Working Mans Birthday

A huge happy birthday goes out to country music legend Merle Haggard. Merle has always been one of my all time favorite country music stars. He lived the cowboy life. Filled with booze and jail. Weather it was breaking into a bar in the middle of the day or singing in front of millions of fans or performing his mentor Jimmie Rogers songs like they were his own, Merle not only had the talent for songwriting but also had the stage presence. He always stood on stage and looked like the biggest man on stage. His songs from Mama Tried to Working Mans Blues to Fighting Side Of Me are country staples and will always be played in all your favorite honky tonks all over the world. Sad songs, mad songs, train songs, pain songs, Merle was the master of them all. So everyone grab your favorite fine whiskey or gin and have a toast to the most respected man in country music today, Merle Haggard.

Blazing Through Austin

I've had the privileged of knowing a lot of music lovers over the past 10 years of my life. Between the Record Exchange in Salem Mass where I basically lived while living in Salem. They really helped me expand my musical knowledge and I am extremely grateful to those people. Today however there is no Record Exchange where I live in Newfoundland, but I have at least have another music aficionado in Walkhams Gate Pub owner Harv. Harv is really into the whole Austin Texas music scene. From The Flatlanders to Steve Earle. But probably the most prolific and interesting character to fall into the Austin scene has to be Blaze Foley. Blaze is really what makes Austin. He plays for the joy of playing music, with no interest of being famous or making a ton of money. He is an underground legend having played alongside such greats as Townes Van Zandt. Blaze has had songs written about him by Townes, who was a great close friend, and Lucinda Williams. Williams has called him a genius and a beautiful loser. His songs have been covered by the likes of Merle Haggard, John Prine and Lyle Lovett. Blaze is nothing but a musical phenomenon, a straight shooter. His lyrics were honest and true to his life. He wrote and sang more because it was therapeutic than becoming famous. The world needs more people like Blaze Foley, unfortunately Foley died on February 1, 1989. Foley, after helping a friend confront a violent son, the son would shoot Foley in cold blood. The son was acquitted from the murder charge saying it was in self defense. Friends of Foley was outraged with the verdict and rightfully so. We have lost a true artist but never will we lose the art.

Townes Van Zandt's Birthday Party

Today, March 7, marks the birth of Townes Van Zandt. One of music's most troubled troubadours. A life stricken with heart break and pain. Struggling with a huge drug addiction and alcohol abuse he could never kick the drug life which kept him out of the public eye for much of his life. Townes never did achieve commercial success unfortunately but that doesn't mean he wasn't considered one of the greatest storytellers to ever live. His songs such as Waiting Around To Die, Pancho And Lefty, and Snake Mountain Blues easily took your attention from the first line until end of the song. He could write a song with ease and have you thinking your listening to a story written by Hemmingway or Twain. It was a shame that he never really did great for himself in the public eye or heath wise. Who knows what could have become of Townes if he was still alive today? He could have been still writing great music collaborating with Bob Dylan or his best friend Steve Earle. He could even be helping out Steve's talented son Justin Townes Earle, who Steve named after Townes out of respect and love. Its sad to see such talent to just go undiscovered or not respected by most people and unfortunately Townes falls under that category. His songs have been covered by many most notably Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson's rendition of Pancho And Lefty. Townes is up there with my favorite songwriters of all time and listening to his songs you can see why. Happy Birthday Townes, RIP.

Merles Cry

I have a soft spot for classic country songs. One of my favorite country singers is the great Merle Haggard. Being in and out of juvenile detention centers throughout his childhood after his father died Haggard lived the life he would write about later. He finally got sent to San Quentin prison in 1957 and ran a gambling ring from his cell. After seeing friends in jail get executed he turned his life around and started writing songs and working on his singing career even playing in the prisons band. After being pardon by Ronald Reagan. He wrote Sing Me Back Home in prison after contemplating life. Its as real as it gets in songwriting and Haggard's nack for songwriting is fully shown here. I enjoyed this song many times over the years and it never gets old. You can feel the pain in his voice and here accompanied by Johnny Cash its a classic combination of two amazing country singers doing what they do best. Feeling their pain through their voice and lyrics.