Podcast appearances and mentions of George D Hay

On Saturday, September 14th, 1957 The Grand Ole Opry signed on from WSM and the Ryman Auditorium. WSM is a fifty-thousand-watt clear channel station located in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded by the National Life and Accident Insurance Company, the station's call sign stands for We Shield Millions. WSM first signed on October 5th, 1925. The next month on November 28th, The WSM Barn Dance took to the air for the first time. On December 10th, 1927, the program's host, "Judge" George D. Hay referred to the show for the first time, as The Grand Ole Opry. The Opry began running coast-to-coast on Saturday evenings in 1939. The show moved to the Ryman Auditorium in 1943. As it developed in importance, so did the city of Nashville, which became America's country music capital. By 1954, WSM was considered the outstanding music station in the country. That October 2nd a teenage Elvis Presley would have his only Opry performance. ___________ Meet The Press grew out of a partnership between Martha Rountree and Lawrence Spivak. Rountree, a freelance writer, broke into radio in the late 1930s. She created the panel show Leave It to the Girls in 1945, before teaming with American Mercury editor Lawrence Spivak, to produce a radio show promoting his magazine. Spivak would be the permanent panelist representing the press. They would invite top newsmakers to be put on the spot, “without preparation or oratory,” and thus “find out what they stand for.” The show debuted on October 5th, 1945 over Mutual Broadcasting. Meet the Press was soon making its own headlines. The panelists purposely pitted two editors known for their opposition to the guest's viewpoint, with one middle-of-the-road type, and Spivak. In 1947 while still airing over Mutual, a TV version began airing on NBC. The radio version aired over Mutual for five years before going off the air and moving to NBC in May of 1952. On September 15th, 1957 the guest was Archbishop Makarios of Cyprus. The discussion regarded Cyprus' quest for independence. The population was made up of both Greeks and Turkish Cypriots and had been under British rule since 1878. Greeks wanted British removal and a union with Greece. The Archbishop was one of the loudest voices in this quest. Makarios, who was in favor of bombing attacks that had occurred against government offices in 1955, was exiled in 1956, and by 1957 most leaders in the National Organization Of Cypriot Fighters' had been killed or captured. So, they turned to organizing school children riots, and killing the families of police and military personnel. The rebellion continued throughout 1958, even after Makarios had abandoned his initial demands. They finally ended in February 1959 when agreement was reached for Cyprus to become an independent republic. The radio version of Meet The Press aired until July 27th, 1986. The TV version is still being seen.

Born in Lubbock, Texas, on September 7, 1936, Charles Hardin  Holley (he later dropped the "e"), after both grandfathers    the fourth child of Lawrence Odell "L.O." Holley and Ella Pauline Drake.    older siblings were Larry, Travis, and Patricia Lou.    nicknamed Buddy from a young age, and it stuck with him throughout his life.    Oddly enough, the newspaper announcement claimed that Buddy was actually a little girl. “A daughter weighing 8.5 lbs”, the Lubbock evening journal wrote. He was also only 6.5 pounds. And a boy. Buddy's family was mainly of English and Welsh descent and had some native American ancestry. During the Great Depression, the Holleys frequently moved residences within Lubbock; 17 in all.    His father changed jobs several times.    The Holley family were a musical household.  Except for Buddy's father, all family members could play an instrument or sing. His older brothers frequently entered local talent shows, and one time, his brothers signed up and Buddy wanted to play violin with them. However, Buddy couldn't play the violin.  Not wanting to break little Buddy's heart, his older brothers greased up the strings so it wouldn't make a sound. Buddy started singing his heart out and the three ended up winning the contest!  When WWII started, the U.S. government called his brothers into service. His brother Larry brought back a guitar he bought from a shipmate, and that guitar set Buddy's off. At 11 years old, Buddy started taking piano lessons.  Nine months later, he quit piano lessons and switched to guitar after seeing a classmate playing and singing on the school bus.    His parents initially bought him a steel guitar, but Buddy insisted he wanted a guitar like his brothers. They bought him a guitar, a gold top Gibson acoustic, from a pawn shop, and his brother Travis taught him to play it.  By 15, Buddy was proficient on guitar, banjo, and mandolin. During his early childhood, Holley was influenced by Hank Williams, Jimmie Rodgers, Hank Snow, Bob Wills, and the Carter Family.  He started writing songs and working with his childhood friend Bob Montgomery. The two jammed together, practicing songs by the Louvin Brothers and Johnnie & Jack. They frequently listened to Grand Ole Opry's radio programs on WSM, Louisiana Hayride on KWKH (which they once drove 600 miles to okay just to be turned away), and Big D Jamboree.  If you're not familiar with the Grand Ol Opry, it's a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on Clearchannel's WSM, which first hit the airwaves on October 5, 1925. Its the longest-running radio broadcast in U.S. history.    At the same time he was practicing with Bob, Holley played with other musicians he met in high school, including Sonny Curtis and Jerry Allison.    In 1952 Holley and Jack Neal participated as a duo billed as "Buddy and Jack" in a talent contest on a local television show.    After Neal left, he was replaced by his buddy Bob, and they were billed as "Buddy and Bob." By the mid-'50s, Buddy & Bob played their style of music called "western and bop ."    Holley was influenced by late-night radio stations that played the blues and rhythm and blues. Holley would sit in his car with Sonny Curtis and tune to distant “black” radio stations that could only be received at night when bigger stations turned off local transmissions.    Holley then changed his music by blending his earlier country and western influence with Rhythm and Blues. After seeing the legendary Elvis perform, Holly decided to pursue his career in music full-time once he graduated high school. By mid-1955, Buddy & Bob, who already worked with an upright bass player (played by Larry Welborn), added drummer Jerry Allison to their lineup. After seeing Elvis Presley performing live in Lubbock, who Pappy Dave Stone of KDAV booked, Buddy really wanted to get after it. In February, he opened for Elvis at the Fair Park Coliseum, in April at the Cotton Club, then again in June at the Coliseum. Elvis significantly influenced the group to turn more towards Rock n Roll. Buddy and the king became friends, with Buddy even driving Elvis around when he was in town. Eventually, Bob Montgomery, who leaned toward a traditional country sound, left the group, though they continued writing and composing songs together. Holly kept pushing his music toward a straight-ahead rock & roll sound, working with Allison, Welborn, and other local musicians, including his pal and guitarist Sonny Curtis and bassist Don Guess. In October, Holly was booked as the opener for Bill Haley & His Comets (Rock Around the Clock), to be seen by Nashville scout Eddie Crandall. Obviously impressed, Eddie Crandall talked Grand Ole Opry manager Jim Denny into finding a recording contract for Holley. Pappy Stone sent Denny a demo tape, which Denny forwarded to Paul Cohen. Cohen signed the band to Decca Records in February 1956.    In the contract, Decca accidentally misspelled Holley's surname as "Holly," From that point forward, he was known as "Buddy Holly." On January 26, 1956, Holly went to his first professional recording session with producer Owen Bradley. He was a part of two more sessions in Nashville.    the producer selected the session musicians and arrangements, Holly became frustrated by his lack of creative control. In April 1956, Decca released "Blue Days, Black Nights" as a single and "Love Me" on the B-side.    "B-sides" were secondary songs that were sent out with single records. They were usually just added to have something on the flip side. Later they became songs that bands would either not release or wait to release.  Jim Denny added Holly on tour as the opening act for Faron Young. While on this tour, they were promoted as "Buddy Holly and the Two Tones." Decca then called them "Buddy Holly and the Three Tunes." The label released Holly's second single, "Modern Don Juan," along with "You Are My One Desire."    Unfortunately, neither one of these singles tickled anyone's fancy. On January 22, 1957, Decca informed Holly that they wouldn't re-sign him and insisted he could not record the same songs for anyone else for five years. The same shit happened to Universal and me. A couple of classics, like "Midnight Shift" and "Rock Around with Ollie Vee," did come out of those Decca sessions, but nothing issued at the time went anywhere. It looked as though Holly had missed his shot at stardom.  Holly was disappointed with his time with Decca. inspired by Buddy Knox's "Party Doll" and Jimmy Bowen's "I'm Stickin' with You" he decided to visit Norman Petty, who produced and promoted both of those successful records.    Buddy, Jerry Allison, bassist Joe B. Mauldin, and rhythm guitarist Niki Sullivan pulled together and headed to Petty's studio in Clovis, New Mexico. The group recorded a demo of the now-classic, "That'll Be the Day," which they had previously recorded in Nashville. Now rockin' that lead guitar, Holly finally achieved the sound he wanted. They got the song nailed down and recorded. Along with Petty's help, the group got it picked up by Murray Deutsch, a publishing associate of Petty's, and Murray got it to Bob Thiele, an executive at Coral Records. Thiele loved it. Ironically, Coral Records was a subsidiary of Decca, the company Holly had signed with before. On a side note, a subsidiary is a smaller label under the major label's umbrella. For instance, Universal signed my band to Republic, a subsidiary of Universal Music that dealt primarily with rock genres, like Godsmack. Norman Petty saw the potential in Buddy and became his manager. He sent the record to Brunswick Records in New York City. Thiele saw the record as a potential hit, but there were some significant hurdles to overcome before it could be released.  According to author Philip Norman, in his book Rave On, Thiele would only get the most reluctant support from his record company. Decca had lucked out in 1954 when they'd signed Bill Haley & His Comets and saw their "Rock Around the Clock" top the charts. Still, very few of those in charge at Decca had a natural feel or appreciation for Rock & Roll, let alone any idea of where it might be heading or whether the label could (or should) follow it down that road. Also, remember that although Buddy had been dropped by Decca the year before, the contract that Holly signed explicitly forbade him from re-recording anything he had recorded for them, released or not, for five years. However, Coral was a subsidiary of Decca, and Decca's Nashville office could hold up the release and possibly even haul Holly into court.  "That'll Be the Day" was issued in May of 1957 mainly as an indulgence to Thiele, to "humor" him. The record was put out on the Brunswick label, more of jazz and R&B label, and credited to the Crickets. The group chose this name to prevent the suits at Decca -- and more importantly, Decca's Nashville office -- from finding out that this new release was from the guy they had just dropped. The name “The Crickets” was inspired by a band that Buddy and his group followed, called “the Spiders” and they initially thought about calling themselves “The Beetles”, with two E's, but Buddy said he was afraid people would want to “squash them.” So, they picked “The Crickets.” Petty also became the group's manager and producer, signing the Crickets, identified as Allison, Sullivan, and Mauldin, to a contract. Unfortunately, Holly wasn't listed as a member in the original document to keep his involvement with "That'll Be the Day" a secret. This ruse would later become the source of severe legal and financial problems for Buddy.    The song shot to #1 on the national charts that summer. But, of course, Decca knew Holly was in the band by then. So, with Thiele's persuasion and realizing they had a hit on their hands, the company agreed to release Holly from the five-year restriction on his old contract. This release left him free to sign any recording contract he wanted. While sorting out the ins and outs of Holly's legal situation, Thiele knew that Buddy was far more than a one-hit-wonder and that he could potentially write more and different types of hits. So, Holly found himself with two recording contracts, one with Brunswick as a member of the Crickets and the other with Coral Records as Buddy Holly, all thanks to Thiele's ingenious strategy to get the most out of Buddy and his abilities. By releasing two separate bodies of work, the Crickets could keep rockin' while allowing its apparent leader and "star" to break out on his own.    Petty, whose name seems fitting as we go through this, acted as their manager and producer. He handed out writing credits at random, gifting Niki Sullivan and Joe B. Mauldin (and himself) the co-authorship of the song, "I'm Gonna Love You Too," while leaving Holly's name off of "Peggy Sue." at first. The song title, “Peggy Sue” was named after Buddy's biggest fan. Petty usually added his own name to the credit line, something the managers and producers who wanted a more significant piece of the pie did back in the '50s. To be somewhat fair, Petty made some suggestions, which were vital in shaping certain Holly songs. However, he didn't contribute as much as all of his credits allow us to believe. Some confusion over songwriting was exacerbated by problems stemming from Holly's contracts in 1956. Petty had his own publishing company, Nor Va Jak Music, and Buddy signed a contract to publish his new songs. However, Holly had signed an exclusive agreement with another company the year before. To reduce his profile as a songwriter until a settlement could be made with Petty and convince the other publisher that they weren't losing too much in any compensation, buddy copyrighted many of his new songs under the pseudonym "Charles Hardin." So many names!   The dual recording contracts allowed Holly to record a crazy amount of songs during his short-lived 18 months of fame. Meanwhile, his band -- billed as Buddy Holly & the Crickets -- became one of the top attractions of the time. Holly was the frontman, singing lead and playing lead guitar, which was unusual for the era, and writing or co-writing many of their songs. But the Crickets were also a great band, creating a big and exciting sound (which is lost to history, aside from some live recordings from their 1958 British tour). Allison was a drummer ahead of his time and contributed to the songwriting more often than his colleagues, and Joe B. Mauldin and Niki Sullivan provided a solid rhythm section.   The group relied on originals for their singles, making them unique and years ahead of their time. In 1957-1958, songwriting wasn't considered a skill essential to a career in rock & Roll; the music business was still limping along the lines it had followed since the '20s. Songwriting was a specialized profession set on the publishing side of the industry and not connected to performing and recording. A performer might write a song or, even more rarely, like Duke Ellington (It Don't Mean A Thing), count composition among his key talents; however, this was generally left to the experts. Any rock & roller wanting to write songs would also have to get past the image of Elvis. He was set to become a millionaire at the young age of 22. He never wrote his songs, and the few songwriting credits he had resulted from business arrangements rather than writing anything.   Buddy Holly & the Crickets changed that seriously by hitting number one with a song they'd written and then reaching the Top Ten with originals like "Oh, Boy" and "Peggy Sue," They were regularly charging up the charts based on their songwriting. This ability wasn't appreciated by the public at the time and wouldn't be noticed widely until the '70s. Still, thousands of aspiring musicians, including John Lennon and Paul McCartney, from some unknown band called "The Beatles," took note of their success, and some of them decided to try and tried to be like Buddy. Also unknown at the time, Holly and his crew changed the primary industry method of recording, which was to bring the artist into the label's studio, working on their timetable. If an artist were highly successful, they got a blank check in the studio, and any union rules were thrown out, but that was rare and only happened to the highest bar of musicians. Buddy Holly & the Crickets, however, did their thing, starting with "That'll Be the Day," in Clovis, New Mexico, at Petty's studio. They took their time and experimented until they got the sound they were looking for. No union told them when to stop or start their work, and they delivered terrific records; not to mention, they were albums that sounded different than anything out there. The results changed the history of rock music. The group worked out a new sound that gave shape to the next wave of rock & Roll. Most definitely influenced was British rock & Roll and the British Invasion beat, with the lead and rhythm guitars working together to create a fuller, more complex sound. On songs such as "Not Fade Away," "Everyday," "Listen to Me," "Oh Boy!," "Peggy Sue," "Maybe Baby," "Rave On," "Heartbeat," and "It's So Easy," Holly took rock & roll's range and sophistication and pushed it without abandoning its excitement and, most importantly, it's fun. Holly and the band weren't afraid to push the envelope and try new things, even on their singles. "Peggy Sue" used changes in volume and timbre on the guitar that was usually only used in instrumental albums. "Words of Love" was one of the earliest examples of double-tracked vocals in rock & Roll, and the Beatles would jump on that train the following decade. Buddy Holly & the Crickets were extremely popular in America. Still, in England, they were even more significant; their impact was compared to Elvis and, in some ways, was even bigger. This success was because they toured England; Elvis didn't. They spent a month there in 1958, playing a list of shows that were still talked about 30 years later. It also had to do with their sound and Holly's persona on stage. The group's heavy use of rhythm guitar fit right in with the sound of skiffle music, a mix of blues, folk, country, and jazz elements that most of the younger British were introduced to playing music and their first taste of rock & Roll. Also, Holly looked a lot less likely a rock & roll star than Elvis. He was tall, skinny, and wore glasses; he looked like an ordinary dude who was good at music. Part of Buddy's appeal as a rock star was how he didn't look like one. He inspired tens of thousands of British teenagers who couldn't compare themselves to Elvis or Gene Vincent. (Be Bop A Lula) In the '50s, British guitarist Hank Marvin of the Shadows owed his look and that he wore his glasses proudly on-stage to Holly, and it was brought into the '70s by Elvis Costello.  Buddy may have played several different kinds of guitars but, he was specifically responsible for popularizing the Fender Stratocaster, especially in England. For many wannabe rock & rollers in the UK, Holly's 1958 tour was the first chance they'd had to see or hear this iconic guitar in action, and it quickly became the guitar of choice for anyone wanting to be a guitarist in England. In fact, Marvin is said to have had the first Stratocaster ever brought into England.   The Crickets became a trio with Sullivan dipping out in late 1957, right after the group's appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, but a lot more would transpire over the next year or so. The group consolidated its success with the release of two L.P.s, The Chirping Crickets, and Buddy Holly. They had two successful international tours and performed more in the United States. Holly had also started to have different ideas and aspirations than Allison and Mauldin. They never thought of leaving Texas as their home, and they continued to base their lives there, while Buddy wanted to be in New York, not just to do business but to live. His marriage to Maria Elena Santiago, a receptionist in Murray Deutsch's office, made the decision to move to New York that much easier. By this time, Holly's music had become more sophisticated and complex, and he passed off the lead guitar duties in the studio to session player Tommy Alsup. He had done several recordings in New York using session musicians such as King Curtis. It was around this time that the band started to see a slight decline in sales. Singles such as "Heartbeat" didn't sell nearly as well as the 45s of 1957 that had rolled out of stores. It's said that Buddy might even have advanced further than most of the band's audience was willing to accept in late 1958. Critics believe that the song "Well...All Right" was years ahead of its time.   Buddy split with the group -- and Petty -- in 1958. This departure left him free to chase some of those newer sounds, which also left him low on funds. In the course of the split, it became clear to Holly and everyone else that Petty had been fudging the numbers and probably taken a lot of the group's income for himself. Unfortunately, there was almost no way of proving his theft because he never seemed to finish his "accounting" of the money owed to anyone. His books were ultimately found to be so screwed up that when he came up with various low five-figure settlements to the folks he robbed, they took it.   Holly vacationed with his wife in Lubbock, TX, and hung out in Waylin Jennings's radio station in December 1958. With no money coming in from Petty, Holly decided to earn some quick cash by signing to play the Midwest's Winter Dance Party package tour. For the start of the Winter Dance Party tour, he assembled a band consisting of Waylon Jennings (on bass), Tommy Allsup (on guitar), and Carl Bunch (on drums). Holly and Jennings left for New York City, arriving on January 15, 1959. Jennings stayed at Holly's apartment by Washington Square Park on the days before a meeting scheduled at the headquarters of the General Artists Corporation, the folks who organized the tour. They then traveled by train to Chicago to meet up with the rest of the band. The Winter Dance Party tour began in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on January 23, 1959. The amount of travel involved created problems because whoever booked the tour dates didn't consider the distance between venues. On top of the scheduling conflicts, the unheated tour buses broke down twice in the freezing weather. In addition, Holly's drummer Carl Bunch was hospitalized for frostbite to his toes while aboard the bus, so Buddy looked for different transportation.  Buddy actually sat in on drums for the local bands while Richie Valenz played drums for Buddy.    On February 2, before their appearance in Clear Lake, Iowa, Holly chartered a four-seat Beechcraft Bonanza airplane for Jennings, Allsup, and himself, from Dwyer Flying Service in Mason City, Iowa, for $108.  