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Homegrown Music Series: Raistlin Brabson & Up Jumped Trouble
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Trae Crowder first gained international attention (or notoriety depending on your politics) in 2016 for his hugely viral series of “Liberal Redneck” comedic “porch rant” videos. Since then, Trae has written a best-selling book, The Liberal Redneck Manifesto: Draggin Dixie Outta The Dark, toured the country thrice over playing sold out theatre shows under the WellRED Comedy Tour banner, appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO), Nightline (ABC), The View, Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell (MSNBC),
NPR, WTF with Marc Maron, MTV, CNN, Huffington Post and in the Veronica Mars reboot, as “Chattanooga Charlie”, among many others.
Initially from rural Celina, TN, Trae now lives in Los Angeles, CA and has developed and sold five scripted pilots for Warner Bros TV, ABC, and FOX and continues to work as a writer. Trae stars in and produces regular sketches for Comedy Central, Funny or Die, ATTN, Facebook Watch, New York Daily News which have garnered tens of millions of views online. Crowder also co-wrote and produced an hour-long documentary titled Inherent Good, featuring Crowder and former presidential candidate Andrew Yang, about universal basic income.
Additionally, Trae co-hosts the hugely popular “WellRED,” “Evening Skews” and “Puttin’ On Airs” podcasts. His debut 30-minute standup comedy special was taped in 2021 in Nashville, TN and his latest full-length special “Trash Daddy” is available now on YouTube. He also continues to rant and rave on theinternet to the mostly-delight of his lovely fanbase.
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Beginnings - A Celebration of the Music of Chicago brings the magic of a live Chicago performance to
life and exceptionally recreates their enormous songbook of contemporary hits.
The music of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Chicago spans more than five decades and includes
five # 1 albums and over 20 top-ten hits. The band transports the listener back to a time of big arena
concerts with all the sound, excitement, and emotion generated from Chicago's extensive catalog of gold
and platinum recordings.
Beginnings has one of the most entertaining live performances you can see today. Expect a family-
friendly entertainment event that is pleasing to music lovers of all ages!
SHOW HIGHLIGHTS: Beginnings, Make Me Smile, 25 or 6 to 4, Call on Me, Saturday in the Park, Old Days,
You're the Inspiration, Alive Again, Color My World, Just You and Me, I've Been Searchin' So Long, Free,
Hard to Say I'm Sorry, and many, many more!
OFFICIAL WEBSITE: www.beginningslive.com
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/BeginningsTributeBand
INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/beginningstribute/
TWITTER: twitter.com/Beginnings_Live
YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/channel/UC5525O46vGYWFlpxIkg1xvw
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Uwe Kruger was born in Germany in 1961, followed by his brother Jens in 1962. The family moved to Switzerland, where music was a central part of their daily life. From an early age, the brothers played guitar and other instruments. Influenced by artists like Chet Atkins, Doc Watson, and Bill Monroe, they performed their first public show in 1973.
After their mother’s passing in 1974, they moved to Zürich and formed a skiffle band. By the age of 12, Jens was already playing banjo with various bands. In 1976, they discovered Strictly Instrumental by Flatt & Scruggs, which inspired them to focus on bluegrass. In 1979, they became traveling street musicians across Europe and later formed the band Rocky Road with the Galfano Brothers. CBS Records signed them in 1981. However, musical differences led them to split in 1982—Uwe pursued country music, while Jens moved to the U.S., where he performed with bluegrass legend Bill Monroe before returning to Switzerland.
In 1987, Uwe and Jens reunited and formed Appalachian Barn Orchestra, blending bluegrass with European influences. Their music gained popularity, and in 1990, bassist Joel Landsberg joined, marking the transition to The Kruger Brothers. They hosted a live radio show on Swiss National Radio and toured extensively, performing over 250 shows per year. Their reputation grew across Europe, and they became known for their virtuosic musicianship and unique sound. By 1995, they decided to dedicate themselves entirely to The Kruger Brothers, canceling other commitments and founding their own recording studio to produce and release their music independently.
