ESQUERITA: LOST ROCK LEGEND
Without Esquerita, there might have been no Little Richard, hence no Prince and no Elton John—and no rock ‘n roll as we know it. Little...
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By Alan Richard
- May 21, 2020
- 13 min
MARSHALL CHAPMAN'S SONGS, SOUL AND GRACE
The first time I ever spoke with Marshall Chapman, she was crying on the other end of the telephone line. My assignment as a young...
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By Alan Richard
- May 11, 2020
- 6 min
SWEET PEA ATKINSON: A TRIBUTE
Blues and soul singer Sweet Pea Atkinson passed away on May 4, 2020 after a heart attack. He was 74. Born in Ohio and raised in Detroit,...
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By Alan Richard
- May 10, 2020
- 6 min
Little Richard: MUSICAL GIANT
How to pay tribute to one of the godfathers of rock 'n roll, who took gospel, blues and soul along with him for the kind of wild ride few...
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By Alan Richard
- Apr 5, 2020
- 10 min
WHY HALL & OATES MATTER
Rooted in Philly soul, the duo blended folk, rock, country, and new wave into their own irresistible sound. Daryl Hall and John Oates met...
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By Alan Richard
- Apr 4, 2020
- 3 min
A TRIBUTE TO BILL WITHERS
Soulful singer-songwriter Bill Withers died on March 30, 2020. Born in the coal mining town of Slab Fork, WV, and raised in the town of...
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By Alan Richard
- Mar 27, 2020
- 11 min
Jim Lauderdale: COUNTRY, SOUL and BLUEGRASS
Jim Lauderdale is a musical chameleon of sorts. One of the best living country songwriters, his incredible range of styles is an amalgam...
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By Alan Richard
- Mar 5, 2020
- 13 min
STAX IN ’68: SOME OF MEMPHIS’ BEST MUSICAL MOMENTS
One of my favorite box sets is Stax ’68: A Memphis Story, a compilation of the legendary label’s dozens of singles and B-sides during a...
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By Alan Richard
- Feb 18, 2020
- 10 min
MEMPHIS MAGIC
Producer Matt Ross-Spang discusses his work with the Rev. Al Green, John Prine, Margo Price, William Bell, and other greats Few young...
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By Alan Richard
- Feb 2, 2020
- 6 min
MARTY STUART'S MUSICAL PILGRIMAGE
Twenty years after Marty Stuart’s concept album The Pilgrim was released, it’s out again, with a deluxe edition that includes a coffee...
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By Alan Richard
- Feb 1, 2020
- 1 min
COUNTRY MUSIC FOR ALL
Cindy Emch and her band are making a new album, and everyone’s invited to the party. The Secret Emchy Society, as the alt-country,...
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By Alan Richard
- Jan 9, 2020
- 16 min
BLACK COWBOYS
Dom Flemons’ latest musical journey explores folk music, American history, the West, and the African-American experience Growing up in...
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By Alan Richard
- Dec 4, 2019
- 1 min
BLUEGRASS PRIDE
It’s a long way from San Francisco to Mississippi, but singer-songwriter and banjo player Tyler Stegall of The High Water Line has...
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By Alan Richard
- Nov 17, 2019
- 1 min
ELTON JOHN'S GAY COUNTRY SOUL
Elton John and songwriting partner Bernie Taupin were star-struck when the members of The Band filed into John’s dressing room after a...
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By Alan Richard
- Nov 11, 2019
- 4 min
EMMYLOU LIVE: RED DIRT REQUIEM
Emmylou Harris is one of the most important artists in country and American roots music. Beyond her stunning voice, which always soars...
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By Alan Richard
- Oct 28, 2019
- 3 min
BLUEBIRD CAFE MAGIC STILL ALIVE AND WELL
On any given night in Nashville, magic can happen, legendary songwriter (and my friend) Marshall Chapman often says. This certainly was...
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By Alan Richard
- Sep 27, 2019
- 15 min
BLACK AND COUNTRY
The African-American influence--and white appropriation--in country music goes even deeper than Ken Burns’ important new documentary...
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By Alan Richard
- Sep 1, 2019
- 1 min
SPEAKING WITH KEN BURNS
I spoke in depth with filmmaker Ken Burns a few weeks ago about his forthcoming eight-part documentary, Ken Burns: Country Music, which...
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By Alan Richard
- Aug 14, 2019
- 6 min
BLUES SURVIVOR
FEW BLUESMEN AS AUTHENTIC (AND AUDACIOUS) AS BOBBY RUSH: Bobby Rush came from Louisiana and Arkansas, fled to Chicago, played the blues,...
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By Alan Richard
- Aug 10, 2019
- 5 min
A TREASURE OF BLACK MUSIC
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION’S NEWEST MUSEUM SHOWS RELICS OF SOUL, GOSPEL, COUNTRY AND MORE The National Museum of African-American History...
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