Interview with Jack "Cowboy" Clement, June 29, 2005

Partial Transcript: Um, hello I'm Craig Havinghurst.

Segment Synopsis: Jack Clement gives a brief overview of some of the highlights of his career, including forming a band with Buzz Busby and the Stonemans, his music career during his time in the military, and his work with the Stoneman Family.

Keywords: 1950s; 1952; Auditions; Banjo players; Banjos; Busby, Buzz (Artist); Buzz Busby (Artist); Careers; Clubs; Concerts; Earl Scruggs (Artist); Fifties; Gigs; Grand Ole Opry (Radio program); Guitar players; Guitars; Jack Stoneman (Artist); Jimmy Stoneman (Artist); Louisiana Hayride (Radio program); Mandolin players; Mandolins; Marine Corps; Money; Musical styles; Scotty Stoneman (Artist); Scruggs, Earl (Artist); Shows; Stoneman Family (Artist); Stoneman, Jack (Artist); Stoneman, Jimmy (Artist); Stoneman, Scotty (Artist); Venues; Washington, D.C.

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Old-time music.; Radio programs.; Radio stations.; Washington (D.C.)

Partial Transcript: I want to ask some more detailed questions about the D.C., but before we do I want to talk a little bit about Memphis.

Segment Synopsis: Clement talks about growing up near Memphis, Tennessee. He talks about some of the artists he listened to on records and on the radio. He talks about his father's musical talents. He mentions the connections between bluegrass, gospel, and rockabilly.

Keywords: Acuff, Roy (Artist); Banjo players; Banjos; Bass; Bill Monroe (Artist); Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys (Artist); Choirs; Chorus; Churches; Delmore Brothers (Artist); Dobro players; Dobros; Elvis Presley (Artist); Fathers; Gospel music; Grand Ole Opry (Radio programs); Guitar players; Guitars; Hawaiian; High schools; Influences; Isolated; Lessons; Louvin Brothers (Artist); Mandolin players; Mandolins; Memphis (Tenn.); Merle Travis (Artist); Monroe, Bill (Artist); Music lessons; Old time music; Parents; Plumbing; Presley, Elvis (Artist); Reception; Recording; Rock 'n' roll; Rockabilly music; Roy Acuff (Artist); Talent; Teaching; Travis, Merle (Artist); Trombones; Wires

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Childhood; Country music.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Old-time music.; Radio programs.; Radio stations.

Partial Transcript: When you--did you take your guitar when you went in the--to the Marine Corps?

Segment Synopsis: Clement talks about playing mandolin while in the Marine Corps. He talks about meeting Buzz Busby and forming a band with Busby, Scotty Stoneman, and Jimmy Stoneman. He talks about each of their musical abilities and talents.

Keywords: Banjo players; Banjos; Bass players; Bass slapping; Bassists; Beaumont (Tex.); Beaumont, Texas; Benny Martin (Artist); Booking; Boot camps; Busby, Buzz (Artist); Buzz Busby (Artist); Drill instructors; Ernest V. "Pop" Stoneman (Artist); Fiddle players; Fiddlers; Fiddles; Hillbilly music; Jimmy Stoneman (Artist); Mandolin players; Mandolins; Martin, Benny (Artist); Personality; Professional musicians; Scotty Stoneman (Artist); Showman; Stoneman Family (Artist); Stoneman, Ernest V. “Pop” (Artist); Stoneman, Jimmy (Artist); Stoneman, Scotty (Artist); Talent; Variety; Washington, D.C.

Subjects: Bands (Music); Basic training (Military education); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Military bases.; Military life.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Old-time music.; United States. Marine Corps; United States. Marine Corps--Military life; Washington (D.C.)

Partial Transcript: Yeah, and I was gonna then ask whether this was--what was going on in D.C. and the Stonemans' activity, did it--was it all part and parcel of the folk revival?

Segment Synopsis: Clement talks about the popularity of bluegrass and hillbilly music in the Washington, D.C. area during the 1950s.

Keywords: Banjo players; Banjos; Bars; Billy Grammer (Artist); Clark, Roy (Artist); Clubs; Dean, Jimmy (Artist); Famous; Fifties; Folk revival; Grammer, Billy (Artist); Hillbilly music; Hillbilly parks; Hits; Jimmy Dean (Artist); Popularity; Roy Clark (Artist); Southerners; Talent; Television show; Undefined; Venues; Washington, D.C.

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Old-time music.; Washington (D.C.)

Partial Transcript: Your songwriting--you described writing your first song in the guardhouse.

Segment Synopsis: Clement tells the story of how he began writing songs during his time in the Marine Corps.

Keywords: "Texas" Jim Robertson (Artist); Ernest V. "Pop" Stoneman (Artist); Guardhouses; Horton, Roy (Artist); Lyrics; Peermusic; Publishing; Recording; Recording studios; Robertson, "Texas" Jim (Artist); Roy Horton (Artist); Songs; Songwriting; Stoneman, Ernest V. “Pop” (Artist); Washington, D.C.

Subjects: Bands (Music); Basic training (Military education); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Military bases.; Military life.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Old-time music.; United States. Marine Corps; United States. Marine Corps--Military life; Washington (D.C.)

Partial Transcript: So when you got back to Memphis, did your musical--did, did--the music scene would have been pretty different.

Segment Synopsis: Clement talks about the music scene in Memphis when he returned after his time in the Marine Corps. He talks about attending college at Memphis State and about some of his jobs, including dance instructor.

Keywords: Bars; Clubs; Colleges; DJs; Dance instructors; Deejays; Disc jockeys; Elvis Presley (Artist); Hits; Jobs; Memphis (Tenn.); Memphis State University; Music scene; Nightclubs; Popularity; Presley, Elvis (Artist); Ronald "Slim" Wallace (Artist); Steel guitars; University of Memphis; Venues; Wallace, Ronald "Slim" (Artist)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Old-time music.

Partial Transcript: And, uh--so anyway, we saw that, uh--I noticed that there was a record label in town.

Segment Synopsis: Clement talks about forming Fernwood Records in Slim Wallace's garage. He talks about how this led to a job offer from Sam Phillips.

Keywords: 1956; Billy Lee Riley (Artist); Fernwood Records; Garages; Masters; Phillips, Sam; Record labels; Recording; Recording equipment; Recording studios; Riley, Billy Lee (Artist); Rock 'n' roll; Rockabilly music; Ronald "Slim" Wallace (Artist); Sam Phillips; Sun Records; Wallace, Ronald "Slim" (Artist)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Old-time music.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing

Partial Transcript: Uh, one of the things that made, uh--that makes bluegrass bluegrass is--for some people is the lack of a drum.

Segment Synopsis: Clement talks about his opinions on drums in bluegrass and rockabilly music. He talks about one of his favorite percussionists, Kenny Malone.

Keywords: Beats; Drummers; Drums; Elvis Presley (Artist); Kenny Malone (Artist); Malone, Kenny (Artist); Percussionists; Presley, Elvis (Artist); Rockabilly music; Tempo

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Old-time music.

Partial Transcript: Uh, Joe should we talk about--more about Sun?

Segment Synopsis: Clement talks about recording for Sun Records, which led to a job offer from RCA. He did not take the offer and instead moved to Beaumont, Texas and created Gulf Coast Recording Studio. Afterwards, he returned to Nashville and worked briefly for RCA. He talks about his songwriting at this time.

Keywords: 1965; Albums; Atkins, Chet (Artist); Banjo players; Banjos; Beaumont (Tex.); Beaumont, Texas; Bill Hall (Artist); Chet Atkins (Artist); Fiddle players; Fiddlers; Fiddles; Gulf Coast Recording Studio; Hall, Bill (Artist); Job offers; Lipscomb, Royden "Dickey Lee" (Artist); Nashville (Tenn.); Nashville sound; New York; Patches (Song); Phillips, Sam; Producing; Publishing; RCA Records; Recording; Recording studios; Records; Royden "Dickey Lee" Lipscomb (Artist); Sam Phillips; Songwriting; Sun Records

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Old-time music.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing

Partial Transcript: Um, you said the Stonemans came to Beaumont.

Segment Synopsis: Clement talks about the Stonemans working in California and his own interest in moving there for a time.

Keywords: Ash Grove (Music club); Bars; Beaumont (Tex.); Beaumont, Texas; California; Clubs; Folk festivals; Nightclubs; Recording studios; Stoneman Family (Artist); Troubadour (Music club); University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Old-time music.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing

Partial Transcript: You're describing the era when bluegrass makes its comeback by virtue of pa--of people like UCLA college students.

Segment Synopsis: Clement talks about the resurgence in popularity for bluegrass and folk music in the 1960s, and his own interest in creating a huge folk show. He talks about meeting Earl Scruggs. He talks about a club in Nashville called the Black Poodle, where many bluegrass musicians would hang out.

