Call It Lust, Sin, Booze, and Jesus: Call It Sacred and Profane

James Akenson Once upon a time in a galaxy long ago I wrote a piece about Tennessee Tech University PhD student Randy Williams.  The title “Randy Williams: Just for the Hell…Or The Heaven…Of It” fit nicely with what Randy Williams thought would be the focus of his PhD research. Turns out he was spot on. […]

You Shoulda Could a ( and Woulda) Been There: ICMC 2023

James Akenson   Yes. Indeed! You shoulda,coulda…let’s add woulda to be complete…been there for the 2023 International Country Music Conference (ICMC ). The 2023 edition of ICMC took place Thursday 1 June through Saturday 3 June in The Board Room of The Massey Business Center at Belmont University overlooking Music Row and downtown Nashville. Even […]

John Edwards: Collector, Researcher and Discographer Extraordinaire

Don Cusic, Andrew Smith, Mickie Akenson, James Akenson   Managing Editor’s Note: Once again Andrew Smith in Tasmania, Australia provides a fascinating discussion of an important Country Music topic.  A description of the John Edward collection at the University of North Carolina may be found at https://finding-aids.lib.unc.edu/20001/ . It is particularly interesting how some international […]

Doc Watson Life’s Work: A Retrospective

Andrew Smith   Managing Editor’s Note: Once again Andrew Smith of Tasmania lends his substantive expertise in Country Music to an important four CD release with 101 tracks and an 86 page book from Craft Recordings. Doc Watson (1923-2012) holds a special place in the history of Country Music…broadly defined….and merits all the attention from scholars, journalists, […]

Satan is Busy in Knoxville: A Review

Andrew Smith Managing Editor’s Note:  We’re pleased once again to have a contribution from Andrew Smith in Tasmania.  Smith is exceptionally knowledgeable about Country Music not just in Australia, but the entire scope of Country Music history. His forth coming biography of Australian Country Music pioneer Tex Morton will be published in Spring, 2023 by […]

Hillbilly Bop: The Other Memphis Sound. Part 2

Carl Perkins – everybody’s rockin’ tonight   Editor’s Note: This is the second of two articles about the Memphis region and the Country Music scene of the 1950s. Dr. Shawn Pitts lives in Selmer, Tennessee. Cinema fans may recognize Selmer as the County Seat of McNairy County, Tennessee. The film “Walking Tall” made McNairy County […]

Hillbilly Bop: The Other Memphis Sound. Part 1. The Snearly Ranch Boys

The Snearly Ranch Boys   Editor’s Note: Dr. Shawn Pitts lives in Selmer, Tennessee. Cinema fans may recognize Selmer as the County Seat of McNairy County, Tennessee. The film “Walking Tall” made McNairy County Sheriff Buford Pusser famous. Dr. Pitts has served in many positions for the Tennessee Folklore Society including President. In addition, Pitts […]

What Comes Round

I vividly remember Johnny Cash and Hank Williams, Jr’s version of That Old Wheel with lyrics including That old wheel will roll around again. The theme….evening up scores from past wrongs…works well for my use in using Country Music to deal with topics in how to teach history, geography, and even literature. And…it also relates […]

Ron Cohen: Part 3

My Rainbow Quest: The Life of Ronald D. Cohen Part 3 Managing Editor’s Note: This third, and final installment of Ron Cohen’s remarkable career shows his political bent in connection to Folk Music.  Pete Seeger is truly iconic in American culture. Alan Lomax and The Weavers aren’t far behind. Folklorist Archie Green was a major […]

Ron Cohen: Part 2

University of Minnesota Dr. Ronald D. Cohen, Retired Indiana University Northwest Gary Indiana U.S.A.   I graduated from the University of California, Berkley in June 1962 During my senior year, Clarke Chambers, professor from the University of Minnesota was hired to teach the recent US history course. I talked with Chambers about going to graduate […]