Category: country music

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Acoustic Guitar Cover: Poems, Prayers, and Promises

Everybody’s heard of John Denver. Well, almost everybody. At the risk of dating myself, I’ve known about Denver and his music for decades. Yet, I never took the time to examine or play John’s music. Until now. He inspired me to cover “Jenny Dreamed of Trains” in my last blog. Here, I’m taking on one of John’s favorite and most popular songs: “Poems, Prayers, and Promises.”

Released in 1971, “Poems” finds Denver taking stock of his life at the tender age of twenty-eight. Although he still had many years to live, the song sounds like it is written by someone nearing the end of their life. (Maybe that’s why I’m taking it up now.)

The song is prescient because John died tragically and prematurely in a plane crash at the age of fifty-four after years of personal turmoil. His immense talent and worldwide fame took their toll on him and his marriage.

Still, “Poems, Prayers, and Promises” is an optimistic, wise, and beautiful work of art. Let’s leave it at that. Here’s my cover.

Solo Version

Enhanced Version

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acoustic guitar artist profiles Arts & Entertainment country music Music songwriting

Nanci Griffith’s ‘I Wish It Would Rain’: A Musical Treasure

Despite its somewhat foreboding title and subject matter, this Nanci Griffith song is upbeat and fun to play. “I Wish It Would Rain” was released by MCA in 1988 on Nanci’s 6th album titled “Little Love Affairs.” I hope you enjoy listening to the song as much as I enjoy playing it. I’m including a video of Nanci Performing in the late 1980’s. Just look at her beautiful smile. Here’s my cover.

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acoustic guitar artist profiles Arts & Entertainment country music songwriting

‘Born to Run’: The Country Music Version

While searching for a video of Bruce Springsteen playing his iconic hit “Born to Run,” I stumbled upon a video of Emmylou Harris singing “Born to Run.” Now, here’s the fascinating surprise: Emmylou is singing an entirely different song written by Paul Kennerly. And this song really rocks. Released in 1982 as the second single from Harris’ album Cimarron, “Born to Run” reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.

Emmylou Harris sings like an Angel. She is a Country Music Hall of Fame inductee. I put Emmylou into my Hall of Fame alongside other Angels by the names of Eva Cassidy, Nanci Griffith, Linda Ronstadt, and Kate Wolf.

Here’s my cover of Paul Kennerly’s “Born to Run.”

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acoustic guitar artist profiles Arts & Entertainment country music

Why Emmylou Harris Inspires Generations of Fans

“Long May You Run” is written by Neil Young. The song came alive for me when I heard Emmylou Harris and her band perform it. Now in her seventies, Emmylou is still beautiful and sings like an angel, as attested to in the video I’ve included.

After hearing Miss Harris’ version of the song, I began listening to many of her other reels on YouTube. She is a consummate, unique performer, not to mention beautiful. Emmylou’s music has remained consistently excellent throughout her forty-year career. Willie Nelson is quoted as saying, “There are two types of people in this world…those who love Emmylou and those who have not met her.”

Harris has released more than twenty-five albums. She was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008 and earned a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.

Here’s my cover.