That night long ago at the Opry, I was enjoying the spangled suits right along with the rest of the audience. But it floored me when I realized the whole country music audience felt as I did about Mother Maybelle, her musicianship and the tradition she represented. As I recall, we also saw Dave (Stringbean) Akeman, Grandpa Jones, The Fruit Jar Drinkers, "both Hanks," Miss Kitty, Loretta, The Osborne Brothers, Roy Acuff, Brother Oswald and a long list of wonderful performers.

Rick, Please pick "both" Hanks from the following list: Locklin, Snow, Thompson, Williams. <VBG>

Friends of mine "in the business" tell me that Merle Haggard can't get a recording contract today. I suppose that's happening to a lot of the people whose music I enjoy.

And GUEST,Russ is right, all those innovators, the traditional performers, just keep getting better no matter how long they've been dead.

Spaw, I think the kids understand until we get them "properly socialized" then they forget what they used to take for granted. When our daughter was a youngster I used to take a banjo or a fiddle out on the front stoop to play on a summer afternoon. Pretty soon half the kids in the neighborhood would be dancing in the front yard. They weren't familiar with the music and didn't have any formal steps but they had no preconceptions about it and they knew how to have a good time.

I know someone who won't listen to country or old-time southern music at all. In fact he doesn't hear it even when it's played. All he can hear are the social, political and cultural views he associates with southern whites and he just shuts it all out. Oh, did I mention he's a director at a social agency in the rural south? Sigh.

      - Mark