Holly wanted to leave after the performance at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake and fly to their next venue, in Moorhead, Minnesota, through Fargo, North Dakota. This plan would allow them time to rest, wash their clothes and avoid being on that crappy bus. The Clear Lake Show ended just before midnight, and Allsup agreed to flip a coin for the seat with Richie Valens. Valens called heads, and when he won, he reportedly said, "That's the first time I've ever won anything in my life" On a side note, Allsup later opened a restaurant in Fort Worth, Texas called Heads Up, in memory of this statement. Waylon Jennings voluntarily gave up his seat to J. P. Richardson (the Big Bopper), who had the flu and complained that the tour bus was too cold and uncomfortable for a man of his stature. When Buddy heard Waylon wouldn't be flying with him, he jokingly said, “I hope your old bus freezes up!” Then Waylon responded, “well, I hope your old plane crashes!” The last thing he would ever say to his friend. Roger Peterson, the pilot and only 21, took off in pretty nasty weather, although he wasn't certified to fly by instruments alone, failing an instrument test the year before. He was a big fan of Buddy's and didn't want to disappoint, so he called a more seasoned pilot to fly the trio to their destination. “I'm more of a Lawrence Welk fan.”  Sadly, shortly after 12:55 am on February 3, 1959, Holly, Valens, Richardson, and Peterson were killed instantly when the plane crashed into a frozen cornfield five miles northwest of Mason City, Iowa, airport shortly after takeoff. Buddy was in the front, next to the pilot. He loved flying and had been taking flying lessons. The three musicians were ejected from the plane upon impact, suffering severe head and chest injuries. Holly was 22 years old.   Holly's funeral was held on February 7, 1959, at the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Lubbock, TX. It was officiated by Ben D. Johnson, who married the Hollys' just months earlier. Jerry Allison, Joe B. Mauldin, Niki Sullivan, Bob Montgomery, and Sonny Curtis were pallbearers. Some sources say that Phil Everly, the one half of The Everly Brothers, was also the pallbearer, but he said at one time that he attended the funeral but was not a pallbearer. In addition, Waylon Jennings was unable to participate because of his commitment to the still-touring Winter Dance Party. Holly's body was buried in the City of Lubbock Cemetery, in the city's eastern part. His headstone has the correct spelling of his last name (Holley) and a carving of his Fender Stratocaster guitar. His wife, María Elena, had to see the first reports of her husband's death on T.V. She claimed she suffered a miscarriage the following day. Holly's mother, who heard the news on the radio in Lubbock, Texas, screamed and collapsed. Because of Elena's miscarriage, the authorities implemented a policy against announcing victims' names until the families were informed. As a result, Mary did not attend the funeral and has never visited the gravesite. She later told the Avalanche-Journal, "In a way, I blame myself. I was not feeling well when he left. I was two weeks pregnant, and I wanted Buddy to stay with me, but he had scheduled that tour. It was the only time I wasn't with him. And I blame myself because I know that, if only I had gone along, Buddy never would have gotten into that airplane."    The accident wasn't considered a significant piece of news at the time, although sad. Most news outlets were run by out-of-touch older men and didn't think rock & Roll was anything more than to be exploited to sell newspapers or grab viewing audiences. However, Holly was clean-cut and scandal-free, and with the news of his recent marriage, the story contained more misery than other music stars of the period. For the teens of the time, it was their first glimpse of a public tragedy like this, and the news was heartbreaking. Radio station D.J.s were also traumatized. The accident and sudden way it happened, along with Holly and Valens being just 22 and 17, made it even worse. Hank Williams Sr had died at 29, but he was a drug user and heavy drinker, causing some to believe his young death was inevitable. The blues guitarist Johnny Ace had passed in 1954 while backstage at a show. However, that tragedy came at his hand in a game of Russian roulette. Holly's death was different, almost more personal to the public.     Buddy left behind dozens of unfinished recordings — solo transcriptions of his new compositions, informal jam sessions with bandmates, and tapes with songs intended for other musicians. Buddy recorded his last six original songs in his apartment in late 1958 and were his most recent recordings. In June 1959, Coral Records overdubbed two of the songs with backing vocals by the Ray Charles Singers and hired guns to emulate the Crickets sound. Since his death, the finished tracks became the first singles, "Peggy Sue Got Married"/"Crying, Waiting, Hoping." The new release was a success, and the fans and industry wanted more. As a result, all six songs were included in The Buddy Holly Story, Vol. 2 in 1960 using the other Holly demos and the same studio personnel. The demand for Holly records was so great, and Holly had recorded so many tracks that his record label could release new Holly albums and singles for the next ten years. Norman Petty, the alleged swindler, produced most of these new songs, using unreleased studio masters, alternative takes, audition tapes, and even amateur recordings (a few from 1954 with recorded with low-quality vocals). The final Buddy Holly album, "Giant," was released in 1969 with the single, "Love Is Strange," taking the lead.   These posthumous records did well in the U.S. but actually charted in England. New recordings of his music, like the Rolling Stones' rendition of "Not Fade Away" and the Beatles' rendition of "Words of Love," kept Buddy's name and music in the hearts and ears of a new generation of listeners. In the States, the struggle was a little more challenging. The rock & roll wave was constantly morphing, with new sounds, bands, and listeners continuously emerging, and the general public gradually forgot about Buddy and his short-lived legacy. Holly was a largely forgotten figure in his own country by the end of the '60s, except among older fans (then in their twenties) and hardcore oldies listeners. Things began to shift toward the end of the '60s with the start of the oldies boom. Holly's music was, of course, a part of this movement. But, as people listened, they also learned about the man behind the music. Even the highly respected rock zine Rolling Stone went out of its way to remind people who Buddy was. His posing images from 1957 and 1958, wearing his glasses, a jacket, and smiling, looked like a figure from another age. The way he died also set him apart from some of the deaths of rockers like Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison, musicians who, at the time, overindulged in the rock in roll lifestyle. Holly was different. He was eternally innocent in all aspects of his life. Don McLean, a relatively unknown singer/songwriter, who proudly considered himself a Buddy Holly fan, wrote and released a song called "American Pie," in 1971, catapulting him into the musical ethos. Although listeners assumed McLean wrote the song about President Kennedy, he let it be known publicly that he meant February 3, 1959, the day Holly died. Maclean was a holly fan and his death devastated him when he was only 11. The song's popularity led to Holly suddenly getting more press exposure than he'd ever had the chance to enjoy in his lifetime.     The tragic plane accident launched a few careers in the years after. Bobby Vee became a star when his band took over Holly's spot on the Winter Dance Party tour.  Holly's final single, "It Doesn't Matter Anymore," hit the British charts in the wake of his death and rose to number one. Two years after the event, producer Joe Meek and singer Mike Berry got together to make "Tribute to Buddy Holly," a memorial single. But, unfortunately, rumor has it that Meek never entirely got over Holly's death, and he killed himself on the anniversary of the plane accident.   