Honky Tonk: Portraits of Country Music by Henry Horenstein 1970s

Three chords and the truth

The faces of country music from the 1970s, preserved by the photographer Henry Horenstein    

Toni L. Querol

Dolly Parton at Boston Symphony Hall in 1972.

 

From the ruckus of the horse races in Saratoga (NY) to the nightlife of Buenos Aires, the Cajun community in Louisiana, baseball players in the South American leagues, camel breeders in Dubai or all his relatives in Massachusetts. For the past four decades, the documentary maker and photographer Henry Horenstein has captured all kinds of stories in over 30 books, showing a special preference for cultures and places that are slowly disappearing. But if there is one area where his work has become an iconic and encyclopedic point of reference, it’s the world of country music. The genre where, in the words of songwriter Harlan Howard, whom Horenstein likes to quote, you only needs "three chords and the truth" to make a good song.

 

After finishing his art studies in 1973, Horenstein began his professional career collaborating with magazines like Country Music, Bluegrass Unlimited or Muleskinner News. He would often drive out to Nashville, where he took portraits of artists and fans at venues like the Ryman Auditorium or the legendary Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge. For years his summer plans included visiting music parks, ranches, and country and bluegrass festivals scattered across the country. He had a special affinity for “honky tonks”, bars of questionable repute where country music was played live. The best of all his work and road tripping can be found in the book Honky Tonk: Portraits of Country Music, a real piece of Americana.

 

“All along, in my historian's mind, I always saw this as a disappearing world that I wanted to preserve on film. […] The Hillbilly Ranch and so many lesser honky tonks have faded away. There are hardly any country music parks left. And we've lost so many great musicians, naturally, and along with them went a way of life. In the years to come, I expect that everyone will remember mega stars like Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash, but I wonder: Will they remember Kitty Wells or Ernest Tubb? These pictures were made in hopes that they will.”

 

Many of these pictures appear in the recent documentary Country: Portraits of an American Sound (2015), directed by Steven Kochones that also draws on work by other photographers such as Les Leverett, Henry Diltz, Raeanne Rubenstein or Leigh Wiener. The following is a trailer for the film and an ample selection from the legendary series by Henry Horenstein.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

James Brown Death Video Threefer

Surreal Mic Strainer, Moves Reducer, Sewage-fly-like, Overstated Stride of DROP-Dope-COCK, Alpha-Matador whose Outfit once called him Monarchist, Dust-Toking Musk Den Chiba, Frothy Boner Bouncer, First hard-Maker, Apollo  Seizure of Swirl,  THE MAN the Leaders Framed!, 'Faust -  loader of the snare',  dizzy darer, Hard-stitched and bad-Giblets, Career def-producer, perfect-earthling, Bipolar ears, Mic Medley from the cities, in 1 piston out thirst-emotion, MR. Bang of 20 gestures counted, 1, 2, マイ ugh!,  ルス デイヴス of the Jacuzzi-midsection, Whore-crossed influenza, obit speaks, motor of oozing that writhes, boom-animation of fanny-syncs, erudite Ill Nuance, Mic-Kitsch, papa's huge musky hit, Meat-porter of the bend-bent ass, unleaded and seducing, footnoted Tickler-toe, Sex-Matinee Savior--even excessively, Outsold Whitey, Negroes which toked, Godliness which palpitated, powders of trendy pocketed fate...

James 'Joseph' Brown

Deth

† MEMORIAL VIDEOS † TOKYO OBIT

"DIFFERENT † † THINGS †HAPPEN †AT †NIGHT †"

James Joseph Brown
Death † Dec. 25, 2006 Atlanta

INTERRED: Thomas Family Home Crypt, Beech Island, Aiken County, South Carolina

james-brown-best-hit-usa

James Brown: "Best Hit USA"

INTERVIEW: Mr Katsuya Kobayashi

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"DIFFERENT THINGS HAPPEN AT NIGHT"

Deth

"A coincidence is an event in which a sovereign God chooses to remain anonymous." ~ Unknown † Ecc 9:5-6

James Brown: Bobby Byrd, Bootsy Collins: Sex Machine
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IN THE SECTION WHICH FOLLOWS I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO EXCISE AND SEPARATE SOME OF THE NAMES FROM THE ABOVE 'TOKYO EXPLAIN' ARTICLE FROM 26 DECEMBER, 2006; AND IN SO DOING, HOPE TO CLARIFY OR DISTINGUISH SOME OF THE COLORFUL NICKNAMES GIVEN TO JB BY THE BEAUTIFUL AND POETIC JAPANESE PEOPLE, WHOSE GREAT AFFINITY FOR BROWN'S MUSIC AND FOR THE MAN HIMSELF CAUSED A NATIONAL DAY OF MOURNING. JAMES BROWN VISITED JAPAN AT LEAST A DOZEN TIMES THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER--ONE OF THOSE VISITS INCLUDED HERE IN A VIDEO INTERVIEW BY FAMOUS MUSIC HOST, Mr Katsuya Kobayashi FROM JAPANESE TELEVISION'S ROCK 'N ROLL INTERVIEW PROGRAM, "Best Hit USA".

NOTE: SOME OF THESE EXPRESSIONS ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO TRANSLATE INTO ENGLISH, NOT BEING RELIABLY ACCURATE IN IDIOM OR LINGUISTIC FORM.

THE AUTHOR HAS DONE THE BEST HE COULD AT PROVIDING A UNIQUE LOOK INTO ANOTHER CULTURE'S APPRECIATION OF THE DEATH OF ONE OF AMERICA'S GREATEST STARS.

FOLLOWING EXCERPTED OBITUARY IS REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION IN TRANSLATED FORM FROM

"THE TOKYO EXPLAIN"

(James 'Shy' Brown--'Moan Fryer' - 1933 May 3rd - 2006 December 25)

TOKYO ンターティナー 26, Dec:

As for Baron von Fried, he's the unequal felon--in Japanese, their Southern hero bestowed, can PDQ-up vocal-domesticity...but art cauterized of musk is high upraised requital. Cauterized Musk-High-Upraised Requital!

Godfather of Soul, Hardest Working Man in Show Business iconography. He was impoverished at birth. Raised by friends and relatives, he spent much time on the street where he was engaged in various criminal activities. While in reform school he met Bobby Byrd whose family rescued him.

He joined Byrd's musical group which ultimately became the "Famous Flames". James Brown's first hit with the group was "Please, Please, Please" in 1956. His unique dance style was an inspiration for those who came after him, including Michael Jackson and Prince. His career also encompassed acting in several films, notably "The Blues Brothers" (1980) and "Dr Detroit" (1983).

James Brown ー Jive Draws coffin 
  Jive Draws Coffin James Brown On Sonya!
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James Brown SUBSTANCE ABUSE SPECIAL ARTICLE

Sometimes, it takes an addict

Blues, R&B, Gospel Singer, James Brown Dead! Congestive Heart Failure - 73