Hello Everyone! 

Hope all is still going well as we continue another week of this pandemic. Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy.

This week I would like to talk about one of Country music's most eccentric and innovative songwriters, Roger Miller. Roger Miller has had many songs recorded by many artists including himself and, is considered one the greatest Country singer/songwriters of all time. He has also received many accolades for his writing and performing including Grammy awards, ACM Awards, and a Tony award. He was also inducted into the Nashville Songwriters' Hall of Fame in 1973.

Roger had a very unique playing and writing style, and would incorporate jazz stylings into his playing and singing. At the time Roger was like a breath of fresh air for Country music. His writing was comical with an underlying deepness that made a person think. Just like the line,"You can't roller skate in a buffalo heard, but you can be happy if you've a mind to." This line at first is so off the wall and hilarious, but it has a lot of layers.

Roger Miller was born in Fort Worth, Texas on January 2, 1936. He was one of three sons of Jean and Laudene Miller. When Roger's father died of spinal meningitis, Laudene was unable to support her children, and sent the boys to live with their Aunt and Uncle in Erick, Oklahoma during the Great Depression. While growing up in Oklahoma, Roger worked on his aunt and uncle's farm where he spent most of his time plowing, picking cotton and going to school. At night he would listen to the Grand Ole Opry and dream of being a singer/songwriter.

At 17, Roger had such a great desire to become a songwriter and entertainer, that he began running away to perform across Oklahoma and Texas. At one point Roger even stole a guitar to write songs, but turned himself in the next day. He was offered jail or enlisting in the Army, so he enlisted. While stationed in Atlanta, Georgia, he played with the Circle A Wranglers, a military musical group founded by Faron Young. When Roger was discharged from the Army, he went to Nashville to try his hand at songwriting. He worked as a bellhop in a Nashville hotel where he would sing and help people with their bags. He later met Minnie Pearl and began playing in her band. He also became a member of The Cherokee Cowboys, which was Ray Price's band, and wrote "Invitation to the Blues," which was covered by Rex Allen and made it to #3 on the Country charts. After having a top ten hit, he then received a publishing deal with Tree Publishing and his songwriting career took off.

By the late 50's, Roger was asked to record some songs. He recorded "Dang Me" and "Chug-A-Lug," which were both top ten hits and made him an instant household name. He kept writing and performing and people were in love with his unique style and humorous lyrics. In 1965 he wrote "King of the Road" which was the biggest hit of his career and was recorded by many artists including Dean Martin. It made #1 on the Country and Adult Contemporary charts and was #1 for a week on the UK Singles Chart.

Roger Miller had so many well known songs, but there are some amazing songs that some folks may not know he wrote; including a Broadway play score for which he won a Tony Award. I would like to take this time to share some of the songs that Roger wrote that may not have been so obvious.

First up is "Tall, Tall Trees." This song was co-written with George Jones. George also recorded it. The version I would like to share is a later cover done by Alan Jackson that he took to #1. Here is "Tall, Tall Trees" off of Alan Jackson's 1995 Greatest Hits Collection.

The next song I would like to share is "Billy Bayou." This is a comical song about a boy who makes it through life without being killed or captured... until he meets a girl. This song was covered by a number of artists including Charley Pride and Jim Reeves. Reeves version made it to #1 and was Roger's first number one song.

This next song was a #1 for Ricky Van Shelton in the 1988, and recorded by Roger in the 70's. Here is Roger with "Don't We All Have the Right."

"It Only Hurts Me When I Cry" was a top ten hit for Dwight Yoakum in '91, making it to #7. 

This next song is "It Happened Just that Way." This is a song that reminds me of stories my grandpa would tell. Very colorful and unique.

The next song is "The Moon is High and So Am I." The title says it all.

Next up are a few contributions Roger made to the Disney  "Robin Hood" soundtrack. First up is "Not in Nottingham."

Next is "Ooh-De-Lally."

And "Whistlestop," which was also used later for the internet sensation, "Hamster Dance."

Here is a really cool tune that didn't get a lot of notice... "Squares Make the World Go 'Round."

And the infamous "My Uncle Used to Love Me but She Died."

