It was nice to see Ralph on national TV last night, was that the first time ever?
I only wish he'd brought the band and played another song, maybe Pretty Polly or
another burner. This is a rare national spotlight for bluegrass music with the
success of the O Brother movie and even more so the success of the soundtrack and live
CD.
The last time bluegrass had such a success? Deliverance to some degree, but more so
Bonnie and Clyde in 1968 or so.
I just hope Ralph dosen't get stuck in going round the networks having to sing 'O
Death' a dozen times, open up that repretoire and give folks a wider brush of
bluegrass music Ralph. Or 'old time' as you'd say.
That's what you get for selling out and letting your tune be taken by Hollywood and
placed in a KKK setting! Now the TV mindset is to cast you in an 'O Death' purgatory.
They'd like to trot you out to sing that one like a blue ribbon hog at that state
fair. Have you heard from any of the big music awards shows yet?
BTW, anybody heard an 'O Brother' song on mainstream country radio yet? How many
platinum CD's does it take to convince them?
It's also a shame they don't allow time to talk to the performers on those shows, how
great it could have been to have Ralph have a chance to talk a bit.
But enough griping, that's the mainstream media.
Also I'd like to point folks to their local library to look up the July 20-27 issue
of, believe it or not, the "New Yorker" magazine with a seven page profile of Ralph
and bluegrass music!
Take care all, feel free to disagree, and hope to be held over for at least one more
Ralph Stanley show!
Jack Lynch (not the Jalyn guy, no relation)
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