* I was just talking to Anders Lindall at AFSCME about a story that wasn’t panning out and he asked me if I’d heard that Jamey Johnson was playing at the Du Quoin State Fair this year. I hadn’t, but it’s true. He’s playing Friday, September 2nd at the grandstand.
Looks like I’m gonna be hauling the camper down ‘yonder this year.
* Love me some Jamey, man. As he sings in one of his songs, his music and attitude is somewhere between Waylon Jennings and George Jones. Let’s take a little break from the weirdness and have a listen…
Started burning our candles
Both ends and the middle
A bunch of roaring outlaws at high speed
* Also, you may know that Anders used to be a music critic for the Chicago Sun-Times. He wrote a piece not long ago about a rising country star from an AFSCME family from the same town where one of my brothers used to live. It’s definitely worth a read…
One of the brightest new country music stars in Nashville comes from an AFSCME union family right here in Illinois.
With her debut album Midwest Farmer’s Daughter, Margo Price has landed a guest spot on “Saturday Night Live”, a video on CMT, and a rave review in Rolling Stone, which called her “undeniable” and compared her to Loretta Lynn.
But what looks like a rocket ride to stardom is really the latest twist in a long road that started in Aledo, Ill., southwest of the Quad Cities, where Margo and her sisters were raised by mom Candace and dad Duane. He worked for 25 years in Illinois prisons, first as a correctional officer at East Moline, where he was a member of AFSCME Local 46, and then as a lieutenant at Hill Correctional Center (Local 1274). Duane was a PEOPLE contributor and after his retirement in 2010 joined AFSCME Retirees.
17 Comments
- Left of Central IL - Thursday, Jul 28, 16 @ 3:30 pm:
Jamey filled in for Merle (RIP) at the Willie & Merle stop in Cape Girardeau 2 nights after he passed. He did a bunch of Merle’s songs. Very moving tribute. Incredible voice.
Rich, I love me some Jamey too. If you dig him, Chris Stapleton should knock your socks off, too. Haul the camper up to Chillicothe and join us for the evening…
Anders was also one of the most prolific contributors to the late great magazine No Depression.
If Rich is okay with hijacking this blog into a roots music discussion, we can discuss why going to Millennium Park to hear Margo Price in September is a very good idea.
- Left of Central IL - Thursday, Jul 28, 16 @ 3:30 pm:
Jamey filled in for Merle (RIP) at the Willie & Merle stop in Cape Girardeau 2 nights after he passed. He did a bunch of Merle’s songs. Very moving tribute. Incredible voice.
- Shermanite - Thursday, Jul 28, 16 @ 3:31 pm:
Must be something in the corn around there. Long-time Country Artist Suzy Bogguss is also from Aledo.
- Doug - Thursday, Jul 28, 16 @ 3:31 pm:
Darian used to live in Aledo, but not anymore.
And the better song, especially due to the nature of Illinois, is “High Cost of Living”
- Small Town Girl - Thursday, Jul 28, 16 @ 3:35 pm:
Rich, he is also playing in Chillicothe at Three Sisters Park on August 18 with Chris Stapleton.
- VelvetElvis - Thursday, Jul 28, 16 @ 3:44 pm:
I’m coming out too Feel free to park next to me… we’ll break out the pinata and have a hell of a time.
- Anders Lindall - Thursday, Jul 28, 16 @ 3:48 pm:
Rich and all, it may be worth adding for readers in the Chicago area that Margo Price will play at Millennium Park on Tuesday, Sept. 7.
- E - Thursday, Jul 28, 16 @ 3:50 pm:
At the risk of agreeing with AFSCME…
Margo Price is great! There was a nice piece on her in the NYTimes magazine a few months ago too. She’s a real country girl, for sure.
- ChilliGuy - Thursday, Jul 28, 16 @ 3:58 pm:
Rich, I love me some Jamey too. If you dig him, Chris Stapleton should knock your socks off, too. Haul the camper up to Chillicothe and join us for the evening…
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Jul 28, 16 @ 3:59 pm:
August 18 is a work night. And the State Fair is on. Sorry.
- Steve Schnorf - Thursday, Jul 28, 16 @ 4:04 pm:
Waylon and George yes, but I think you have to add just a little David Allen Coe
- Linus - Thursday, Jul 28, 16 @ 4:11 pm:
Love. This. Song. Am already YouTubing-up some more Jamey. Thanks for another fantastic musical tip, Rich.
- Gruntled University Employee - Thursday, Jul 28, 16 @ 4:22 pm:
==And the better song, especially due to the nature of Illinois, is “High Cost of Living” ==
My vote would be for, You can’t cash my checks.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Jul 28, 16 @ 4:25 pm:
==My vote would be for, You can’t cash my checks===
Agreed. lol
- Graveyard Shift - Thursday, Jul 28, 16 @ 4:45 pm:
Anders was also one of the most prolific contributors to the late great magazine No Depression.
If Rich is okay with hijacking this blog into a roots music discussion, we can discuss why going to Millennium Park to hear Margo Price in September is a very good idea.
- Dead Head - Thursday, Jul 28, 16 @ 5:15 pm:
I’m with Steve, you can’t beat DAC.
- justacitizen - Thursday, Jul 28, 16 @ 10:09 pm:
I have all his music. “You Shoulda Seen It in Color” is one of my favorite songs ever.
- Tin Ear - Thursday, Jul 28, 16 @ 11:15 pm:
Rich - You ever listen to the White Buffalo? Might like him a little if you dig Jamey.