Grand Ole Opry – Doyle's Space

WPLO Country Caravan

The Country Caravan featured a mix of lively DJ sets, jam-packed talent showcases, and major events.

WPLO-AM 590’s Country Caravan was a defining force in Atlanta radio during the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s, marrying music, community, and personality in a way that few stations ever matched. The real Country Caravan era emerged during this time, featuring a mix of lively DJ sets, jam-packed talent showcases, and major events billed as the “WPLO Shower of Stars.” These weren’t just concerts—they were full-scale country happenings.

All the photos in this post are from my Mother’s collection of Country Music memorabilia. They were taken by me, either at Nalley or Sandy Springs WPLO Caravan in July 1967.

Loni Anderson, Jeannie Seely, Jimmy Hunt, and Jane Morgan Dies

More deaths to report this summer of 2025.

She was the receptionist on the hit sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati; she was a singer, songwriter, and Grand Ole Opry member; he was a child actor known for his role in Invaders From Mars; and she was a popular singer and stage performer best known for her polished vocals and international success

Patsy Cline – Doyle’s Space: Music Hall of Fame

Mother loved Country Music and Patsy Cline was one of her favorites.

Patsy Cline, born Virginia Patterson Hensley on September 8, 1932, in Winchester, Virginia, remains one of the most revered voices in American country music history. Raised in a working-class family during the Great Depression, her early years were marked by hardship. Her father, Samuel Hensley, left the family when she was young, leaving her mother, Hilda, to support Patsy and her siblings.

FunTown Amusement Center

I met an antiques guy who tried to sell me the kiddie train, with conductor car, and the tracks, that used to be at FunTown, for $1000.00.

Funtown Amusement Center, once a vibrant fixture in Atlanta during the 1960s, stood along 20 acres of Stewart Avenue across from Zayre Department Store—now known as Metropolitan Parkway. The park offered a variety of attractions, including rides like the Wild Mouse roller coaster, Crazy Dazy, Kiddie Whip, a Ferris wheel, and a real 1865 steam train. It opened May 27, 1961.

2025 – A Look at 100 Years Ago

What happened in 1925?

Another year has passed. Every year I look back to see what was happening 100 years ago. On January 3, 1925 – Benito Mussolini made a pivotal speech in the Italian Chamber of Deputies which will be regarded by historians as the beginning of his dictatorship.

Stacks of 45’s – Wonder Could I Live There Anymore/Piroque Joe

When I was young before I had cassettes, the only good way of making a playlist of songs was to stack 45s on the turntable. I would arrange them to play my favorite songs in my favorite order. These posts are about records I had in my stacks.

Lainey Wilson

Country music breakout artist

Lainey Wilson was born May 19, 1992, and raised in Baskin, Louisiana, a town of only 300 people. Her dad was a farmer and her mother was a schoolteacher. Her father taught her a couple of chords and she soon started writing songs releasing an extended play (EP) on Myspace titled “Country Girls Rule” in 2006.

Loretta Lynn Dies

The Coal Miner’s Daughter

Loretta Lynn was born Loretta Webb in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky^[1], on April 14, 1932. She was the second of eight children born (the oldest daughter) into the coal industry, a hard-earned living she’d later immortalize in her music.

Hank Williams – Doyle’s Space: Music Hall of Fame

The silence of a falling star, Lights up a purple sky, And as I wonder where you are, I’m so lonesome I could cry

My second inductee into Doyle’s Space: Music Hall of Fame is Hank Williams. Born Hiram Williams September 17, 1923, in Mount Olive, Alabama. His spinal bifida separated him from other children and fostered a sense of separation from the world around him. Listening to the radio and church choirs he was a quick study and learned to play country, folk and the blues. His teacher, African-American blues artist Rufus Payne who exchanged lessons for meals and/or money.