Country Music Loses The Beat With the Passing of Buddy Harman
- Buddy Harman, dubbed the father of modern country drumming by Eddie Stubbs, passed away yesterday evening at the age of 79 from congestive heart failure.
A native Nashvillian born Murrey Mizell Harman Jr., Mr. Harman played drums on more than 18,000 recordings, including Roy Orbison’s “Pretty Woman,” Patsy Cline’s “Crazy,” Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire,” Tammy Wynette’s “Stand By Your Man,” Ray Price’s “Crazy Arms” and Elvis Presley’s “Little Sister.” He was the first staff drummer on the Grand Ole Opry and the first prominent drummer in country music history, and his work helped secure country’s place as a viable, popular and modern art form.
- A spokesperson from Warner confirmed that last year’s Nashville Star winner, Angela Hacker, is no longer with the label.
- What do Kid Rock and Kitty Wells have in common? Realness. Chet Flippo says Kitty Wells didn’t try to be something that she wasn’t and in a world where women were expected to accommodate men, she stood up to be heard and paved the way for women in music.
- Byron Hill’s career spans three decades with his songs having been recorded more than 575 times–songs like “Fool Hearted Memory” (George Strait, 1982), “If I Was a Drinkin’ Man” (Neal McCoy, 1995) and “Nothing On But the Radio” (Gary Allan, 2004). On top of that, he has credits as a producer on Kathy Mattea’s debut and Gary Allan’s first three albums, but he’s also released a couple of his own albums. It’s those two albums that John Maglite takes a closer look at in his article titled “The Back Porch Appeal of Byron Hill.”
- In mid-July Sunny Sweeney announced plans to hold pitch meetings at BMI in search of material for her new album–specifically up-tempo story songs. The Tennessean’s Cindy Watts says over a dozen publishers responded and Sweeney culled 20 out of the 120 songs that she listened to.
- It’s ’90s country day over at the Photocrap blog and he’s got a glorious batch of album covers, for instance, Tim McGraw’s Not a Mullet to Soon. Funny stuff.
- Julianne Hough wants your help naming her band. Voting ends on Aug. 26, so visit her website and pick your favorite.
- Twang Nation introduces a new book from Amanda Petrusich titled It Still Moves: Lost Songs, Lost Highways, and the Search for the Next American Music.
Part memoir and travelogue, part sociological study and piece of criticism, It Still Moves features stories and interviews that explore the history and current state of Americana, “from Elvis to Iron and Wine, the Carter Family to Animal Collective, Johnny Cash to Will Oldham.
- Roughstock has an interview with Jason Mathews, the writer of songs like Billy Currington’s “Must Be Doing Something Right,” Julie Robert’s “Break Down Here” and Kevin Denney’s “That’s Just Jessie.”
- Ashlee Hewitt added several new songs to her MySpace, including “Mike’s Hard Lemonade,” which she performed as her original song on Nashville Star. (via NashvilleHype!)
- Beverly Keel says Tracy Lawrence is working on his first gospel album and will likely send the first single to Christian radio in October.
- Auditions for CMT’s first user-generated talent search, Music City Madness, will continue tomorrow in Atlanta and Pittsburgh. The final audition will occur on August 27 in Nashville, with the 64 finalists being revealed on October 21. Tell ‘em The 9513 sent you.
- Ralph Stanley II is emerging from the shadow of his famous father with his own album,This One Is II, that mixes his bluegrass roots with acoustic country.
[...] the opening track (a cover of Garth Brooks’ Cold Shoulder) uses Tim Crouch’s twin fiddles and Randy Kohrs’ gritty resonator guitar much as a country producer might, and Ralph’s vocals are as reminiscent of Keith Whitley’s early Nashville sound as anything The Stanley Brothers ever cut.
Other strong tracks include a nice version of Lyle Lovett’s, L.A. County (a modern murder ballad), Tom T. Hall’s Train Songs, and Loretta, from Townes Van Zandt. That last - a paean to an idealized girlfriend - makes a very convincing grass tune, and Ralph’s mountain-edged vocals really sell the story.
- Alison Bonaguro wants to know your all-time favorite country music video. She says her’s is Garth Brooks’ “The Red Strokes.” Personally, I haven’t seen enough videos to have a favorite.
