11 Comments
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Sherman's avatar

It would be one thing if the facts were murky or disputed, but they’re not and they are easily checked in this case. Lazy research, editing and quality control by people who obviously do not love this music and were just doing a job (badly). Agree with everything you said.

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Dan Epstein's avatar

Next Melanie and/or American Songwriter will be telling us that the Masked Marauders album actually DOES feature Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, George Harrison, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney!

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David Warren Penn's avatar

Ken Burns’ Country Music doc would refute the claims of this AI article, too, if memory serves correctly.

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Robert C. Gilbert's avatar

Absolutely ridiculous AI slop - inexcusable, especially as Cash's presence at the Million Dollar Quartet was most likely for publicity.

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Robert C. Gilbert's avatar

Actually contacted the author of this piece to set the record straight. Her advice: "I’d take it up with Johnny Cash." God help us!

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Tim Napalm Stegall's avatar

You've got to be kidding me! She REALLY saw the facts and said THAT?! That’s not journalism—that’s deflection in denial. Unreal.

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Robert C. Gilbert's avatar

Absolutely - she was unwavering in support of her "reporting."

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Tim Napalm Stegall's avatar

That was reporting! That was fan fiction! She is everything that is wrong with "music journalism," these days!

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Robert C. Gilbert's avatar

Agreed - click-bait crap!

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Steve Terrell's avatar

Hey, I'll have you know that Melanie Davis " is a musician, writer, and radio technician based in western Kentucky. .. And she enjoys fostering her local music scene, spending time with her husband, family, and three cats (Toaster, Luna, and Linda)..." Are you saying Toaster, Luna, and Linda are AI cats? I just got off the phone with Carl Perkins and he's very upset about your allegations https://americansongwriter.com/author/melanie-a-davis/

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Michael Elliott's avatar

I have been a Sun Records fanatic since I was crawling on the floor listening to my parents’ 45s (still have the Killer’s OP of “Breathless” on my shelf). I picked up the complete MDQ on CD years back when it came out. And I’ve read every word Guralnick has printed about it, including his tome on Sam Phillips. It’s like you reached inside my head and grabbed every emotion I feel about this insanity.

Once a pretty dependable online stop, American Songwriter has been a POS for at least a couple of years now. Just a bunch of clickbait headlines and trash journalism. It’s mostly listsicles and “facts” even the most casual music fan would know…the kind that would read People, not a site called “American Songwriter.” I believe they started with the AI crap awhile back from the looks of it.

Thanks for the heads up - I’ll make sure to keep avoiding them!

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