A Face Made for Radio (My Facebook Page)
My agent has been after me forever to start a Facebook Page. For a long time, I never got around to it. “Awh, heck boss, my people know where to find me.”
He persisted. “Come on, Doc. Are you gonna insist on being a Neanderthal forever? You use new meds don’t you?”
“Well, yeah, but that’s different. Even in medicine, I want to be like in the Army. I don’t want to be first in line, but I don’t want to be last either.”
“In this case you better hurry up. You might be the last writer on the planet not on Facebook.”
“Really? Say it is that big?”
“Trust me.”
I’ve spent my whole life as a Doc and a bluegrass picker, and had no idea where to start. One day I mentioned it to a little friend of mine, a bluegrass fiddler, and she said, “Good Lord have mercy, Doc. We can set that up faster than Moose Dooley can pick the Bluegrass Breakdown.”
And that is how it came to be. She was brilliant. Why with a few keystrokes, she pulled up names I knew from years back.
“Look here, kid. I picked with this cat when he played with Knoxville Grass. Why that has been twenty-five years. And check this out, this lady here has written tunes for Alison Krauss. Hey I met that guy at Galax. Lord can he flat pick a guitar. This dobro man; mercy!”
Page after page came up. Along the way, I had played a note or two or at least knew every one of them.
“You know what kid? By the time old Doc is through bluegrass is gonna be on the brain of every school child in America.”
She smiled and shook her head. “Doc, you do love the music, don’t you?”
“Yeah boy. Hey, check this one out. You talk about a fiddler…..”
My agent was right. (again) This Facebook is gonna be the ticket.
Dr. B
Explore posts in the same categories: bluegrass characters, book preview, favorite known bands, favorite non bluegrassers, favorite unknown bands, WritingTags: bluegrass music, music, Writing
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Dr. Tom Bibey: Stories of the Bluegrass Music Road 
March 28, 2009 at 9:27 am
Doc, checking in, facebook,now that sounds like a different generation of readers. I can see it now, some 15 year commenting on what is a picker?
I would be lost with this facebook/myspace thing. I have seen my neice on both and they sure do write/talk funny. I know we all do down here.
Take care, instead of practicing the other night we just went to the local nursing home. I love old people.
March 28, 2009 at 12:51 pm
Welcome to the next step of being computer-savvy – the land of the Facebook! It’s a fun little way to communicate, I’ll grant you, as long as it doesn’t become the core of your social life. You would be appalled to know how many whippersnappers my age live on that website.
March 28, 2009 at 1:00 pm
Looking forward to the read, Dr. B. Unusual characters are the best. 🙂
Indeed, Facebook is great. I use it mostly for college, but I’ve started tracking my favorite authors and publishers as of late. It’s been a fascinating experience to see what people put on “professional” Facebook pages.
March 28, 2009 at 6:10 pm
ms slightly,
I might have to get you young’uns to run interference for me over there. I started it this am and it has gone wild. WordPress is so small and cozy and I can respond to every comment.
Facebook is the wild west. I don’t think I will be able to keep it under control.
Dr. B
March 28, 2009 at 6:12 pm
Ms. Michelle,
I have been on Facebook twelve hours and I too am astounded.
Dr. B
March 28, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Smitty,
All I know to do with Facebook is watch with fascination.
Dr. B
March 29, 2009 at 11:06 am
My son says Facebook is something else. One day I’ll get on it. Hope you put your Blog address on it so you develop a large following for these great stories.
March 29, 2009 at 11:23 am
Billy,
I did. I think about 100 folks drifted over on the first day.
Dr. B
March 29, 2009 at 6:35 pm
It’s the bee knees, better than a cell phone because you can turn it off, or on, at will. social media is the new martini party.
March 29, 2009 at 7:11 pm
size 10,
FaceBook beats anything I have ever seen. I have heard from folks I played music with years ago. It is more than Doc can comprehend.
Dr. B
March 31, 2009 at 10:23 am
I’m going to go add you as a friend. I have NO IDEA how to make Facebook work, but I’ve got a page and I know how to friend people – that’s something, anyway…
March 31, 2009 at 12:43 pm
drtombibey Says:
March 31, 2009 at 12:38 pm e
chili,
FaceBook is so wild I can’t control it. All kinds of people visit. Much of the Bluegrass and Nashville crowd have come by.
I’ll catch your friend request and add you on. Keep visiting me here too, ’cause so far it has stayed small enough to have a personal touch.
I am your basic country boy; I have never seen anything like FaceBook.
Dr. B