Ace Weems & The Fat Meat Boys "It's All Gone Now" (Carryon Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by David Winston)
Some nice, clean-cut young men from Natural Bridge, Virginia, The Fat Meat Boys proclaimed as their leader one Ace Weems (a fictional character from the Get Smart TV show...) although there was no one in the band by that name. Nonetheless, there were a few real people in the band, including a babyfaced old-timey fiddler named James Leva who was sinking his teeth into a lively repertoire of uptempo stringband tunes. (Leva went on to become one of the more notable "old-time" modernists of the 1980s-'90s folk scene...) This album is maybe less "country" than most of the records we're looking at here... But with a band name like this, how could I leave 'em out? Besides, it's a pretty swell record.

Larry Alger & The Swingin' Country Show "Live At Max" (Virginia Arts Recording Services, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Paul Brier)
Dunno much about this band from Charlottesville, Virginia... They left a pretty light imprint online, with little reference to this album or their live shows... The group released at least one single, "Best Female Actress Of The Year" (a song that isn't on this album) and lead singer Larry Alger won the Male Vocalist award at the 1981 National Championship Country Music Contest in Manassas. Other than that, the trail grows cold. Alger seems to have settled down in nearby Keysville, though I'm not sure how long he pursued his musical career. This album is mostly covers, a mix of oldies and newer hits such as Eddie Rabbit's "I Love A Rainy Night" -- there might also be some original material, but the tracks are uncredited, so I don't know for sure. The band included Larry Alger on lead vocals, guitarists Darian Lester and Dick Shull, Wendell Butler (drums), Jesse Harvey (piano), and Robby Meadows on bass. The Max nightclub was enveloped into a larger entity called Trax (which was the proving ground for the Dave Matthews Band in the early 'Nineties) though the entire complex was engulfed by the University of Virginia, which purchased the property and demolished the club(s) in 2001 as part of an expansion of the UVA hospital. Nothing really lasts, does it?

Art & Jim "Live: The Most Fun You Can Have With Your Clothes On" (1981) (LP)
(Produced by Art Whitlock & Jim Atwater)
A country comedy duo with a musical mix of '50s-style rock and some country tunes such as "Take This Job And Shove It," "Why Don't We Get Drunk And Screw" and John Denver's "My Sweet Lady." The rest of the repertoire is mostly originals, evenly split between Atwater and Whitlock. This album was recorded live at the Steak And Ale House restaurant in Richmond, Virginia.

Bill Banks & Virginia Breeze "Happy... Sad... Good... &... Bad Collection" (ACM, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Nadine Rupert, Chuck Volpe & Jim Easter)
An odd project, spread out over several states... Bill Banks, pictured on the cover in bubba-esque glory with a sleeveless shirt and aviator glasses, sings lead and plays autoharp(!) for this Virginia-based band, which also included James Podgurski on lead guitar, pedal steel by Lyndon Strauff, Chris Strauff on drums, and Buzz Kenley on bass. They had a gig at the time playing at the Mountain House Restaurant in Meadows of Dan, Virginia, a microscopic pit-stop on the border near Mt. Airy, North Carolina, where this was recorded. Banks is credited with the music, though the lyrics are by his cousin, Nadine Rupert, who lived in Kingsville, Maryland, and who may have bankrolled the album. Not a lot of info about these folks, though, alas.

Burke Barbour & Troy Brammer "Bluegrass Western Swing Style" (Dominion Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Jack Mullins & Rick Mullins)
Bluegrass + western swing? I'm in! Fiddler Burke Barbour and banjo plunker Troy Brammer were championship musicians from Virginia, backed here by Curley Garner and Garland Henegan on guitar and Robert Garner on bass. Apparently this was their fifth album album together, though I don't have any info on their other releases; Troy Brammer also released some solo work, and was in the gospel group of Jake & Fennie.

The Bell Spur String Band "The Bell Spur String Band" (Heritage Records, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Elbert L. Marshall)
Bedrock old-timey music by a family band from Bell Spur, Virginia, made up of Johnny Jessup (autoharp), Joseph Edgar Jessup (banjo), Martin Marshall (banjo), and Ernest Stanley (who was also part of the Jessup family) on fiddle. The session was recorded informally back on August 12, 1963 by producer Elbert Marshall, who also contributes copious liner notes. These guys were already old-timers when they cut this session: they started playing together in the 1920s, though they never recorded anything before these tapes were made; the liner notes also inform us that fiddler Ernest Stanley was born back in 1893, so he was seventy when they cut this session. A lot of well-known tunes are included, although the arrangements were unusual, and in 1982 bluegrasser Bobby Patterson sat down with Martin Marshall -- the group's surviving member -- to work out the parts for a new recording of the Bell Spur band's material, a project that in turn led to Elbert Marshall finally issuing his old tapes on LP.

Vivian Bell "Take Me, I'm A Woman" (Princess Records, 1973-?) (LP)
(Produced by Jeff Newman)

Dock Boggs - see artist discography

Uncle Ish Bowen "Something Got Hold Of Me" (Master Records, 19--?) (LP)
A simple, haunting country gospel set from a former honkytonker who got religion and switched to gospel music... Ishel Femus Bowen (1917-1989) was born in Shelby, North Carolina, but had moved to Newport News, Virginia by the time he recorded this album. I don't have much info about his musical career; Mr. Bowen worked as a welder in the Virginia shipyards and possibly was strictly an amateur musician. The record includes two songs sung by bassist David Jones, as well as one written by Ann Allman who sings on the album, along with Ms. Lola Begg also play on the album. It's a nice, simple set -- sparsely recorded with Bowen strumming an acoustic guitar, singing in an old-fashioned style reminiscent of Roy Acuff and the Depression-era country scene, with Allman and Begg adding Carter Family-esque harmonies. Also charming are their clumsy attempts and counterpoint recitation on tracks like "I Wasn't There." This is deep, authentic rural stuff -- heartfelt, unpretentious and sincerely moving. The tracks with Jones singing lead are slicker and more upbeat, though also quite nice.

Carolina Charlie "Welcome To Charlie's Country" (Lancers Records, 1976-?) (LP)
(Produced by Carolina Charlie, Bones Butler, Tom Williams, Cliff Williamson & Slim Williamson)
"Carolina Charlie" was the nom-du-twang of Charlie D. Wiggs (1931-1993) a North Carolina native who settled down in Virginia Beach, working in radio and in a wide variety of country bands, notably with this group, the Heavy Cowboys. This album appears to have been recorded in several sessions with different sets of Nashville pros... Possibly some of the tracks came out earlier as singles, and were later gathered for this LP?

Carolina Charlie & The Heavy Cowboys "Live -- Featuring Slim Bryant" (Lancers Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Carolina Charlie)
This is one of those old concert albums where the performances are clumped together in big, long, album-side sets, with no gaps between the songs, which makes for fine listening, though I doubt many radio deejays wanted to mess with it. Anyway, it's a lively country-meets-bluegrass set recorded in January, 1976 at Donk's Theater in Matthews, Virginia, an old movie theater which had only months earlier been re-opened as a country music venue, soon to be nicknamed Virginia's Lil' Ole Opry. I'm fairly sure the names of the guys in the band were meant to be joke aliases -- Buck Rodgers, Muskrat Reames, Buddy Holiday, Billy Kidd and Gary Lovelace, but singer Thomas Hoyt ("Slim") Bryant was the real deal, a veteran of the pre-Nashville hillbilly scene, and had even backed Jimmie Rodgers on some of his later sessions in the early '30s. "Carolina Charlie" was Charlie D. Wiggs (1931-1993) a North Carolina native who settled down in Virginia Beach, working in radio and in a wide variety of country bands, notably with this group, the Heavy Cowboys. Alas, this live set was poorly recorded (or poorly mastered) and has muffled sound quality, which is really unfortunate since the musicianship is uniformly top-flight on each and every track, with a heavy western swing influence. I suppose it's possible someone out there has the master tapes and could try again?

Anita Carter - see artist discography

The Carter Family -- see artist discography

Maybelle Carter & The Carter Sisters -- see artist discography

June Carter Cash - see artist discography

Teenie Chenault "...And The Country Rockers" (Alear Records, 1970-?) (LP)
Singer John "Teenie" Chenault was one of the younger-generation members of the WVVA Jamboree USA stage show... A Virginia native, Chenault started his musical career in 1964 by winning a local talent show, and worked his way up to a regular spot on the WVVA program. In 1969, just before this album was released, he went on a four-month USO tour of Vietnam, where the Country Rockers played over a 150 shows, and in later years Chenault kept doing armed forces gigs, playing military bases, along with local clubs and other venues around Richmond, VA, before he finally retired and moved to Florida in 2009. Back when this record came out, he was leading a slightly-longhaired band that included bassist Cliff Ashburn, lead guitarist Chuck Parsons, steel player Tommy Cass and drummer Bubba Underwood, many of whom previously played in rock bands. The repertoire included a lot of original material, including five songs written by Jean Alford, and a couple others credited to "Reynolds," although I couldn't determine who that writer was. It's fun stuff: Chenault had a bouncy, twangy sound inspired by Buck Owens, and a voice that was a bit like the young George Jones. This LP may have been a collection of earlier singles, though I don't know for sure.

The Chestnut Grove Quartet "The Great Beyond" (Pine Mountain Record Company, 1970) (LP)
An absolutely gorgeous set of pure a capella harmony vocals by a group from the tiny towns of Abingdon and Holston, Virginia. Though they had been together for many years and performed on the radio for over a decade, this was apparently the group's first album, with a lineup that included James Nunley (soprano), William Nunley (tenor), Ray Roe (baritone) and Gale Webb (bass). Although there are no pickers on here, this album and those that followed are said to have had a profound effect on a number of musicians in the bluegrass tradition, notably Ralph Stanley and Ricky Skaggs, who took up the banner of this emotive, heartfelt vocal style, which seems to have grown out of the regional shape-note tradition. You can hear why this group was so well received: this is just "one of those records," a captivating musical gem that should enchant any listener with open heart and open mind. A quiet masterpiece.

