[Eddie] Memphis is considered the home of
the Blues as well as early Rock n’ Roll. The
mixture of those delicious ingredients is what
made up Memphis music from the rockabilly
sounds of Sun Records with Elvis Presley, Jerry
Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, and Roy Orbison, to
the sound of Stax Records with Wilson Pickett,
Booker T and the MG’s, and Otis Redding.
There were lesser known artists that had some
big hits like The Boxtops, The Gentrys and
others. Music was everywhere, and Memphis
was a wonderfully diverse musical landscape in
those days. It was a great place to grow up. I
was like a sponge.
[WM] One of the earliest DeGarmo and Key
(D&K) recordings is a re-arranged cover of
The Chants: Buddy Bass, Larry DeGarmo, Eddie DeGarmo, Tom Byars
the classic folk song, “Wayfaring Stranger”.
Outside of David Crowder, not many Christian
artists examine the rich history of Americana
Music. What advice could you offer Christian
musicians, worship leaders, and songwriters
regarding the importance of investigating our
musical heritage?
[Eddie] There is a great musical heritage of
Gospel and Blues songs that came from the
deep south that artists should learn about. A lot
of Rock n’ Roll today stands on those musical
shoulders. Those songs seemed to grow up
from the soil. Many were born in the heartache
of poverty and the cotton fields while many
others were born out of the jubilation and joy of
the Church. Wonderful artists like James Brown,
Aretha Franklin, and Al Green give homage to
the church as teaching them about music and
singing. Even the British invasion bands of the
60’s like The Beatles and the Rolling Stones talk
about the influence American Blues and Gospel
had over them and their music.
I have often said the only difference between a
Blues and Gospel song is the end of the song.
A Blues song ends down and out. The Gospel
song finds redemption. They are cousins
musically.
[WM] What was the greatest encouragement
Dana Key and Eddie DeGarmo
April 2019
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