Rodney Crowell

Rodney Crowell is one that can be held responsible for the rise in popularity of New Traditional country music during the mid-1980s. The music drew him, much like a divining rod, to befriend Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark before joining Emmylou Harris's Hot Band in 1975 as a guitar player and songwriter. He penned such cosmic American compositions as "Ain't Livin' Like This" and "Till I Gain Control Again," among many others. Crowell left the Hot Band in 1977 to form the Cherry Bombs. Since then, he's continued to write songs for himself and a plethora of country music artists, using his King Midas touch to birth a sea of chart toppers. His ghostly melodic laments are heartfelt and passionate enough to make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Conversely, his more up-tempo, Rockabilly-inspired ditties could easily make greasy-haired kids go King Kong crazy in any of yesteryear's juke joints.