Scott strongly dislikes country music. If he had to choose
between a root canal and listening to the twangs of a country song, I think he
would choose the root canal. But, I love it…I don’t mean the new stuff that
sounds more like pop music, either. I want to hear the classics….George Jones,
Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, and anything from the 80s (wasn’t that a great
decade???)- Reba, George Strait, Martina McBride…not to mention the southern
gospel roots in some choruses.
I love it because it is part of who I am. I spent most of my
childhood and early adult years running away from heritage. I wanted to be
anyone but who I was. The older I get now, the more I embrace my history and
how it has shaped the person I have become.
My family (on all sides) is a musical family. I don’t think
there is anyone on my mom’s side that can’t sing, play an instrument, or both.
My (biological) father sings and for a long time my grandparents (his parents)
traveled with a southern gospel group. My step-dad owned a music store and
night club- he could play any instrument put in his hands, but we never asked
him to sing J
When I hear the melodic tones of a country song I remember
those times with my family. Granny Murphy’s on Sundays “picking & singing”….going
with Granny & Papa Rowland to their friends’ houses where they
inevitably would make us sing solos, or
Papa just sitting around playing his guitar. I think about walking into the
House of Music and listening to the latest jam session (made up of whatever
musician happened to stop by that day)…or going by the club (Night Life) and
hearing my momma sing with the band. I could never forget playing “the Contest”
with my uncle Clay when he would babysit us (think Name that Tune).
I do like other styles of music, but it is the sound of
steel guitars and rich harmonies of country music that reminds me most of my
childhood, and stirs up memories too sweet to ignore. If that’s not reason
enough to love it, I don’t know what is.
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