On April 9,1865, Robert E. Lee formally surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Court House bringing the Civil War in Virginia to an end.
Confederate general Robert E Lee made the formal surrender of his troops to Union general Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865. The fighting had continued until that morning, with The Battle of Appomattox Court House ending a campaign that began eleven days earlier at the Battle of Lewis’ Farm. Lee met Grant at Appomattox Court House that afternoon at 1:30 p.m. for the formal surrender.
The surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia brought the war in Virginia to an end, and it is generally viewed as the end of the Civil War because of the significance of Lee’s army. But some other Confederate generals had yet to surrender. And so President Andrew Johnson was not able to officially proclaim an end to the Civil War until sixteen months after Appomattox, on August 20, 1866.
The surrender is discussed in this clip from The Civil War documentary by Ken Burns.
Leave your two cents in the comments. Painting ‘Peace in Union‘ by Thomas Nast (public domain).
Beyoncé delves into country music with her new album, “Cowboy Carter,” including a recording of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” with an introduction from Parton.
Beyoncé had caused a bit of a stir with her albumCowboy Carter and her foray into country music. I have always loved when artists in one genre tackle another type of music, as it usually leads to fascinating results. And many before Beyoncé who are known for other types of music have recorded great country songs, such as Ray Charles, Dean Martin, Jerry Lee Lewis, Van Morrison, Etta James, and Elvis Presley. So, I have been enjoying the new album, which as others have noted, has its source in more than one type of music.
Beyoncé has remained above the fray, letting her music speak for herself. And she also uses her talent to help highlight the history of country music and its connection to black artists, including Linda Martell.
Someone as talented as Beyoncé covering a classic Dolly Parton song illustrates a deep understanding of their own talent as well as of country music. In Beyoncé’s new video for “Jolene,” she turns the song into a story of two lovers on the run, sort of a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde.
The video begins with Dolly Parton introducing Beyoncé singing Parton’s classic song of betrayal. Parton first released “Jolene” in 1973 ahead of her 1974 Jolene album. And here we are half a century later still talking about the song written by one of the Queens of country music with a fabulous new take by Queen Bey. Check it out, and also enjoy the harmonica played by Stevie Wonder.
Even just this version of “Jolene” has stirred some debate. Beyoncé changed some of the lyrics from Parton’s original version, which you can see in more detail in this article from People.
Some of the lyrics in Beyoncé’s version are more threatening to the other woman, whereas the singer in Parton’s version is more vulnerable, begging the other woman to give back the man. Spencer Kornhaber in The Atlantic, however, defends Beyoncé’s choice to make the song more about a Black woman fighting for her man.
Of course, it is the right of the artist to interpret a song, while also the right of fans to discuss the changes. That’s what makes music interesting. So it is okay to prefer one version or the other, but it is also okay to enjoy both versions. And after all these years of Jolene stealing the husband, it is time for a different take. As Dolly Parton wrote about Beyoncé’s version on Instagram: “Wow, I just heard Jolene. Beyoncé is giving that girl some trouble and she deserves it!”
Arlo McKinley adds to his wonderful songs of loss and heartbreak with “Watching Vermont,” the first song from an upcoming EP release.
Singer-songwriter Arlo McKinley has released a new song, “Watching Vermont.” In addition to posting “Watching Vermont,” McKinley announced plans to release a new song in each of the next few months, leading to his upcoming three-song EP, Borrowed & Blue.
The Ohio-born McKinley has three outstanding albums under his belt, after only releasing his first album, Arlo McKinley & The Lonesome Sound (2014), at the age of 35. Following that release in 2019, John Prine stopped by a show and became a fan. Subsequently, Prine’s indie label Oh Boy Records signed McKinley, who released the albums Die Midwestern (2020) and This Mess We’re In (2022). At the time of the release of the latter album during the pandemic, Chimesfreedom called it an “outstanding timely and timeless album” that “reflects on pain, loss, and hope.”
In the new track, “Watching Vermont,” the lyrics do not mention the state that is in the title. But the evocation of winter and an old road create an image of Vermont. In the song, the singer says goodbye to a former love: “As your old place / It fades in the rearview / I’m trying to get my mind off you.”
Check out McKinley playing “Watching Vermont” below.
In 1998, Guy Clark, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Steve Earle, Rodney Crowell, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Eric Taylor appeared on David Letterman’s stage to support a new release from Nanci Griffith.
There are not many times there has been such a collection of talent onstage together since July 21, 1998, when Nanci Griffith, Guy Clark, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Steve Earle, Rodney Crowell, Jerry Jeff Walker and Eric Taylor appeared together on the Late Show With David Letterman. Griffith had just released the excellent album Other Voices, Too (A Trip Back to Bountiful). And the album featured an all-star version of Guy Clark’s song “Desperados Waiting For a Train.”
Only such an outstanding talent as Griffith could shine even while ceding so much of the song to these other legends of music. On both the album and the Letterman performance, she does not even sing solo until late in the song.
The songwriter Guy Clark starts off the song, and it is clear that the beautiful performance is all about respect. There is Griffith’s respect for Clark’s song and the legendary talent of the other singers. But there is also an amazing amount of respect from those legends for Griffith, coming together for this performance on both the album and on Letterman’s show.
Most who love music of this genre will recognize the big names here for their work as singers and songwriters: Guy Clark, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Steve Earle, Rodney Crowell, and Jerry Jeff Walker. But you might or might not recognize Eric Taylor, who is probably the least well-known of the group. Taylor also was a well-respected Texas singer-songwriter, and his songs have been covered by people such as Lyle Lovett and Nanci Griffith. He also was married to Griffith for 1976-1982. So it is also cool to see Griffith invite her ex for this amazing performance. Taylor passed away less than two years after this performance from liver disease.
Of the group on stage that night, we have also lost Nanci Griffith, Guy Clark, and Jerry Jeff Walker. Letterman clearly knew he was hosting a special gathering on his show at the time, but many may have missed it. We were certainly lucky to have the music of these folks, and extra lucky to have them together for this song.
Kevin Costner’s new epic “Horizon: An American Saga,” set in the American West, will initially appear in theaters in two parts.
I am a big fan of Westerns, and have loved Kevin Costner’s work in Westerns. Nobody wears a cowboy hat and mustache like him. So I’m looking forward to his latest adventure in Horizon: An American Saga. Costner co-wrote and directed the film, which also stars Sienna Miller, Jena Malone, Sam Worthington, Kathleen Quinlan, Luke Wilson, Giovanni Ribisi, and others, including Costner’s 15-year-old son, Hayes Costner.
Notably, Costner also brings back some co-stars from his previous projects set in the American West: Will Patton (The Postman) and Jeff Fahey (Silverado). And although there is no sign of his Open Range co-star Robert Duvall, Horizon does include Thomas Haden Church, who had starred with Robert Duvall in Broken Trail.
The trailer for Horizon: An American Saga was recently released. If you love epics, the trailer should get you excited. But be forewarned that this year’s saga is a two-parter, apparently with one part being released June 28, 2024 and the second part being released August 16, 2024. And Costner apparently has plans for two more films in the series. Check it out.
What do you think of the trailer? Leave your two cents in the comments.
