Oregon Bluegrass Association Oregon Bluegrass Association

Vol. 40 No. 4 INSIDE THIS ISSUE! Joe Newberry : Oct. Nov. Dec. on Songwriting , Walls of Time Podcast 2020 and more... $500 Oregon Bluegrass Association Oregon Bluegrass Association www.oregonbluegrass.org Interviewed By Nora Candey I remember hearing you say in a work- found a folder in her parents’ basement lonely draw shop that you began writing songs as a that read “Sterling Newberry - 1910” writ- I have watched steam rise the lowland, by child. What was the rst song you ever ten on the front. In it were a number of the river’s muddy shore wrote? poems written by my grandfather, includ- And watched Death welcome foes and ing the one-stanza “Reminiscent.” friends through his eternal door I wrote my rst song at around age 5, and All these things may scar you, yet none can it was a blatant rip-o of the Kingston I have felt the sting of Spanish darts down in leave a mark Trio’s Tom Dooley. It was called Hang old Mexico Like hearing “I have been untrue,” as a Down Your Head Bugs Bunny. e story I know the pain of bullets hot as through the whisper in the dark is that Bugs Bunny steals carrots and esh they go I love having a co-write with my grandfa- they hang him! I don’t remember the I have ridden through the ice and snow out ther across the span of 104 years. whole song, but the last lines are, “Bugs on the Western plain Bunny’s still a carrot lover. He still loves And felt my blood turn chill and cold be- Do you feel songwriting to be necessary them night and day. But the only dier- neath the icy rain for you? Would there be personal fallout ence about Bugsy is, he’s eating carrots at All those things may hurt you, yet they can- if you didn’t do it? Heaven’s gate.” Not bad for 5. not compare With tempest in the human heart, which I feel that songwriting is one of the ways I was also one of those kids who would be cometh unaware that help me make sense of the world, and put to bed along with all the other chil- I would miss it terribly if I couldn’t do it. I dren, only to get up in the middle of my Fast forward to working on the “Crow the have always loved the story from hor- night - probably around 11 p.m. - come Dawn” album with my friend, guitarist Jon ror writer Stephen King, who was asked, downstairs and announce to the gathered Shain. Our producer, Dave Tilley, said we “Why do you choose to write what you adults, “I will now sing a song!” I would needed one more song, something a little write?” He responded, “What makes you sing, they would applaud, and then shoo spooky and haunting. I told them about think I have a choice?” me back to bed. this one-stanza poem that my grandfather had written. Jon started playing a melody And now, in these days of quarantine, my Were you encouraged early on? Is song- that he had written a number of years writing is more important than ever to me. writing something you’ve always done before. I sang the words, and they were a I have not been as prolic in songwriting, throughout your life, or have you taken perfect t. But I kept saying, “It only has breaks? one stanza.” Tilley nally said, “Oh, if only but I have been writing a lot of essays and there were a songwriter in the room.” I short ction. ose will probably end up My family has always loved poetry, and we tried to match the feel of the original, and storyboarded and made into songs down were encouraged as kids to make up verses the way my grandfather used words, in my the line. and do word play. I have taken breaks stanza: from writing songs over the years, but have Were there any especially painful phases written every day, either for work or for I have heard the hiss of bad men’s knives you went through with your writing? pleasure. One of the highlights of my writ- down in old Arkansas ing life started when my late cousin Suellen And howls of the Indian tribes in many a Continued on page 5 OBA Membership & Ad Information Membership Information Website e OBA Board of Directors invites you Features include an interactive calendar to join the OBA and to participate in its that allows you to post your own events, e OBA Board many activities. Our membership benets excerpts from past issues of the Bluegrass www.oregonbluegrass.org include a subscription to the quarterly Express, and links for local bands. Come Bluegrass Express, frequent mailings visit us online! Visit the OBA web page Clayton Knight - President about events, and ticket discounts to today! [email protected] northwest bluegrass events. Annual www.oregonbluegrass.org membership dues are $30 for a General Pat Connell - Vice President Member, $50 for Supporting Performers, Article and Editorial Submissions [email protected] and $125 for Contributing Business Spon- e OBA Board invites you to submit Ron Preston - Secretary sors, as well as other options. You can letters, stories, photos and articles to e [email protected] join online or complete the application on Bluegrass Express. Published les remain the back cover and mail your check to: in our archives and art is returned upon Patrick Seaeld - Treasurer request. Please send submissions to: Oregon Bluegrass Association [email protected] P.O. Box 1115 Linda Leavitt Liz Crain Portland, OR 97207 [email protected] OBA Roseburg Chapter President [email protected] Advertise in the Express! 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OBA Bluegrass Express - Fall 2020 2 Table of Contents Oct./Nov./Dec. 2020 Volume 40 / Number 4 Newsletter of the Oregon Bluegrass Association www.oregonbluegrass.org is Issue Features Vol. 40 No. 4 Cover Story Oregon Bluegrass Association Oregon Bluegrass Association Joe Newberry: On Songwriting ........................................1 www.oregonbluegrass.org Interviewed By Nora Candey Articles Bluegrass Express is a quarterly newsletter dedicated to informing members of the Oregon Walls of Time: Bluegrass Podcast ..................................12 Bluegrass Association about local, regional By Dennis Christensen and national bluegrass issues, events and Columns & Commentary opportunities. Southern Oregon Voices ................................................. 8 By Joe Ross Bluegrass Express Sta EDITOR Ask Aunt Pearl................................................................18 Linda Leavitt By Linda Leavitt [email protected] Calendars, Lists & Info OBA Membership and Ad COPY EDITOR Information ...................................................................... 2 Nancy Christie [email protected] President’s Message ..........................................................4 What’s Playing on the Radio ...........................................4 GRAPHIC DESIGN & LAYOUT Waller Grant ................................................................... 10 John Nice-Snowdy [email protected] How to Help Oregon Wild re Survivors ..................... 17 (805)748-6648 OBA Contributing Business Sponsors .......................................................................... 22 ADVERTISING Pat Connell Finding Bluegrass in the Time of COVID-19 ...........

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