Oklahoma Native’s Song Voted as Winner for Historical Value
Oklahoma-born Mike Cullison’s song “The Grapes of Wrath Are Ripe Again” garnered enough votes (more than 7500 were cast) to be selected as a cut on The Alternate Root Magazine’s “Songs for Social Change” Sampler.
Mike Cullison’s song about hard times, today and in the 1930s, will join others from James McMurtry, Christine Ohlman, Kasey Anderson, Chip Taylor, The Boxmasters and Jason and the Scorchers—fine musical company, indeed—in the free downloadable sampler “Songs for Social Change.”
Mike, whose grandparents settled in Oklahoma before statehood, was inspired by tales of the Dust Bowl to write this song with fellow Nashville musicians Johnny Neel and Pal Rakes and included it on his latest album, Blue Collar Tired.
Song Included on Compilations
“The Grapes of Wrath Are Ripe Again” also has been . . .
• Chosen for the “Take a Trip on 66” CD Vol. 1 by Project Route 66 – a nonprofit effort to restore what is left of Route 66.
• Included on the Acoustic Rainbow Sampler Vol. 33
Mike Cullison was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma. He attended Robert E. Lee Grade School and Shawnee Junior High before moving to Midwest City, OK, graduating from high school there in 1968. Today his brother Andy lives in Oklahoma City, and he has many relatives still around the Shawnee area. Mike is a member of the First Families Twin Territories—his grandparents settled in Oklahoma before statehood.
From the Oklahoma-Texas area to Atlanta to Nashville and stints in Europe, Mike’s musical journey has been an extraordinary one. Mike’s innate writing skills and love of music merged early on. He grew up on Country & Western and Honky Tonk, then moved into a diverse blend of music as a young man in the ’60s. Some of his many influences are The Beatles, Hank Williams, Bob Dylan, Jimmy Buffett, Delbert McClinton, and all the great story-tellers of years gone by.
For a review/airplay copy of “The Grapes of Wrath Are Ripe Again” or Mike’s other music, please contact:
Mike Cullison
615-975-9465
mikecullison@comcast.net
Updated 04-19-2010
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