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Just think of all the music that’s distinctly American. Jazz. Rock and roll. Motown. The blues. Zydeco. (And if we didn’t invent it here, we found a way to make it better.) We tap our toes, we dance, we thrill to the music of America.
Singer: Dolly Parton
She was born in the poor community of Locust Ridge, Tennessee. One of 12 children. Started singing on a radio station at age 11. Moved to...
Read MoreSong: "At Last"
It’s the 1960 recording by Etta James that makes the list of Great American Things. The song itself has been around since 1941, when...
Read MoreMusic: John Williams
Can a composer’s entire reputation be validated on the basis of just two notes? Beethoven needed four notes to embed his iconic Fifth...
Read MoreSingers: The Temptations
Close your eyes, and you can see The Temptations performing in your mind. One lead singer, four (usually) dancing and singing along. Flashy...
Read MoreSong: "Moonlight Serenade"
“Moonlight Serenade” is not only one of the most beautiful songs of the Big Band Era, it’s one of the most beautiful in...
Read MoreTV Show: American Idol
It’s trendy for people to turn their noses up at this show, it’s somehow beneath them. But American Idol’s overpowering...
Read MoreMusic: Irving Berlin
I’ve featured some outstanding American songwriters on this site, those who’ve penned both contemporary hits and classics from...
Read MoreSinger: Lyle Lovett
Lyle Lovett has only had one single hit the top ten of the Country chart, “Cowboy Man” (1986). But he’s won four Grammy...
Read MoreSong: "Over the Rainbow"
Louis B. Mayer is one of the greatest executives in the history of motion pictures. But he almost made the mistake of his life when he...
Read MoreTV Show: Austin City Limits
If Austin is indeed the “live music capital of the world” as it proclaims itself, much of the credit has to go to Austin City...
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