Description
This episode features a performance by the band Back Street, introduced by the host, Joe. The band opens with "Good Morning Country Rain." Following this, they perform "A Walk in the Irish Rain," an Irish tune written by an American named Steve Spurgeon.
Billy Gee, the bass player, sings "Cold on the Shoulder," a song by Gordon Lightfoot that they heard from Tony Rice. Billy, who is from Wilkesboro and lives in Wilkes County, also operates a full-time guitar repair service called Guitar Specialist.
Roger Miller, a practicing forester from Caldwell County near Lenoir, sings the swing tune "Evening in Caroline."
Randy Gamble, who plays mandolin, is originally from Ashe County but now lives in Wilkes County. Randy has lived and played music in England and Nashville and is a songwriter. He performs "Smoky Mountain Memories" and a song he co-wrote inspired by watching Hee Haw called "Long as You're Here."
Keith M. Oliver from Alleghany County plays lead guitar and is an optometrist with a wife and three children. Keith performs "Raining but Daddy Keeps on Plowing," a song important to him that relates to his experience working behind a mule.
Jeff Purdue from Wilkesboro plays banjo and is a consulting forester. Jeff mentions he grew up with Keith Oliver and was roommates with Roger Miller in forestry school at NC State.
Three members of the band are from Wilkes County. The band performs "Moonshiner," which Jeff and Billy enjoy, noting Wilkes County's reputation as the moonshine capital. They also play a song about a "bad person" called "Bad, But I Don't Care."
A tune by western songwriter Bill Staines, "Two of a Kind," is performed. Two songs from the coal fields of West Virginia are featured: "The L&N Don't Stop Here Anymore" and "Wild Rose of the Mountain," the latter learned from Pete Sutherland.
Billy Gee sings "Copperhead Road." An old Bob Wills Texas Swing tune, "Blues for Dixie," is played at the request of an audience member. They perform a Doc Watson version of "Cotton Eye Joe," which was requested and fitting for the Watauga County location.
"Hard Times in the Country," a tune learned from Mike Cross, is also played. Billy Gee is featured on bass for "Just Me and You," a tune he learned from Larry Rice. The performance includes "Night Rider's Lament," a cowboy song that features yodeling.
The band thanks the audience and mentions Martha Johnson led a sing-along.
Note: This description was generated by NotebookLM.
Subject
Folk music
Appalachian Region, Southern
North Carolina, Western
Shannon, Joe Wayne, 1949-2014
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