I was recently thinking about an artist that I have been a fan of for close to 40 years. This gentleman wrote and performed the following songs: “Do You Believe In Magic?” “You Didn’t Have To Be So Nice.” “Daydream.” “Younger Girl.” “Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind?” “Summer In The City.” “Rain On The Roof.” “Nashville Cats.” “Six O’Clock.” “Darling Be Home Soon.” “Younger Generation.”

You may not recognize the name John Sebastian, even though he was one of the main performers at the original Woodstock. If none of that rings a bell, I know you know those songs, as well as the theme song “Welcome Back.” I also know you have heard of the ’60s group, The Lovin’ Spoonful.

One of the interesting things to make mention of is he has a new disc out with David Grisman titled “Satisfied.” Elmore magazine states its “as comfortable as a front-porch swing.”

David Grisman is no stranger to the bluegrass world. Who hasn’t he performed with? The likes of Jerry Garcia, Peter Rowan, Tony Rice and many more, are musical collaborators. Does John Sebastian and he seem like an unlikely pairing? Maybe. Maybe not. David Grisman actually started with the Even Dozen Jug Band in 1963, which included at one time, John Sebastian.

One of the purposes of writing this article is to bring to your attention to the fact these two fine artists are on the road for the next few months. Many of the dates are in the midwest. The heartland seems to get missed by west coast performers many times but here is your chance to see two legends together.

I was lucky enough to see Sebastian in Urbana, Illinois in the 70s. My buddy Danny Tackett saw him in Bloomington, Illinois in the 80s. We both have conferred on numerous occasions what a real treat it was to see John Sebastian. Upon comparing notes, we both felt we had experienced, in two different decades, an outstanding show.

Please check Sebastian and Grisman’s website and see where they are going to be and get yourselves ready for an unforgettable performance from these two unbelievable performers.

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Special Limited Edition version of “Moneyland” available from McCoury Music online only.

Nashville, Tenn. — McCoury Music and Del McCoury’s “Moneyland” is now in stores but McCoury Music if offering a Limited Edition version of the CD through the label’s web site, www.McCouryMusic.com. The Special edition of Moneyland features Del McCoury on the cover, and will be limited to 1000 copies each of which will be signed by Del himself. A portion of the proceeds of the limited edition version of “Moneyland” will benefit an organization that helps the homeless.

Modern day bluegrass patriarch Del McCoury adds a new dimension to his role as a musical leader on July 8, 2008 when his family owned McCoury Music label, distributed by powerhouse RED Distribution (a division of SonyBMG) releases Moneyland, a timely multi-artist collection that offers a hard-hitting look at today’s economic injustice through a thoughtful selection of six new (or newly recorded) songs, mixed with eight neglected gems and classic favorites. Framed by excerpts from two of Franklin Roosevelt’s Depression-era “fireside chats,” Moneyland revitalizes country and bluegrass music’s connections to the lives of hardworking people in ways that honor the past, look to the future and challenge listeners to act in the present.
Moneyland

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Nashville, Tenn. — The Country Music Hall of Fame^® and Museum will honor country music’s first female superstar, Kitty Wells, in Kitty Wells: Queen of Country Music, Presented by Great American Country Television Network, a biographical exhibit opening Friday, August 15, 2008, for a 10-month run in the Museum’s East Gallery. The exhibit will run through June 14, 2009.

Opening weekend festivities will include a 45-minute exhibit tour, guided by a Museum curator; an interview with Wells, hosted by 650 WSM announcer Eddie Stubbs and illustrated with photos, film footage and recordings from the Museum’s Frist Library and Archive; an autograph signing by Wells in the Museum Store; and a screening of the 1982 Showtime special A Tribute to Kitty Wells, hosted by Tammy Wynette. (A detailed schedule of grand opening activities is below.)

“Kitty Wells is, quite simply, a trailblazer,” said Museum Director Kyle Young. “Her many hits—including her signature song ‘It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels’—were sung from a woman’s point of view, something that was new to country music at that time. She was marketed as a solo performer in an industry where women previously had performed only as members of family groups. Her success in selling records and concert tickets led record companies to open their doors to women artists. Many of contemporary country music’s biggest stars are women,” he said, “but Kitty Wells is the prototype.

“We are grateful to both Kitty and her husband, country star Johnnie Wright, for opening up their lives and home to us and allowing us to tell their extraordinary story.”

Kitty Wells: Queen of Country Music,
Presented by Great American Country Television Network

Born Muriel Deason in Nashville, Tennessee, on August 30, 1919, Wells forged a groundbreaking career that spanned more than a half century. Her indelible contributions to American music were acknowledged formally in 1976 when she was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Employing a wealth of splendid stage costumes, vintage photos, awards, instruments, posters and advertisements, personal correspondence and career-spanning audio and video of both Wells and Wright, Kitty Wells: Queen of Country Music will explore how Wells, a soft-spoken, dignified mother of three, succeeded in tearing down country music’s gender barrier and became a role model for generations of female artists. The exhibit will also chronicle Johnnie Wright’s successful recording career—both with the duo Johnnie & Jack and as a solo artist—and his role in managing Wells’ career.

Among the notable artifacts included in the exhibit are:

• sheet music of the ballad “Kitty Wells,” from which Johnnie Wright chose his wife’s stage name
• songwriter J. D. Miller’s original manuscript of “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels”
• Wright’s 1947 Martin D-28 guitar with custom pick guard designed by Shot Jackson;
• Wells’ 1954 Gibson L-5 guitar
• a blue gingham stage costume worn by Wells in the 1950s;
• a gown worn by Wells to the 1976 CMA Awards, during which she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame
• Wells’ 1991 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award

Selected audio and video clips will further expand the exhibition story.

Kitty Wells: Queen of Country Music, Presented by Great American Country Television Network Grand Opening Weekend Program Schedule

All programs August 15-17 are included with Museum admission and free to members.

Friday, August 15 — 11:00 a.m.
Curator’s Exhibit Talk
A Museum curator offers an introduction to Kitty Wells: Queen of Country Music.

Saturday, August 16 — 1:30 p.m.
Interview with Kitty Wells
650 WSM personality Eddie Stubbs will interview Wells in the Museum’s Ford Theater. The program will be illustrated with vintage photos, film footage and recordings culled from the Museum’s collection.

Saturday, August 16 — 3:00 p.m.
Autograph Signing
Wells will sign autographs in the Museum Store.

Sunday, August 17 — All Day
Film Loop: A Tribute to Kitty Wells
Hosted by Tammy Wynette, this 1982 Showtime special features performances by Wells and her family, as well as Roy Acuff, Tom T. Hall, Hank Williams Jr., Wynette and many others. It will air continuously throughout the day.

Kitty Wells: Queen of Country Music will be accompanied by an ongoing series of programs throughout the exhibit’s run.

These programs are made possible, in part, by grants from the Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission and by an agreement between the Tennessee Arts Commission and National Endowment for the Arts.

Accredited by the American Association of Museums, the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum is operated by the Country Music Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization chartered by the state of Tennessee in 1964. The Museum’s mission is the preservation of the history of country and related vernacular music rooted in southern culture. With the same educational mission, the Foundation also operates CMF Records, the Museum’s Frist Library and Archive, CMF Press, Historic RCA Studio B, and Hatch Show Print.

More information about the Country Music Hall of Fame^® and Museum is available at www.countrymusichalloffame.com or by calling (615) 416-2001.

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