| |
| | Tuesday, December 12, 2017
|
Cocke County to be included in the Tennessee Music Pathway
Cocke County is already a part of the Whiskey Trail across Tennessee, honoring it's moonshine tradition. But now it will also be a part of the Tennessee Music Pathway. Every county in the state has at least one “Tennessee music story,” says state Tourist Development Commissioner Kevin Triplett. Places like Memphis and Nashville are steeped in music history ....but so is Cocke County; .....with it's Rocky Top. Rocky Top" was written by the songwriting duo Boudleaux and Felice Bryant in 1967. At the time, the Bryants were working in Gatlinburg, on a collection of songs for a project for Archie Campbell and Chet Atkins. They said writing the fast-paced "Rocky Top," took about 10 minutes. In 1972, UT's Pride of the Southland Band first played the song as part of one of its drills, and the song was officially adopted as the fifth Tennessee state song in 1982. The song is actually a lament over the loss of a way of life. The singer longs for "Rocky Top," where there is no "smoggy smoke" and there are no "telephone bills." The singer reminisces about a love affair he once had on Rocky Top with a woman "wild as a mink" and "sweet as soda pop." The song's second verse recalls a story about two revenuers climbing Rocky Top "looking for a moonshine still," but never returning. And the song says that the soil on Rocky Top is too rocky to grow corn, so the people of Rocky Top "get their corn from a jar". Rocky Top in Cocke County has been a popular hiking destination for a number of years. Del Rio historian Michael Sledjeski argues the song was based on the local Rocky Top. He says the late Kenneth Wilburn talked to a man he believed was Boudleaux Bryant at a local bar and told him about the lore of Rocky Top. The Bryant's later wrote the song. The tentative music trail is a 1,200-mile stretch running the length of the state. It will probably start with 50 to 55 sites, but more will be added says the Tourism Commissioner. Triplett says the Pathway will focus on preserving and promoting local history and how it has impacted music around the world, as well as current music events. He says it will be unveiled in late Spring or early Summer of 2018.
|
Return to Today's News Stories - Front PageThursday, April 29, 2021
US 411 Project News
Mill Creek Wildfire Update
More Bad News For Smokies' Fans
Wednesday, April 28, 2021
Mill Creek Wildfire doubles in size
Goodbye Smokies?
Keep Cocke County Beautiful
Cocke Co. High School Remote Learning today!
Tuesday, April 27, 2021
The fireflies are coming!
Burnout Operations on MillCreek wildfire today
Gas prices drop
Tennessee keeps all US House seats
Monday, April 26, 2021
Boat accident victim ID'd
Traffic stop yields drug arrest
Cocke County Wildfires
Friday, April 23, 2021
Leaving WNPC
Mathis announces candidacy
Newport drug roundup
Cruise Against Cancer
Jobless numbers
|
|
|