KENTUCKY LIFE IS

MADE POSSIBLE IN PART

BY A GRANT FROM THE HONORABLE

ORDER OF KENTUCKY COLONELS

(Music playing)

(Music playing)

(Music playing)

GOOD EVENING, I'M BYRON CRAWFORD

AND WELCOME TO KENTUCKY LIFE

TONIGHT, WE'VE GOT A REAL

TREAT IN STORE FOR YOU

SO GET COMFORTABLE

AND GET READY TO

EXPERIENCE A HALF HOUR

OF HOME-GROWN KENTUCKY TALENT

FIRST, WE'RE GOING TO

INTRODUCE YOU TO A COUPLE

WHO LIVE ON A PICTURESQUE FARM

THEY CALL "MOCKINGBIRD HILL"

AND HAVE CREATED EVEN MORE

BEAUTY FROM THEIR OWN HANDS

A LITTLE LATER ON, I'LL BE

JOINING A COUNTRY MUSIC LEGEND

ON A FRONT PORCH

A LOT LIKE THIS ONE

IT'S A KENTUCKY LIFE

VISIT WITH TOM T. HALL

NOW, LET'S TAKE A LITTLE

TRIP TO ROCKCASTLE COUNTY

AND GET TO KNOW RON

AND JANICE OWENS

A PRIMITIVE ARTIST, WHICH

BASICALLY MEANS UNTRAINED

JANICE BRINGS IMAGES

TO THE CANVASS

THAT LIVE IN HER OWN IMAGINATION

BUILDINGS, PEOPLE, ANIMALS

ALL HAVE A LIFE THAT

SHE ALONE CAN GIVE THEM

AND THE CHARMING

SCENES SHE CREATES

HAVE CAPTURED THE

IMAGINATION OF FOLKS

FAR FROM HER KENTUCKY HOME

(Music playing)

(Music playing)

WHAT WE CALL IN ROCKCASTLE

COUNTY, "THE MOUNTAIN WAY"

IS THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE

TO MAKE ANYTHING YOU SEE

WE HAVE A LOT OF TALENTED PEOPLE

IN THIS PART OF THE COUNTRY

AND, AND WHATEVER THAT

UH, THAT WE SEE IF

IF WE WANT THAT WE CAN, CAN

TEACH OURSELVES TO DO IT

UH, RON AND I BOTH

CAME FROM A FAMILY

OUR MOTHERS WERE QUILTERS

AND OUR DADS CARPENTERS

AND UH, RAISED US UP BEING ABLE

TO, TO MAKE WHATEVER WE NEEDED

OR WHATEVER WE WANTED

IF, IF WE SAW

FURNITURE OR PAINTINGS

UH, TO BE ABLE TO TEACH

YOURSELF HOW TO DO IT

UH, WE'VE UH, WE SELL

MOST OF, OF OUR THINGS

AWAY FROM HERE

FOR THAT VERY REASON

BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE IN

ROCKCASTLE AND THIS AREA

IF THEY SEE IT, THEY CAN

MAKE IT FOR THEMSELVES

SO THEY HAVE NO NEED TO BUY IT

SO THAT'S WHY... RON CALLS

THEM, CALLS IT "DOERS"

THAT'S WHAT HE CALLS AND

THAT... "THE MOUNTAIN WAY"

IS WHAT HE CALLS "DOERS"

ABLE TO DO WHATEVER

THEY WANT TO DO

(Music playing)

RAISED IN ROCKCASTLE COUNTY,

JANICE HARDING OWENS

AND HER HUSBAND-- RON OWENS

LIVE ON MOCKINGBIRD HILL

THE LAND HAS BEEN IN HER

FAMILY FOR GENERATIONS

AND HOLDS SPECIAL MEANING FOR

BOTH ITS BEAUTY AND FAMILY TIES

WHEN I WAS A CHILD GROWING

UP, I'D DRAW HORSE HEADS AND

AND DIFFERENT THINGS,

LIKE MOST KIDS DO

BUT WHEN WE MARRIED AND

WE MOVED TO, TO MT. VERNON

THE SUNSETS WERE BEAUTIFUL

AND I'D STAND IN

MY KITCHEN WINDOW

YOU KNOW, WHEN I'D WASH DISHES

AND LOOK AT THE SUNSET

AND I COULD JUST FEEL THE

BRUSH IN MY HAND, YOU KNOW

PAINTING THOSE SUNSETS

SO THAT, THAT WAS WHEN I

FIRST, YOU KNOW, FELT LIKE

THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING

I WOULD WANT TO DO

(Music playing)

(Music playing)

WE HAVE A BIG FAMILY

AND THERE'S A LOT OF THEM, FIVE,

SIX, SEVEN THAT WOULD COME HOME

ON THE SCHOOL BUS

AND IT'S BEING ABLE, BOTH OF US

BEING ABLE TO BE HERE AT HOME

WE'RE ON CALL FOR

THEM ALL THE TIME

IT'S BEEN VERY NICE FOR ME

WITH HAVING SO MANY CHILDREN

TO BE ABLE TO BE

HERE AT HOME WITH THEM

I, I COULDN'T AFFORD

TO WORK ANYWHERE ELSE

AND PAY CHILD CARE OR ANYTHING

SO IT'S, IT'S WORKED

OUT REAL WELL FOR ME

TO BE ABLE TO WORK

HERE RIGHT AT HOME

THE BEST PART ABOUT WORKING

HERE AT HOME IS I DON'T HAVE TO

PUNCH A TIME CLOCK

I'VE DONE THAT BEFORE

I'VE WORKED IN FACTORY BEFORE

AND I'VE WORKED

IN GROCERY STORES

DEPARTMENT STORES

BEFORE WE HAD CHILDREN

THEN WHEN, WHEN OUR SON WAS BORN

I STAYED HOME AFTER THAT

I PAINT, MOSTLY OF THE NIGHT

WHEN, WHEN I GET

INTO A PAINTING

I USUALLY GO STRAIGHT THROUGH

SOMETIMES I'LL PAINT 24

HOURS ALL THE WAY THROUGH

I'M NOT A REALIST PAINTER

I DON'T, I DON'T PAINT THINGS

EXACTLY LIKE, LIKE YOU SEE THEM

BUT UH, I'VE HAD, I'VE

HAD SOME PEOPLE SAY...

I HAD ONE, ONE PERSON TELL

ME ONE TIME, A NIECE OF MINE

AND SHE SAID, "THAT PLACE

DOESN'T REALLY EXIST."

AND I TOLD HER, I SAID, "YES

IT DOES IN, IN MY MIND

THAT'S THE WAY I SEE IT."

IT MAY... YOU KNOW, SO I DON'T

SEE THINGS EXACTLY THE SAME WAY

MAYBE THAT EVERBODY ELSE DOES

BUT IN MY MIND,

IT'S A REAL PLACE

SO A LOT, A LOT OF

THE SCENES THAT I DO

HAVE TO DO WITH, YOU KNOW,

WITH CHILDHOOD MEMORIES AND

AND UH, YOU KNOW, GROWING UP

ON THE FARM AND THINGS, SO

OTHER PEOPLE WHEN THEY SEE THEM

THEY, EY CONNECT WITH THEM

AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, MAYBE

SOME OF THE SAME THINGS THAT

THEY DID WHEN

THEY WERE CHILDREN

(Music playing)

JANICE HAS COMPLETED

A COMMISSION

FOR THE WIDOW OF THE FORMER

PRESIDENT OF BEREA COLLEGE

JANE STEPHENSON RECALLS

THE PERSONAL TOUCHES

HER FRIEND WORKED

INTO THE PAINTING

THAT MADE IT SPECIAL

TO THE BEREA COUPLE

JANICE, DO YOU REMEMBER

WHEN JOHN ASKED YOU

TO DO A SPECIAL

PAINTING FOR HIM?

THAT HAD UH, HORSES IN

IT AND SHEEP, I THINK

YES, I DO, THAT'S...

JOHN ASKED ME TO DO THE,

DO THE HORSE ESPECIALLY

'CAUSE HE

LOVED HIS HORSE

AND I WANTED TO DO THE

ROSE ON THE TRELLIS

'CAUSE THAT WAS

SPECIAL TO YOU

WELL, YOU DID

A GOOD JOB

YOU ALSO PUT THE

WEEPING WILLOW TREE IN

WHICH WAS HIS

FAVORITE TREE

AND YOU EVEN GOT

SOME ROOSTERS

OVER THERE ON THE

FENCE, HE LOVED ROOSTERS

UM HMM, THAT'S RIGHT

I TRIED TO MAKE IT LOOK,

YOU KNOW, SIMILAR TO

TO A PLACE THAT,

THAT JOHN MIGHT KNOW

AND, AND MAKE THAT

SPECIAL TO HIM

AND YOU DID, IT WAS

VERY SPECIAL TO HIM

THANKS

THE FIRST WILLOW

FURNITURE THAT I MADE

I COPIED IT OFF OF

PICTURES THAT I SAW

AND I... IT WAS

UNCOMFORTABLE

AND IT WAS SORT OF FLIMSY

SO I JUST STARTED WORKING ON IT

AND MAKING IT, MAKING

IT MORE COMFORTABLE

I PUT THE SEAT

PIECES A LOT CLOSER

WHICH TAKES AWAY FROM

THE, THE ARTISTIC

'CAUSE YOU CAN'T

GET THE BIG FLARE

'CAUSE I GOT MORE PIECES IN IT

BUT IT'S, IT'S UH,

YOU CAN SET IN IT

AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT

FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO SIT

IN MY FURNITURE AND ENJOY IT

I'M JUST REAL PROUD

OF THE WAY IT SITS

"IT'S USABLE ART" IS

WHAT I LIKE TO SAY

ONCE HE DECIDED TO MAKE

FURNITURE FROM WILLOW

RON COULDN'T WASTE

ANY PART OF IT

SO, HE MAKES TABLES

AND OTHER ODDS AND ENDS

FROM THE LEFTOVERS

THE MOUNTAIN, ACCORDING

TO RON AND JANICE

ALSO INCLUDES

CONSERVATION OF RESOURCES

ANY TIME OF YEAR IS

A GOOD TIME OF YEAR

FOR CUTTING THE WILLOW RON SAYS

AS LONG AS IT CAN BE KEPT MOIST,

IT'S GOOD FOR MAKING FURNITURE

(Music playing)

I USE UH, MOSTLY BLACK WILLOW

UH, FOR THE MAIN PARTS

AND THEN FOR THE SEAT PIECES

I USE THE, THE SLICK WILLOW

AND IT'S A LOT

SMOOTHER TO SIT ON

AND I GO, PROBABLY

ALL OVER THE COUNTY

HUNTING UH, THE WILLOW

I JUST GO AROUND

WHEN I SEE SOME WILLOW

GROWING AROUND A WET SPOT

AROUND A CREEK OR A, OR

A BRANCH OR SOMETHING

I STOP AND ASK THE PEOPLE IF

UH, IF I CAN CUT THE WILLOW

AND NOBODY'S EVER TURNED ME DOWN

THEY ALWAYS SAY, "PLEASE

CUT ALL OF IT, ALL OF IT"

UH, THIS ONE LADY, I CALLED...

SHE WAS A OLDER LADY

AND I CALLED AND ASKED HER

ABOUT CUTTING SOME WILLOW

IN FRONT OF HER HOUSE

AND, AND SHE SAID, UH

SAID, "YOU WANT TO CUT

THAT WILLOW FOR FREE?"

AND I THOUGHT, SHE'S

GOING TO CHARGE ME

YOU KNOW, FOR CUTTING IT

AND I SAID, "YES, MA'AM,

I MAKE FURNITURE OUT OF IT

AND I... SHE SAID, "WELL

IT'S A FUNNY THING TO ME"

SHE SAID, "THREE YEARS AGO

I HAD TO PAY TO GET

ALL THAT CUT OUT."

AND UH, BUT ANYWAY,

I WENT AND CUT IT

AND SHE WAS REALLY PLEASED

YOU KNOW, TO GET RID

OF IT, THE WILLOW

AND I WAS PLEASED TO GET IT

MUCH OF JANICE'S INSPIRATION

COMES FROM THE PAST

STORIES, SONGS OR PICTURES THAT

ILLUSTRATE A SIMPLER TIME

AS A SELF-TAUGHT ARTIST

SHE LONGED TO OBSERVE

THE WORK OF OTHERS

AND OFTEN TRAVELED MILES TO

GALLERIES IN LARGE CITIES

UNTIL DISCOVERING THERE

WERE PLENTY OF ARTISTS

IN HER OWN BACKYARD

NOW, SHE AND OTHER

ROCKCASTLE COUNTY ARTISTS

HAVE FORMED A

COMMUNITY OF THEIR OWN

TO LEARN AND SHARE

WITH EACH OTHER

AND WITH YOUNG PEOPLE

THEY HOLD EXHIBITS

LIKE ONE RECENTLY AT

ROCKCASTLE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL

TO TEACH AND INSPIRE

THE NEXT GENERATION

SMILE

PRETTY, NOW

I GUESS MY FAMILY,

MY KIDS, MY MOM AND DAD

MY DAD THAT PASSED

AWAY THIS YEAR

HE WAS MY BIGGEST FAN

MY MOTHER'S PROBABLY

MY BIGGEST CRITIC

COURSE DAD WAS TOO AND I

PAINT A LOT OF BUILDINGS

AND A LOT OF SCENES

AND HE WAS A CARPENTER

AND IF MY BUILDINGS

WERE CROOKED

HE WOULD SAY "THAT'S NOT PLUMB"

WHICH MEANT IT WASN'T STRAIGHT

AND IT WOULDN'T STAND UP

AND, AND I'D ALWAYS TELL HIM,

POP, IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER

IT'S NOT GOING TO FALL OVER,

YOU KNOW, IT'S A PAINTING

BUT HE ALWAYS LIKED FOR ME

TO GET MY BUILDINGS STRAIGHT

AND, AND MOM, TOO

SHE WOULD, YOU KNOW, SHE

WOULD CORRECT ME ON THINGS

AS FAR AS, AS INSPIRATION

THE KIDS, THEY'RE A BIG SUPPORT

AND RON IS A BIG SUPPORT

BECAUSE WHEN, WHEN

THEY'LL COME THROUGH

YOU KNOW, AND WORK'S GOING GOOD

THEY'LL MAKE GOOD COMMENTS

ABOUT IT AND RON WILL SAY A LOT

"I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU DO THAT"

AND OF COURSE, I DON'T EITHER

'CAUSE EVERY TIME I STAND BEFORE

A CANVASS START A NEW PAINTING

I, I... YOU KNOW,

I DON'T, I'M NOT SURE

I NEVER AM SURE IF I

CAN DO ANOTHER ONE

BECAUSE I'M SELF-TAUGHT ARTIST

AND IT'S NOT A SKILL THAT, THAT

YOU KNOW EXACTLY HOW TO DO IT

EVERY TIME, IT'S NOT

IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT,

THAT HAS BEEN TAUGHT TO ME

A CERTAIN WAY TO

DO IT EVERY TIME

AND I'LL STUDY MY OWN WORK A LOT

AND SAY, HOW DID

I DO THAT? YOU KNOW

HOW DID I SHADE THAT?

OR HOW DID I DO

THAT BRUSH STROKE?

BUT MOSTLY IT'S JUST

BEEN BY EXPERIMENTING

WITH COLORS AND MIXING

THE COLORS AND JUST

JUST UH, STARTING OUT AND

SEEING WHAT HAPPENS WITH THEM

AND A LOT OF TIMES

OUT OF FRUSTRATION

BECAUSE I WOULDN'T

KNOW HOW TO DO THINGS

THESE, THESE KIDS

HAVE ART CLASS AND

AND THEY'RE TAUGHT HOW TO DO IT

CORRECTLY AND HOW TO DO IT EASY

AND A LOT OF TIMES I WOULDN'T

KNOW HOW TO DO IT AND I'D

THROW MY PAINT BRUSH ACROSS

THE KITCHEN, YOU KNOW

JUST END UP WITH A GREEN SPOT

ON MY CABINETS, USUALLY

BUT, OUT OF FRUSTRATION I,

I WOULD DO THAT SOMETIMES

NOW JUST... YOU KNOW,

JUST KEEP TRYING

AND I FEEL LIKE ANYBODY,

ANYBODY CAN PAINT

ANYBODY THAT FEELS LIKE

THEY WANT TO LEARN TO PAINT

CAN LEARN

CAN LEARN TO DO ANYTHING IF

THEY, IF THEY WANT TO TRY IT

THE ROAD THAT RON

AND JANICE TOOK

FROM ORDINARY COUPLE TO ARTISTS

WHO CAN SUPPORT THEMSELVES

BEGAN WITH THE HELP OF

A LEXINGTON ART PATRON

JOHN IRVINE, A RETIRED

EXECUTIVE OF CENTRAL BANK

IRVINE NOTICED RON'S TRUCK

STACKED HIGH WITH WILLOW

FURNITURE ONE DAY

OUTSIDE THE BANK

AND STUCK A POST-IT NOTE

TO THE STEERING WHEEL

INVITING RON TO PAY HIM A CALL

CAPTIVATED BY JANICE'S

WORK AS WELL

JOHN IRVINE EVENTUALLY

INTRODUCED THE COUPLE

TO SKITCH HENDERSON

THE FORMER TONIGHT

SHOW MUSIC DIRECTOR

AND FOUNDER OF THE NEW YORK POPS

WHO HELPED SPREAD THE KENTUCKY

COUPLE'S FAME NATIONWIDE

NOW, IT'S TIME TO MEET A LEGEND

THE POET LAUREATE

OF COUNTRY MUSIC

HE'S RECORDED

MORE THAN 30 ALBUMS

HAS BEEN ON THE CHARTS

WITH MORE THAN 50 HITS

WON GRAMMY AND CMA AWARDS

APPEARED ON THE GRAND OLE OPRY

AND HAS BEEN NAMED

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR

HE'S ALSO PUBLISHED SIX BOOKS

INCLUDING A NOVEL, A

SHORT STORY COLLECTION

AND AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY

COME WITH ME NOW

TO MEET TOM T. HALL

Announcer:

PLEASE MAKE WELCOME

A TRUE LIVING LEGEND

GRAMMY AWARD WINNER, THE

STORYTELLER-- MR. TOM T. HALL

(Audience applauding)

(Music playing)

TOM, HOW HAS YOUR

KENTUCKY LIFE AFFECTED

AND INFLUENCED YOUR

WRITING AND YOUR MUSIC?

WELL, I WROTE UH, A LOT

OF SONGS ABOUT MY...

THE PEOPLE I GREW UP WITH

I CHANGED SOME OF THE NAMES

TO PROTECT BOTH THE

GUILTY AND THE INNOCENT

BUT UH, I GREW UP IN A LITTLE

TOWN-- OLIVE HILL, KENTUCKY

1,300 PEOPLE

AND I THINK THAT'S

STILL THE POPULATION

REMARKABLY OR THEY CAN'T AFFORD

A NEW SIGN, ONE OR THE OTHER

BUT I JUST GREW UP IN

THE MOST MARVELOUS TOWN

IN THE WORLD... I THINK

JUST FULL OF JUST WONDERFUL,

BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE

THEY THOUGHT THEMSELVES

TO BE VERY ORDINARY

BUT UH, I ALWAYS THOUGHT THEY

WERE VERY SPECIAL, SO...

I WROTE A LOT OF SONGS

ABOUT THEM AND UH, YOU KNOW

ABOUT MY GROWING UP THERE

SONGS LIKE HARPER VALLEY PTA

CAME OUT OF MY HOMETOWN

A LADY WHO HAD GONE DOWN

AND READ OFF THE PTA FOR

THEIR INDISCRETIONS AND...

I REMEMBER ASKING YOU ONCE...

HOW YOU PHYSICALLY WENT OUT

AND SEARCHED A SONG DOWN

AND YOU TALKED ABOUT

HOW YOU DID IT

WELL I USED

TO UH...

WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT I HAD

TO WRITE ABOUT THINGS I'D DONE

PLACES I'D BEEN,

PEOPLE I HAD MET

AND STORIES I'D HEARD

AND EVERYTHING

I WOULD GET IN MY CAR AND

DRIVE OUT TO A CROSSROADS

ROLL DOWN

THE WINDOW

AND SEE WHICH WAY

THE WIND WAS BLOWING

AND THEN I'D GO

IN THAT DIRECTION

AND I'D BE GONE FOR

A COUPLE OF WEEKS

AND JUST SIT AROUND

AND TALK TO PEOPLE

AND LISTEN TO STORIES

AND I WROTE A LOT

OF SONGS THAT WAY

(Music playing)

