(upbeat music) (guitar music) (applause) -[Darrell] Thank you!

Thank you.

The more personal we are with our work, the more universal it becomes.

(applause) And that's another one.

That's like what?

It shouldn't work that way.

You would think the more closed and internal introspection we get, the more we've just said goodbye to any other listener.

(guitar music) A perfect example is "You'll never leave Harlan alive. "

I wrote that song 100% about my family history.

That's literally my, you know, great grandmother's name, Matilda, Tillie Helton is in the song.

(guitar music) I was surprised that people would want to record that.

Patty Loveless or Del McCoury or Brad Paisley.

(guitar music) That doesn't sound like a hit to me, (guitar music) but that's my family's story.

♪ In the deep, dark hills of eastern Kentucky.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ That's the place where I trace My bloodline.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And it's there, I read on a hillside gravestone.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ said, "You will never leave Harlan alive.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Well, my granddad's dad walked down Katahrin's ♪ ♪ mountain, and he asked Tillie ♪ ♪ Helton to be his bride ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ said, "Won't you walk with me out of the mouth ♪ ♪ of this holler, ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ or we'll never leave Harlan alive. "

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Where the sun comes up ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ about ten in the morning and the sun goes down ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ about three every day.

And you fill your cup ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ with whatever bitter brew you're drinking, and you ♪ ♪ spend your life ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ just thinking of how to get away.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ No one ever knew ♪ ♪ there was cold in the mountains.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ 'Till a man from the northeast arrived.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ He was waving them hundred dollar bills.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ He said, "I'll pay you for your minerals."

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Ah, but he never left Harlan alive.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Well, granny, she sold out cheap.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And they moved out west of Pineville.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ To a farm we're Big Richland River winds ♪ ♪ Yeah.

And I bet they danced them a jig, ♪ ♪ And they laughed and sang a new song.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ "Who said we'd never leave Harlan alive?"

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Oh, but the times they got hard ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ and tobacco wasn't selling.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And old granddad knew what he'd do to survive.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Well, he went and dug for Harlan Coal ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ and he sent the money back to granny.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Oh, but he never left Harlan alive.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Where the sun comes up.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ About ten in the morning.

♪ ♪ And the sun goes down.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ About three every day.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And you fill your cup.

♪ ♪ Go on and fill it up with whatever bitter brew ♪ ♪ you're drinking.

♪ ♪ And you spend your life digging coal from the ♪ ♪ bottom of your grave♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Your grave.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ In the deep, dark hills of eastern Kentucky.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ That's the place where I trace my bloodline.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And it's there, I read on a hillside gravestone.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Said, "You will never leave Harlan alive.

♪ ♪ ♪ -[Darrell] Yeah.

You all look good out there.

(applause) My family's from Kentucky.

I was born there myself.

A lot of Southerners would leave the farms to go work in factories.

(gentle music) My folks did that.

(gentle music) We were still a Kentucky family, but living in northern Indiana or eventually Southern California.

(gentle music) The music that was played in the home was another big part of what kept us together, because we did travel a lot.

(gentle music) Five boys and yeah, we all played.

Our oldest brother, Denny, was kind of the first one to get after it.

He was a really good, gifted guitar player way beyond his years.

(gentle music) I couldn't imagine not playing with dad or my brothers for many years.

(guitar music) ♪ The title of the song ♪ ♪ title of the song, when left ain't right.

♪ -[Darrell] My own pursuits and interests started going, and it was kind of the beginning of my voice, so to speak, wanting to write and be musical like the singer-songwriters of the 70s.

(gentle music) We were all self-taught.

(gentle music) It's all by ear, it's all by memory.

And that really started as a kid.

(guitar music) ♪ I got rice cooking in the microwave.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I got a three day beard.

♪ ♪ I don't plan to shave, and it's a goofy thing, ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ but I just gotta say, ♪ ♪ hey, man, I'm doing all right.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Yeah, I think I'll make me some homemade soup.

