Joplin, Missouri, will host a two-day "Fiddlers on the Route" music festival -- including the Nashville-based The Road Crew -- on June 30 and July 1 in the city's Landreth Park amphitheater. The Joplin Convention & Visitors Bureau and Connect2Culture announced the event. Music begins both nights at 5 p.m., and the event is free. … Continue reading Joplin announces “Fiddlers on the Route” music festival
Category: Music
Revamped finale at Meramec Caverns
A few days ago, a friend of mine commented on Facebook she and her children took a tour of Meramec Caverns in Stanton, Missouri, including the big light-show-and-music finale in the caverns' Theatre Room. She mentioned Celine Dion sang "God Bless America" during the finale. Not Kate Smith's version? It had been a mainstay of … Continue reading Revamped finale at Meramec Caverns
Red-hot electric blues version of “Route 66”
We're doing a little traveling -- guess where? -- so posting might be a little light for a couple of days. In the meantime, I dug up a video from the archives that's a favorite in electric-blues circles, for good reason. It's guitarslinger Popa Chubby and New York City Blues blazing their way through Bobby Troup's … Continue reading Red-hot electric blues version of “Route 66”
A new version of “Route 66”
This video of new material being previewed by musician Inda Eaton surfaced a few days ago. This song is titled "Route 66," but it bears little resemblance to the 1946 classic tune written by Bobby Troup and popularized by Nat King Cole. The key line -- "the road, it changes you" -- probably will hold … Continue reading A new version of “Route 66”
Chuck Berry, R.I.P.
Word came over Saturday afternoon that Chuck Berry, the Father of Rock 'n' Roll, died at his home near Wentzville, Missouri, west of St. Louis, at age 90. Local authorities didn't give a cause of death, but Chuck's son said his father had ailed from pneumonia in recent weeks. Berry was best-known writing and performing … Continue reading Chuck Berry, R.I.P.
Smashing Pumpkins frontman takes Route 66 again
Billy Corgan, best-known as the singer and songwriter for the 1990s band Smashing Pumpkins, recently meandered across America, including parts of Route 66 in Arizona and California. There's no real point to the video, except Corgan does like the old Mother Road. https://youtu.be/bkfBFh4Uu_s Corgan also traveled Route 66 about a year ago from Missouri to at … Continue reading Smashing Pumpkins frontman takes Route 66 again
R.I.P., Al Jarreau
Word came over Sunday afternoon that Grammy-winning singer Al Jarreau, whose vocal talents in jazz, R&B and pop were as treasured in the music industry as his excellent record sales, died in Los Angeles. Jarreau was 76. He was hospitalized and abruptly retired two weeks ago because of apparent health problems. Because of his jazz chops, I figured … Continue reading R.I.P., Al Jarreau
Rockabilly on the Route festival to take a hiatus in 2018
Organizers of Rockabilly on the Route in Tucumcari, New Mexico, will take an indefinite break from the music festival starting in 2018 to reassess its future -- including the possibility of taking it on the road. Organizers on the Rockabilly on the Route official Facebook page posted Monday the 2017 festival on June 1-4 would be the … Continue reading Rockabilly on the Route festival to take a hiatus in 2018
Readers vote Nat King Cole as recording the best version of “Route 66”
A little more than a year ago, I posted a story and online readers poll about the many versions of "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66" over the decades. I promised a follow-up on the top vote-getter within a week or so. Then, I promptly forgot about it ... for more than a year. The … Continue reading Readers vote Nat King Cole as recording the best version of “Route 66”
A collage of images from West Texas
This stunning video features the images of Wyman Meinzer, the official photographer for the state of Texas, and the music of Doug Smith. The images don't strictly come from Route 66 -- although Palo Duro Canyon State Park south of Amarillo is a common side trip -- but they're fairly typical from what you might encounter … Continue reading A collage of images from West Texas