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Ozark Mountain Daredevils bring farewell tour to Bristol with 50 years of songs
BRISTOL, Tenn. — Roads end. Sometimes they stretch from one end of the country to the other for thousands of twisting turning and undulating miles but eventually they come to an end. So it will be for The Ozark Mountain Daredevils. Astride their When it Shines Farewell Tour, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils’ road stops at Paramount Bristol in Bristol, Tennessee, on Saturday, Aug. 17. Sure, it may well be just another concert among thousands for the band, but perhaps for that fan who has never seen them, it could be a concert that jangles with memories for years thereafter. “We’re in our 70s,” said Michael Supe Granda, co-founding member and bass guitarist of The Ozark Mountain Daredevils. “When we come to Bristol, of course we will play the hits.” Based in Springfield, Missouri, they began in 1971 as Family Tree. They were John Dillon, Michael Supe Granda, Larry Lee, Steve Cash, Buddy Brayfield and Randle Chowning. Changes in name later, they became Cosmic Corncob & His Amazing Ozark Mountain Daredevils. “That was a long-ass name we came up with,” Granda said. Long name or not, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils are now on their farewell tour. Their longtime band and road manager Dwight Glenn said that the tour will wind up next year. “The band will tour through November 2025,” said Glenn by phone from the band’s base in Springfield, Missouri. “They plan to finish where they started.” Ozark Mountain Daredevils fans recall they performed at the Paramount in Bristol last summer. Plentiful hits intact, they delved deep into their 50-year catalog. “One of the great things about this band,” Glenn said, “it’s not just about ‘Jackie Blue’ or ‘If You Wanna Get to Heaven.’” On A&M Records, “If You Wanna Get to Heaven” hit pop and rock’s top 30 in 1974. “Jackie Blue,” a decidedly more pop-inflected song, peaked at number three on Billboard’s Top 40 pop singles chart in Spring 1975. Huge hits, no doubt. But hardcore fans dig much deeper. “Everyone has a favorite song that might be a deep cut,” Glenn said. “There’s not one element of music they don’t do.” Roots run much deeper for The Ozark Mountain Daredevils than many folks may imagine. Clipped in name to The Ozark Mountain Daredevils when they signed with Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss’ A&M Records, the single “Chicken Train” served to introduce them to Americans. Alas, the single flopped like a dead chicken on the charts. Nonetheless, it became and remains a fan favorite. Most of the fellas who played on their hits are no longer in The Ozark Mountain Daredevils. “There are still two original members left,” Granda said, “John Dillon and myself.” Then as now, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils do not rate simply as a rock band. Some, particularly on the heels of the late Steve Cash’s rails-rocking harmonica parts on “If You Wanna Get to Heaven,” thought them to be a Southern rock band. Well, yeah, on that song. But they were pop on “Jackie Blue.” And acid rock on 1976’s “Noah.” “There’s also some country, some bluegrass, blues, hippie rock,” Glenn said. “They don’t fit in just one place.” So, imagine the dilemma encountered by A&M. Upon the inception of The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, they did not recall The Rolling Stones or The Beatles. Certainly not Black Sabbath. “In the beginning,” Granda said, “our record company didn’t know which section of the record store to put us in.” But here they are. The band that formed when Richard Nixon was president and there was no such thing as social media or iPhones, depend heavily on social media sites including Facebook and stare into countless numbers of iPhones during their concerts. Times have changed. But in terms of style and substance, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils remain true to the band of wild-eyed youngsters who began half a century ago. “We were in a rock ‘n’ roll band and we had our fun,” Granda said. For Granda and Dillon as well as their legions of fans, it’s been a heavenly ride with The Ozark Mountain Daredevils. Oh, and Saturday night may not be their last appearance in Bristol. “We want to come back to Bristol next year,” Glenn said. “You know, it’s a good day to be alive and getting ready to get back on the road.”
Tennessee man sentenced to 20 months in prison for using fake $100 in St. Louis
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - A man from Tennessee will serve time for using fake money in St. Louis, Missouri. Court documents state that in 2023, Barry Young, 45, traveled to St. Louis in February and March, using between one and four fake $100 bills at different stores to purchase items. He targeted stores in Arnold, Fenton, Brentwood, St. Louis County, and Crestwood. He also went to a store in Perryville, Missouri.
Company Donates Emergency Drinking Water to Local Volunteer Firefighters
KNOXVILLE – Anheuser-Busch and Eagle Distributing Company joined forces with the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) to deliver more than 4,700 cans of emergency drinking water last week to Rutledge Volunteer Fire Department in Rutledge, Tennessee, and Paint Rock Volunteer Fire Department in Helenwood, Tennessee, as part of the brewer’s larger effort to provide 1.5 million cans to volunteer fire departments across the country.
Iowa State women’s basketball commit Reese Beaty to miss TSSAA senior season with injury
York Institute girls basketball star and Iowa State commitment Reese Beaty will miss the 2024-25 TSSAA basketball season due to injury, according to a Facebook post by her mom, Bethany Beaty, on Monday. Reese, who will be a senior this year, tore her labrum, the post said. She had been playing with shoulder pain since February and her family decided to get surgery after receiving consultation from Iowa State’s medical team. The recovery time span is...
Willie Martinez details Will Brooks’ offseason allowing for more playing time
Redshirt senior defensive back Will Brooks enters his fifth season at Tennessee. The 6-foot-1, 206 pound Brooks appeared in 36 games from 2020-23 for the Vols, recording 23 tackles, one tackle for a loss, one pass deflection and one fumble recovery. Following Tennessee’s tenth practice during fall camp ahead of the 2024 season, secondary coach Willie Martinez met with media. He discussed what Brooks has done during the offseason to allow him an opportunity for more playing time. “His preparation, he’s an everyday, consistent player who is very detailed,” Martinez said. “Whether that is in meetings, off the field or whether we are taking a day off, he’s somebody that we are leaning on for leadership because he’s been here for a long time and has done it the right way. “His teammates respect him tremendously. He’s been very consistent. That’s the best thing I can say about Will. There’s no up-and-down. The players are being led the right way.” Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire
MTSU’s Center for Historic Preservation to Host Opening of Exhibit Celebrating ‘Two Families, Two Revolutions’
The Tennessee Civil War National Heritage Area, in partnership with the Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee State University, invites the public to an opening reception for an exhibit created as a lead-up to the 250th birthday of the United States in 2026. The reception for the exhibit, titled...
One year after all-time low, number of economically distressed counties in Tennessee rises
After nearly half a decade of positive results, several indicators suggest Tennessee’s economy is slowing — not into recession territory, but showing weaker performance than in the past. The number of economically distressed and at-risk counties in Tennessee increased from 35 in June 2023 to 40 this year, according to information released by the state’s […]
Local organization recruiting foster parents to meet constant need
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — There are thousands of kids in foster care here in Tennessee and not nearly enough homes for them to go to. One organization is working to recruit more potential foster parents. It's starting a series of classes this month to help make that process easier. Tennessee...
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