Keywords: 12-string guitar; 1963; Accordions; Atkins, Chet (Artist); Bars; Beaumont (Tex.); Beaumont, Texas; Bill Monroe (Artist); Black Poodle (Music club); Charley Pride (Artist); Chet Atkins (Artist); Clubs; Comebacks; Concerts; Earl Scruggs (Artist); Equipment; Folk music; Folk revival; Gigs; Jimmy Martin (Artist); Louise Scruggs (Artist); Martin, Jimmy (Artist); Monroe, Bill (Artist); Music industry; Nashville (Tenn.); Opinions; Osborne Brothers (Artist); Personality; Popularity; Power structures; Pride, Charley (Artist); Printer's Alley; Scruggs, Earl (Artist); Scruggs, Louise (Artist); Shows; Sixties; Stereo sound; Stoneman Family (Artist); The Beverly Hillbillies (Television program)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Old-time music.

Partial Transcript: Uh, you--amid all your prod, production of people like Charley Pride and Johnny Cash, you also worked with, uh, John Hartford, and Doc and Merle Watson, Lester Flatt.

Segment Synopsis: Clement talks about meeting John Hartford and how he came to produce Hartford's album, "Gum Tree Canoe." He talks about some of the other musicians he and Hartford played with, including the Nashville Symphony.

Keywords: Albums; Buck White (Artist); Cash, Johnny (Artist); Composing; Concerts; Fiddle players; Fiddlers; Fiddles; Gigs; Gum Tree Canoe (Album); Hartford, John (Artist); John Hartford (Artist); Johnny Cash (Artist); Mark O'Connor (Artist); Musical styles; Nashville Symphony; O’Connor, Mark (Artist); Producing; Production; RCA Records; Shows; Songwriting; Touring; Tours; White, Buck (Artist)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Old-time music.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing

Partial Transcript: Uh, and of course you knew Norman Blake probably by virtue of working with Johnny Cash.

Segment Synopsis: Clement mentions several musicians and describes his relationships with them. He talks about Norman Blake, Buzz Busby, Roy Huskey, and Joe Allen.

Keywords: Acoustic bass; Allen, Joe (Artist); Blake, Norman (Artist); Busby, Buzz (Artist); Buzz Busby (Artist); Electric bass; Huskey, Roy “Junior” (Artist); Huskey, Roy “Roy Jr.” (Artist); Joe Allen (Artist); Memphis (Tenn.); Norman Blake (Artist); Progressive; Records; Rock 'n' roll; Roy "Junior" Huskey (Artist); Roy "Roy Jr." Huskey (Artist); Snobs; Sound; Talent; Traditional music

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Old-time music.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing

Partial Transcript: You're talking about how Bill Monroe was admiring Charley Pride.

Segment Synopsis: Clement talks about meeting and recording Charley Pride. He talks about how long it took to release the album, and how Pride's career was affected by his race.

Keywords: Atkins, Chet (Artist); Charley Pride (Artist); Chet Atkins (Artist); Commercial country music; Concerts; Gigs; Hall, Tom T. (Artist); Hangouts; Masters; Nashville (Tenn.); Osborne Brothers (Artist); Pride, Charley (Artist); RCA Records; Record labels; Recording sessions; Shows; Snakes Crawl At Night (Song); Songwriting; Tom T. Hall (Artist)

Subjects: African Americans--Social conditions.; Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Old-time music.; Race discrimination.; Racism; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing; United States--Race relations.

Partial Transcript: Uh, let's talk about Doc and Merle a bit.

Segment Synopsis: Clement talks about producing an album with Doc and Merle Watson.

Keywords: Albums; Arthel "Doc" Watson (Artist); Boundaries; Electric guitars; Folk music; Folk revival; Grammy Awards; Hartford, John (Artist); John Hartford (Artist); Merle Watson (Artist); Personality; Producing; Production; Recording; Sons; Watson, Arthel “Doc” (Artist); Watson, Merle (Artist)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Old-time music.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing

Partial Transcript: Uh, tell me about Jim Rooney.

Segment Synopsis: Clement talks about his work with Jim Rooney, who worked for him as an engineer for a time. He talks about Rooney's contributions to the music industry.

Keywords: Alan Reynolds (Artist); Audio engineering; Boston (Mass.); Contributions; Hayloft Jamboree (Radio program); Jim Rooney (Artist); Nashville (Tenn.); Producing; Production; Radio studios; Reynolds, Alan (Artist); Rooney, Jim (Artist); Townes Van Zandt (Artist); Van Zandt, Townes (Artist)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Old-time music.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing

Partial Transcript: And he played in my band.

