Entries by

Nashville puts Bill and Jimmy in bronze

From my earliest days in country music International Country Music Fan Fair was an event that many country music personalities loved so they could get up close and personal with fans from around the world. The event is now called CMA Music Festival, and it was appropriate that during this year’s event a couple of […]

He came from Alabama with a banjo on his knee

  James Watson appears on stage in at Vines Bluegrass Barn in Woodland, Ala. in the early 2012. (Courtesy James Watson Collection)  James Watson performs Foggy Mountain Top with the Golden River Grass in 1985 on PBS show “Tonight at Ferlinghetti’s.” http://youtu.be/8-ofvpGHSlk I stood outside the front door of the Quattlebaum Funeral Home in Roanoke, […]

American Grandstand is sure to please traditional country fans

Bluegrass artist Rhonda Vincent is teaming up with a country music friend of mine Daryle Singletary for an upcoming duets album, American Grandstand, from Upper Management Music, set for release July 7. The project delivers real traditional country music with a unique American twist. “I’ve always loved singing with Daryle Singletary. He’s one of the greatest singers […]

Keeping one’s word

I placed the call and said, “I know you stole the money, you were the only one that had access to it. It better find its way back here by 5 o’clock or you will be dealing with a greater worry.” Of course, the person denied the charge, but amazingly, the money found its way […]

Country legends Bobby Bare reflects how “Things Change”

Country Music Hall of Famer and GRAMMY® award-winning legend Bobby Bare will release “Things Change” on May 26 featuring a collaboration with Chris Stapleton. The album is Bare’s first studio project in five years and is available for pre-sale now at BobbyBare.com and all CD’s purchased through Bare’s website will be autographed. “Things Change” features 10 tracks written by Bare, Mary Gauthier, Guy […]

New music from bluegrass legends Lawson and Williams

Two masters of bluegrass bring their next installment of the music that helped make them legends. Doyle Lawson and Paul Williams present Chapter 3 from Mountain Home. It’s the style they first learned together as members of Jimmy Martin’s influential band years ago before labels were differentiating Country, Western and Bluegrass music and songs of heartbreak […]

The father of bubblegum pop – Tommy Roe

  As I was growing up around Georgia Music Hall of Famer Cotton Carrier, a name which often came up was Tommy Roe, a fellow Atlantan who Carrier had worked with through Bill Lowery Publishing. Roe is now in his 55th year in the music business, an achievement not many artists can brag about. He […]

A little funny never hurts

    One of my readers said that I needed to share a bit of comedy in my column to raise the spirits of the folks back home. Well I don’t know if I can do that but I’m willing to take aim at it. One of my favorite places to find funny comments or […]

The patter of tapping fingers

I can look back just a few years ago to when I had little exposure to the thoughts exposed on the internet. I saw it mainly as a vehicle for research as I sought sources for various topics I was writing about. Then seven year ago, I realized that as a musical artist and actor, […]