New Orleans! Bob Dylan cuts down Merle Haggard Grammys.

[LJ Eiffert]

Big mouth " Bob Dylan " cutting down my long time friend Merle Haggard at the Grammys. You should be a shame of yourself dude. Just like you Dylan,Merle nor myself have no power in changing anything in Country Music to it's true History. But you have make money off of it because of some great songs God gave you and you turn yourself into this Ass Hole Big Mouth moral police music industry Gold Star " Icon Super Star " in our Country you don't even come from. You and others keep steeling our History because your own ran out. The God Father Of Southern California Country Music who, Uncle Leo J Eiffert Jr. & the Pigeons -facebook.

[Earnest Bovine]

"What country you from?"

[Mike Neer]

LJ, take it easy. I don't see a put down here:

"Merle Haggard didn't think much of my songs, but Buck Owens did, and Buck even recorded some of my early songs. Now I admire Merle – "Mama Tried," "Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down," "I'm a Lonesome Fugitive." I understand all that but I can't imagine Waylon Jennings singing "The Bottle Let Me Down." I love Merle but he’s not Buck. Buck Owens wrote "Together Again" and that song trumps anything that ever came out of Bakersfield. Buck Owens and Merle Haggard? If you have to have somebody's blessing – you figure it out. What I’m saying here is that my songs seem to divide people. Even people in the music community."


It is a bit of a stretch to say Dylan's history ran out. He will be remembered forever.

[Erv Niehaus]

Bob Dylan is a dud.

[Barry Blackwood]

I understand all that but I can't imagine Waylon Jennings singing "The Bottle Let Me Down."

Strange - I wouldn't think it's that big a stretch..

[Earnest Bovine]

in our Country you don't even come from.

I thought Zimmy was from Minnesota. What country is that that?

[kyle reid]

FYI That that Minnesota is one of the best states in the USA.
unfortunately, bob dildo is from Hibbing, Mn.
PS more present top steel players today are from Mn.

i'll take Merle & Buck anytime! kr

[Charlie McDonald]

"My name it means nothing, my age it means less.
I come from a place they call the Midwest."
Certainly, his songs divide folks; curious; they were supposed to unite--or so we thought--subversive.

He's all right, Leo.

[Barry Blackwood]

in our Country you don't even come from.

Could it be a musical genre Leo is referring to?

[Mark Eaton]

Leo didn't bother to read Dylan's whole speech at the MusiCares gala that was published in the L.A. Times, nor hardly anyone else I realized when the story came up on Facebook with the little bits and pieces about remarks regarding Hag and Tom T. Hall, taking the whole thing out of context which opened the doors to people to begin piling on ol' Zimmy.

I'm not defending what Bob said in the least, some of it had me scratching my head for sure, but there's more to the story than a few isolated quotes from what he said that are being blasted around the internet in the past couple days.

I'm sure as this thread lengthens it will run the course of off the cuff remarks having no real clue what the thing was about. Short Attention Span Syndrome. If you feel the need to hammer Dylan, do the homework first, I've even provided the link below.

http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/ar ... -82754850/

[Mike Neer]

I read the whole speech and it brought tears to my eyes. Yeah, I am sensitive like that. The quote from Sam Cooke was one of the best things I've read in a while. Leo, maybe you would appreciate that, knowing how you feel about Sam.

"Sam Cooke said this when told he had a beautiful voice: He said, ‘Well that’s very kind of you, but voices ought not to be measured by how pretty they are. Instead they matter only if they convince you that they are telling the truth.’"

[Charlie McDonald]

I enjoy every word Dylan says or writes, especially about songs sounding like commercials, which was ok, since they became commercials.

Meanwhile I'm glad I don't keep up with popular media because the Merle thing was less than what he had to say about anybody else. He's an equal opportunity guy.

[Michael Maddex]

Thanks for the link, Mark. I read it all, too. Good stuff.

'Dont send me no more letters, no,
Not unless you mail them from Desolation Row.'

Viva Bob!

[Bill Hatcher]

next time dylan gets an award....maybe kanye will show up...

[LJ Eiffert]

I know Bob Dylan is American made and I knew where he's from.Remember,his house in New Orleans. Got attention to how Awards shows are all one sided bring back 50 years, of what? Are you saying he didn't cut down in disrespect to my good friend Merle haggard? Tell me Why was Bruno Mars not there? It's good to see how so many folks will stand up for words of nothing and yet let our Traditional Country Music Artist and our music be pushed under the carpet and use the name Country Music for profit that most band can't even play right. I would bet Dylan made more money off of Country Musicians in night clubs playing & singing his songs than Rock N Rollers.I get it and I got it how the human mind works. Thanks, and I stand to my words and it's nice to see some of you folks do care to your topic choice. Uncle Leo J Eiffert Jr. PS: I started out in Rock N Roll Music too!

