I was chatting to my cousin on Friday night. We were doing some texting and as an afterthought she added she had been mesmerised by the BBC4 documentary on The Everly Brothers. She made the very valid point that when she was a teenager in the 60’s she paid so little attention to them as they were deemed a little ‘uncool.’ I have to say I concurred with her. So many people were passed over by kids of my generation because they didn’t fit into our idea of what a pop star should look like. Inversely too, there were those who deserved far less attention but stayed on our radar as we expected them to be as good as they looked. It wasn’t until we reached a respectable age that we all realised the complete folly of our teenage prejudices.
Mrs R and I watched The Every Brothers doc on the iPlayer on Sunday night and I can only implore you to do the same if you haven’t yet seen it. It’s beautifully produced and includes some very telling interviews with some people who really know what they’re on about. Particular praise should go to British trio Teddy Thompson, Dave Edmunds and Albert Lee. I loved seeing the enigmatic Will Oldham who, of course, made a very good Everly Bros tribute album a few years back with Dawn McCarthy.
As you now know, Don Everly died towards the end of last month and this week we are finally get a chance to pay a proper tribute. The Everlys’ legacy will live on as will another great country artist and songwriter who died around the same time. Tom T Hall’s songs were often better known than he was, and it was only many years later that I realised how many of his songs I knew. We’ll give you a taste of the catalogue and the man himself on this week’s show.
Listen out for some fine new records from Sturgill Simpson, Kacey Musgraves and Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. We also have new names to share with you and we think you’ll really like Emily Scott Robinson, Watchhouse and Elijah Ocean.
This week’s show is all records. We have recent releases and country classics that, (if you don’t already own them) may send you scrambling for your bank card. As ever we will be live from five past eight on BBC Radio Scotland and on the BBCSounds from the same time and for the next while after. If you’re in the Sounds app you may want to check out my Ricky Ross Meets series which now contains interviews with fourteen different artists including Del Bryant whose parents, Boudleaux and Felice wrote the biggest hits for The Everly Brothers. Do join me in any of these radio adventures live or any time you’d like to listen.
