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Amos Perrine

THROUGH THE LENS: Willie Nelson's First Fourth of July Picnic

THROUGH THE LENS: Willie Nelson's First Fourth of July Picnic

Willie Nelson’s first Fourth of July Picnic, in 1973, was inspired by the Dripping Springs Reunion held at the Hurlbut Ranch in Dripping Springs, Texas, the year before, where Nelson and other country music favorites performed. While its promotion and attendance were lackluster, Nelson recognized that the Reunion had

THROUGH THE LENS: Was 1973 the Greatest Year for Roots Music?

THROUGH THE LENS: Was 1973 the Greatest Year for Roots Music?

“The past beats inside me like a second heart.” The Sea Everyone has their year, and many writers have postulated why a certain year was the greatest one for music. I submit that 1973 was that year for roots music. That was the year it came together, the year it

THROUGH THE LENS: Jacob Blickenstaff's Photography Lends a Hand to Roots Musicians in the Time of Coronavirus

THROUGH THE LENS: Jacob Blickenstaff's Photography Lends a Hand to Roots Musicians in the Time of Coronavirus

The entire roots music community has been hit hard by the coronavirus: record labels, PR firms, venues, record stores, writers, photographers, publications, and, most of all, the working artists without whom the others wouldn't exist. Even amid the hardship of stalled tours, empty booking calendars, delayed album releases,

THROUGH THE LENS: Ruthie Foster, Gretchen Peters, and Other Outstanding Roots Music Releases on the Horizon

THROUGH THE LENS: Ruthie Foster, Gretchen Peters, and Other Outstanding Roots Music Releases on the Horizon

I don’t know about you, but I always get excited to hear about upcoming albums. The anticipation is like Christmas morning. This week I am particularly excited about revisiting the Outlaw Movement, a fabulous live album by Ruthie Foster, Nicole Atkins' painterly eighth album, and, perhaps most of

THROUGH THE LENS: John Prine Was One of Us

THROUGH THE LENS: John Prine Was One of Us

“I guess I just process death differently than some folks. Realizing you’re not going to see that person again is always the most difficult part about it. But that feeling settles, and then you are glad you had that person in your life, and then the happiness and the

THROUGH THE LENS: Martha Spencer on Love and Endurance in the Time of Coronavirus

THROUGH THE LENS: Martha Spencer on Love and Endurance in the Time of Coronavirus

Born in the mountains / Fifty years ago / I traveled the hills and valleys / Through the rain and snow / Seen the lightning flashing / I've heard thunder roll / I've endured, I've endured. — Ola Belle Reed (Martha Spencer's cousin) I have written several times about

THROUGH THE LENS: Cayamo 2020 – Roots Music on a Caribbean Love Boat

THROUGH THE LENS: Cayamo 2020 – Roots Music on a Caribbean Love Boat

I don’t know how it keeps happening, but the annual Cayamo "Journey through Song" cruise just seems to get better and better. As evidenced by the narrative below by Brenda Rosser and Boom Baker, as well as their photos and the photos of Larry John Fowler and