# Any Country Music people?



## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

Do we have many country music people here on GC? 
I have a question that's been bugging me for a while.

Dan Seals - why wasn't he bigger, more popular, and more successful? I see a huge talent there. I don't understand.


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## Rene Asologuitar (10 mo ago)

I did not know that he was left-handed.
Very nice voice, and emotional singer.
Love this.
Rene


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## morepowder (Apr 30, 2020)

A couple things come to mind.

He spent much of his career as “England Dan” with John Ford Coley making soft rock music. And by the time he tried country music in the mid-80s, it was in the midst of being overproduced and not more classic country like this.

He had some success and great songs. God must be a cowboy, and Big wheels in the moonlight are still favourites of mine.


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

Even the big England Dan hit is SOOO much better in a country format.


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## Powdered Toast Man (Apr 6, 2006)

I was in a country band for about a minute last summer. Just wasn't my thing.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

Country wrap is the wave of the future.


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## SWLABR (Nov 7, 2017)

The only Dan Seals I know is his big hit from the late 80"s "Bop". I guess it was a "Country Cross-Over" hit. But that is a sh*t-ton of sax for a Country song.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

I love country, but as with other topics, I have a somewhat narrow definition of what that is. Most of what passes for country over the past few decades doesn't turn me on.

There are exceptions.

Let's just say I prefer mountain music, bluegrass and old, traditional styles, not country / rock cross over.

I'm not saying it's not good or that the artists lack talent. It just doesn't turn me on.


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## Always12AM (Sep 2, 2018)

**Don’t read this if you are a soul patch wearing hippie who listens to Jan Arden at a cafe and cries…

In Ontario, white people are told that the 16 generations of farmers that they come from were patriarchal oppressors who are responsible for all inequality that exists in society. So out goes any chance that someone will have the subtlety of character or deep sense of pride in one’s heritage required to develop an appreciation for “folk” or country music.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Always12AM said:


> **Don’t read this if you are a soul patch wearing hippie who listens to Jan Arden at a cafe and cries…
> 
> In Ontario, white people are told that the 16 generations of farmers that they come from were patriarchal oppressors who are responsible for all inequality that exists in society. So out goes any chance that someone will have the subtlety of character or deep sense of pride in one’s heritage required to develop an appreciation for “folk” or country music.


I'm a soul patch wearing hippie who cries at the thought of Jan Arden performing at a cafe.

And, I'm not looking for wisdom or life lessons when listening to "country" and folk any more than I would if I was listening to rock or other genres.

Heritage? I thought we were talking about music.

To each their own.


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## KapnKrunch (Jul 13, 2016)

I like country, if it's fun...


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

I love country music almost as much as the old classic rock of the 60's and 70's. But like my love of old rock from a different era, its the same for country. I more like what is known as traditional country music. Merle Haggard, George Jones, etc. The country of today is terrible and I can't stand listening to country radio anymore. Although some artists will occasionally release an old school country song thats worth listening to.
My favorite era of country was the 80's. I thought Merle Haggard was at his best, vocally and musically. Haggard of course is my favorite country artist. The 80's is also when Ricky Skaggs came on the scene and introduced his country\bluegrass melded style. Watching his guitar player Ray Flacke is what really got me loving a Telecaster. They kind of started that guitar shredding style. Every musician in the band shredded their instrument. 
The only album that I owned by Dan Seals was "I won't be Blue Anymore" It had the single hit "All that Glitters is not Gold" which I still sing and play on acoustic to this day. Also the singles "Meet me in Montana" a duet with Marie Osmond and "Heading West". And of course the big hit "Bop" which I could stand as it was over played and every band I played in had it in their set list. It got to be as bad as playing "Old Time Rock'n Roll".
I remember Dan Seals was a pretty big deal in the country scene back then. But like many of the artists from that era they faded with time.
Although I was really in to the traditional country the 80's had some really good progressive type country artists\bands.
They didn't quite follow the traditional country formula but were fantastic bands. Restless Heart, Blackhawk, Exile, Desert Rose Band (Chris Hillman, Herb Pederson, John Jorgensen),and my favorite band Diamond Rio. If you ever get a chance to listen to them the guitar player Jimmy Olander with his double bender is worth the price of admission. And of course Alabama. Another band that I really liked was Southern Pacific, members included former Doobie Brothers, Keith Knudson and John McFee. They were pretty popular but only for a short time and now you never hear of them and it seems their catalogue isn't too memorable but I still listen to them once in a while. They're music really brings back that 80's feel, which as I said was my favorite era for country music. Alot of the country artists from the 60's and 70's (Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Conway Twitty, etc) were all in perfect form. As well as new comer, at the time, classics like George Strait, Alan Jackson, Dwight Yoakam, Brooks and Dunn, etc
Sorry for the long ramble on this. I could talk for hours about the old country especially the 80's era.


