Cherokee Hope
From Celina To Twang Town? James E. Akenson Tennessee Tech University (Retired) Cookeville, Tennessee, U.S.A Celina, Tennessee and Hibbing, Minnesota share something in common in my psyche. No, we won’t do a Hee Haw “Salute to Celina (Population 1,424) or Hibbing ( Population 15,940). But the link in my psyche is worth a different Hee […]
A Dolly Tribute
Hip Cookeville Indeed James E. Akenson Tennessee Tech University (Retired) Cookeville, Tennessee, U.S.A Christmas 2025 was its usual enjoyable self following a clearly establish ritual pattern. We get up when we’re ready. Put out the King James version of the Bible to the Gospel of Luke. Read the Christmas Story. Say a prayer. And […]
Kings Records & Early Country Music
Extending the Historical Record Via PragueFrank’s Discographies Chris Richardson INTRODUCTION Gaps in the Historical Record Michel Ruppli’s name is synonymous with a series of comprehensive multi-volume hardback discographies that encompass some of the most prized and prestigious American record catalogs of the twentieth century, including Atlantic, Decca, Mercury, MGM, Chess, and King. In the […]
Discographies and Databases
Andrew Smith Discographies are a valuable resource for country music collectors and researchers. Perhaps the most impressive in country music is Tony Russell’s Country Music Records: A Discography, 1921-1942, which lists every country music song recorded in the United States from 1921 to 1942. This book was an invaluable reference for my research on […]
The Devil’s Box
Jordi Guasch Barcelona, Spain Editor’s Introduction – James E Akenson Years ago, disapproval of the fiddle ran deep, particularly in Evangelical Protestant Christianity common in the southern United States. “The Devil’s Box” could cause the faithful to stray. “The Devil’s Box” could result in a life of sin preventing salvation through acceptance of Jesus as […]
Second Verse Same As The First
James E. Akenson Tennessee Tech University (Retired) Cookeville, Tennessee, U.S.A HH? No Dylan “It was a dark and stormy night.” I’m not stealing from Snoopy of Peanuts fame as he wrote the beginning to never completed stories. It was, for sure, an overcast, gloomy, and threatening late afternoon as a special time with the music […]
Artificial Intelligence and Country Music
The Fine Line Between Innovation and Authenticity Dr Larissa Rector Cookeville, Tennessee Editor’s Introduction – James E Akenson Artificial intelligence (Ai) emerged in recent years as a powerful force for almost every from of human activity. We won’t worry about the impact of Ai on the environment or the loss of jobs in this […]
Roseanna Rogers: A Long Time Never Met Relationship
James E. Akenson Tennessee Tech University (Retired) Cookeville, Tennessee, U.S.A A few years back I wrote about my friend Andrew Smith in Tasmania who I had known for years but never met in person. Finally, at the 2018 International Country Music Conference (ICMC), I met Andrew Smith. We continue to be friends and communicate […]
Country Music and Reincarnation
Jordi Guasch Barcelona, Spain Editor’s Introduction – James E Akenson Jordi Gausch on Reincarnation in Country Music Jordi Guasch lives in Barcelona, Spain. Yet, he loves Country Music, has traveled to the U.S. to see Country Music artists perform, and has written and blogged about his understanding of Country Music. All of Country Music interest […]
Country Music Where?: A Drop In the Bucket. The Upper Cumberland
James E. Akenson Tennessee Tech University (Retired) Cookeville, Tennessee, U.S.A Country Music seems to be the Energizer Bunny. It keeps on running. There is an amazing number of books, articles, blogs, and social media postings about Country Music. When I first started learning about Country Music there weren’t lots of sources easily found. Now you […]