The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame included Holly among its first class in 1986. Upon his induction, the Hall of Fame basked about the large quantity of material he produced during his short musical career. Saying, "He made a major and lasting impact on popular music ." Calling him an "innovator" for writing his own material, experimenting with double-tracking, and using orchestration. He was also revered for having "pioneered and popularized" the use of two guitars, bass, and drums by rock bands. He was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1986, saying his contributions "changed the face of Rock' n' Roll." Along with Petty, Holly developed techniques like overdubbing and reverb and other innovative instrumentation. As a result, according to the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Holly became "one of the most influential pioneers of rock and roll" who had a "lasting influence" on genre performers of the 1960s.   Paul McCartney bought the rights to Buddy Holly's entire song catalog on July 1, 1976.   Lubbock TX's Walk of Fame has a statue honoring Buddy of him rocking his Fender, which Grant Speed sculpted in 1980. There are other memorials to Buddy Holly, including a street named in his honor and the Buddy Holly Center, which contains a museum of memorabilia and fine arts gallery. The Center is located on Crickets Avenue, one street east of Buddy Holly Avenue.  There was a musical about Buddy. Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, a “pioneering jukebox musical which worked his familiar hits into a narrative,” debuted in the West End in 1989. It ran until 2008, where it also appeared on Broadway, as well as in Australia and Germany, not to mention touring companies in the U.K. and U.S.   In 1994 "Buddy Holly" became a massive hit from the band Weezer, paying homage to the fallen rocker and is still played on the radio and whenever MTV decides to play videos on one of their side stations. Again, in ‘94, Holly's style also showed up in Quentin Tarantino's abstract and groundbreaking film Pulp Fiction, which featured Steve Buscemi playing a waiter impersonating Buddy.   In 1997, Buddy received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. He was inducted into the Iowa Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, as well. In 2010, Grant Speed's statue of Buddy and his guitar was taken down for repairs, and construction of a new Walk of Fame began. On May 9, 2011, the City of Lubbock held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Buddy and Maria Elena Holly Plaza, the new home of the statue and the Walk of Fame. The same year, on why would be Buddy's 75th birthday, a star with his name was placed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.   There were two tribute albums released in 2011: Verve Forecast's Listen to Me: Buddy Holly,  featuring Stevie Nicks, Brian Wilson, and Ringo Starr plus 13 other artists, and Fantasy/Concord's Rave on Buddy Holly, which had tracks from Paul McCartney, Patti Smith, the Black Keys, and Nick Lowe, among others.  Pat DiNizio of the Smithereens released his own Holly tribute album in 2009. Universal released True Love Ways, an album where original Holly recordings were overdubbed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 2018, just in time for Christmas. That album debuted at number 10 on the U.K. charts. Groundbreaking was held on April 20, 2017, to construct a new performing arts center in Lubbock, TX, dubbed the Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences, a $153 million project in downtown Lubbock completed in 2020 located at 1300 Mac Davis Lane.   Recently, on May 5, 2019, an article on gearnews.com had a pretty cool story, if it's true.   The famous Fender Stratocaster played and owned by Buddy Holly that disappeared after his death in 1959 has been found, according to a new video documentary called "The '54".   Gill Matthews is an Australian drummer, producer, and collector of old Fender guitars. According to the documentary, he may have stumbled upon Buddy Holly's legendary guitar. The film is The '54 and tells the history of one particular 1954 Fender Stratocaster Gil purchased two decades after the plane crash that claimed Buddy's life. Experts cited in the film say there is a good chance that the guitar in Matthews' possession is indeed Buddy Holly's actual original '54 Fender Stratocaster. If this is true, it is possibly one of the most significant finds in guitar history. You can watch the video at gearnews.com and see all the evidence presented during the film.     Sources: A biography on allmusic.com written by Bruce Eder was the main source of information here with other info coming from the following Rave on: The Biography of Buddy Holly written by Phillip Norman   Buddy Holly : Rest In Peace by Don Mclean "Why Buddy Holly will never fade away" an article on The Telegraph website written by Phillip Norman   Various other articles were used and tidbits taken from wikipedia.   And Adam Moody   Consider becoming a producer of the show. www.accidentaldads.com www.iconsandoutlaws.com       

As the US began May of 1954, there was word that a new Soviet bomber had the ability to reach the United States. It was displayed for the public for the first time at the Moscow May Day Parade. On May 7th, the Battle of Dien Bien Phu would end in a French defeat. U.S. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles declared Vietnam non-essential to security in Southeast Asia. The U.S. would not intervene for France. And as several massive U.S. fishing vessels were sinking off the coast of Alaska, the Boeing 707 was being released after two years of development. On May 1st, NBC affiliate WSM signed on with The Big Sound. WSM is a 50,000-watt clear channel station located in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded by the National Life and Accident Insurance Company, the station's call sign stands for We Shield Millions. WSM first signed on October 5th, 1925. The next month on November 28th, The WSM Barn Dance took to the air for the first time. On December 10th, 1927, the program's host, "Judge" George D. Hay referred to the show for the first time, as The Grand Ole Opry. The Opry began running coast-to-coast on Saturday evenings in 1939. The show moved to the Ryman Auditorium in 1943. As it developed in importance, so did the city of Nashville, which became America's country music capital. By 1954, WSM was considered the outstanding music station in the country. That October 2nd a teenage Elvis Presley would have his only Opry performance. The times, they were a-changin'. Tonight, we'll dive in for a closer look. ___________ Welcome to Breaking Walls episode 127. My name is James Scully. Tonight we keep on with our look at 1954 by picking up in May during one of the most important months of the decade. ___________ Everett Sloane was born in New York City on October 1st, 1909. At age of seven, he played Puck of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, and decided to become an actor. In 1927 he joined a Theater company. He made his New York stage debut in 1928. In the 1930s Sloane was appearing on The March of Time. It was there he met a young Orson Welles. Welles hired Sloane to be part of his Mercury Theatre. He moved from New York City to Los Angeles after Welles signed his contract with RKO. Sloane had a prominent role in Citizen Kane. In the 1940s, he worked on both coasts, guest-starring in radio on Inner Sanctum Mysteries, The Shadow, The Mysterious Traveler, and in films such as The Lady From Shanghai, Journey Into Fear, and Prince of Foxes. By 1953 he was being featured on TV and starring on radio in The 21st Precinct as Captain Frank Kennelly. The 21st Precinct debuted on July 7th, 1953 over WCBS radio in New York. It put the listener into the drama from the opening phone call until the final report. In May of 1954 it was airing Wednesdays at 8:30PM against The Great Gildersleeve on NBC. Starring with Sloane was Ken Lynch as Lieutenant Matt King and Harold Stone as Sergeant Waters. John Ives produced and Stanley Niss directed. Everett Sloane continued to be a busy actor until 1965. On August 6th of that year, recently diagnosed with Glaucoma and fearing blindness, he took his own life. He was survived by his wife Lilian and two children. Everett Sloane is buried at Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery in Los Angeles.