In 1997 Uwe, Jens, and Joel were invited to play at MerleFest in North Carolina. They were so well received in their festival debut, that MerleFest has invited the Kruger Brothers back to the festival every year since. Notlong after MerleFest, Kruger Brothers management organized extensive tours throughout the US beginning in the fall of 1997.
After five years of playing almost six month out of the year in the US, it was time tomake the decision to either abandon the US market or relocate the entire Kruger Brothers organization to the US.
In 2003 Uwe, Jens, and Joel moved their business and their families to North Carolina.
The Kruger Brothers have since released more than twenty-five CD's on their own label.They have performed with numerous symphony orchestras, string ensembles, andguest musicians on their extensive touring schedule throughout the USA, Canada, Europe and Australia.
The Kruger Brothers are members of the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame, the Wilkes County Hall of Fame, the International Banjo Hall of Fame, as well as the American Folk Music Hall of Fame.
Both Uwe and Jens are honorary citizens of North Carolina and Calgary,Canada.
The Kruger Brothers have received numerous awards including the Steve Martin Prize for excellence in banjo and bluegrass, several IBMA nominations, PrixVallo and many more...
The Kruger Brothers are a true staple of the American music scene and continue to bring excellence to audiences worldwide.
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THE WIZARDS OF WINTER bring their musical intensity, stage theatrics and holiday fun toThe Harvester, in this fun-filled Christmas Holiday Rock experience for the Whole Family. THE WIZARDS OF WINTER,including members who have performed with The Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Def Leppard,Trixter, Blue Oyster Cult, Alice Cooper,along with Broadway veterans, perform their Holiday Rock Operatitled “The Christmas Dream”. Join them on a musical journey in search of the meaning of Christmas.This 12-member ensemble boasts soaring vocal harmonies, precision string instrumentation, powerful percussion, and stunning keyboard work, layered around a rich storyboard that evokes memories and emotions of December’s past! From rock and pop, to ballads, and even a visit from Mrs. Claus – there is something for everyone! Don’t miss their electrifying performance, captivating audiences of all ages.
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Born and raised in Levittown, NY just a few miles from Billy Joel's childhood home, it seems like a natural fit to see a fellow Long Islander pay homage to the music of the man who in Mike word's is “not only my musical hero, but an icon that is also down to earth and humble at the same time. After meeting Billy in person, sitting and having a regular chat with him that I immediately understood why his songs and his lyrics are so identifiable and relatable to millions and millions of fans around the world for the past 50 years”.
Being a fan of drums and playing since the age of 12, Mike also then taught himself how to play 6 and 12 string acoustic guitars and eventually gained most of his professional experience and expertise on keyboards and piano. Mike was raised with a deep appreciation for music by his late father Joe Santoro. He was a gifted and powerful tenor vocalist in the vein of Sinatra, Bennett, Nat King Cole and others. It wasn’t until 1978 when Mike borrowed his sister’s 52nd Street record, and heard one of his favorite songs “Until The Night”, that everything changed. “This ‘rock star’ Billy Joel, grew up in the same town I lived in, mixed it up on the same streets that I walked and went to the same public schools that I did. Yet, what I was listening to was music so beautiful, moving and intricate, I had to learn more…well really learn ALL of it”. It’s about then that he became obsessed with finding his identity as a musician and vocalist, and for years that inspiration has given Mike the good fortune to play music professionally all over the country for over 2 decades.
Mike’s obsession with accuracy, tonality and faithfully recreating the sound of every Billy Joel song as it’s heard on the record is what has helped drive the band to the national level it has reached.
“Every song Billy has ever written is loaded with his own homage to the artists and bands he admired growing up and you clearly hear it in his vocal recordings. From Ray Charles, Lennon and McCartney to The Stones to Frankie Valli to The Righteous Brothers and so many others. What you’re hearing in Billy’s entire catalog is the evolution an artist who began as a classically trained pianist at the age of 3, and then in his early teens suddenly the Beatles happen. Talk about a perfect storm! I feel it’s just as important to capture that kind of energy and sound but with soulfulness, and as close as possible to the way Billy did it - yet without overdoing it”.