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## TJ Ontario (Nov 28, 2021)

I was raised on mostly country music so I can definitely appreciate a lot of it, although it's not my favourite style to play or listen to. 

Being a big superstar in any genre has a lot to do with timing and exposure. Many classic country fans would have liked his music but that genre wasn't getting the big commercial push by the time he came along. Rock/pop sounding artists were getting record deals and airtime, while the classic country sound was being archived and delegated as 'old time country'


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## DrumBob (Aug 17, 2014)

Before he became a soft rock and then country guy, Dan played garage rock in the 60's.


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## Thunderboy1975 (Sep 12, 2013)

I looked up John Conley, one of me Ma's fave wine in the evening listens back in 81. Old guy still touring and recording


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Thunderboy1975 said:


> I looked up John Conley, one of me Ma's fave wine in the evening listens back in 81. Old guy still touring and recording.The last of em i think.


John Conlee, one of my favorites. I loved the "Friday Night Blues" album. He's not quite the last of the old country still touring. Gene Watson is still giving it a go. 
Some younger artists are still standing by the old traditional sound but don't get the airplay of course. But they tour and make guest appearances at events in Nashville. Mo Pitney is one. The band Midland has a bit of an 80's band sound. Similar to Brooks and Dunn and Dwight Yoakam at times. Chris Stapleton has a fairly traditional sound while also being fairly successful, commercially.
One artist that was an absolute killer on vocals was Daryl Singletary. Kind of a Keith Whitley\Conway Twitty and his own sound all rolled in to one. Unfortunately He died in 2018 ago at the young age of 46. He had some great duet numbers with Rhonda Vincent. Rhonda Vincent is another traditional artist in her 50's that tours playing traditional country and bluegrass.


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## oldjoat (Apr 4, 2019)

love some of the country music / flatpickin/ and good musicians....

can't stand the catterwallin , if i wanted to listen to some lady bitch and belly ache... i'd go home to the wife.

BTW , my dog died and my truck ran way.


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## MS41R8 (Sep 26, 2016)

guitarman2 said:


> I love country music almost as much as the old classic rock of the 60's and 70's. But like my love of old rock from a different era, its the same for country. I more like what is known as traditional country music. Merle Haggard, George Jones, etc. The country of today is terrible and I can't stand listening to country radio anymore. Although some artists will occasionally release an old school country song thats worth listening to.
> My favorite era of country was the 80's. I thought Merle Haggard was at his best, vocally and musically. Haggard of course is my favorite country artist. The 80's is also when Ricky Skaggs came on the scene and introduced his country\bluegrass melded style. Watching his guitar player Ray Flacke is what really got me loving a Telecaster. They kind of started that guitar shredding style. Every musician in the band shredded their instrument.
> The only album that I owned by Dan Seals was "I won't be Blue Anymore" It had the single hit "All that Glitters is not Gold" which I still sing and play on acoustic to this day. Also the singles "Meet me in Montana" a duet with Marie Osmond and "Heading West". And of course the big hit "Bop" which I could stand as it was over played and every band I played in had it in their set list. It got to be as bad as playing "Old Time Rock'n Roll".
> I remember Dan Seals was a pretty big deal in the country scene back then. But like many of the artists from that era they faded with time.
> ...


If I had to make a comment on this thread….this right here would be very close to mine . You said it almost exactly like I would.

And the bands listed above were great in their own ways and I listen to them all. Waylon is my all time #1 and I pattern my live playing off his style along with a bit of Pete Anderson.

For me country died in the mid 90’s…around the time Shania Twain , Keith Urban , Tim McGraw, Faith Hill all became pop and techno stars. It has now evolved to the point that most country artists want to really be either a “Rock star” or “ Hip-Hop Star”. There are really no elements of what we think of as traditional country left in the modern stuff . The band Midland is one of the only bigger acts that somewhat has stayed true to the more traditional sound.

