Rick Bayles

The Unsung Heroes of Americana – RCA Studio B, Nashville Recording Studio

April 1, 2021 Rick Bayles 4

So far on our Unsung Heroes series, we’ve had musicians, producers, instruments and even record labels. Now it’s time to turn our attention to one of the iconic buildings of Nashville and its importance to the […]

“Forgotten Artists” becomes ‘Whatever Happened To….’

March 29, 2021 Rick Bayles 2

Our popular Forgotten Artists series isn’t going away, but it is going for a bit of a refresh. We’ve grown increasingly uncomfortable with the series title as some readers have expressed surprise that favoured artists are […]

Cajun Corner – Book Review: Ann Allen Savoy “Cajun Music: A Reflection of a People”

March 26, 2021 Rick Bayles 1

Following the interest that my recent lists of Cajun, Zydeco and Swamp Pop/Rock tracks brought we’re launching a new, occasional series to focus on the music of the Louisiana bayous. What better way to launch this […]

Book Review – Ben Fong-Torres “Hickory Wind” (2nd re-issue 2020)

March 22, 2021 Rick Bayles 2

‘Hickory Wind: The Life and Times of Gram Parsons’ was originally published in 1991 and was, at the time, hailed as the definitive biography of the man most consider to be the godfather of country rock. […]

The Unsung Heroes of Americana – Charlie Gillett, Broadcaster and Writer.

March 18, 2021 Rick Bayles 6

Some of my earliest encounters with the music we now call Americana came courtesy of a then little known radio show presented by a true Unsung Hero of Americana. Charles Thomas Gillett (20 February 1942 – […]