In 1967 Sheb Wooley released a great single, where the A-side – “Love In” – hilariously mocked the “free love” sentiment then in vogue, while the B-side proudly proclaimed the simple music of the “folk” to be the kind that touches his soul the deepest:
Wildwood Flower on the Autoharp – Sheb Wooley
[Pssst: Click the triangle to play “Wildwood Flower on the Autoharp” by Sheb Wooley.]
That’s right, another salvo in the age-old battle between the fine arts and the popular arts
And the victor of this particular musical fight? Naturally, popular music – where all the best brawlers are.
The Mother of All Autoharp Players
Mother Maybelle sure had a distinctive way of picking out the melody lines on her autoharp, as this clip from The Johnny Cash Show can attest: