Like many other performers, Merle Haggard knew loneliness. In fact, he made the decision to dedicate his life to music as Prisoner 845200 in San Quentin prison, during a stay in solitary confinement with only pajama bottoms, a blanket, a stone floor, and a Bible. This is a surpassingly soulful rendition of a gospel classic that Haggard included in a religious album he recorded in memory of his mother in 1981.
Howard Carroll
Yesterday we lost Howard Carroll, the phenomenal singer and guitarist in the legendary gospel group the Dixie Hummingbirds. He was 94. Carroll joined the Birds in 1952 and quickly set the standard for the electric guitar in a gospel setting. Carroll grew up on the blues, country and bluegrass, and the jazz stylings of Charlie Christian. The only instrumentalist in the Birds, Carroll's unique genius was his always-perfect use of the guitar to complement the group's gorgeous voices. A truly masterful musician.