Monthly Archives: April 2011

medicine show names

Names of medicine show pitchmen:

  1. Doc Zip Hibler
  2. Mad Cody Fleming
  3. Widow Rollins
  4. Sergeant Poulos
  5. Pens Patterson
  6. the Canadian Kid
  7. Sox Clark
  8. Ask-Me Dodge
  9. the Ragan Twins (Mary and Madaline)
  10. Paperman Dell
  11. Sir Tom Rogers
  12. Doc El Vison (“Lord Dietz”)
  13. Population Charlie
  14. Professor Mayfield
  15. Joe “Fine Arts” Hanks, the punkmugger

(From Jimmie Rodgers: The Life and Times of America’s Blue Yodeler)

life happens

Since my son was born I have been on a new path.

In the mornings when the 4am feeding is over and before my wife gets up I find time to practice, and one night a week I go out to sing.

The practice time is going towards lap steel and dobro. I started learning steel during paternity leave. The pinky on my fretting hand is giving me a lot of pain, so I can’t play normal guitar without making the pain worse, and since steel doesn’t involve fretting it doesn’t need the pinky at all.

The singing is Sacred Harp. It’s a deep well.

Eventually I’ll have time again for gigging, music blogging, and recording. By then I’ll have a new instrument under my belt and probably won’t play much regular guitar. But in the meantime – hibernation.