& WFDU-FM’s TRADITIONS Playlist for April 10, 2016 Fair and balanced used to be a significant principle for journalists before it became a catchphrase for Fox News. Perhaps there is a bit of sarcasm involved in that network’s use of … Continue reading →
Neko Case Ellen Smith was shot through the heart in July of 1892. Peter DeGraff had been romantically involved with Smith. He stood trial for her murder, was convicted, and was executed for it thirteen months after Smith’s death. At … Continue reading →
North Carolinian recording artists are pulling together to record a compilation of protest songs in support of North Carolina’s “Moral Monday” protests, which have been held for the past 12 consecutive Mondays in Raleigh, NC. Calling themselves the North Carolina … Continue reading →
Confederate soldier “Not having the fear of God before his eyes…” The Jurors for the State upon their oath presented that Thomas Dula, late of the County of Wilkes, not having the fear of God before his eyes, … Continue reading →
As we found out in the introductory post this week, “Cold Rain and Snow”, which most folks know as a staple in the Grateful Dead’s repertoire, is an American ballad written by an unknown author after a man murdered his … Continue reading →
I first heard our subject ballad for the week from the same source I’m sure the majority of people who know it today did – the Grateful Dead. It had been part of their repertoire since their start in 1965, … Continue reading →
This is the first in a series of three posts on “Swannanoa Tunnel.” Read the second here and the third here. Those of you who have found your way to Murder Ballad Monday by way of our Facebook page may … Continue reading →
Rorey Carroll “…it’s such a powerful thing to take someone’s life. It’s one of the most powerful things, and it’s something that anyone could do. I think people are fascinated with death and murder for the fascination with their own darkness.” Part One … Continue reading →
View From Max Patch, North Carolina – by Jeff Pitman (Prints available here) Ken’s post about Omie’s surviving children gave rise to something in me that popped out as this little poem. Nothing about what they must have gone through made … Continue reading →
This week’s installment is a decidedly American contribution to the genre, and one not completely shrouded in the mists of history, but only partly so. The events of “Omie Wise” can be pinned down to a known historical event—the drowning … Continue reading →
