Cocaine and Rhinestones
My mate Hayden put me onto this podcast, which sets out to deliver an accurate history of country music in the 20th century. The podcast is written, hosted and produced by Tyler Mahan Coe, son of singer-songwriter David Allen Coe. Coe Snr rose to fame as part of the 1970s ‘outlaw’ country movement, recording some well known hits including “You never even called me by my name”. Perhaps his best known song is “Take this job and shove it” made famous by Johnny Paycheck.
Tyler Mahan Coe takes country music seriously. His episodes are meticulously researched, and when he offers opinions on contentious issues of Nashville lore he ensures there is evidence to back them up. He is not afraid to challenge conventional wisdom and when he does, his arguments are typically compelling. But the podcast is more than a history lesson- it provides an engaging story of how a major part of modern American cultural life evolved, and it pays tribute to the key heroes and villians (and many key characters are both) that played a major part.
The topics of Season 1 are wide ranging, from the blood harmonies of the Louvin Brothers, to Buck Owens and the Bakersfield sound, the Judds, the steel guitar genius of Ralph Mooney and much more. Season 2 takes a more thematically consistent approach focusing on the long, sometimes triumphant and often troubled career of the man who many agree to be the greatest ever country singer- George Jones. Of course no comprehensive examination of Jones would be complete without a deep dive into the life and career of Tammy Wynette which is also provided alongside insights into the influential producers of the era, most notably Owen Bradley and Billy Sherrill.
This podcast is a must listen for fans of country music. Season three is currently in production- I’m looking forward to finding out what it has in store.
