View From The Front Porch-Stan Hitchcock-October 13, 2012

Y'know I live in a unusual situation. I spend a good time of each day working on editing my archival television footage into new shows, to present my heroes of music to you, my friends, to enjoy again and again. I believe that is what music is about...sharing of the musical experiences and performances that are to special to just be forgotten. I get so engrossed in the footage, as I am working on it, watching my friends and myself in the glory days of our music years, reliving the times together that has such meaning to my life, that it almost becomes a reality....It's like going back in time and the ones that have passed on seem alive and well again. When you do that, day after day, in the edit suite, staring at a monitor of yourself in yesterday, sometimes you just don't want to come back, and the re-entry of today is pretty abrupt...leaving a lingering feeling of loss and sadness for those special ones that you have been spending the hours with on the television monitor.

This week, in the other world of archival footage from 60's-70's and 80's, I have spent time with Vern Gosdin, Johnny Russell, Buck Owens, Tom Brumley, Ferlin Husky, Sammi Smith, Nat Stuckey, David Houston, Keith Whitley……all, with a young Stan Hitchcock. My mind needs a break from the constant leaving and re-entry of the time warp that I have put myself into. Just imagine what it would be like if you were to sit around, day after day, looking at home videos of family members that have gone on, and you see yourself in your prime, interacting with these loved ones….well, that is kinda what it feels like to me, watching the good times in music that I shared with my friends and heroes. They were such special people, such talent and goodness, and their like will never come again, judging from the new crop of singers that dominate what used to be called “country music”. The Opry has embraced the crop of rockers on their stage, the CMA just sent me their newsletter, touting the fact that “Country Music Is ROCKING!”, uh, excuse me CMA, but don’t you see the irony of that statement? Yes, the Music Establishment has finally achieved what they have been trying to do for so many years, country music is rocked…congratulations, you Suits have finally done it. Meanwhile, in my twisted kind of music existence, where you wear Wranglers not Suits, my sound track of life continues to play, “Together Again”, “Till The End”, “Old Catfish John”, “Pop A Top Again”, “Help Me Make It Through The Night”, “Almost Persuaded” and “On The Wings Of A Dove”…..and the closing song in my mind is Johnny Paycheck singing, “Tonight I feel, like an old violin, just to be put away, and never played again…….”
-Stan