Don Howard's Country Music Classic Country Music Memories

I’ve always loved country music because it’s one of the easiest forms of music to understand. It tells honest stories about everyday life, with no hidden meanings or complicated messages—just real people, real experiences, and heartfelt emotion.

I can still remember many Saturday nights gathered around our black-and-white television, watching The Porter Wagoner Show, followed by The Buck Owens Show. In our house, half of my siblings were "pickin'" along with Roy Clark, Buck Owens, and Grandpa Jones, while the other half were "grinnin'" right beside them. I was definitely one of the grinners.

That was country music at its finest—simple, genuine, and full of joy. In our living room, it knew no racial boundaries. We didn't see differences; we simply shared the music, the laughter, and the memories. Every note brought us together, and we enjoyed every pickin' minute of it.