Coupled with the raw energy of a live show, his drive to perform is all born from his appreciation for every fellow Billy Joel fan that comes out to see The Stranger and joins in celebrating his music. Mike has said “its like a communal experience, me and the band on the stage are just part of a big family having a party. I’m really fortunate to have been afforded the opportunity to have this “job”, and being backed by what’s often been called “‘one of the best live bands out there, bar none’”.
In the words of Billy Joel himself to Mike after their meeting and talk together, “Thank you for keeping my music alive”.
From the heart, thank you Billy Joel for sharing your music with the world.
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They've been part of the Southern Rock scane for over 50 years. Their biggest hits include "So Into You", "Chanpagne Jam", "Imaginary Lover", "Homesick", "Jukin'", "I'm Not Gonna Let it Bother Me Tonitght", and "Spooky". But there's so much more...
With 15 albums of outstanding songwriting and performances, The Atlanta Rhythm Section represents the good things the phrase "classic rock" implies.
So watch, listen, enjoy - have yourself a "Large Time!"
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Both Sides Now : A Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen Story Concert
With these words, we are drawn into the world of Both Sides Now - a theatrical concert that explores the music and lives of long-time friends and one-time lovers, Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen. Created by, and starring Robbie Schaefer and Danielle Wertz, the cabaret-style performance traverses decades alongside songs such as A Case of You, Hallelujah, Big Yellow Taxi, Suzanne, and many more. Both Sides Now is at once a piece of the 60’s and 70’s, and of right now -- offering us a story about the messiness of being human, of lives persistently lived at the edge of growth, and of finding the courage to turn toward one another, again and again.
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If you have Meet & Greet ticket(s), please check in between 5pm and 5:30 PM
Charlie Starr, lead vocalist and guitarist for American rock band Blackberry Smoke will perform an Acoustic performance on Jan. 30th.
Starr is a native of Lanett, Alabama and was born into a musical family. His grandfather was in a well-known Gospel band, his grandmother played mandolin and piano and his father, an accomplished guitarist, introduced him to the instrument that would lead to his career in music.
Playing guitar became one of Starr’s passions, in addition to writing and singing. In December 2017, he was named as one of Music Radar’s top 23 guitarists, a list that includes “rock guitar gods” including Keith Richards of Rolling Stones, Slash of Guns N’ Roses, and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, amongst others.
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GRAMMY® Award-winning musician and singer/songwriter Trey Hensley—referred to as “Nashville’s hottest young player”
by Acoustic Guitar magazine—was voted the 2023 and 2025 IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) Guitar Player of the
Year. A multiple GRAMMY® nominee, Hensley received his first GRAMMY® Award at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards in L.A. on Feb. 2, 2025 as a member of The Taj Mahal Sextet, whose album Swingin’ Live At The Church In Tulsa won in the Best Traditional Blues Album category.
Widely noted for his world class musicianship and guitar prowess, Hensley was invited to perform alongside some of the world’s greatest guitarists at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival 2023 in Los Angeles. That same year, Hensley was a featured player in a piece published by Guitar World magazine titled “6 Blazing Bluegrass Guitarists You Need To Hear.”
Hensley’s other-worldly guitar playing has attracted more than a third of a million followers on social media with rapid growth each day. Hensley has received praise from a truly eclectic group of guitar legends spanning multiple worlds of music who have become vocal fans of his, including legendary Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore (who recently referred to Trey as “my favorite guitar player”); Tommy Emmanuel, CGP (who has called Trey “one of my favorite guitarists”); Steve Vai; Neal Schon; Vince Gill; Steve Wariner, CGP; Joe Bonamassa; John Petrucci; John 5; Tom Petty & The
Heartbreakers’ Mike Campbell, and many others. Stone Temple Pilots’ Dean DeLeo and Robert DeLeo invited Trey to perform live with the band at a sold-out 12,000+ amphitheater show in Atlanta in late 2024 and insisted Trey play lead electric guitar on their hit, “Plush,” following a grand intro of Trey to their fans in what must surely have been the only bluegrass jam ever to make an appearance in the middle of an STP set!