This song is a little different because of the message. It is one of Roger's slower songs and another top ten hit. Here is "One Dyin' and A Buryin."

"Dad Blame Anything a Man Can't Quit" is a humorous take on how habits are hard to break.

Next is a Roger Miller Christmas song. "Old Toy Trains" was written by Roger for his son and released in 1967.

Later in Roger's life he was asked to write the music for the Broadway play "Big River," which was a take on Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."

Roger did the score for the musical and won a Tony award for his contribution. Here are some songs from "Big River."

First up is "Leaving's not the Only Way to Go."

Next is "Guv'ment." This song was done by John Goodman who did an extraordinary job in the musical. It says what many folks have felt for a long time. Roger had said his uncle was the inspiration for this song. 

My last selection from "Big River" is "River in the Rain." This is a very beautiful song.

Next is a song that surprised me when I was looking into Roger Miller years ago. This song has become one of my favorites. Here is "Reincarnation."

Lastly I would like to leave you with this medley of songs that Roger did for the Muppets Show. This is very cool and shows what a great entertainer this man was.

Roger Miller had a fabulous career and contributed as much to the world of songwriting and music as anyone. He passed away in '92 from lung and throat cancer. This man was an amazing talent and is truly missed.

Thank you Roger for all of your contributions. RIP

Thanks to everyone who stopped by. I greatly appreciate it and hope you will continue to visit. 

 

Peace

 

 

 

 

 

Hello again everyone!

Hope everyone is still doing well and staying safe.

This week I want to talk about a guy who was a singer, songwriter, and PRCA World Champion Bareback Rider. Chris LeDoux was an amazing talent in so many respects. He was a true cowboy in every sense of the word and a great singer/songwriter and entertainer. This man not only won the 1976 World Champion Bareback Rider title, but also went on to have a successful Country music recording and performing career. 

Chris LeDoux was born in Biloxi, Mississippi on October 2, 1948. His father was in the US Air Force, so they moved often. At an early age Chris found he loved horses and wanted to be a cowboy. He started riding  bareback horses in his teens. He was so good at bareback riding that he received a rodeo scholarship to Casper College in Casper, Wyoming where he attended for 2 years and competed in collegiate rodeo. His junior year of college at Eastern New Mexico University, he won the Intercollegiate National Bareback Riding Championship. He knew that he could very well win the world and wanted to pursue rodeo further.

Chris began competing on the national level in 1970. While driving from place to place riding broncs, he started writing songs about the life he lived. He would then go home and his parents would help him record his songs in their basement. His mother had said she would use a kitchen timer to know when to stop the tape. Chris would then take his tapes out on the road and sell them out of the back of his pickup. Over the course of his rodeo career, Chris had sold over 200,000 copies of his music. He didn't have a label backing him or any kind of marketing, he just sold his music wherever he was. Needless to say he had accumulated many fans over the course of his rodeo career. In 1976, Chris won the PRCA Bareback Championship at the National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City, OK and was a world champion. He continued to rodeo until 1980 when he retired and pursued music and ranching full time. 

By the late 80's, Chris was recording and playing concerts and had self-released 22 albums. At this point he still thought he was only known in rodeo circles. In 1989, he heard Garth Brooks' song "Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old) on the radio and Garth had the line "a worn out tape of Chris LeDoux" in the song. After this, Chris LeDoux became a household name in the Country music world and was offered a recording contract with Capitol Records subsidiary Liberty Records and recorded the album "Western Underground." His next album "Whatcha Gonna Do With A Cowboy," was certified Gold and the title track which was a duet with Garth made the top 10 on the Billboard Country Charts. This would be the only Top 10 for Chris.

Throughout the 90's Chris became known for his high energy concerts where there would be pyrotechnics and even a mechanical bull he would ride. He would run all over the stage and throw roses to the audience. The show was like Van Halen meets Roy Rogers. It was exciting to say the least.

While Chris LeDoux did become a well known name during the 90's, he had made so much music before then. Many of the songs he recorded before his recording contract, he wrote himself. This is the area of his recording career in which I would like to concentrate.

The first song for this tribute is "Take Me To The Rodeo" off of his 1996 album "Stampede." This song gives you an idea of what life was like for him as a bareback rider. He said that the songs he wrote were autobiographical. I believe this is a testament to that.