♪ ♪ I'm feeling pretty good ♪ ♪ and that's the gospel truth.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ It's neither drink nor drug induced.

♪ ♪ No, I'm just doing all right.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And it's a great day to be alive.

♪ ♪ I know the sun still ♪ ♪ shining when I close my eyes.

♪ ♪ It's hard times in the neighborhood.

♪ ♪ But why can't every day be just this good?

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ It's been 15 years since I left home and said good ♪ ♪ luck to every seed I'd sown.

♪ ♪ I gave it my best, ♪ ♪ then I left it alone.

♪ ♪ I hope they're doing all right.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Now.

Redbird, redbird ♪ ♪ what do you see?

♪ ♪ He says, "I see a lone wolf looking at me.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Head in the clouds, but harmless as a tree.

♪ ♪ Good God, I guess he's doing all right."

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And it's a great day to be alive.

♪ ♪ I know the sun still ♪ ♪ shining when I close my eyes.

♪ ♪ It's hard times in the neighborhood.

♪ ♪ But why can't every day be just this good.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Sometimes it's lonely.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Sometimes it's only me.

♪ ♪ And all of the shadows that fill this room.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Sometimes I'm falling ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ desperately calling.

♪ ♪ and howling at the moon.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Ah woo... ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Well, it's a colorful life that we go through.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ It's neither black or ♪ ♪ white nor just shades of blue.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Now maybe I'll grow me a Fu Manchu.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Yeah.

It's a great day to be alive.

♪ ♪ I know the sun still ♪ ♪ shining when I close my eyes.

♪ ♪ It's some hard times in the neighborhood.

♪ ♪ But why can't every day be just this good?

♪ ♪ It's a great day to be alive.

♪ ♪ I know the sun still ♪ ♪ shining when I close my eyes.

♪ ♪ It's some hard times in the neighborhood.

♪ ♪ But why can't every day be just this good?

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Uh.

♪ ♪ Oh.

♪ ♪ Doo doo doo doo doo doo.

♪ ♪ Oh... ♪ ♪ Oh... ♪ ♪ hoo hoo hoo.

♪ ♪ Ah woo... ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Uh, da da da da da da da.

♪ ♪ ♪ -[Darrell] I have more songs recorded than you've ever heard.

So one of my jobs is actually to work to get those to where you can hear them.

I've been writing songs since I was 12.

(gentle music) I'm writing my songs in isolation.

You know, I remove myself from the rest of the house so no one can hear me.

(gentle music) Being alone is very important.

(gentle music) That's one of those ironies.

(gentle music) You go from that lone room, and then you write a song in isolation that has the capacity to go out and, you know, play to thousands and thousands of times.

♪ Why can't every day be just as good.

♪ ♪ It's a great day to be alive.

♪ - And that has nothing to do with the guy in an isolated room.

♪ It's some hard times.

♪ - The song was written there, but the business that comes behind it and makes a song a hit leaves the songwriter back a few thousand miles.

(gentle music) I feel songs come from an unknown place, a mysterious place.

The best thing to do is let.

Let it come bubbling up.

(gentle music) So it's not really melody first, lyric first.

It's inspiration first, and then inspiration will take you wherever it's supposed to go.

(gentle music) ♪ Well, I walk a crooked road to get where I am going.♪ ♪ To get where I am going.

♪ ♪ I must walk a crooked road.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And only when I'm looking back I see the straight ♪ ♪ and narrow.

♪ ♪ I see the straight and narrow ♪ ♪ when I walk a crooked road.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I sing a lonesome song ♪ ♪ to anyone who'll listen.

♪ ♪ To anyone who'll listen ♪ ♪ I will sing my lonesome song.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And when I hear you singing to the sorrow ♪ ♪ sounds hopeful.

♪ ♪ The sorrow sounds hopeful.

♪ ♪ When I sing my lonesome song.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And a lonesome song will be my true companion.

