Ricky Van Shelton – Our Love
Oldies Songs A Quiet Turning Point Where Love Replaces Doubt and Destiny Finally Feels Real In the early years of his rise through country music, Ricky Van Shelton built a reputation on…
Jerry Jeff Walker – Gypsy Songman (live 1969)
A Life Lived One Song at a Time In this early live performance from 1969, Jerry Jeff Walker doesn’t just sing “Gypsy Songman.” He introduces himself. Before the outlaw image,…
John Prine – Everything Is Cool
Smiling Through the Hurt: When “Everything’s Cool” Means the Opposite When John Prine introduces “Everything Is Cool,” there’s already a quiet irony hanging in the air. The title sounds easy,…
Nanci Griffith performing her song “Everything’s Comin’ Up Roses” on Rosie O’Donnell show, in 1997
When Optimism Sounds Like Survival, Not Naivety In 1997, on the set of The Rosie O’Donnell Show, Nanci Griffith stepped into a bright, daytime spotlight but the song she brought…
Billy Joe Shaver spoke about convincing Waylon to sing again the songs that had made his name
The Night a Songwriter Refused to Be Ignored and Changed Country Music Forever In a 2009 interview, Billy Joe Shaver looked back on the moment that would forever tie his…
Anne Murray – I’ll Be Home
A Quiet Promise That Never Leaves You Alone In 1973, “I’ll Be Home” found a tender new voice through Anne Murray, appearing on her album Danny’s Song. Originally written by…
Steve Earle – Dixieland (Live at Farm Aid 2004)
A Song That Refuses to Look Away When Steve Earle walked onto the Farm Aid 2004 stage in Seattle, he didn’t bring comfort. He brought confrontation. “Dixieland” has never been…
You’ve Never Been This Far Before – Michael Twitty
A Son Carries His Father’s Voice Into a Song That Still Blushes With Time When Michael Twitty steps forward to sing “You’ve Never Been This Far Before”, he is not…
Guy Clark – “The Carpenter” [Live from Austin, TX]
A Quiet Tribute to Craft, Character, and the Hands That Build a Life When Guy Clark steps onto a stage in Austin and sings “The Carpenter,” it never feels like…
Iris Dement & John Prine – Inspite of Ourselves (Galway Arts Festival in 2011)
A Love Song Full of Flaws, Laughter, and the Kind of Truth You Can’t Script On the final night of the Galway Arts Festival in 2011, something unplanned turned into…