Now I would like to throw one out there that is a little different. This one is "The Cowboy and The Hippie" off of his '81 self-released album "Gold Buckle Dreams." This song is definitely one of my favorites. It goes to show that when you get right down to it, we all have things in common.

This next song is a western love song. "Riding for a Fall" was released on his first album with Capitol, "Western Underground." This song paints a really vivid portrait and has a beautiful melody.

.

Now for Chris' explanation as to why he sang his rock 'n' roll songs.

I felt that there were two songs that summed it all up.

First up is "Little Long Haired Outlaw" off of his second Capitol recording "Whatcha Gonna Do with a Cowboy."

And next is "Even Cowboys Like A Little Rock and Roll" off of his third Capitol release "Under this Old Hat."

This shows the many sides of Chris LeDoux. He was a cowboy, but loved rock 'n' roll.

Now we are going to go back a ways. "Old Jake" was one of Chris' earlier songs and was released on the "Old Cowboy Heroes" album in 1980. It is a wonderful story about an old cowboy.

Next up is "They Couldn't Understand My Cowboy Songs." This song is about Nashville and how they didn't know how to market his music long before Garth ever came into the picture. It is off of Chris' 1983 self-released album "Thirty Dollar Cowboy." 

"Photo Finish" is a very humorous narrative about trying to get to a rodeo with not much time to do so. This is off of his 1973 album "Rodeo Songs Old and New."

This song coming up is a song Chris wrote with Toby Keith about being on the road with the one you love. They both recorded it and released it separately. Chris' version was on his 2003 album "Horsepower." Here is "Rodeo Moon."

I hope this gives everyone a good look and listen to what an amazing songwriter Chris LeDoux was. For so many years he has been known primarily for his wild concerts, but his songwriting was very unique and poetic. He was a great guy and said that he tried his best to live by the golden rule. Seems like pretty sound advice. 

Chris LeDoux passed away on March 9, 2005 at the age of 56. He had an amazing life and accomplished more in his 56 years than most folks could ever dream of. Chris was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame in 2005 for bareback riding and in the "notables" category for his musical contribution to rodeo.There has also been a monument erected in his honor in Kaycee, Wyoming called the "Good Ride Cowboy" Monument.

I felt that this last song was very fitting for the last one. Here is "Western Skies" off of his "Whatcha Gonna Do With A Cowboy" album.

Thank you Chris for all of your contributions to Country music and rodeo. You are greatly missed.

Thank y'all for taking the time to stop by. Hope you enjoyed this and will continue to visit.

 

Peace

 

 

 

 

 

Hello again everyone and Happy Mothers' Day to all of the mothers out there!

Being that this post is being written on Mother's Day, I wanted to talk about one of the most influential female songwriters in the history of music... Cindy Walker.

This lady has written songs that have been performed by everyone from Bob Wills to Michael Buble. She has over 300 songs to her name and, has been inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and, the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame. Walker has written songs that have stood the test of time and singers have made albums dedicated to only her music . She was quite an incredible talent and her songs have been recorded for over 50 years. This artist has made a major impact on the music world and will continue to for years to come.

Cindy Walker was born in Mart, Texas(east of Waco), on July 20, 1918. From an early age Cindy had a fondness for writing and poetry, and began writing songs as a teenager. In the early 1940's while on a business trip with her parents, Cindy got a chance to audition one of her songs called "Lone Star Trail," for Bing Crosby. He recorded the song and took it #23 on the Billboard Charts. Now, since Bing Crosby is the person known for doing "Lone Star Trail", here is a version that might not be as well known. Here is Gene Autry.

Now having Bing Crosby record one of your songs in those days was like having George Strait record one of your songs today. So, with that on her songwriting resume, she approached Bob Wills and Tommy Duncan about them recording her songs as well. She had written a song called "Cherokee Maiden," especially for Wills, and he recorded it in 1941. This song has been recorded many times by many artists, and made it to #1 on the Billboard Charts in 1976 for Merle Haggard. There is a band here in Oklahoma called the Cherokee Maidens and they do a really cool version of this song. Here are the Cherokee Maidens.

