Bethpage Public Library * June 8, 2025 To read your program notes, please click here.
Songwriting
Program Notes: Tennessee Walt’s ‘From Bakersfield with Love’
Island Trees Public Library, April 12, 2025 “Streets of Bakersfield” (Homer Joy, 1972). This song was the last of Buck Owens’ 20 No. 1 hits, and an absolute fluke. In 1988 Owens and Merle Haggard were scheduled to appear at the Country Music Association Awards and sing a duet. At the last moment Haggard couldn’t … Continue reading Program Notes: Tennessee Walt’s ‘From Bakersfield with Love’
Program Notes: Tennessee Walt’s ‘The Hank Williams Century’
North Merrick Public Library, March 24, 2024 “Hey, Good-Looking” (Hank Williams, 1951). Yes, the official name is “Hey, Good Lookin’.” To understand why I don’t call it that, read my 2016 blog post, “Hank Williams’ Apostrophe: A Quest for Authenticity.” It’s not about this song specifically, but it might just as well be. Williams’ penchant … Continue reading Program Notes: Tennessee Walt’s ‘The Hank Williams Century’
Program Notes: Tennessee Walt’s An Afternoon in the Country
Friday, December 9, 2022 * Westbury Memorial Public Library, Westbury, New York Click here to read your program notes!
Program Notes: ‘Sounds Like Country from Here: Songs by Tennessee Walt’
Bay View, Michigan, July 23, 2022 1. “A Song about You” (Gayden Wren, 2019). A year or two back, I noticed that in 2020 a country singer named Sam Grow had premiered a song called “Song About You.” I haven’t heard it, so I don’t know if it’s anything like mine. For the record, I … Continue reading Program Notes: ‘Sounds Like Country from Here: Songs by Tennessee Walt’
Program Notes: ‘Tennessee Walt’s 61 and Counting’
Online, May 21, 2022 1. “A Song about You” (Gayden Wren, 2019). A year or two back, I noticed that in 2020 a country singer named Sam Grow had premiered a song called “Song About You.” I haven’t heard it, so I don’t know if it’s anything like mine. For the record, I debuted mine … Continue reading Program Notes: ‘Tennessee Walt’s 61 and Counting’
Program Notes: Tennessee Walt’s ‘Three Chords and the Truth: Country’s Greatest Songwriters’
Bethpage Public Library, April 23, 2023 1. “Always on My Mind” (Johnny Christopher, Mark James and Wayne Carson, 1970). People are often surprised to learn that Nelson didn’t write this song, and that it actually had been recorded by a number of famous singers in the decade before Nelson got to it. In part this … Continue reading Program Notes: Tennessee Walt’s ‘Three Chords and the Truth: Country’s Greatest Songwriters’
Program Notes: Tennessee Walt’s ‘Riding with the Outlaws’
Bethpage Public Library * June 8, 2025 1. “Honky Tonk Heroes” (Billy Joe Shaver, 1973). The story goes that in late 1972, after repeated efforts to corner Waylon Jennings and play his songs for him, Billy Joe Shaver had had enough. Knowing that Jennings was going to be recording at Tompall Glaser’s “Hillbilly Central” recording … Continue reading Program Notes: Tennessee Walt’s ‘Riding with the Outlaws’
Program Notes: Tennessee Walt’s ‘An Afternoon in the Country’
Westbury Memorial Public Library, Westbury, NY * December 16, 2022 1. “Night Train to Memphis” (Roy Acuff, 1942). Roy Acuff It’s impossible to say for sure who did what on this song, since it has three co-writers: Owen Bradley, Marvin Hughes and Beasley Smith. However, Bradley and Hughes were both best known as musicians, while … Continue reading Program Notes: Tennessee Walt’s ‘An Afternoon in the Country’
The Night that Hank Williams, Ernest Tubb and Porter Wagoner Came to Town
Is it a mystery if not many people care what the answer is? I say it’s a mystery if even one person cares—and, in this case, I’m that person. I didn’t initially recognize it as a mystery. It started out looking like a song: “The Night Hank Williams Came to Town” (1987). It’s a pretty … Continue reading The Night that Hank Williams, Ernest Tubb and Porter Wagoner Came to Town
Tennessee Walt 