CR004 - Bobbie Gentry: Exit Stage Left

CR004 - Bobbie Gentry: Exit Stage Left

Author: Tyler Mahan Coe November 14, 2017 Duration: 1:44:40
In 1967, Bobbie Gentry's recording of a song she wrote, called "Ode to Billie Joe," directly influenced the future of every major musical genre in America. In the early '80s, she disappeared. What happened in the decade between? Why did Bobbie Gentry vanish? Who was she, even? Since we can't ask Bobbie for answers, these are mysteries we either have to learn to live with or try to solve for ourselves. This episode of Cocaine & Rhinestones examines every little thing we know about Bobbie Gentry, her life and her music. Today's story takes us from the cotton lands of Mississippi to the music scene of Los Angeles, from a legendary recording studio in Muscle Shoals to the white hot lights of Sin City. We'll explore major label music marketing, the concept of celebrity personas, the state of American pop/rock in the '60s, and just what exactly the hell a MacGuffin is. People you'll hear about in this episode: Glen Campbell, Elvis Presley, Jim Stafford, Nick Lowe, Kanye West, Eminem, Drake, Lauryn Hill, Snoop, A Tribe Called Quest, Jody Reynolds, Rick Hall, Lou Donaldson, Sheryl Crow, kd lang, Lucinda Williams, Alfred Hitchcock, Barry White, Bobby Womack, Burt Bacharach and, believe it or not, more. Also, you may not like what you hear if you're a fan of Jim Ford.

There's a story behind every song, and often it's wilder than anything you could make up. Cocaine & Rhinestones: The History of Country Music digs into those stories, pulling back the sequined curtain on the genre's most fascinating and frequently misunderstood characters. Created and narrated by Tyler Mahan Coe, this podcast operates like a deep-cut research project brought to life, where myth and verified history collide. You'll hear about the schemes, the scandals, the brilliant artistry, and the sheer chaos that shaped the sound of American music. Each episode is built on a foundation of meticulous investigation, challenging the well-worn anecdotes you think you know. The result feels less like a lecture and more like you're being let in on a series of incredible secrets, told with a clear-eyed and compelling voice. This isn't a surface-level celebration; it's a raw, chronological excavation of the business, the personal demons, and the cultural shifts that left a permanent mark. For anyone curious about where the music really came from, this series connects the dots between the honky-tonk floor and the penthouse suite, revealing how country music's legacy was forged in equal parts genius and desperation. Settle in and let the stories unfold.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 35

Cocaine & Rhinestones: The History of Country Music
Podcast Episodes
BONUS: Cocaine & Rhinestones Season 1 Q&A [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:22:13
You might think, "How could anyone finish a season of a podcast like Cocaine & Rhinestones and have questions? That guy saturates every episode with details like he's getting paid by the fact." There's always more to kno…
CR014 - Ralph Mooney: The Sound of Country Music [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:25:40
The legendary pedal steel guitarist, Ralph Mooney, deserves the reputation he earned on his instrument. However, he deserves a lot more than that. This episode of the podcast backtracks to Bakersfield for a deeper examin…
CR013 - Rusty & Doug Kershaw: The Cajun Way [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01:12
Rusty & Doug come from a long tradition of surviving against the odds, against a world that would just as soon see you dead as see you succeed. Starting from nothing but a houseboat in Louisiana, they fought their way th…
CR012 - Wynonna [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:57:18
Some people think we have all these "authenticity tests" in country music. We don't. But, even if we did, Wynonna would pass them. From somehow surviving a childhood full of several types of abuse to a years-long reign o…
CR011 - Don Rich & Buck Owens, Part 2: Together Again [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:02:47
Words often fail to express the connection that can exist between two people. In the friendship of Don Rich and Buck Owens, our notions of reality itself may prove inadequate. With spacetime as our stage, we trip backwar…
CR010 - Buck Owens & Don Rich, Part 1: Open Up Your Heart [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:31:36
Whatever else is true about Buck Owens (and some of it certainly is), he brought hard country music to the world in a time when we desperately needed someone to do that. Sticking to that honky tonk sound from Bakersfield…
CR009 - Harper Valley PTA, Part 3: Tom T. Hall [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:33:25
Behind any story worth telling, you'll always find another story. Maybe if we can get behind some of Tom T. Hall's best stories, we'll find the story about who he is and how he's able to do what he can do with the Englis…
CR008 - Harper Valley PTA, Part 2: Jeannie C. Riley [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:15:14
Jeannie C. Riley's debut single sold over a million copies within ten days of being released but she never wanted to record the song. In the late '60s, Jeannie C. Riley became country music's most blatant sex symbol to d…
CR007 - Harper Valley PTA, Part 1: Shelby S. Singleton [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:28
You think all it takes to make a hit record is to find a good song and get a good performance of it? That's cute. Have a seat and let an old-school record man show you how it's done. This is Shelby Singleton. When it too…
CR006 - The Louvin Brothers: Running Wild [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:38:16
The way Charlie and Ira Louvin could sing together is downright otherworldly. There's even a special term we had to invent for family (it's always/only family) who can sing this way: blood harmony. This episode delves in…