Trey recently partnered with Taylor Guitars to create the Trey Hensley Gold Label 510e SE. But with Hensley it’s not just the guitar that does the talking—he’s also well known for his rich, powerful and soulful baritone vocals with echoes of Merle Haggard and George Jones. While that is true, Hensley’s voice is something all its own that cuts through and leaves a lasting impression (as Holler put it: “Hensley possesses a strikingly resonate, emotional voice, one that makes him a potent singer outside of his superb finger-picking ability.”)
Hensley’s musical DNA is made up of an impressive, eclectic melting pot of artists including The Allman Brothers Band, Merle Haggard, B.B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Tom Petty, Jimi Hendrix, Tony Rice, Earl Scruggs, George Jones, Buck Owens, Wes Montgomery, Van Halen, Miles Davis, Jerry Garcia, Del McCoury, Jimmy Martin, Billy Joe Shaver, Ray Charles, The Band and many others.
Given that, it’s no wonder his impressive list of collaborations includes a lengthy and diverse list of extraordinary artists: Johnny Cash, Vince Gill, Dolly Parton, Marty Stuart, Earl Scruggs, Taj Mahal, Tommy Emmanuel, Peter Frampton, Rodney Crowell, Rob Ickes, Steve Vai, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Little Feat, Leftover Salmon, Old Crow Medicine Show, Stone Temple Pilots, Steve Martin, Molly Tuttle, Isaac Slade (former lead singer of The Fray), Jorma Kaukonen, Hot Tuna, Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams and many more.
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Lucinda Williams & Her Band
World’s Gone Wrong
“My dad, as a poet, always told me to never censor myself – that’s one of his cardinal rules of creative writing,” says multiple-Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams. “That became my motto which I’ve stuck by all these years.” Miller Williams’ advice clearly is born out on Lucinda’s powerful eighteenth studio album, the provocative World’s Gone Wrong. “I felt a sense of urgency in making this record,” she adds.
Filled with gut-wrenching topical songs, the album’s ten tracks were written and recorded in a blast of collaborative creativity as Lucinda and her cowriters – primarily husband/manager/co-producer Tom Overby and guitarist Doug Pettibone – grappled with events transpiring during the spring of 2025. A whole other album had been in the works, but that “urgency” to address our current cataclysmic situation motivated Lucinda and company to cut World’s Gone Wrong in direct response. “Music is a powerful weapon,” she points out. “I want this record to make people aware, wake them up. I like to push people’s buttons.”
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Steep Canyon Rangers arrive at a moment of renewal and reaffirmation with Next Act, their 15th studio album released May 22, 2026. The record represents a conscious tightening of focus: a return to the bluegrass foundations that first bound the band together, approached with the confidence and emotional range earned through years of collective evolution. It is an affirmation that bluegrass still contains endless expressive possibility. Next Act finds the Rangers sounding deeply at home in their own musical language, drawing strength from tradition while continuing to write new chapters within it.
Formed in North Carolina and shaped equally by the Appalachian Mountains and the Piedmont, Steep Canyon Rangers have long occupied a singular space in American roots music. From their earliest recordings, the band demonstrated an unusual ability to honor traditional bluegrass forms while allowing contemporary songwriting, literary influence, and regional storytelling to seep naturally into the music. Over time, this balance earned them both bluegrass credibility and broader Americana acclaim, culminating in a Best Bluegrass Album GRAMMY Award for 2013’s Nobody Knows You, additional nominations for Rare Bird Alert (2012) and North Carolina Songbook (2020), and an induction into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame.
In recent years, as their audience expanded and their songwriting reach grew wider, the Rangers began to feel a pull back toward the elemental forces that shaped them: acoustic instruments speaking clearly, songs built for ensemble interplay, and stories grounded in lived experience and regional memory. Next Act emerges from that impulse.
Steep Canyon Rangers is made up of Graham Sharp on banjo and vocals, Mike Guggino on mandolin/mandola and vocals, Aaron Burdett on guitar and vocals, Nicky Sanders on fiddle and vocals, Mike Ashworth on drums, dobro, percussion and vocals, and Barrett Smith on bass, guitar, and vocals.
