Johnny Cash’s Famous Middle Finger

July 18th, 2010

Last week when I posted a link to Johnny Cash’s American Recordings Outtakes I posted a sign of Johnny shooting the bird. Not the first time I’ve posted that picture, but after some inquires and a few conversations over it, it’s come to my attention that maybe the story behind Johnny Cash’s middle finger is [...]

Filled Under: Outlaw History

Once And For All, What Makes an Outlaw?

July 4th, 2010

Today is the 4th of July: the birthday of The United States. It is also arguably the birthday of the Outlaw movement in country music. Nailing down an exact date when the Outlaw movement started depends on who you talk to, but a popular one is when Willie Nelson’s legendary 4th of July Picnics started [...]

Filled Under: Outlaw History

Forgotten Outlaw Larry Jon Wilson: 1940-2010

June 24th, 2010

I’d love to tell you that I know a lot about Larry Jon Wilson, who died Monday at 69 from a stroke, but truth is I only know him through the bits of his music that have passed under my nose over the years, and from his appearance in the documentary Heartworn Highways. There isn’t [...]

Filled Under: Outlaw History

The Time Willie Bailed Dennis Hopper Out of Jail

May 29th, 2010

Today we’re met with the sad news that actor Dennis Hopper has died of cancer. As a star in films like Easy Rider and Apocalypse Now and others, and as a long time friend of Willie Nelson, Dennis could could be kind of seen as an honorary country music Outlaw so to speak. Especially since [...]

Filled Under: Outlaw History

Outlaw Shit – The Trial of Billy Joe Shaver

April 6th, 2010

Today is the day that original country music Outlaw Billy Joe Shaver faces trial for shooting 50-year-old Billy Coker in the cheek outside of Papa Joe’s Saloon in Lorena, TX, on March, 31st of 2007. Shaver’s charged with aggravated assault. The incident has been memorialized in the song Where Do You Want It? from the [...]

Filled Under: Outlaw History

Rose Maddox – Grandmother of Rockabilly & More

March 10th, 2010

If you’re anything like me, if I want to hear some new music, you sure aren’t going to find me sniffing around CMT or burying your nose in the latest Rolling Stone. No, I’m likely going to be looking to the past, not the future. And man, what a thrill it is when you find [...]

Filled Under: Outlaw History

Austin City Limits – 35 Years – Willie Nelson

October 17th, 2009

It was 35 years ago today, or tonight, that Austin City Limits, inspired by Jan Reid’s book The Improbable Rise of Redneck Rock and the exploding Outlaw country music scene in Austin, aired their first episode. And who better to book for the first show than the Improbable Willie Nelson. It was 1974; two years [...]

Filled Under: Outlaw History

Forgotten Outlaw – Paul “The Devil” English

October 6th, 2009

Of all the rough characters the Outlaw Country music scene can boast, only one has a glass eye and is a former gang leader and pimp. Only one when asked once by a 20/20 reporter if he carried a gun, and if so could he see it answered, “Which one?” because he notoriously carried two [...]

Filled Under: Outlaw History

Forgotten Outlaw – Willis Alan Ramsey

August 24th, 2009

Back in the mid 70′s-the first time country music was saved- The Outlaws of country like Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings found a home and harbor from Nashville’s ill ways in the Austin, TX singer-songwriter scene. People like Jerry Jeff Walker, Michael Martin Murphy, Townes Van Zandt, and Ray Wylie Hubbard had made Austin a [...]

Filled Under: Outlaw History

Poodie Locke – Stories from the Road

May 11th, 2009

Death has been busy lately in the world of country music. When Vern Gosdin passed away, I hated to admit that for all my country music geekness, I had never heard of the man. But I can’t say the same about Poodie Locke, who passed away last Wednesday (5-6-09). I knew exactly who he was, [...]

