The Devil's DreamIn this multigenerational tale, the 1833 marriage of preacher Moses Bailey to fiery Kate Malone in Grassy Springs, Virginia sets up a paradox: he forbids her fiddle-playing as the Devil's laughter, and she cannot resist playing old tunes and mountain hymns to their children. What follows over the next 150 years are generations of Bailey kin who experience the same contrast in music, from the early recordings of the "hillbilly music" to the latter-day Nashville sound. Each generation experiences the pull between the divine and the earthy differently -- R.C., Durwood, Blackjack Johnny, Katie -- from finding superstardom away from Grassy Branch only to be torn apart in the larger world, to shooting one's husband for cheating, to the radical experiment of recording music in the old-time tradition |
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ain't anyway asked baby Bailey Billy Jack Blackjack Johnny blue Buddy Junior Cana Chicken Rise church Country Music course crazy crying Daddy dance dark Dixie Jamboree door Durwood eyes Ezekiel face felt fiddle Five-Card Stud Freda Frog Level fuck Georgia gone Grandaddy Grassy Branch guitar hair hand Hank hard head heerd Hit's hollered Holly Springs honey iffen Jack Jean Ritchie Kate Katie kids knew laughing little girl Little Virginia live looked loved Lucie Mamma Tampa married Melungeon mind Moses mountain Nashville never nice night Nonnie porch Preacher Stump pretty rain Rainette Ralph Handy Ralph Peer reckon Rhonda Robert Floyd Rose Annie Sally sing sitting song started stay sure talk Tammy tell thing thought told took Virgie voice walked wanted Wayne Ricketts woman Zeke