It’s no surprise that someone like Will Hoge, whose music blends R&B sounds with heartland rock, would love the genre-busting “Modern Sounds in Country & Western Music”, Ray Charles’ 1962 album that saw him cover country classics by Hank Williams, The Everly Brothers and more.
Will and I discuss how he stumbled upon the album as a kid, what it meant for Charles to release it at the height of the civil rights era, the good and bad ways country and R&B have been mashed up over the years, seeing Ray Charles live in Nashville, why Usher should make a country record and how Charles influenced Will’s song “This Time Around”.
Listen in the player above or download the episode by clicking here.
Subscribe to the podcast in Apple Podcasts here or search 'My Favorite Album' wherever you listen to podcasts.
My Favorite Album is a podcast on the impact great music has on our lives. Each episode features a guest on their favorite album of all time - why they love it, their history with the album and how it's influenced them.
Jeremy Dylan is a filmmaker, journalist, concert promoter and photographer. He directed the the feature music documentary Jim Lauderdale: The King of Broken Hearts (out now!) and the film Benjamin Sniddlegrass and the Cauldron of Penguins.
If you've got any feedback or suggestions, drop us a line at myfavoritealbumpodcast@gmail.com.
LINKS
- Will Hoge on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook.
- Jeremy Dylan's website, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook page.
- Like the podcast on Facebook here.
- If you dig the show, please leave a rating or review of the show on iTunes here.