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From: mack
Date: October 10, 2005
Growing up in Oklahoma Dust Bowl 30's I knew many who had to move to Calif. to eat and start over. Also, many others continued to go to Calif. to work seasonal crops and return at end of the harvest season. Bakersfield was for potato pickers-uppers, Modesto and Fresno for grape and hop pickers and north in Sacremento Valley area for peaches, nuts etc. I picked peaches and knocked almonds, summers. It was natural for Bob to play there to "home" folks from Okla. and Texas who already knew him and liked his music. Owens and Haggard and Maddox Bros. and Rose just continued the ride with same and growing audiences. Another point made was about Nashville. Usually, only insiders knew the iron tightr grip Acuff had on Nashville music - -it was run like a "mob town" with Acuff the "Godfather" and after him no one ever had as strong a grip on it --closest was J. Cash.