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Forgotten Artists: The Willis Brothers/Oklahoma Wranglers/Vic Willis Trio
James “Guy” Willis (July 5, 1915 – April 13, 1981) Charles “Skeeter” Willis (December 20, 1917 – January 28, 1976) John “Vic” Willis (May 31, 1922 – January 15, 1995) One of the most entertaining...
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Forgotten Artists: Mel Tillis
“I figure we live in two worlds – public and private. It seems like I’ve got to prove myself in both all the time. I’ve got to climb mountains right to the top and then find new ones to climb....
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Forgotten Artists: Pam Tillis
Being related to a famous country entertainer can be a mixed blessing. Although the family ties can open doors for the aspiring singer, they can also serve to set unrealistic expectations. Just ask...
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Ola Belle Reed: A Woman of Deep Faith, Good Humor and Extraordinary Talent
You may not have heard of Ola Belle Reed, but if you’ve listened to country or bluegrass music in the past couple of decades, you’ve likely heard her words sung by the likes of Del McCoury and Tim...
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Forgotten Artists: Roy Drusky
I am not sure why this should be true, but the 1960s produced an enormous number of silky-smooth male vocalists. Perhaps it was due to the crossover success of artists such as Eddy Arnold and Jim...
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Forgotten Artists: Hawkshaw Hawkins (1921-1963)
In Rock & Roll, February 3, 1959, is known as “The Day The Music Died.” On that date a small plane crash in Iowa claimed the lives of Charles Hardin “Buddy Holly” Holley, J.P. “The Big Bopper”...
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Forgotten Artists: Linda Davis
If Linda Davis is remembered today, it’s usually as the mother of Hillary Scott, lead singer of the modern pop-country group Lady Antebellum, who won a bunch of awards over the past few years for...
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Forgotten Artists: The Osborne Brothers
Although they claim common ancestry (Ernest Tubb, Gene Autry and Bill Monroe were all hugely influenced by Jimmie Rodgers), it has been many years since country and bluegrass music split off in...
View ArticleForgotten Artists: Merle Travis (1917-83)
It troubles me no end that the artistry of Merle Travis has been lost in the sands of time. It troubles me, but does not surprise me, as Travis–the victim of changing tastes and a lifelong battle with...
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Country Heritage: The Mighty Andersons
There have been a number of country singers named Anderson who have graced the genre. During the 1960s and 1970s “Whispering” Bill Anderson placed an impressive number of songs on the charts, both as...
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