♪ COUNTRY IS ♪

♪ SITTING ON A BACK PORCH ♪

♪ LISTENING TO THE

WHIPPOORWILLS ♪

♪ LATE IN THE DAY ♪

♪ COUNTRY IS ♪

♪ MINDING YOUR BUSINESS ♪

♪ AND HELPING A STRANGER ♪

♪ IF HE COMES YOUR WAY ♪

♪ COUNTRY IS ♪

♪ LIVING IN THE CITY ♪

♪ AND KNOWING YOUR PEOPLE ♪

♪ KNOWING YOUR KIND ♪

♪ COUNTRY IS ♪

♪ WHAT YOU MAKE IT ♪

♪ COUNTRY IS ♪

♪ ALL IN YOUR MIND ♪

(Playing music)

♪ COUNTRY IS ♪

♪ WORKING FOR A LIVING ♪

♪ THINKING YOUR OWN THOUGHTS ♪

♪ LOVING YOUR TOWN ♪

♪ COUNTRY IS ♪

♪ TEACHING YOUR CHILDREN ♪

♪ FIND OUT WHAT'S RIGHT ♪

♪ STAND YOUR GROUND ♪

♪ COUNTRY IS ♪

♪ HAVING A GOOD TIME ♪

♪ LISTEN TO THE MUSIC ♪

♪ SINGING YOUR PART ♪

♪ COUNTRY IS ♪

♪ WALKING IN THE MOONLIGHT ♪

♪ COUNTRY IS ♪

♪ ALL IN YOUR HEART ♪

(Music playing)

(Audience applauding)

THANK YOU

THANK YOU, THANK

YOU VERY MUCH

WHAT ABOUT THE NEW MATERIAL

YOU'RE WRITING NOW

THE LOCAL FLOWERS

YEAH, WELL, MY, MY WIFE-- MISS

DIXIE AND I WROTE THAT TOGETHER

WE LIKE TO GET OUT ON

THE WEEK-ENDS AND GO, UH

TOUR, YOU KNOW, TRAVEL...

WE HAVE A UTILITY VEHICLE

WHO DOESN'T?

AND UH, WE LOAD IT UP WITH

GUITAR AND UH, AUTOHARP AND

BANJO AND TAKE OFF

WE COME UP IN HERE

A LOT, YOU KNOW

UP IN KENTUCKY AND TOUR AROUND

STAY AT THE PARKS AND KIND OF

DO WEEK-END THINGS TOGETHER

AND UH, AND WE WRITE A FEW SONGS

SO WE WROTE THAT TOGETHER

BUT UH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT SORT

OF FAVOR I'VE DONE MYSELF

WHEN I DIE AND THEY

HAVE MY FUNERAL

I'M GOING TO HAVE ALL

THESE WEEDS ON MY GRAVE

'CAUSE UH, IT SAYS IN THE SONG

THAT WE DON'T WANT ANY YOU

KNOW, LILIES OR NO RIBBONS

AND CARNATIONS, SO...

I THINK MY, MY FUNERAL WILL

LOOK LIKE A HAYSTACK, PROBABLY

(Music playing)

♪ I HAVE TRAVELED ♪

♪ THIS WORLD OVER ♪

♪ AND I HAVE RAMBLED ♪

♪ ALL MY DAYS ♪

♪ WHEN MY JOURNEYS ♪

♪ HAVE ALL ENDED ♪

♪ LAY SOME FLOWERS ♪

♪ ON MY GRAVE ♪

♪ LOCAL FLOWERS ♪

♪ JUST SOME DAISIES ♪

♪ WILD WOOD FLOWERS ♪

♪ FROM THE HILLS ♪

♪ WHERE I WILL SPEND MY ♪

♪ ETERNAL HOURS ♪

♪ LAY ME DOWN WITH ♪

♪ LOCAL FLOWERS ♪

(Music playing)

WHAT DIDILL MONROE...

WHAT KIND OF INFLUENCE

DID HE HAVE ON YOU?