After Bob Wills recorded Cherokee Maiden, he recorded more of her songs and sang Ms. Walker's first top 10 hit in 1944, "You're from Texas."  In 1999 Asleep at the Wheel made an album called "Ride with Bob: A Tribute to Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys," and played this song with Tracy Byrd. It was a very good version and definitely deserves a listen.

At this point Cindy Walker had made a name for herself and many people were in love with her songs. Ernest Tubb even recorded one of her songs in 1949 called" Warm Red Wine" and it went to #47 on the Billboard Country Charts. This song has been recorded many times, but my favorite version is by Hank Thompson. 

One of Cindy's more famous tunes was called "Distant Drums." It was recorded by Jim Reeves in 1957 and became a huge international hit in 1966, after his death. Here is "Distant Drums."

In 1962, Roy Orbison recorded "Dream Baby(How Long Must I Dream)," and took it all the way to #1 in the U.S. and Britain. Here is Roy Orbison with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. 

In 1964, Walker's song "In the Misty Moonlight" was recorded by Jerry Wallace, and then again in 1967 by Dean Martin. Wallace's cover went to #19 on the Billboard Top 100 and Martin's went to #1 on the Easy Listening Charts. Martin's also went to  #46 on the Billboard Hot 100. Here is Dean Martin singing "In the Misty Moonlight."

Just to show the diversity of the songs that this artist wrote, here is one that really surprised me. In 1952, Gene Autry had a movie called "Blue Canadian Rockies," which Cindy Walker had a song in the movie by the same name. In 1968, The Byrds recorded their groundbreaking record, "Sweetheart of The Rodeo," and put it on their album. Here are The Byrds.

Now lets move forward to 1981, when Micky Gilley had a hit with Walker's "You Don't Know Me." This song has been recorded by artists including Willie Nelson, Michael Buble, Emmylou Harris, and Cindy Walker herself. My favorite version is by Ray Charles. He puts his own vibe in the song and it sounds amazing. Here is Ray Charles.

Cindy Walker made a magnificent impact in the world of music. She didn't limit herself to one genre as many do; she just wrote songs. Her music spanned decades and she will be treasured always. Cindy Walker passed away on March 23, 2006, just days after Willie Nelson released a tribute album to her called "You Don't Know Me: The Songs of Cindy Walker." Here is "I Don't Care," from that album, which was also a hit for Ricky Skaggs in 1982.

After her death, her family had a large, pink, granite guitar monument made for her gravestone in Mexia City Cemetery.

Thank you Ms. Walker for all of the years of devotion you had for music and songwriting. You were one in a million. 

Thanks to everyone who took the time to read this and listen to this artist's amazing work. I would like to leave you with a song done by Cindy Walker herself. This song was not written by her, but was the only top 10 hit she had as a performer. Here is "When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again."

Peace

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello everyone! 

Hope all is well with y'all as we get through another week of the Pandemic. It has been a long process, but hopefully everyone is safe and healthy. 

This week I want to talk a little bit about Bob McDill. He is a songwriter that has had numerous hits on country radio, but all done by other singers. Bob was a very active songwriter from the 70's to 2000, and had 31 #1 hits. He retired in 2000. 

Basically, if you are a fan of 80's and 90's country music, you have heard many of his songs.

Bob McDill was born in Walden, Texas in 1944. He learned how to play viola in the 4th grade, and eventually moved on to guitar. After graduation he attended Lamar University in Beaumont and met Dickey Lee and Allen Reynolds who both became successful songwriters as well. Bob enlisted in the Navy and served 2 years active duty. While there, he took songwriting advice from Allen Reynolds, who helped him get his first hit as a songwriter in 1967. The song was called "Happy Man," and was recorded by Perry Como. After the Navy, he moved to Memphis,TN to pursue a full time songwriting career where he decided to shift his focus to country music. He went to Nashville with Allen Reynolds and they got positions working for Jack Music, a publishing company owned by Jack Clement.  In 1972, Bob recorded an album of songs he had written called "Short Stories." This album would catch the attention of country artists that would eventually cover many of these songs.

