The hymns were a real resource to rural towns, so barren of amusement; reluctant and hardened youths were compelled to attend prayer meetings and Sunday School or eschew social life, for social life ...

It's one of the most distinctive sounds in country and bluegrass music. You can hear it in the singing of Patty Loveless, Keith Whitley and Ricky Skaggs. The way these Appalachian-born singers bend ...