Perspective

We could spend a week talking about the qualities of classic country music. Whether it’s momma, trucks, trains, prison or what have you, classic country is pure

Contrary to popular belief perpetuated by her late 1980s country music video, Kathy Mattea never met a soon-to-be-retired truck driver named Charlie at a truck stop, and

When it comes to performers, the connection between singer and songwriter is not just important — it is an absolute must. Since country music was

Louisiana-born Ted Daffan (1912-1996) had already made his mark as a singer/songwriter in southeast Texas when he pulled into a roadside diner one evening in

My previous columns, I believe, have made the point that my preferences in country music rest in the “classic” era — or almost anything recorded

I’m not much into what Nashville passes off as country music these days, but let’s assume for a moment that these artists are worthy of

In early 1966, Red Sovine had his second No. 1 hit on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles chart with “Giddy-Up-Go.” As many songs of the era

When it comes to trucking songs of the “golden era” (1963-1977), songwriters were, for the most part, inspired by locations or experiences in the South,

The line separating “trucker” and “road” songs is thin. Roger Miller’s signature song, “King of the Road,” makes no mention of trucks but is about

When it comes to trucking songs of the 1960s and 1970s, listeners recognize few voices as easily as that of Woodrow Wilson “Red” Sovine, a