Serial

A PAINTED HOUSE
by John Grisham
Tornadoes, the Fall Picnic, and guarding their secrets keep the Chandler family busy. Part Four.

Features

FALLING INTO PLACE
by Peter Guralnick
On following the passion that led a fan to become a music writer.

SITTING ON TOP OF THE WORLD
by William Gay
The great picker Doc Watson inspires the devotion of a diverse community of bluegrass aficionados.

THE SONG OF A SAD CAFÉ
by Don Asher
A piano player from Worcester, Massachusetts, confesses his love for Southern music.

Short story

THE CELESTIAL JUKEBOX
by Cynthia Shearer
Strangers connect in a small Mississippi town during a summer music festival.

DEPARTMENTS

Local fare

Mamma Tried
by John T. Edge
Louise Hudson kept the Allman Brothers fed.

Profile

Ronnie Free
by Sam Stephenson
What happened to this almost-great jazzman?

Jimmie Rodgers
by Tom Piazza
The inner life of America’s Blue Yodeler.

Spotlight

Las Vegas: Dean Martin
by Ron Carlson
Face it: Dude was good.

Austin: Alejandro Escovedo
by Larry Brown
Alternative country hero.

Tennessee: Judybats
by Rick Cornell
Slightly angry, mostly cheerful rockers.

Louisiana: Keith Frank
by John Lewis
Zydeco at its most irreverent.

Nashville: Kim Richey
by Bill Friskics-Warren
Following in her foremothers’ footsteps.

Georgia: Kevn Kinney
by Roy Kasten
From Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ to travelin’ solo.

Georgia: Randall Bramblett
by Stanley Booth
Finding his balance after a rocky career.

Louisiana: Randy Newman
by Anthony Walton
His album about the South remains a classic.

Louisiana: Gov. Jimmie Davis
by Charles Wolfe
The original power player.

Austin: Kelly Willis
by Mark Rozzo
A new beginning for a singer who defies the rules.

Nashville; Ronnie Milsap
by Michael McCall
The soulful side of the Ur-country star.

Austin: The Derailers
by Grant Alden
Country you can dance to; great clothes, too.

Southern Gallery 

Sam Phillips
by Rick Petreycik

Teenie Hodges
by Robert Gordon

Tom Petty
by Holly George-Warren

Wilco’s John Stirratt
by Sally Ann Cassady

Vistors’ Gallery

Chris Isaak
by Julia Hardy

Songwriting

Buddy Holly
by Peggy Sue Gerron
How my name became a classic.

Sound Track

What Movies Sound Like
by Greg Smith

Departures

Asie Payton
by David Nelson
This Mississippi bluesman died after recording one album.

Jeff Buckley
by Robert Gordon and Andria Lisle
Remembering a friend.

Record Review

Johnny Cash’s Love God Murder
by David Cantwell

Big Mama Thornton’s The Complete Vanguard Recordings
by Craig Havighurst

Todd Snider’s Happy to Be Here
by William Gay

Book Review

Yusef Komunyakaa’s Blue Notes
by David Yaffe

Photo Essay

Hillbilly Heaven
by Marty Stuart

History

The Real Casey Jones
by Jack Heffron and Mark Garvey
The engineer who inspired hundreds of songs.

Record Label

Arhoolie Records
by Kevin Canty
The label that searched at the source for Southern music.

POETRY

Diann Blakely

Michael McFee

Donald Justice

Jack Stewart

COLUMNS

Dealer’s Choice
by Hal Crowther
Lunch with Dolly Parton.

Gone Off Up North
by Roy Blount Jr.
The very good nature of the inimitable Boswell Sisters.

Cover photo by Jim Herrington