The weekend’s broadcast of the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame Awards honoring Wilco, Lucinda Williams and Alejandro Escovedo inspired some of today’s show. Also, recent birthdays of Elvis Presley and David Bowie, and today’s grim anniversary of the latter’s death (but with a new release!).
Racial fallout from a Saturday night incident at the Grand Ole Opry gave way to the country-western work of Ray Charles (only this year to get into the Country Music Association Hall of fame). The death Saturday of Woodstock organizer Michael Lang inspired a short set of unsung tracks from that event. Jerry Wexler, born this day in 1917, is represented by some of his best productions, which led to work from bassist Tim Drummond, who died five years ago today.
A couple of new Neil Young things came with new tracks from The Cactus Blossoms, Morgan Wade and Elvis Costello. A sampling of Lightnin’ Hopkins, who died this day in 1975. A salute to Sir Roderick Stewart on his 77th birthday, and remembering The Ramones 45 years after the release of “Leaving Home.”
You can hear it all here. Here’s what I played on the radio this afternoon: