It probably does not surprise you that in the 1970’s there existed a somewhat disreputable honky-tonk called the Hillbilly Ranch where live music was heard most nights of the week. And it’s probably no surprise that country music legend Tex Ritter played there or that among the regulars was a pompadoured fella named Hillbilly Tex.
What might surprise you is that the Hillbilly Ranch was located right here in Boston, Mass.
It’s just one of the places captured in Boston photographer Henry Horenstein’s newly expanded book "Honky Tonk" — a collection of photographs from a pivotal era in country music and bygone era in America.
And if you're one of those people who's into "every kind of music but country," it might be time to check that notion. The way Horenstein sees it, it's impossible to tell the story of American music without country music and it's hard to tell the real story of country music without including cities like Boston, Webster, Mass., and Reeds Ferry, N.H.
If you're still not convinced, just remember it was country music songwriter Harlan Howard — not Woody Guthrie or Joe Strummer or Bono — who said that to make a great song all you need is "three chords and the truth."
Guest:
Henry Horenstein, photographer and author of "Honky Tonk: Portraits of Country Music"
Some country music favorites, hand-selected by Henry Horenstein:
