16. Postcard from Bakersfield - "In Search of The Sound"

Vanishing Postcards

Between the years of 1930 and 1940, some 3.5 million Americans fled the Great Plains, with the Dust Bowl blowing roughly 440,000 out of Oklahoma alone. For many, the end destination was the promised land of California and Route 66 provided a path of exodus. Some, with cars loaded, followed the road all the way to Los Angeles, but at Barstow many more detoured north to the San Joaquin Valley. In the process, these migrants not only transformed California, but in Bakersfield created a sound that forever altered American music. Join us as we explore the roots of this most American genre as we trace the footsteps of such artists as Buck Owens and Merle Haggard with author Bob Price, and attempt to get a finger on the pulse of this city's scene today.

Bob Price - The Bakersfield Sound: How a Generation of Displaced Okies Revolutionized American Music

World Records

Las Calliope