When I first started learning the guitar, I was a huge fan of John Denver with an affinity for other singer songwriters also. Folks like Harry Chapin, James Taylor, Gordon Lightfoot, Bob Dylan, and others. So my initial efforts on guitar were mostly about learning chords and songs. Just a few years later, I found Doc Watson and flatpicking. For the next 25 years or so, I worked toward learning to flatpick the melody of songs. I have had some success, and at times come short of my aims.
In the past 5 or so years, I fell back on my flatpicking skills, allowing David to take the lead in picking while I did more of the talking and singing. Now that I am performing solo, I began to want to do more flatpicking again. So I started woodshedding and reworking the skills I had and tunes I already knew. Then I made the decision to attend the Steve Kaufman Acoustic Kamp for flatpicking this June (It was an easy decision once I saw who the instructors were). While I don't expect to learn everything I want to in a week, I do hope to get a direction to help me improve over the next year or two. In anticipation of this camp, I knew I needed to get my hands in shape to be able to hold up picking for a week, and to be ready to learn. So I started in mid April by making a list of the flatpicking tunes and songs I already knew, then working on picking them as cleanly as I possibly could. After a couple of weeks of work, I realized I needed a harder regimen if I was to be as strong as I needed to be for camp. So, I called David Buchanan and asked a favor. I asked if he would help me get ready by meeting and practicing on Mondays through May. He agreed, and I now feel the strongest in my picking that I have in several years. A long way from where I want to be, but better than I was last year, or even 2 months ago. Thanks David for the help and I am looking forward to moving forward and trying to raise my skills a level or two.
See you down the road.
Friday, May 30, 2014
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Recharging
Late fall and the main part of my traditional picking season is behind me, and currently I am at a point of having no scheduled programs/concerts coming up. I may add some Christmas programs and winter shows, but do not have any right now.
It has been my 3rd year of playing solo, and I am enjoying it. This year especially I have felt myself beginning to feel my shows are gelling to what I want to be as a solo act. I still miss having David picking with me, but also am enjoying playing on my own. This year I have done shows that included my acoustic guitar, bluegrass banjo, old time banjo, harmonica, washboard, (the standards from years past) along with mandolin and electric guitar (new for me).
This time of year is when I recharge and start looking forward to next year, and also spend more time learning new songs and tunes. It is also a time for reflection and soul searching. Over the years I have found that I suffer with bouts of depression. I thought this was a bad thing, until I read that John Denver and Elvis Presley also suffered with deep bouts of depression. I always thought of them as upbeat guys, who had their act together, and functioned at a high level. So if they have depression, then I do not need to worry so much when I do, as long as I keep it in perspective.
I have only recently started admitting to having depression, as most of the time, I would just say I was tired or melancholy. Of course when you say you have depression, someone will invariably recommend you check into getting anti-depression medicine. Perhaps I would feel more inclined to that if I felt my bouts with depression were at all destructive, in that I might contemplate injury to myself or others. But it isn't. It is more a time of going inside, reflecting on what is going on, working on ideas to make things better, and recharging my batteries, by getting more sleep and rest. Many times ideas for songs and lines for those songs come to me in these times.
As I have studied about people and depression, I have learned that often creative people suffer more often from times of depression. So that is my excuse, and a chance for me to declare myself as a creative person.
So I will go through these times and when challenged, I will smile, say I am fine and go forward to play more music. I'll see you down the road.
Nelson
It has been my 3rd year of playing solo, and I am enjoying it. This year especially I have felt myself beginning to feel my shows are gelling to what I want to be as a solo act. I still miss having David picking with me, but also am enjoying playing on my own. This year I have done shows that included my acoustic guitar, bluegrass banjo, old time banjo, harmonica, washboard, (the standards from years past) along with mandolin and electric guitar (new for me).
This time of year is when I recharge and start looking forward to next year, and also spend more time learning new songs and tunes. It is also a time for reflection and soul searching. Over the years I have found that I suffer with bouts of depression. I thought this was a bad thing, until I read that John Denver and Elvis Presley also suffered with deep bouts of depression. I always thought of them as upbeat guys, who had their act together, and functioned at a high level. So if they have depression, then I do not need to worry so much when I do, as long as I keep it in perspective.
I have only recently started admitting to having depression, as most of the time, I would just say I was tired or melancholy. Of course when you say you have depression, someone will invariably recommend you check into getting anti-depression medicine. Perhaps I would feel more inclined to that if I felt my bouts with depression were at all destructive, in that I might contemplate injury to myself or others. But it isn't. It is more a time of going inside, reflecting on what is going on, working on ideas to make things better, and recharging my batteries, by getting more sleep and rest. Many times ideas for songs and lines for those songs come to me in these times.
As I have studied about people and depression, I have learned that often creative people suffer more often from times of depression. So that is my excuse, and a chance for me to declare myself as a creative person.
So I will go through these times and when challenged, I will smile, say I am fine and go forward to play more music. I'll see you down the road.
Nelson
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Playing Solo
Since David "Buck" retired from performing as the first half of Buck and Nelson after our last show at Unicoi on Oct. 16, 2010, I have been saying that I am performing solo. It has recently been in my mind that this statement is only partly true.
It is certainly true that when I perform, I am the only one that is visible on stage. But, I find I am not truly alone. With me as I play are all those who have influenced my music and my showmanship, some who are famous and others who may not be. My earliest influences and people I tried my best to emulate in some small way are people like John Denver, James Taylor, Bob Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Earl Scruggs. Later influences included Hot Rize, David Holt, Norman Blake, Tony Rice, and my greatest influence over the past 30 plus years Arthel "Doc" Watson. Over the years there have also been many people I have seen in passing, but whose artistry struck me enough to try and glean a small piece of their playing or stage presence and use in my own endeavors. There also others who have become acquaintenances and even friends. And I often find that even though he retired, I still carry David with me as I perform. After more than 30 years of performing as a duo there are many parts of my show that are carried over from those years. I am not the instrumentalist he was/is, but I am working on getting better still. And I have to thank him for all those years of music, friendship, and performances. His dedication to getting everything just right, have made me a better musician than I might have been otherwise.
There are others who have never been on a stage or even tried to play an instrument. Yet they are still there with me. Thanks to their friendship, love, and encouragement, I have continued on my quest to follow my dream of entertaining others.
Back around 1995, David and I recorded and produced a Casssette tape of our music titled "Hewed out of the Mountain". Since that time we have talked about and promised a CD to follow that up. We were working on that when David retired. By the way, I am not yet sure it is actually legal to retire from music :), but I wish him the very best and am glad to know he is getting to enjoy being a grandpa to his 2 grandchildren. At any rate, he suggested I do a CD on my own. I am working on that right now and should have it ready early this summer.
So, when you see me performing, you can know that while I am the only one you see, I am not completely alone. I am thankful for all the people who have been a part of my life, those who know they are and those who do not. All the people and experiences are what has made me who I am and has got me to where I am now. I am not finished yet and am hoping for many more years to improve and perform. Along with that I look forward to seeing old friends, listening to people who inspire me, and to meeting new people, some who will pass quickly through my life and others who may stay a while and enrich my life with their friendship.
My music has been the constant driving force in my life for so many years now and it is something I still find much joy in. It is something that will make me drop everything else and find a way to go play for a group, large or small. It is like a medicine for me and I feel good after a good show, sometimes for several days.
After almost a lifetime of playing and singing, I am becoming more and more drawn to writing songs. I have always tried to do some of that, but I find a lifetime of experiences have helped in finding words to express long held feelings, and I hope to put those in a form that others will enjoy and understand. My plan is to record these songs as I get them in a form I like, and down the road produce another CD or some type of recording of them.
Thank you for your time in listening to/reading my thoughts. I will see you on down the trail. All the best to you.
It is certainly true that when I perform, I am the only one that is visible on stage. But, I find I am not truly alone. With me as I play are all those who have influenced my music and my showmanship, some who are famous and others who may not be. My earliest influences and people I tried my best to emulate in some small way are people like John Denver, James Taylor, Bob Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Earl Scruggs. Later influences included Hot Rize, David Holt, Norman Blake, Tony Rice, and my greatest influence over the past 30 plus years Arthel "Doc" Watson. Over the years there have also been many people I have seen in passing, but whose artistry struck me enough to try and glean a small piece of their playing or stage presence and use in my own endeavors. There also others who have become acquaintenances and even friends. And I often find that even though he retired, I still carry David with me as I perform. After more than 30 years of performing as a duo there are many parts of my show that are carried over from those years. I am not the instrumentalist he was/is, but I am working on getting better still. And I have to thank him for all those years of music, friendship, and performances. His dedication to getting everything just right, have made me a better musician than I might have been otherwise.
There are others who have never been on a stage or even tried to play an instrument. Yet they are still there with me. Thanks to their friendship, love, and encouragement, I have continued on my quest to follow my dream of entertaining others.
Back around 1995, David and I recorded and produced a Casssette tape of our music titled "Hewed out of the Mountain". Since that time we have talked about and promised a CD to follow that up. We were working on that when David retired. By the way, I am not yet sure it is actually legal to retire from music :), but I wish him the very best and am glad to know he is getting to enjoy being a grandpa to his 2 grandchildren. At any rate, he suggested I do a CD on my own. I am working on that right now and should have it ready early this summer.
So, when you see me performing, you can know that while I am the only one you see, I am not completely alone. I am thankful for all the people who have been a part of my life, those who know they are and those who do not. All the people and experiences are what has made me who I am and has got me to where I am now. I am not finished yet and am hoping for many more years to improve and perform. Along with that I look forward to seeing old friends, listening to people who inspire me, and to meeting new people, some who will pass quickly through my life and others who may stay a while and enrich my life with their friendship.
My music has been the constant driving force in my life for so many years now and it is something I still find much joy in. It is something that will make me drop everything else and find a way to go play for a group, large or small. It is like a medicine for me and I feel good after a good show, sometimes for several days.
After almost a lifetime of playing and singing, I am becoming more and more drawn to writing songs. I have always tried to do some of that, but I find a lifetime of experiences have helped in finding words to express long held feelings, and I hope to put those in a form that others will enjoy and understand. My plan is to record these songs as I get them in a form I like, and down the road produce another CD or some type of recording of them.
Thank you for your time in listening to/reading my thoughts. I will see you on down the trail. All the best to you.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Back to the Basics
I am about to get into the picking season again and I am really looking forward to it. I have been doing a lot of picking and woodshedding this spring, along with working on recording a CD that will likely be ready by the end of June.
As mentioned in my last post, from the end of July last year, I have an upgraded mandolin and have been working on that, along with my other instruments.
Most of my life, well my picking life, which is now over 40 years and is actually most of my life, I have said that there are many people who can play better than me, but there isn't anyone who enjoys it more. In the past few years, it seems some of that joy has gone out of my music and that hurts inside. I find that I am not smiling as much when I am performing, but I am really still enjoying performing and picking. I have thought on this a lot in the past couple of years. It seems some of this loss of joy happened after my stroke on Father's Day of 2009. I was blessed that the stroke did not do more damage. It did not affect my motor skills or my memory, but may have changed my attitude some. I seem to have started concentrating more on trying to be perfect instrumentally than I have in having fun and conveying that fun to my audience. That isn't all bad. David Holt once said, "It has to be good music and good entertainment."
Which brings me to the title of this post. In order to find the fun, I have been going back to the beginning and remembering those days when we would sit up all night picking, just because of the pure joy we found in playing stringed instruments. And going back even farther, to the time when I was in college and was working on the basic chords and songs in my apt. Songs of John Denver, Bob Dylan, Waylon and Willie, Jerry Jeff Walker, and many other bands and singer/songwriters.
So I have been picking my banjo and loosening my fingers back up. Fate has a way of helping too. I have a program booked for this Sunday, where the one asking was looking for a banjo picker. So I will do the hour mostly on banjo and you cannot be sad while playing a banjo - Steve Martin.
The other thing I have done recently is to purchase a new electric guitar. After about 40 years of only playing acoustic, I was a little surprised that I was even interested in doing this, esp. as I still love the sound of an acoustic guitar. I am even more surprised that that little electric guitar and really increased my fun in playing again. I am even looking at adding it with some specially selected songs into some of my programs. So if you come see me this summer, you just might hear some songs from Jimmy Buffett, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Jerry Jeff Walker, Bob Dylan, Three Dog Night or others in the course of the show.
So, I am looking forward to the summer and fall and the chance to pick and perform for audiences. Hope to see you down the road at one of my shows.
As mentioned in my last post, from the end of July last year, I have an upgraded mandolin and have been working on that, along with my other instruments.