Corb Lund is pretty true to it too …more outlaw sounding besides that awful “The truck got stuck” song which ironically is a hit for him.

Check out “Highway 87” of his newest album “Songs my friends wrote” . It’s a Hayes Carll written song which Corb has been doing live for years ….but Corbs guitarist Grant Siemans absolutely kills it. Lots of traditional country feel in Grants picking.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

I like old-time and bluegrass (though not as a steady diet), but modern country generally annoys me. The presence of a few shit-hot pickers and even fewer enlightened songwriters doesn't save the genre.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Mooh said:


> I like old-time and bluegrass (though not as a steady diet), but modern country generally annoys me. The presence of a few shit-hot pickers and even fewer enlightened songwriters doesn't save the genre.


The odd time when my wife has driven my car I have to quickly turn the station back to Q107 when I get behind the wheel. I absolutely can't stand 7 seconds of that crap. Same if I borrow her car. Gotta change that crap country station she listens to. 
I remember back in the 70's\80's I had friends that felt the same about the country stations back then. I never thought I'd be one of those guys that couldn't listen to country radio.
Thank gawd for Spotify and I can listen to the country I want. Although even then its mostly classic rock.


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## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

I listen to pretty much all genres. Why limit yourself?


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Kerry Brown said:


> I listen to pretty much all genres. Why limit yourself?


I can listen to about any genre except Rap. There are a few songs where there is a Rap section in it that I like but pure rap music is the only music that annoys me more than modern pop country.


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## NotFromToronto (Dec 10, 2009)

Always12AM said:


> **Don’t read this if you are a soul patch wearing hippie who listens to Jan Arden at a cafe and cries…
> 
> In Ontario, white people are told that the 16 generations of farmers that they come from were patriarchal oppressors who are responsible for all inequality that exists in society. So out goes any chance that someone will have the subtlety of character or deep sense of pride in one’s heritage required to develop an appreciation for “folk” or country music.


Newsflash, you can like any type of music. Probably not safe to admit you are jamming to the latest release by groups wearing white hoods or swastika, neither of which have genre wide affiliations. But don't let me get in the way of you adding another thing to your list of excuses to claim victimhood as a white person in Ontario...


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

NotFromToronto said:


> Newsflash, you can like any type of music. Probably not safe to admit you are jamming to the latest release by groups wearing white hoods or swastika, neither of which have genre wide affiliations. But don't let me get in the way of you adding another thing to your list of excuses to claim victimhood as a white person in Ontario...


I was hoping no one would respond to him. Don't want a good thread becoming political and getting locked.


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## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

guitarman2 said:


> I can listen to about any genre except Rap. There are a few songs where there is a Rap section in it that I like but pure rap music is the only music that annoys me more than modern pop country.


One of my fondest memories playing live was at a local bar jam. A guy wanted to rap and asked if anyone could back him. No one wanted to so I did. I started a sort of latin/funk jam in A minor with a bit of dirt on an SG and he started free form rapping. Soon a bass player and drummer joined us. It went on for about ten minutes. It was a lot of fun. The audience loved it. There is good music in every genre if you are open to it.


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## Doug Gifford (Jun 8, 2019)

Kerry Brown said:


> …There is good music in every genre if you are open to it.


Just so. And bad. Whoever said "90% of everything is crap" was a naive optimist. 

In general I quite enjoy the best (my best) of country music. I stopped listening to country radio in the late 80s and never went back. A few years ago, I tuned in my local country station and the singer was telling me that his pickup was safer than some pencil-necked geek's compact and he loved his family too much to let them drive a compact car, or some such drivel. Never went back.

I could easily gig as a "classic country" singer and enjoy it a lot. But my performance thing these days is 20's to 50's pop/jazz and I'm quite content with that. FWIW, you can find my personal "country & folk" songbook here: http://jazzagejazz.ca/resources/song_charts/country & folk.pdf . Feel free to download it if it's useful to you. I have a smaller and separate book of "western."


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)




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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Kerry Brown said:


> I listen to pretty much all genres. Why limit yourself?



Well, to play the devil's advocate, why waste valuable listening time exploring genres you generally dislike?