♪ ♪ When all else has abandoned ♪ ♪ for singing of their own.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And a lonesome song will ♪ ♪ fill my days with gladness.

♪ ♪ Make joy out of sadness ♪ ♪ when I sing this lonesome song ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ to you.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Will I love with all my heart.

♪ ♪ There is no way of stopping.

♪ ♪ I have no way of stopping.

♪ ♪ I just love with all my heart.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Through the broken and the beautiful, ♪ ♪ The bad news and the good news.

♪ ♪ Yeah, the bad news ♪ ♪ and the good news is ♪ ♪ I love with all my heart.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And a loving heart will be my true companion.

♪ ♪ When all else has abandoned ♪ ♪ for loving of their own.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And a loving heart will ♪ ♪ fill my days with gladness.

♪ ♪ Make joy out of sadness ♪ ♪ when I show this loving heart ♪ ♪ to you.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Well, I long to be a happy man, ♪ ♪ in this life that I am given.

♪ ♪ In this life that I am given.

♪ ♪ I long to be a happy man.

♪ ♪ And when the noise turns to stillness, I see ♪ ♪ I have the makings.

♪ ♪ I see I have the makings to be one happy man.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And a happy man will be my true companion.

♪ ♪ When all else has abandoned for happy of their own.

♪ ♪ And a happy man will fill my days with gladness.

♪ ♪ Make joy out of sadness.

♪ ♪ When I show this happy man.

♪ ♪ And a happy man will be my true companion.

♪ ♪ When all else has abandoned for happy of their own.

♪ ♪ And a happy man will fill my days with gladness.

♪ ♪ Make joy out of sadness.

♪ ♪ When I show this happy man ♪ ♪ to you.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I walk a crooked road ♪ ♪ to get where I am going.♪ ♪ To get where I am going.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I must walk a crooked road.

♪ ♪ And only when I'm looking back ♪ ♪ I see the straight and narrow.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I see the straight and narrow when I walk ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ a crooked road.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Colorado, ♪ ♪ I need healing.

♪ ♪ From this... ♪ -[Darrell] I don't have to play piano.

I just play it because it's there.

♪ Feeling... ♪ ♪ I need Chautauqua winds.

♪ ♪ ♪ - Vulnerability is a big part of (gentle music) of the whole process, the songwriting process, the performing process.

(gentle music) I'll get up there.

(gentle music) I don't have a set list.

I don't know the first song.

I don't know the last song.

(gentle music) I'm on a high wire of sorts because I really am making it up, but I'm making it up with my own songs.

And so I'm on a journey.

Let me do it even in a different key.

(guitar tuning) And out will come something that will only be most likely for this performance.

(gentle music) And we all sort of understand that and accept it.

And now we're going to have an evening that's kind of just for you.

♪ ♪ ♪ Oh, I will meet ♪ ♪ you in Nebraska.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Where the Platte runs muddy and wide.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And the cranes ♪ ♪ come for the feeding.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I'll be standing ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ by your side.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Summer winds will stir the sandhills.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Trader clouds may dim our view.

♪ ♪ Oh, we'll be watching ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ from the window.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ For the shadows to turn to blue.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Give me something ♪ ♪ to believe in.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ When this world turns dark and cold.

♪ ♪ Tell me sunlight's shining somewhere.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Dreams are born ♪ ♪ but never sold.

♪ ♪ Give me lovin' in abundance.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Give me love that never dies.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ There's no light ♪ ♪ in all creation.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Like the light in my angel's blue eyes.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And when the leaves ♪ ♪ turn in the autumn.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Gathered up ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ to make our bed.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Daylight flickering ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ 'neath the branches.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And my arm a pillow for your head.

♪ ♪ Oh, I will meet you ♪ ♪ in the morning.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ From the longest ♪ ♪ night of the year.

