Doc Watson: “John Hardy”

Essential Doc Watson Musician Doc Watson passed away on May 29, 2012 at the age of 89 following complications from abdominal surgery. Watson, who went blind at the age of one, influenced many musicians with his flatpicking style of playing the guitar.

In this clip from a documentary about Earl Scruggs, Watson and Scruggs play the song “John Hardy” at Watson’s home. “John Hardy” is about a real person who killed a fellow worker at a coal camp and then was hanged in January 1894.

Before Hardy’s hanging, he was remorseful and allegedly composed the ballad in his jail cell and sang it on the scaffold. Woody Guthrie used the music from “John Henry” for one of his own classic songs.

Earl Scruggs passed away earlier in 2012 in March. Unfortunately we will not hear the likes of Watson and Scruggs playing together again. At least in this world.

What is your favorite Doc Watson performance? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Natalie Imbruglia’s “Torn” Illustrated

    Millions of people have seen this funny video of Natalie Imbruglia’s “Torn” with comedian David Armand (who sometimes goes by the alter ego Johann Lippowitz) acting out the words. But in case you are like me and had not seen it, check it out.

    Imbruglia started out as an actress in her native Australia and then went on to score a huge hit in 1997 with the song, “Torn,” which was actually a cover of a song by Ednaswap, an alternative rock band from Los Angeles that also recorded an excellent version of the song.

    Inbruglia’s single was huge around the world even though it originally was released only as a single and was not on an album. The song was eventually included on Imbruglia’s debut album, Left of the Middle, and climbed up the charts in the US and UK.

    Natalie Imbruglia Torn Left of Middle

    More than a decade later, Armand helped make “Torn” popular again with his comedic mime routine to the song. Then, in the above video, Imbruglia was a good sport and sang the song live with his routine, all for a good cause, at Amnesty International’s The Secret Policeman’s Ball (2006).

    Make sure you watch toward the end when Imbuglia joins in the fun. Armand has done similar mime routines for other songs. Although Imbruglia has yet to match her success with “Torn,” she continues to record and is reportedly working on her fifth album.

    What do you think of the mime version of “Torn”? Leave a comment.

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    More Online Time Killers III: Art and Smiles Edition

    Pocket Watch (1) At this website, Kineticsketch, you may make a work of art from making and dropping different shapes. Cool.

    (2) The Spot the Fake Smile test from the BBC examines if you can look at videos and identify which smiles are real and which ones are fake. I did a poor job, only getting a little more than half correct, but at the end they give some tips for spotting fake smiles. Hopefully, I learned something, as the second time I got 17 out of 20.

    How did you do spotting the fake smiles? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Marion Michael Morrison Born May 26, 1907

    Stagecoach John Wayne More than one-hundred years ago this May 26, Marion Michael Morrison was born in Winterset, Iowa. Marion’s family moved to Glendale California when he was six, and he grew up to get a football scholarship at the University of Southern California after he was rejected at the U.S. Naval Academy. But it was his work as an assistant prop man on a film directed by John Ford, who saw something in the man, that helped launch the career you know him for. You might know him by another name, “The Duke.” Or maybe you know him by his other name, John Wayne.

    Few actors rise to such iconic status as John Wayne, who stands besides the likes of Marilyn Monroe and James Dean as film stars who became something more, for better or worse. Because of their fame, we often forget that they were great actors too. It is true that John Wayne usually played a certain kind of character and that he became associated with certain political beliefs in his time, but those factors should not distract from the legacy he left with his onscreen performances.

    After Ford discovered Wayne as a prop man, Wayne went on to play in B movies for the next decade before he finally got his big break when Ford put him in Stagecoach (1939).

    After Stagecoach, Wayne’s career took off and he starred in many classic films, ending with The Shootist in 1976, three years before Wayne died of cancer.

    What is your favorite John Wayne movie? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Phillip Phillips Sings “Home”

    phillip phillips home

    Last night on American Idol, the finalists Jessica Sanchez and Phillip Phillips made the case for taking home the crown. This season of American Idol had a number of strong contestants, but these two are certainly great talents, with Sanchez having a great singing voice and Phillips having a unique style. Phillips showed off that style on the final song of the night, “Home.”

    Often, the new song that American Idolists sing is the weakest of the songs, because it is hard for an unfamiliar song to compete with classics familiar to the audience. For example, Sanchez received a tepid reaction to her new song, “Change Nothing.” But last night, Phillips’ rendition of “Home” was the highlight of the show.

    I thought the song might go over the top when the drummers came on stage, but Phillips kept it restrained throughout, leaving the audience wanting more. Randy Jackson noted that the song reminded him of Mumford & Sons, and I can see the connection too. It is not surprising that the writer of “Home,” Drew Pearson, is a fan of Mumford & Sons. Pearson originally wrote the song for British singer Greg Holden, but Pearson’s publisher submitted it to American Idol for consideration, and Jimmy Iovine loved the song.

    Recently, Pearson participated in Phillips’ recording of “Home.” Win or lose tonight, it looks like we will be hearing a lot more of Phillip Phillips.

    May 24 Update: Phillip Phillips won American Idol.

    What did you think of the new songs on American Idol, including “Home”? Leave your two cents in the comments.


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