John Denver was a big-time folk music singer-songwriter throughout the 1970s. He was born in Roswell, New Mexico on December 31st, 1943. At a young age, he began showing an interest in music and received his first Gibson guitar when he was a teenager. In 1961, he attended the Texas Technical University, but dropped out soon after in 1964 to start his music career. He launched his career in 1965 by performing with the Chad Mitchell Trio and continued to play with them until 1968. But, more importantly the folk-pop group Peter, Paul, and Mary helped him by recording a song he had written, “Leaving on a Jet Plane.” The song was extraordinarily successful and gave Denver “a higher profile in the music industry” (www.biography.com). In 1969, Denver signed and released his first single, “Rhymes and Reasons,” with Mercury RCA Records. During the 1970s, John Denver was thought to be the “golden boy of folk music” (www.biography.com). With his involvement in environmental activism, his good looks, and his down to earth and humble personality, more and more fans came to love and support him as an artist. In 1971, he released “Poems, Prayers, and Promises,” one of the most successful albums of his career. The album featured the hit song; “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” which was released as a single in the spring of 1971. It reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100. The hit was written by John Denver, Taffy Nivert, and Bill Danooff, but was initially recorded by John Denver himself.
John Denver’s hit song, “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” tells listeners about a man’s desire to go back to his hometown, which is in West Virginia. The song portrays a sense of homesickness as the songwriters describe specific memories. For inst...
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... University and has been performed at every home football pre-game show since 1972. What most people look for in country music is a song that is easy to sing along to. During football games, both fans and players sing “Country Roads.” The song has an easy to remember chorus, which listeners are particularly fond of.
Throughout John Denver’s music career, his song “Country Roads” was the one that most exemplified the ideals of country music as a genre. His instrumentation demonstrates the acoustic guitar that is prominent is several notably country songs. More importantly, his lyrics are inspiring for many of his listeners and fans, who may also be going through emotional hardships, such as the struggle of missing home. The melody, harmony, and dynamics, were combined in the 1970’s in such a way that the song is still in enjoyed more than forty years later.
In the book, “Eleven Seconds” by Travis Roy, he talks about himself about what had happened to him during his hockey game and how he got injured in his hockey game. Roy becomes part of, and moves on from, many different “homes”. All the different homes remain significant throughout his life. Even though these different places are not permanent homes, he experiences a sense of home that remains important to him. Here are three examples of the “homes” Travis Roy becomes part of and how each of them had such an enduring influence on him. Those three “homes” Roy finds significant in his life are, Maine, Boston, and Shepherd Center.
In their lifetimes, many people experience the loss of loved ones and the departure of children. One of the most difficult things to do is to keep strong and good relations with friends and family members, before it is too late. The short story “David Comes Home”, by Ernest Buckler, follows Joseph, who worries his son David never had the same connection to the land as he does, though memories of past experiences, finding old belongings, and discovering the boy’s true feelings, resolve this conflict.
For almost 90 years, The Grand Ole Opry has withstood the test of time to become one of the tried and true traditions in country music. From the show's humble beginnings as an obscure radio program, to it's renowned place today as one of the premiere stages for music, The Grand Ole Opry has had an extremely colorful and interesting existence. Over the 88 years that have passed since the show's inception, The Grand Ole Opry has featured many talented performers. Those performers, along with social changes and economics, have all contributed to the growth and success of The Grand Ole Opry.
Every cold Alberta winter, or dry summer, makes me long for the East Coast. When I grow tired of the brown dirty hills of Alberta, I can close my eyes and picture being back in New Brunswick, bright green meadows and clear rivers. I miss how the fog creeps into your yard in the early mornings, the bittersweet smell of the sea that never could be washed out, I miss the feeling of home. As a child, my family and I would road trip, traveling East to the sea. I remember how the vastness of Alberta would change into the golden prairies of Saskatchewan, then shift into the forested hills of Ontario, and finally the calm rocky shores of New Brunswick. I remember the house we lived in, white paint peeling off the sides of the house, a Canadian and Arcadian flag flying on the porch (put there by my historian of a cousin), floral green wallpaper clashing with antique, mismatched furniture. That house has been in my family for generations, each of our stories have been told, beautiful new memories have been made there. I miss it so much. I miss the beach side bonfires, sparks drifting so far away they became stars, the rainy marketplace days, coming home and smelling like fish. The Alberta cold makes my heartache, I want to go home. My home is a comfortable old cabin, where I grew to not be scared of a
Johnny Cash was born in Kingsland, Arkansas on February 26, 1932 (Enslow 19). He began to take an interest to music when his father bought a radio. His mother loved listening to music and his mother and Johnny would sing songs all throughout the house. Taught by his mother and childhood friend, he learned to play guitar (Enslow 19). Working hard and practicing, he became very good at guitar and singing. However, he grew up through the Great Depression and this was very difficult for him and his family. In Edward Enslow’s “The Man in Black” Johnny Cash states, “We were very poor, and I almost died of starvation as a child.” This quote shows how life was a struggle for Cash in his early life. Facing all the many challenges was difficult for him but he found a way through it. Through his older brother Jack, he was able to cope with his life growing up. Jack was a huge role model to Johnny growing up, he would teach...
