Old 97 Song
“Well, they handed him his orders in Monroe, Virginia, saying ‘Steve, you’re way behind time; this is not 38, it is Old 97, you must put her into Spencer on time.’”
So begins one of the most famous ballads in history – a ballad often cited as being the first million-selling country music release in the American record industry. The song tells the tale of the famous Danville train wreck, and in this piece the story of the song is told by retired local history professor Kinney Rorrer (who also serves as guide in the Cotton Mill Blues story).
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