Big & Rich Launch Video Via iTunes And Jason Aldean Expecting Second Daughter

OUP: What do you think Autry’s enduring legacy will be?

George-Warren: The image of the singing cowboy–gussied up in fancy clothes and crooning Western songs–as well as the broadening of the country music sonic palate to be more inclusive of other styles; and of course, the museum he founded in Los Angeles, which has expanded to become the Autry National Center.

She learned a valuable lesson in songwriting with her first album. The title song, “Kerosene” — which really put her on the musical map — sounded very much like Steve Earle’s “I Feel Alright.” Very much like it. After that was brought to her attention, she added Earle’s name as her co-writer on the copyright. And on the royalties. She told Barry Mazor in a No Depression interview, “I didn’t purposefully plagiarize his song — but unconsciously I copied it almost exactly. I guess I’d listened to it so much that I just kind of had it in there.” Well, hell, outlaws rip each other off now and then. But then they usually own up about it — as she did — very quickly.