

One of the beaches in Ibiza Island that you might not want to miss out on is the long sandy Cala es Figueral beach. It features tiny, rocky islets close to the shores and what is more, there is a nudist beach on the northern section of the island, talk of freedom of enjoying yourself to the fullest. The Cala de Boix beach is another treasure of the Ibiza Island surrounded by affluent green hills. It is one of the quiet beaches in the Island, giving you an excellent view of the Illa de Tagomago. Another beach in the Island that you might want to check on is the small sandy beach found in the Platja des Canar resort. It is located near the infamous pleasure boat harbor and surrounded by cafes, bars, shops and restaurants. Others include Platja des Niu Blau, Cala Llonga and Platja del Pinos among many others. To say the least, Ibiza Island beaches have what it takes to create a memorable holiday.

Ibiza is an island that never sleeps, always buzzing with super electric energy with all sorts of restaurants, bars, dancing halls and clubs playing all your favorite music. Whether you want it loud or cool, Ibiza Island clubs ensure you enjoy the best music topping the list in the world. To say the least, it is the best haunt for hippies, justified by the title the island won as the ‘entertainment island of the world’. The big-name clubs in Ibiza Island are legendary, attracting party animals from all corners of the world. The pioneer clubs in the Island were Pacha and Amnesia, dating back to the 70s. What would you expect of such clubs with such a reputable duration in the entertainment industry? They are fashionable and attractive; thanks to the world class DJs who will endeavor to keep you rocking and awake.A visit to club Privilege in Ibiza Island, you will know why it is regarded as the largest club in the world, holding a capacity of over 10,000. Here, the party simply never stops. It boasts of a swimming pool, thus you have an option of re-vitalizing and enjoying yourself away from the dance floor. Space Ibiza is the other club topping the list in Ibiza Island. The party begins in the afternoon and never ends till dawn of the next morning, you are guaranteed of nothing but real fun. You might also want to check out on Clubs Eden, Es Paradis and El Divino. Clubs in Ibiza Island feature different theme attractions every night thus you are sure to sample the best of the Island. The best thing about clubbing in Ibiza Island, one is not expected to follow a certain dress code. There is no specific style of music in the nightclubs in Ibiza, but you are sure to enjoy a strong, unique Ibiza beat.

Greece and Greek islands

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Many people see Greece as a cheap package tour to get some rest and sunshine, but how many people who actually go to Greece SEE Greece.

Greece has a rich history that goes back for over 4,000 years. The ancestors of Hellenes, which is the mainland of Greece, were explorers who travelled the Seas, both the Mediterranean and the Black Sea – covering many distances in search of new people to trade with. The Greeks settled from the Mediterranean, Asia Minor, and along the coast of North Africa during their travels.

The people of Greece have always had a strong desire for independence, and enjoy their freedom enough to fight for it over the years. Alexander the Great is perhaps the most well known Greek, conquering most of the known world during the 4th century BC, with a plan to Hellenize it. In 146 BC, Greece was defeated by the Romans, and in 330 AD, Emperor Constantine founded the Eastern Roman Empire. By 1828, the Greeks in a small area of the country had won back their independence,

and they continued to fight for the rest of their land. After World War II, many of the islands were returned to Greece, independence, and freedom.

The country of Greece is a peninsular and mountainous land, geographically located in Southern Europe, and characterized by more than 1400 beautiful islands.

The Greece islandsattract people from all over the world to spend their vacations and holidays, and since the weather in Greece year round is full of sunshine and mild temperatures, you’ll be sure to experience the beautiful nature of Greece. With over 13,676 km of white sandy beach coastlines, and crystal clear, sparkling waters, every beach lover is sure to enjoy a trip to Greece!


Greece is situated along the Mediterranean, comfortably located between Albania, Bulgaria, Turkey and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Greece is surrounded by the Aegean and Ionian Sea. Some of the most visited islands include Santorini, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Corfu, Lefkada and Alonissos.

There are hundreds of Islands, all owned by Greece but many unpopulated. The islands that are used by tourists come in many different characters and flavours catering from young peoples holidays, through family and young children to older and retired people, choose your island well, it will be the choice between one persons nightmare vs. another’s paradise!.
Next time you visit Greece, take time to study the Greek food in the shops and restaurants.

