Farewell, rock historian, music journalist and travel writer Glenn A. Baker.
Take a musical roadtrip through southern USA with Glenn A Baker, rock historian, eminent music journalist and travel writer.
This week, I’m remembering Glenn A Baker, a friend who was not only a rock historian and eminent music journalist, but an avid traveller who’d visited more than 150 countries, documenting his travels in books and the Australian media.
An accomplished radio presenter who was instrumental in the creation of radio stations JJ, he also presented Qantas’ inflight music entertainment for three decades. Glenn was also named the BBC’s Rock Brain of the Universe three times in the 1980s, a clear demonstration of his encyclopedic knowledge of music.
I can’t find any photos of us roaring through southern Ireland in a minibus (I was still in my no-photo stage of life) but I remember vividly going to a pub with Glenn one night to watch some trad Irish music. We had a table, watching the fiddles, and a bloke comes up to us and says, in his Australian accent, “Glenn A. Baker, didn’t think this was your scene!” He was just some punter who recognised Glenn, in a bar at a crossroads in Co Clare, so far was Glenn’s fame.
On that same roadtrip, I’d watch him leap from the a moving minibus as we were driving through a village one Sunday afternoon, a local band thrashing it in front of the pub – he was always on the look-out for new sound and talent.
Glenn was also my guest on the travel podcast The World Awaits. For our interview, I asked him to create an itinerary for a musical roadtrip through the USA, a task that he immediately said required at least two episodes to cover. We never did record the second, before he passed away earlier this week.
So I’m resharing his chat about travelling in southern USA, which reflects his deep passion for music, musical history and for the US. You can take a listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or via our website.
My chat with Priscilla Presley
“Memphis is the centre of it all,” said Glenn, “and the aura – the spectre – of Elvis hangs over Memphis.”
Remember that Elvis cut his first record at Sun Studios, and Glenn talks about visiting Gracelands and seeing Elvis’ plane, the Lisa Marie. He even chatted with Priscilla about living in Gracelands – naturally, as an obsessive record collector, Glenn wanted to know what Elvis’ record collection was like. Priscilla also shared with him how Elvis listened to music, and how he chose new songs – jump onto the podcast to hear what she told him.
Key sites on a musical roadtrip in southern USA
Memphis: one of the key cities on Glenn A Baker’s musical roadtrip. The Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum’s exhibition about the birth of rock and soul music, created by the Smithsonian Institution, tells the story of musical pioneers who, for the love of music, overcame racial and socio-economic barriers to create the music that shook the entire world.
Glenn’s suggested itinerary for a musical roadtrip of southern USA includes the key music cities of Memphis and Nashville in Tennessee, and New Orleans, Louisiana.
Add to that the three possible graves of Robert Johnson, the first great blues recording artist, famous for his song Crossroads, recorded in San Antonio, Texas in 1936. Famously, in the song Johnson sells his soul to the devil in exchange for fame. (If you’d like to read more about this story of fame bought, click here
Then, you could slip in Montgomery, Alabama, the birthplace of country singer Hank Williams, and the famous Tallahatchie Bridge from Bobbie Gentry’s song “Ode to Billie Joe,” is located near Greenwood and Money, Mississippi. He’d pass through Ferriday, Louisiana, where Gerry Lee Lewis was born, and went on to become “a very, very wild man,” and Vicksburg, Mississippi, home of blues songwriter and musician Willie Dixon.
For us, the iconic music journalist designed a custom soundtrack and playlist/mixtape alongside a guided itinerary of southern blues, soul, and R&B landmarks, which I’m sharing below.
His interview demonstrated an intersection of Glenn’s deep knowledge and love for music and travel; the Australian music industry has lost one of its greatest advocates.
The World Awaits sends our condolences to his family and close friends, including many in our extended travel writing community.
You can listen to Glenn’s interview on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or via The World Awaits website.
Glenn’s mixtape for a musical roadtrip through southern USA includes:
When a Man Loves a Woman, Percy Sledge
Wild Horses, Rolling Stones
The American Trilogy, Elvis
Proud Mary, Creedence Clearwater Revival
Sweet Home Alabama, Lynyrd Skynyrd
Knock on Wood, Eddie Floyd
Crossroads, Robert Johnson
(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay, Otis Redding
Green Onions Booker T & the MGs
Rainbow Connection, Jim Henderson
Last Man Standing (album), Jerry Lee Lewis
FAQS: Best places to visit on a musical roadtrip in southern USA
Who is Australia’s rock music expert?
Glenn A. Baker was Australia’s premier rock historian, as well as a journalist and travel writer. He was the Australian editor of Billboard magazine for more than 20 years and wrote 17 books. He also managed bands including Ol’ 55 and was a keen spotter of new talent. He won the BBC’s Rock Brain of the Universe three times in the 1980s. Throughout his life, he collected around 80,000 vinyl records and CDs.
What are the best places to visit in southern USA for music?
Rock historian Glenn A Baker suggested the key music cities of Memphis and Nashville in Tennessee, and New Orleans, Louisiana, on a musical roadtrip of southern USA. He also includes Montgomery, Alabama, which is the birthplace of country singer Hank Williams, and the famous Tallahatchie Bridge from Bobbie Gentry’s song “Ode to Billie Joe,” which is located near Greenwood and Money, Mississippi.