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Bill Frater

Paul Burch: Funny, Kind, and Dedicated to Beauty

Paul Burch: Funny, Kind, and Dedicated to Beauty

Paul Burch is one of those artists who I love because he brings a unique sound and perspective to everything he records. Whether he honors Southern soul, Buddy Holly, or, most recently on Meridian Rising, imagines a musical autobiography from the perspective of Jimmie Rodgers, the Father of Country Music,

Sharing Supper with John Platt

Sharing Supper with John Platt

Although I don't know John Platt, I came across his name while reading up on a new artist I like, Bill Scorzari, and there was a quote from him. The shared interest in an artist was good enough for me to contact him for this column. Bill Frater:

Riding the Mystery Train with Tim Rakel

Riding the Mystery Train with Tim Rakel

It's time to give a special nod to all the wonderful community — mostly volunteer — radio stations across the U.S. Many of these stations have no outside network feeds, just an eclectic mix of music shows, entirely locally programmed. St. Louis' KDHX is one of those stations,

Norman Davis: Back to the Blues in Boise

Norman Davis: Back to the Blues in Boise

"Legendary" is hardly a sufficient a word to describe Norman Davis and his amazing radio career. For the sake of space, I have not included every station from his over 60 years in radio. Please go to his Radio Thrills site to see more, including audio clips and

Long John's "Tubby Tunes"

Long John's "Tubby Tunes"

I've known Long John for a number of years, radio people being somewhat clannish, and we share a fascination with radio and old school '70s "progressive country" songs. He's a bit of a outlaw who now has his own low-power station! I never

Talking with Mary Sue Twohy of SiriusXM

Talking with Mary Sue Twohy of SiriusXM

I'm always open to interviewing DJs, artists, and other industry types. This week, thanks to a suggestion from Compass Records' Christina Dunkley, we have our first SiriusXM DJ. Please feel free to contact me with any suggestions you may have. Bill Frater: Where and when did you

Music Journalist Geoffrey Himes Gives His Definition of Americana

Music Journalist Geoffrey Himes Gives His Definition of Americana

Music writers have the difficult task of describing music with words. Geoffrey Himes is one of the best. I've seen him through the years when I visit Nashville for the Americana conference. He's always at the good shows and wears great T-shirts! Bill Frater: What got