You might find there are many of the local food you have never heard of. Spend longer look at the menu and ask the locals what they eat, a great way to discover new food. As well as tourist food, they also have many delicious recipes worth sampling. Even the famous Greek Salad is different in many areas of Greece and is often eaten every day.


Many believe that wine was invented in Greece, its well worth sampling many of the local brews, if the thinking is true, they have more experience than anyone else in the world!

Finding accommodations in Greece is not difficult, and you have many options to choose from. There are the typical Greek hotels, along with villas, apartments, rooms, hostels and camping available for people traveling in Greece, with ‘island hopping’ a favorite amongst many people, young and old alike!.

So next time you’re planning a trip to the ‘Greek islands’, research your trip and include some of the many other sites and experiences that can be found in this ancient land.

Hotels in Greece

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Numerous people will consent that summer is the most ideal period of the year in Greece. However, they are not aware of the fact that Greece has sunny and warm weather all year long. Instead of reminiscing sandy beaches and summer nights, the tourist should focus on what nature has in store for them in winter and any other season of the year in Greece. Besides, Greece is not just islands and beaches. Winter destinations with lovely hotels in Greece and chalets turn Greece into an ideal place for winter holidays. For those looking for a luxury accommodation or just top quality at the most affordable cost, there are excellent selections in hotels all over the country.

In a nutshell, hotels in Greece ensure unique experiences of exclusiveness in landscapes that only few people had the chance to visit. Also, they provide flawless services in ultramodern accommodations, private beaches, top notch gastronomy and rare shots.

In Greece, indulgence is combined with Greek myth and the visitor is certain that they have found their personal paradise on earth. Luxurious destinations in Greek islands and northern Greece promise truly genuine experiences. Come in contact with natural landscapes of unrivalled beauty hiring a sailing boat or yacht. Also, indulge in premium holidays in Greece in complete serenity, quiet and privacy in top class hotels in Greece.

Allow the perfectly trained staff of the luxury Greek hotels to spoil you, catering to every need you may have and fulfilling every demand of yours 24/7. Relax visiting the spa centre of your hotel, taking care of your body with the best natural products, doing yoga in nature and massage of all kinds. “Redeem” yourself with healthy Mediterranean diet which is ideal for detoxification. Every experience in a Greek hotel entails complete regeneration.

And every moment spend in Greece is a memorable picture. Imagine dining under the light of candles or walking along the dock with the view of lights that shimmer at the opposite Cycladic village. Enjoy cool cocktails on relaxing sunbeds at the beach, which remind you how sweet summer tastes. Also, winetasting is very common in Greece in old wineries where tradition blends with the art of making wine. Are you keen on sea sports or cultural events that resemble to cinematographic sceneries? Then again Greece is your place.

How about going shopping at the most iconic markets of the Aegean Sea? Of course we mean Santorini and Mykonos, where you will enjoy unique experiences of luxury with the view of the Aegean Sea. Also, relish the renowned sunset in Santorini tasting local wine under the sound of relaxing music as the horizon is painted in wonderful colours and the figures of the picturesque surrounding islets emerge. You need to know that these kinds of pictures are not erased from your memory.

Greece hosts some of the most beautiful destinations for luxurious holidays.

What makes these destinations so special? Certainly the fact that they combine sophisticated services in a unique natural setting. Here the visitors will enjoy top class hospitality, unprecedented activities, sea sports, spa services and unrivalled gastronomy in landscapes and well-known places all over the world for their natural beauty, their long-lasting history, culture and unique architecture.

The time of catharsis has come. Rejuvenate yourself mentally and physically with spa treatments, accompanied by the Mediterranean lights and the energy of the sea. Can you imagine being surrounded by lit candles on the water which will escort you to your dinner with your fiancé? This is an experience that will enchant the senses.

The scenarios of luxury hotels aren’t used up just with regard to the sea. There are also luxury resorts and boutique hotels in Greece, as well as challets and traditional guest houses that wait patiently the guests in numerous mountainous destinations all over Greece. Combine accommodation with skiing and other winter sports on ski slopes.

