The Turnpike Troubadours, whose name derived from the bumpy Oklahoma toll-roads and their hard lived folk singing heroes, are proof that isolation can be the mother of originality. Cutting their teeth in the roadside dance halls and honk-tonks has made a serious impact on the band s musical style, which walks the line between Woody Guthrie and Waylon Jennings. Goodbye, Normal Street, the bands third album , is testament to the small towns in which they were raised. It combines folk, country, Cajun, and bluegrass with stories of longing, humor, tragedy, and general life in rural America. Breaking down traditional barriers between the audience and the stage is something in which they excel. Fast, gritty, and often drenched in beer, the Troubadours perform to both their fans and new audience members with a genuine sincerity about them. They continually gather ground both literally and figuratively as they travel up, down and across the country. Luther Dickinson
Luther made his recording debut at age 14 and was soon touring with RL Burnside. In the late 1990 s, Luther produced Otha Turners albums Senegal to Senatobia and Everybody s Hollerin Goat. He went on to record with the Replacements, Mojo Nixon, Beck, Toy Caldwell, Billy Lee Riley, Lucero, John Hiatt, John Spencer and a host of others. As a member of the North Mississippi Allstars, The Black Crowes, South Memphis String Band and The Word, Luther has made himself widely known as both a talented musician and as a producer with Grammy nominations to prove it.