[Joachim Kettner]

FYI That that Minnesota is one of the best states in the USA.
unfortunately, bob dildo is from Hibbing, Mn.
PS more present top steel players today are from Mn.

i'll take Merle & Buck anytime! kr

What an insult.

[chris ivey]

Certainly, his songs divide folks; they were supposed to unite--

i don't think bob's songs were 'supposed' to do any particular thing, as far as he was concerned.

far as i'm concerned, bob and merle are two of the most important artists and songwriters of my life.

[Mitch Drumm]

i don't think bob's songs were 'supposed' to do any particular thing, as far as he was concerned.

Yeah, I agree entirely.

I haven't followed his recorded music since about the early 1970s, but I do pay attention to what he says from time to time.

He clearly is contemptuous of the press and all the pontificating and speculation about the meaning of his songs. Justifiably. He's been that way since his earliest days and he obviously enjoys leading the press and critics around by the nose. God knows they're easily led.

More power to him. He's doing more of it in this speech he gave.

He's obviously a very bright, funny, and opinionated guy with an encyclopedic knowledge of the American music tradition. Who else would make references to Billy Riley, Count Basie, and Deep Ellum in the same speech?

I'd rather he was still singing about Anita Ekberg, Rockaday Johnny, and lighting cigarettes on parking meters, but he's entitled to do as he sees fit. Even to say something disparaging about Merle Haggard. The horror, the horror. Whatever shall we do?

Here's Bob and Billy from about 30 years ago:

[Mark Eaton]

Leo wrote that he understands how the human mind works.

And I've been trying to figure out all these years how Uncle Leo's mind works!

[Jerry Hayes]

"I can't imagine Waylon Jenning singing 'The Bottle Let Me Down'??" Actually he did, I have his version on one of my CD's and it's pretty damn good and features a fine steel break by ol' Moon....JH in Va.

[Mike Neer]

Certainly, his songs divide folks; they were supposed to unite--

i don't think bob's songs were 'supposed' to do any particular thing, as far as he was concerned.

far as i'm concerned, bob and merle are two of the most important artists and songwriters of my life.

A long time ago, I bought the cassette of Merle singing Jimmie Rodgers songs and it really knocked me out how well he could sing. I didn't know any of his other music before then. But I had known the music of Johnny Cash and that is what shaped my idea of what Country music was at the time. Merle seemed more polished, for lack of a better word. But in comparing him with Buck, I'm not quite understanding what Dylan is saying--he seems to be expressing a personal opinion that is not obvious to most of us, at least not to me.

[Michael Haselman]

Yah, I'm from Minnesota and we're all proud as all heck of our Bob. Yah, you betcha, dontcha know? And it's true, we all talk like that.

[Charlie McDonald]

Certainly, his songs divide folks; they were supposed to unite--

i don't think bob's songs were 'supposed' to do any particular thing, as far as he was concerned.

far as i'm concerned, bob and merle are two of the most important artists and songwriters of my life.

I'm not quite understanding what Dylan is saying--he seems to be expressing a personal opinion that is not obvious to most of us, at least not to me.

You may be right Chris, but there was no way Bob was not going to be divisive considering the counterculture he represented.
His very personal opinions brought out the dissension present in society.
There is more about Dylan that is not obvious to the rest of us, thus to aspire to.
His songs would unite the counterculture, separating us from our progenitors, hopefully.

I can't say Merle Haggard had an influence on me, but Bob Dylan was at the heart of things.
Even 'Bob Dylan's Dream' puts us at odds with each other, questioning society, family, and even friends, questioning authority, still subversive.

[LJ Eiffert]

My mind,I didn't say I didn't like Bob Dylan Nor did I say his music.I Respect him and for those who are standing up for him.This is a good thing if he's (Bob)on the right page. Just like the NFL's football game Teams.It don't United Us. The Politics of words and high power of one's action is like Garth Brooks standing up for all Musicians in front of Capitol Records in Hollywood. Did that do any good for us everyday common Musicians who can even get a fair shake in it control turn table. In the real world of music it is all about the message in the song are in the person who stands up for what he or she believes in. Just like Arron Tippin's song. " You Got To Stand For Something Are You're Fall For Anything ". So,when I or maybe we fall for one man's words of actions and give him Honor to look like a God, It's wrong. My mind,Uncle Leo J Eiffert Jr. the " Icon Super Star" that know body knows who I are.

[Barry Blackwood]

"I can't imagine Waylon Jenning singing 'The Bottle Let Me Down'??" Actually he did, I have his version on one of my CD's and it's pretty damn good and features a fine steel break by ol' Moon....JH in Va.

Thank you, Jerry.