Clearly, we are lovers of the American South. There are many facets to this diamond of a region, but it has been the birthplace of almost all of the music genres. This great nation has join us at the table as we discuss western swing.

Western swing is a combination of many genres, including blues, jazz, polka, country, and more. It's characterized by a strong dance rhythm and the use of electrically amplified stringed instruments, like the steel guitar.

Let’s not forget that the point of this music was and always has been to get people dancing!

In this episode, we introduced you to our Fort Worth, Texas friend, Devon Dawson. Miss Devon is a top entertainer in western music, and has been recognized by the Academy of Western Artists as the Female Performer of the Year 2009. She's noted for her vintage sock-rhythm guitar style, and warm 'swingtime cowgirl' vocals, which bring to mind legendary B-western ladies of the silver screen, Dale Evans, Rosalie Allen, Patsy Montana, etc. Like them, her lively persona intrigues and engages both kids and adults in her audience. She holds a Grammy certificate for her participation as the singin', yodelin' voice of Jessie, on the Walt Disney CD, Woody's Roundup featuring Riders in the Sky, which was the follow-up to the movie, inspired by the characters of Toy Story 2. She has performed in and out of that character coast-to-coast, and all across the American West, including at the renowned Grand Old Opry in Nashville, Tennessee, and at Pixar Studios in Emeryville, California. Connect with her at: https://missdevonandtheoutlaw.com/bios

Forerunners of this genre:

• Milton Brown - https://birthplaceofwesternswing.com/brown.html
• Bob Wills - https://bobwills.com

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