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His debut album, Undertones (2003), introduced fans to his honest, storytelling style and themes rooted in Southern life, personal reflection, and working-class values. He continued to release several albums on his own, including In the Mood(2004), The Good Life (2005), and Hard-Headed Fool (2007), all of which further solidified his reputation as both a songwriter and producer.
In 2011, Corey released The Broken Record via Average Joe’s Entertainment, produced by Rick Beato. The album cracked the Top 20 on the Billboard country charts—peaking at No. 17—and remains one of his most commercially successful releases.
In 2015, Smith partnered with Sugar Hill Records to release While the Gettin’ Is Good, produced by the legendary Keith Stegall (Alan Jackson, Zac Brown Band). The album introduced a more polished sound while preserving the lyrical authenticity that had always defined his work.
Corey’s latest release, Suburban Drawl, was recorded at the iconic Sound Emporium in Nashville, TN and produced by singer-songwriter Erik Dylan. The album offers a fresh take on his Southern storytelling roots, combining heartland rock tones with lyrical maturity.
Throughout his career, Corey Smith has remained a touring powerhouse, often performing over 100 shows a year. His songs—like “If I Could Do It Again,” “Twenty-One,” and “Drinkin’ Again”—resonate with fans for their relatability and down-to-earth storytelling.
As of the mid-2020s, Smith continues to write, record, and tour independently, maintaining his status as one of country music’s most successful and enduring independent artists.
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Reigning from Southern California, Robert Jon & The Wreck take the Southern rock sound from the East Coast and make it their own. Since their inception in 2011, these native Californians—Robert Jon Burrison (lead vocals, guitar), Andrew Espantman (drums, background vocals), Henry James Schneekluth (lead guitar, background vocals), Warren Murrel (bass), and Jake Abernathie (keyboards)—have been electrifying audiences all over the world with their soaring guitar leads, rich vocal harmonies, and unforgettable songs. Simply put, it is impossible to ignore when these talented musicians take the stage.
The band has made an undeniable impact across the globe, playing sold-out shows and sharing the stage with the likes of Joe Bonamassa, Blackberry Smoke, Peter Frampton, The Marshall Tucker Band, The Black Crowes, Little Feat, and Rival Sons. 2020’s Last Light On The Highway earned worldwide acclaim, and 2021’s Shine A Light On Me Brother continued their upward climb, leading to a collaboration with Bonamassa’s Journeyman Records. That partnership paved the way for even more ambitious projects, including 2023’s Ride Into The Light, a dynamic, multi-faceted album that showcased collaborations with GRAMMY-winning producers Don Was, Kevin Shirley, and Dave Cobb, alongside contributions from Bonamassa and Josh Smith.
That same year also saw the release of Live At The Ancienne Belgique, their first official live concert film, praised by Music News as “one of the best live albums I have heard in years.”
In 2024, Robert Jon & The Wreck teamed up once again with Kevin Shirley (Iron Maiden, Aerosmith, The Black Crowes) for the release of Red Moon Rising. The record was hailed as their most fully realized work yet, with critics calling it “a bold step forward” and “a masterclass in modern rock & roll with vintage soul.” The collaboration with Shirley further cemented the band’s reputation as torchbearers of timeless, heartfelt rock music.
Now in 2025, the band continues their momentum with the release of Heartbreaks & Last Goodbyes, produced by GRAMMY-winner Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, Rival Sons). The album captures the raw energy and spirit of the band while pushing their songwriting into bold new territory.
With the new album in tow, Robert Jon & The Wreck are set for a massive year of touring, including a major U.S. West Coast run with Samantha Fish this fall and an extensive European and U.K. tour in the spring. Known for their fiery performances, the band’s live show has been described as a life-affirming, communal experience—where blistering guitar solos, soulful harmonies, and unshakable grooves bring audiences to their feet night after night.
