On a Sunday, Sept. 8, a new historical marker honoring musician Jimmie Rodgers was dedicated in downtown Asheville. The event, part of Jimmie Rodgers Day (commemorating the singer’s birthdate), included speeches and performances from local busking groups. Dallas Taylor of WNCMusic was instrumental in getting the historical roadside marker placed. It stands on the corner of Haywood Street and Battery Park and is close to the Flat Iron Building and the Vanderbilt Hotel, two locations where Rodgers performed. Read more about Rodgers’ connection to Asheville here.
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Ain’t it funny?
1) None of the musicians who graciously lent their time and efforts to tip the hat to the king of country music (at either the unveiling ceremony on Haywood St. or at the following performance at the Asheville One Stop) were paid? For all the talk about local country music mattering…If the word ‘busk’ is used in print, I guess they don’t deserve to be paid.
2) WNCW’s Martin Anderson (one of the guest speakers) could not even bring himself to mention ‘country’ music, and instead referred to Jimmie Rodgers as the king of ‘Americana’ music
(a fictional style of music created by Austin, TX and Nashville, TN among others to sell acoustic music to Gen. Y and Millennials).
3) The same Jimmie Rodgers Memorial plaque rests
right in front of the very same ex-city office that required buskers to pay a $15 a year
busking fee back in 1998 in order to skim a bit off the very musicians that attract beaucoup tourist dollars- maybe if they had broken out some micro-brewed beer and handed our free tapas?
Nice try, Asheville.