Segment Synopsis: Clement talks about forming a band that included several horns, called Cowboy's Ragtime Band. He talks about their brief popularity and why they broke up.

Keywords: 1970s; 1976; 1980s; Albums; Armistead, Lester (Artist); Band members; Concerts; Cowboy's Ragtime Band (Artist); Crowds; Eighties; Festivals; George Jones' Possum Holler; Gigs; Hartford, John (Artist); Horns; Jim Rooney (Artist); John Hartford (Artist); Lester Armistead (Artist); Live recording; Picking parties; Rock 'n' roll; Rooney, Jim (Artist); Saxophones; Seventies; Shows; Snowing; Trombones; Trumpets

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Old-time music.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing

Partial Transcript: Um, Lester Flatt and Mac Wiseman.

Segment Synopsis: Clement talks about recording Mac Wiseman after hearing and singing his music during his time in the Marine Corps. He talks about co-producing a record of Mac Wiseman and Lester Flatt.

Keywords: Attitudes; Bill Monroe (Artist); Cash, Johnny (Artist); Co-producing; Experimental; Flatt, Lester (Artist); John Prine (Artist); Johnny Cash (Artist); Johnny's Cash and Charley's Pride (Song); Lester Flatt (Artist); MGM Records; Mac Wiseman (Artist); Marine Corps; Monroe, Bill (Artist); Personality; Prine, John (Artist); Producing; Production; RCA Records; Radio shows; Radio stations; Songs; Unorthodox; Wiseman, Mac (Artist)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Old-time music.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing

Partial Transcript: What about Johnny Cash?

Segment Synopsis: Clement talks about the influence of the Carter Family. He talks about some of Johnny Cash's influences, including gospel and the Carlisle Brothers.

Keywords: Arkansas; Carlisle Brothers (Artist); Carter Family (Artist); Cash, Johnny (Artist); Gospel music; Influences; Johnny Cash (Artist); Memphis (Tenn.); Paper in guitar; Rhythm; Sound; Trios

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Old-time music.

Partial Transcript: Uh, w--talk about Lester Flatt a bit.

Segment Synopsis: Clement talks about Lester Flatt and more about his album with Mac Wiseman.

Keywords: Duets; Flatt, Lester (Artist); Lester Flatt (Artist); Mac Wiseman (Artist); Producing; Production; Recording sessions; Singers; Singing; Songs; Vocalists; Wiseman, Mac (Artist)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Old-time music.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing

Partial Transcript: Um, now I wanted to have time to look up, uh, a number of your songs to see how often or who had cut them that might be interpreted as bluegrass artists or bluegrass versions of your songs.

Segment Synopsis: Clement talks about his feelings on the current popularity of bluegrass after the success of "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"

Keywords: Boundaries; Limited; Musical styles; O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Album); O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Motion picture); Popularity; Qualities; Resurgence; Revival; Songs; Songwriting; Sound; The Travelin' McCourys (Artist)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Old-time music.

Partial Transcript: Uh, and the last artist I want to talk about is somebody you've hooked up with recently in a lot of ways and that's Shawn Camp.

Segment Synopsis: Clement talks about the continuation of Cowboy's Ragtime Band at the time of the interview, including his band members.

Keywords: Band members; Billy Burnette (Artist); Burnette, Billy (Artist); Camp, Shawn (Artist); Cowboy's Ragtime Band (Artist); Jones, Louis Marshall "Grandpa Jones" (Artist); Louis Marshall "Grandpa Jones" Jones (Artist); Musical styles; Shawn Camp (Artist); Songwriting; Talent

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Old-time music.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing

Partial Transcript: Are there any bluegrass artists who you have especially loved and cherished as musicians whether you knew them or, or, or worked with them or not?

Segment Synopsis: Clement discusses the similarities between bluegrass and polka. He talks about accordion music and accordion player Joey Miskulin. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Accordions; Arnold, Eddie (Artist); Banjo players; Banjos; Cash, Johnny (Artist); Common thread; Commonalities; Dixieland music; Eddie Arnold (Artist); Fiddle players; Fiddlers; Fiddles; Hoedowns; Jim and Jesse and the Virginia Boys (Artist); Joey Miskulin (Artist); Johnny Cash (Artist); Miskulin, Joey (Artist); Osborne Brothers (Artist); Polka music; Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys, the (Artist); The Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys (Artist)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Country music.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Old-time music.