Country music, as we know it today, was first called “Hillbilly music”. The name “Country” was not widely used until around the 1950s. The creation of this Hillbilly music, very much like American culture, was influenced from many different cultures and styles of music.
The Life of Billy Joel Billy Joel was born on May 9, 1949 in Bronx, New York. He moved at the age of four to a small town on Long Island. This is where at the ripe age of four he discovered the art of music. Originally a classical music fan, Billy Joel honed his skills with classical piano training. This undoubtedly has had a major influence on his life and certainly his music.
For many Americans, country isn’t just a type of music. It’s a lifestyle. From sippin’ sweet tea on the porch, drinking beer at a tailgate or driving a pick up down the backroads, country music has made its way into the hearts and minds of many Americans. It is one of the only truly home grown American art forms. Its relatability and wide appeal has made country music one of the most commercially successful and popular genres in the United States. Using the work of scholars Tichi, Pecknold, and Ellison, I will show how country music grew from its rural southern roots into an integral part of American culture.
I memorized Don Mclean’s American Pie in grade school, before I fully understood its relevance or who it spoke to. The haunting lyrics fascinated me and left a trail of inexplicable shivers down my arms. How could music die? I couldn’t comprehend the wistful look on the adult’s faces when they talked about that day. It’s hard for children to grasp that look or the deep place where it originates. I vaguely knew of those three but not really, so I just nodded my head along. I didn’t know about Waylon Jennings or that a spot on
When a person thinks of jazz, they think they are performers who take stage and improvise their songs. Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington were two of the greatest jazz composers of their time. These two collaborated hundreds of productions. Ellington was known for his song Caravan featuring Juan Tizol that was written in 1936. Other musicians have recorded this song, Caravan, many times. Billy Strayhorn song he composed in 1941, Take the “A” Train, premiered in Duke Ellington’s Orchestra. This song has been recorded by other musicians more than 900 times.
It’s fair to say that life on the road is something most people do not desire, as a way to live out their days; but a young man named Chris McCandless believed it was necessary to avoid the venomous grips of society. McCandless goes as far as to venture out to the rest of the United States and even crossing borders to achieve his true destination, Alaska. He shows us living such a life can hold many unique and wonderful experiences. Consequently, he also shows us the difficulties that most do not expect upon leaving for such a journey. Many speak about the advantages, like the freedom they enjoy, and the wondrous relationships formed along the way; but even so, some disadvantages outweigh the advantages, like the
Leighton’s Texas roots poke out of the dirt in this song, with lyrics that express a desire to go back to where the love began; home. The lyrics say, “Runaway / home with me / Runaway into our past / Runaway / Let’s figure out / all we've had and lost / all we've had and lost.” The song told a story and was wholesome like a country ballad, but with the melodic sound patterns of a pop
The 'Standard' of the 11 November 2006 http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Article?id=ar525600>. Wells, Paul F. "Country music." World Book Online Reference Center. 2006.
The ruckus from the bottom of the truck is unbearable, because of the noise and excessive shaking. As we slowly climbed the mountain road to reach our lovely cabin, it seemed almost impossible to reach the top, but every time we reached it safely. The rocks and deep potholes shook the truck and the people in it, like a paint mixer. Every window in the truck was rolled down so we could have some leverage to hold on and not loose our grip we needed so greatly. The fresh clean mountain air entered the truck; it smelt as if we were lost: nowhere close to home. It was a feeling of relief to get away from all the problems at home. The road was deeply covered with huge pines and baby aspen trees. Closely examining the surrounding, it looks as if it did the last time we were up here.
The road before us seems to stretch for eternity. Driving away from home, the anticipation to get there is overpowering. The best way to pass time is singing along to dad’s 1980’s music. As the billboards flash by I can only catch