Chief Powhatan "...Sings Rosie And Other Bluegrass Favorites" (Homestead Records, 1972-?) (LP)
Although the feather headdress was maybe a bit much, Floyd Powhatan Atkins was indeed a member of the Chickahominy tribe of Virginia, and was named after Wahunsenacawh, the Algonquin leader who met the first settlers at Jamestown. Whether Atkins was a "chief" himself, I can't say, but he was a popular performer on the WWVA Wheeling Jamboree show, and led his band, the Bluegrass Braves for several decades, dating back to the early 1960s, when his best-known single "Rosie" came out. According to a profile in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Atkins started writing songs while in the military, and began his performing career while working as a truck driver throughout the South. He continued performing throughout the 1990s despite declining health, and passed away in 2000 at age 73. This first album was packed with original material -- other than one song by bluegrasser Jim Eanes, all the songs were composed by Atkins, including a reprise of "Rosie." He's backed by a compact band featuring David Deese on banjo, bassist Johnny Eagle, Craig Wingfield playing dobro and Atkins on vocals and guitar. A pretty classic high-lonesome sound, overall, with echoes of the sentimental old-timey style of Roy Acuff, Brother Oswald, et al.

Chief Powhatan "More In '84" (Mountain Laurel Records, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by David L. Kline & James K. Hodgkins)
Floyd Atkins was still plugging away in the 'Eighties when he cut this disc, backed by a new band but still working in the same vein, straight-up old-school bluegrass with the dobro used as the central lead instrument. The "Braves" backing him included his longtime bassist, Mel Hughes, along with Rodney J. Hill (fiddle), P. J. March (mandolin), Pete Smith (dobro) and Carlton Stell plunkin' the banjo. Side One of the album is secular, sentimental material, while Side Two showcases gospel songs. Unlike his first album, most of these songs are covers, with a couple of originals by Atkins, "Love Me Darling Just Tonight" and "Mustang Country."

The Clifton Family Old-Time Band "Mountain Heritage" (Outlet Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by Rod Shively)
A wonderfully low-key album of back-to-basics mountain music by a family band who roots trace back to rural Vesta, Virginia, where their parents -- William Taylor Clifton and Ruth Cockram Clifton -- sang in Primitive Baptist churches. The elder Cliftons had six children, who all learned various instruments and played music together... The inspiration for this album came from a family tragedy when one of the brothers, Jewell Clifton, suffered a fatal heart attack while playing guitar in an informal jam session. This spurred the remaining siblings to gather together and record an album in his honor, with Ebo Clifton on banjo and guitar, Marvin Clifton (dobro and guitar), Iva Connor (bass), Rhoda Kemp (autoharp and banjo), and one non-family member, C. E. Stewart Jr., a championship fiddler and guitar picker, filling out the sound. It's a very listenable, satisfying set, with a mix of Appalachian chestnuts and lesser-known mountain tunes. Quite nice, really. No muss, no fuss, just good, sweet, heartfelt music.

Patsy Cline - see artist discography

Marshall Coiner & His Deputies "Singing The Most Requested" (Princess Records, 1971-?) (LP)
Earnest though klunky country material...Bandleader and primary vocalist Marshall Coiner lived in Waynesboro, Virginia and seems to have been part of the same local country scene that spawned Lew Dewitt and the Statler Brothers. He's joined by singer Gay Baldwin, Ron Fischer on drums, Barry Kelley (steel guitar), Don Lawhorne (guitar), and Richard Shull playing bass. Mr. Coiner was an uneven vocalist with a Merle Haggard-like vibe; he sings lead on almost all the songs, though the equally wobbly Ms. Baldwin takes the spotlight for a rote version of Patsy Cline's "Crazy" and a song called "Wild Honey," one of several here credited to composer Bennie Caudill, whose songs were recorded on other regional albums around this time -- a few years later he placed songs with legit stars such as Razzy Bailey and Mel Tillis. Overall, this is a pretty iffy production, with the steel guitar the most solid musical element, with the rest of the band sounding a bit chaotic. It's not that bad, really, but it's also not super-great. Mr. Coiner had been performing publicly for a long time, though earlier he may have been more into bluegrass music -- the liner notes mention club dates, and he was also mentioned in the Virginia Chronicle way back in 1964, plugging "Marshall Coiner and his mountain banjo." And, while I generally disapprove of those who mock the "worst album covers ever," it must be conceded that this record has an exceptionally unflattering cover photo... Oh, well. At least their hearts were in it!

The Cooke Duet/The Singing Cookes - see artist discography

Wess Cooke "...Sings Mother Nature" (GCRS Records) (LP)
(Produced by Wess Cooke & John Biehl)
Originally from Midland, Virginia, singer-songwriter Wess Cooke was a longtime member of the Carolina Opry, and later moved to Lancaster, PA to join the American Music Theatre, where he enjoyed a longtime residency. He had a regional hit with the song, "The Wind Keeps Whistling Dixie," though later he turned to spiritual themes, recording a couple of religious albums, such as the Church In The Wildwood CD, which is covers of standards such as "Unclouded Day" and "I'll Fly Away."

The Country Hearts "Home Grown" (Major Label Records, 19--?) (LP)
This family-based band from Stephen City, Virginia had been around for about ten years before they recorded this, their first (and only?) album... Bassist and bandleader Bland Ritenour taught his sons guitar and recruited a few friends to play local shows.

The Country Sessions "Beans" (Lark Records, 1977-?) (LP)
A private-press outing from Spotsylvania, Virginia, featuring a mix of country and pop/R&B covers, recorded at the Major Recording Company... The country stuff includes tunes such as the Marty Robbins oldie, "Singing The Blues," along with newer, outlaw-ier tunes like Billy Joe Shaver's "Old Five And Dimes, and even a cover of "Lucille." On the other hand, do we really need to hear anyone covering Frankie Ford's "Sea Cruise," or "Whiter Shade Of Pale"? Probably not. This informal band included guitarist Joe Bayliss, a veteran of Roy Buchanan's electric blues band, as well as vocalist Marvin Burrell, Sonny Burnell on drums, and bass player Larry Eubanks. As far as I know this was the group's only album.

Cuzzin Eth "Eatin' Peas & Honey" (GDS, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Spike James)
Danny Etheridge, aka Cuzzin Eth, had a "hick comedy" hillbilly persona that was a throwback to country's vaudeville days, a style that was still alive in the 1970s thanks to various mom'n'pop opry shows and of course to the Hee Haw TV show. A resident of Yorktown, Virginia, he must have been attached to some local opry venue, although I'll have to track down more info to make sure. He's backed by a band called "the Eth Hicks," including Jimmy Krebs on steel guitar, George Mooney (guitar and mandolin), Fido Stephens (bass) and Dave Triplett on banjo, fiddle and guitar. The songs are all credited as co-written by Ethridge and producer Spike James, though you can take that with a grain of salt: some of these are gags that date back a few years, including a version of "Good Ole Mountain Dew." There are also plenty of originals, such as "Country All The Way," "A Country Boy For Jesus," "Love Is Like A Nanner Pie" and "Teardrops On My Grits."

Benny Dean "I'd Rather Be Blind (In My Eyes Than In My Soul)" (Erin Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Rudy Calicutt & Bob Ysbeck)
Virginia-born Benny Dean had a pretty melodramatic life story, as described on the liner notes of this album. A former family-band gospel singer, Dean lost his path and went blind after going to prison for car theft -- he found God again, but still wound up singing secular music. I'm not sure, but chances are this was his only album.

Elvis Dean "Pay Tribute" (Lark Records, 1979) (LP)
An Elvis Presley tribute singer from Alexandria, Virginia, running through a bunch of oldies from the Elvis canon... This was recorded at John Major's regional label, the Major Recording Company, which included the Lark label as one of its imprints.

Donna Dean "Classic Country" (JRM Records, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Jack Mullins & Rick Mullins)
Yeah, this is more Top Forty-oriented than I'm normally into, but it's definitely an off-the-radar outing. Singer Donna Dean was originally from Virginia, and started working in show biz at a very early age. According to the painfully detailed liner notes, she spent some time working in Vegas, had an on-camera job with Alan Funt's "Candid Camera" program, and did some stuff with country stars such as Mel Tillis and Jerry Reed. By the time she cut this album, she had returned to Virginia and was working as a weather reporter on WSLS-TV, in Roanoke, though she was still looking to break into Nashville. The backing band is refreshingly local and free of "usual suspect" superpickers -- as far as I can tell, these were all Virginia lads, including Allen Mason (keyboards), Randy Hurt (strings), Dale Thompson (lead guitar), Keith Guthrie (lead guitar), Rick Mullins (drums), Mike Sweeney (steel guitar), Steve Thomas (fiddle) and several different bass players... Mostly this was recorded in Salem, VA, though some tracks were laid down in Nashville, with help from Jerry Crutchfield. This seems to have been a songwriters demo disc -- Ms. Dean recorded on of her own songs, "Over At Last," while others come from folks like Larry Stewart and Troy Seals; three songs were co-written by a guy named J. D. Martin. This was Dean's first album, dunno if she made any others.

Lew DeWitt "On My Own" (Compleat Records, 1985) (LP)
(Produced by Lew DeWitt & Chip Young)
It took me a while to warm to this one, but after a couple of listens, it got under my skin... Lew DeWitt (1938-1990) was best known as a member of the Statler Brothers band, singing tenor vocals until he retired in '83 due to poor health. He's also the author of their earliest (and arguably best) big hit, 1965's "Flowers On The Wall," which he reprises here in a slightly less robust but still satisfying rendition. Many of the songs here share the forlorn, nebbishy heartbreak of "Flowers," as well as the world-weary wisdom of middle age, verging on old-timerness. Like I say, this album grows on you and though his voice sounds a bit thin, DeWitt's emotional commitment to the material comes through with attentive listening. There is one weird, note, though, on the end-time-ish "Show Me Someone Making Plans To Leave," which declaims all kinds of global violence and kookiness - it's sort of a goofy folk/protest number that doesn't quite hold together, and doesn't match the tone of the rest fo the record... But it is interesting. Anyway, this album is a nice footnote to an illustrious career, and a must-hear for fans of the original Statler Brothers lineup.

Lew DeWitt "Here To Stay" (Compleat Records, 1986) (LP)

The Dominion State Quartet "If I Walk Among The Shadows" (Tri-State Recording Company, 1971-?) (LP)
A delightfully chaotic country gospel set by a vocal quartet from Vinton, Virginia, a suburb of Roanoke... The singers -- Gene Burrows (tenor), Marvin Parsons (bass), LaRell Strickland (lead) and Richard Turner (baritone) -- worked in a pretty straightforward southern gospel style, though the liner notes say they got together in October, 1970, and it doesn't sound like they had spent much time rehearsing together before they cut this record. Not that they sound bad or anything, it's just that the vocal quartet feels pretty disconnected from the country band backing them; the pickers are playing all kinds of random, noodly country curlicues that are often mixed a little too high and are a bit distracting. It's great. I love how amateurish and slapdash it sounds, even though the singers themselves seem fairly coherent. (I suppose it's even possible they recorded a separate vocal track and the guys at Tri-State Recording Company just slapped the instrumental tracks on top...) At any rate, this is a heartfelt record with a pleasantly disjointed, "real people" feel, and a healthy amount of real country twang. The backing band seem to have been locals, either from Roanoke, or from Kingsport, Tennessee, where this was recorded: Bobby All (classical guitar), Rodger Cook (rhythm guitar), Dorothy Hickman (piano), Aubrey Hilton (bass), Red Lincous (fiddle), Estel Mack (lead guitar), Jerry Staley (steel guitar), and David Turner on drums. The album was probably produced by Bobby All, who worked on numerous locals-only gospel records in the 'Seventies, and later spun up the Trail Records label from the Tri-State studio.

The Dominions "Dreams Take Me Home" (MRC Major Recording Company, 1984) (LP)
Led by Virginia-born Cecil Hall (1931-2020) this was a later iteration of the Dominion Valley Boys bluegrass band, which recorded a few albums with Hall in the early 1970s. On this album, Mr. Hall is the guiding force, penning all but two of the songs, backed by his brothers Marshall and Ray Hall, along with Barry Hutchins, Billy Hutchins, Bryan Hutchins, Clifton Mabe, Ronald Pinnix and Charles Shelor, and dobro legend Josh Graves sitting in as well. The band was made up of locals from the Piedmont area of Virginia and North Carolina; a few years later in 1988 Cecil Hall built and opened Dominion Valley Park, a music venue in Stuart, Virginia that became a regional center for bluegrass and gospel.

The East Virginia Toadsuckers "The Worst Of..." (1980) (LP)
(Produced by Bill Roper)
Novelty songs galore from the folkie/old-timey trio of Howard Garner, Jack Glover and Howard Ozmon, including tunes such as "Peaches In A Can," "Ant Between Your Toes," and "Income Tax Number," as well as covers of Shel Silverstein's "Masochistic Baby" and "The Funny Farm," by Homer & Jethro. The band was first formed in 1971 and stayed together for about twenty years, though I think this was their only album. Howard Ozmon was a school teacher and also a serious, heavyweight academic, working at the University of Virginia and elsewhere, as an education expert, with the Toadsuckers, obviously, as a side gig.

Wiley Eastwood "Star City Swing" (Outlet Recordings, 1977) (LP)
(Produced by Ron Shively & Allen Mills)
Western swing fiddler Wiley Eastwood (1904-1977) was born in Wytheville, Virginia and played local gigs at dance halls and other venues in Roanaoke and around the state, though this was apparently the only record he ever made; Mr. Eastwood passed away in April, 1977, just before the album was scheduled to be released. He was joined on a set of country and swing oldies by guitarist Luther Greer and Bill Kinsey on bass, fellow old-timers with a feel for the style.

Ray Edenton "...Plays Uptown Country Music" (Columbia Records, 1966) (LP)
(Produced by Frank Jones, Don Law & Mort Thomasson)
One of Nashville's top session players, guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Ray Edenton (1926-2022) played on countless sessions, large and small, including some of the biggest hits you can imagine. ("Singing The Blues," "Sweet Dreams," "Wake Up Little Susie," "King Of The Road," et.al.) On this album he jams on a bluegrass-ish "folk" set with others in the Music City super-picker elite, including folks such as Harold Bradley on guitar, Floyd Cramer (piano), Buddy Harman (drums), Grady Martin (guitar), Charlie McCoy (harmonica), Bob Moore (bass), Boots Randolph (saxophone), and bassist Joe Zirken. The songs are drawn largely from what could be considered the mountain music canon, posh, modern versions of barn dance standards such as "Turkey In The Straw," "Sally Goodin," "Eighth Of January" and the like, with a little bit of western swing and jazzy blues in the mix as well. The liner notes tell us a little of Edenton's history: he was born in Mineral, Virginia and played at local dances when he was just a little kid. He broke into show business after World War Two, first joining the cast of Richmond, Virginia's WWVA Old Dominion Barn Dance, then moving to WNOX, in Knoxville, Tennessee, amid a booming country scene that fed directly into postwar Nashville. For over two years his career was derailed by struggle with tuberculosis, after which in 1952 he moved to Nashville, where he became one of the town's most ubiquitous players. This appears to have been his only solo album, though it was accompanied by a single which included a non-album track, "Wildflower."

Everett & Arella "Now And Always" (19--?) (LP)
The husband-wife heartsong duo of Everett Hanvold (1951-2007) and Arella Mae Potter recorded several albums, though I think this one was the first, and possibly the only one that came out on vinyl. Originally they were from back East -- she was born in Kentucky and he was from Virginia, where they got married, though more recently Arella was living somewhere in Missouri. Everett Hanvold also recorded at least one solo album under his own name, called Pretty Words, which seems to have come out in the digital era.

The Fiddle And Banjo Club Of Roanoke, Virginia/Various Artists "The Sounds Of..." (Rite Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by James H. Barrett)
This two LP set was the second release by this far-flung group of old-timey music fans from Roanoke and environs... The tracks are a mix of the greater "Club" musicians and tracks by specific artists and bands that were associated with the Club and its sponsors. These artists include Connie Brothers & The Floyd County Boys, Cecil Edwards, Paul Elkins, Marvin Harlow, Jim Hypes, Clinton King, The Knicely Family, Charlie Robertson, Wilton Shorter, Frank Turner, Betty Waldron, and Charlie Whitehead, as well as Lawrence Dodson & The Dreadful Snakes, who as far as I know had no direct connection to Bela Fleck's early '80s band of the same name. Although another album came out under the Club name was clearly a "various artists" set, this one includes more than half the tracks without naming any specific artists, which leads me to believe there was a larger, anonymous communal jam band that could legitimately be listed under the Fiddle And Banjo name. Please correct me if I'm wrong!

Virgil Fleming "Let It Burn" (Cova Records, 1978-?) (LP)
(Produced by Bobby Bradley & Harold Bradley)
Country singer Virgil Fleming (1953-2016) and his cousin, coal baron Charles Cova Elkins both seemed to be huge Elvis Presley fans and had the sideburns to prove it. Although they were totally into The King, this disc was a pretty straightforward honkytonk country set, recorded in Nashville with an all-pro, a-list studio band. I think it was Mr. Elkins who footed the bill for these Nashville sessions; he had been recording at Bradley's Barn for several years, starting back around 1971 and released several singles under his own name, as well as several others by Virgil Fletcher. They also formed a backing band called the Fallen Stars back home in Clintwood, Virginia, though it's not clear if they did many public concerts... The group's history is described in intimate detail by guitar picker Ron Swindall in his memoir (and online) who details what seemed like it might have been a weird kinda gig. Apparently one of the guys they were hanging around with at the time was hard country god Gary Stewart who gets a shout-out on the album's back cover (and who poached a musician or two from Swindell's circle of friends...) I'm not sure what happened with Virgil Fleming's music career, or how long it lasted... He had a string of Cova label singles dating back at least as early as 1975, and had the band backing him until 1979, when the Fallen Stars tried going solo and cut some tracks in Nashville that seem to have gone unreleased. Cova Elkins put together a ten-song retrospective CD of his own work which he advertised in Billboard in 2001: the ad forlornly explained that his master tapes had been destroyed in a studio fire, presumably including the tracks from this album as well.

Erma J. Ford "...Is Really More Than Half A Woman" (Princess Records, 1971) (LP)
Pretty twangy, Loretta Lynn-like honkytonk country, from Roanoke, Virginia. This disc was a mix of covers and originals... The super-weird album title comes from her version of a song called "Half A Woman," which still doesn't make it any less weird. Go figure.

Ralph Gann "Arkansas Traveler" (Major Recording Company, 1981)
(Produced by John Major)
A pretty obscure set from Virginia, with singer Ralph Gann backed by several guys in the orbit of the MRC label. It's mostly cover tunes, though one track, "You Can't Tell Who To Trust" was penned by Mr. Gann. alongside Top Forty chestnuts such as "Statue Of A Fool," Marty Robbins' "You Gave Me A Mountain," Larry Gatlin's "Broken Lady" and the slightly hipper "Tulsa Time." The band included keyboard player Juggy Donovan, Mike Dorsey (bass), Danny Ennis (lead guitar), Roy Ledford (drums) and steel guitar by Bill Shanholtzer... Some of these guys played on other MRC sessions, including with the Maryland group, Jeanie C & Country Caravan; after Jeanie Class left the band, Mr. Gann became the group's lead singer in the mid-'80s, and was the featured singer on Country Caravan's 1985 album, Proud To Be An American.

Everett Hanvold "Pretty Words" (?) (CD)
A later album by heartsong singer Everett Hanvold (1951-2007), the late husband of Arella Mae Potter, with who he recorded several other albums as the duet of Everett & Arella. I'm not sure when this disc came out, though I think it was a CD-only release, from the digital era, as opposed to their first album, which was on vinyl. The duo was originally from Virginia, though other than that, details are scarce.

Albert Hash & The Whitetop Mountain Band "Whitetop" (Mountain Records, 19--?) (CD)
Virginia-born fiddler and luthier Albert Hash (1917-1983) was a prolific craftsman, sculpting about three hundred unique fiddles, including several which were donated to The Smithsonian Museum. Mr. Hash was also an exemplary traditional musician, playing in a series of stringbands in the 1940s and '50s, later forming his own group, the Whitetop Mountain Band, which included bass player Tom Barr, Flurry Dowe on banjo, and several members of the Spencer family (which Hash had married into) notably guitarist/banjo picker Emily Spencer, who all recorded with the band on this and several other albums. A recent biography of Mr. Hash was profiled in an unusually well-written article in The Lawrence Daily Journal World, and can be purchased directly through the author, Malcome Smith, as well as digital copies of Hash's classic recordings, at https://alberthash.com. Good, solid Appalachian mountain music, no muss, no fuss. Good stuff.

Albert Hash & The Whitetop Mountain Band "Cacklin' Hen" (Mountain Records, 1977) (CD)

Albert Hash "Albert Hash" (Field Recorders' Collective, 2009) (CD)
Over three dozen vintage tracks, culled from various recordings in the collection of compiler Kilby Spencer, a relative of guitarist/banjo picker Emily Spencer, who accompanied Albert Hash on numerous recordings. The following volume was compiled jointly by the Spencer family, the Augusta Heritage Center, and others...

Albert Hash "Albert Hash, Volume Two" (Field Recorders' Collective, 2015) (CD)

Harold Hensley & The Virginia Mountaineers "Orange Blossom Special And Other Hoe Down Fiddle Favorites" (Crown Records, 1966-?) (LP)
Classic barndance tunes from Harold Hensley (1922-1988) a Virginia fiddler who hailed from the musically rich region around Whitetop, VA, and made his professional debut in the late 1930s. Like many performers from the hillbilly era, he worked at many different venues, mostly at various "opry"-like radio shows across the country. He eventually made his way out west and found a berth in the Southern California singing cowboy scene orbiting around Hollywood's TV and movie industries, as well as playing on regional country variety shows, notably in the early cast of Cliffie Stone's Hometown Jamboree, based in El Monte, California. Often uncredited, Hensley played on numerous sessions with folks like Hal Southern, who also produced some of Hensley's solo work. Mr. Hensley was also one of the noteworthy artists who got to record under his own name for the el cheapo budget label, Crown Records (and its subsidiary, Custom Records). No info on any of the other musicians on his Crown sessions, but it may have been a mix of cowboy artists and/or longhair session players from the Sunset Strip scene. Harold Hensley fell into California's heavy gravity, and retired to the Gold Country town of Paradise, CA, where he passed away in the late 1980s.

Harold Hensley & The Virginia Mountaineers "Favorite Hoe Down Fiddle Hits" (Crown Records, 1966-?) (LP)

Harold Hensley & The Virginia Mountaineers "Hoedown Country" (Crown Records, 1968-?) (LP)
This full album was reissued in 1967 as Hoe Down Fiddle Hits on the Custom Records imprint...

Harold Hensley "Fiddles Plain & Fancy" (Whitetop Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Hal Southern)

The High Country Band "Getting Used To Not Lovin' You" (Alpha Audio) (LP)
(Produced by Dennis Mitchell)
This quintet from Victoria, Virginia may have been a family band -- the musicians are only identified by their first names on the back -- Lacy, Charlie, Lee, Jeanette and Bobby -- performing on steel guitar, bass, lead guitar, vocals and drums, respectively. They play some country covers, tunes like "Coal Miner's Daughter" and "Orange Blossom Special" but several songs might have been originals, including the title track, "Getting Used To Not Lovin' You." In the 2000's and 2010's there was a band called High Country in nearby-ish Staunton, VA led by singers Patricia Cantrell and Teresa Wheeling that might be a later incarnation of this group, but if so the lineup had completely changed over the years. Anyone know for sure?

The Highlanders "Get On Board With..." (Princess Records, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by John Major)
A bluegrass band from Galax, Virginia that had definite country leanings... The songs include covers of Merle Haggard Buck Owens and Hank Williams, as well as a few originals -- two by banjo picker Jimmy Zeh ("The Night Has Come Again" and "Hitch Hiking") as well as "The Ballad Of A Minstrel," which is credited to the band. They also cover "The L & N Don't Stop Here Anymore," a song most associated with Jean Ritchie, as well as Johnny Cash, who recorded his version in 1979. In addition to Jimmy Zeh, the group included Paul Bullins (bass), Willard Gayheart (guitar, lead vocals), Warren Castro (mandolin), and Ray Bourne on dobro... The front cover shows them posed on a riverboat, and I suppose it's possible they worked on one as entertainers...

The Hobbs Sisters & Bob Goff, Jr. "Wanted! Best Bluegrass Sound Around" (Royal Records, 1977-?) (LP)
Straight-up bluegrass by a trio from Fairfax, Virginia. The group included sisters Connie and Pam Hobbs and baritone Bob Goff, Jr. who knew one another because their parents (Arnold Hobbs and Bob Goff, Sr.) co-owned a popular folk-country club called Partners II. The kids performed there from a very early age, and steadily worked their way into the DC and East Coast bluegrass scene. I came to this record backwards from their second album, which is packed with some interesting country covers... This one includes a version of "Mister Bojangles," but otherwise it's a pretty traditional truegrass set. The band is filled out by fiddler Aisuke Matsutoya and Keith Morris on mandolin.

The Hobbs Sisters & Bob Goff, Jr. "Barely Gettin' By" (Major Recording Company, 1979) (LP)
Nice unassuming progressive 'grass, in the style of the Country Gentlemen... There are a couple of mountain music chestnuts (nice version of "Rocky Top") though what really caught my eye were their covers of two songs from the Gram Parsons/Emmylou Harris canon, "Sin City" and "Satan's Jeweled Crown." Other highlights include versions of Lefty Frizzell's "I'm Not That Good At Goodbye" and a high lonesome-ish, emotionally resonant take on John Conlee's hit, "Rose Colored Glasses." This edition of the band included Arnold Hobbs and a couple of guys only identified as "Ed" and "Wesley" -- not sure which instruments they played. Although the band was going strong in the late 'Seventies, the Hobbs gals eventually edged out of performing... In the early '80s Bob Goff sang with Dave Vernon & The Dixie Rebels, and played bass on a few other records, notably Larry Sparks' bluegrass classic, "John Deere Tractor." He also formed a group called the Mill Run Bluegrass Band, which was chugging away as recently as the 2010s.

Dan Hodges & Geneva Hodges "Spring, Summer, Fall, Xmas: Music For All Seasons" (Outlet Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Ron Shiveley)
The Hodges were an old-timey/bluegrass gospel duo from Franklin County, Virginia who had a weekly radio show on WNIB, in Mount Vernon. They also performed as The Southlanders, with Dan Hodges on guitar and Geneva Hodges playing 5-string banjo. This album is all original material, with Side Two focussing on Christmas songs, while Side One was non-holiday specific, though packed with gospel material.

The Hollanders "The Hollanders" (Show Time Records, 1984) (LP)
A six-sibling family band from Lynchburg, Virginia with a pretty scary visual aesthetic -- lots of big hair and shiny outfits, all very '80s. The repertoire on this disc is pretty country, overall, although they "went pop" on later albums.

The Hollanders "Traveling Band Album" (Show Time Records, 1987) (LP)
They seem to be more into showtunes and glitzy stuff on this disc, a little less about the twang...

Jake & Fennie "Have You Lost Your Way?" (Dominion Records, 19--?) (LP)
This would be the husband-wife duo of flat-top picker Jacob D. Willard (d. 2011) and Glenda "Fennie" Willard (1931-2010) of Roanoke, Virginia, backed on this early 'Seventies album by a group called The Hearts Of Gold: Burk Barbour (fiddle), Troy Brammer (banjo), Carl Mannix (bass), Larry Robinson (bass, and flat-top guitar) and Jerry Wood on mandolin. Some great down-home bluegrass gospel that nonetheless has a layer of cleancut 'Sixties folk revival to it, a little bit of The Kingston Trio, perhaps, but it gives their music a distinctive feel amid the normally brisk trad-grass scene, and also doesn't resemble the rock-influenced progressive hippie pickers. In a way it reminds me of John Hartford, who enjoyed a similar crossover of styles, conscious of an older, squarer show-business world while deeply rooted in the music of the hills. There are some classic songs by Albert Brumley, three by William York, and two Jake Willard originals, "Have You Lost Your Way" and "Wheels Going Home." For her part, Fennie had a great rural voice with a hint of Kitty Wells to it -- it sure would be nice to hear more of her work! She's credited as playing drums on this disc, though apparently she was a pretty good bass player, too.

Jake & Fennie "Golden Sounds Of Bluegrass" (Dominion Records, 1973) (LP)

Johnson & Stubblefield "Driftwood" (Good Sense Records, 1982) (LP)
That would be multi-instrumentalists Charlie E. Johnson and Bill Stubblefield, a duo both longhaired and a little long in the tooth, at least in Mr. Stubblefield's case... He had some some sort of misty, distant past as a rock-pop artist in the late 1950s, cutting a few singles, including the lightweight novelty number, "Whistlin' Rock And Roll." Lord knows what he did between the and this early '80s hippie-dippie, folkie-eclectic set. Charlie Johnson looks to have been about ten years younger, though he wrote or co-wrote all but one of the songs on this album, and like Bill Stubblefield he played a bazillion different instruments. Their sound is filled out with help from Doug Harvey on guitar, Brewster Hubbard (mandolin), Rick Rickmeyer (steel guitar) and Dave Wells on banjo... Apparently these guys were from Lynchburg, Virginia, though I'm not sure if they all played together as a band; when he posted clips from this album online many years later, Charlie Johnson described this as a demo album.

