Steve Goodman: You've Never Called Me By My Name

David Allen Coe covered this song by Steve Goodman. This is Steve doing it himself. Still good stuff:-)

Anothony Gomes Goes Country

An interesting article from Vindy.com states that blues guitar player extordinarie Anothony Gomes is going country. Of course, that's not really what it says, or what he is really doing but a few blues purists are bent out of shape that Gomes is bringing the good news of the blues to the country and western set, by twanging his sound.

What makes the Blues Historian laugh is that contemporary country music has it root very deeply stuck in the blues. Jimmie Rogers the father of country music was singing blues songs, and then adding yodels to them.

What is great is the reaction of the folks who listen to country music. THEY LOVE IT! In the article they compare Gomes to Stevie Ray Vaungh and Lynyrd Skynyrd! You know that the country music fan (especially those up here in God's country) may not know much about the blues, but they know what they like, and they like Gomes. So what, if he is twanging things a bit to make it more acceptable to their ears. Bottom line is that if they love Gomes, they will check out more blues, and that is a good thing!

Read the Vindy.com article about Gomes HERE.

Patsy Cline: Crazy

Nice vintage footage of Patsy Cline. Patsy amazingly survived a nasty car wreck only to die in a plane wreck a couple of years later. Originally she disliked the song written by Willie Nelson, but on her second time around recording the song she did it her own way, and the rest is history.

Patsy Cline - Crazy
Uploaded by Gatorrock784

Photo Of The Week: Jimmy With His Country Music Friends

Jimmy not only was a great bluesman, but he also played country music. Jimmy started playing country music in the mid 60s. He was influenced to play the blues from Ray Charles, who had recorded some country music during that time. Jimmy loved music so to him it gave him just another opportunity to play live music. He played mostly at the supper clubs located just outside Des Moines on the northside. The Pines was one of his favorite spots, and he recorded one of those shows, which he later released as a CD. He also got his nickname, The "Midnite Cowboy" from his country music fans in Des Moines. He was also inducted in the Iowa Cowboy Hall of Fame.

Chris Gaffney:

Chris Gaffney from years ago on Art Feins Poker Party

Bobby Darin: Lonsome Whistle

This is an old Hank Williams song. It is country, but a blues influenced country song. Hank followed a long line of country artists influenced by the "Singing Brakeman" Jimmie Rogers who basically took blues songs and added a yodel brake to them, and created country music. Also note in the beginning of the song Bobby is shaking his hand. This was due to his heart condition which was causing his hand to go numb. What people don't realize about Bobby Darin is that the saying "the show must go on" was something he took way to literally true. He performed 10 shows before his death while suffering from blood poisoning. Now I don't know if Bobby would still be alive today had he took care of it right away, but what I do know is that for him the fans came before his health. I also know that Darin did not die from snorting Cocaine which a new book(that I wont mention either the title or the author) recently put. I just wish that people in the media would quit being lazy and do a little research. It would have taken a couple seconds of a google search to find out how Bobby died. Lazy, lazy, lazy.