Blog
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The Orange Blossom Special was a deluxe passenger train that inspired the tune by the same name. Ervin T. Rouse wrote and copyrighted the song in 1938, and Ervin and Gordon Rouse recorded it first in 1939. There has been a bit of controversy as to the original composer of the instrumental. Robert Russell […]
The Big Bang Theory of Bluegrass If the “Big Bang Theory” helps to explain the origin of the universe, perhaps “the big bang theory of bluegrass” will shed some light on the origin of the bluegrass music universe. First, let me say that there are two schools of thought as to the origins of bluegrass […]
When discussing the most popular bluegrass songs, “Nine Pound Hammer” nearly always floats to the top. Let’s follow the scent and try to sniff out the origins of this famous tune. After the Civil War, when able-bodied men were scarce, former slaves and convicts were conscripted to build tunnels and lay track in constructing a […]
In the early 1970s, “Fox on the Run” was among the most requested bluegrass songs. Along with “Rocky Top,” a bluegrass band could scarcely play a show without fans yelling for “Rocky Top” or “Fox on the Run.” The song was written in 1968 by an Englishman named Tony Hazzard and first recorded as […]
Merle Haggard was an American singer-songwriter who earned a reputation as a country music icon with his soulful and honest music that spoke to people’s struggles, hopes, and dreams. Born in 1937 in California, Haggard grew up in a poor family and had to work hard from an early age. His father died when he […]
“Big Bad John” is a country song written and composed by Jimmy Dean.
