The First Ladies of Country Music: Samantha Bumgarner & Eva Davis’s 1924 Recordings
On April 22 & 23, 1924, North Carolina folk singers Samantha Bumgarner and Eva Davis became the first ever female folk and old-time country recording artists. Following only Eck Robertson, Fiddlin’ John Carson, Henry Whitter, Riley Puckett, Gid Tanner, and maybe George Reneau, they were among the first handful of all country recording artists. Bumgarner and Davis’ session also wins honors as the first female duo, first female solo, and likely the first 5-string banjo recordings.
On the “Hick-Libs”
While the hick-lib celebrities would have us believe that Appalachia and rural Oklahoma is home to covert gay coal miners and queer cowboys, the overwhelming majority of those who they claim to represent can be found at large stadiums cheering Kenny Chesney and Luke Bryan.
Louis Michot: Cajun, Zydeco, Old Timey, Race, Solo Records & a Humble Genuis that is “Rêve du Troubadour”
Join us as we sit down with Louis Michot (best known as the fiddle player and lead-singer for the Grammy award winning Lost Bayou Ramblers, but blowing minds on the sonic masterpiece that is his solo record “Rêve du Troubadour”) and discuss all things Cajun, Zydeco, Old Timey Music, Race Music, the birds of the air and the beauty of precise Louisiana French. “Rêve du Troubadour” was objectively without a doubt one of the finest album releases of the last 10 years and so it was a delight to talk with this humble genius.
Blood, Grit, and Hoedowns: The Dead South “Chains and Stakes” Album Review
The Dead South are back with another masterful album of bluegrass framed Americana. On Chains and Stakes…
It’s Been Awhile for Shane Smith and the Saints
by Benji Magness Shane Smith and the Saints just released a new single “It’s Been Awhile” ahead of their forthcoming album “Norther” (dropping March 1st).
How Important Is Authenticity? A Question for Sam Williams (Gay Grandson of Hank)
by Amos White How Important Is Authenticity? Most country music fans, and certainly the classic country fans, will remember Tammy Wynette’s heartbreaking song “Til I
Are the Good Times Really Over? Musings upon a great Merle Haggard tune.
by Donald Jacobs Ecclesiastes 1:9-10 9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which
Marty Robbins: Twentieth Century Drifter with Diane Diekman
Robbins saw himself as a drifter, a man always searching for self-fulfillment and inner peace. Born Martin David Robinson to a hardworking mother and an abusive alcoholic father, he never fully escaped the insecurities burned into him by a poverty-stricken nomadic childhood in the Arizona desert. In 1947 he got his first gig as a singer and guitar player and soon changed his name to Marty Robbins, where he cultivated his magnetic stage presence, and established himself as an entertainer, songwriter, and successful NASCAR driver…
The Birth of WSM Radio and the Grand Ole Opry: Tennessee and Music City USA with Craig Havighurst
Started by the National Life and Accident Insurance Company in 1925, WSM became one of the most influential and exceptional radio stations in the history of broadcasting and country music. WSM gave Nashville the moniker “Music City USA” as well as a rich tradition of music, news, and broad-based entertainment. With the rise of country music broadcasting and recording between the 1920s and ‘50s, WSM, Nashville, and country music became inseparable, stemming from WSM’s launch of the Grand Ole Opry, popular daily shows like Noontime Neighbors, and early morning artist-driven shows such as Hank Williams on Mother’s Best Flour. Join us as we sit down with Craig Havighurst and talk all things Nashville, radio, and country music in American culture.
Stephen WIlson Jr: The Tree that Grew Close to the Apple
We are all our parents children, for better or for worse. We all must come to terms with this at some point. I never did until listening to Stephen Wilson Jr. Sometimes in topics this deep and difficult, having a wise guide will help you understand the relations of parent and child. Stephen Wilson Jr. is deceptively simple, but he can turn a phrase that can grasp your soul and squeeze; the tree never grows to far from the apple…
From Rodeo Rider to ‘Purple People Eater’ Star: The Wild Journey of Sheb Wooley (AKA Ben Colder)
by Donald Jacobs …shuffle…shuffle…shuffle…THUD! Hello wall… I didn’t see you standing there… Thus begins the song Hello Walls no 2 (a parody of the hit
John Brinkley. The Carter Family. Goat Testicles. Million Watt Radio Station. An Interview with Pope Brock
What do goat testicles and a radio station in Mexico in the 1930’s have to do with country music legends The Carter Family, the popularization
Lefty Frizzell, True Honky Tonk Outlaw
by Amos White My man William Orville Frizzell was born March 31st, 1928. Where? You guessed it: Texas. When you talk to fans of honky
The Timely Comeback of Country Line Dancing
by Keith Knight Every week, I find myself in the middle of a sweat-soaked dance floor, filled with smiles of all ages, moving together to
Tyler Childers’ “Rustin’ In The Rain” – A Little of This, A Little of That
by Aaron Bartmess 4/5 I’ll be honest and say that Tyler Childers’ latest album, Rustin’ In The Rain, is my first exposure to his work,