Most of my life, well my picking life, which is now over 40 years and is actually most of my life, I have said that there are many people who can play better than me, but there isn't anyone who enjoys it more. In the past few years, it seems some of that joy has gone out of my music and that hurts inside. I find that I am not smiling as much when I am performing, but I am really still enjoying performing and picking. I have thought on this a lot in the past couple of years. It seems some of this loss of joy happened after my stroke on Father's Day of 2009. I was blessed that the stroke did not do more damage. It did not affect my motor skills or my memory, but may have changed my attitude some. I seem to have started concentrating more on trying to be perfect instrumentally than I have in having fun and conveying that fun to my audience. That isn't all bad. David Holt once said, "It has to be good music and good entertainment."
Which brings me to the title of this post. In order to find the fun, I have been going back to the beginning and remembering those days when we would sit up all night picking, just because of the pure joy we found in playing stringed instruments. And going back even farther, to the time when I was in college and was working on the basic chords and songs in my apt. Songs of John Denver, Bob Dylan, Waylon and Willie, Jerry Jeff Walker, and many other bands and singer/songwriters.
So I have been picking my banjo and loosening my fingers back up. Fate has a way of helping too. I have a program booked for this Sunday, where the one asking was looking for a banjo picker. So I will do the hour mostly on banjo and you cannot be sad while playing a banjo - Steve Martin.
The other thing I have done recently is to purchase a new electric guitar. After about 40 years of only playing acoustic, I was a little surprised that I was even interested in doing this, esp. as I still love the sound of an acoustic guitar. I am even more surprised that that little electric guitar and really increased my fun in playing again. I am even looking at adding it with some specially selected songs into some of my programs. So if you come see me this summer, you just might hear some songs from Jimmy Buffett, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Jerry Jeff Walker, Bob Dylan, Three Dog Night or others in the course of the show.
So, I am looking forward to the summer and fall and the chance to pick and perform for audiences. Hope to see you down the road at one of my shows.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Neglected Blog
Well, I finally decided to take a look at my blog again, and realized I had not updated it in over a year. Not much of a Blog if I am going to neglect it so much.
I have tried to stay busy, with work, activities at home, continuing to work on my solo performing, and civic activities. The solo performing is beginning to feel fun again, and I am happy for that. I do still miss David's picking and banter at times, but am very happy to still be performing.
My CD is still on hold however. I thought I had things worked out to finish it this spring and early summer, but it has not happened yet Soon, I hope. I have obtained a new digital recorder to help in that regard. It is much larger than the one I had, with greater capabilities, and a new learning curve for me to work on.
I just played a program for a group at the Nantahala Outdoor Center (Monday, July 30). This past Saturday, July 28th, I played for the annual Green Bean Festival, this year held at the Farmer's Market. This is a wonderful facility and a natural location for the Green Bean Festival. Glad I played fairly early (10:00 am to Noon) as it was already hot enough then. Very glad I had one of my neckerchiefs to wipe the sweat away.
Working on new songs, tunes, and songwriting all along. Some weeks I spend a lot of time on my instruments, and some weeks not much at all. I always feel better after I do some serious picking though.
I am enjoying my new F style Mandolin and learning more music on it. Great tone and looks. I am a long, long way from the way David can play the mandolin, but I am getting better at least. I have some good instruction to work on and will keep adding tunes as I go. I also hope to add some Christmas tunes for the Mandolin, as it has such a great sound for Christmas music.
I don't have a lot of programs for August, but I do have a couple toward the end of the Month. I will be performing one Saturday at Unicoi State Park Lodge and the next Saturday at Vogel State Park. I think that is the order. You can check my website calendar at www.nelsonthomas.net to be sure, or if you are on my e-mail list, I will be sending out notices. If you aren't on the list but would like to be, send me a note at nelsont53@gmail.com.
I look forward to seeing you down the road.
I have tried to stay busy, with work, activities at home, continuing to work on my solo performing, and civic activities. The solo performing is beginning to feel fun again, and I am happy for that. I do still miss David's picking and banter at times, but am very happy to still be performing.
My CD is still on hold however. I thought I had things worked out to finish it this spring and early summer, but it has not happened yet Soon, I hope. I have obtained a new digital recorder to help in that regard. It is much larger than the one I had, with greater capabilities, and a new learning curve for me to work on.
