Tunes for Twangers
Music 305 A
A History of Country Music

Dedication & Thanks

Dedication
Tunes for Twangers is dedicated with great respect, admiration and appreciation to my father

Patrick L. LaRue
(1928-1992)

… of Fairfield County, Ohio. As my brothers and I were growing up on the home place – Father had an AM radio in every barn, in every shed. These radios – on a Saturday afternoon – would be tuned to WOSU AM which in those days played the Texaco broadcasts from the Metropolitan Opera – which he thought we should hear. This was inspiring to a young, serious musician [as I aspired to be]. On Saturday evenings, however, on the old kitchen table [which is still there by the way] he would tune his large AM radio in to WSM and the Grand Ole Opry – which he thought we also should hear [I have to say I was most-dubious at the time]. As a young fellow I heard Roy Acuff “squall” [or so it seemed to me] the Wabash Cannonball; I heard my Father wax eloquent about Jimmie Rodgers about the original Carter Family about Uncle Dave Macon. Although I would have denied it vehemently – these lessons took fertile ground and instilled in me a love and appreciation for country music – particularly “old-time” music that has only grown to this day and has been greatly enhanced by my work on this project.

Special Thanks to …

Dr. Sonny Burnette, Former Music Department Chair, Colleague and Friend – who listened to me speak [whine] incessantly about the Twanger offering and in all has been supportive and kind.

Dr. Rosemary Allen, Provost – who understands both the “liberal” and the “arts” in liberal arts and who has been very supportive of this course offering.

Mr. Lucas Gravitt, informal Research Assistant – who for two years, helped me run down, hunt up and generally organize the massive amount of materials that have gone into the Twanger offering.

My other friends and colleagues who [during 2005-2007] patiently waited while I ignored their emails, not returned telephone calls and as I have ranted on about Fiddlin’ John Carson, Uncle Jimmy Thompson, or the miracle of Maybelle’s “Carter-Lick” on her Gibson L-5 guitar – when they could not have cared less.

A Very Special Thanks to …

Mr. John Rumble, Senior Historian at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville – who for no good reason – early on replied to my emails, in the most-gracious of fashion and has provided invaluable advice, suggestions and information for Tunes with Twangers.

and a thanks to …

The young scholars who were first “crop” of Twangers during the Fall of 2006, the “beta-version” Twangers in 2007, the great Twangers from 2088-2010 – and now you, the 2011 Twangers [and all Twangers of the future] – as they help me further define and refine this course offering.

Most Warmly,
Pete LaRue
August 2010