#235 - The Story of a True Southern Storyteller

Abe Partridge received national and international recognition in early 2018 when he released his first official full-length release, Cotton Fields and Blood For Days, to rave reviews and substantial airplay on Americana radio. It landed Partridge a lengthy feature in The Bitter Southerner and the album was chosen to be one of their "Top 30 albums of 2018." Ranging from the earthy to the surreal, from the spiritual light to the depths of depression, Partridge draws listeners in with a combination of southern gothic storytelling, dark humor, and gripping intensity.  Partridge was on tour in the Netherlands and Belgium in November of 2018 when he met and bonded with David Ford, who says, "By the time you've witnessed ten thousand men take to the stage with an acoustic guitar to sing about their feelings, you can easily get to the impression that whether magnificent or mediocre they're all to some degree just recycling the schtick of Bob Dylan, James Taylor or any number of whiskey-sodden bluesmen. Then one rainy night in the Netherlands I saw Abe Partridge take to the stage with an acoustic guitar and it felt like the first time anybody ever thought to try it. He didn't just sing his songs, he set fire to them. It was brutal and tender and smart and angry and funny and brilliantly, uniquely authentic. I saw it as a magnificent reminder that great songs, delivered with honest intensity were what first made me want to do any of this in the first place."  When Partridge is not writing or touring, he is creating his folk art paintings, which now hang in art galleries around the Southeast and in the private collections of Tyler Childers, Mike Wolfe (American Pickers), and Rick Hirsch (Wet Willie). He painted the cover art for Charlie Parr's, Last Of The Better Days Ahead (Smithsonian Folkways). His monthly subscription-based art club has sustained him (and his wife and 3 children) during the Covid-19 pandemic.  Partridge is also considered to be a storyteller and documentarian with his recently released "Alabama Astronaut" podcast along with host Ferrill Gibbs who podcasted for the Houston Chronicle and is currently the director of podcasting for the CBS affiliate KBTX in College Station, TX.  The podcast is about Partridge's 2.5-year journey during the COVID-19 pandemic, discovering undocumented American music found in serpent-handling churches across Appalachia. The podcast was released on September 14, 2022, and on September 16th it hit the top 10 in Apple Podcast documentaries.   American Songwriter Magazine said, "Abe Partridge has established himself as one of the most respected songwriters and visual folk artists in the southeast." Partridge is currently putting the finishing touches on a new studio album "Love in the Dark" projected to be released in early 2023. Music used in this episode: Song: "Dumb" Artist: Abe Partridge Songwriter: Abe Partridge (BMI)   Song: "Breaking Up Christmas" Artist: Abe Partridge Songwriter: Abe Partridge (BMI) For more information on the artist on this episode, go to: www.abepartridge.com   The Business Side of Music ™ © 2022 Lotta Dogs Productions LLC Showrunner and Executive Producer Emeritus: Tom Sabella Producer and Host (the guy who has a face for podcasting): Bob Bender Co-Producer - Audio/Video Editor (the man behind the curtain): Mark Sabella Director of Video and Continuity (the brains of the entire operation): Deborah Halle Marketing and Social Media (all knowing): Sarah Fleshner for 362 Entertainment All Around Problem Solver (and Mental Health Therapist for us): Connie Ribas Recorded inside what could be an old beat up Airstream Trailer located somewhere on what's left of Music Row in Nashville TN (Man I sure do miss Noshville, and the Longhorn Steakhouse) Mixed and Mastered at Music Dog Studios in Nashville, TN Editing and Post at Midnight Express Studio located in Olian, NY Production Sound Design: Keith Stark Voice Over and Promo: Lisa Fuson Special Thanks to the creator and founder of the podcast, Tom Sabella, along with Traci Snow for producing and hosting over 100 episodes of the original "Business Side of Music" podcast and trusting us to carry on their legacy. Website: If you would like to be a guest on the show, please submit a request to: [email protected] If you're interested in becoming a sponsor for the show, let us know and we'll send you a media / sponsorship kit to you. Contact us at [email protected]