I am fortunate beyond belief that practically every one of the best barbecue restaurants in the world is located in my hometown, Kansas City, Missouri. Now, I’m aware there are people in Memphis, and in North Carolina and Texas, who […]
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Singer/actor/comedian Sheb Wooley, the man who popularized “The Purple People Eater”, passed away on September 16 in Nashville after a long bout with leukemia. Known for his humorous country songs, Wooley was named comedian of the year in 1968 by […]
Among the disadvantages of being Bob Dylan, I imagine, is enduring the aftermath of being dubbed the voice of your generation. It’s one thing to switch from folk to rock just as millions of people were waiting, without realizing it, […]
Four Corners is a single point in America where the states of Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico meet. Pat McLaughlin’s music is similarly a convergence point, where R&B, country, pop, and rock ‘n’ roll conjoin. One of the world’s […]
When that scholarly malady known as writer’s block descends from the muses, it can be helpful to employ a simple little exercise. Particularly in cases where there is lots of ground to be covered and there are lots of stories […]
The first song on Don Rigsby’s new solo album, The Midnight Call, describes a man who goes looking for his girlfriend only to find her lying dead on a hospital table. In the second song, a man gets a phone […]
Spotting John Morthland’s recent Lester Bangs anthology by my side, my brother-in-law asked, disbelieving, “Is he an actual person?” Yet even after my usually purgative (and always regrettable) verbal smackdown detailing his myriad pop cult failings, the question nagged. Certainly […]
Some singers nurture their pipes by hiring retired opera singers to teach them arias and warm-up exercises. Others swim laps, or run daily, to improve their lung capacity. But not Jeff Klein. “I’m not a big fan of pretty voices,” […]
Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself (I am huge, I contain multitudes.) — Walt Whitman (“Song Of Myself”) It says here that Merle Haggard is our greatest living singer and songwriter. Country singer and songwriter, if […]
Like millions of Americans, Alejandro Escovedo, dogged seven years now by hepatitis C, has no medical insurance. Yet the master of moody roots chamber music has hundreds of musicians, from legends to locals, throwing benefits to defray his expenses (check […]
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