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| Monthly
Column "Words
and Music"
by Dorothy Hamm |
NEW
Music Hath Charms 8-30-08
Music
hath charms to soothe the savage breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak,
so said William Congreve several centuries ago... |
Columns
Hoyt
Axton: Artist Unclassified 12-9-06
The first time
I saw the words Hoyt Axton in print I thought it might be a misprint, or an eye
chart, or maybe the name of a very expensive European sports car that can go from
zero to 60 in 15 seconds. But I soon learned that Hoyt Axton was an endlessly
talented entertainer with a unique singing voice and a larger-than-life exuberance
for living. And he was as unusual as his name... The
Most Interesting Shoe 11-2-06
... Then I remembered,
the most interesting shoe I ever owned was a gauze and plaster cast with a walking
heel. This was not just any cast. It was a cast that would be ogled by a pop superstar
and autographed by an Oscar winning actor and it would afford me a good laugh
and an ego boost in a troubled time... A
Caribbean Escape 9-13-06
There are many wonderful
places to escape to in our great state of Texas, but today I would like to invite
you to escape with me to the Caribbean.One
of the Best Interviews I Never Did 8-5-06
"...I
only had a half dozen interviews to my credit when the editor called and gave
me an assignment to interview a famous country/rockabilly artist who was performing
at a dinner theater in Dallas. The editor said he would make the necessary arrangements
to get me in the door and back stage to do the interview before the performance.
He also gave me some special instructions..."
Kris
Kristofferson and Mickey Newbury: A Texas Connection 6-8-06
"...We
knew nothing about Kristofferson then. We would come to learn that his life was
far more interesting than any song he could ever write. Perhaps that's why he
had to write them. His story is well known, born in Brownsville, Texas..."
Hank
Williams and Patsy Cline Still Mean A Lot 5-6-06
Although
tragedies ten years apart ended the young lives of Hank Williams in 1953 at age
29 and Patsy Cline in 1963 at age 30, they continue today as two of country music's
best loved and most enduring stars... Daylight
Saving Time
Springing Forward Falling Back 4-5-06John
McEuen, Acoustically Speaking 2-3-06
"Few
people who have seen John in concert, playing banjo, fiddle, guitar, mandolin,
etc., need an explanation as to why he is called a string wizard."
Willie
1-6-06
Native
Texan Willie Nelson
A
Cat Named Lazarus 12-15-05Days
of Whine, Bear Grass, Nettles and Burrs 11-8-05
"Green pastures
of coastal Bermuda with horses or cows and even an occasional emu, are common
sights now in the rural areas around Athens, Texas. ...This area was a bit less
tranquil in the late 1940s..."
Simpler
Times and Fried Chicken 10-13-05
"... Were simpler
times all that simple? ... When I was young girl, if we wanted fried chicken at
our house, we first had to grow the chicken..."People
Told Him It Would Not Work
9-9-05
Johnnie High and his Country Music Revue
Boxcar
Willie 8-16-05
"...Lecil Travis Martin, who would someday be known around the world as Boxcar
Willie, was born in 1931 in Sterrett, Texas, a wide place in the railroad tracks
between Dallas and Waxahachie...."
©
Dorothy Hamm
Column begins August, 2005
More Texas
Music & Musicians
| Dorothy
HammDorothy
Hamm grew up in rural areas of southern Missouri and east Athens, Texas. She now
lives in Euless, traffic epicenter of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. A freelance
writer for 25 years, she has written for more than 20 publications. She has also
worked as a publicist, representing artists from Texas, New Zealand, Congo and
Nigeria. She has worked for Congolese sculptor Augie N'Kele since 1992. Her hobbies
include playing guitar, traveling and making jewelry.
August,
2005 |
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