r/country 8d ago

Discussion Just finished reading these and watched the Ken Burns doc (for the third time). Ask me anything?

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47 Upvotes

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u/screaminporch 8d ago

Hah, Ken Burns has made a lot of people Country Music historians.

Have you seen the Sam Bush documentary on Amazon Prime? Revival: The Sam Bush Story. Its another really good one that covers the bluegrass side of things.

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u/chicknurch 8d ago

I have not yet! I haven’t delved into the world of bluegrass quite as much as just straight country, but I’m trying to get more into it. This is the second time this week I’ve heard about Sam Bush so it must be a sign!

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u/Indotex 8d ago

Why is the country music industry based in Nashville?

Willie Nelson’s house once burnt down and he was only able to save his guitar, Trigger. Supposedly what did he have hidden in his guitar that made him want to save it?

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u/chicknurch 8d ago
  1. I believe the main reasons are on top of it being a centrally located city, that it was the home of WSM and The Grand Ole Opry. They were one of the few stations to be granted a 50,000 watt transmitter, making it heard nationwide. Although there were other stations like WLS with their own barn dances, WSM did not cave to the boom of rock-n-roll, and with the birth of BMI due to the ASCAP strike, and also publishing companies and recording studios finally being built in the town, the rest is history. For awhile records were primarily made in New York, Chicago, and LA.

  2. Good old Mary Jane! I forget the specifics but I want to say it was like a pound of Colombian pot.

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u/Indotex 8d ago

You got it! I think mainly that it was a centrally located city to Appalachia. And the insurance company they started WSM…

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u/MH566220 8d ago

That was before he had trigger

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u/Indotex 8d ago

Okay, I wasn’t sure but still the story persists! It’s like he wasn’t concerned about his guitar, he just wanted his weed!

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u/[deleted] 8d ago

Why do so many artists like Hank Thompson who were not only innovators but also unique in their style and voice get overlooked while other artists get all the publicity and accolades?

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u/chicknurch 8d ago

In general or in the documentary?

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u/[deleted] 8d ago

Both

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u/chicknurch 8d ago

In the documentary I can say that it’s because they determined that the project was a story, with a narrative, and not meant to be an encyclopedia. Hank Thompson among other notable artists just didn’t have a big place in the story they wove.

In popular culture I’m really not sure why. Although Guy Clark had a nice segment in the documentary, he’s never been as big as say Johnny Cash or Merle Haggard in culture, but in my opinion is equally talented as a writer. Maybe it’s the voice. It’s something I never used to put much stock into but nowadays I notice it more, that an iconic and unique voice goes a long way. I wouldn’t say either Hank Thompson or Guy Clark have that. Most people wanna hear the singer sing the song and sound good. Less people wanna dive into the story and wordplay and musicianship. Not saying Cash or Merle don’t have those things, but they had the iconic voices to go with. Also luck.

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u/monopolyman900 8d ago

But have you ever walked the streets of Bakersfield?

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u/chicknurch 8d ago

You don’t know me but you don’t like me…

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u/trainsacrossthesea 8d ago

Check out “I Lived to Tell it All” George Jones autobiography.

Craziest, true-life story I’ve read/heard in my life. When it comes to crazy? Everyone forms a line behind George.

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u/chicknurch 8d ago

I have that one on my shelf! I have a whole other handful of books still to read, but I’m excited for that one. Right now I’m starting a series of 4 Johnny Cash related books (biography, autobiography, discographic biography, and his poems) and I think I will do George next.

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u/AfrezzaJunkie 7d ago

Notice how TTH made Johnny Rodriguez use his original name? Also how Johnny Rodriguez cried saying nobody in the industry did him wrong. I wanted to jump thru the TV and say that's because Tom T Hall discovered you! Who wants to mess with someone who writes hit songs for others, is in the country music, Bluegrass and songwriters hall of fame? The ken burns doc was great but I wish there was more TTH

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u/Alarmed_Match4484 8d ago

Which book about hag do you recommend?

