Band of the Sky Podcast

Everybody knew he was special. He was a young, black, guitar playing virtuoso who'd done summer session in Los Angeles at GIT. He wowed them all at the Brass Tap, UNCA and Musicians Workshop. But something happened to his light after a stint on the road with a country band. Asheville's Ronnie Paul was never the same. If you hear the sound of music you're listening to: Intro-Richie Tipton and The F...

Bill claims an opportunity was lost when local groups were left out of the jams along about 1997; Remembering Ronnie Burgin, the tragic, gravel-throated blues man who was the local, southern rock gatekeeper. If you hear the sound of music you're listening to: Highly over You (intro)-RTFK Take These Flowers-RTFK The Ballad of Jimmy the French-Praying for Rain Rita-N.C. Rail Highly over You (outro)...

This stuff is madness. Update on the Old Dirty White Boy, Derkie White, who moved from the trailer in W.Va to a trailer in Va. with his girlfriend Shanea; and all they want to do is work him to death putting in hot water heaters so he throws it off the porch and destroys five phones; whose needles?; leaked audio and photos may or may not be a game changer in this drama.  If you hear the sound of m...

"The mask started changing its appearance." Rich and Bill discuss coincidence, evil and the attachment of evil to objects, places and people; Bill tells the story about the connection between a changing death mask and its spooky connection to Asheville's Babyface Killer.  If You Hear The Sound of Music You're Listening To: Intro: Sex-N.C. Rail Soundtrack: Verde Life Treasure Chest of Skin Outro: H...

Rich plays tunes from River Rock II, the 1992 Asheville music sampler sponsored by Kiss FM and Coors; and talks about hanging flyers, newspaper coverage, driving a paint delivery truck and listening to Kiss FM and WZLS. If you hear the sound of music you are listening to: Heaven-Praying for Rain Gave It All Away-Mother Soul Here I Go-The Stripp Band Ariana-Robin Farrar

The return of Bill Altman; The studio flooded so I called Bill and asked him what he thought the Capitol rioters expected to happen after they raided the Capitol onJan. 06.; Bill's message.  If you hear the sound of music, you are listening to: BOTS Theme--RTFK The Ballad of Jimmy The French--Praying for Rain Happy--Rich and Rock BOTS Theme--RTFK

A follow up to "Hillbilly Soap Opera," Jay Hill, Boone County, W.Va. native and Jesco White guitarist and handler, calls the podcast and talks his appearance with Jesco White at the Grand Ole Opry; the one where they got ripped out of the frames and Jesco had to be dragged off the Ryman stage and escorted out of Tennessee by the state police. Also, Jay talks about his personal relationship with th...

Jesco White is Derkie White's uncle. Derkie White is infamous for shaking a pill bottle in the movie, "Wild and Wonderful White's of West Virginia," calling it the Boone County mating call. Derkie White hosts a YouTube livestream from a trailer where he lives with his mama, brother, girlfriend and others and is a 34 year old narcissist. Scooter Truthers are an unaffiliated or loosely affiliated gr...

As a kid, Rich is told the wrong lyrics to Jesus Christ Superstar and told to stay away from the blasphemous play and soundtrack lest he burn in hell. In this episode Bill sets the record straight. If You Hear The Sound of Music You're Listening to: Highly Over You-Richie Tipton and The First Kings(RTFK) Let Me Down-Rich and Rock Bleeding Heart-Richie Tipton  Beautiful Satan-Richie Tipton Highly O...

Episode 25: Rich remembers and features the music of the late Rocky Lindsley (friend, bandmate, podcast partner and the rock in richandrock) while touching on love, loss, hope, grief, superstition and the art of carrying on.   Plain Clothes Sheriff-Rocky Lindsley, Richie Tipton, Jeff Anders Sails Away - Rock Lindsley Click Refresh - Rocky Lindsley with Johnny Jump Happy - Richie Tipton with Rocky...

I love you. Memories and nostalgia. Suffering the past. Art makes us naked.  Highly Over You, Richie Tipton and The First Kings (RTFK) Chicken Rawk-Anthem Williams Highly Over You, RTFK It Can't be Love, Anthem Williams Highly Over You, RTFK

Rich riffs about bassist, Danny Kelyon and Dennis Robbins' (songwriter, guitarist for The Rockets and Flat Rock) appearance on The Midnight Special with The Rockets. The Midnight Special, pre-MTV, was about the only place a young man with stars in his heart could see live music. Rich remembers Danny Keylon and the greatness of Asheville and its band of stars.  Bright as It Is Day-Rich and Rocky Li...

