A Sports Junkie

Ah, the life of a sports junkie.

At the crack of the bat, I immediately motioned for the base runner at second to round third and head for the plate. I could see the determination on his face, and I caught his eye briefly just before he touched third base and, arms pumping, feet kicking up dirt, he motored on. I could read it on his face that at that moment he had one goal in life: to reach the plate before the ball did. Every kid on the field was in motion; every kid in both dugouts was shouting excitedly, the crowd behind me was roaring - the atmosphere was electric. I waved my arm for the next runner to turn for home, and I saw the batter heading for second base and a double. I grinned from ear to ear and said out loud, 'damn this is fun!'

The life of this sports junkie is full of participation, history, speculation, opinion, and some rants. Although I often complain bitterly in my writing about what I perceive as injustice, foolishness, or just plain stupidity in the sports world, the underlying theme is easy to follow:

I love sports, and I love to write about sports.

Who Would Have Thought?

It shouldn't surprise us when someone who is, for example, a major league baseball player or an actor, turns out to be a very good singer and guitarist. Someone we know as a major figure from television, film, or sports that we also discover probably could have been a star in the music business. Then again, who would have thought Les Stroud or Kevin Costner would be bandleaders?

RIP Phil Everly

Like most people who have been around for a few decades, I was thoroughly familiar with the Every Brothers' music, but it's been a few years since I've listened to any of those great songs. The recent death of Phil Everly made me go back and listen again, as often happens when a musician dies. I'm not sure why it takes a death to remind us of the exceptional talent of someone like Phil and Don, but hearing those songs again reminds me how spectacular the brothers were when they sang together.

Between the Fuzzy Parts

Looking back, it seems that much of life is a blur, or at least that's how it seems now. It turns out that life is a jumble of 'stuff', occasionally interrupted by moments of clarity. It is probably a good thing that most of us don't remember every single thing that ever happened in our lives. Most of it would likely be decidedly boring. We tend to remember the significant moments and events, good or bad – the stuff that happened 'Between the Fuzzy Parts'.

It Takes Two

Occasionally, we find video of two singers working together that we may not otherwise think would ever do so. Some of these combinations are well-known, while others are a little surprising, such as Norah Jones and Billie Jo Armstrong, and Trisha Yearwood and Don Henley. Either way, all of these videos showcase some exceptional voices, and some fantastic harmonies.

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.