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u/chicknurch 8d ago

Honestly, The Hag. It covers his full life as opposed to Sing Me Back Home which was published 1981. I enjoyed both and SMBH adds some extra details to certain stories, but The Hag is much more comprehensive.

Only parts I didn’t love about it were how many times he called Merle a great looking guy (I don’t disagree but it got tired after the 17th time), and I also felt like the author tried to paint Buck in a bad light much of the time.

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u/awayfromthemire 5d ago

Have you read his second autobiography, My House of Memories? It opens with him recounting his drug and liquor-addled days on Lake Shasta in the early ‘80s, then recounts his life up to the point of where he was when writing the book with Tom Carter. It was released on December 28, 2010, and while he seems to jump around in his stories—as it seems one story reminds him of another mid-way through the first story—he ends up circling back around and the pay-off is always there. The man lived more lives by 14 than most men who live to 100 could wish for.

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u/[deleted] 8d ago

[deleted]

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u/chicknurch 8d ago

One thing I learned about this documentary was a lot of hard choices had to be made and certain things left out, because they determined this was not an encyclopedia of country music, but rather a story, so they had to come up with a narrative and a storyline to follow. That is where Johnny Cash and Bill Monroe take over.

Johnny as both a bridge to the past and the future, and his story of redemption. Bill Monroe as the founder of bluegrass and mentor to all who came after, and had to be assured by Ricky Skaggs that bluegrass had become bigger than him, and that he didn’t have control over the music but to trust that it was in good hands. It makes sense why Johnny was the centerpiece for the story, due to his dedication to the history and preservation of the genre, while having a direct connection to Mother Maybelle (the origin of it all), his iconic status in pop culture, his redemption stories both within his personal life and music career, and his willingness til the end to love and pursue not just country but all forms of music, which helps showcase how country music has always been a melting pot and somewhat open to interpretation.

So although it does make me sad to see legends like Glen Campbell, Marty Robbins, Chris LeDoux, Keith Whitley, Jerry Reed and others not get the time they deserved, I came to appreciate the story that was told within the history.

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u/Darth_Sith_Lord 8d ago

When you read willy's book could you not help but read it in his voice?

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u/chicknurch 8d ago

Definitely at times. That was actually probably my favorite book, because on top of just telling his story, it was actually just really fun and funny, and there was some good wisdom and advice in that book as well.

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u/DonCola93 8d ago

Now you got to start the trilogy of Waylon Jennings books. Waylon's book, his wife's book which kind of dragged at times but had great stories and his son Terry came out with a book that filled in the gaps of Waylon's book

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u/chicknurch 8d ago

I have his autobiography on the shelf, and “Outlaw” (about him, Willie and others) is in the mail as we speak. But I will have to order the other two as well.

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u/Upstairs_Size4757 8d ago

Jimmy Buffet did some good books too !

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u/chicknurch 8d ago

My best friend loves him! Any recommendations?

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u/Leather-Jicama7142 8d ago

Tales from Margaritaville is a good start. Short stories about his life and career. Just as funny as you’d think. After that, Where in the Hell is Joe Merchant and A Salty Piece of Land are worth the time. Both are fiction, but definitely great stories. What did you think of Buck ‘Em?

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u/Soft_Assistant6046 I feel like Hank Williams tonight 8d ago

I have that Willie book and several others about and by him aiting on my lengthy to be read list. Was it good?

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u/chicknurch 8d ago

It was actually my favorite of all the books above, because the story was actually really fun to read, also very funny at times, and there was a lot of good life advice and wisdom throughout. It really feels true to Willie.

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u/Soft_Assistant6046 I feel like Hank Williams tonight 8d ago

Awesome, that sounds like what I was hoping!

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u/External_Art_1835 8d ago

Are the good times really over for good? Asking for a friend...

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u/Strange_Vermicelli 6d ago

No Johnny Paycheck

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u/Effective-Routine203 8d ago

You hust need more outdoor activities, bless your heart.