Now that you have an idea of who Bob McDill is, we will get to the music. There are many songs from his repertoire that had chart success, so I have picked out some of my favorites to share with you. Here are some songs that he wrote that might surprise you. 

The first one is "Good Ole' Boys Like Me," recorded by Don Williams in 1980. This song made it to #2 on the "Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart," and is a perfect representation of his writing style. Many of his songs would read like a novel. He was very descriptive and could make your mind immediately go to the place he was describing.

 Here is Don Williams.

The next song was recorded by Don Williams as well, but made it to #1 when Waylon Jennings recorded it in 1979.

Here is "Amanda."

Now this song has been recorded by many artists including Don Williams, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Chris LeDoux, and Juice Newton. Juice Newton put it on her 1981 album "Juice," but it was never released as a single. The album went platinum with many hits including "Angel of the Morning" and "Queen of Hearts." 

Here is "Shot Full of Love."

Next up is another Don Williams does Bob McDill. "If Hollywood Don't Need You (Honey I Still Do)," was a #1 for Williams in 1982, off of his "Listen to the Radio" album. The title track was also a McDill hit, however, this song is considered a Country Classic to this day.

Now we will move forward to 1984, when Mel McDaniel had a number one hit with "Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On." This one is a little unique for what Bob McDill normally wrote, but it is a catchy song.

This next song was co-written with Dan Seals and is one of my all time favorite country songs. "Everything that Glitters," was released in 1986 and peaked at #1 in the US and Canada. 

Here is the amazing voice of Dan Seals.

Next up is a song called "What She Is (Is A Woman in Love)" recorded by Earl Thomas Conley. He had a very unique voice and sang ballads very well. This song peaked at #1 in 1988.

Here is "What She Is."

This next song was also a #1. "Song of the South" was covered by many artists including Bobby Bare and Tom T. Hall, but Alabama took it to #1 in the US and Canada in 1988. Here it is.

Another song that hit #1 in 1988 was "Don't Close Your Eyes" by Keith Whitley. It was off of his album "Don't Close Your Eyes," and would be the last album he would record before dying in 1989.

Here is Keith Whitley with "Don't Close Your Eyes."

Here is another Don Williams recording which was his last Top 10 single. It peaked at #7 on the "Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart in 1991." Here is "Lord Have Mercy on A Country Boy." This tells a very good story that is still happening to this day.

The next song surprised me! I didn't know that Bob McDill wrote this one. "She Don't Know She's Beautiful," was recorded by Sammy Kershaw on his "Haunted Heart" album and went to #1 in the US and Canada in 1993. This song is still played on country radio to this day.

The next song is maybe his most popular of all time. "Gone Country" was covered by Alan Jackson in 1994 on his album "Who I Am," and reached the top of the "Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart."

Here's "Gone Country."

Another song that hit the top of the charts in the 90's was "Why Didn't I Think of That," covered by Doug Stone on his "From the Heart" album in 1993.

Here's Doug Stone.

This next song he co-wrote with Dean Dillon and it went to #4 on the "Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart" for Pam Tillis in 1997.

Here is "All the Good Ones are Gone" off of her "Greatest Hits" album.

The last song I want to leave you with is a guilty pleasure of mine. "Cheap Thrills" has been recorded by David Allan Coe, and Confederate Railroad. The song is one of Bob McDill's lesser known songs, but it has a blues vibe and pretty cool lyrics. 

Here is David Allan Coe's version off of his 1983 "Castles in the Sand" album.

So, that is a few of Bob McDill's contributions to the world of songwriting. His songs will be played as long as there is country music.

Thank you Sir for all of the music, and thank y'all for taking the time to stop by and listen to some songs by a sensational songwriter.

 

Peace

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello again! 

Hope everyone is safe and sound as we continue through this Pandemic. This is quite a horrible situation and I know everyone is feeling the stress of it in someway, shape or form. Hopefully it will be over before too long!