Mark Jones "Snowblind Traveler" (JRM Records, 1979)
(Produced by Mark Jones)
A self-produced set by a songwriter from Salem, Virginia... Maybe a bit more on the folkie, singer-songwriter side of things, though there is some pedal steel in the mix, courtesy of several locals backing him up.

Buford Kegley "Happy Anniversary" (Princess Records, 1971) (LP)
A veritable force of nature in the Virginia country music scene, Galax, Virginia radio DJ Buford Kegley has been on the air for several decades, well into the 2010s. And he didn't just play country music on the turntables, he made a record, too! Looks like some pretty choice material... when I get a chance to check it out, I'll let you know.

Pete Kennedy "Rhythm Ranch" (Rosewood Records, 1985) (LP)
(Produced by Pete Kennedy)
An early album by folk-Americana guitarist/mandolin picker Pete Kennedy. A bright, cheerful, uptempo set of folkie acoustic swing, with hints of bluegrass, western music, gospel and folk, and swell musicianship all around. Kennedy was living in Fairfax, Virginia at the time and is joined on backup vocals and instrumental oomph by the duo of Cathy Fink and Marcie Marxer -- who were still solidifying their partnership at the time -- and lively fiddling by Mike Stein. A nice, fun record... and man, Pete Kennedy sure could play!

King Edward IV & The Knights "Deep In Christmas Country" (Ambush Records, 1979) (LP)
(Produced by King Edward & Harold Thompson)
A holiday offering from radio personality and country bandleader King Edward Smith IV (1929-1981) a veteran hillbilly and bluegrass performer whose uncle was well-known Virginia fiddler Hobart Smith. King Edward enlisted in the Air Force while still underage in order to serve in WWII; after demobilizing he moved through a series of bands and itinerant broadcasting jobs, including a stint as a staff musician at radio station WCYB, which was a hub of the 1950's bluegrass boom. His real calling seemed to be radio programmer, and in the early 1960s he became the music director at WSLC in Roanoke, Virginia and still had the position when he recorded this disc. The liner notes tell us that King Edward had recorded five albums and nearly three dozen singles dating back to 1957, though good luck tracking them down. Anyone out there who has more info or pictures, please feel free to share.

The Martin Brothers "Songs That Made Bros. Famous" (Erin Recordings, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by Rudy Callicutt)
A tribute to the "brother harmony" sound of the Everly Brothers and the Louvins, with classic songs performed by Jay W. Martin and his brother Joey, a duo from Fairfax, Virginia, backed by their band the Starlighters. Not a lot of info about these guys, though according to the liner notes they had been playing with the Starlighters at local venues for about eight years before cutting this disc. This looks hella cool, but unfortunately the copy I saw at my local Record Hut was completely thrashed, so I had to pass on it. The Martin Brothers apparently recorded at least one single as well, with two tracks included on the VIRGINIA ROCK A BILLY AND COUNTRY compilation album released by White Label Records, in Holland.

Donna Meade "Donna Meade" (DMJ Records, 1982-?) (LP)
(Produced by Sid Hudson & Ronny Light)
Probably best known as the last wife of country star Jimmy Dean, singer Donna Meade was born in Chase City, Virginia and worked for several years as a nightclub singer in Richmond before hitting Nashville in 1981. She got a gig headlining at Buddy Killen's club, the Bullpen Lounge, and in 1988 cut a major label album with Killen as producer. Way before that happened, though, she recorded this session, which seems to have been a songwriter's demo including several songs by Lee Greenwood and an early version of K. T. Oslin's "Round The Clock Lovin'," which was a successful single for Gail Davies around the same era. The backing band was a professional Music City crew that included Greg Galbraith, Jerry Kroon and Buddy Spicher, anchored by producer Sid Hudson on lead guitar. I'd have to do a little poking around, but I think Meade also worked as a studio backup singer, possibly alongside the Arlene and Bobby Harden, who appear on this album as well. Although she eventually cracked into Nashville society, Meade definitely paid her dues and worked off-the-radar for about a decade before the Mercury album came out, and even then it was only a modest success, mostly leading to a slot on the TNN music program, Nashville Now.. Meade and Jimmy Dean met around 1990, married in '91 and stayed together until his death in 2010. (Note: Prague Frank speculates that this session was recorded in 1981, though it may actually have been a little later, since Davies also demo-ed "Round The Clock Lovin'," but not until '82. Also worth noting here, later in life, Meade became involved in an effort to revive the venerable Richmond, Virginia variety show, The Old Dominion Barn Dance.)

Donna Meade "Love's Last Stand" (Mercury Records, 1988)
(Produced by Buddy Killen)

Tee Meroney "35 Years In Country Music" (Kash Records, 1993) (LP)
(Produced by Robert Ulsh)
A teen twang prodigy, Tee Meroney played on WRVA's Old Dominion Barn Dance and went on to work with various country and bluegrass bands, most notably for Opry star Little Jimmy Dickens. In the early '70s he moved to Virginia Beach to start a gig leading the house band for a club called Nashville East, and remained there for nearly two decades. This album looks back at his career, or at least at some of his favorite songs from over the decades.

Darnell Miller "The Country Sounds Of..." (Deneba Records, 1971) (LP)
(Produced by Danny Harrison & Michael Perry)
Raw, twangy, rockabilly-tinged honkytonk tunes from an earthy, rough-edged Virginian who was a regular on the WWVA Jamboree at the time he cut this disc. It's really great stuff -- pure hard country on an album packed with original material and great performances by a Nashville studio crew cut loose and allowed to play some real true twang. Fred Carter, Jr., in particular, lays down some blistering riffs, matching Miller's resolutely rural style

Polk Miller "...And His Old South Quartette" (Tompkins Square Records, 2008)
We're talking deep old South here, like a bunch of pre-jazz, pre-ragtime, Antebellum "plantation Negro" music, drawn from a traveling show that Virginia-born performer Polk Miller toured with in the 1890s... This collection comes from some cylinder recordings from 1909 and 78s recorded two decades later. Polk himself apparently did not perform in blackface, but the cultural context is much the same, so you have to be open to filtering out the negative connotations in order to see the historical value of these old songs. Cool stuff, but it's part of a long, sometimes troublesome, historical narrative.

Tracy Miller "...And Those Rodeo Cowboys" (Country Showcase America, 1972-?) (LP)
(Produced by Frank Gosman & Ricci Moreno)
A youthful singer from Petersburg, Virginia, Tracy Miller was the main recording artist on producer Frank Gosman's label, Country Showcase America, cutting a string of singles that brought her to the attention of producer/arranger Ricci Mareno, who picked up her contract and assembled this album from her CSA singles and new tracks spotlighting new material he had published or co-written. Ms. Miller also landed a spot on WWVA's "Country USA Jamboree" revue, the early '70s echo of the fabled Wheeling Jamboree.

The Moonshine Express "Going To Nashville" (Major Recording Company, 19--?) (LP)
(Produced by John Major)
An ambitious twangband from Covington, Virginia, boasting all-original material written by various bandmembers and friends... The group included bass player Mike Carter, Billy Fury (rhythm guitar), Steve Herald (drums), Kenny Huffman (lead guitar), Laura Kelly (vocals), and Les King on piano. They all take turns singing, while most of their songs were written by Fury, Herald and Huffman, along with two songs credited to Bobby Knick and one by Mila Kelly. Mike Carter also offers one of his own, a novelty number called "Cowboys Are Not That Bad," which hands-down has the best song title on the album.

Old Friends "Old Friends" (Outlet Records, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Ronnie Freeland & Old Friends)
A bluegrass-country hybrid band from Alexandria, Virginia... The group included Roland Ash on mandolin, Carl Fanning (banjo and pedal steel), Jeff Harding (dobro), Johnny Messenger (lead vocals and guitar), Pat Petteway (piano), and Fred Smith on bass. These guys were one of those banjo-meets-pedal steel kinda groups, with dips into oldies such as "Singin' The Blues" and "Yes She Do, No She Don't," as well as newer stuff by Dan Hicks and a version of James Taylor's "You Can Close Your Eyes," featuring pianist Petteway on lead vocals. There are also several original tunes, mostly penned by Fanning and Messenger. Dunno much about these guys; they played together in various configurations for years before forming this band and played the Washington, DC music scene for a while before recording this, their first album.

Pete Pike "A New Star On The Horizon" (Audiolab Records, 1960) (LP)
A late 'Fifties/early 'Sixties hillbilly hopeful from Virginia, Lester Leroy ("Pete") Pike (1929-2006) who started out performing regionally in the late 1940s, and had stints on several country variety shows, notably the WWVA Wheeling Jamboree, the Old Dominion Barn Dance, and on Hayloft Hoedown, where he and bluegrasser Buzz Busby formed a comedy duo called Ham & Scram. In the mid-1950s, he recorded for Decca's Coral Records imprint, including several tracks where he was unapologetically imitative of honkytonk superstar Webb Pierce... Several of those early songs are collected here -- either re-recordings or the originals -- while other tracks may be original to this album. After this brief stop at King's Audiolab, Pike worked his way through a series of indie labels, cutting singles up through the end of the 'Sixties, though this appears to have been his only full album. While it's a real hoot hearing Pike approximate the vocal styles of Webb Pierce and Hank Locklin, he's also tapped into their groovy 1950s-era hillbilly sound, and was a pretty solid hard country artist. He later settled into the bluegrass scene, releasing a Ham & Scram LP with Busby in the early 'Sixties, as well a few albums that, for whatever reasons, got shelved or remained unfinished.

