music – April Coker, Author

Random Friday: When Country was Country?

Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean, Little Big Town, Dierks Bentley, Brad Paisley, Trace Adkins, Reba McEntire.

All big names in today’s country music.

Then there are Dwight Yoakum, Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Shania Twain, Clint Black, and many others.

But these are not really country music artists to a certain generation. According to my father’s generation, REAL country music includes names like Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Buck Owens, Roy Clark, Bill Anderson, and many others. This is the music I grew up on, what my parents call REAL country music.

Daddy came across this old magazine the other day called Country Song Roundup dated December 1969. Check it out. . .

I love the way the pages have aged, and the difference in the fonts. No glossiness here!

Remember Tommy Cash? He appeared on the Johnny Cash Show back in the early 70’s. I had forgotten about him! (no offense, Tommy!)

Can you imagine subscribing to a magazine for $3.50? Still hard to come by for many in those days.

The teacher in me found this last page interesting. It seems even in 1969 there were alternative ways to earn a high school diploma!

It was entertaining and educational flipping through the pages of this magazine which is now a piece of history. And whether or not you believe that today’s country music is the REAL deal, you have to realize that no matter what it really is, it goes by that name anyway. There is at least one country music star who acknowledges that she owes her success to the country music of her parents and grandparents. Miranda Lambert counts among her idols Merle Haggard and Loretta Lynn.

Is it really necessary to have

to choose which is the REAL country?

I think you can love both. Just like I do.

Or prefer the music of your own

generation, like my parents do.

Or the music in between.

It’s all music, and I’m thankful there

are enough genres for everyone’s individual

taste.

By the way, did I mention that I was one

of Miranda’s high school teachers?

Yep, I was! More on that later. . .

XOXO

Random Friday: Airstream love

Have I mentioned that I was one of Miranda’s teachers in high school? I ran the program that allowed her to graduate early so she could pursue her music career. Operation Graduation not only allowed her to finish her high school credits while working late night gigs in East Texas, it was also responsible for graduating Mark “Tex” Adams, who built motorcycles for motocross superstars Travis Pastrana and James Stewart. Sadly, Mark died earlier this year after being struck by a car while aiding a friend stranded on a highway in Florida. Best friends Miranda and Mark graduated in 2002 and were also classmates of my son Matt’s.

Miranda snapped this photo with my phone at a Teachers Count photo shoot in Nashville!

Many other students who might have dropped out of school were able to graduate under this alternative program, which I developed and directed for 19 years at Lindale High School. Among my 300+ former students are nurses, business owners, college graduates, and also my own daughter and future son-in-law! Alternative education is near and dear to my heart, as you can tell. I have also been heavily involved in the Texas Association for Alternative Education, in which I am a past president.

This post was supposed to be about my love of Airstream campers, but I guess I will discuss that another time. . .my students matter so much more!

April xoxo