Tennessee Rocky Top Tennessee Nashville TN Memphis Blues Art Photography Fine Arts

January 22, 2012 by
Filed under: Blues Artists 

http://www.coreybarksdale.com/media_kit/barksdale_media_kit.pdf

A video of Tennessee history. The Tennessee Theme song Rocky Top. There is so much spirit in Tennessee. Atlanta artist Corey Barksdale video about state of Tennessee. Corey Barksdale has lived in Atlanta for about 15 years and has become one of Atlanta’s premier artist. Corey Barksdale has exhibited his artwork at the Atlanta Dogwood festival, Decatur Art Festival, Virginia-Highlands Art Festival, National Black Art Festival, Atlanta Jazz Festival, Artsplosure in Raleigh North Carolina, Art Festival in Paducah, Kentucky, One of a Kind Show in Chicago, etc. Decatur, GA artist Corey Barksdale has painted for audiences in the city of Atlanta,

This video was created by Atlanta & Decatur Fine Artist Corey Barksdale. Please visit Corey’s website. http://www.coreybarksdale.com/

The song was written by a married couple, songwriters Felice and Boudleaux Bryant. They wrote “Rocky Top” in only ten minutes in 1967. The Bryants were working in Gatlinburg on a collection of slow-tempo songs for a project for Archie Campbell and Chet Atkins. Writing the fast-paced “Rocky Top” served as a temporary diversion for them. Recorded by the Osborne Brothers in 1967, the song was a top 40 hit on the country music charts in early 1968.

Although a staple of their concerts, the song did not achieve mass popularity until Lynn Anderson had a hit with it in 1970, and when the “Pride of the Southland” University of Tennessee marching band used it for one of their drills in 1972. The song was very popular and was officially adopted as a state song in 1982. In the 1970s, the song achieved such popularity among bar crowds that the Chapel Hill, North Carolina, old-time band the Red Clay Ramblers [1] national tours included a crowd-pleasing satire informally titled “Play ‘Rocky Top’ (or I’ll Punch Your Lights Out.)”[2]

The original “Rocky Top” song describes a place called Rocky Top, Tennessee, which is one of the three peaks of Thunderhead Mountain in Tennessee (located in the Smoky Mountains) in the eastern part of the state. The peak is actually located along the border between Tennessee and North Carolina.[3][4]

Despite its fast and upbeat tempo, the song’s first verse is actually a lament over a failed love affair and a vanishing way of life. The song’s second verse is an ode to two apparent revenuers and the illegal production of alcoholic beverages by moonshining, with a reference to “looking for a moonshine still.” These are all common country music themes. With its good-natured regional references to a carefree lifestyle, the singing of “Rocky Top” by Tennessee college students and alumni at sports venues such as Neyland Stadium is well established. The University of Tennessee has been granted a perpetual license to play the song as much and as often as success on the field dictates by the copyright holders, House of Bryant.

Contrary to popular belief, “Rocky Top” is not UT’s official fight song, although it is so closely identified with the university that many believe this to be the case. UT’s official fight song is a radically different tune called “Here’s To Old Tennessee”, adapted from the Yale University fight song “Down the Field”.

“Operation Rocky Top” was the FBI’s code name for a public corruption investigation into the Tennessee state government in the late 1980s which resulted in the eventual suicide of the Tennessee Secretary of State, Gentry Crowell, and the incarceration of several other individuals, most notably state House Majority Leader Tommy Burnette. The focus of the investigation was the illegal sale of bingo licenses.

The jam band Phish played “Rocky Top” regularly from 1987 to 2003. There have been additional cover versions of the song by such country music artists as Dolly Parton, Conway Twitty, and Billie Jo Spears. It can also be known as the official fight song of David Webb, a noted band director in Central Virginia at Jefferson Forest High.

Duration : 0:3:40


[youtube c3Ku97TZeOg]


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Comments

25 Comments on Tennessee Rocky Top Tennessee Nashville TN Memphis Blues Art Photography Fine Arts

  1. nas2t on Sun, 22nd Jan 2012 4:50 am

    2. Murfreesboro …
    Murfreesboro represent!
    

  2. jackiedje on Sun, 22nd Jan 2012 4:50 am

    3. I remember this …
    I remember this song at our gatherings at my nana’s private campground. :) great memories! RIP NANA! <3 xoxoxo

  3. southern12tenn on Sun, 22nd Jan 2012 4:50 am

    4. Shackle Island, TN …
    Shackle Island, TN (Sumner County, yo!) GO VOLS!!!!!! All of Tennessee is ORANGE!!! Vandy and Memphis will never be Tennessee’s pride!

  4. C8NeonWishes on Sun, 22nd Jan 2012 4:50 am

    5. Mt Juliet Tennessee …
    Mt Juliet Tennessee !!!! :3

  5. rsqer0517 on Sun, 22nd Jan 2012 4:50 am

    6. Love you Tennessee …
    Love you Tennessee YEE_HAW!

  6. Tex259 on Sun, 22nd Jan 2012 4:50 am

    7. 2:48 Peyton …
    2:48 Peyton Manning?

  7. CharmingBelles on Sun, 22nd Jan 2012 4:50 am

    8. W()()T!
    W()()T!

  8. galvinalexli on Sun, 22nd Jan 2012 4:50 am

    9. This is a really …
    This is a really good video!! My brother and I got addicted to this song. I really love. Everyone that is in my family likes this song. Do you like it?

  9. TNgirl78 on Sun, 22nd Jan 2012 4:50 am

    10. Rocky Top is the …
    Rocky Top is the greatest song on earth! If you don’t like it, we’ll kick your to the swamps in FL or to the worst state ever…AL

  10. tennsunshine1 on Sun, 22nd Jan 2012 4:50 am

    11. Just came across …
    Just came across this and it was produced by GA artist, Corey Barksdale. I happen to be in GA and missing beautiful ole Rocky Top. The history write up is great and a must read for any Vol Fan. I grew up in Knoxville and Kingsport…never knew the history behind the song. Great addition at the end – the UT Pride of the Southland Band. There is nothing greater than standing in the awesome UT Stadium listening to the band play Rocky Top and then the school song. Go Vols!!!

  11. tom19122 on Sun, 22nd Jan 2012 4:50 am

    12. @4Tracer Go To …
    @4Tracer Go To Hell!!! Obama is doing a wonderful Job! Bush Sucked ass!!

  12. DUDEfounder on Sun, 22nd Jan 2012 4:50 am

    13. @tom19122 where …
    @tom19122 where have you been mate?? he obviously hates america. i wanna move to Newcastle in the UK.

  13. chattjedi on Sun, 22nd Jan 2012 4:50 am

    14. Even though each …
    Even though each part of Tennessee is unique and special, personally I think the best part is the East section. The mountains and valleys make this section very unique and special.

  14. ChasityBanner on Sun, 22nd Jan 2012 4:50 am

    15. Are you an idiot? …
    Are you an idiot? Seriously?

  15. triplehhh478019 on Sun, 22nd Jan 2012 4:50 am

    16. i like the john …
    i like the john cena version

  16. juliangrimm on Sun, 22nd Jan 2012 4:50 am

    17. I love Tennessee!!! …
    I love Tennessee!!!
    

  17. tmkrjk on Sun, 22nd Jan 2012 4:50 am

    18. @tom19122 Obummer …
    @tom19122 Obummer sucks Harry Reid

  18. blackandgold978 on Sun, 22nd Jan 2012 4:50 am

    19. Is this Reba …
    Is this Reba singing? Sounds like her…….

  19. menace9579 on Sun, 22nd Jan 2012 4:50 am

    20. Sevierville
    Sevierville

  20. MsLogjam on Sun, 22nd Jan 2012 4:50 am

    21. Wonderful pictures. …
    Wonderful pictures. Liked the marching band too. I love the city I live in but sometimes I miss the hills and forests of the Midwest. Not quite as picturesque as the Smokies but still nice.

  21. orytina on Sun, 22nd Jan 2012 4:50 am

    22. Love this song love …
    Love this song love it. My home of Tennessee i wouldnt live any wheres else.
    I love Tennessee always been my Home and always will be.
    god bless Tennessee. Nothing no better than ROCKY TOP……….
    GOD BLESS YOU .
    WAYNE . UPPER EAST TENNESSEE………………..STARS********************

  22. MowhawKing on Sun, 22nd Jan 2012 4:50 am

    23. Madisonville, …
    Madisonville,Tennessee

  23. FirstBossWolf on Sun, 22nd Jan 2012 4:50 am

    24. Osborne Brothers.  …
    Osborne Brothers.  Classic

  24. countryrockstar99 on Sun, 22nd Jan 2012 4:50 am

    25. Down in the …
    Down in the Tennessee Hills.

  25. winddragon04 on Sun, 22nd Jan 2012 4:50 am

    26. every year when it …
    every year when it was football time my uncle calvin would be screaming “sum of a ….” when things would be going to in the game he died earlier this year and wasn’t here for this season so of course i would pick up where he left off and did it all season for the Vols. and for the IN COLTS…miss you much Uncle R.I.P.

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