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“A band ought to have a sound all of its own. It ought to have a personality.” – Glenn Miller
Alton Glenn Miller was born in Clarinda, Iowa on March 1, 1904. But it was in North Platte, Nebraska, several years later that Glenn actually got his musical start when, one day, his father brought home a mandolin. Glenn promptly traded it for an old battered horn, which he practiced every chance he got. In fact his mother worried, “It got to where Pop and I used to wonder if he’d ever amount to anything.”
In 1923, Miller entered the University of Colorado, although he spent more time traveling to auditions and playing where and whenever he could. After flunking three of his five courses one semester, Glenn dropped out to concentrate on his career as a professional musician.
He toured with several orchestras and ended up in Los Angeles where he landed a spot in Ben Pollack’s group, a band that included a guy named Benny Goodman. Here, Miller also got the chance to write some arrangements. Arriving in New York City, he soon sent for, and married his college sweetheart, Helen Burger in 1928, and for the next three years, earned his living as a free-lance trombonist and arranger.
Miller played and recorded with the likes of Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey (who on several of their records, featured an up-and-coming singer by the name of Bing Crosby), Gene Krupa, Eddie Condon and Coleman Hawkins. In addition, during that time, Glenn cut 18 sides for Goodman, and also worked for radio studio conductors like Victor Young, Carl Fenton and Jacques Renard. In 1934, Miller became the musical director of the Dorsey Band, and later went on to organize The Ray Noble Orchestra, which included such players as Charlie Spivak, Peewee Erwin, Bud Freeman, Johnny Mince, George Van Eps and Delmar Kaplan, among others.
In April 1935, Glenn Miller recorded, for the first time, under his own name. Using six horns, a rhythm section and a string quartet, he recorded “Moonlight on the Ganges” and “A Blues Serenade” for Columbia. But selling only a few hundred records, he continued his position with the Noble Orchestra.
In 1937, Glenn Miller stepped out to form his own band. There were a few recordings — one for Decca and one for Brunswick — a couple of week-long stints in New Orleans and Dallas, and many one-nighters, but it was not to be. Though the group would play one more date several days later in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Glenn gave his men their final notice on New Year’s Eve at the Valencia Ballroom in York, Pennsylvania. Broke, depressed and having no idea what he was going to do, he returned to New York City.
It is said that Miller could never remember precisely the moment he decided to emphasize his new reed section sound. But it was during this disheartening interim, that he realized the unique sound — produced by the clarinet holding the melodic line while the tenor sax plays the same note, and supported harmonically by three other saxophones — just might be the individual and easily recognizable style that would set his band apart from all the rest.
Formed in March 1938, the second Glenn Miller Orchestra — which would later include the likes of Tex Beneke, Marion Hutton, Ray Eberle, Paul Tanner, Johnny Best, Hal McIntyre, and Al Klinck — soon began breaking attendance records all up and down the East Coast. At the New York State Fair in Syracuse it attracted the largest dancing crowd in the city’s history. The next night it topped Guy Lombardo’s all-time record at the Hershey Park Ballroom in Pennsylvania. The Orchestra was invited by ASCAP to perform at Carnegie Hall with three of the greatest bands ever — Paul Whiteman, Fred Waring and Benny Goodman — and created more of a stir than any of them.
There were record-breaking recordings, as well, such as “Tuxedo Junction”, which sold 115,000 copies in the first week. “In the Mood”, and “Pennsylvania 6-5000?, all appearing on the RCA Victor Bluebird label. In early 1940, Down Beat Magazine announced that Miller had topped all other bands in its Sweet Band Poll, and capping off this seemingly sudden rise to the top, there was, of course, Glenn Miller’s “Moonlight Serenade” radio series for Chesterfield cigarettes which aired three times a week over CBS. In 1941, it was off to Hollywood where the band worked on its first movie, “Sun Valley Serenade”, which introduced the song — and soon-to-be million selling record –”Chattanooga Choo Choo”, and featured the Modernaires and the Nicholas Brothers. Then came “Orchestra Wives”. But the war was starting to take its toll on many of the big bands as musicians, and the rest of country’s young men, began receiving draft notices.
