Ringo Beaucoup of Blues

Ringo Starr, a longtime lover of Country music (he sang Buck Owens’ "Act Naturally" on a Beatles album), went to Nashville to record his wonderful Beaucoup Of Blues album. He had pedal steel guitar master Pete Drake---who had already recorded with Dylan on a number of his albums (Dylan started recording in Nashville in ’65), including his great John Wesley Harding---round up all the best Nashville musicians for the recordings. Ringo’s not a very good singer, but that’s okay; the album is pretty darn cool anyway. Thanks for reminding me, @rpeluso!

Starting in the mid-60’s, the Blues roots of Rock ’n’ Roll were really coming to the surface. That was followed in the late-60’s with the exploration of the Country roots of Rock ’n’ Roll. Dylan, The Byrds, The Band, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Poco, Commander Cody, Asleep At The Wheel, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and many other lesser-knowns went pretty hard Country. In many cases harder Country than the music coming out of the Nashville music community itself. Nashville actually considered the emerging Country-Rock as too Country for Country radio!

Around the same time, The Everly Brothers recorded a great album that was a tribute to their father, with whom they had started performing on radio as children: Songs Our Father Taught Us. The Everly Brothers, a favorite of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Gen-u-ine Hillbilly music, a wonderful album.