Country Music In American Culture

Country Music has been entwined with American Culture since the first Scots-Irish immigrants started settling in Appalachia.   Music, homemade and heartfelt, sprang from the crude log cabins and hardscrabble living conditions, portraying a fierce pride, strong faith and sense of family, that somehow, seemed to make life a little easier.  Years later, the music from the mountains has spread all over the world, but still maintains its roots in American heritage and culture, while entertaining, encouraging and striking a chord that still seems to make life just a little easier.   It occurs to me, after 53 years of professional musicianship, that Country Music is indeed a noble profession, and has an important place in our American Culture.

Cold Weather Blues...

 Back in the 1960's we had a real cold snap in February. Bobby Lord was going downtown to shop at a big Department Store. Just as he was getting ready to go in the entrance, a large black lady stepped out with her hands full of packages. Just outside the door she hit a patch of ice on the sidewalk and fell for what seemed like 15 minutes. She got up, gathered herself together and pointed her finger at the icy sidewalk saying these words, "July's gonna get you!" She walked off with her dignity slightly bruised, but her pride still intact. 
stan 

Different Times, Different World, Same Country Boys and Girls…

I grew up in the 50’s in a different world than what we are living in today.  My connection to the world outside our little valley was my radio, upstairs in the attic room that was mine to enjoy in the old farmhouse that my dad had built and where we lived.  I would lie in my bed at night and listen to the steam locomotives whistle as they curved through the Ozark Mountains pulling passengers and freight to the great cities of my imagination.  My radio stayed tuned to the all night stations that played real country music, interspersed with old time gospel music and built the musical foundations that have stayed with me my entire life.

"When Trails Turn To Trials...."

Some years ago,  on a cold, snowy winters day in Iowa, my son, Stan Hitchcock the 2^nd , our friend and guide, Kenny Johnson and myself, were trudging through boot top deep snow in a cut corn field following a well beaten Pheasant trail that looked like a bird freeway.

View From The Front Porch-Stan Hitchcock

WINTERTIME REFLECTIONS OF AN OLD  GYPSY SONG MAN….

View From The Front Porch

By Stan Hitchcock

The Route 66 Started Me Down That Lonsome Road...

"The Road Goes On Forever:.....

The above title pretty well describes the way the Classic country artists and road musicians felt about their careers of traveling the country with their shows during the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, taking the music to the fans that supported them, and allowed them to stay in the business of music.

Well, Denise and I just returned from our Summer camping trip with two of our Grandkids and I learned some good lessons.  Timing is everything in a venture like this….

Denise and I have been traveling for the past month of June and into the first part of July.  First stop was Chicago where we had a booth for BlueHighways TV at the annual National Cable Television Show and Convention to promote our network and shake and howdy with hundreds of cable television industry leaders.