Since Grayden was an infant, Waylon Jenning's song Luckenbach Texas was the go-to for settling him down if he was crying, putting him to sleep if he was tired, or just soothing him in general. His dad says I sang the chorus to him over and over. When he would not settle in his father's arms, he sang songs from the Highwaymen to him. We have no idea why he loved Luckenbach Texas, it just worked. One night when Graeme was putting him to sleep, he said, "Daddy, play 'bach'".
Graeme says it is his talisman.
Night before last Graeme left his phone playing a list of Waylon Jenning's songs and he went right to sleep. Graeme came back in an hour and took his phone.
I hope he eventually gets hooked on Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristopherson. Country music will never be the same as when the Highwaymen sang. They each had glorious careers as individuals and together were the greatest county music artists in my lifetime.
Pop, last night he was sitting in my arms and we were listening to music. I told him I wanted to change the song and he said "Play Bach, yeah play Bach" So I did.
ReplyDeleteI left this on Facebook, too. But wanted to here as well.
Waylon would be proud
DeleteYoung Grayden has good taste in country music!
ReplyDeleteHe does. His dad just introduced him the the Gentle Giant, Don Williams. Don started singing with the Pozo Seko singers back in the folk music era. We bring them up right. My kids Grade 8 teacher and music teacher was a Vietnam war draft dodger. He taught the kids all the songs of the 60s. We listened to CFMC FM easy listening which played lots of good country and introduced us to a wide range of music. Easy Listening atations are a thing of the past.
DeleteIt seemed every small town in Texas had a dance hall from the boom times before the depression along with a bar and barbecue. The afternoons at the bar had picking sessions where one could listen for the prices of a beer! The dance halls would have various quality groups from the up and coming, those from nostalgia and others frankly embarrassing.
ReplyDeleteGruene was a few miles from Canyon Lake where we used to do the "snowbird" thing and we enjoyed groups from "Asleep at the wheel", to Chubby Checker and yet to be "Painting lines on the Highway".
Every spring during spring break, the low cost snow birds would be evicted for the party crowd and Willie Nelson along with Merle Haggard would hold court-sadly, spring farming was generally calling by this time and we would have to leave.
Austin was an hour north and PBS had Austin city limits with their Willie influenced country music hosted by Ray Benson and only a half hr to the west was the incomparable Luchenbach.
Here, for a price of a beer , you could spend an afternoon listening to players just pickin' and a grinnin' !
Weekends would have names playing at the dance hall and more Texas swing.
I am so pleased we were able to spend those years savoring the country music I was raised on over KMON Great Falls, Mt.
Now the curse of the lesser pumpkin rests on out neighbours to the south and Canadians no longer have the chance to savour the Country Music that is part of our common heritage.
Blair
Austin City Limits is legendary. A Saskatchewan boy Jake Vaadeland and the Sturgeon River Boys played there on their American tour. https://youtu.be/ZmLNtf6kKbc?si=Z8PBDB8R3tQvwJzi
DeleteI met a member of Asleep at the Wheel. He was super religious from the Quiver Full movement. He was in Ukraine with four of his adopted Ukrainian kids. They did not looked too thrilled but better than an orphanage in Ukraine
Doesn't sound all that wonderful, our only close connection came through some friends we had in Barbados. They were South Carolinian but had known Ray Benson in New Jersey and when we were having lunch at a Carolinian Barbecue(as distinct from southern Barbecue) place Willie was his acquaintance and did he(Willie)know how to pour the charm on old money. We just went for lunch but got a real primer on the complexities of southern life as Ray was just transforming from his TEXAS JEWBOY personae to a his short lived Political adventures.
DeleteIf Willie talked Ray into Austin City Limits or talked the money out of Carolinian couple, we owe him a debt of gratitude either way.
Maybe you should pick up your old guitar and sing yourself back to the good old days. Today isn't forever.
Blair
Myguitar is in Ukraine and it has been many many years. My late wife criticized my playing and choice of songs so I simply quit. Tried to pick it up in Ukraine but didnt persevere past sore fingers
DeleteGood for Grayden, I'm glad he's enjoying his music. He must be looking more like a proper little boy now, not a baby any more.
ReplyDeleteHe got a haircut today and looks so grown up
DeleteNice to know your grandson shares your taste! :-) But I'm afraid I can't say thank you for the video - I've had "Luckenbach Texas" on permanent replay in my head ever since I watched it. Could be worse, I guess - at least I like the song. (Or I did, before it became a permanent earworm.)
ReplyDeleteSorry about the earworm. If you can get three or four songs going in your head, you can at least rotate them. I put myself to sleep doing that sometimes
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