I just played a program for a group at the Nantahala Outdoor Center (Monday, July 30). This past Saturday, July 28th, I played for the annual Green Bean Festival, this year held at the Farmer's Market. This is a wonderful facility and a natural location for the Green Bean Festival. Glad I played fairly early (10:00 am to Noon) as it was already hot enough then. Very glad I had one of my neckerchiefs to wipe the sweat away.
Working on new songs, tunes, and songwriting all along. Some weeks I spend a lot of time on my instruments, and some weeks not much at all. I always feel better after I do some serious picking though.
I am enjoying my new F style Mandolin and learning more music on it. Great tone and looks. I am a long, long way from the way David can play the mandolin, but I am getting better at least. I have some good instruction to work on and will keep adding tunes as I go. I also hope to add some Christmas tunes for the Mandolin, as it has such a great sound for Christmas music.
I don't have a lot of programs for August, but I do have a couple toward the end of the Month. I will be performing one Saturday at Unicoi State Park Lodge and the next Saturday at Vogel State Park. I think that is the order. You can check my website calendar at www.nelsonthomas.net to be sure, or if you are on my e-mail list, I will be sending out notices. If you aren't on the list but would like to be, send me a note at nelsont53@gmail.com.
I look forward to seeing you down the road.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
SPRING!
If you are like me, you love Spring. I have been blessed not to suffer from spring allergies so far, which is another plus for me. My favorite seasons are Fall and Spring. Summer gets too hot, though I enjoy the longer hours of daylight. Winter has been biting harder the last couple of years, but I still love the snow and colder weather.
Fall is the celebration of the harvest and a joy of the coming winter. Spring is an awakening and looking forward to growth and warmer weather. Spring is also the opening of my picking season. Fall is prime picking time also. While I do some programs through the winter, I have not been on a level to do a lot yet.
This year I am looking forward excitedly to a year of solo performances. Several are already set up. I am not quite where I want to be yet, but am continuing to work in that direction. I have the hope and desire to write more songs as well. I have a few that I have written and need to work those into my performances. They will be on my upcoming CD, which also must be finished.
Today is a a beautifully warm day and I also want to get my canoe on the water, if I can get Vincent moving and agreeing to go with me. I need to pick up new fishing licenses for us as well. I would love to do some river paddling, but want to get Vincent trained on flat water first so he will know what to do once on the river.
My next program is next Thursday at the SEBA meeting in Ellijay and I look forward to that. Many of you have asked me about David. He is doing well and enjoying being retired from performing. I certainly wish him all the best. I look forward to seeing many of you this year as I continue to perform. I appreciate your continuing friendship, encouragement, and support.
I have had the privilege of going to see Claire Lynch and Matt Wingate in Dahlonega, and Jim Hurst in
Atlanta since the first of the year. These are top notch musicians and great people to get to talk with. If you get the chance go out and see them and support their efforts.
I will see you down the trail.
Fall is the celebration of the harvest and a joy of the coming winter. Spring is an awakening and looking forward to growth and warmer weather. Spring is also the opening of my picking season. Fall is prime picking time also. While I do some programs through the winter, I have not been on a level to do a lot yet.
This year I am looking forward excitedly to a year of solo performances. Several are already set up. I am not quite where I want to be yet, but am continuing to work in that direction. I have the hope and desire to write more songs as well. I have a few that I have written and need to work those into my performances. They will be on my upcoming CD, which also must be finished.
Today is a a beautifully warm day and I also want to get my canoe on the water, if I can get Vincent moving and agreeing to go with me. I need to pick up new fishing licenses for us as well. I would love to do some river paddling, but want to get Vincent trained on flat water first so he will know what to do once on the river.
My next program is next Thursday at the SEBA meeting in Ellijay and I look forward to that. Many of you have asked me about David. He is doing well and enjoying being retired from performing. I certainly wish him all the best. I look forward to seeing many of you this year as I continue to perform. I appreciate your continuing friendship, encouragement, and support.
I have had the privilege of going to see Claire Lynch and Matt Wingate in Dahlonega, and Jim Hurst in
Atlanta since the first of the year. These are top notch musicians and great people to get to talk with. If you get the chance go out and see them and support their efforts.
