It’s not really country, almost rock. It was difficult for the record companies to put my music in a genre, said Marshall Chapman, who spoke at APSU on July 15.
Did you get lots of pressure from them to do what they wanted? asked an audience member.
Yes. And I don’t do pressure. I’m my own person and I keep to my guns.
That was obvious. She makes southern drawl popular. She sang songs and read from her book, Goodbye Little Rock and Roller. And we were happy. Marshall charmed us with her wit and humor, and her stories about writing and singing. Best of all, I don’t think she cared if we were charmed. She was just being herself, and in so doing made it big as a song writer. She was one of those people who took the chance and bet her life on it. It paid off. She has written songs for and hung out with Jimmy Buffet, Chris Kristofferson and many many more.
In her book, she picked 12 of her songs that had good stories, and wrote them down. One story is about a baby she saw in the grocery store. She named him the Buddha baby and watched him gently calm everyone around him. Both song and story are fantastic.
Fans can order the book and companion CD at http://www.Tallgirl.com
Austin Peay State University Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts brought us this diversion, and we thank them.
Upcoming:
September 4, 8 p.m., Morgan Center, Room 303, Barry Kitterman reads from his novel The Baker’s Boy
September 10, 8 p.m., Morgan Center, Room 303, Louise Erdrich on campus as the Roy Acuff Chair of Excellence for 2008
October 22, 4 p.m., Gentry Auditorium, poets Kate Daniels and Gay Brewer
November 13, 8 p.m., Morgan Center, Room 303, Louise Erdrich gives her second reading on campus, reading from her new novel, The Plague of Doves
Novenber 25, 6:30 p.m., UC Ballroom, Bread and Words
