SERIAL 

A PAINTED HOUSE
Tornadoes, the Fall Picnic, and guarding their secrets keep the Chandler family busy. Part Four.
by John Grisham

FEATURES

FALLING INTO PLACE
On following the passion that led a fan to become a music writer.
by Peter Guralnick

SITTING ON TOP OF THE WORLD
The great picker Doc Watson inspires the devotion of a diverse community of bluegrass aficionados.
by William Gay

THE SONG OF A SAD CAFÉ
A piano player from Worcester, Massachusetts, confesses his love for Southern music.
by Don Asher

SHORT STORY

THE CELESTIAL JUKEBOX
Strangers connect in a small Mississippi town during a summer music festival.
by Cynthia Shearer

DEPARTMENTS

LOCAL FARE

MAMMA TRIED
Louise Hudson kept the Allman Brothers fed.
by John T. Edge

PROFILE

RONNIE FREE 
What happened to this almost-great jazzman?
by Sam Stephenson

JIMMIE RODGERS 
The inner life of America’s Blue Yodeler.
by Tom Piazza

SPOTLIGHT

LAS VEGAS: DEAN MARTIN 
Face it: Dude was good.
by Ron Carlson

AUSTIN: ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO 
Alternative country hero.
by Larry Brown

TENNESSEE: JUDYBATS
Slightly angry, mostly cheerful rockers.
by Rick Cornell

LOUISIANA: KEITH FRANK 
Zydeco at its most irreverent.
by John Lewis

NASHVILLE: KIM RICHEY 
Following in her foremothers’ footsteps.
by Bill Friskics-Warren

GEORGIA: KEVN KINNEY
From Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ to travelin’ solo.
by Roy Kasten

GEORGIA: RANDALL BRAMBLETT 
Finding his balance after a rocky career.
by Stanley Booth

LOUISIANA: RANDY NEWMAN
His album about the South remains a classic.
by Anthony Walton

LOUISIANA: GOV. JIMMIE DAVIS 
The original power player.
by Charles Wolfe

AUSTIN: KELLY WILLIS 
A new beginning for a singer who defies the rules.
by Mark Rozzo

NASHVILLE: RONNIE MILSAP 
The soulful side of the Ur-country star.
by Michael McCall

AUSTIN: THE DERAILERS 
Country you can dance to; great clothes, too.
by Grant Alden

SOUTHERN GALLERY 

SAM PHILLIPS 
by Rick Petreycik

TEENIE HODGES 
by Robert Gordon

TOM PETTY 
by Holly George-Warren

WILCO'S JOHN STIRRATT 
by Sally Ann Cassady

VISITORS' GALLERY

CHRIS ISAAK
by Julia Hardy

SONGWRITING

BUDDY HOLLY 
How my name became a classic.
by Peggy Sue Gerron

SOUND TRACK 

WHAT MOVIES SOUND LIKE
by Greg Smith

DEPARTURES 

ASIE PAYTON 
This Mississippi bluesman died after recording one album.
by David Nelson

JEFF BUCKLEY
Remembering a friend.
by Robert Gordon and Andria Lisle

RECORD REVIEW 

JOHNNY CASH'S LOVE GOD MURDER
by David Cantwell

BIG MAMA THORNTON'S THE COMPLETE VANGUARD RECORDINGS
by Craig Havighurst

TODD SNIDER'S HAPPY TO BE HERE
by William Gay

BOOK REVIEW

YUSEF KOMUNYAKAA'S BLUE NOTES
by David Yaffe

PHOTO ESSAY

HILLBILLY HEAVEN 
by Marty Stuart

HISTORY

THE REAL CASEY JONES
The engineer who inspired hundreds of songs.
by Jack Heffron and Mark Garvey

RECORD LABEL 

ARHOOLIE RECORDS
The label that searched at the source for Southern music.
by Kevin Canty

POETRY

Diann Blakely

Michael McFee

Donald Justice

Jack Stewart

COLUMNS

DEALER'S CHOICE 
Lunch with Dolly Parton.
by Hal Crowther

GONE OFF UP NORTH 
The very good nature of the inimitable Boswell Sisters.
by Roy Blount Jr.

EDITOR'S BOX

OFF THE SHELF

UNCLE ART

SOUTHERN SCENES

Cover photo by Jim Herrington