Now, let's get on to a happier and more positive topic. I am very excited about this post. It is oneof my favorite songwriters of all time; GUY CLARK! This man's name has been mentioned in the same sentence as Bob Dylan and Townes Van Zandt when talking about master songwriters. He was someone who wrote for himself and didn't really care if his songs were going to fit in the mainstream. He had a persona the size of Texas and all of the up and coming writers wanted to write with him. He had his craft down to an art. He knew how to approach the writing of a song to get the most out of it, and could paint a vivid picture without giving away every detail. He would also let the listener use their imagination as well, so that they could be part of the story. Guy called it "leaving holes."  He was a mentor and collaborator to many songwriters and artists for years including Steve Earle, Vince Gill, Rodney Crowell, Chris Stapleton, and many more.

Guy Clark was born in Monahans, Texas, a small West Texas town, on November 6, 1941. He and his family moved to Rockport down along the Gulf of Mexico in 1954, where he graduated high school. It was there in Rockport that Guy really started getting into music. His father's law partner, Lola Bonner, played Spanish style guitar and Guy wanted her to teach him. He went to Mexico, bought a guitar and started learning from Lola. He always said that the first songs he learned how to play weren't even in English. 

After graduation, Guy moved to Houston where there was a big Folk music scene going on in the 60's. While living there he met Townes Van Zandt who was another amazing songwriter and famous Texas Troubadour. They quickly became best friends and remained friends for the rest of their lives. Also, while in Houston, Guy met a girl from Oklahoma City named Susanna Talley who he married In 1972. Guy, Susanna, and Townes became extensions of each other, and all lived together in Nashville for quite a while. They had amazing talent and wrote many songs that were recorded by many artists. 

The thing that always appealed to me with Guy Clark, was that he had a story for every song. Sometimes the back story could overshadow the songs themselves. He just had a way of painting the pictures that made the listener feel like they were there. This first song I would like to share with y'all is one of his most famous songs... "L.A. Freeway." He wrote this song while he and Susanna were leaving Los Angeles moving to Nashville. He said "If I can just get off of this L.A. Freeway without getting killed or caught." He wrote it down and now it's a classic. Jerry Jeff Walker put it on his self-titled album in 1982 and made it to 98 on the US Billboard Music Charts. And now... Here is L.A. Freeway by Guy Clark.

The next song I want to talk about is "Desperadoes Waiting for a Train." This was also an early song for Guy. He told the story of a man that lived in his grandmother's hotel in Monahans. This man used to be a wildcatter and would just go out and dig oil wells in Texas. He would tell Guy about all of his adventures, and so Guy eventually wrote this song about him. This is a song that many people have covered, and it made it to #15 on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles Chart for the Highwaymen. One of the best versions of this song  that doesn't get noticed much is by Mark Chesnutt. Here is that rendition.

Around the same time Guy brought these two jewels out to the world, he had written a song called "Texas Cookin," which he declared was a love song. He said that if he could ever break even, he would move back to Texas. Here is George Strait's cover of this song off of his 2006 album "It Just Comes Natural."

Now Guy Clark being given the title, "A Songwriter's Songwriter" is quite an accomplishment in itself; but he always said "That doesn't pay the bills." I thought this next song was a very well-written song that any songwriter would be proud to write. It even paid the bills when Kenny Chesney heard it and made it the title for his album "Hemingway's Whiskey." 

Now everyone knows Willie Nelson. Whether it's for music or marijuana, he's a household name. Here is an instance where Guy Clark combined the two, and wrote a song. Here is "Worry Be Gone" covered by Willie Nelson and Kenny Chesney off of Willie's 2007 album "Moment of Forever."

And then there is "Out in the Parkin' Lot", covered by Brad Paisley and Alan Jackson. This is just a really fun song. 

Guy lived on his own terms and wrote songs the same way. So many of his songs have valuable lessons. It is obvious he wrote for quality and not quantity. Now I would like to share a few of those with you.

This first one is called "The Randall Knife." It is about his father's knife that Guy took on a boy scout trip. It is poetry behind a beautifully finger-picked melody.

This next song is "Boats to Build." It is a very popular song of Guy's and was covered by Jimmy Buffet and Alan Jackson. I feel that this song really represents life.

This next song has a really spooky kind of feel and hangs out in the minor key. It is a very cool song that Guy and his guitar player Verlon Thompson wrote together. It is on Guy's album "Some Days you Write the Songs."

