Picture it:
Two sisters. Teenagers. Maybe a little wild (okay, I'm totally making that part up). Daughters of a musician, growing up in the deep south. All their lives they hear great music: George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Cash, Willie, Emmylou. They start singing early. Naturally talented as well as beautiful. Then, when one is 14 and one is 18, their father kills their mother and then himself.
(Pause to think how incredibly life shattering that is, how it could keep you from loving anything ever again...)
Fast forward to adulthood and they are both critically acclaimed and well-respected musicians with some commercial succes. One of them gets an Oscar nomination for a song featured in The Horse Whisperer, and goes on to marry THE godfather of alt country. (No, not Neil Young, I don't count him and anyway isn't he the godfather of grunge?)
I'm talking about Allison Moorer, and her sister, Shelby Lynne.
That kind of story just fascinates me. What demons did these sisters have to overcome to get where they got? Were they fiercely competitive with each other, or supportive? As they've taken turns rising to success, does one ever feel she's in the shadow of the other? So many what-ifs.
Anyway, let's get to the music. Here are Allison Moorer (Mrs. Steve Earle) with "I Ain't Giving Up On You" and her older sis, Shelby Lynne, singing "I Won't Die Alone" I think they are both amazing. Enjoy!
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3 comments:
Sara,
Excellent tunes...thank you. I just added them both to my iPod.
I had no idea this was their back story, though I love Allison and Shelby! WOW. Thanks for the knowledge, Sara!
Had no idea about their past. Thanks for telling us!
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