Wherever you find yourself, either inside luxury hotels or in the settlements around them, local dishes will definitely impress you. Indulge in a meal or dinner in the well-known restaurants with elective Greek wines. Greek cuisine is a type of artistic creativity. Numerous restaurants, which you will have the chance to visit, have been awarded with prizes on a national and international level for their dishes; therefore they number among the best restaurants across Europe.

Cafes, bars with top aesthetics and sophisticated music, breathtaking view and special atmosphere, with innovative drinks complete the amazing experience of holidays when staying in luxury hotels in Greece. Specialized companies that organize activities, private excursions and guided tours in archaeological sites, flights and wine tasting are always at your disposal every day during your holidays. Prepare yourselves for the most unique moments of your life all year long, whether at seaside or mountainside.

In this scenery the accommodation plans are numerous and fascinating. You may stay in multi-star hotels in Greece with Jacuzzi and spa or you may opt for the smallest family-type hotel units which guarantee privacy and serenity. In any case, the options are endless with regard to staying in Greece. Suites that abound with luxury and bungalows on the beach are also accessible for those that want a taste of abundance during their holidays. How about doing a sport and at the same time enjoying gourmet and Mediterranean dished in exquisite restaurants?

Finally, hotels in Greece offer so gently and generously genuine entertainment and unique gastronomic experiences. Greece is a blessed country with abundant natural beauties and highly advanced hotel units. There is no place like Greece and this feeling is created to the visitor once they have the opportunity to visit the country. Greece combines lots of elements and this makes it so special.

Villa rental in Greece

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Greece, which is the land of exquisite natural beauties, is strewn with numerous luxury hotels and escapade hotels. However, it has been observed that more and more people are opting for Holiday Villas Greece for maintaining a level of privacy in their holiday tours.

One can enjoy state of the art amenities in these villas and this is the reason why the popularity of Villa rental in Greece is increasing rapidly. You can enjoy the flavor of the finger-licking Greek cuisine or bask in the warmth of sunshine by spending your holidays in Greece Villa. If you want gather more information about villa rental in Greece, you need to contact an agent who is well aware of the ins and outs of this market. The rate of Holiday villas in Greece may vary depending upon various factors.

A tourist can experience the comfort and the conveniences of luxury hotels in a rented Greece Villa. Hotel Intercontinental, which is located in the heart of Athens, is considered as one of the famous luxury hotels in Greece. However, if you want to spend your holidays in seclusion, in a place, which is far from the hustle and bustle of city life, you should look for Villa rental in Greece. Villa rental in Greece will help you to get relaxed and to enjoy enthralling surroundings of Greece.

A range of holiday villas to rent in Greece can be found in and around some popular tourist destination places. First, select the region where you want to spend your upcoming holidays in Greece. After that, try to compare the rent and amenities of different Greece Holiday Villas. If you follow this rule carefully, you can easily find out a Holiday Greece Villa that suit your budget and requirements simultaneously. Delve depth in the rich historical background of Greece or enjoy the breathtaking beauties of Greece Islands without putting your financial condition at a stake. If you have a tight budget, you need not have to worry at all because you can enjoy cheap holidays in Greece by opting for budget Villa rental.

Hiring villas in Greece has become a craze among retired personals who want to spend the rest of their life in the lap of nature. As Greece is favored with a pleasant weather and as it is offering modern facilities to tourists, its property market is flooded with foreign investment.

A person now can gather enough information about a holiday Villa in Greece by searching in the Internet. A villa must provide some basic facilities such without which your holiday in Greece would lose all its charm. This is the reason why one should make a plan before hand. You can search in this web portal if you want to gather more information on villa rental in Greece.

Story Behind the Song: ‘Holding Her and Loving You’

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Story Behind the Song: ‘Holding Her and Loving You’

Earl Thomas Conley  Holding Her and Loving You

It doesn’t have a chorus, but “Holding Her and Loving You” has quite a hook.

You’re reeled in from the first line of the 1983 song, when Earl Thomas Conley sings, “The third hardest thing I’ll ever do (is) leaving here without you.”

