Arguments about the best album ever are for suckers, and that’s even truer of arguments about the best country album ever. Setting aside the obvious fact that “best” is as subjective as a word can get, many of country’s greatest artists spent their entire careers in the pre-album era. When Hank Williams, Jimmie Rodgers and … Continue reading The Smartest Guy in the Room
Classic Country
Getting On Up, Walking the Line and Seeing the Light: The World of Musical Biopics
Tom Hiddleston will be up early on January 17, 2017. So will Ethan Hawke. Don Cheadle too. That’s the day the next Oscar nominations will be announced, and Hiddleston, Hawke and Cheadle will be getting up before dawn to see whether they’ve been nominated as Best Actor for their performances as, respectively, country icon Hank … Continue reading Getting On Up, Walking the Line and Seeing the Light: The World of Musical Biopics
Broke, Hungry, Wet and Far from Home: Things Are Looking Up
Jimmie Rodgers was arguably the most popular singer of his era. At the time of his death in 1933, he reportedly accounted for 10% of all records sold by RCA Victor, then the world’s largest record company. His contract had, in fact, been a key asset in RCA’s acquisition of the Victor Talking Machine Company … Continue reading Broke, Hungry, Wet and Far from Home: Things Are Looking Up
Not Quite Hank Williams, But Close
For a man who left behind him less than 10 minutes of video footage, Hank Williams has a remarkably long filmography. Inspired by the recent release of I Saw the Light, I’ve been delving into it and checking out some titles new to me and others which I hadn’t seen in years. There are at … Continue reading Not Quite Hank Williams, But Close
Merle Haggard, 1937-2016
On November 4, 2013, my wife and I got into our car in the early morning hours. From our home in Queens, N.Y., we were bound for Kingston, N.Y., a drive of some two-and-a-half hours, allowing for traffic. It was quite a drive, but it was worth it, because we were on our way to … Continue reading Merle Haggard, 1937-2016
Your Cheatin’ Heart: A Hank Williams We Never Knew
Having seen the new Hank Williams biopic I Saw the Light recently and written a blog post about it, I thought that this would be a good occasion to revisit the most prominent of the previous tellings of Williams’ story, Gene Nelson’s Your Cheatin’ Heart (1964). That’s the one which features George Hamilton as Williams, … Continue reading Your Cheatin’ Heart: A Hank Williams We Never Knew
I Saw the Light: Hank Williams on His Way Downhill
If your interests are anything like mine—and if they aren’t, you’re reading the wrong blog—you wouldn’t dream of missing the new film I Saw the Light. It’s a feature film about Hank Williams, with a big budget and some big-name actors. Where do I get tickets? As to the movie itself, you’ve probably got … Continue reading I Saw the Light: Hank Williams on His Way Downhill
Hank Williams’ Apostrophe: A Quest for Authenticity
The title of the song is “Your Cheatin’ Heart.” That much is clear. It’s right there on the cover of the sheet music, as published by Williams’ own publisher, Acuff-Rose, in 1952. Of that there is no possible doubt whatever. Thereafter, though, things get murky. It seems obvious that, if you’re singing the song, the … Continue reading Hank Williams’ Apostrophe: A Quest for Authenticity
Herman Hupfeld’s Magic Moment
This post isn’t about country music. Or maybe it is. Maybe it’s about the only thing that really matters about country music. You figure it out. A few weeks ago I was in Austin, Texas, to do a show. The show was on Sunday, and I got into town late on Friday, so on Saturday … Continue reading Herman Hupfeld’s Magic Moment
Squaring the `Circle’
If you visit the Grand Ole Opry in Music Valley, which I highly recommend, and if you get there early, you’ll have the chance to see a promotional video of past Opry highlights. Prominently featured is a clip from Sept. 28, 2010, the night the Opry reopened after being seriously damaged by the Nashville flood … Continue reading Squaring the `Circle’
Tennessee Walt 