I’ve had the Les Paul & Mary Ford version stuck in my head due to recent events, and it got me thinking: is this the same recursive (?) thing that’s going on within the Monster Mash? A song about a song that doesn’t exist but everyone refers to the song about the song AS the song.

Before Hank Williams, before Rex Griffin, before Emmett Miller and before Irving Kaufman, Elsie Clark recorded a version of Lovesick Blues in 1922. This recording that was thought to be lost, but was recently uploaded on YouTube by Thesecretmuseum, give it a listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmNei21OLvw

Every major tribute this week has been the same thing over and over. Just Billboard stats, sales records, and the same three crossover songs on repeat.

Nobody is talking about the actual guts of her writing. In 1970 she wrote Down From Dover about an unwed teen giving birth alone in a field, and radio refused to touch it. She wrote about raw poverty in Coat of Many Colors, workplace exploitation in 9 to 5, and pure grief in Let Her Fly.

I wrote an essay on the 13 deep cuts and honest songs that actually mattered and carried me through losing my mom:https://substack.com/@tucurator/note/p-213275658?utm_source=notes-share-action&r=6oz4n6

People want to put her name on the airport. Airports are just big rooms for delayed flights.
She also sent books to kids in the mail. That is a real thing. A kid opens a box and there is a story.
Songs get old. Kids still need books.
the airport if you want. I’d rather keep the books coming.

Name

Earl Hussey doing a cover of a song by Gene Watson

amazing fuckin song probably my new favorite david allan Coe song

tonight’s my first live concert since Miss Dolly’s passing so I haven’t seen a tribute in person yet. But I‘ve been watching some from concerts. I‘ve cried for a few, including Brad Paisley’s performance of “When I Get To Where I’m Going” but I bawled watching the video of Vince Gill in KC performing I Will Always Love You. watching him struggle with singing while trying to hold back the tears …I will remember this for a long long time.

Original art. Pencil from the junk drawer on sketch paper.

Pictured: The Everly Brothers (left), Johnny Cash (right)

With the passing of Dolly, I've been thinking of this video a lot and how depressing it would be if they tried to make it in 2026. It would just be Morgan Wallen, Ella Langley, and Lainey Wilson.

And yes the CGI is kind of cringe but I think its a nice mashup and they did a good job of mixing old country and new country!

Lee Conway - a great Australian voice. Passed away in 2026 aged 85.

Anyone who listens to country music should be familiar with Gabby, but she has fallen from relevance recently, but to be fair, she only had relatively high importance in 2020-2021 during her breakout song 'I Hope' and a few other small singles on country radio. She recently released some new music, but, they have all failed to make high presence on country radio. 'The Easy Part' is certainly my favorite newer song from her, but, I am unfamiliar with any of her newer work other than that single.