The bird/Middle fingers of the month (Freaks and Geeks, Rihanna, Bieber, Bowie, Buddy Holly, Waylon Jennings, Badfinger, Martin Freeman and more)

By Mona Goldwater, Signs and Gestures Ed.

Our monthly round-up of photos sent in by readers, and a few we discovered on various sites. . .

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"The day the music died" — February 3, 1959: Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper. and Richie Valens

By Jack Brummet, American Music Ed.

Today is the anniversary of "the day the music died." Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and The Big Bopper died on a plane crash in Iowa. Holly had chartered a plane because their bus had become prone to breakdowns and often had no heat. The weather was bad and the plane crashed just after taking off. 

Buddy's band mate and friend Waylon Jennings--to Holly's displeasure--gave up his seat to the Big Bopper, who was sick. Holly told Waylon "I hope that bus breaks down." Waylon said to Holly "I hope your plane crashes," for which he felt guilty most of his life. 

I'm glad Waylon sat that one out, and wish Buddy could have been around to make more songs and see his music venerated by the next generation of people, including most notably, The Beatles.

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Presidents, First Ladies and country stars

By Jack Brummet, C & W Ed.

Another Willie and Jimmy meetup

Richard Nixon sits in at the Grand Ole Opry

Kris Kristofferson and Darius Rucker meet FLOTUS

Waylon and his wife Jessi Colter meet FLOTUS Rosalynn Carter

Willie and Jimmy on the porch

Jimmy sits in with Willie

Jimmy Carter on the mouth harp

An earlier shot of Willie and Jimmy

Jimmy Carter wearing a headband on stage

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Waylon Jennings, Buddy Holly, a photo booth, Waylon's accidental good luck, and the day the music died

Waylon Jennings and Buddy Holly (and someone else's finger) in a Times Square photo booth.  A few months later on a tour, Waylon gave up his seat on Holly's plane to The Big Bopper, who had the flu.  The plane crashed six miles from the airport, on what some call "the day the music died."  And the plane was not named American Pie, contrary to the legend; it actually had no name. 

According to Waylon, on a VH-1 Behind the Music special, "The Day the Music Died," he and Holly good-naturedly kidded each other about Jennings' decision. Holly told Jennings, "I hope your ol' bus freezes up!" and Jennings replied, "Yeah? Well I hope your ol' plane crashes!" For years Waylon would not talk about his time with Holly because it was too painful.

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Jimmy Webb's Highwayman by The Highwaymen

By Jack Brummet, C & W Music Ed.

The Highwayman is an incredible tune by Jimmy Webb, and this version, by The Highwaymen (Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings, and Willie Nelson is as good as it gets.

                                                    "Highwayman" by Jimmy Webb

I was a highwayman. Along the coach roads I did ride

With sword and pistol by my side

Many a young maid lost her baubles to my trade

Many a soldier shed his lifeblood on my blade

The bastards hung me in the spring of twenty-five

But I am still alive.

I was a sailor. I was born upon the tide

And with the sea I did abide.

I sailed a schooner round the Horn to Mexico

I went aloft and furled the mainsail in a blow

And when the yards broke off they said that I got killed

But I am living still.

I was a dam builder across the river deep and wide

Where steel and water did collide

A place called Boulder on the wild Colorado

I slipped and fell into the wet concrete below

They buried me in that great tomb that knows no sound

But I am still around..I'll always be around..and around and around and 

around and around

I fly a starship across the Universe divide

And when I reach the other side

I'll find a place to rest my spirit if I can

Perhaps I may become a highwayman again

Or I may simply be a single drop of rain

But I will remain

And I'll be back again, and again and again and again and again..

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One hero sings about another: Waylon Jennings' song "Bob Wills Is Still The King."

By Jack Brummet, CW Ed.

Waylon Jennings' tribute to the Kings of Western Swing, Bob Wills & The Texas Playboys.   Interestingly, the Rolling Stones covered this song a few years ago...and did a bang-up job. He is beloved in Texas, and the other 49 states.   I saw Asleep At The Wheel perform a Bob Wills tribute show--at a beautiful auditorium at the University of Texas when I was in Austin a few years ago. It was heartbreakingly good, and so is this...one hero singing about another hero.

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Best of 2008 -- Jamey Johnson: Somewhere between Jennings and Jones, song and interview

click to enlarge - This work is licensed under the
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

One of my favorite albums this year is Jamey Johnson's That Lonesome Song. Below is an interview he did about the album and a YouTube slideshow version of the song Somewhere Between Jennings and Jones. He is definitely somewhere between Waylon and George Jones, although to my ears he leans toward Waylon, with a similar "outlaw" sound, with the pedal steel and fiddle. "Somewhere Between" also refers to the fact that Jamey Johnson music will always be shelved between Jennings and Jones in the record stores (hey, remember them?). It's always great to hear new country music that isn't Country Lite. I love this guy!

Somewhere Between Jennings and Jones



An interview on his album That Lonesome Song


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