There was a wonderful piece on 60 Minutes a couple of Sunday's back, about a singer/songwriter named Rodriguez. He made two albums decades ago that didn't hit, and then fell into obscurity. Somehow his music found traction in South Africa.
He didn't know that in South Africa, he had cult status. His music was ubiquitous, he was the voice of a generation...but Rodriguez didn't know anything about it. The legend sprang up that he had committed suicide, but, Steve Segerman who owns a record store in Cape Town, decided to go hunting for him in Dearborn, MI. Rodriguez has now toured South Africa, and the US as well. His music is now on the sales charts in the US, too. At the age of 70 he is the subject of a documentary that is being hailed as an Oscar contender, Searching For Sugar Man. The 60 Minutes segment reminds us all of the value of poets and musicians, and is especially poignant in light of so many talented folks who labor in obscurity. I don't know what it will take to turn the trend around so that music is important to more people again. If we lose the opportunity for it to be a significant part of our communication, our society will be the poorer for its loss.
We have a video from Shawn Camp to bring you today, but before we do, here is a question. Are you hip to the new band he is in, The World Famous Headliners? They are Big Al Anderson, Michael Rhodes, Pat McLaughlin and Greg Morrow....yeah buddy, it don't get no better than that! Their songwriting, sideman and solo projects are the stuff of musical who's who. The self-titled album just came out a few months ago. Worthy stuff indeed, it simply makes me crazy that more folks don't know about this music, and these artists. It is where the good stuff lives. Shawn Camp came to play forthe Music Fog cameras two years ago at Americana Fest 2010. This year at the Americana Honors & Awards, as co-producer with Tamara Saviano, they picked up Album Of The Year for the Guy Clark Tribute, This One's For Him. Today's song is not from any of the above mentioned projects, instead it is an as yet unreleased song, "Building The Fire."
-Jessie Scott