The Bluegrass Jamboree History
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Vern Williams (December 9, 1930– June 6, 2006) Vern was a singer and mandolin player who wasinstrumental in introducing Bluegrass music to the West Coastof the United States. Williams was born in Newton County, Arkansas (or Bullfrog Valley, Pope County, Arkansas), as part of a musical family, that played either the fiddle, the guitar, or […]
The Orange Blossom Special was a deluxe passenger train which inspired the tune by the same name. The song was written and copyrighted by Ervin T. Rouse in 1938 and the first recording took place in 1939 by Ervin and Gordon Rouse. There has been a bit of controversy as to the original composer of [...]
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 music. One has Bill Monroe single-handedly [...]
When we talk about 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 [...]
The Country Gentlemen 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 [...]
Merle Haggard was perhaps one of the most influential country music artists in his life. With songs of troubles, love and life, he was able to capture the attention of the public. His style remained true. Haggard held very little back. He wrote lyrics that came from his heart and he sang in just the [...]
Released in September of 1961, “Big Bad John” performed by Jimmy Dean quickly rose to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 by early November. “Big Bad John” is the collaborative work of Jimmy Dean and Roy Acuff. “I wrote the song in an hour and a half while flying to Nashville for a recording [...]
