What I'm Reading

Since moving to Nashville, I have learned more about WSM and the Grand Ole Opry, and I was interested in learning more about how it all got started. In doing research for my job, Air Castle of the South: WSM and the Making of Music City kept frequently coming up as a resource, so I decided to check it out from my local public library. I got to visit the Opry in June with my dad and sister, Kristen. It was a great show and there was a ton going on before and after the show because of CMA Fest.

At the Opry in June

Growing up in Shreveport, Louisiana, I heard about the Louisiana Hayride often, as it was a similar program and format. However, the Hayride supported artists just starting their careers while the Opry allowed traditional, established artists to perform. In this traditionalist regard, the Opry steered clear of the electric guitar, while the Hayride embraced it. The world was even introduced to Elvis on the Hayride!

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I'm only about fifty pages in, but I'm looking forward to delving in to country music history through this book! 

Other things I'm reading today: 

Marty Stuart: Keeper Of Country Music's Cowboy Couture

What Good is Theory in Public History?

Curator's Workbench

October is American Archives Month!

St. Charles Avenue streetcar line named a National Historic Landmark

Time is the New Money

The making a Blake Sims: a selfless leader who was sent to Alabama a boy and came back a man

When Paris Met Rory: TV's Last Great Teenage-Girl Friendship

Stories from the Road: LDC Alexis

Emerald Envy

I was watching this video of Loretta Lynn sing "Coal Miner's Daughter" today, and I just could not get over her dress...it's gorgeous. 

Here are some other looks sure to make you green with envy. 

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Elie Saab Spring 2012 Ready-to-Wear

And some you can buy for yourself...

Jovani Emerald Green 0035 Dress

Casual Summer Short Sleeve O Neck

Milly Dolman Sleeve Dress

Michael Kors 3/4 sleeve crepe dress

Forever Unique Jade Dress

Woodstock Music & Arts Fair

The Woodstock Music & Arts Fair, most commonly referred to as "Woodstock" occurred from August 15-18, 1969 on a dairy farm in Bethel, New York. During the rainy weekend, 32 acts performed for almost half a million attendees, even into the early hours of the morning. See the complete schedule here.

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Abbey Road

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The Beatles' Abbey Road photo shoot took place in London 44 years ago today. Photographer Iain Macmillan took the famous photo, which appeared as the cover on the last album they recorded together, but not the last album they released. Abbey Road was released on September 26, 1969. In the United States, Abbey Road spent eleven weeks at #1 and spent a total of 83 weeks on the charts.

Have you heard of the conspiracy that Paul is Dead? The Abbey Road  cover plays in to this conspiracy.  John, George, and Ringo are crossing the street as a funeral procession. John is wearing all white, like a clergyman. Ringo, as the mourner, is in all black. George, in jeans, is the gravedigger. Paul wears no shoes, even though it was very hot that August day in London. He walks out of step with the other three. Read more here.

Happy 89th, Hank!

Today is the 89th anniversary of Hank Williams, Sr.'s birthday.  

Hiram King Williams was born on September 17, 1923 in Mount Olive, Butler County, Alabama.  He moved around Alabama and eventually formed the Drifting Cowboys.  In 1948, he joined the Louisiana Hayride a radio program broadcast from Municipal Auditorium, in Shreveport, Louisiana, my hometown.  Hank unfortunately passed away on New Years Day in 1953, but left a lasting impact on country music.

Municipal Auditorium, site of the Louisiana Hayride via

Last year, I curated an exhibit at the Hoole Special Collections Library called "Sounds Like Alabama" that featured Hank in a portion of the exhibit.  Here is the case on Hank and Hank, Jr.  

"If the good Lord's willing..." I just love this poster! 

 This summer, I interned at the Country Music Hall of Fame, and Hank was a prominent character in the story of country music there.  Hank was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1961.
In the photo below, Hank's portrait hangs on a banner next to the wall of gold, silver and platinum albums of various country artists.

Happy 50th Anniversary to The Rolling Stones!

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The Rolling Stones celebrate their 50th anniversary as a band today. Their first performance as a band was on July 12, 1962 at the Marquee Club in London featuring members Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, Ian Stewart, Dick Taylor and Tony Chapman.

They have had a lot of ups and downs since then, but have always come out on top.  One such moment was a great idea that didn't turn out so well once implemented.  Altamont, a free concert on December 6, 1969 with Hell's Angels for security instead of police.  Four people ended up dying at the event, and there was tons of violence.  Check out this video of the Stones trying to calm the crowd during one of my favorites,
"Sympathy for the Devil."

Did you know Keith Richards wanted to be a librarian? Read more about it here or here.  Known as a rebel, Richards has confessed, "The library was the only place around where I willingly obeyed the rules.

He has said: "When you are growing up there are two institutional places that affect you most powerfully: the church, which belongs to God and the public library, which belongs to you. The public library is a great equaliser."