- Miranda Lambert will be playing Halo 3 tomorrow from 5-7 p.m. Eastern Time.
- The Sun has a Q&A with Elizabeth Cook:
Why don’t they like you singing “Balls” at the Grand Ole Opry?
Fear. But I don’t care. They have not been afraid to let me make more than 300 appearances.The Grand Ole Opry may be a bit conservative — but it still is to be honoured as a keeper of country music tradition.
- Despite the onset of Parkison’s, Doug Freeman says the good times ain’t over for Freddy Powers, the man who spent more than 20 years as the rhythm guitarist for Merle Haggard’s band of Stangers and has penned songs for Haggard, and everyone from Jones to Ray Charles. Good stuff.
- We have a limited number (12) of The 9513 t-shirts that we’re giving away in the forums. They’ll be passed out on a first-come, first-served basis, so sign up and claim one before they’re all gone. We’ll also have other periodic giveaways in the forums that may or may not be announced on the blog.
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We've labored long and hard to come up with our list of the Top 10 Country Albums of 2008. Click here to see who claimed the honor of the year's top album, as chosen by The 9513's staff and writers.
Don’t confuse disappointing with worst, as that list would most likely be dominated by obscure indie knockoff bands along with a couple of mainstream releases. There has to be a modicum of expectation that’s dashed upon the release of an album for it to qualify for the year’s most disappointing.
Join host Kelly Dearmore as he shines the light on several noteworthy album releases you might have missed and interviews various artists, from Sarah Borges to Trent Willmon and Reckless Kelly to Wade Bowen, in the first two episode of The 9513 podcast.
Jim Malec counts down the top 20 country music news stories of 2008. How many times do you think John Rich will be mentioned?Tagged In This Article
Angela Hacker // Ashlee Hewitt // Billy Currington // Elizabeth Cook // Garth Brooks // Gary Allan // George Strait // Grand Ole Opry // Johnny Cash // Julianne Hough // Kathy Mattea // Keith Whitley // Kitty Wells // Lyle Lovett // Merle Haggard // Miranda Lambert // Nashville Star // Neal McCoy // Patsy Cline // Ralph Stanley // Randy Kohrs // Ray Charles // Ray Price // Roy Orbison // Sunny Sweeney // Tammy Wynette // The Carter Family // The Stanley Brothers // Tim McGraw // Tom T. Hall // Townes Van Zandt // Tracy Lawrence
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20 Comments
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August 22, 2008 at 11:56 am Permalink
I think Hough left off a name: Best Seat in the House (yes it’s sexist, but it’s funny!)
August 22, 2008 at 12:00 pm Permalink
You mean Angela Hacker isn’t on Warner Brothers, but Whitney Duncan is? What a shocker. Talk about underhanded.
Lots of good stuff to check out today. Thanks for the plug.
August 22, 2008 at 12:05 pm Permalink
“The Red Strokes” Video would be among my choices for CHEESIEST videos ever! Goodnight Nurse, that was almost as overly melodramatic as “Standing Outside the Fire”, or “Is There Life Out There”…
Lyle Lovett’s “South Texas Girl”, Cross Canadian Ragweed’s “Alabama”, Leeann Womack’s “I may hate myself in the morning”, Kathleen Edwards “The Cheapest Key”, Johnny Cash’s “Hurt” (duh), Dixie Chicks, “Long Time Gone”, Any Sarah Evans ;-), and ‘Whiskey Lullaby”.
I wouldnt suggest that I am going out on a limb or most of those, but thats not the point, now is it?
August 22, 2008 at 12:09 pm Permalink
@Eric - Bada bing!
@John - The whole Angela Hacker/Whitney Duncan thing is pretty shady. I wonder if we’ll see anymore drama flare up later down the road.
@Kelly - I totally forgot about the Lovett and Cash videos. Nice mentions.
August 22, 2008 at 12:19 pm Permalink
Eh, Angela lasted longer than Erkia Jo did, didn’t she?
I doubt Julieanne Hough would like my choice of “Covering for Girls With No Talent.”
Fav video: Is it too cliche to say Hurt by Johnny Cash?
