Dylan Does Cookeville
James E. Akenson From the iron mines of Hibbing, Minnesota to the University of Minnesota, to the hip folk scene in New York, to the 1965 Newport Festival to Nashville, to just about everywhere else in the world Bob Dylan seems to have been everywhere. He also appeared in Cookeville, Tennessee recently. Well, that’s not […]
The Little Sandy Review Yogi Berra: Deja Vu All Over Again
James E. Akenson New York Yankees catcher Yogi Berra keeps coming up again and again as I go through life. Yogi Berra made famous the use of Deja Vu All Over Again. A touch repetitive. A touch redundant. But, it stuck in our cultural mind and heritage. Strangely, it speaks the truth. Things have […]
Cold War Europe: Country Music
James E. Akenson NATO seems to be a bit shaky these days in the age of the second Trump administration. There are plenty of wars going on in places like Ukraine. I don’t want to be Biblical here…got to be inclusive… and I don’t know the equivalent statements in other world religions or philosophies…..but there […]
Bob Wills: Still A King!
James E. Akenson In various pieces I’ve mentioned that a song gets in my head and stays for longer than I would expect. Well, it’s happened again. For some reason Bob Will Is Still The King has been rattlin’ around my cage for quite a while. I guess you could say “Well why not?” […]
Dottie West Just Keeps Making Life Interesting
James E. Akenson Some things and some people manage to keep finding ways to make your life interesting and worthwhile. You never know for sure exactly when and where they will appear. Dottie West is one of those persons. She’s the first woman to write and record a Grammy winning Country Music song. Not […]
It Won’t Go Away Kathy Mattea: A Triad Triology Trifecta
James E. Akenson There’s bound to be some good scientific research. It could be psychological research. It could be biological research. It’s also biochemical research. I just don’t have time to read it all. It could explain why a song gets in my head, won’t leave, and leads me to other songs. Who or what […]
Philip Gibbons: It’s Deja Vu All Over Again
James E. Akenson Willie Nelson sings that it’s “funny how time slips away.” It does happen! It seems like yesterday that I wrote a piece for Country Underground Australia about Phillip Gibbons 40th anniversary in radio. The Country Giant 94.7 in Cookeville is a major Country Music presence in Middle Tennessee and into southern Kentucky. […]
The Bitter Inn: Not The Bitter End
James E. Akenson Life can bring some unexpected experiences. The passing of a former neighbor resulted in my learning something new about the history of our small city and its connection to Country Music. After the passing of former neighbor Stan Huff, the family wanted to have a social event to honor Stan’s memory with […]
Doing Time For Patsy Cline: Or Arty Prep Perhaps
James E. Akenson You never know. Events and relationships combine to make twists and turns that couldn’t be anticipated when they first occur. My friend and fellow educator Jerry Barthelemy…a.k.a. Jerry B… retired from teaching. His side gig was Your Rockabilly DJ From Algood, Tennessee. It also meant that he collected thousands…yes, literally thousands….of records. I […]
Country Isn’t Dead Yet: Cullen McAlpin Proves It
James E. Akenson Over the years there has been a Hee Haw like despair regarding Country Music. It’s past was golden. The current state worthy of despair. The future could only be traumatic. Thus…”gloom, despair, agony on me. Deep dark depression excessive misery. If it weren’t for bad luck I’d have no luck at all.” […]