Country Music in Kentucky

On Sunday, I watched a program on Kentucky Education Television about the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame and Museum. They were inducting the 2008 artists. Crystal Gayle and Dwight Yoakam were two of the new inductees for this year. Loretta Lynn presented the award to Crystal and then she sang some of the songs that made her famous such as "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue". Several of her other brothers and sisters were also there to see her get the award.

Dwight Yoakam was also inducted. He gave the most moving speech about Eastern Kentucky and his roots there. I could have listened to him all afternoon. He told a story about an aunt of his that moved away from the "holler" and did well for herself and was able to buy a cadillac car.

When she drove it back to Eastern Kentucky they were not sure she would be able to get it up the gravel road to their homeplace but everyone thought she was rich. He stated this gave him the idea for the song, "Guitars, Cadillacs" he had on his first album. He, also, did "Bury Me". I had never heard this one but it is about the Big Sandy.

Here is one verse of Bury Me:

Bury me along the big sandy

Down in those blue gray mountains

Rest my soul in those fields of coal

Until this old earth doesn't tremble.

Kentucky is rich in it's music and famous country singers. Here is a list of just a few:

Crystal Gayle

Loretta Lynn

Dwight Yoakam

John Michael Montgomery

Eddie Montgomery

Bill Monroe

John Conlee

Billy Ray Cyrus

Red Foley

Tom T. Hall

Grandpa Jones

Naomi Judd

Wynonna Judd

Patty Loveless

Ricky Skaggs

Merle Travis

I am sure there are others that I could not think of. If you know one, add it in a comment!