Friday, December 22, 2017

Getting Discovered in Nashville

Nashville has styled itself the Athens of the South; and even had built a concrete Parthenon to drive that point across. But it also advertises itself as Music City, being where a lot of country music comes from. It's not uncommon to see guys strut around in the downtown area wearing Stetson hats and carrying guitars. Don't inquire too closely; they might have come from Ohio or Iowa and occasionally slip into an accent that betrays their origins.

Anyway, Nashville is a pretty nice city, if you stay off the interstates passing through.

Bubba and Billy Bob went there once to hock some stuff they stole from a remand store; and they each were toting a guitar and looking weather beaten, having crossed the Cumberland Plateau and seriously in need of some cheap gas station coffee. No sissy high-end coffee for our guys, no siree! They were walking along the street when some tourists shot their pictures on big Nikon picture-taking gadgets, saying that those guys were the Real Deal: country singers coming to Music City to make it big time! Even better: the tourists tipped them!

So the little wheels go around in Bubba's haid and he thought, "Did we just stumble on an honest way of makin' money?"  

At this stage, our two heroes were not adverse to trying anything for scratch, even if it is sorta honest work. They're not that proud. So they hung out with the gals with painted torsos, the guys dressed as Eeyore or The Village People, and other photo-op ready people. They later even made a successful run at Times Square in Noo Yawk where the big buildings and fast talkers are. Be sure to tip these good ol' boys who are going to make it big in Music City, y'all!

Or Hollywood. They ain't proud. 

Anyway, with them the Real Deal Country type managed to get mixed up with the type intended for public consumption. But that's Nashville for you - Music City things stopped being really authentic in the late 1960's!  













6 comments:

  1. It's been a long time since I've been to Nashville. I might have to plan a summer bike trip!

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  2. "things stopped being really authentic in the late 1960's!" Interesting! I guess the Merle, Willie and the Boys did shake it up. But the Jimmy Rogers, Hank, Porter Wagoner days DO seem like a golden period

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  3. Country music had it's heyday long ago; but it's replaces by vamps and guys looking uncomfortable in cowboy hats. Faux shitkickers.

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  4. If they hang to close to the gals with painted torsos nobody will notice them. I know I wouldn't.

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  5. Real country music died long ago ... it's final goodbye was the creation of the "Academy of Country Music" and the hyped-up, super-pyrotechnic, high-tech "Country Music Awards" show.

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