It's been ten great years of putting out American Music: The Blasters / Dave Alvin Newsletter and hanging around these Blasters and Dave Alvin band guys. It's been amazing - and it's far from over.
I don't usually write about myself, but I figured once every ten years is okay. Fans at shows often ask me how I started the newsletter, so here's the background behind the ten-year-old publication you are reading now. The newsletter success has everything to do with the kindness of the great musicians from the Blasters and Dave Alvin's band.
     I grew up into hard rock music. My father played Elvis and Johnny Cash all the time - but that was his music. I liked it but didn't give it much serious thought. But in 1990, I made a trip to Graceland and Sun Studios in Memphis. I bought The Million Dollar Quartet album (a jam session from 1956 with Elvis, Jerry Lee, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash.). I was intrigued by the live style of recording music by Sam Phillips. I then dove head first into Sun Records music. For the next few years I collected everything 'Sun.' My favorite artist was rockabilly legend Sonny Burgess. I collected everything on him which included many European albums and CDs.
     In 1992 at a record / CD show (swap meet), I came across a new Sonny Burgess CD called Tennessee Border (which is still among my top favorites). I asked the dealer "Who is this guy Dave Alvin, who plays on the CD?" He told he was with a great band called 'The Blasters.' I listened to the album, was floored by this guitar player and loved his songs. Of course, I had to check out his band 'The Blasters,' so I bought the Blasters Collection CD. I was hooked and spent the rest of 1992 collecting all the Blasters and Dave Alvin CDs, LPs, singles, live tapes, magazine articles, photos, posters and everything.
     Two big collector's items eluded me: The Blasters American Music Rollin Rock records LP (which I paid $100 for a year later) and Dave Al