Pete Pike/Various Artists "On The Road" (Design Records, 1962-?) (LP)
One of those cheapo-label albums that looks like it's an LP by a big star (in this case trucker icon Dave Dudley) though in fact it's padded out with leftover material by lesser lights... This kicks off with two mediocre, miscellaneous early 'Sixties tracks by Dudley, followed by four songs each by Kentucky's Ott Stephens and Pete Pike, a late 'Fifties/early 'Sixties hillbilly hopeful from Virginia, an unabashed Webb Pierce imitator whose career path is a little indistinct. In the mid-1950s, Pike recorded for Decca's Coral Records imprint, which is where these tracks originated; all four songs were also collected on his 1960 Audiolab LP, A New Star On The Horizon (above).

Brenda Rhodes "Buchanan County" (Transworld Records, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Joe Deaton)
Not a lot of info about this southern gal... The title track is an ode to her home of Buchanan County, Virginia, one of four originals she wrote for this album, along with "Blue Page," "Not Tonight, I've Got A Heartache," and a gospel number called "If You Think There's Not A God." That's fully half the album, with only eight tracks total... Ms. Rhodes is backed by Tim Compton on bass, Randy Maris (drums), Bruce Rush (piano), Chuck Tipton (guitar) and Eddie Trent (steel guitar), musicians who were possibly provided by the Bristol-based Transworld label.

Jim Richards "Sings For You" (Princess Records, 1970-?) (LP)
I dunno how he bankrolled it all, but in the early 'Seventies, Princess Records label owner Jim Richards put out five albums of his own and quite a few LPs and singles by other local and regional artists such as Vivian Bell, Marshall Coiner and several by a bluegrassy band called The Highlanders. A music promoter and manager from Roanoke, Virginia, Mr. Richards made some waves in Nashville in 1971 when he set up shop and started exclusively promoting his own artists, as noted in a fairly long Billboard article. Richards recorded an eclectic and slightly motley group, although early on he recorded some top talent like bluegrasser Jim Eanes. From the albums and singles I've heard, I'd say a collection of tunes from the Princess label is perhaps overdue. Richards himself had one of those thin, gentlemanly voices, like Bill Anderson or Hank Locklin. He sang a lot of his own material (and offered a lot of it to the artists he signed) but he also sang plenty of well-chosen cover songs from a rich selection of composers. There's surprisingly little info that I could track down about him online -- all of the Princess records seem to have come out in a short burst that lasted from 1970-74, with one of his last albums being a funk band from Virginia called Earl Carter And The Fantastic Six. And then what? Anyway, this seems to have been his first album... Based on some of the material -- such as a cover of "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" -- I'd guess it came out in late 1969, or more probably the following year, in 1970.

Jim Richards "I'm Not The Man I Used To Be" (Princess Records, 19--?) (LP)

Jim Richards "Wrong Way: Jim Richards Sings His Own Songs" (Princess Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Jeff Newman)

Jim Richards "Jim Richards Sings His Songs" (Princess Records, 19--?) (LP)

Jim Richards "The Real Wrong Way" (Princess Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Jeff Newman)

Jim Richards "The Real Wrong Way" (Princess Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Jeff Newman)

Richmond Recipe "Richmond Recipe" (Eastern Recording Studios, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Jim Harmon & Tim Williams)
That would be Richmond, Virginia, home of songwriter John O. Atkinson, who's also the lead singer. This album, which is a mix of bluegrass and country, seems to have been a vanity album with backing by a pickup band -- the liner notes indicate he hired them all one by one. The lineup was John O. Atkinson (rhythm guitar, vocals), Dave Garrett (banjo), Craig Wingfield (dobro), Mel Hughes (bass), Ray Garrett (steel guitar), Bruce Nicholls (lead guitar) and Wally Southworth on drums. As for their pedigrees, Wingfield and Garrett were recruited from Chief Powhatten's band; Hughes from a group called the Grasscutters, and apparently Ray Garrett also toured with Cal Smith. Almost all the songs are Atkinson originals, along with cover tunes such as "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain," "Making Believe" and Jimmie Rodgers' "Waiting For A Train," all of which reveal a healthy love of old-school, pre-honkytonk sentimental stuff. Apparently only a thousand copies were pressed back in '75.

Mel Russell "Truck Drivin Man" (Mountain Empire Records, 1983) (LP)
Latter-day trucker tunes from Bristol, Virginia... Couldn't find out much about this guy online... I think "Mel Russell" may have been a stage name.

Betsy Rutherford "Traditional Country Music" (Biograph Records, 1971) (LP)
(Produced by Arnold S. Caplin & Gordon Sheehan)
Old-school Appalachian acoustic country tunes from a Virginia gal whose dad led a backwoods stringband back in the Depression era. Though Ms. Rutherford was born in Galax, her father, Clarence Wroten, was from North Carolina, and performed on the radio in various cities, including Charlotte, Greensboro and Winston-Salem... She sticks to pretty well-known standards, stuff like "Amazing Grace," "Rain And Snow," "John Hardy," "The West Virginia Mine Disaster," and the like. She sings and plays guitar, with backing by John Coffey, Neil Rossi," and several other old-timey-lovin' folk revivalists, though as the liner notes tell us, "to Betsy Rutherford, old-time mountain music never had to be revived, because it was always alive." Amen to that!

The Seabird Band "The Seabird Band" (Waylon Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Guy Burlage)
Brothers Guy and Denis Burlage anchored the easygoing Seabird Band, a regionally popular group from Virginia Beach, VA that mixed '70s soft-pop and a bit of country twang, particularly with Guy Burlage playing pedal steel guitar... They got some traction nationally, but eventually Guy Burlage moved up North to Vermont and "went solo," recording and performing under his own name. These guys are often mentioned as pioneers of the so-called "Virginia Sound" that Bruce Hornsby brought into the pop mainstream in the early '80s... At first it's hard to hear, as this disc kicks off with a solid set of classic-sounding country-rock, in the New Riders/Eagles mode, but by the third track, pianist Victor Paul's delicate, tinkling keyboard riffs assert themselves on "Memory Of You," and indeed, will have a familiar feel to Hornsby fans. Country fans won't be disappointed by this disc, which is definitely anchored in twang, but has a mellow rock undercurrent.

Sierra "Prelude" (Cardinal Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Phil Baugh)
One of several bands using this name in the 'Seventies and 'Eighties... This group featured three guys from around Roanoke, Virginia, recording a session in Nashville under the guidance of guitar hero Phil Baugh. The clean-cut trio included William Arney, E. J. Harris and Rodney Painter -- and were once a foursome that also included David Mangrum. They started out as a gospel vocal quartet called the Lord's Four, then they shifted into secular country, and tried to make it in Nashville. Calling themselves The Draw Brothers, they were finalists in a 1982 battle of the bands sponsored by Wrangler jeans, an accomplishment that apparently led to a recording contract, as well as write-ups in Billboard and Cashbox. This album seems to have been a songwriters demo set, including three late-vintage Don Gibson compositions (from his Shylone Music company), a couple of tunes by newcomer Keith Stegall ("The Cowboy Thing To Do" and "Keep On Playing That Country Music") as well as one by Mark Collie called "Northern Lights." No info on who the backing musicians were, but one can't help but wonder how things would have turned out if they'd kept Mangrum in the band.

Wiley J. Smith "Walkin' In Big Tracks" (Gotta Go Records, 1972) (LP)
The first solo album by Wiley Johnson Smith (1934-2016) who was the youngest son of legendary old-timey banjo player Hobart Smith, whose "big tracks" he set out to fill here... A lifelong resident of Virginia, Wiley Smith made a few strides towards Nashville, and scored some success as a songwriter: Carl Smith recorded one of his songs, "Mama Bear," the same year this came out, while bluegrass gospel bandleader Doyle Lawson recorded another in the late 1980s. This LP starts out with a few of Hobart Smith's old tunes, followed by several Wiley Smith originals. I don't think he ever really pursued a professional career, and may have been more of a informal, front porch style musician... He also cut a few singles in the early 'Seventies, though that seems to be about the extent of his recording career.

Smoky Mountain Special "Totally Uncalled For?" (Southsong Records, 1976) (LP)
(Produced by Smokey & Sam Sinclair)
A swell set of acoustic twang, bridging some pretty solid traditional bluegrass with rugged, bluesy country (as on the Fred Neil-ish "Just Passing Through," one of several tunes written by lead singer Jerome Arnold, and spacier, more contemplative instrumentals that evoke John Fahey and his whole scene. The Virginia-based group included Jerome Arnold on guitar, Wiley Cox (drums, mandolin), Van Gilbert (banjo and dobro), John Guthrie (bass), Nancy Hall (piano) and Ricky Hicks on steel guitar and dobro. In addition to traditional tunes and oldies by folks like Roy Acuff and Big Bill Broonzy, there are some originals by Jerome Arnold, like "Just Passing Thru" and "Rag For Les," while steel player Ricky Hicks contributes a dreamy tune called "Wind Song," and Wiley Cox pens "Twentieth Century Cowboy" and "Heavy Duty Mama" (which was co-written with Arnold). Overall, a sweet little record!

Wayne Snow "Cool Country Sounds Of Wayne Snow" (MRC/Major Recording Company, 1971-?) (LP)
(Produced by John Major)
A ton of country music cover tunes, mostly hits of the day from the early 'Seventies era, stuff like "Help Me Make It Through The Night," "Snowbird," "Polk Salad Annie" and "Okie From Muskogee" and the like. I'm not sure which of these two records came out first, but based on the repertoire this one seems to have been a bit earlier, with most fo the songs coming out around 1969-70, possibly making this a 1970-72-ish release. In contrast to his album on Colonial Records, this one featured local talents at the Major Recording studio in Waynesboro, Virginia, including Paul Charron on drums, Carroll Durham (piano), Calvin Gochenour (rhythm guitar), Jeff Newman (steel guitar), and Wayde Phillips on lead guitar... Snow also released a couple of singles on the Major label, and several of those songs were included on the album below, possibly in re-recorded versions, though that's not entirely clear.

