88.1 KDHX Saint Louis

Lots of birthdays to celebrate in this 7-day period, as well as folks playing around town and new music as well. Back Country as usual, with a little lagniappe of The Killer.

A set of music honoring the passing of Jerry Lee a week ago last Friday. He was too ill to attend the ceremony on the 16th inducting him into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Kris Kristofferson brought Jerry Lee's medallion to his home and gave it to him there. This is from the historic gathering at Sun Studios on December 4, 1956.

One of Jerry Lee's musical influences was boogie woogie piano man Merrill Moore, so it's natural that Jerry Lee would write his own boogie tune. From the Sun label in 1958. Floyd Cramer's work also inspired Jerry Lee.

From the Mercury label in 1969, a Floyd Tillman song. After the rock 'n' roll well dried up, Jerry Lee signed with Smash Records, Mercury's subsidiary, and he earned his country music chops with these recordings.

Jerry Lee was indeed the last man standing of the Million Dollar Quartet. This Shel Silverstein song is absolutely true: Willie is two years older than Jerry Lee.

From the Victor label in 1928. Grayson and Whitter were the first to record the folk ballad, "Tom Dooley", and for good reason--it was Grayson's uncle who led the posse that arrested Tom Dula for the murder of Laura Foster.

Fiddler Richard Greene will be 80 years onld on Wednesday. At the age of 24 he found himself a Blue Grass Boy, and went on the fame with stints in Jim Kweskin's Jug Band, Seatrain and Muleskinner. Don't confuse him with the Richard Greene who played Robin Hood on TV. They both used a bow, but for different purposes.

A classic recording first released on Capitol Records in 1970. John McEuen and the Circle Band are at the Old Rock House on Wednesday at 8PM. A nice cover of the Ralph Stanley instrumental.

A listener whose name I didn't catch wanted to hear some TVZ. This album was recorded live in 1978, but not released for 20 years until his death in 1997. Emmylou Harris was the first to release a cover version of this great song.

The title track to Leona's 2008 album was written by Tommy Collins. Leona and her son, Ron are at Gene's Country Club next Saturday along with the Route 67 Band, 7 o'clock.

Melissa new album will officially be released in a couple of weeks but why wait? Melissa with some gospel soul, as she wrote this one about several people in her life who have recently gone on.

Matt in Columbia, MO wanted to hear some Johnny Cash. This was the first in a series of home recordings released after Cash's death in 2003. Cindy Walker wrote this one, kicking off a set of cowboy and western music.

From the Victor label in 1945 and the film of the same name. Roy Rogers was born 111 years ago today in Cincinnati, OH. The family lived in a tenement where the now-defunct Riverfront Stadium was located, giving cause for Roy to later joke that he was born on second base. Roy is one of the few to be twice-inducted into the CMHOF, once as a member of the Sons of the Pioneers and 8 years later as an individual.

Joni celebrates her 62nd birthday today, and she lives on the Oregon ranch that her great-great grandfather first homesteaded in the 1870s.

Hank was a superb session guitarist, playing on tracks like Patsy's "I Fall to Pieces" and Elvis' "Little Sister". But he showed particular affinity for jazz and the 1959 release of "Jazz Winds for a New Direction", with teenage vibraphonist Gary Burton, showed Hank was a different Nashville Cat. The fall weather and swirling winds inspired this choice.

Dave Alvin celebrates #67 on Friday, and here he reminisces about he and brother, Phil meeting Big Joe Turner. Guilty Women include Christy McWilson, Nina Gerber, Laurie Lewis, LIsa Pankratz and the great Cindy Cashdollar.

From the Columbia label in 1958, an original composition from Mr. Jackson.

Born 101 years ago next Thursday in Senath, MO, Onie recorded this one for Columbia in 1957. Lefty Frizzell had a Top Ten hit with Onie's "Run 'Em Off".

It's a rare St. Louis appearance for Billy Don Burns when he takes the stage with Josh Morningstar at The Attic Music Bar on Kingshighway on November 18th at 8PM. Billy Don has help here on his original song from Willie Nelson and Hank Cochran.

From Charley's second release this year, and the seventh in four years.

The title track to his debut EP. He is a talented young artist and I look forward to hearing more of his music.

Guy and his longtime sideman, Verlon Thompson played this one at the 2003 MerleFest.

Doug's final studio album was released posthumously, and this is a great country shuffle, with fiddle by the late Bobby Flores and steel by Tommy Detamore. The title is a riff on his real name, Douglas Wayne Sahm.

Bonnie celebrates her 73rd birthday on Tuesday. This is from back in the day when Warner didn't know what to do with her, although this song is a good start. Background vocals by Tom Waits, Emmylou Harris and St. Louis' own Robbie Montgomery.

This album was evidently in the works for a while. John died in April 2020, so I'm not sure when he recorded this track for the album.

The title track to Sunny Sweeney's fine new album, help from Vince Gill on this one.

I'm enjoying the second album by this Indiana native, clearly steeped in the Outlaw tradition. He will be at the Old Rock House on December 8th for a solo show at 8PM. I'm trying to arrange a phone interview some time before the show.

Billy Sherrill had less than a year of production experience with Sun Records when it went bankrupt, but he was soon working for Epic Records as their Nashville man, where he made his mark recording George and Tammy among others. He was such a noteworthy producer that we forget about his songwriting ability. He's in the Country Music Hall of Fame for the total body of his work, but he's also in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame because of songs like this.

A couple of songs for the memory of Gram Parsons, born this date in 1946. This two-disc release was recorded in April 1969, less than two months after the debut of "The Gilded Palace of Sin". The FBB were opening for The Grateful Dead.

From Gram's last album, the great James Burton picking out the lead. Sending these two songs out to Gramheads John Idoux and Casey Connor. You guys can pick which one you want.