This week we welcome, country music stars, Leona Williams and Aaron Tippin! Leona Williams was destined to become a Country Music Entertainer. She landed her first radio show at the age of 15, simply called "Leona Sings" in Jefferson City, Missouri. That journey would take her all over the world and allow her to sing before thousands and thousands of Country Music fans. Leona moved to Nashville in the late 1960s from a small town in Missouri called Vienna, and was soon recording for Hickory Records with such hits as "Once More" and "Yes Ma'am, He Found Me In A Honky Tonk". Since then, Leona has traveled worldwide and opened shows for some of country music's top entertainers and made numerous personal appearances at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Leona later teamed up with Merle Haggard for a top ten duet called "The Bull and the Beaver" and a duet album followed called HEART TO HEART. During this time, she would write some of Merle's biggest hits including "You Take Me For Granted" and "Someday When Things Are Good." Leona, a Missouri native, was inducted into the Country Music Association of Texas Hall of Fame in 1999. She was also honored with the prestigious George D. Hay Award in 2002 and was also inducted into the Missouri Country Music Hall of Fame. In 2011, Leona was awarded "Entertainer of the Year" by R.O.P.E. (Reunion of Professional Entertainers). Whether in a recording studio, dance or concert hall or on stage at the Grand Ole Opry, Leona Williams always gives her very best to her fans and her music. She definitely presents a special class to the world of Country Music. For more information visit her website: LeonaWilliams.com. Aaron Tippin was part of the commercial explosion of new traditionalist country in the early '90s, making his name with a mixture of macho, rowdy honky tonkers, sentimental ballads, and patriotic working-man's anthems. He was born in Pensacola, Florida, in 1958 and grew up mostly on a family farm near Greer, South Carolina, where he first started singing to pass the time while doing chores. He started playing guitar at age ten but also inherited a love of flying from his father, who'd worked as a pilot prior to becoming a farmer. Aaron earned his pilot's license at 15 and began flying professionally before the age of 20. He was studying to become a commercial airline pilot when the industry took a major downturn, which convinced him to return to music. He played the local honky tonk circuit and worked on his songwriting while holding a series of blue-collar day jobs. Unfortunately, his marriage broke up, and with nothing to lose, he finally moved to Nashville in 1986. He landed a job as a staff songwriter at the legendary Acuff-Rose firm, where his compositions were recorded by the likes of Charley Pride, Mark Collie, and David Ball, among others. In 1990, his demo tape landed him a contract with RCA. Aaron's debut album, “You've Got to Stand for Something”, was released in 1991; its title cut became a Top Ten smash in the wake of the Persian Gulf War, and Tippin was invited along on Bob Hope's USO tour. His second album, 1992's “Read Between the Lines”, was a million-selling Top Ten smash, producing three Top Ten singles in "I Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way," "My Blue Angel," and his first number one, "There Ain't Nothing Wrong with the Radio." 1993's “The Call of the Wild” underlined his penchant for rabble-rousing anthems like "Honky Tonk Superman," the Top Ten "Working Man's Ph.D.," and the Top 20 title cut. The following year's “Lookin' Back At Myself” was less successful, but 1995's “Tool Box” returned him to the top of the singles charts with "That's as Close as I'll Get to Loving You." He also remarried that same year. Around 2000 “People Like Us”, became his first album to make the country Top Five, thanks to the number one smash "Kiss This," a song co-written by his wife Thea. The post-September 11 anthem "Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly" was a crossover smash, not only reaching number two on the country charts but also climbing into the pop Top 20. In 2013 he set out on the road with fellow country singers Sammy Kershaw and Joe Diffie on a tour called “All in the Same Boat”; the trio released an accompanying album of the same name in May. Aaron continues to tour and Branson is on his list. For more information, music and tour dates, visit his website: AaronTippin.com.

This week welcome, country music recording artist, Ron Williams! Ron Williams was born into an amazing family steeped in music tradition. The son of Internationally known singer/ songwriter Leona Williams, Ron has been surrounded by legends of the Country Music industry since childhood. Ron credits his distinct Traditional Country sound to the great , REAL country music he was exposed to as a child. At age 17, Ron began polishing his own unique style of music, and credits many country icons as influences, including Marty Robbins, Glen Campbell, Merle Haggard, Larry Gatlin, John Conlee, Lefty Frizzell , Keith Whitley and others. Performing and traveling all over the U.S. and Europe, Ron continues to build a huge fan base and has worked hard to keep real country music alive . Some of his career highlights include: regular host of the Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree; appearances on RFD-TV’s Midwest Country show; the San Antonio Rose Live show for the Aztec Theater on famous San Antonio Riverwalk; and international tours. Ron's songwriting credits include a co/written charted single on artist Joe Diffie, titled "Somethin' like this", the title track from the gospel album "Before you say amen" from Texas artist Justin Trevino, as well as single on Music City Records recording artist Sonny Burgess titled "Alone with you" and others.
 Recently , Ron was awarded the prestigious “ George D. Hay” award for his commitment to real country music , and the “ Little Jimmy Dempsey” award from the North American Country Music Association ( N.A.C.M.A.) for his efforts . Ron currently resides in Forsyth Missouri , and has been married to wife Amy, and together they have two beautiful daughters, Alexis and Olivia. For more information visit his website: RonWilliamsCountry.com.

Episode 154: 2020 will go down in infamy but one happy occasion this year was the 95th anniversary of the Grand Ole Opry, the longest-running broadcast show in American history and the anchoring force that helped Nashville become Music City. In August of 2019, Dan Rogers was named Executive Producer of the show, putting him in a lineage that stretched back to George D. Hay. And in old school WSM fashion, they hired someone nurtured by the show. Rogers came aboard as an intern in 1998 and rose through the ranks of Opry marketing. In a wide-ranging talk, Rogers addresses what he learned along the way, how the Opry programs talent and how they handled crises like the 2010 Nashville flood and the 2020 pandemic. 

This week we welcome, country music star, Leona Williams! Leona Williams was destined to become a Country Music Entertainer. She landed her first radio show at the age of 15, simply called "Leona Sings" in Jefferson City, Missouri. That journey would take her all over the world and allow her to sing before thousands and thousands of Country Music fans. Leona moved to Nashville in the late 1960s from a small town in Missouri called Vienna, and was soon recording for Hickory Records with such hits as "Once More" and "Yes Ma'am, He Found Me In A Honky Tonk". Since then, Leona has traveled worldwide and opened shows for some of country music's top entertainers and made numerous personal appearances at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Leona later teamed up with Merle Haggard for a top ten duet called "The Bull and the Beaver" and a duet album followed called HEART TO HEART. During this time, she would write some of Merle's biggest hits including "You Take Me For Granted" and "Someday When Things Are Good." Leona, a Missouri native, was inducted into the Country Music Association ofTexas Hall of Fame in 1999. She was also honored with the prestigious George D. Hay Award in 2002 and was also inducted into the Missouri Country Music Hall of Fame. In 2011, Leona was awarded "Entertainer of the Year" by R.O.P.E. (Reunion of Professional Entertainers). Whether in a recording studio, dance or concert hall or on stage at the Grand Ole Opry, Leona Williams always gives her very best to her fans and her music. She definitely presents a special class to the world of Country Music. For more information visit her website: LeonaWilliams.com.

Suponemos que en estas semanas de aislamiento, a todos nos ha dado tiempo de comprar papel higiénico como si no hubiera un mañana, llamar a la familia y a los amigos, encontrar esas fotos que parecían perdidas, limpiar los altillos, vaciar la nevera, y, por supuesto, ordenar los libros y los discos. Cuando te pones a esto último, lo de los discos, de pronto, aparecen algunas obras de arte que, con más o menos tiempo, te reencuentras hasta contigo mismo... Pues hoy hemos decidido recopilar algunas de ellas. Si alguna vez quieres retroceder en el tiempo y revisar la historia cultural de lo que se llama Americana, no está de más remitirse a Dom Flemons, un historiador de la música. Es un folclorista de Phoenix, Arizona. Cantante y compositor, se ha convertido, además, en todo un experto en instrumentos tradicionales. Fue socio fundador de Carolina Chocolate Drops y dejó el grupo en 2014 para seguir en solitario. El cuarto de sus discos, Black Cowboys, formó parte de una de las múltiples series de las que edita Smithsonian. Está inspirado en sus raíces familiares y narra una buena parte de la rica y profunda historia de la música del oeste de Estados Unidos, a menudo ignorada. Las canciones incluyen estándares tan queridos como "Home On the Range" pero también hay espacio para temas originales del estilo de "He’s A Lone Ranger", un homenaje a la figura de Bass Reeves, crecido en la región de Texarcana y convertido en diputado. Mirando a esos discos que de pronto aparecen, nos hemos encontrado con Stoney Edwards, un cantante de country con una presencia significativa entre los artistas más enraizados dentro de la música country. Nativo de Seminole, en Oklahoma, ha pasado a la historia por una canción como "She's My Rock", convertida en todo un éxito del año 1972 y más aún cuando Brenda Lee y George Jones la versionaron un par de años más tarde. Y buscando y buscando… le ha tocado el turno a Charley Pride, que creció escuchando a algunos de los maestros como Ernest Tubb, Eddy Arnold, Hank Williams y George Jones. Desarrolló un estilo propio partiendo de ellos, pero incluyó a otros de sus favoritos, como Sam Cooke, B.B. King o Brook Benton. Y es que volvemos a remitirnos a esa frase de Nick Lowe en la que nos recordaba que si eres capaz de unir el country y el soul conseguirás la mejor de las canciones. Charley Pride siempre entendió que la música americana se construye desde el country, el gospel y el blues. Es muy posible que su canción más recordada sea "Is Anybody Goin' To San Antone?", que alcanzó la cima de las listas de country en Abril de 1970. A costa de un malentendido entre la editorial y los compositores -Glenn Martin y Dave Kirby-, el tema había sido grabado y publicado por Bake Turner, jugador del equipo de fútbol americano de los Jets de New York. Pride intento encontrar otros singles para sustituirlo, pero la grabación había quedado tan perfecta como acabamos de escuchar y decidieron editarla. La versión de Turner no tuvo la más mínima repercusión. Ray Charles es un nombre antes el que hay que quitarse cualquier sombrero y cuando te reencuentras con alguno de sus Lps antológicos solo puedes estar agradecido. En 1952 se había mudado al sello ABC/Paramount para poder tener un mayor control sobre su música. Fue por entonces cuando decidió ensanchar el horizonte estilístico y adentrarse en caminos que hasta entonces no había experimentado. Eddy Arnold y Cindy Walker compusieron “You Don’t Know Me” y el primero de ellos grabó la versión original en la primavera de 1956. Pero seis años después, el músico invidente la llevó al segundo puesto de las listas generales de singles tras sorprender a la industria con un álbum convertido en fundamental para la historia de la música popular Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music. En ocasiones, uno agradece tener cierto tiempo para permitir la reaparición de músicos y canciones que tenías durante demasiado tiempo en el olvido. Y estas fechas nos han traído al presente al tejano de Simonton Dobie Gray, cuya carrera abarcó el soul… y también el country. A mitad de los 60 dejó para el recuerdo "The 'In' Crowd", pero en 1973, el mismo año en que nació TOMA UNO publicó "Drift Away". Aquella canción que había compuesto Mentor Williams tres años antes y que había grabado en origen John Henry Kurtz fue la que marcó la carrera del artista de Texas. Ted Hawkins siempre fue un personaje enigmático. Tocaba en la calle o en pequeños locales y era poco comunicativo. Muchos se arrogaron haberle descubierto a lo largo de los años, pero este artista de Biloxi, en Mississippi, era difícil de llevar a otros terrenos que no fueran el de su libertad personal. Sus grabaciones se repartieron de forma indiscriminada y algunas de ellas fueron ordenadas por Rounder en 1982, con una excelente aceptación por parte de la crítica, aunque con mínimas ventas. Ted Hawkins mezclaba gospel, folk y country con acento sureño y un acompañamiento casi minimalista, propio de los pioneros. Cuando te encuentras con un disco como The Next Hundred Years de 1994, editado poco menos de un año antes de su muerte, es su grabación emblemática. El cierre de aquel último disco en vida fue esta versión a “Long As I Can See The Light”, que también fue el último corte de Cosmos Factory para la Creedence Clearwater Revival, que en un mes cumplirá medio siglo de edición. Darius Rucker tenía muy claro que en su álbum True Believers, iba a incluir una versión de “Wagon Wheel”, que sacaron a la luz Old Crow Medicine Show y que se convirtió en uno de los temas favoritos de su hija. La melodía y los coros de esta canción pertenecen a Bob Dylan, que la maquetó en 1973 durante las sesiones de grabación de Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid y aunque nunca se editó oficialmente, se pudo encontrar en algunos discos piratas de Dylan con el nombre de "Rock Me Mama". A pesar de que estaba inacabada, Ketch Secor escribió una letra adicional y convirtió "Rock Me Mama" en "Wagon Wheel", siendo incluida en el álbum O.C.M.S. de 2004. Cuando en estos tiempos escuchas una canción que describe un viaje en autostop desde Nueva Inglaterra hasta Carolina del Norte, pasando por Virginia para llegar a Cumberland Gap y Johnson City, en Tennessee, para encontrarte con tu amor, supone todo una brisa alegre. Darius Rucker, el que fuera miembro de Hootie & the Blowfish, contó por entonces en las armonías vocales con los miembros de Lady Antebellum, que el pasado jueves anunció el cambio de su nombre por el de Lady A, mostrándose arrepentidos y avergonzados por no haber considerado la asociación del término "Antebellum" con la esclavitud, previo a la Guerra Civil de Estados Unidos. A veces, mirando en los armarios, te encuentras con algunos discos que hacía tiempo que no escuchábamos. Esta vez nos hemos ido a 1974 y a un álbum como That's A Plenty. Fue una época en que las distribuidoras españolas de discográficas internacionales se preocupaban, y mucho, por editar una buena parte de las novedades de Gran Bretaña y Estados Unidos. Aquel disco de las Pointer Sisters fue toda una sorpresa, sobre todo cuando esta canción, se llevó el premio Grammy a la mejor canción de country. Trataba, como suele ocurrir en buena parte de los temas del género, sobre una ruptura, en este caso basada en la experiencia personal de Bonnie Pointer y tras escuchar a James Taylor. Mavis Staples es una de las grandes veteranas a las que hay que rendir pleitesía de vez en cuando, porque suponen mantener viva la llama de la reivindicación de las raíces más profundas de la música norteamericana y la fusión de los géneros y de las formas. Mavis grabó hace 10 años un álbum como You’re Not Alone con la producción de Jeff Tweddy, consiguiendo un Grammy como mejor álbum de Americana. Aquel disco nos permitió recordar un Lp como Green River, el tercero de la CCR, cuyo nombre fue tomado del escrito de la etiqueta de una botella de jarabe, además de ser un lugar que John Fogerty solía visitar en Putah Creek, un río del norte de California. Cerrando la cara A de aquel vinilo encontramos “Wrote a Song For Everyone”, una canción que Fogerty elegiría en 2013 como título de su álbum de su noveno álbum en solitario en el que contó con un buen número de invitados pero que antes había versionado de esta forma la veterana vocalista. Yola es una vocalista y compositora británica de Bristol descubierta por Dan Auerbach, miembro de los Black Keys, que la descubrió a través de un vídeo actuando en Nashville que le envió un amigo. Él mismo fue el productor de su álbum de debut, Walk Through Fire, publicado a finales de febrero de 2019 y convertido en uno de los favoritos de TOMA UNO. Desde entonces, se ha convertido en una de las voces más recurrentes del panorama de la Americana, participando en la última edición de Festival de Newport junto a las Highwomen, Sheryl Crow y Dolly Parton, por ejemplo. Su anticipo de su único álbum hasta el momento fue “Ride Out In The Country”, un tapiz sonoro lleno de sonidos tradicionales que unificaban fiddle, Steel guitar, cuerdas y una capacidad interpretativa poco común. Carolina Chocolate Drops enamoró a los aficionados con su propuesta de poner al día la música del siglo XIX y la tradición de muchas décadas de la música de Estados Unidos. Esa formación acústica procedente de Carolina del Norte encontró en su álbum Leaving Eden a otro de los productores perfectos para mantener esa fórmula de contactar el pasado y el presente. Era Buddy Miller, que logró que aquel disco se percibiera como una fiesta de sábado por la noche. Dentro de aquel ramillete de canciones con ecos de siglos pasados, era inevitable destacar un tema propio como “Country Girl”. En aquel trío destacó la personalidad de Rhiannon Giddens, a quien hemos venido siguiendo desde hace tiempo y que nos ha dejado multitud de aventuras sonoras e incluso sus aportaciones como actriz a series televisivas como Nashville. Mickey Guyton es una joven artista de Arlington, en Texas, que se ha convertido en una de las voces más populares de la escena del country en los últimos tiempos. Su más reciente novedad es un tema como “Black Like Me”, que vio la luz coincidiendo con el reciente Blackout Tuesday y que narra su experiencia personal en la vida cotidiana de Estados Unidos y en la industria del country, poniendo el énfasis en determinadas desigualdades muy evidentes. Sus diferencias con su sello discográfico son bien conocidas. Esa nueva canción tiene entre sus versos uno que dice, explícitamente, “Si piensas que vivimos en la tierra de los libres, deberías intentar ser negra como yo”. Hoy queremos concluir con un artista que marcó un momento crucial en la historia de este género. Es DeFord Bailey. Él fue toda una estrella del country desde los años 20 hasta la llegada de la década de los 40. Tocaba varios instrumentos, pero era especialmente conocido como armonicista. El 10 de diciembre de 1927, tras un espacio de música clásica de la NBC llamado Music Appreciation Hour, la emisora de Nashville WSM comenzó su Barn Dance con un comentario de su gerente y locutor, George D. Hay, que ha pasado a la historia: "Durante la última hora, hemos estado escuchando música en gran parte de Grand Opera, pero a partir de ahora, presentaremos" The Grand Ole Opry ". La primera canción que sonó fue "Pan American Blues", que es la que hoy cierra el tiempo de TOMA UNO y nos cita para mañana en la sintonía habitual de cada fin de semana en Radio 3. Hoy hemos reunido algunas de las canciones que hemos venido escuchando también en estas fechas de cuarentena. Hemos recorrido con ellas distintas etapas de la country music. Y, al final, resulta que entre todos los artistas que nos han acompañado había una coincidencia. Todos son negros… Black Lives Matter. Escuchar audio

A rebroadcast of the November 25th, 1950 Grand Ole Opry 25th Anniversary Show with Red Foley as the host. Heard on this program are: The Dinning Sisters, Red Foley, Uncle Dave Mason, Judge George D. Hay, The Possum Hunters, Comedian Rod Brasfield, The Jordanaires, and a tribute to Minnie Pearl who was in the hospital at the time of the broadcast... If you like old time country music, you will enjoy this travel back into time...69 years ago! Thank you for listening and I have more country music in my "Country-Western Radio" Playlist.