For example, I'm sure if I really searched, I might find a few rap songs I liked, but I'm not inclined to subject myself to the punishment I would have to endure to find them.

Same goes for modern pop country.

Life's too short to spend any time listening to music I don't like. If that means I miss some stuff, I can live with that.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Milkman said:


> Well, to play the devil's advocate, why waste valuable listening time exploring genres you generally dislike?
> 
> For example, I'm sure if I really searched, I might find a few rap songs I liked, but I'm not inclined to subject myself to the punishment I would have to endure to find them.
> 
> ...


The band I'm in does mainly originals but we also do a few covers. I sometimes find some gems that are given me to learn.
One example is a Brett Young song called "In Case you didn't Know". Very traditional sounding. Good song. I have no idea if thats just a one off and the rest of his material is bad pop. I know that a few years ago while in a classic country band we did a Jon Pardi song that was traditional. I went online to listen to other songs of Jon Pardi and it seemed that the one I played in the band was the only traditional sounding song. Everything else he did was the bad pop, wanna be classic rock 3 chord crap.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

guitarman2 said:


> The band I'm in does mainly originals but we also do a few covers. I sometimes find some gems that are given me to learn.
> One example is a Brett Young song called "In Case you didn't Know". Very traditional sounding. Good song. I have no idea if thats just a one off and the rest of his material is bad pop. I know that a few years ago while in a classic country band we did a Jon Pardi song that was traditional. I went online to listen to other songs of Jon Pardi and it seemed that the one I played in the band was the only traditional sounding song. Everything else he did was the bad pop, wanna be classic rock 3 chord crap.


Yes, if I was playing in a country band, I'm sure I would be exposed to music that I might like, but that's not really likely so in the meantime, there's plenty of Allison Kraus and Union Station music, not to mention a butt load of bluegrass I can listen to when I want my country fix.

Hell, I have some Buck Owens albums...


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Milkman said:


> Yes, if I was playing in a country band, I'm sure I would be exposed to music that I might like, but that's not really likely so in the meantime, there's plenty of Allison Kraus and Union Station music, not to mention a butt load of bluegrass I can listen to when I want my country fix.
> 
> Hell, I have some Buck Owens albums...


I never get tired of listening to Allison Kraus or Buck Owens. I was raised on bluegrass, my father was a banjo and mandolin player as well as an acoustic rhythm player. I miss him as he was my main jamming partner from when I picked up the guitar at 13 until his young death when I was 20. So many years of jamming with him I feel cheated.
The last bluegrass band I went to see live in Ohio about 4-5 years ago was Dailey and Vincent. Excellent band.

A pic of me with Darren Vincent after the show. I was about 60-70 pounds heavier then. Wow I can't believe thats me.


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

Mooh said:


> I like old-time and bluegrass (though not as a steady diet), but modern country generally annoys me. The presence of a few shit-hot pickers and even fewer enlightened songwriters doesn't save the genre.


Pretty much this.

What I find particularly troublesome is how generic all of the vocalists are. No matter where they are actually from, they all have that same twang. There are three local women who have had some success in the country scene, but if I close my eyes, I can't tell which one of them is singing.


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

guitarman2 said:


> I love country music almost as much as the old classic rock of the 60's and 70's. But like my love of old rock from a different era, its the same for country. I more like what is known as traditional country music. Merle Haggard, George Jones, etc. The country of today is terrible and I can't stand listening to country radio anymore. Although some artists will occasionally release an old school country song thats worth listening to.
> My favorite era of country was the 80's. I thought Merle Haggard was at his best, vocally and musically. Haggard of course is my favorite country artist. The 80's is also when Ricky Skaggs came on the scene and introduced his country\bluegrass melded style. Watching his guitar player Ray Flacke is what really got me loving a Telecaster. They kind of started that guitar shredding style. Every musician in the band shredded their instrument.
> The only album that I owned by Dan Seals was "I won't be Blue Anymore" It had the single hit "All that Glitters is not Gold" which I still sing and play on acoustic to this day. Also the singles "Meet me in Montana" a duet with Marie Osmond and "Heading West". And of course the big hit "Bop" which I could stand as it was over played and every band I played in had it in their set list. It got to be as bad as playing "Old Time Rock'n Roll".
> I remember Dan Seals was a pretty big deal in the country scene back then. But like many of the artists from that era they faded with time.
> ...