WELL, I DON'T WANT TO KEEP

PROMOTING MY NEW UH, CD, BUT

I HAVE A SONG ABOUT BILL MONROE

AND I'LL TELL YOU A LITTLE

STORY IF WE HAVE TIME FOR THIS

UH, I GREW UP LISTENING

TO, TO BILL, BILL'S MUSIC

AND UH, I WAS IN AUSTRALIA

ON TOUR, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

AND WE WERE GETTING OVER JET LAG

SO WE SPENT THREE

DAYS IN THIS HOTEL

AND I WENT DOWN... EVERY MORNING

I'D GO DOWN FOR BREAKFAST

AND THE UH, THE

MAITRE 'D, IF YOU WILL

OF THE RESTAURANT THERE

KNEW ME, 'CAUSE I'VE BEEN

TO AUSTRALIA SEVERAL TIMES

AND, AND I TOLD

HIM, I SAID UH...

FRED, I BELIEVE HIS NAME WAS

I SAID, "FRED, I LOVE THAT..."

THEY WERE PLAYING FRANK

SINATRA'S MUSIC EVERY MORNING

♪ LOVE AND MARRIAGE... ♪

YOU KNOW OLD FRANK

WAS SINGING AWAY

I SAID, YOU KNOW, "I

LOVE THAT MUSIC YOU PLAY

FOR BREAKFAST EVERY DAY."

HE SAID UH, "OH, YOU

LIKE FRANK SINATRA"

I SAID, "YEAH, I DO,

HE'S A GREAT AMERICAN"

HE SAID, "YOU HEAR MUCH OF OLD

FRANK OVER THERE ANY MORE?"

I SAID, "NO, TO

TELL YOU THE TRUTH

WHERE I'M FROM, WE HAVE BILL

MONROE FOR BREAKFAST EVERY DAY."

SO... AND THAT STRUCK

ME AS AN ODD STATEMENT

HE DIDN'T KNOW

WHO BILL MONROE WAS

SO I WENT BACK UPSTAIRS

AND I GOT MY GUITAR

AND I WROTE THIS SONG CALLED...

AND IT'S BIOGRAPHICAL TOO

IT'S ABOUT GROWING UP AND

LISTENING TO BILL MONROE

WHERE WE LIVED

BACK IN THE COUNTRY

WITH THE OLD BATTERY RADIO

(Music playing)

♪ WHEN I WAS JUST A LITTLE BOY

WE LIVED DOWN ON A FARM ♪

♪ SEVEN MILES FROM NOWHERE AND

A HUNDRED MILES FROM HARLAN ♪

♪ WE MADE A LIVING FROM THE

DIRT, IF ANYTHING WOULD GROW ♪

♪ AND WE GOT OUR COUNTRY

MUSIC FROM A BIG OLD RADIO ♪

♪ AND WE HAD BILL MONROE

FOR BREAKFAST EVERY DAY ♪

♪ THEN WE'D HEAD

OUT TO THE FIELDS ♪

♪ A-HOEING CORN AND MOWING HAY ♪

♪ OUR MAMA LOVED HIS SINGING ♪

♪ DADDY LOVED TO HEAR HIM PLAY ♪

♪ AND WE HAD BILL MONROE

FOR BREAKFAST EVERY DAY ♪

(Bill Monroe singing)

I THANK YOU

FOR YOUR TIME

BYRON, I HAD A GOOD TIME

AND I WANT TO... IF I MAY

UH, TELL MY KENTUCKY

FANS AND FRIENDS THAT, UH

AND RELATIVES

THAT UH, IT'S NICE TO BE HOME

AND UH, AND THEY LIVE

IN THE GREATEST STATE

I'VE BEEN, I'VE

BEEN AROUND A LOT

AND FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T,

I WANT TO TELL YOU

THIS IS THE GREATEST

PLACE IN THE WORLD TO LIVE

(Music playing)

♪ I LOVE LITTLE BABY DUCKS ♪

♪ OLD PICKUP TRUCKS,

SLOW-MOVING TRAINS AND RAIN ♪

♪ I LOVE LITTLE

COUNTRY STREAMS ♪

♪ SLEEP WITHOUT DREAMS ♪

♪ SUNDAY SCHOOL IN MAY ♪

♪ AND HAY ♪

♪ AND I LOVE YOU, TOO ♪

(Music playing)

♪ I LOVE LEAVES IN THE WIND ♪

♪ PICTURES OF MY FRIENDS ♪

♪ BIRDS OF THE WORLD ♪

♪ AND SQUIRRELS ♪

♪ I LOVE COFFEE IN A CUP ♪

♪ LITTLE FUZZY PUPS ♪

♪ OLD TV SHOWS ♪

♪ AND SNOW ♪

♪ AND I LOVE YOU, TOO ♪

(Music playing)

