Author: Preston Jones

Country star Charley Pride’s former Dallas studio finds new life

Not quite 40 years ago — July 3, 1982, to be exact — the headline was splashed across page 34 of Billboard magazine: “Charley Pride Opens New 24-Track Studio in Dallas.” Known then as CECCA Sound Studio, the facility, located on Royal Lane, was initially operated by Pride’s son Kraig, who told Billboard “the presence… Read more »

Considering the culture behind Juneteenth

Juneteenth — the day commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans in Galveston — is as much about pain and anger as it is reflection and celebration. The day, June 19, is a holiday noted by many Black Americans since its inception in 1865, two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth was codified… Read more »

Fifteen years after “The Fragile Army,” the Polyphonic Spree continues evolving

The Polyphonic Spree, clad in black military fatigues, faces the camera

With the release of The Fragile Army, much was made, 15 years ago, of the Polyphonic Spree’s wardrobe change from white choir robes to black military fatigues. What was lost in the sartorial novelty is, perhaps, a bit clearer in hindsight: However Tim DeLaughter and his creative collaborators choose to attire themselves or present their… Read more »