Wayne Snow "Thank You From Wayne Snow" (Colonial Records, 1974-?) (LP)
(Produced by Scott Turner)
Singer Wayne Snow hailed from Charlottesville, Virginia but trucked over to Nashville to pay for the deluxe package and get backing by Music City A-listers such as Harold Bradley, Pete Drake, Buddy Harmon, Dave Kirby, Charlie McCoy, Bob Moore and Hargus Robbins. There are no composer credits but the material seems to be mostly original; a single including the title track, "Thank You For Loving Me (As Long As You Did)" credits Ray St. Germain as the songwriter... It kinda looks like about half this album originally came out as singles, and the rest of the tracks may have been the stuff recorded in Nashville.

Snuff "Snuff" (Elektra Records, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by Phil Gernhard & Ron Saint Germain)
Originally formed as a trio in the early '70s, Snuff expanded and evolved into a successful late '70s bar-band from Virginia Beach, Virginia that scored a major-label contract. Their deal resulted in two albums, both recorded locally in Richmond, VA. This debut set is basically glossy pop-twang/soft southern rock that might be considered sort of proto- red dirt music, despite the slick early '80s production. There are definite country-rock touches as well, including a nod towards Little Feat called "Willin' (A Tribute To Lowell George)" and a perky twang tune called "The Boys From Oklahoma." There's also a nice version of Steve Gillette's "Happy Hour," which was the band's lone entry into the country charts, pegging out at #71, before the band pivoted to more of a rock-oriented direction. Around the time this album came out, Snuff performed frequently at local clubs such as Country Comfort and The Tobacco Company.

Snuff "Night Fighter" (Elektra Records, 1983) (LP)
(Produced by Phil Gernhard & Ron Saint Germain)
They shifted focus a little here, aiming more directly at the pop-rock market... They met with about the same level of success: the single, "Bad, Bad Billy" peaked at #88 in the pop charts, and that was about it for Snuff as a national act. The band has stayed together/reformed/etc. through the decades, though, and remains a local fave.

Harry Snyder & The Uptowners "Present Your Requests" (MRC/Major Recording Company, 1969-?) (LP)
(Produced by Carlton Haney & Tom Hall)
A lifelong resident of Augusta County, Virginia, country singer Harry Snyder (1933-2009) is perhaps best known for his long association with The Statler Brothers, who started their career singing in Waynesboro and in Staunton, the county seat. Around 1962-63, Snyder recorded several singles backed by "The Buttermilk Drinkers," which was an early alias of the group before they hit upon the Statler Brothers name; the connection continued throughout the decade, as heard on this album which features five songs written or co-written by Lew DeWitt, including "Boulevard Of Blues," which was composed along with Snyder. Several tracks on this album were previously released on a a string of singles on the Haney label, including Synder's most infamous song, "The Needle," a Porter Wagoner-ish gothic novelty number about drug abuse, which has shown up on a compilation album or two over the years. The album captures a wide range of styles prevalent at the time, from syrupy Nashville Sound vocals reminiscent of crooners like Jim Ed Brown uptempo, to uptempo twang ala Buck Owens and his Bakersfield cohorts. Synder recorded an earlier album on MRC, though officially that disc was billed as an Uptowners album... That edition of the band featured Snyder on rhythm guitar with Lew Dewitt playing lead, Carroll Durham (piano), Jim Fadley (steel), Calvin Gouchenour (electric guitar), John Quillon (bass) and Mike Seay on drums -- presumably at least some of those guys are on this album as well.

Southern Crescent "Halfway Home" (Major Recordings, 1982) (LP)
(Produced by John Major)
This bluegrass band from Staunton, Virginia was one of several groups using the name "Southern Crescent" in the early 'Eighties, the others being from South Carolina and Georgia. This group included Howard Anderson on banjo, Kay Buchanan (autoharp), Hon Houser (bass), Dave Law (rhythm guitar), Marc Taylor (lead guitar) and Clyde Wills on fiddle and mandolin, with various members singing either lead or harmony vocals.

The Southern Tradition Band "Makin' It To The Top" (STB Records, 1987) (LP)
(Produced by Ira White)
A good ole' band from Smithfield, Virginia, featuring lead singer Clay Griffin (rhythm guitar), Ronnie Pier (lead guitar), Pete Milby (bass), Sparky Jones (piano and fiddle), Lance Baker (drums), and Joe Barlow (pedal steel). Griffin wrote or co-wrote almost all these songs; some are co-credited to other guys in the band, and Sparky Jones penned one called "I Ain't Lyin." They also cover a Bob McDill song, "I May Be Used (But I Ain't Used Up)" and "Down South Jukin'," a Lynyrd Skynyrd oldie that shows their affinity for southern rock and boogie. Later, in the 1990s, Clay Griffin formed a duo with his wife Nancy, and played locally around Smithfield for many years to come.

Southwind "You've Heard It All Before" (Southwind Records, 1978) (LP)
(Produced by Joe Horner & Southwind)
Not to be confused with the Southern California country-rock jam band or the bluegrassers from Fort Wayne, Indiana, this was one of several groups to use this name "Southwind." These fellas were bluegrass band from Richmond, Virginia, active mainly in the late 1970s and early '80s. Bandmembers included Jim Hatch, Larry Heath, Bob Lewis, Frank Pope and Bob Oeriel, with a repertoire that was a mix of traditional bluegrass standards and country- and folk-based material such as Willie Nelson's "Good Hearted Woman," the Bob Wills oldie, "Faded Love" and Gordon Lightfoot's "Redwood Hill." Anyone have more info about these folks?

Lynn Stewart "Honey" (Major Recording Company, 1973-?) (LP)
(Produced by Jimmy Stewart)
Singer Lynne Stewart hailed from Richmond, Virginia and sang along with the Country Showmen band, featuring Jimmy Stewart on guitar and Kenny Boswell on steel. This set is heavy on country cover songs, including early '70s hits such as "Put Your Hand In The Hand," "Help Me Make It Through The Night," "City Of New Orleans" and "Top Of The World," all of which point to a 1972-74 release date, although I didn't see an actual year on the album itself.

Kate Peters Sturgill "My Stone Mountain Home" (MECC/Mountain Empire Community College Records, 1973-?) (LP)
(Produced by Charles Maggard)
Real-deal stringband stuff by an old-timey country artist from Wise County, Virginia. Katherine O'Neill Peters Sturgill (1907-1975) must certainly be considered a pioneering female country artist: she formed her first band, The Lonesome Pine Trailers way in 1927 and played for many years at local events in the rural Piedmont region, and she also recorded for the Library Of Congress in 1939. During the Great Depression Kate Sturgill opened a community rec center in the tiny town of Norton, where music and musical education were part of the activities, and she became an avid "song catcher," working with the fabled A. P. Carter and others to help preserve the then-fading mountain music. Later, during the 1940s, she performed on radio station WNVA as a member of The Cumberland Valley Girls, and apparently cut a few singles as well. This late-life recording was made with the assistance of folklorist Charles Maggard, and features Kate Peters Sturgill on vocals and guitar, George Reynolds (guitar), and Charles Maggard (bass) playing a nice selection of old-time tunes from her extensive repertoire. [Thanks to The Library Of Virginia for their informative profile of Kate Peters Sturgill's career.]

Maura Sullivan "Out Of The Blue" (Success Records, 1984) (LP)
(Produced by Tony Migliore, Jim Williamson & Maura Sullivan)
The debut album by songwriter Maura Sullivan, a gal from McLean, Virginia who later became known for her yearly contributions to Washington, DC's holiday celebrations, notably with her song, "Christmas Eve In Washington" (which is not included on this album, and originally came out as a single). Sullivan recorded this album with a studio crew that included Nashvillers such as Lloyd Green, Terry McMillan and Tony Migliore, definitely a country flavor, but also with some chamber musicians mixed in as well - cello, viola and the like. This includes Sullivan's own, "If You Walk Out On Me This Time," as well as a couple of songs written by Bill Rice.

Maura Sullivan "If You Want My Love" (Playback Records, 1986-?) (LP)
(Produced by Jack Gale & Jim Pierce)
On this album, Maura Sullivan had a remarkably deep voice, bringing to mind country vocalists like Gus Hardin, who had a similarly "masculine" tone. Combined with the album's mildly synthy 'Eighties production, Sullivan in some ways anticipates the blues-mama sound of Wynona Judd's solo work in the 1990s.

Gus Thomas "Gus Thomas" (Jamboree USA Records, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Ray Pennington)
Country singer Gus Thomas joined the cast of the WWVA Jamboree show as a performer and emcee in 1968, and frequently performed with his wife, Jo Ann Thomas, who had kind of a Loretta Lynn-like sound. He hosted the radio program during a transitional time when the venerable Opry-like program was shifting towards a more modern country/countrypolitan image, and helped tweak the show's on-air format. Thomas left the Jamboree at the end of 1973, and as far as I know, this was his only album. After he left the show there was talk of another album, but I don't know if that panned out. Although Thomas had a lot of name recognition in the country music industry, none of his songs ever charted... This record includes "Morning Train To Cleveland" and "It's Not The End Of Everything," and reprises a couple of songs from an earlier Jamboree single, "Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast" and "My Greatest Hour." The Thomases also recorded several singles on the American Voices label, from Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Thunder Road "Summer Of '83 At Michaels" (1983) (LP)
(Produced by Tim Buppert & Mike Christian)
A memento of a Virginia Beach bar band's summer gig at a place called Michael's, which is billed on the back cover as "Tidewater's most popular country western nite club." It's not clear if the club was also owned by the band's erstwhile leader, Michael D. Christian (1940-1983) who apparently passed away as the album was being completed. He is thanked and memorialized on the album jacket, with the rest of the band credited as Tim Buppert on drums, Don Carrol (keyboards and saxophone), Lonnie Gene (guitar), Skip Horton (guitar), Debbie Lynn (keyboards and vocals), Rick Price (bass), and Greg Thompson (guitar, keyboards and violin). The set list includes a lot of early '80s hits, stuff like John Anderson's "Swingin'," and various chart-toppers from the era of Oak Ridge Boys-ish vocal groups, songs like "Bobbie Sue" and "Mountain Music," and even the venerable soul oldie, "When A Man Loves A Woman." Dunno if any of these folks worked in other bands, though it looks like this was the only Thunder Road LP.