Dank Halloween; Pugilist in the pandemic; The consequences of peddling evil; evil as artistic lever; reactive and reenacting; High School Rich punches a window. Beast in The City-Rudy Colombo Prelude-Twisted Richards Are You Gonna Lie to Me/Rhyming Club-Anthem Williams Dig In-Twisted Mister Coda-Twisted Richards Treasure Chest of Skin-Twisted Richards Beautiful Satan-Richie Tipton

When some rockers get old they support and become the authoritarians they railed and rebelled against. Rich and Bill can't quite figure it, although they try; Also Bill highlights Van Atkins, "the Tom Dowd of gospel music," according to Bill. Atkins is the successful, chief engineer of Crossroads Music and another example of homegrown talent... self-rising and spreading far and wide in the world;...

Dank Tracks, Episode 2 explores the Dixie Deluxe (1991-1998) "Rubberized" album, produced by Eagles producer, Bill Szymczyk (Hotel California. But for geography, in my humble opinion, DD should have busted down the industry doors.  Song list in order: Edge of The Country Dirt Road Wild and Abandoned Dixie Deluxe Boat Commercial, "Rescue Me," by Jay Hill and The Dirty Coal River Band Dont Go There...

Brother Bart Cole visits the farm and talks wide and deep about Asheville night life; Danny Phillips' Mountain Rock Fest, which included a young Warren Haynes playing with local heroes Ricochet is recalled; Post holes and friends; Also, the effects of 40 years of wringing and twisting. Great episode. Featured music in order: White Man on My Trail  Beautiful Satan Your Voice in The Window Pane Whit...

Explosive Rattlesnakes singer disrespects host band's microphone stand; The Woolusion Effect: occurs when a well placed and repeated Woo polarizes an audience causing extreme giddiness or homicidal tendencies; Pushing the envelope and paradigm shifts; the Vincent's Ear divide. Jesus' voice at Beaver Lake. Featured Music: "Palin" by The Humbuckers; "War" by Richie Tipton and The First Kings and "Co...

The time Jerry Reed mistakenly ended up on someone's house boat in someone's bedroom; David Bowie asks if anyone minds if he smokes on the elevator; Meatloaf's missing fruit trays. Bill plays. 

Rich and Bill Altman discuss the short life of Kelly Holland, one of if not the best singers to come out of Asheville or anywhere.  He was a drummer and father as well; and as always there's a sad story.  Be careful what you wish for.

Everything from Musicians Workshop days--when for a brief time we were called The Jacks--to leaving Facebook and polarization; The Coke Bottle lady, Geneva Gardner, who walked the streets with a two-liter bottle of Coke balanced on her head is discussed; dictators and madmen. The music bed is "Bleeding Heart" and "White Man on My Trail,"  "Hello Lester," from the house.  

Blaze headed guitarist Bill Altman joins Rich, candidly recalling players and places, blue tuxedos and faces, music and mayhem and everything else in the god almighty world; New York stories, theater stories, Crystal Zoo tales, wins and fails and highs and woes.

Debut Dank Track (DT) episode featuring the music of the omni directional  Rudy Colombo who appeared on the Asheville music scene in the early 90s and stayed active past 2010. This first episode of DT is perfect because it sets a high bar for the following DT episodes. Most of these songs are unheard and high quality toe tapping, foot stomping, seat rocking glimpses into the complex world of Rudy...

The Jesco White story is as sad as it is wild. Jesco's friend, former manager and bandleader, Jay Hill, joins Rich and Jeff to discuss the objectification of the weak and odd; Jay tells the story of MTV at the bedside of Jesco's dying mother. 

Roots run deep and Scot Irish in this episode. Sons of Ralph bassist and double first cousin Steve Moseley discusses playing bass in bluegrass pioneer Ralph Lewis' Sons of Ralph; the international reach and influence of Lewis Branch, Madison County. Richie performs "Christmas Puppy."

The 80s Rattlesnake Bill Altman (Big Block Dodge, Crystal Zoo, Floyd Philharmonic) talks sacrifice, artistic satisfaction and honesty.