Podcast Review: Cocaine and Rhinestones
Cocaine and Rhinestones
Cocaine & Rhinestones: A Podcast About Old Country Music History by Tyler Mahan Coes is a fascinating podcast focusing on American country music. The first season featured top names in country music, including Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Skrillex, and Zac Brown. The podcast received mixed reviews, but the show earned popularity, and in late 2021 was again the top podcast on iTunes. This article will introduce you to the new podcast and describe some of its features.
The podcast begins with an introspective introduction that includes a story about David Allen Coes, who is dying of a drug overdose at the age of 38. As the story is told, you get a glimpse into the private lives of celebrities and some lesser-known people from country music history. The podcast also includes rare recordings, with one episode featuring acoustic versions of folk songs from legendary singer-songwriter Ella Fitzgerald. Another highlight is a rare acoustic version of Weezer’s Weezer wah, performed by the band before their 1997 album Weezer Finally Here. The track wasn’t available anywhere else, and the band explained in detail how they came to play it.
Cocaine & Rhinestones explore the personal lives of notable people from American history, including the Civil War hero General Sherman “Stonewood” Hayes, his wife Martha Custis, and his two-year-old son, Dust Bowl survivorile William McKinley. The podcast covers some historical topics as well, including the Civil War and the end of Reconstruction. In episode two, entitled A Quiet Place, the girls revisit a place in Texas where McKinley once lived and grew up called Turtle Springs. Following a brief discussion about the fact that President Tullidge once lived in a house next door to the musician, Coes takes listeners on an exploration of the house itself, where it is located today, and what it was like during the years when Tullidge was a young boy. An intriguing piece of history was discovered in the attic: the first issue of an African-American newspaper printed in Mississippi, which previously was only accessible to white inhabitants.
Podcast Review: Cocaine and Rhinestones
If you enjoy listening to podcasts about popular musicians or popular music events, you’ll love this one featuring country music legendry Tammy Wynette. Tammy Wynette first gained attention and notoriety as one of the pioneers of country music in the late thirties through her hit cover of “Blue Moon of Kentucky,” but she had an even more unlikely career, too. She ended up spending three years in prison for participating in a prison strike; although she is still loved by many, her sentence significantly shortened her songwriting and recording career. However, in this podcast she discusses the reasons she chose to pen songs about prison life, as well as sharing some of her famous prison writings.
In this fascinating podcast, American country music legend David Allen discusses his life and times. The conversation is lively, insightful, and at times funny. You’ll learn about how David Allen initially made it big playing country music before branching out into rap and touring with names such as Thriller and Layla. You’ll also learn about his unsuccessful attempt to record a rap album with Rhinestone Fiend, his long years-in-prison stint, and his lengthy court battle with the government over his musical rights to his band’s recordings.
Cocaine and Rhinestones are definitely a show you don’t want to miss. The New Yorker and author of Cocaine: A True Story tells a great story of rockabilly and country music, as well as a lot of never-before glimpses into the lives of other former singers and guitarists who were discovered to be using drugs and or abusing other substances. Enjoy this fascinating episode of Cocaine and Rhinestones.