Author Archives: sixstrstories

About sixstrstories

I am the son and only child of a registered nurse & a self-employed collector of wildflowers. I went on to become: a Beatles’ fan; a record collector; a drummer; a music magazine subscriber; a guitar player; a songwriter; a high school graduate; a college student; a music major; a performing singer/guitarist; a photography student; a yearbook photographer; a student teacher; a boyfriend; a letter writer; a college graduate; an elementary school music teacher; an apartment dweller; a husband; a guitar teacher/independent contractor; a homeowner; an independent music producer; the father of a daughter; the father of a son; a bandmate; a teacher of the history of popular music in America; an instructor of music/adjunct faculty member; a grandfather (x3); a condo dweller; and a blogger.

This Historic Day In Music: Leo Kottke

Posted on September 11, 2014 by sixstrstories

“Little Martha” is a fingerstyle acoustic guitar instrumental piece created by Duane Allman. Duane recorded it as an acoustic guitar duet with Allman Brothers bandmate Dickey Betts in October, 1971. “Little Martha” was released on The Allman Brothers’ album Eat … Continue reading →

Posted in Posts with Video, This Historic Day In Music | Tagged Duane Allman, Leo Kottke, Little Martha | 1 Comment

Finding Christine Miller, Part 3

Posted on September 7, 2014 by sixstrstories

Most recently, I found Christine Miller again, this time hanging on a wall. On Sunday, August 24, 2014, my very good friend and cousin Jack and I spent a thoroughly enjoyable and, yes, enlightening day at the Thomas Edison National … Continue reading →

Posted in Random Topics | Tagged Christine Miller, Daniel M. Clemson, Edison Diamond Disc Phonographs, First Recording Studio, Thomas Edison National Historical Park | 2 Comments

Finding Christine Miller, Part 2

Posted on September 6, 2014 by sixstrstories

The next place that I found Christine Miller was in a box. Not long after reading Perfecting Sound Forever: An Aural History of Recorded Music by Greg Milner, I embarked on a little musical recordings shopping trip through an area known as … Continue reading →

Posted in Posts with Audio, Random Topics | Tagged Annie Laurie, Antique Alley, Christine Miller, Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project, Eagle Antiques, Edison Blue Amberol Concert Records, Edison cylinders, Fern Eldridge & Friends Antiques, Perfecting Sound Forever | Leave a comment

Finding Christine Miller, A Three Part Story

Posted on September 5, 2014 by sixstrstories

Part 1. The first place I found Christine Miller was in a book. The book was Perfecting Sound Forever: An Aural History of Recorded Music written by Greg Milner, published in 2009. Mr. Milner introduces Miss Miller on page 4, in … Continue reading →

Posted in Random Topics | Tagged Christine Miller, Edison Diamond Disc Phonographs, Edison Diamond Disc Records, Edison Records, Greg Milner, Perfecting Sound Forever, Thomas Alva Edison, Tone Tests | Leave a comment

Wrestling With The Angel, Chapter 9

Posted on August 26, 2014 by sixstrstories

If you’re a new visitor to this blog, the purpose of my Wrestling With The Angel series (or category) is to highlight and share individual songs that are on a list of mine entitled: Devastatingly Great Songs. The title phrase, … Continue reading →

Posted in Posts with Video, Wrestling With The Angel | Tagged David Lindley, For Everyman, Greg Allman, Jackson Browne, Nico, The Royal Tennenbaums, These Days, Tom Rush, Val McCallum | 2 Comments

This Historic Day In Music: Once again… Louis Armstrong

Posted on August 4, 2014 by sixstrstories

This is a story about two Jazz musicians, two Country musicians and a Blues song. On July 11, 1930, a headline in the Los Angeles, California newspaper – the California Eagle – proclaimed: “Louie Armstrong Famed Record Artist in City.” The … Continue reading →

Posted in Posts with Video, This Historic Day In Music | Tagged Blue Yodel No.9, Jimmie Rodgers, Johnny Cash, Lil Hardin Armstrong, Louis Armstrong, Louis Armstrong & His Hot Five, Louis Armstrong & His Hot Seven, OKeh Records, Ralph Peer, The Johnny Cash Show, Victor Records | 2 Comments

Opa’s Banjo: a fourstr story

Posted on July 27, 2014 by sixstrstories

John H. Daum was my wife’s maternal grandfather. To Andrea and her brothers and sisters he was their Opa. One of the earliest memories that Andrea has of her Opa comes from when she was a very little girl and … Continue reading →

Posted in Random Topics | Tagged 4-string banjo, John H. Daum, Wurlitzer tenor banjo | 4 Comments

This Historic Day In Music: Woodrow Wilson Guthrie – Take 3

Posted on July 14, 2014 by sixstrstories

Woodrow Wilson Guthrie was born on this day, July 14, in 1912. He was the third of five children of Charley and Nora Guthrie of Okemah, OK. It wasn’t long before family and friends started calling him “Woody.” Many years later, The Penguin Encyclopedia … Continue reading →

Posted in Posts with Video, This Historic Day In Music | Tagged Do Re Mi, Dust Bowl Ballads, Folkways Records, Victor Records, Woody Guthrie | 2 Comments

This Historic Day In Music: Ringo Starr

Posted on July 7, 2014 by sixstrstories

On Saturday, August 18, 1962, at Hulme Hall in Port Sunlight, Birkenhead, England, Ringo Starr played his first official gig as the drummer for The Beatles. Part of what made Ringo the perfect person for the job was his voice. … Continue reading →

Posted in Posts with Video, This Historic Day In Music | Tagged Don't Pass Me By, Richard Starkey, Ringo Starr, The Beatles | 1 Comment

This Historic Day In Music: Bill Withers

Posted on July 4, 2014 by sixstrstories

This past Spring, two of my best guitar students, N and A, learned the song “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers. N, the singer/guitarist of this very talented duo was inspired to learn “Ain’t No Sunshine” from a YouTube video … Continue reading →

Posted in Posts with Video, This Historic Day In Music | Tagged Ain't No Sunshine, Bill Withers, John Mayer, Just As I Am, Lean On Me, Still Bill | 1 Comment