I was never really country, and I've never played in country band. But I do listen to it. In the late 70's I had a friend who was nuts about Waylon Jennings so I was first exposed and dug it. Early 80's I had a country music lovin girlfriend, and she was all about George Jones. Late 90's I worked in a shop that had a radio playing country music welded into a cage on the wall so the rock guys couldn't change the station or shut it off. I developed a real love for that era of country. It was good music, good songs. My 40th birthday was spent at an Alan Jackson concert. But somewhere in all that, I missed out on Dan Seals. I discovered him a while ago through the magic of YouTube showing me stuff I might like. I didn't even realize it was him in another song I always loved





Thanks for the info. I'm working on learning a few his songs.


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

We're allowed to dislike things of course, and we don't owe the world a reason.


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## Always12AM (Sep 2, 2018)

NotFromToronto said:


> Newsflash, you can like any type of music. Probably not safe to admit you are jamming to the latest release by groups wearing white hoods or swastika, neither of which have genre wide affiliations. But don't let me get in the way of you adding another thing to your list of excuses to claim victimhood as a white person in Ontario...


No idea what you / everyone is talking about man.

As per usual. But if you feel like you’ve gotten somewhere with this response, by all means.


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## Always12AM (Sep 2, 2018)

Milkman said:


> I'm a soul patch wearing hippie who cries at the thought of Jan Arden performing at a cafe.
> 
> And, I'm not looking for wisdom or life lessons when listening to "country" and folk any more than I would if I was listening to rock or other genres.
> 
> ...


I see someone with a soul patch and my Gods honest response is “grow the rest.. it is affirmation of the wild beast inside of you”.

A lot of people say they are hippies. On the internet. In their air conditioned suburban home. Sheltering zero refugees and volunteering zero time or effort into helping with the opioid crisis or working to educate youth about birth control, literacy or donating food to their daily lunch programs. But they sure as fuck show up and take selfies at BLM parties lol.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Always12AM said:


> I see someone with a soul patch and my Gods honest response is “grow the rest.. it is affirmation of the wild beast inside of you”.
> 
> A lot of people say they are hippies. On the internet. In their air conditioned suburban home. Sheltering zero refugees and volunteering zero time or effort into helping with the opioid crisis or working to educate youth about birth control, literacy or donating food to their daily lunch programs. But they sure as fuck show up and take selfies at BLM parties lol.


LOL

Oh I’m no hippie.

I was just playing with the words.


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## oldjoat (Apr 4, 2019)

best I can do is a face like a grizzly bear.


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

Mooh said:


> We're allowed to dislike things of course, and we don't owe the world a reason.


Imagine how boring the world would be if we all liked exactly the same music. Not a pretty thought.


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## Mark Brown (Jan 4, 2022)

Lincoln said:


> Imagine how boring the world would be if we all liked exactly the same music. Not a pretty thought.


It would be ok for me because obviously my choices are the right ones that y'all would have to get use to 

I have never been a country fan... but there are some damn fine country songs. Old "country western" has a place in my heart for all time, my dad was a bluegrass picker for the entire time I knew him and there are some standards there that will be with me always. What passes for country now.... well, it would be best if I left that opinion to myself.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)




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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)




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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)




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## Doug Gifford (Jun 8, 2019)

I'm pining for a drummer who knows how to _not_ use cymbals.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

A drummer in a country band?

Nah, the doghouse bass has enough of a beat.


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## Doug Gifford (Jun 8, 2019)

Milkman said:


> A drummer in a country band?
> 
> Nah, the doghouse bass has enough of a beat.


Agreed. But I suspect that there are no upright bass players in Gananoque.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Doug Gifford said:


> Agreed. But I suspect that there are no upright bass players in Gananoque.


This is our bass player. He uses the stand up 90% of the time.
I'm in the top right corner in the back ground. This was at the Wasaga Beach Fall Hootenanny last October.


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## SWLABR (Nov 7, 2017)

Milkman said:


>


Dolly, Linda, and Emmylou. The trifecta of grace, beauty, & talent.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

SWLABR said:


> Dolly, Linda, and Emmylou. The trifecta of grace, beauty, & talent.


Three women so talented and humble, it's hard to pick a stand out. I can't say enough about them.


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