Read about the Stones' 4th appearance on Ed Sullivan here.

Disco Diva

Donna Summer lost her battle with cancer today.  She was 63.
She started in the music industry singing background for Three Dog Night but eventually found success with a solo career.  Here are two of my favorite Donna Summer hits.

Read a 1978 Washington Post review of Donna Summer here.

Sad music news

It has been a sad couple of days in music news.

Dick Clark via

Levon Helm via

Dick Clark passed away Wednesday and Levon Helm passed away just hours ago after his battle with cancer.
 I blogged about The Band here in December

Whitney

Today's post is for remembering Whitney Houston.  This song does exactly what it's supposed to, it makes me want to get up and dance.  

It also reminds me of being a little girl and listening to my older sister's cassette tapes dancing in my bed.  

Material Girl by Madonna was another favorite.  No lie, I thought it was "Cheerio girl." Obviously when your six, you have breakfast on your mind more than boys, diamonds, and sports cars.  

But for today, take a few minutes to remember Whitney and dance with somebody you love.  

The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show

On February 9, 1964 over 73 million people crowded around their television sets that Sunday evening to tune in to The Ed Sullivan Show for The Beatles first live appearance on the show.

Watch the complete set here: 

After this performance, they would take America by storm, gain a huge following and even a few haters.  Sixty four years later, and The Beatles are still making an impact on us.  Check out this wedding ensemble my good friend Kathryn at Invitation Solutions of Houston, Texas blogged about today that has a Beatles theme.  What an awesome idea!  Have you considered a fun theme for your wedding invitations, menus, etc? 

"All you need is love, love. Love is all you need." - The Beatles, All You Need is Love 

"And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make." - the last line of the last song collectively recorded by all four of The Beatles.

Ed Sullivan tried to provide wholesome family entertainment on Sunday evenings for over twenty years, but it was not without some controversy.  Last semester, I wrote a term paper on music censorship.  Here are some highlights from the section on The Ed Sullivan Show.  

The Rolling Stones' Raucous Fourth Appearance on Ed Sullivan

1957 January 6– Cameramen only show Elvis Presley from the waist up during his third and final appearance on the show.  80% of the nation’s television audience was tuned in that evening.

1963 February – Bob Dylan refuses to appear on the show after being told he cannot sing “Talkin’ John Birch Paranoid Blues.”

1967  January – The Rolling Stones agree to change the lyrics to “Let’s Spend The Night Together” for the show. Mick Jagger maintains he sang the original lyrics. 

1967 September – Jim Morrison agrees to change “Girl we couldn’t get much higher” in “Light my Fire” but during the live performance, clearly sings the original words directly into the camera.  


Update: Check out this post from O Say Can You See?, the blog of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History about The Beatles' first concert in America, which occurred just two days after their appearance on Ed Sullivan.  

Fire

This song always puts me in a good mood, and I love the Glee twist on it. I love Kristen Chenoweth.  I'm interested to see how her ABC show GCB turns out. 

I also love the original by The Pointer Sisters. This song is the perfect song to play as you wake up, especially on days like today, Mondays.  

Whatcha Readin'?

Right now, in the small amount of free time I have between required grad school readings, I am reading this:

I Walked the Line: My Life with Johnny by Vivian Cash (2007) 

I decided to check out this book because my friend Kate and I got together last weekend and watched this:

Normally when I'm watching movies, I'll check out IMDB to read trivia, goofs, etc. on the movies and with movies like this, try to differentiate the facts from the Hollywood storyline.  This time I learned "I Walk the Line" wasn't even about June Carter Cash, it was about Johnny's first wife, Vivian.  Every time I watched the movie, I was always curious about the character played by Ginnifer Goodwin (love her!)

Ginnifer Goodwin as Vivian Cash

I am enjoying the book so far.  It is introduced by Vivian then is mostly reproductions of letters Johnny Cash wrote her.  While interesting, the emotion and pain I felt from Vivian's own words brought me to tears by page 8.  Read the NY Times review of the book here.

And to sign off, here's a bit from "The Man in Black" himself.  

What are you reading? Anything good? 

The Band

The Band is definitely one of my favorite bands. I could watch The Last Waltz over and over again and never get sick of it.

I bought myself this t-shirt a few years ago, and it is now a staple in my "casual days" wardrobe.

Some of my favorite album covers from The Band: 

Music from Big Pink (1968)

Stage Fright (1970)

Jericho (1993) 

 The house on the Jericho cover is "Big Pink," the namesake of the band's debut album.  It is a house in West Saugerties, New York near Woodstock.  Bob Dylan wrote and played what came to be known as "The Basement Tapes" in the house, which is a private residence today.

During the summer of 2011, I spent a large portion of my time at work looking through old UA Corollas and look at what I found:

If only I had been a student in the fall of 1970!