Arkansas Music

[johnnydr87]

Since this board seems like an overall culture/urban/rural/multi-use website, I thought we should devote a thread to music that started in Arkansas.

A wide array of musicians hail from the state, from classical to blues. I will post some of my favorite musicians from the area in a bit.

Thoughts?

[DickSonstreetDFW]

Since this board seems like an overall culture/urban/rural/multi-use website, I thought we should devote a thread to music that started in Arkansas.

A wide array of musicians hail from the state, from classical to blues. I will post some of my favorite musicians from the area in a bit.

Thoughts?

The Man in Black, Johnny Cash - Dyess, AR

Tracy Lawnrence (country singer) - Foreman, AR

Joe Nichols (country) - Rogers, AR

Collin Raye (country) - DeQueen, AR

[johnnydr87]

First off, you guys should really check out the Oxford American magazine (). It's a magazine on southern history and culture and based in Arkansas. It originally started in Oxford, MS, then moved to Little Rock. After that, it moved to Conway on the UCA campus. It regularly wins awards for its articles; it's not one of those lowest-common-denominator culture magazines that are prevalent today.

In their music issue, I learned about an eccentric fellow, "moondog," who lived part of his life in Arkansas and Tennessee and later moved New York. He wore viking costumes, was blind, and sat for much of his life on the side of a New York street selling his work.

It just so happens he was a musical genius. You should listen to "Symphonique #6".....it makes you wonder how a guy this good never got more famous.

Eventually he was somehow discovered (maybe by his own initiative) and wrote quite a few very, very unique classical pieces....

Writer Daniel Alarcon best summed up his music when he wrote:

"It's wonderful now and then to stumble upon a music that's unclassifiable. That borrows shamelessy, transforms mercilessly, mutating, mixing, fusing disparate genres until sparks fly and something unsettling happens."

[Mith242]

Cool a cultural topic that I didn't start. I was even taking my act over to the Louisiana forum and starting cultural topics over there too. Interesting idea Johnny. Even though I listen to a lot of music I can't say I've particularly paid a lot of attention to Arkansas artists so I'm hoping I learn something. Your info on Moondog was interesting. I wonder how he ended up in Arkansas, was he born here? I'll have to see if I can find any of his stuff. I can't think of a whole lot offhand. I'm surprised no one has mentioned Evanescence yet. Is it just Amy Lee that was from Little Rock? In another odd bit of info I read recently is that Conway Twitty got his name Conway from the city here in Arkansas. But I don't think he lived here but I could be wrong on that.

[Arkansawyer]

In another odd bit of info I read recently is that Conway Twitty got his name Conway from the city here in Arkansas. But I don't think he lived here but I could be wrong on that.

He was born in Mississippi and raised in Helena. He did take his name from Conway, AR and his last name from a town in Texas.

[mcheiss]

Joe Nichols, the country music star is from Rogers.

[MichiganGirl]

The Man in Black, Johnny Cash - Dyess, AR

Tracy Lawnrence (country singer) - Foreman, AR

Joe Nichols (country) - Rogers, AR

Collin Raye (country) - DeQueen, AR

I thought of all of the above except Joe Nichols, didn't know he was from the area. I also thought of Conway Twitty too as my mom has always told me stories of how he named himself after Conway (my mom's from Arkansas herself, born in Bay). And also, Mith, I was going to say Amy Lee until you mentioned it. I know she's from Little Rock but I don't know about the rest of the group, though I think I read somewhere that at least one of the members was from Arkansas as well.

[sleepy]

Offhand, just from one Delta town--Forrest City--you've got Howlin' Wolf, Al Green, and Charlie Rich.