As the song’s co-writer Walt Aldridge explains, once that’s established, a listener says, “What’s number two and number one? I want to hear the countdown.”

We’ll cut to the chase: number one is “Holding her and loving you.” It’s a song about being trapped between two relationships, and the guilt and torment that comes with it.

Aldridge wrote the song with Tommy Brasfield. He recalled that fateful session in a conversation with Bart Herbison of Nashville Songwriters Association International.

“Holding Her and Loving You.” Wow, what a song. It’s one of NSAI’s 50 Songs of the Year. You know, I had forgotten this until we were talking about it earlier — but it’s a song without a chorus.

WA: I was always drawn to some of the older songs that didn’t even have choruses. They just had refrains that happened at the end of a verse. You know, “Bridge Over Troubled Water” ain’t too bad a song. So, I was trying to write a lot of songs that way. I was writing a lot with Tommy Brasfield. At that time, we were writing almost exclusively together…I was determined to write a song that didn’t have a chorus because I felt like it might give us a little bit of an edge in terms of being more unique than what everybody else was pitching.

And numbers are involved in this song.

WA: You know, by default Tommy sort I think just said “It’s the third hardest thing I’ll ever do.” And I said, “Leaving here without you.” So, once you have said what the third hardest thing is, everybody is like, “What’s two and number one? I want to hear the countdown.” So yeah, numbers were involved. You kind of had to go through that. It was a song that I have to say was made exponentially better by the record that Earl Thomas Conley and Nelson Larkin made. What a great record. When you heard Earl sing it, you just felt the pain and felt like, “okay he’s going through this. He’s got to be living this. He wrote this.” It’s one of those deals where he just sold it. When we heard it, I think Tommy and I both knew it was something special.

Well there’s a bittersweet sense of honor in the character of this song.

WA: Well, at least he feels bad about it, you know? He’s not such a scoundrel that he’s trying to hang scalps on his belt. I think everybody, at some point in their life, has been in that uncomfortable situation where you are in a relationship and maybe you’re attracted to somebody else, even if it’s in junior high. You’re having a hard time making up your mind or getting out of one to the other. Transitions are not always clean. Sometimes there’s a little overlapping and that’s what that song is about, trying to navigate those stormy waters.

I guess of all the songs I’ve written, I’ve had more people come up to me and say, “When I heard that song I pulled my car over and cried because I was just living it.” Or (they say), “Man, what an emotional song. I know you had to be going through it.” I’ve had more people connected to it emotionally than anything else.

The song came when I was going through a lot with different relationships. It seemed to always come on in the moment when I needed to go, “Bart…” And it had a profound effect, man. It really does. I know you’ve heard that.

WA: Well, thank you. Obviously that’s why we do what we do: to hopefully have some impact on people or give voice to a feeling that (the listener is) having that maybe they haven’t been able to articulate or even figure out for sure what all they were feeling. That is always what makes a writer feel great, when someone says, “you hit the nail on the head.”

About the series

In partnership with Nashville Songwriters Association International, every week we will interview a songwriter about his or her work.

Earl Thomas Conley Holding Her and Loving You – Country Star of the 1980s, Is Dead at 77

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Earl Thomas Conley, one of the most popular and prolific country singers of the 1980s, died here. He was 77.

Carole Scates, his partner for more than 20 years, said the cause was cerebral atrophy.

Mr. Conley had 24 Top 10 country singles in the ’80s, several of which he wrote or co-wrote, including 18 that reached No. 1. Only two artists that decade topped the country charts more times than he did: the vocal group Alabama, which had 27 No. 1 singles, and the singer Ronnie Milsap, who had 23. All but one of Mr. Conley’s No. 1 hits were recorded for RCA, starting with “Somewhere Between Right and Wrong” in 1982.

Many of Mr. Conley’s songs, among them “Holding Her and Loving You” and “Don’t Make It Easy for Me,” both No. 1 hits, plumbed the complexity of romantic relationships. Abounding with sincerity, his rich, smoky baritone was well suited to his material, which appealed primarily to adult audiences, much like the vintage country and soul music of the 1960s and ’70s.

