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 ♪