Richie Havens passes

I saw Richie Havens play in a small venue in a Lake Tahoe casino around 30 years ago and unfortunately my takeaway was a certain number of fans pestering him all concert long for "Here Comes The Sun" until he complied. 'Hit' songs can be blessings or curses.

Tom Cole/NPR, Douglas Martin/New York Times and David Browne/Rolling Stone offer looks back.

Tim Eriksen -- ""Josh Billings Voyage"

Here's a fascinating story about Tim Eriksen and his new release.

A Tracy Grammer interview

Bill Kohlhaase talks with Tracy Grammer -- most of the material will be familiar to Dave Carter fans but there are always some new tidbits and this is no exception.

Robert Earl Keen - "Shades of Gray"

This month is a particularly poignant time for "Shades of Gray" by Robert Earl Keen.

We made Oklahoma a little after three
Randy, his brother Bob and my old GMC
We had some moonshine whisky
And some of Bob's homegrown
We were so messed up we didn't know
If we were drunk or stoned
Randy was a sad-sack, tall kinda frail
Bob was a raving maniac, crazy in the head
They been kicked out of high school several years ago
For pushin over port-a-cans at the 4-H rodeo
Since then they've done their little dance
Right outside the law
Popped twice in Oklahoma, once in Arkansas
And I don't know what possessed me
To want to tag along
Cause I was raised a Christian
And I knew right from wrong

CHORUS:
Right or wrong, black or white
Cross the line your gonna pay
In the dawn before the light
Live and die by the shades of gray

We stole two Charolais heifers
from Randy's sweetheart's pa
Sold them at the livestock sale
Outside of Wichita
We got $900 and never did suspect
The world of hurt we'd be in once we cashed that check
Next day we heard the story on the local radio
Made our plans that very night to go to Mexico
I swear we would have made it
If it wasn't for that shine
I got sick about the time we crossed that Kansas line

CHORUS

I was layin in the bar ditch
Prayin I would die
When a light come on above us
And a voice come from the sky
A half a dozen unmarked cars
Came screeching to a halt
They grabbed bob, he started screamin
It was all my fault
There were men and dogs
And helicopter buzzin all around
They had the brothers on the pickup hood
and me down on the ground
Bob flew all to pieces but randy he held tight
when a black man in a suit and tie stepped out into the light
He told his men to turn us loose
They put down their guns
He said these are just some
Sorry kids, they ain't the ones

CHORUS

They left us by the roadside
Down hearted and alone
Randy got behind the wheel
Said boys I'm going home
We turned around to face our fate
Hungover but alive on that
Mornin' in late April, Oklahoma, 1995

CHORUS

Faves from the FAI

Stephen D. Winick was in attendance at the Folk Alliance International get-together and he offers up some of his fave bands and singer-songwriters.

Meet Heather McCready

Here's some intriguing background on singer-songwrter Heather McCready.