I do a couple of versions of The Race is on, one not too different from this, and another kind of Johnny Winter style that pulls the nails right up outta the floor boards. I'll probably break that one out at "After 5" Tomorrow night. I do "He stopped Loving Her Today" quite a lot. It's pretty much regarded as the most popular country tune ever recorded. One things for sure, George sold more beer in his life than those Clydesdales ever did!
My Dad was a truck driver, and into country music. Watched the Grand Ole Opry and Hee Haw with him. When I started playing guitar and getting into rock music, he tried to sway me back into country music. He knew that I thought of country artists as a bunch of hicks in polyester. When rock musicians had scandals with drugs and whatever, reputations as badasses-- my Dad would say if you want to see badasses, check out Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard and George Jones. Just as wild as any of your rock guys.
In the 70s, his sideline business was buying used CB radio gear and car stereo gear, and building them into portable cases for truckers who worked for truck lines who didn't put anything but an AM radio in their trucks. Man I can still see the 8 track cartridges of George and Tammy.
Like a lot of things, I had to learn to appreciate country music on my own. If my Dad were alive today, I'd take him to a good honky tonk show at Knuckleheads(Merle played there last year, and Ray Price), and we'd have a few drinks and a great time.
He loved Porter Wagonner, Earnest Tubb, Cannonball,George Jones/Tammy Wynette. Turned me on to Chet Atkins and Roy Clark.
Maybe my Dad will be seeing No Show Jones now.
