“We have two imaginary kingdoms. One, ‘the South,’ exists primarily in song, oral traditions and folkways, native art and literature. The other, ‘Hollywood,’ creates mass-produced audiovisual entertainments for American and world audiences, and develops its own mythology.” If you’re ever inclined to doubt the importance of the South to American movies—or vice versa—consider that David »
“. . . and now the guitar’s high note sings what he can’t sing it—” You hear him sing itwhen you come to strikethe matchand you catch a noseful of sulfurand the kindling starts to burn—
Indiana University Press, 2009 The mythology surrounding Johnny Cash includes two widely disseminated opinions. The first is that Cash is a walking contradiction in just about every aspect of his life, career, music, and reputation. The second is that Cash embodies the essence of American character and culture, summoning claims that he is an American »
“The last time I kissed him he only had on half a shirt. He has a wonderful chest. I am really crazy about him now + have the funniest feeling in me, all over.” Along with talent and energy, Elvis brought a sexual charisma into the music business that his colleagues did not possess. Certainly »
Music
“Nixon’s visit (only five months before his resignation) was seen by national journalists and politicos to be a trip to one of the few places where he would still receive a warm reception, and it was quite warm indeed. Nixon took the stage, played two songs on the piano, and bantered with Roy Acuff.” As »
“The headlining band were nasty rogues, hitting on freakishly skinny underage chicks while I heard it all half asleep.” The backstage area has long held a fascination for music fans. There is a mystique about being “with the band” and allowed in places where fans rarely get to go. Despite the perceived glamour of backstage »
“I try to get the people in my hand, for them to love me, and once I get them in my hand, I can then tell them what I’ve come to tell them. And I come to tell them about the blues. It’s just like a preacher.” Bobby Rush’s musical career has taken him from »
Essay
In 2004 Gretchen Wilson exploded onto the country music scene with “Redneck Woman.” The blockbuster single led to the early release of her first CD, Here for the Party, and propelled it to triple platinum sales that year, the highest for a debut in any musical category. “Redneck Woman” shot to No. 1 faster than any »
“Record selling certainly had its glamorous moments; retailers could regale younger customers with stories of nightlife and even rubbing elbows with famous musicians and celebrities.” “Records is a market that can be used to brighten the future of lots of black people with jobs and higher prestige all over the country,” Jimmy Liggins announced in »
“We’ve all seen the pictures of Elvis Presley before a mass of screaming girls. And we’ve all heard Elvis, but have we ever heard from one of the girls?” The South is widely acknowledged as America’s musical heartland. Other peoples and regions have done their part for the national chorus, from millions of middle-class children »
“‘Kickbacks from government vendors, jobs for cronies, sweetheart deals for contractors’ were commonplace—’It may have been the most corrupt city in America.’” Tom Register is a “good-ol’ boy” with a gift for storytelling. Eating our barbecue at Lou Bono’s on Beach Boulevard in Jacksonville, Florida, Register and I reminisced about the days when the area’s »
University of North Carolina Press, 2014 Since ancient times, all across eastern North America, Native people have played stickball. Although rules and form vary somewhat from one Indian nation to another, all use web-ended sticks and score points by shooting a small leather-bound ball at a goal. In the Northeast, stickball was the forerunner to »