In 1973 when three guys knocked on the door of the small house Peggi and I were renting in Bloomington Indiana and told me they wanted me to play drums in their band I was freaked out. These guys were old, mid thirties at least, and hard core country. “Butch Miller and the Midnight Echoes,” a working band with two gigs the next weekend, they were desperate and as hard as I tried i could not talk my way out of their offer. A few days later I was out in the country in the living room of trailer with a black velvet Kennedy painting on the wall rehearsing Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and George Jones songs. I fell in love with the stuff and played with the band for two years before leaving the job to Dave Mahoney.
My Darling Clementine, from England, does a damn good job of aping the George & Tammy, Nancy & Lee Hazelwood country duo thing. Last night at the Lovin’Cup they did a great job with “A Good Year For The Roses” and the encore, “Jackson,” but as George sang, “There’s nothing better once you’ve had the best.”
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