Mr. Conley’s affinity for soul music was evident on many of his recordings, maybe nowhere as much as on “Too Many Times,” a 1986 duet with Anita Pointer of the Grammy Award-winning Pointer Sisters. That record reached No. 2 on the country chart and earned Mr. Conley an invitation, rare for a country artist, to perform the song with Ms. Pointer on the R&B-themed television show “Soul Train.”

“There was such soul in everything he did,” Joe Galante, who was chief executive of RCA Nashville from 1982 to 1990, said in an interview with The Daily Tennessean.

“You always talk about finding something unique,” Mr. Galante continued. “His voice certainly was that.”

Mr. Conley placed an average of two singles a year on the country charts in the 1980s, on his way to becoming an inspiration to future country hitmakers like Randy Travis and Blake Shelton.

By the early ’90s, with the rise of new stars like Garth Brooks and Shania Twain, sales of Mr. Conley’s records had dropped, and he received less and less airplay, prompting him to take an extended break from touring and recording. He resurfaced again in 1998, and, though he never achieved the kind of success he had in the ’80s, he was active into this decade.

Earl Thomas Conley, the third of eight children, was born on Oct. 17, 1941, in Portsmouth, Ohio, a small town across the Ohio River from Kentucky, to Ruth (Davis) and Arthur Conley. When his father lost his job with the railroad, Earl, then 14, moved in with one of his older sisters.

He was offered a scholarship to attend art school but opted instead to join the Army, where he first began writing songs and singing in public.

After his discharge, Mr. Conley worked for the railroad and in steel mills while traveling to and from Ohio and Nashville to write songs with the producer Dick Heard. Their song “Smokey Mountain Memories” became a Top 40 country hit for the honky-tonk singer Mel Street in 1975.

The next year Conway Twitty had a No. 1 country hit with Mr. Conley’s “This Time I’ve Hurt Her More Than She Loves Me.”

In 1981, after an unproductive stint recording for Warner Bros. Records, Mr. Conley had his first No. 1 hit, a song he wrote called “Fire & Smoke,” released on the independent Sunbird label.

In addition to Ms. Scates, Mr. Conley is survived by his brothers, Fred and Steve; his sisters, Ronda Hodges and Becky Miller; a son, Ty, and a daughter, Amy Edmisten, from his marriage to Sandra Smith, which ended in divorce; two younger daughters, Kat Scates and Erinn Scates; and five grandchildren.

A versatile stylist, Mr. Conley was as much at home with the Appalachian music of his childhood as with rock- and soul-inflected arrangements. He recorded tradition-steeped duets with Emmylou Harris (“We Believe in Happy Endings”) and Keith Whitley (“Brotherly Love”).

“My stuff started with bluegrass music,” Mr. Conley once explained in an interview. “That’s what inspired me, the people that came out of those hills in West Virginia and Kentucky. And, of course, Hank Williams Sr. down in Alabama.

“I was born in ’41, and I was raised up on that early stuff,” he went on. “Coming out of those mountains, there’s a different soul and a different feeling and a whole different deal than what it would be like to come from the city.”

Athlete of the Week: Devan Masciulli, softball

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Devan Masciulli, Softball

WHAT SHE DID: Drove in the game-winning run with a successful suicide squeeze in Newtown Rock 18U Elite’s 4-3, come-from-behind win over MPI Elite in the opening game of the ASA 18U National Qualifier Tournament. Rock 18U Elite went on to win the tournament with a 6-0 record, and Masciulli led the team with a .450 batting average (9-for-20) with three doubles, four RBIs and seven runs scored.

WHAT SHE SAID: “It’s really cool when you can come out to a (summer travel) team you haven’t seen in a while and take it from almost losing your first game to winning every single game after that, including the championship, and being able to qualify for nationals the second tournament of our summer season.”

OFF THE FIELD: Masciulli, who was involved with drama at Neshaminy High School, enjoys hanging out with friends and going to the beach.

COLLEGE: Will continue her softball career at Millersville University, where she will major in meteorology.

PERSON SHE WOULD MOST WANT TO MEET: Mike Trout. “I admire him for the way he plays the game of baseball. He plays the game right with hustle, intensity and respect. He is also an outfielder like myself, and he has incredible talent.”

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