One of the most important institutions of country music – and, therefore, American music – is the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. It’s a weekly performance...
Category - Country
I scan several “This Day in Music”-type sites — rock, country, jazz, even classical — when stumped for a blog topic. Today, a country...
One of the grandfathers of country music is William Orville (Lefty) Frizzell. Wikipedia defines him as a “country music singer-songwriter and honky...
Nothing illustrates the broad outlines of the family of musicians more than strange juxtapositions. Sometimes these are for good causes: Rockers and classical...
The song “We’ll Meet Again” has turned up many times. Three instances are particularly significant and memorable. The song was written by Hughie Charles and...
In a sense, Asleep at the Wheel can be defined as an ongoing tribute to the western swing music made famous by Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys. It is a...
These videos from Glen Campbell and Johnny Cash are tough to watch. As mature people, we accept the reality of aging and death. But such acceptance is an...
Jerry Reed was a good old boy. Indeed, he may have been the prototype. A very funny and good looking man, Reed was a natural. He was a staple on television and...
Tony Thomas, a good friend of the site, sent this clip of Sturgill Simpson. Writes Thomas: “Simpson has had a slow-to-develop but ever-more-successful...
Doc Watson is one of the most important people in the history of American music. Clearly, his technical mastery is deep. I am not capable of commenting on it...
Reading Music
The stories of the great bands and musicians are fascinating. Musicians as a group are brilliant, but often troubled. The combination of creativity and drama makes for great reading.
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Here are some books to check out.
Duke Ellington brought class, sophistication and style to jazz which, until that point, was proudly unpolished and raucous. His story is profound. The author, Terry Teachout, also wrote "Pops," the acclaimed bio of Louis Armstrong. Click here or on the image.
What else is there to say? Here is the story behind every song written by The Beatles. Click here or on the image.
The Grateful Dead don't get enough credit for the profound nature of its lyrics. Many of the band's songs are driven by a deep and literate Americana ("I'm Uncle Sam/That's who I am/Been hidin' out/In a rock and roll band" and "Majordomo Billy Bojangles/Sit down and have a drink with me/What's this about Alabama/Keeps comin' back to me?").
David Dodd's exhaustive study tells the story, song by song. Click here or on the image.