Oh, and I am going to be playing the weirdly addictive Peguin Diner tomorrow from 5-7. Why I cannot stop playing this game when my one forray into actual waitstaffing lasted a day and a half, I have no idea. http://games.yahoo.com/free-games/penguin-diner
August 22, 2008 at 12:27 pm Permalink
Thanks for my plug as well… and on a not-so-slow news day too!
August 22, 2008 at 12:28 pm Permalink
Stormy,
Erika Jo recorded an actual album of new material and Universal South kept her on the roster until the new management came.
August 22, 2008 at 12:29 pm Permalink
Eric,
That band name IS there: “Best seat in the house band”
August 22, 2008 at 12:39 pm Permalink
Matt B: But Angela’’s time under a contract was longer, right? I mean, if you win NS the next step in your career is getting dropped from your label.
August 22, 2008 at 12:58 pm Permalink
Erika Jo was with the label for like 2 years. But you’re right winning NS has equaled a short time in the spotlight while NOT winning it certainly has worked out for Miranda and George Canyon (in Canada at least).
August 22, 2008 at 12:58 pm Permalink
RIP Buddy. http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Buddy_Harman.html
August 22, 2008 at 2:02 pm Permalink
Dangit! I guess I should actually follow the link next time.
August 22, 2008 at 3:20 pm Permalink
Buddy Harmon was a great drummer, one who understood that the drums should not be the primary focus of the recording. He appears on many of my favorite recordings
August 22, 2008 at 3:22 pm Permalink
As for Julianne, how about “The Air In Our Heads Band”, or maybe “The Dancing With a Star Music Machine Band”. Hmmm, I don’t think I’m gonna win….
I wish Sunny Sweeney was concentrating more on writing her own material than getting pitched committee generated Nashville stuff. Oh well…..
All time favorite music video: John Michael Montgomery’s “Sold” without a doubt. The dancing Amish/Mennonites and Japanese cowboys were a stroke of creative genius. And the cute little object of his affections ain’t bad either…..
The PhotoCrap album titles are hilarious as usual. Keep up the good work Trailer!
August 22, 2008 at 4:19 pm Permalink
“julianne hough and her rapidly shrinking 15 minutes”?
“julianne hough and the houghers”?
August 22, 2008 at 4:53 pm Permalink
Sorry to hear about Buddy Harman, I know he’d been sick for quite a while. I agree with Paul’s comment about Buddy’s understated talents, and he could play in so many styles too. His rockabilly work was outstanding, too. The number of records he played on is mind-boggling.
What’s funny about most of the obits is that they mention “Crazy Arms,” a song in which there are no drums. One of the amazing aspects of that song is that it has such a strong rhythm without drums (not to mention Tommy Jackson’s fiddle and Ray’s great, soaring voice). It’s just a bass guitar and an electric bass guitar doubling up on the same note to give it a thump.
Harman played on nearly all the rest of Price’s great shuffles, though. If you research the early A-team, there’s usually a couple of people at almost every instrument who were considered significant. But Buddy was the drummer for everybody. Hal Blaine in L.A. is probably the only other drummer to be in the same league as Harmas when it comes to the number of great sessions played.
August 22, 2008 at 6:29 pm Permalink
Wow, I’m shocked that The Sun (which is a horrible newspaper here in the UK) has an interview with Elizabeth Cook. Saw her play live a month ago in London, and thoroughly enjoyed it!
August 22, 2008 at 7:54 pm Permalink
Sam, Since Elizabeth’s mother died of pneumonia just a couple off weeks before she left for that Euro tour, she was an emotional wreck during that trip. You can read her blog reports at her MySpace website. Elizabeth writes some of the best blog entries on the net.
Link: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=31696140
I really enjoyed that Sun interview and got a kick out of the fact that they made it sound like Elizabeth is a mainstream country star over here. Sadly Elizabeth is “too country” for Top 40 radio and has been relegated to the “Americana” realm ever since her first Warner’s single “Stupid Things” was “pulled” back a few years ago. I think her talent may be more appreciated in the UK than over here…..
August 23, 2008 at 10:38 am Permalink
i wonder, if it’s not that dangerously sounding foreign dish - “mean lasagne” that’s really at the bottom of the opry’s worries.
August 23, 2008 at 2:32 pm Permalink
RIP Buddy.
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