CMHOF To Spotlight Dave Alvin In Support Of ‘Western Edge’ Exhibit

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The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will host an interview and performance with Grammy-winning artist, songwriter and producer Dave Alvin on April 23 in support of the “Western Edge: The Roots and Reverberations of Los Angeles Country-Rock” exhibit. The program will take place at 2:30 p.m. in the museum’s Ford Theater, with Senior Writer-Editor Michael McCall leading the discussion.

Alvin, who is featured in the exhibit and contributed an essay to its companion book, was a founding member and lead guitarist of L.A. roots-rock bands The Blasters and The Knitters. His songs have been recorded by The Blasters, Los Lobos, Little Milton, Kelly Willis, X, Dwight Yoakam and many others. He has also produced music for Sonny Burgess, The Derailers, Big Sandy & His Fly Rite Boys, Chris Gaffney and Tom Russell. Additionally, Alvin is the author of New Highway, a collection of poems, essays and lyrics published in 2022.

“Western Edge” and its companion book trace the Los Angeles-based communities of singers, songwriters and musicians who, between the 1960s-1980s, embraced country music as well as created and shaped “country-rock,” making a lasting impact on popular music. They survey the rise of The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, The Eagles, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt and more who found commercial success with a hybrid of rock sensibilities and country instrumentation and harmonies. The contributions of these trailblazers were expanded upon by the next generation of L.A. roots music performers — The Blasters, Los Lobos, Lone Justice, Yoakam and others — who once again looked to traditional American music for inspiration.

The program is made possible in part by the Academy of Country Music, and is included with museum admission and free to museum members. Tickets are available on the museum’s website.

Lorie Hollabaugh
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