So I have been subscribing to a listserve called "Postcard2" for about a million years... and awhile back there was some discussion about the term Red Dirt Music. Little did I know I was tangling...tangoing (?)...with a well-regarded music journalist. But lively discussion is always a good thing in my book as is learning something new. So I'll share the discussion as far as it went and by all means if you have got somethin' to add, please do so.

Post by WRMJ (Well-Regarded Music Journalist):
"Red Dirt Music is also known as Texas Music, as in Pat Green, Randy Rogers, Cory Morrow and Cross Canadian Ragweed. I'll have to wipe off my keyboard after typing those names. blech."

My Response:
"Actually, "Red Dirt" music is a term which was originally adopted to describe music from Oklahoma not Baja Oklahoma (aka Tejas ;-)....sorry [WRMJ] ;-)

I have also heard the term used in connection with parts South....as in the SE....as in Emmy Lou's song Red Dirt Girl....but that came after. And Stillwater Oklahoma likes to claim the title 'Home of Red Dirt Music' which it most definitely is....but that came about after this story took place also.

Here's the story: In the early 70's there was a band in Norman Oklahoma called 'Red Dirt'. They were swampy...downhome..loose & tight at once and funky....they laid it down. Red Dirt had a sound not too far from The Band....the members (Bob Townley, Steve Bellis, David Wilcomb, Jim Bateman) having grown up on Ronnie Hawkin's and the Hawks back when The Hawks were still a fraternity circuit band playing college towns in Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma. Levon Helm's book "This Wheel's on Fire" talks about this era and reading Levon's book was the first time I made the connection between the sounds I was hearing as a young sprout and The Band. Levon also talks about one of the true original "Red Dirt" writers, Roger Tillison. Amazingly I just googled him and now there is a website http://www.rogertillison.com/.

Anyway, following Roger came a whole bunch of Red Dirt writers (Phil Sampson/Kevin Welch/Pat Long/Jimmy LaFave/Bob Childers and eventually a whole slew of folks from Stillwater OK including Garth Brooks before he got famous) and bands (Red Dirt/Medicine Park/Blue Rose Café etc). No need to wipe off the keyboard now ;-)....

Nancy K
Nancy K. Dillon

PS: Another link is http://www.reddirtmusic.com/. Interesting how a good term gets recycled and begins to morph and change....kinda like 'Americana' ;-)"

PostScript:
I noticed another post to the P2 list that came in exactly the same time as mine. It was from Terrye Claire Newkirk. She said, "Well, it's also Oklahoma music, where the actual red dirt is. ;-) In fact, I believe the term originated here." She lives in Muskogee so she oughta know. She also has an amazing genius musician son, Jubal Lee Young, and is quite the songwriter and musician her ownself. In a completely bizarre incidence of random synchronicity, TC actually KNEW Roger Tillison...so we had a bit of a back and forth over the e-mail and are making plans to go out for a chicken-fried steak next time I'm in Tulsa.