The Uptowners "Harry Snyder Presents The Uptowners: Country Style And Then Some" (Major Records, 1968-?) (LP)
(Produced by John Major)
These guys were a bunch of pickers from Augusta County, Virginia, including bandleader Harry Snyder (1933-2009) and his longtime pal, songwriter and guitarist Lew Dewitt of The Statler Brothers. They're joined by Carroll Durham on piano, Jim Fadley (steel), Calvin Gouchenour (electric guitar), John Quillon (bass) and Mike Seay on drums -- presumably at least some of those guys are on Snyder's own album which came out a few years later on the same label. They cover a bunch of country classics and contemporary hits, stuff like "Born To Lose," "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" and Roger Miller's "King Of The Road," as well as DeWitt's own "Flowers On The Wall," which was a career-making hit for the Statler Brothers in 1965. They also covered pop instrumentals such as "Tico Tico" and Allen Toussaint's "Java," and at least one tune was an original, Carroll Durham's "Carroll's Town," which closes the album out. There's no date on the disc, but based on the setlist, I'd guess it's from around 1968.

Gene Vincent "Gene Vincent/If Only You Could See Me Today" (Kama Sutra, 1970) (LP)
(Produced by Tom Ayres & Dave Hassinger)
A founding member of the original 1950s rock'n'roll explosion, Gene Vincent (1935-1971) recorded this slightly nutty country-rock-folk album in a bid to remain relevant in the acid-soaked hippie era. The album was released under two different titles, Gene Vincent and If Only You Could See Me Today. It's kind of a fun record, with several notable pickers thanked in the liner notes (and presumably backing him on the tracks) including roots music renaissance man Chris Darrow and Augie Meyers of the Sir Douglas Quintet. Many tracks sound a little loose-knit and spaced-out, though also groovy and relaxed... Meyers contributes two tunes, the kooky nine-minute, stream-of-consciousness jam "Slow Times Comin'," and the bouncy, ultra-Dylanesque title track... It's tempting to write this one off as a "nice-try-but" kinda record, but you gotta give Vincent credit for working with a pretty hip band, and letting them go off in a pretty funky direction. Sadly, this was one of the last recordings by the hard-living, hard-drinking Vincent, who died from a severe ulcer the following year. If "Be-Bop-A-Lula" is the only song of his you know, you might wanna give this a spin.

Harry Wade "Swinging Things" (Arlue Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Rayburn Anthony, Glenn Ray & Harry Wade)
Latter-day western swing revivalism, in the same basic style as Red Steagall or Asleep At The Wheel. Dunno much about Harry Wade -- he was an older, middle-aged guy (in his late 'fifties maybe?) who had a decent voice, though a pretty laid-back approach. This was recorded at an independent studio in Jackson, Tennessee, though Clarence Selman's slightly chaotic liner notes mention Mr. Wade having "picked apples in Virginia with Patsy Cline," so either he knew Patsy 'way back in the '40s or '50s, or that's some really, really obscure saying I'm not familiar with. Anyway, this is a nice, super-sincere and genuinely rootsy offering from a reconstructed country purist, a bunch of cover songs and maybe not the most electrifying record ever, but pretty soulful overall. Unfortunately, the back band wasn't identified,but they seemed pretty solid, whoever they were.

Wells Fargo "Wells Fargo" (Brut Sound, Inc., 1974) (LP)
This was a progressive bluegrass band from Virginia which showcased a bunch of country and country-rock tunes in their repertoire... The band included Dan Lambert on guitar, Stafford Markham (banjo), Garland Alderman (mandolin), Bob Brown (bass), Smiley Hobbs (fiddle), and Speedy Price playing fiddle and drums. I'm not 100% certain, but I think Dan Lambert also recorded some "new acoustic" style guitar instrumental albums later in the decade. The repertoire on this album includes covers of hits such as "Good Time Charlie," "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight," "Bad Bad Leroy Brown," and "What's Your Mama's Name."

Sonny Williams "Sonny Williams" (Country Sound Records, 1974) (LP)
(Produced by John Carver & Les Ladd)
Not a ton of info about this guy, though researching his legacy is complicated as they seem to be multiple people using the same nickname. There was a singer from Memphis -- James Kirby "Sonny" Williams -- who played with Gene Williams and Eddie Bond, but he's a different guy. Other sources mention a fella named Clyde Harley Bowie (1933-2008) who went by the stage name Sonny Williams, although there may still be a mixup about Mr. Bowie's identity, and a lack of clarity about that of Sonny Williams. Here's what the record shows: there was a Sonny Williams (this artist) who released several singles in the late 1950s and early '60s including songs that were composed by some of the same songwriters credited here, notably Frank McNulty, whose song "Bye Bye Baby Goodbye" was a Sonny Williams single in 1958, and is featured (re-recorded) on this LP. Similarly, other songs from his back catalog are included here, including some by producer and longtime associate John Carver, as well as several credited to Sonny Williams and one(!) with C. Bowie listed as the songwriter. The liner notes tell us Williams was from Virginia, while the Clyde bio has Mr. Bowie born in Pisgah, Maryland. Was there an error in translation, or were they two different people who worked together over the years? I dunno. Another wrinkle is that apparently Mr. Williams spent much of his career in Wisconsin, and released this LP on a label from Milwaukee, though this set was recorded in Nashville with a crew of Music City super-pickers: steel player Pete Drake, guitarists Jimmy Capps, Jim Colvard and Jerry Shook, Ron Oaks (piano), Billy Linneman (bass) and Willie Ackerman on drums. At the time this album came out, Williams was riding high on having Tammy Wynette record a song he co-wrote with Merle Kilgore, "Fire In Your Heart," which was included on the Five Easy Pieces soundtrack; his own version is heard here, along with a slew of original tunes. Several tracks on this album mirror the sometimes overly amped-up manic pop grafts given to to countrypolitan hits of the era, though Williams soon reverts to an earthier tone, more in line with Merle Haggard or the more rugged country crooners of the era. Pretty good record overall, with some swell steel guitar. Definitely worth a spin!

Various Artists "HOMEBREW: K-94 ZAM-11, ROCK'N'ROLL FROM OUT OF THE WOODS" (Bleu Beaver Rekords, 1980) (LP)
(Produced by Steve Peterson)
A collection of live performances by various bands recorded at several different venues. Although billed as rock music, this disc definitely had a country with several local twangbands and southern rockers, mostly from around Norfolk, Virginia and Newport News. The set was sponsored by radio station WMYK, Cheasapeake -- aka "K-94" -- which was known as a top forty channel, but clearly had some ambitions as a booster for the local music scene. (A couple of years later they switched formats to "new wave," and soon after that to contemporary R&B.) The bands included the Super Grit Cowboy Band and Snuff, which both made full albums, as did the group Bull, a 'Seventies metal band that had shifted towards southern rock by decade's end. Other twang-oriented groups included the unfortunately-named Homegrown Vigilante Band, with their song, "Pickup Truck Country," as well as Sutters Gold Streak Band, who covered "Up Against The Wall Redneck Mother" and a group from Norfolk called Boot Hill Express (which shouldn't be confused with the Florida's Boot Hill Express Band, which was also active around this time...)

Various Artists "THE OLD DOMINION BARN DANCE PRESENTS: OLD TIMERS DAY" (Old Dominion Records, 1975) (LP)
(Produced by Ralph Wright)
A concert souvenir album from the Old Dominion Barn Dance in Richmond, Virginia, featuring a mix of locals and visiting stars. This set was recorded March 23, 1975 at the Mosque Theater, with a lineup that included headliner "Sunshine Sue" (aka Mary Workman) who was one of the original cast members of the Barn Dance, back in the late 1940s. For many years, the Old Dominion program was broadcast Saturday nights on radio station WRVA, although by the early 1970s it was defunct, with the radio program getting canceled in 1964. An attempt to revive the show in 1973 flopped, though it seems to have led to this nostalgic reunion album, which gathered veteran performers such as Mary Click, Curley Collins, Buster Duffenbarger, Lennie Jones and Benny Kissinger, as well as Sunshine Sue and her daughter, Ginger Sue Stanley (who was billed as "Sunshine Sue, Jr."). Barn Dance alumni Joe and Rose Lee Maphis also put in an appearance, and perform on this album.

Various Artists "STRAWBERRY HILL INVITATIONAL BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL" (Eleventh Hour, 1972) (LP)
(Produced by Chuck Taylor & Nick Colleran)
This concert album was recorded at the Henrico County Fairgrounds in Richmond, Virginia on June 17-18, 1972, with a cast of what I suppose was mostly local or regional artists: James Bailey, Bluegrass Experience, Billy Sue Clark, Grass Menagerie, The James River Gentlemen, The Kattail Grass Band, Lloyd Leonard, Johnny Ladd And The Bluegrass Stompers, Jim Orange, The Pike County Partners, Vandy, Larry Wilson and George Winn. By the way, does anyone out there know if the "Larry Wilson" on here playing a version of "Casey Jones" was in fact Americana pioneer Larry Jon Wilson, whose official recording career started out a few years later in '75? If so, that would be pretty cool.

Various Artists "VIRGINIA ROCK-A-BILLY AND COUNTRY" (White Label Records, 198--?) (LP)
This obscuro collection from a Dutch reissue label includes rare tracks by Leon & Carlos, The Martin Brothers, Randy Spangler & The Country Kats and the colorfully-named Hender Sual. So far, I only know (a little) about the Martin Brothers, Jay and Joel, who were from Fairfax, VA and had a band together for most of the 1960s and early '70s.

Hick Music Index