♪ ♪ Winter's blanket freezing and all around us.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I'll be there baby ♪ ♪ to hold you near.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Give me some ♪ ♪ thing to believe in.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ When this world, this world, this ♪ ♪ world turns dark and cold.

♪ ♪ Oh, tell me ♪ ♪ Sunlight's ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ shining somewhere.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Dreams are born ♪ ♪ but never sold.

♪ ♪ Give me love, love, love and an abundance.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Give me love that never dies.

♪ ♪ Oh, there's no light ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ in all creation.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Like the light in my angel's blue eyes ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Like the light in my angel's ♪ ♪ blue eyes.

♪ ♪ Oh... ♪ ♪ Oh... ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Oh... ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Woo... ♪ -[Hayes] Every day truly is a great day to be alive.

And today (rustling) is a great day to present Darrell Scott with his Lifetime Achievement Award.

(applause) -[Darrell] The Lifetime Achievement Award from the Americana Music Association was a big surprise.

(applause) I didn't know that that was even in the the realm of possibility.

(applause) (cheering) ♪ Well, my granddad dad ♪ ♪ walk down Katahrin's Mountain.

♪ ♪ ♪ -[Darrell] We did the show, I got my brothers to sing on it as well as The McCrary Sisters, had the house band for the awards.

♪ You've woken me.

♪ - And this is from a record that I've just done with my brothers.

The latest album is, uh, an album with my brothers.

So the Scott Brothers and a song on there, it's called "I'll Meet You in a Song. "

(gentle music) And we'd never recorded really since we were kids.

And it was like, "it's about time."

Because that same older brother had passed, and that's who we should have made the record with.

♪ Red and yellow, Black and white.

♪ ♪ We're all wrong, but we're all right.

♪ - I kind of made it like "We have to.

With what's left, we have to do this."

♪ Lonely girl.

♪ - So doing this album was kind of, uh, going home.

(gentle music) Back to our roots on gospel music.

(gentle music) And you know how brothers and siblings will fight anyway, well, get the subject of politics at the table and you've got problems.

Music can be that thing that brings the ones who can't sit together.

We can sit together in music.

♪ ♪ ♪ Well, if you're gonna ♪ ♪ hurt me, then I wish you would.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Just leave it on the table and be gone and good.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I know, I'm sorry is what you want.

♪ ♪ Oh, and it's sitting right here on the tip of ♪ ♪ my tongue.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Hey, I ain't afraid to say I'm wrong.

♪ ♪ It might take a little.

♪ ♪ It might take a long.

♪ ♪ Pour it on paper after you're gone.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And I'll meet you in a song.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Walking on eggshells, ♪ ♪ holding our breath.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Agree to disagree ♪ ♪ it's about all that's left.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Like we don't see color except red and blue.

♪ ♪ Oh, but there's a rainbow ♪ ♪ possible in my view.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Wish we weren't afraid to say I'm wrong.

♪ ♪ It might take a little.

♪ ♪ It might take long.

♪ ♪ We just might see it if we'd listen at all.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And I'll meet you in a song.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And the truth ♪ ♪ in the melody.

♪ ♪ It takes two ♪ ♪ to make harmony.

♪ ♪ And we're stronger ♪ ♪ when we sing along.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ So let's sing along.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And I'll meet you in a song.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Red and yellow, black and white.

♪ ♪ We're all wrong and we're all right.

♪ ♪ We're all right.

♪ ♪ And we're all wrong.

♪ ♪ One of these days, we're gonna get along.

♪ ♪ It might take a little and it might take a long.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And I'll meet you in a song.

♪ ♪ Shall we gather at the river?

♪ -[Announcer] Jam is funded in part by the Bill Harris and MarySue Hormel Harris Fund for the Presentation of Cultural Programming.

♪ ♪ ♪ Imagine all the people.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And put the Load, ♪ ♪ put the Load, put the Load ♪ ♪ right on me.

♪ ♪ Right on, right on me.

♪ ♪ ♪