Tag Archives: country

Country, folk, Music Calendar

Today: The late Sara Carter was born in 1898 – 114 years ago

From Wikipedia:

Sara Carter (July 21, 1898 – January 8, 1979) was an American Country music musician. Known for her deep and distinctive singing voice, she was the lead singer on most of the recordings of the historic Carter Family act in the 1920s and 1930s.

The Carter Family:

The Carter Family was a traditional American folk music group that recorded between 1927 and 1956. Their music had a profound impact on bluegrass, country, Southern Gospel, pop and rock musicians as well as on the U.S. folk revival of the 1960s. They were the first vocal group to become country music stars. Their recordings of such songs as “Wabash Cannonball“, “Can the Circle Be Unbroken“, “Wildwood Flower” and “Keep On the Sunny Side” made them country standards.

The original group consisted of Alvin Pleasant “A.P.” Delaney Carter (1891–1960), his wife Sara Dougherty Carter (1898–1979), and his sister-in-law Maybelle Addington Carter (1909–1978). Maybelle was married to A.P.’s brother Ezra (Eck) Carter and was also Sara’s first cousin. All three were born and raised in southwestern Virginia, where they were immersed in the tight harmonies of mountain gospel music and shape note singing.

Throughout the group’s career, Sara Carter sang lead vocals; Maybelle sang harmony and accompanied the group instrumentally; on some songs A.P. did not perform at all but at times sang harmony and background vocals and once in a while, lead vocal. Maybelle’s distinctive guitar playing style became a hallmark of the group.

Legacy:

  • The Carter Family was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1970 and were given the nickname “The First Family of Country Music”.
  •  In 1988, the Carter Family was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and received its Award for the song “Will the Circle Be Unbroken”.
  • In 1993, the U.S. Postal Service issued a commemorative postage stamp honoring A.P., Sara, and Maybelle.
  • In 2001, the group was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor.
  • In 2005, the group received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Mother Maybelle & Sara Carter – While The Band Plays Dixie:

Album of the day:

 

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Country, Music Calendar

Today: Chet Atkins passed away in 2001 – 11 year ago

From Wikipedia:

Chester Burton “Chet” Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001) was an American guitarist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country’s appeal to adult pop music fans as well.

From Allmusic:

Without Chet Atkins, country music may never have crossed over into the pop charts in the ’50s and ’60s. Although he is an exceptionally talented guitarist with hundreds of solo records to his credit, Atkins’ largest influence came as a session musician and a record producer. During the ’50s and ’60s, he helped create the Nashville sound, a style of country music that owed nearly as much to pop as it did to honky tonk.
— Stephen Thomas Erlewine 

Industry awards

Country Music Association

  • 1967 Instrumentalist of the Year
  • 1968 Instrumentalist of the Year
  • 1969 Instrumentalist of the Year
  • 1981 Instrumentalist of the Year
  • 1982 Instrumentalist of the Year
  • 1983 Instrumentalist of the Year
  • 1984 Instrumentalist of the Year
  • 1985 Instrumentalist of the Year
  • 1988 Instrumentalist of the Year

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

  • Inducted in 1973

Grammy Awards

  • 1971 Best Country Instrumental Performance with Jerry Reed – Me and Jerry
  • 1972 Best Country Instrumental Performance – “Snowbird”
  • 1975 Best Country Instrumental Performance with Merle Travis – The Atkins-Travis Traveling Show
  • 1976 Best Country Instrumental Performance – “The Entertainer”
  • 1977 Best Country Instrumental Performance with Les Paul – Chester and Lester
  • 1982 Best Country Instrumental Performance – Country After All These Years
  • 1986 Best Country Instrumental Performance with Mark Knopfler – “Cosmic Square Dance”
  • 1991 Best Country Instrumental Performance with Mark Knopfler – “So Soft, Your Goodbye”
  • 1991 Best Country Vocal Collaboration with Mark Knopfler – “Poor Boy Blues”
  • 1993 Best Country Instrumental Performance with Jerry Reed – Sneakin’ Around
  • 1993 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award’
  • 1994 Best Country Instrumental Performance with Asleep at the Wheel, Eldon Shamblin, Johnny Gimble, Marty Stuart, Reuben “Lucky Oceans” Gosfield & Vince Gill – “Red Wing”
  • 1995 Best Country Instrumental Performance – “Young Thing”
  • 1997 Best Country Instrumental Performance – “Jam Man”

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

  • Posthumously inducted in 2002

w/ Earl Klugh – “Goodtime Charlie’s Got The Blues”:

Album of the day:

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Country, folk, Singer Songwriter, Soul, video of the day

Video of the day: That Wasn’t Me – Brandi Carlile (feat. Kris Kristofferson)

“a song that happened by accident,
like all my favorite songs that I write do.”

She says that she listened to Border Song by Elton John and The Beatles’ Let it Be when she wrote it, and that gospel feeling that those songs have, Brandi Carlile mannages to bring into this great song, That wasn’t  Me.

Music video by Brandi Carlile performing That Wasn’t Me.

Live at Beer Creek version:

She told Rolling Stone Magazine:

“I literally could not believe my luck,” recalls Carlile about getting Kristofferson to appear in the video. “I was fortunate enough to hang out with Kris at the shoot, and he surpassed all my expectations and proved himself to be a kind, compelling and inspiring gentleman.”

Two incredibly good versions of the song!

– Hallgeir

Music Calendar, Soul

Today: Spooner Oldham was born in 1943


(photo: Andrew Quist)

Spooner Oldham
Dewey Lindon “Spooner” Oldham (born June 14, 1943) is an American songwriter and session musician. An organist, he recorded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama and at FAME Studios on such hit R&B songs as “When a Man Loves a Woman” by Percy Sledge, “Mustang Sally” by Wilson Pickett and “I Never Loved a Man” by Aretha Franklin.
As a songwriter, Spooner Oldham teamed with Dan Penn to write such hits as “Cry Like a Baby” (The Box Tops), “I’m Your Puppet” (James and Bobby Purify), “A Woman Left Lonely” and “It Tears Me Up” (Percy Sledge).

I’m your Puppet (here with Dan Penn):

Oldham was inducted into the Rock’n Roll Hall of Fame in 2009, here’s his acceptance speech:

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Music Calendar, Soul

Today: Prince was born in 1958 – 54 years ago

From Wikipedia:

Prince (born Prince Rogers Nelson; June 7, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of the instruments on his recordings. In addition, Prince has been a “talent promoter” for the careers of Sheila E., Carmen Electra, The Time and Vanity 6, and his songs have been recorded by these artists and others (including Chaka Khan, The Bangles, Sinéad O’Connor, and even Kim Basinger). He also has several hundred unreleased songs in his “vault”.

Earning 33 nominations, Prince has won seven Grammys. He also has had two albums − 1999 and Purple Rain − awarded the Grammy Hall of Fame Award.

Won:

  • 1985 – Purple Rain – Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
  • 1985 – Purple Rain – Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
  • 1985 – I Feel You – Best R&B Song
  • 1987 – Kiss – Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal
  • 2005 –  Call My Name – Best Male R&B Vocal Performance
  • 2005 – Musicology – Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance
  • 2008 – Future Baby Mama – Best Male R&B Vocal Performance

My fav Prince song:

Album of the day @ JV:

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