When did you start listening?

[DennyFast]

Smiley, your showin' your age again!!!!! lol

[Alan Shank]

I first heard country music on "Cousin Herb Henson's Trading Post" on TV out of Bakersfield. I remember that there was a steel guitar player. "Cousin Herb" bounced up and down on a piano seat and pounded car doors in commercials. (I obtained an album from the show a few years ago.)

I got into Bluegrass music around 1964, learned to play mandolin (sort of) and played Bluegrass until about 1968.

I started listening to country radio about 1970 in LA. My favorite DJ was Chill Wills' cousin; I can't remember his name right now, but he did some characters, one named "Gumdrops Gus."

I think Ricky Skaggs was the one who really caught my attention. He, of course, was a big name in Bluegrass, but "went commercial." His music was like an "electrified Bluegrass," with the pedal steel replacing the banjo and the electric guitar replacing (for the most part) the mandolin. He retained the high singing, harmonies and double fiddles from Bluegrass, and a considerable amount of emphasis on the instruments.

Ironically, Skaggs was apparently prevented by his record company from recording Bluegrass, which was what he always wanted to do. Recently, he changed record companies and put out "Kentucky Thunder," which is pure Bluegrass.

Cheers,
Alan Shank

[Neil Hilton]

I was born in 1965 and my first recollection of listening to music was the 2 live albums that Hag recorded in Muskogee and Philadephia in '69 and '70. These are to this day among my favorite albums of all time, live or otherwise, and I can fully guarantee that will be the case til I am cashed in.

I've had opportunity for Merle to autograph the well-worn covers of both. One significant scar is on the Philly cover that I so love is there, as it makes great reference for my connection at that early age..... Roy's white tele is colored in with a purple crayon!!!! I must have thought he needed it jazzed up a bit. and speaking of that cover, the pic of the 33-yr-old Merle at the mic stand is classic.

Not to spring the old topic back into play - but to me, this illustrates a distinction between the classic old true country and the new stuff today - but if some young 6-year old boy crazed today with Garth or McGraw finds that their work from the 90's is still his favorite music at age 35, I'll sure plan to be around to eat my words. - Neil

[Joe Allwood]

For me it was July 26, 1963...Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" was number one that month...I don't ever remember that album not being in my folks' collection and can't ever remember the radio not being on a country station.

[Smiley Roberts]

Denny,
I don't have to show it. It's right out there,where everybody can see it!

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[Joe Casey]

I remember as a little boy listening to a disk Jockey named Smiley Robert's. Just kidding...As a young boy in sacramento 11-12 or so I heard a song by the name of "Green Light" by Hank Thompson,I was hooked and still am.

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CJC

[Neil Hilton]

An early hook for me - saw Hank T and his Brazos Boys at the County Fair in Stockville, Nebr in 1974 (I was 9)-- great song you reference.....
"here's your coat and shoes, and don't forget the blues, your own canoe now.... you'll have to row!"

[Lem Smith]

Since I was born in 1963, I'd have to say that I started listening to, and liking, country in '63. It's always been my favorite.

[Terry in H-town]

Well let's see....I was born in 1953, I remember laying in my crib with a bottle (not Jack Danials) and wiggling my toes to steel guitar and loving it. I would have to say as soon as I could hear.I must have GOOD ears.

[Tim Rowley]

I arrived in this world in early 1954. The first country music I believe I ever heard was played live, probably in the late 1950's. Also back then we had several local live radio programs (many of them were Lester "Roadhog" Moran type) which I vaguely remember. I definitely started LISTENING to country music on records and on the radio around 1961. The memory of the first time I heard Hank Williams' record of "Honky Tonk Blues" is vivid in my mind. I also dug the western music of The Sons of The Pioneers, Gene Autry, and the like. I know that by the mid 1960's I was permanently hooked on country and western music. Shortly after turning age 18 in 1972 I started performing a lot in honky tonks etc. and have been in the business ever since. Real country and western music is "in my blood" more than any other type of music, probably because I identified with it and listened to it at such an early age. Tim R.

[Lefty]

I started about 1964 or 65. Though I was listening to the Beatles, Stones, Ventures, I was lured by the Television to the Wilborn Bros. and the Porter Wagoner show because of the tele pickers, and the fine steel guitar of Hal Rugg, and the fiddle of Buddy Spicher (excuse the spelling)among others. I was a closet country junkie for years while playing everything from Otis Redding, Booker T and the MG's, Jimi Hendrix, CCR, Santana, etc. until the early 70's.
I think Mike Nesmith and the great Red Rhodes made me go of the deep end.
Lefty

[BDBassett]

I was raised up in a white middle class neighborhood listening to my father's collection of broadway musical original cast albums. I guess my first taste of country/western music must have been OOOOOOOOO-KLAHOMA. Just joking, I was pretty much the hick in my little hometown of Laurelhurst Washington. Hell, I was 12 years old before I got my first pair of Florsheim shoes so I know what it must have been like in rural America, sort of.

I honestly don't know where I got my love of Country Music but I remember crying into my pillow when Johnny Horton died. I was 8 at the time.

[Pat Jenkins]

When I was 16, my best friend kept asking me if I had heard this song or that song, none of which had I heard. He said he had found these songs on a little daytimer that only played country music during the afternoons. In Baltimore in the late 60's, it was near to impossible to find any country music. I started listening then to what I could find and have pretty much stuck with it since, depending on what kind of station I would be working with at the time. Pat

[Louie Hallford]

Sometime in mid 40's when I first remember hearing steel guitar with Roy Wiggins,Jerry Bird and Leon Mc Aullife.

Days of Bob Wills,Eddie Arnold,Ernest Tubbs....then later Hank,Lefty, Marty,Webb,Faron

[Louie Hallford]

Sometime in mid 40's when I first remember hearing steel guitar with Roy Wiggins,Jerry Bird and Leon Mc Aullife.

Days of Bob Wills,Eddie Arnold,Ernest Tubbs....then later Hank,Lefty, Marty,Webb,Faron

[Al Marcus]

I started LISTENING in the late 30's and liked Bob Wills and Spade Cooley.

I started LIKING country music in the 60's thru the 80's.......al