Two irreplaceable artists and personalities. Two memories:
I cannot forget the first time I heard The Door. I literally froze, unable to do anything but listen. Heartache cannot be done better. And I include He Stopped Loving Her Today.
Second. Driving through a rural plains state during “The Killers” purgatory years I noticed a sign he was appearing in a small town honky tonk. Decided to pull off and go in. Five dollar cover charge and there he was, slightly lubricated, singing and playing the hell out of that piano. He was on this night for a couple of hours, refereed a couple of near melees by saying “knock it off boys or the Killers out of here” then called it a night. Just amazing. Apologies to Hank William’s but I’ll take the Killer on You Win Again.
Since you’ve taken notes, would love to see something on the Bull Pen lounge at the Stockyard. My friends mostly don’t believe my own stories from there — looking for validation!
The Stockyard has a lot of lore! I will do a deep dive! My friend and a solid drummer, Walter Hartmann said he saw Jones quacking like a duck at the Stockyards when he was playing there one night.
I have seen just about everyone in there, including Loretta Lynn, when they’d do their fundraising events. I’d make a point of always going there whenever I was anywhere near Nashville. I loved that place. Great steaks too
I love classic country. I told my kids when the were teenagers, I like three kinds of music 1) classic country 2) classic rock 3) classic symphony. No bro country, Nirvana, or Phillip Glass for me.
I sure enjoyed this. Those wonderful times, now all just memories. It is sad; I've seen the same sort of thing happen to Austin as well. So much of what made it special has now disappeared. A good friend once ran into George Jones at the Austin airport. Both were sitting in a shoe-shine stand having their boots polished. In the course of their conversation Jones said he had given up drinking because he got tired of waking up feeling like shit. 😁
•••further research reveals that the Possum quote was: “I got tired of coming to instead of waking up “ 😀
Superb piece, pleased to have discovered your writing. Favourite line: “What’s left are streets, and the noise, and the neon, and very rare occasions that a band plays “He Stopped Loving Her Today” for a group of twenty year old bachelorettes that walk out of the door complaining it’s not Morgan Wallen.”
I said that because I am the band that plays “He Stopped Loving Her Today” for a group of twenty year old bachelorettes that walk out of the door complaining it’s not Morgan Wallen. A lot of nights. A lot of days. But lately, it’s been a lot better.
"The thought of George Jones and Jerry Lee Lewis in the same building in the 1970s scares the hell out of me."
Nice..... like King Kong and Godzilla!
Just two top notch performers that destroyed as much as they created 😂
Two irreplaceable artists and personalities. Two memories:
I cannot forget the first time I heard The Door. I literally froze, unable to do anything but listen. Heartache cannot be done better. And I include He Stopped Loving Her Today.
Second. Driving through a rural plains state during “The Killers” purgatory years I noticed a sign he was appearing in a small town honky tonk. Decided to pull off and go in. Five dollar cover charge and there he was, slightly lubricated, singing and playing the hell out of that piano. He was on this night for a couple of hours, refereed a couple of near melees by saying “knock it off boys or the Killers out of here” then called it a night. Just amazing. Apologies to Hank William’s but I’ll take the Killer on You Win Again.
Great essay - really enjoyed it.
Since you’ve taken notes, would love to see something on the Bull Pen lounge at the Stockyard. My friends mostly don’t believe my own stories from there — looking for validation!
The Stockyard has a lot of lore! I will do a deep dive! My friend and a solid drummer, Walter Hartmann said he saw Jones quacking like a duck at the Stockyards when he was playing there one night.
I have seen just about everyone in there, including Loretta Lynn, when they’d do their fundraising events. I’d make a point of always going there whenever I was anywhere near Nashville. I loved that place. Great steaks too
I love classic country. I told my kids when the were teenagers, I like three kinds of music 1) classic country 2) classic rock 3) classic symphony. No bro country, Nirvana, or Phillip Glass for me.
I sure enjoyed this. Those wonderful times, now all just memories. It is sad; I've seen the same sort of thing happen to Austin as well. So much of what made it special has now disappeared. A good friend once ran into George Jones at the Austin airport. Both were sitting in a shoe-shine stand having their boots polished. In the course of their conversation Jones said he had given up drinking because he got tired of waking up feeling like shit. 😁
•••further research reveals that the Possum quote was: “I got tired of coming to instead of waking up “ 😀
Superb piece, pleased to have discovered your writing. Favourite line: “What’s left are streets, and the noise, and the neon, and very rare occasions that a band plays “He Stopped Loving Her Today” for a group of twenty year old bachelorettes that walk out of the door complaining it’s not Morgan Wallen.”
I said that because I am the band that plays “He Stopped Loving Her Today” for a group of twenty year old bachelorettes that walk out of the door complaining it’s not Morgan Wallen. A lot of nights. A lot of days. But lately, it’s been a lot better.
I feel you brother. I did a thousand gigs with people walking out the door complaining I wasn’t one thing or another!
Such as life. But, hey - I'm honored and glad I get to do it. Because it means a lot to some people.
💯. There will be people who’ve never heard Hank or Bobby Braddock or Haggard or Curly Putnam songs before, and you’ll change their life.
Brilliant. Immediate
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Thanks for telling this story.