History
J. D. Crowe, whose full name was James Dee Crowe, was a renowned American banjo player and bluegrass band leader who significantly impacted the genre by blending tradition with innovation. During the 1950s, Crowe gained prominence during his four-year collaboration with Jimmy Martin. The legendary Earl Scruggs influenced his banjo playing style, and he mastered […]
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 […]
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. It was released in September 1961 and quickly rose to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 by early November. This iconic tune celebrates the quintessential American values of strength, bravery, and perseverance. The song tells the story of a quiet miner […]
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