Accomplished Americana musician Cindy Cashdollar returns to Abilene rochestercitynewspaper.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from rochestercitynewspaper.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
photo: Nick Simonite
From left: Outdoor seating at Signor Vineyards; Jill Elliott at her shop, Blackchalk; a guest room at the Trueheart Hotel.
On a freezing afternoon late last winter, I drove west on I-10, leaving my home in San Antonio for a yearlong sabbatical in Fredericksburg. Though only seventy miles away, the town couldn’t feel more removed from my life back home. Fredericksburg may be little, especially by Texas standards population 12,135 but it boasts a big reputation. Known for its sweet summer peaches, a booming wine industry, and its German heritage, it will begin celebrating its 175th anniversary this May with a year’s worth of festivities. But even a weekend exploring its mix of historic and modern charms and reveling in its springtime wildflower show can feel like a reset.
Photo: Audrey Billups
Johnny Nicholas’ music cannot be pigeonholed in one specific genre, from the beginning of his amazing life and musical journey to today. Nicholas’ latest release,
Mistaken Identity, spans the breadth of his roots music sounds, ranging from blues (“She Stole My Mojo,” here) and Tex-Mex, to honky-tonk and rockabilly and all but one track on this album are originals.
After finishing school, Nicholas hitchhiked and train-hopped in search of the artists and music he loved. He forged relationships with many legends of the blues, western swing, honky-tonk music and the melting pot for it all: South Louisiana and Southeast Texas. He headed north, and led the burgeoning blues scene in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and for years was a mainstay at the Ann Arbor Blues Festival.