I urge everyone to look up Guy Clark and listen to more of his music. The man had so many wonderful songs that I could go on for days listing them. So I will leave you with one more. This happens to be my favorite song of his. Great words to live by, "Spread your arms, hold your breath, and always trust your cape."

 

Thank you Guy Clark for everything you did for the world of songwriting and music. 

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to read this. Please continue to check out Guy Clark's music. He was a true artist.

 

Peace

 

 

 

 

Hello again everyone! 

In this post I want to talk about another artist that passed away recently due to COVID-19. Joe Diffie made a huge impact on country music and had numerous Top 40 hits in the 90's, along with five number 1 songs on the "Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart." These hits included "Home," "If the Devil Danced in Empty Pockets,"  "Third Rock from the Sun," "Pickup Man," and "Bigger than the Beatles." Anyone who listened to country radio in the 90's, would definitely recognize at least one of these songs when it came on. He has been referred to as a "Neo-traditionalist because he had a voice that resembled that of George Jones with a rockin' edge. His songs ranged from heartbreaking, old school country ballads to upbeat hard driving songs about displaying your love for a girl on a water tower. He was a Grammy Award winner, Academy of Country Music Award winner, and was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 2002. He was an amazing singer/songwriter and will be greatly missed.

Joe Diffie was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma to a very musical family. They moved around all over the country until his third year of high school when they came back to Velma, OK where Joe finished school. He played in a gospel and bluegrass band, various bars, and VFW halls before finally moving to Nashville in the late 80's. He recorded demos for songwriters and worked at the Gibson Guitar Corportion until quitting to record demos full time and concentrate on writing. 

This brings us to the area of his life I would like to concentrate on; his writing. While Joe Diffie had a lot of chart success in his career as a singer, he was quite an amazing songwriter. He had quite a few songs recorded by various artists including Tim McGraw, Joe Dee Messina, Conway Twitty, and Tracy Lawrence. He even had some of his own songs go #1 for himself. In Nashville it is a rare thing for a songwriter to be able to record their own songs and release them as singles let alone have chart success with them. This puts Joe Diffie ahead of so many in the fact that he could sing and write. He was a remarkable talent, and I would like to share in this post some of the songs he wrote that might surprise you.

This first song is "Tears in the Rain" recorded by Tim McGraw. It is such a well written song and has a haunting minor key intro into each verse. It is a little different than what Joe Diffie was known for recording; which shows the layers of artistry this man possessed. 

Now anyone who loves country music knows how big of a deal Conway Twitty was. The man had a very soulful voice that made any song he sang his own. It was considered a great privilege to a songwriter to have him record one of your songs. I didn't know until researching more on Joe Diffie, but he had a song recorded by Conway called "I'm the Only Thing I'll Hold Against You." It was on his last studio album which was released after his death in 1993.

Now ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Conway Twitty. 

 

Now to show the versatility of Joe Diffie and his writing, here is "My Give A Damn's Busted" which went to #1 on the "Billboard Hot Country Songs" Chart for Jo Dee Messina. 

 

This next song is an upbeat hard driving song called "I Got a Feelin" and was recorded by Tracy Lawrence. It has some really clever lyrics and definitely deserves a listen.

 

It goes to show while Joe Diffie may have been known for "John Deere Green" and "Pickup Man," his life's work has a lot of diversity. He was a country artist to the core, but didn't let that stop him from collaborating with more modern artists. This next song "Girl Ridin' Shotgun," is a perfect example of this in response to Jason Aldean's song "1994" where he references Joe Diffie and his songs.

Now personally I was never a country rap fan, but I thought it was pretty cool that Joe Diffie being known for his traditional country sound collaborated to create this song.

The last song I would like to leave you with is a Joe Diffie song performed by Joe Diffie. This song made it to #2 on the "Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart," and is one of my personal favorites... New Way to Light Up an Old Flame.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to read this and listen to this artist's wonderful contributions to the music world. I hope y'all enjoyed it. See ya next time.

Peace

 

 

 

Hello everyone!

On April 7, 2020, John Prine passed away. He was a witty yet serious songwriter. He could write songs that would make you laugh and cry at the same time. I wanted to try and put down into words what this man's music meant to me. Hopefully along the way a new generation of John Prine fans will emerge. 

John Prine has written a collection of well known songs in his lifetime such as "Illegal Smile", "Paradise", "Sam Stone", and "Angel from Montgomery." He also had a Billboard #1 with George Strait's version of "I Just Want to Dance with You", and co-wrote "You Never Even Called Me by My Name", which was made famous by David Allan Coe.

His life, as he described it, was pretty typical for the times. He grew up in Maywood, IL a suburb of Chicago. His father was a Tool-Die Maker and his mother was a Homemaker. He always said that he learned five chords on the guitar and started his music career. This man wrote songs that if you heard them once and really listened, you would be captivated by the stories. He could invoke humor, anger, sadness, fear, and so many other emotions just from musical storytelling, and has been called the "Mark Twain of Songwriting." John Prine is one of the few to be called a songwriter's songwriter and he meant a great deal to me, as he did many others. 

I was in college at Oklahoma State University when I first heard John Prine. I couldn't believe that I had managed to make it to 20 years old and not know about this man. I was a guitar player and had written a few songs, so it seemed strange that John Prine had somehow slipped through my life without me noticing.I had always prided myself on having a good knowledge of country music, but never knew that John Prine had written quite a few songs that I had heard.  The first Prine song that graced my ears was "Illegal Smile" and I thought that was the most hilarious song, but was still able to empathize with the character because of the imagery. He said he wrote it about being judged for walking around with a smile and laughing all the time. He was the first songwriter I had heard use words in country music that you didn't hear everyday. He talked about uncomfortable things like morality, mortality and rebelling against the status quo. It was like nothing I had ever heard. If you haven't heard this song please take a moment to listen to it.

So... That being my introduction to John Prine, I thought that he was a pretty cool dude and I had to learn more. I studied his lyrics and phrasing to the point of obsession. The man had a way of taking everyday life and making it sound poetic. He wrote about situations that everyone could relate to on a basic level. It was all about the human element and it was AWESOME!

This next song "Far from Me" is one of my favorites. The imagery is amazing. "Ain't it funny how an old broken bottle looks just like a diamond ring" is just one example. You can envision every single detail of this story.

After hearing songs that are written on this level, one could imagine how hard it would be to listen to just any music that is thrown out over the airwaves. I can safely say that from the moment I was introduced to John Prine, my life was changed. I felt like he tapped into the ability to tell a story and paint a vivid picture in just a few minutes. They are like short movies playing in your mind.

I am going to post a few more videos here of other songs that he wrote that I have found very influential. 

I hope everyone will give them a listen. They are truly amazing songs!

This song "Six o'clock News is a bit of a tearjerker, but beautifully written. Supposedly it was inspired by a childhood friend of his.

 

This song has a beautiful melody. It also seems very relevant at this time. I imagine everyone would like to take a walk. 

This next song "That's the Way that the World Goes 'Round", reminds us that things aren't as bad as we sometimes make them out to be.

And finally I would like to leave everyone with a happy upbeat song of his that I have found to be sound advice.

"Blow up your TV, throw away your papers, head to the country, build you a home." 

Here is "Spanish Pipedream" from which these lyrics were borrowed.

 

Thank you Mr. Prine for all of your contributions to this "Big Ol' Goofy World".

Peace

 

Hello everyone! 

Given the current state of our situation in the world, I have decided to try and turn it into a positive by reflecting on songwriters who have been an inspiration to me and sharing some of their songs.

In the past month we have lost some very influential songwriters. Some of these were due to COVID-19, and others were due to different health complications. This got me thinking about how many of my songwriting heroes are gone and how the the ones that passed recently wouldn't receive the proper memorial due to the pandemic. So, I started playing their songs every day and giving them a personal farewell.

Normally when an artist passes away the music community comes together to commemorate their life and play songs from their repertoire, but due to social distancing this can't happen. So, I would like to share their songs with you and give a brief summary about what these writers mean to me and why. These artists have provided a songwriting masterclass with their work, and I feel their talent and skill should be shared with the world at this time.

I know for some readers these will be artists that you are familiar with, but maybe you will still enjoy the songs that I have chosen for this blog. 

I hope everyone will come along with me on this musical journey and help me celebrate the lives of these great artists.

Peace,

Aaron