♪ I LOVE HONEST, OPEN SMILES ♪

♪ KISSES FROM A CHILD ♪

♪ TOMATOES ON A VINE ♪

♪ AND ONIONS ♪

♪ I LOVE WINNERS

WHEN THEY CRY ♪

♪ LOSERS WHEN THEY TRY ♪

♪ MUSIC WHEN IT'S GOOD ♪

♪ AND LIFE ♪

♪ AND I LOVE YOU, TOO ♪

(Audience cheering

and applauding)

THANK YOU SO MUCH

IN 1967, SINGER MARGIE SINGLETON

ASKED HALL TO WRITE HER A SONG

SIMILAR TO BOBBIE GENTRY'S

BIG HIT "ODE TO BILLIE JO"

WELL, TOM DUG INTO HIS

KENTUCKY CHILDHOOD

AND CAME UP WITH

"HARPER VALLEY PTA"

A SONG OF SMALL TOWN HYPOCRISY

SINGLETON WAS OUT ON TOUR

WHEN THE SONG WAS FINISHED

SO TOM SHOPPED IT

AROUND NASHVILLE

IN THE SUMMER OF 1968, IT WAS

RECORDED BY JEANNIE C. RILEY

FOR THE COLUMBIA

STUDIO ON MUSIC ROW

THE SESSION WAS ON FRIDAY NIGHT

AND BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON RADIO

STATIONS WERE PLAYING THE TAPE

THE RECORDS WERE IN THE

MAIL THE FOLLOWING WEDNESDAY

AND BEFORE THE WEEK WAS OUT,

NASHVILLE'S PRESSING PLANTS

WERE SHIPPING SINGLES TO STORES

AS FAST AS THEY COULD MAKE THEM

WELL, BY THE END OF THE SUMMER,

JEANNIE C. AND TOM T.

WERE BOTH HOUSEHOLD NAMES

THANK YOU FOR JOINING

US THIS EVENING

WE'VE SEEN TONIGHT THE

TALENT KENTUCKY CAN PRODUCE

TALENT THAT'S BEEN RECOGNIZED

BY THE LARGER WORLD

BEYOND OUR BORDERS

EACH OF US, TOO, CARRIES

KENTUCKY WITH US IN OUR HEARTS

AND WHEN WE CHOOSE TO

LEAVE OUR BELOVED STATE

THAT SPARK THAT'S OUR KENTUCKY

HOME SHINES ON EVERY ONE WE MEET

UNTIL NEXT TIME, GOOD NIGHT

(Music playing)

♪ WHEN I WAS JUST A LITTLE BOY

WE LIVED DOWN ON A FARM ♪

♪ SEVEN MILES FROM NOWHERE

AND A 100 MILES FROM HARLAN ♪

♪ WE MADE OUR LIVING FROM THE

DIRT, IF ANYTHING WOULD GROW ♪

♪ AND WE GOT OUR COUNTRY

MUSIC FROM A BIG OLD RADIO ♪

♪ AND WE HAD BILL MONROE

FOR BREAKFAST EVERY DAY ♪

♪ THEN WE'D HEAD

OUT TO THE FIELDS ♪

♪ A-HOEING CORN AND MOWING HAY ♪

♪ OUR MAMA LOVED HIS SINGING ♪

♪ DADDY LOVED TO HEAR HIM PLAY ♪

♪ AND WE HAD BILL MONROE

FOR BREAKFAST EVERY DAY ♪

[Closed captioning

by the KET Caption Center]

[was made possible by a grant]

[from the Honorable Order

of Kentucky Colonels]

[and in part by a grant from

The Lexington Lions Club]

[and a gift from the

Lloyd E. Rigler-Lawrence E.

Deutsch Foundation]

(Music playing)

♪ WE HAD A BIG OLD BATTERY

THAT RAN THE RADIO ♪

♪ SOMETIMES WE'D RUN IT DOWN,

LISTENING TO THE OPRY SHOW ♪

♪ BUT WE ALL HAD

OUR INSTRUMENTS ♪

♪ AND MOST OF US COULD PLAY ♪