Regrettably, I never have found any songs that mix the Christmas season with Route 66. Maybe someday it'll happen ... In the meantime, here's a truck-driving song about the Yuletide season by Texas country artist Dale Watson. It's a cut from Watson's enjoyable 2001 album, "Christmas Time in Texas." https://youtu.be/AdA46d_w6lo
Category: Music
Cynthia Troup’s role in “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66”
The story behind the now-iconic song "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66" is Bobby Troup and his wife, Cynthia Troup, were traveling west on that highway to California in 1946 when she came up with the line "Get your kicks on Route 66." Bobby Troup finished the rest of the song, pitched it to Nat … Continue reading Cynthia Troup’s role in “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66”
The Museum Club of Flagstaff to reopen Dec. 29
The Museum Club in Flagstaff, Arizona, officially will reopen at 5 p.m. Dec. 29 for the New Year's weekend after the Route 66 landmark acquired new owners. The Facebook page for the historic nightclub made the announcement with a series of posts Monday, including this Facebook Live video on a local radio station. Ty Mount … Continue reading The Museum Club of Flagstaff to reopen Dec. 29
Roger Miller Museum soon will close its doors for good
The Roger Miller Museum, dedicated to the country-music star of the 1960s and '70s who hailed from Erick, Oklahoma, will close its doors for good later this week because of financial difficulties. The Beckham County Record, citing museum trustee Retta Snowden, reported the imminent closing last week. The museum sits on the corner of Sheb Wooley … Continue reading Roger Miller Museum soon will close its doors for good
Plenty of Route 66 in Big & Rich video
The country-rock duo Big & Rich released this music video for "California" more than six months ago, and it contains a few Route 66 landmarks in the footage. In it, you'll find the rest stop near Alanreed, Texas; Cadillac Ranch near Amarillo; old Route 66 in Tucumcari, New Mexico (including the interior of the Kix … Continue reading Plenty of Route 66 in Big & Rich video
Johnny Hallyday, ‘the Elvis of France’ and a Route 66 fan, dies
Johnny Hallyday, long known as "the Elvis of France," died Wednesday at age 74, according to many news outlets. A cause of death wasn't reported, but he'd been diagnosed with lung cancer in March. Hallyday also was a big Route 66 fan. More on that in a moment. Hallyday, born Jean-Philippe Leo Smet in Paris, sold … Continue reading Johnny Hallyday, ‘the Elvis of France’ and a Route 66 fan, dies
The story behind the rise of The Road Crew
Bandleader Joe Loesch recently uploaded a series of four videos about the genesis of The Road Crew, a quartet that's written a slew of Route 66-related songs and performed at Route 66 events and festivals. It's fascinating, because the videos show Loesch's roots with the Mother Road are deeper than you might expect, dating all … Continue reading The story behind the rise of The Road Crew
Singer’s music video shot at Albuquerque Route 66 sites
Pop singer Bebe Rexha and country-pop duo Florida Georgia Line recently released a music video shot at two Route 66 sites in Albuquerque. Rexha's "Meant to Be" video was released Oct. 23 to YouTube. It's racked up millions of views and reached the top 10 of the iTunes chart. Featured in the video are the Grandview … Continue reading Singer’s music video shot at Albuquerque Route 66 sites
Tom Petty, R.I.P.
Word came down late Monday that rock 'n' roll legend Tom Petty died after suffering a cardiac arrest at his Southern California home. He was 66. I'll let others wax poetic about his marvelous career, including one of my favorite music writers at the Chicago Tribune. But it's almost a given Tom Petty and his … Continue reading Tom Petty, R.I.P.
George Strait concert booked in Tulsa with a Route 66 twist
The BOK Center in Tulsa announced Monday that country-music superstar George Strait would perform a concert there June 2, 2018. But it's not just any concert. Strait retired from touring a few years ago and plays only a handful of dates annually. He's booked only two shows in 2018, so this will be a hot … Continue reading George Strait concert booked in Tulsa with a Route 66 twist