“Emancipate yourselves from mental slaveryNone but ourselves can free our mindsHave no fear for atomic energy‘Cause none of them can stop the timeHow long shall they kill our prophetsWhile we stand aside and look? OohSome say it’s just a part of itWe’ve got to fulfill the Book” More of a solo acoustic folk song than a traditional reggae song, Bob […]
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Many of my fondest memories in life are connected to attending concerts. A couple of the shows that have had the most significant impact are those I just accidentally stumbled upon. One such defining moment was when I saw Johnny Cash perform live on August 30th, 1994 at the CNE Bandstand. I was at the Canadian National Exhibition with a couple of […]
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In 1955, Johnny Cash released the single “Folsom Prison Blues,” a tune that resonated with inmates, many of whom wrote him letters requesting that he perform at their prison. The first time that Cash performed at a prison was at Huntsville State Prison in Texas in 1957. Afterward, he continued to perform several prison concerts. Cash long intended to record one of […]
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Crass, from the artist’s Bandcamp The final results are in and we now have the list of inductees for the 2023 Protest Music Hall of Fame. Admittedly Hall of Fame is a misnomer. Instead of awarding accolades, it is an online archival project focusing on building increased awareness for socially conscious music. Eventually, I plan on doing writeups for all inductees, […]
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I recently started a podcast based on a novel I wrote. The podcast episodes feature music discussed in the chapters. This episode also features a top list of protest songs. Here is the synopsis of the novel: “Endless Nameless is lying on a hospital deathbed and his wife is expecting. He will most likely die before she gives birth. He […]
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I recently started a weekly podcast based on a novel that I wrote. The novel is music-centric, and the podcast features the tunes discussed in the chapter. The podcast and novel aren’t directly related to protest music, but they will delve into social issues. A couple of chapters/episodes will specifically deal with socially conscious issues. Here is a synopsis: Endless […]
Learn more →80 Years of Protest Songs Part 1: 1939-1958 80 Years of Protest Songs Part 3: 1979-1998 80 Years of Protest Songs Part 4: 1999-2018 The 1960s ushered in what is often considered the golden age of protest tunes. Civil rights and the Vietnam War were hot button topics. Many of these issues spilled over into the 70s. Along with folk […]
Learn more →When Johnny Cash sadly passed away on September 12, 2003, he left a vault load of unpublished poems, lyrics, letters and other writings. Many of these were published in book form in 2016 as Forever Words: The Unknown Poems. Now sixteen of these writings have been put into music for the first time as the recently released album, Johnny Cash: […]
Learn more →On January 13th, 1968, Johnny Cash played a concert at Folsom Prison, a maximum-security penitentiary in California. This performance was recorded and released as the album At Folsom Prison in May 1968. The album was considered a true landmark and was also responsible for resurrecting Johnny Cash’s career. After that historical performance, Cash continued to perform a number of prison […]
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