Fire in the Water, Earth in the Air: Legends of West Texas Music "Since Lubbock is the place where the earth is in the air and the fire is in the water, it's naturally got to be the place where the music gets tied up in knots and comes out unraveled." —Jimmie Dale Gilmore
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction: Fire in the Water, Earth in the Air by Christopher Oglesby Terry Allen: Going Back to the Dirt Richard Bowden: Underground Lubbock Lloyd Maines: It's Amazing How Much Gets Done Jay Boy Adams: Chicken-Fried Memories Don Caldwell: Selling the Family Farm for a Song Bobby Keys: Like a Rolling Stone Tom X Hancock: The Supernatural Family Band Butch Hancock: The Universe in a Grain of Sand Angela Strehli: Blues in a Texas Town Jesse "Guitar" Taylor: A Bad Loud Place Ponty Bone: Illumination on the Streets of Lubbock Bruce Jaggers: The Greatest Show on Earth Joe Ely: Lord of the Highway Sharon Ely: Living on Dreams Kimmie Rhodes: West Texas Angel Jo Harvey Allen: Take Me Back to Paradox City Jo Carol Pierce: Bad Girl Upset by the Truth Guy Juke: Life Imitates Art David Halley: Hitchhiking to Nirvana Cary Swinney: Desperate Searcher Doug Smith: Music Ordained by God Downé Burns: Back to the Basics of Love Bob Livingston: Gonzo Compadre Wade Parks: Nothing Else to Do Colin Gilmore: Living in Dichotomy Jimmie Dale Gilmore: Hub City Mover Mac Davis: Happiness Is Lubbock, Texas Appendix I: Selected Discographies
Appendix II: Original Interviews
Index Cover art by Guy Juke
About me: "Fire in the Water, Earth in the Air - Legends of West Texas Music" by Christopher Oglesby (UT Press, 2006) * paperback,ISBN 978-0-292-71434-2; * cloth cover,ISBN 978-0-292-71419-9
To purchase the book, go to: Amazon or University of Texas Press
"As a whole, the interviews create a portrait not only of Lubbock's musicians and artists, but also of the musical community that has sustained them, including venues such as the legendary Cotton Club and the original Stubb's Barbecue. This kaleidoscopic portrait of the West Texas music scene gets to the heart of what it takes to create art in an isolated, often inhospitable environment. As Oglesby says, 'Necessity is the mother of creation. Lubbock needed beauty, poetry, humor, and it needed to get up and shake its communal ass a bit or go mad from loneliness and boredom; so Lubbock created the amazing likes of Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Butch Hancock, Terry Allen, and Joe Ely.'" - University of Texas Press
"Indeed, Oglesby's introduction of more than two dozen musicians who called Lubbock home should be required reading not only for music fans, but for Lubbock residents and anyone thinking about moving here. On these pages, music becomes a part of Lubbock's living history." - William Kerns, Lubbock Avalanche Journal
While there is considerable attention to the "strangeness" of Lubbock, one of the great strengths of the book is a subtle narrative that builds to an insight voiced most clearly by Jimmie Dale Gilmore in the penultimate interview: "It seems like a disproportionate number of really creative people have come from Lubbock. Rather I should say, a large number of people have become known who came from that area. I don't think any place creates any more creative people than any other place." Oglesby has gathered a talented and diverse group here, and the result is an excellent introduction for students and others who want to know more about this place that has had such an influence on music. It is inspiring for the unanimity with which these talented folks echo Gilmore's belief that "regular, everyday people that nobody ever heard of in general are every bit as interesting and as talented as people that get all the spotlight on them" That, too, is a good reason to get it into the hands of our students.
STEVEN SCHROEDER Chicago, Illinois
Journal of the American Studies Association of Texas • Volume 38, November 2007
Who I'd like to meet: folks who love music, art, and literature from West Texas;
and anyone who thinks this looks like fun:
Chris Oglesby's virtualubbock's Friend Space (Top 40)
Thanks for the invite. Nice job promoting Lubbock, it's music and it's people. I don't mind saying I love Lubbock and West Texas. Keep up the good work.
Hi Chris~ A BIG Thankyou for all you do to promote West Texas & the Musicians~! I've been here 28 years now, & have an encyclopedia of memories~ like time spent at Horseshoe Bend with Ron & Rita Peek, & out at Carlton Godbold's place at the Lake~ & the list of memories is endless~ I hope to see you soon again in person~!! hugs uZiSuZi fRoM pLaNeT gUiTaR
Just wanted you to know that this Wednesday, the Avalanche Journal is doing a featured article on our Songwriter Showcase at the Conference Cafe. It has only been through the support and belief in our musicians here in Lubbock from people like you who have made this possible. Thank you for all of your kind words over the last year and for your support. I felt as if I were drowning here in TX after leaving Los Angeles. Maybe this will be a glimmer of hope for my own music here as well as others. So, just wanted to stop by and say "THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!"
Uh...so what does a picture-takin' favorite (that's right, I said it!) brother-in-law have to do to get into your top 40 friends, man?!!?? Hah! I shall see you and the Pearl at the Benini gig on Saturday. D
Hey Chris! Thanks again for hosting the great show! We all had a really great time and look forward to doing it again sometime :) Talk to you soon.....Kendra
Thanks! so much for playin Cotton Club . I just love turning people on to the the West Texas sound and your book. And sho nuff, what goes around does come around..
Thank you Chris for all your hard work in making the Sandstorm Picnic possible! It was loads of fun, and an honor for me to be a part of, not to mention sharing the stage with so many great artists. Thanks to Jeff and all the others involved too!!! Cheers, -nic
Hello Christopher, here I am again. Just received your book. It'll be a pleasure reading more inside informations about some of my favorite Texan musicians. Sorry that I don't write more, but I want to start reading. Cheers, LB
"As a whole, the interviews create a portrait not only of Lubbock's musicians and artists, but also of the musical community that has sustained them, including venues such as the legendary Cotton Club and the original Stubb's Barbecue. This kaleidoscopic portrait of the West Texas music scene gets to the heart of what it takes to create art in an isolated, often inhospitable environment. As Oglesby says, 'Necessity is the mother of creation. Lubbock needed beauty, poetry, humor, and it needed to get up and shake its communal ass a bit or go mad from loneliness and boredom; so Lubbock created the amazing likes of Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Butch Hancock, Terry Allen, and Joe Ely.'"