Filled Under: Outlaw History

BR549 & The Beginning of the Neo-Traditionalist Movement

April 14th, 2009

Country music is an interesting thing. More so than in any other genre of music, you can look back at it’s history and almost see a grand design; an underlying purpose to all of it’s ebbs and flows. Country music has created folk heroes and arch villains within it’s ranks of performers and business handlers. [...]

Filled Under: Outlaw History

Hank Williams is “Top Music Icon” in Alabama

April 6th, 2009

In a poll conducted by The Birmingham News in Alabama where over 31,000 ballots were cast in six total rounds since March 5th, Hank Williams was named Alabama’s “Top Music Icon” by the people. I first learned about this contest from the General of European Operations Restless in Amsterdam. Unfortunately I heard about it too [...]

Filled Under: Outlaw History

Honoring The Hall of Fame and The Hoss

February 3rd, 2009

I’ve said it many times before. About the only country music institution you can count on nowadays to honor the old greats and preserve the traditions of REAL country music is The Country Music Hall of Fame. But unfortunately like so many of us they are having financial troubles. I first read about this on [...]

Filled Under: Causes, News, Outlaw History

When Country Heroes Work With Country Zeros

January 22nd, 2009

I’ve seen this theme hashed out many times, in my blogs and blogs of others, on message boards, etc. etc. : How am I supposed to feel when one of my country heroes hooks up with a country zero of the modern pop country era? Whether you’re talking about the love fest between Hank Jr. [...]

Filled Under: Down with Pop Country, Outlaw History, Random Notes

Rockabilly Queen Wanda Jackson to the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame

January 15th, 2009

I was happy to hear the news yesterday that the Queen of Rockabilly, the immortal Wanda Jackson is going to be inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame on April 4th as an early influence inductee. If you do not know who Wanda Jackson is then shit, I don’t even know where to [...]

Filled Under: News, Outlaw History, Reviews

Shooter Jennings VS. Shelton Hank III Part 2

January 4th, 2009

First off, this blog is a follow up to the Shooter Jennings VS. Shelton Hank Williams III blog, so if you didn’t catch that one you might want to read it first. I always try to be as accurate as possible in my blogs when it comes to facts. I give my opinions more often [...]

Filled Under: Down with Pop Country, Free Hank III, Outlaw History, Random Notes, Reviews

FUCK CANCER !! (remembering fiddleboy)

December 14th, 2008

Xmas is nigh upon us people, and for that certain special hellibilly or hellbetty I have a few suggestions if you’re short on ideas. First you can always check out 3bay for the latest in III gear and Reinstate Hank merch. There is also issue #1 of Metal Farm Magazine, JD Wilkes’ & Blake Judd’s [...]

Filled Under: Free Hank III, Outlaw History

Country Legends George Jones and Dale Watson Honored

December 12th, 2008

George Jones Receives the Kennedy Center Honors: The silver-toned devil, the greatest living country music singer George Jones received the Kennedy Center Lifetime Achievement Medal this week for giving country music 50+ years of his life, and counting. George hasn’t missed a step either, despite the drug abuse and brushes with the law. He’s completely [...]

Filled Under: Down with Pop Country, News, Outlaw History

The Descent of SNL, Austin City Limits, & The Rolling Stone (A rant)

November 25th, 2008

So on Saturday night, I get a phone call from a friend who knows I like pop country about as much as getting a splintered board shoved up my ass, telling me that the perfume peddling Timberly McGraw is the host of Saturday Night Live. So I tune into the last half of the show [...]

Filled Under: Causes, Down with Pop Country, Outlaw History, Random Notes

2008 Country Music Hall of Fame Inductees

November 20th, 2008

Well, it’s been just over a week since I suffered through watching the whole CMA Pop Country Award Infomercial, and I am happy to report that I am finally able to keep solid foods down, and I finally achieved my first solid bowel movement since Kid Rock took the stage with “Lil Wayne,” making me [...]

Filled Under: Down with Pop Country, News, Outlaw History