On this one score, I sided with Dad. I was raised on blue­grass and coun­try music, most likely to my mother’s cha­grin. I can’t remem­ber not know­ing the words to “Rocky Top” and “I Walk the Line,” and I have it on good author­ity that as a child I may have attempted to dance with my aunt on Sat­ur­day nights when my grand­par­ents took me up into the moun­tains in their camper. This last is as baf­fling to me as it will be to any­one who knows me now. It must have been back before the drum­mer in my head grew so loud and off­beat as to ren­der all other attempts at syn­co­pa­tion futile. […]