I will see you down the trail.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Labels
Musically, I have never been very fond of labels. They are handy, but sometimes feel to me like they put into a too small box of what you do. Our first band, The Blood Mountain Boys played mostly bluegrass music and I played banjo almost exclusively in that band. But I did not want to be known as a 'bluegrass band', though we probably were, with some progressive tendencies. There have been times we have played a lot of gospel music and performed in different churches, but I did not want to be known as a gospel group. David and I as Buck & Nelson, played a lot of old time and traditional music, but I did not want to be known as an Old time musician either. I was an am a mixture of all of these and started using the label Roots music more than anything. A label that could be and was applied to Doc Watson, David Holt and other musicians I have tried to emulate.
Those labels can help to define a type music you play and sometimes to help you find a place to play, but I still have discouraged using them a lot. There is one label that I would not mind earning. That is the label of singer/songwriter.
I have written a few songs over the years, but hav not felt them good enough to sing regularly. Like everything else, I think songwriting takes practice to get better, and I do plan to do much more songwriting. I have lines and parts of songs that have been lying around for a while. Some of these I will try to finish, some to incorporate in new songs, and also I have several ideas of songs I want to start and write.
When I look back it seems most of the people I admired most were songwriters and singers. The Beatles were a band, but most were also songwriters. Even Elvis wrote a song or two. The one I followed most when learning to play was John Denver and how many great songs he wrote. I still do a few of his songs. James Taylor and Gordon Lightfoot were and are two other favorites. Of course Bob Dylan is in there and some of his songs were the first ones I learned. I do a couple of his songs now and have another one or two I want to learn. Willie Nelson can fit there, though he is mainly a country singer, he still wrote many great songs.
I am working on a CD and plan to include some original songs on it. Hopefully someone will like them enough for me to start performing them. Maybe I will someday be able to honestly claim to be a singer/songwriter. I'm getting a little long in the tooth to be starting something, but maybe it takes a lifetime of living for some of us to be able to write the songs we feel in our hearts.
There are many ladies that fit this genre too, and several that I have come to admire, though I only mentioned the men above. There are many others out there that I have not yet listed. Men like Jerry Jeff Walker and Jimmy Buffett. Country singer Shania Twain, Clint Black. Didn't realize it for years, but Lester Flatt wrote many songs he and Earl did.
Other writers are doing excellent songs, but have not yet had a lot of commercial success. These folks are the heart and soul of singer/songwriters. Traveling the country, playing small venues, and writing the stories of their lives and those they meet.
I am not looking for, or expecting to be, some great commercial success. I am just hoping to write some songs I would be happy and proud to sing, and a chance to share them with folks.
See you down the road.
Nelson Thomas
Those labels can help to define a type music you play and sometimes to help you find a place to play, but I still have discouraged using them a lot. There is one label that I would not mind earning. That is the label of singer/songwriter.
I have written a few songs over the years, but hav not felt them good enough to sing regularly. Like everything else, I think songwriting takes practice to get better, and I do plan to do much more songwriting. I have lines and parts of songs that have been lying around for a while. Some of these I will try to finish, some to incorporate in new songs, and also I have several ideas of songs I want to start and write.
When I look back it seems most of the people I admired most were songwriters and singers. The Beatles were a band, but most were also songwriters. Even Elvis wrote a song or two. The one I followed most when learning to play was John Denver and how many great songs he wrote. I still do a few of his songs. James Taylor and Gordon Lightfoot were and are two other favorites. Of course Bob Dylan is in there and some of his songs were the first ones I learned. I do a couple of his songs now and have another one or two I want to learn. Willie Nelson can fit there, though he is mainly a country singer, he still wrote many great songs.
I am working on a CD and plan to include some original songs on it. Hopefully someone will like them enough for me to start performing them. Maybe I will someday be able to honestly claim to be a singer/songwriter. I'm getting a little long in the tooth to be starting something, but maybe it takes a lifetime of living for some of us to be able to write the songs we feel in our hearts.
There are many ladies that fit this genre too, and several that I have come to admire, though I only mentioned the men above. There are many others out there that I have not yet listed. Men like Jerry Jeff Walker and Jimmy Buffett. Country singer Shania Twain, Clint Black. Didn't realize it for years, but Lester Flatt wrote many songs he and Earl did.
Other writers are doing excellent songs, but have not yet had a lot of commercial success. These folks are the heart and soul of singer/songwriters. Traveling the country, playing small venues, and writing the stories of their lives and those they meet.
I am not looking for, or expecting to be, some great commercial success. I am just hoping to write some songs I would be happy and proud to sing, and a chance to share them with folks.
See you down the road.
Nelson Thomas
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