The Carter/Cash Legacy

Anyone that follows country music should know of the Carter Family and their influence over the genre. June Carter Cash, daughter of Mother Maybelle Carter, began singing and performing with her mother and sisters and later, performed with her third husband, Johnny Cash.

June had three children, one by each husband. Each of those people went on to find some success in the music business - Carlene Carter, Rosie Nix Adams, and John Carter Cash. 

Emmylou and ...

Emmylou Harris is a 12-time Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter/guitarist. Her songs and albums recorded throughout a long, successful career continue to be popular and significant, whether it is her solo work, or with others. Harris' body of work is impressive as a bandleader, most notably with her 'Hot Band', and the 'Nash Ramblers'. 

Harris has also found considerable success as a partner in some of the great duets in music history. She has worked with many notable performers, including Johnny Cash, Mark Knopfler, The Band, Gram Parsons, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, George Jones, and most recently, her old friend and former 'Hot Band' member Rodney Crowell. 

It's Emmylou and …

Emmylou and Rodney Crowell

She Really Gets Around

'Hello Mary Lou' is a memorable hit song as recorded by the late Rick Nelson, written by Gene Pitney. Although it became a hit more than 50 years ago, it still has the power to make you tap your foot and sing along with the music - a great, old time rock and roll tune.

It is a simple love song with a lively beat, a cowbell, and an iconic lead guitar break by the legendary James Burton. What's not to like? I play this song in my own band, and Nelson's version is on my iTunes and iPhone. 

Great songs often spawn cover versions, and 'Mary Lou' is no exception. So just how many ways can you say hello to Mary Lou? Check these videos - some of them are quite surprising.

No doubt about it - that 'Mary Lou' girl really gets around.

Robert, Jimmy and the guys

Click through to find more ways to say 'Hello Mary Lou'.

They Had It Covered First

Chances are, at least once you have been surprised to discover that a song that you like by a particular artist turned out to be a cover - that is, a song actually written by someone else. Even performers who generally write their own songs sometimes record and/or perform music written by another artist.

I recall being surprised when I learned that 'Call Me The Breeze' - a signature Lynyrd Skynyrd song - was written and first performed by JJ Cale. As it happens, there are many 'signature' type songs associated with a performer who had a big hit, that turned out to be covers of someone else's music.

The following videos are the songs performed by the original artists, made famous by someone else (sometimes a more famous performer) who covered the song, and made it their own. I'll leave it up to the reader to decide whether you like the original or the (usually much better known) cover version better. These videos are performed by the man who wrote the song.

Covering Hank

One of the most significant performers in music history had one of the shortest careers. Hank Williams, Sr., often called the father of contemporary country music, was only 29 when he died on January 1, 1953. Although he had been in the spotlight just four years, he left a legacy of music that set him apart as one of the greatest of all time. Many artists covered Hank's songs, including his son Hank, Jr., his daughter Jett, and his grandson Hank III.

Because Hank's songs have been so popular and influential, they have been performed and recorded by many musicians, all paying tribute to Williams and his standing as one of the greats. Presented here are some other artist's covers of Hank's songs.

Ten Guitars That Changed Music

This is a very interesting series of videos by Randy Bachman, former guitarist/singer for Bachman-Turner Overdrive and the Guess Who. Bachman presents a nice history lesson of ten guitars that helped to shape rock history. The videos are short, about 3 minutes each, and should be viewed in proper sequence to preserve the historic story line.

There is, however, one glaring error in this series. Can you spot it? If so, leave a comment below the article.

Snake Head Ritual

"Snake Head Ritual are true rock n' roll saviors on a mission to keep the rock alive," is the description of this band, according to the artist's page on the Grooveyard Records web site. The band is further described as "a timeless, blues-based, retro-sonic, hard rock masterpiece of classic proportions."

A Glaring Omission

If you are a fan of the late Bob Welch, then you are certainly outraged that when his former band, Fleetwood Mac, was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Welch was excluded. No explanation has been offered by those responsible for this glaring omission - no reason given to explain why one of the most significant members of this famous band was denied his rightful place in the Hall.

Sentimental Lady (Original version)

The Hillbilly Rocker

Marty Stuart is one of the great country/rockabilly artists of all time. Stuart is a dynamic performer, and along with his band The Fabulous Superlatives, they always put on a great show. Stuart, guitarist Kenny Vaughan, bassist Paul Martin, and drummer Harry Stinson always look like they are having the time of their lives on stage which, of course, is what music should be all about. In these featured videos, they do Johnny Cash's 'Ring of Fire' (Marty once played guitar in Cash's band), Buddy Holly's 'Crying, Waiting, Hoping', and the theme from 'Bonanza.

Ring of Fire

King No-One

We enjoy discovering new, talented bands, and 'King No-One' is a good one. According to guitarist Joe's Uncle, "They do a lot of busking in York and they've been playing around the local circuit. They recently won a regional battle of the bands competition at Leeds O2 and the prize was to play at the Leeds & Reading Festivals on the BBC Introducing stages."

Check these guys out - it's worth your time.