On October 7, 1942, Alton Glenn Miller reported for induction into the Army and was immediately assigned to the Army Specialist Corps. His appointment as a Captain came after many months of convincing the military higher-ups that he could modernize the army band and ultimately improve the morale of the men. His training complete, he was transferred into the Army Air Corps, where he ultimately organized the Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band. Miller’s goal of entertaining the fighting troops took another year to be realized, but in late 1943 he and the band were shipped out to England.
There, in less than one year, the Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band engaged in over 800 performances. Of these, 500 were broadcasts heard by millions. There were more than 300 personal appearances including concerts and dances, with a gross attendance of over 600,000. But Glenn was not to participate in the final six months of these activities.
In the Fall of 1944, the band was scheduled to be sent on a six-week tour of Europe and would be stationed in Paris during that time. Miller decided to go ahead, in order to make the proper arrangements for the group’s arrival. And so, on December 15th, Glenn Miller boarded a transport plane to Paris, never to be seen again.
In his book “Glenn Miller & His Orchestra”, George Simon wrote this about the man. “His favorite author was Damon Runyon. His favorite book was the Bible. Spencer Tracy and Olivia de Havilland were his favorite movie actor and actress. His big loves were trout fishing, playing baseball, listening to good music, sleep and money. His pet hates were bad swing, early-morning telephone calls (he liked to sleep from 4 a.m. to noon), and the phrase ‘goodbye now’. His favorite quotation, one he stated, was not from the Bible, nor from Runyon, but from Duke Ellington: ‘It Don’t Mean a Thing If it Ain’t Got that Swing!’
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In the six years since she signed to John Prine’s Oh Boy Records, Kelsey Waldon has earned wide praise for her “self-penned compositions [with] the patina of authenticity” (Rolling Stone). On her new album, Every Ghost, she confronts addiction, grief, generational trauma, and even herself — and comes through it stronger and at peace.
“There’s a lot of hard-earned healing on this record,” Waldon says of the nine-song project, recorded at Southern Grooves studio in Memphis with her band, The Muleskinners. As she sings in the record’s title track and first song, “Ghost of Myself,” she’s put in the work not only to better herself and leave behind bad habits, but also to learn to love her past selves.
Doing so wasn’t easy, Waldon admits. “It took time and experience,” she says, adding that she can now find compassion for her younger self.
“I think you’ve gotta respect her,” Waldon says, “because she was trying as hard as she could for where she was at, and she was doing a damn good job.”
Compassion is a throughline on Every Ghost, whether it’s for Waldon herself, for the person in the throes of addiction in “Falling Down,” or for a suffering world in “Nursery Rhyme.” The people in Waldon’s songs aren’t irredeemable — they’re struggling.
“You’ve got to have compassion; you gotta stay humble and have gratitude,” Waldon says. However, she’s learned that you also can’t let people take advantage of an empathetic heart. “Comanche” — which Waldon jokes is her very own truck song — finds Waldon grappling with the loss of a loved one, not to death but to boundaries she’s set for her own good. Waldon owns a 1988 Jeep Comanche, and driving it serves as a kind of therapy for her.
“I love the whole aspect of when design mattered,” she says, “and owning your car was an expression of yourself.”
“Comanche” is deeply personal, but Waldon’s most introspective reflections bookend My Ghost. Its penultimate song, “My Kin,” extends the idea of loving yourself in spite of yourself beyond the choices she’s made and the circumstances she’s put herself in, to reckon with both the good and the bad that come from her family tree. Those traits, Waldon concludes, make her who she is.
“As the song says, ‘I’m the best and worst of my kin,’ and I love that for myself,” says Waldon, who was born and raised in a hunting lodge at the end of a dead-end road in the rural, unincorporated community of Monkey’s Eyebrow, Ky. “And I’m also at a point where I’m willing to break these cycles, I’m willing to grow, I’m willing to evolve.”
Among those best parts of her lineage is Waldon’s grandmother, who died in June 2024. “She was a remarkable woman. The women in my family have been rocks, and they’ve all been colorful and full of character,” Waldon says.
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