Tennessee
When I travel people ask me where I’m from, I always answer
with Tennessee; 90% of the time I get this puzzled look of where is that? Then all I have to say is, “where they make
Jack Daniels Whiskey”. They immediately
know where that is. Good Old Jack
Daniels world famous all around the world has put Tennessee on the map along
with country music. Tennessee is at the
intersection of America; heck without Daniel Boone and Jim Bowie there would be
no Texas and some say America. Now Jim
Bowie isn't really from Tennessee, he is from Russellville Kentucky but that is
close enough; 10-15 miles across the border as the crow flies. When I talk to my Texas friends I always say,
“Remember the Alamo and who’s your daddy, Tennessee is of course.
Tennessee with the Appalachian Mountains on its eastern
border, the Cumberland Plateau at its center and the Mississippi river at its west
creates a state like no other. Nashville the state capital geographically sits
in center of the state, although the capital it is the music that she is known
for. Take Appalachian Irish based Folk
music, mix it with the Jazz that traveled from New Orleans up the Mississippi
river, add a dash of Blues from Memphis; sprinkle in some old time gospel, what
do you have, country music of course. Nashville’s
country music took all of these elements to create a very distinctive sound. Of course
then there's Elvis who took all of it to create this thing called Rock and Roll, but that is
a another story. It is a Tennessee
story none the less.
Now all this Music was not created in a vacuum it is the geography,
the people, the places and things that had a hand in this. Not to mention the pain and sorrow that is
part of human existence. It wasn't a
mistake that Tina Turner is from western Tennessee, grew up outside of Memphis at
a crossroads called Nutbush. I will spend part of my life trying to see as
much of this as possible, it fascinates to me to no end. Will I ever completely understand it no, but
it will bring me to place of better understanding yes. A better understanding of this place we call
America. Oh and the food I can't forget about the food the Loveless Cafe explains it all.
This is why I live in the greatest state in the union, the
great state to Tennessee. Everyone can
sing rocky top now and then see that these are my experiences.
The National Championship of Bird Dog Field Trials is held every February at Ames Plantation in Grand Junction, Tn. The last 120 years.
ReplyDeleteJim Cipponeri litigationspecialist@comcast.net
That's great information thanks
ReplyDelete