Merle Haggard’s Recording Bucket List; Farewell Drifters Personnel Changes; The History of “Hillbilly Boogie”

Thanks for the link to that NPR article about Hillbilly Boogie music, one of my all time favorite sub-genres in the country music realm. Rockabilly music did indeed spring from this well but most of Elvis era rockabilly lacked the creativity found in the hillbilly side except for the King himself. I’m still amazed at the pickin’ when I listen to the song “Merle’s Boogie”. Crikey!

I don’t know about Sunny Sweeney guesting on the Chelsea Handler show. I’m thinking it might bring out the ribald side of Sunny which her label would rather not have broadcast around the world. Hmm.

Thanks for the link to the gospel music article. Now to prove just how broad of coverage the Engine 145 is capable of, I’d recommend an article on Sacred Harp/Shape Note singing! A bit of it was featured in the Cold Mountain soundtrack and talk about old-timey sounding music! Originally created for singing participants, not listeners, this form of acapella vocal music that began in the early 1800′s still thrives in areas of the South. Its truly interesting stuff…

Tom T. did an entire episode of Song From The Mountains, which airs on a number of PBS stations. Because I was in his band, I still hear semi-regularly from folks who’ve seen the episode, so I know it continues to play; folks interested in Tom T. should keep an eye out for it.

I was a little surprised and a little disappointed that Ed didn’t mention some earlier “hillbilly boogie” sounds coming from Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys well before Arthur “Guitar Boogie” Smith’s 1945 record; check out Bill’s “Six White Horses” or “Blue Yodel No. 7,” for instance, or the “Bluegrass Twist.” There’s a reason Bill’s in the Rock Hall of Fame, and it goes beyond (and further back) than Elvis recording “Blue Moon Of Kentucky.”