Dayton Daily News

‘Sixteen Tons: The Merle Travis Story’ highlights musician’s incredible life

Deke Dickerson kept wondering why nobody had written a comprehensive biography of Merle Travis. Dickerson is a gifted musician, guitar expert, and music historian. Merle Travis was an influential ...
American Songwriter

Born on This Day in 1917, the Country Singer Who Pioneered a Brand-New Guitar Style and Sang About the Exploitation of Coal Miners

Popularized in 1955 by country singer Tennessee Ernie Ford, “Sixteen Tons” offers a glimpse into the stark realities of a coal miner working in the mines of Rosewood, Kentucky. Ford’s version reached ...
American Songwriter

On This Day in 1983, Country Music Said Goodbye to a Massively Influential Guitarist Who Wrote Some of the Genre’s Most Enduring Hit Songs

On this day (October 20) in 1983, Merle Travis died of a heart attack at his home in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. He was 65 years old. Before he died, Travis built a lasting legacy in the country music world.
Jambands

Billy Strings Kicks Off Savannah Series with Banjo Duel and Second-Time Covers of Merle Travis and John Hiatt

Last night, April 11, Billy Strings touched down in Savannah, Ga. for the third stop on his eagerly anticipated 2025 Spring Tour. Wrapping up a week on the road that brought four exceptional ...