When I was searching for a title for my documentary about Howard and Barbara I came across the lyrics to Love’s Old Sweet Song: “So till the end, when life’s dim shadows fall, Love will be found the sweetest song of all” Earlier this week was the 10th anniversary of Howard‘s death and I called […]

National treasure Howard “Louie Bluie” Armstrong would have turned 100 on March 4, 2009. The Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville and other venues around the country will celebrate his centennial with screenings of my documentary SWEET OLD SONG and the “P.O.V.” series will stream the film on it’s Web site from March 2, […]

Bill Claiborne, of the Louie Bluie Music and Arts Festival in Tennessee, emailed photos of the birthday celebration for Howard that took place in his hometown of LaFollette on March 6. He and the other locals there phoned Barbara Ward Armstrong and sang “Happy Birthday.”

I learned yesterday that Piedmont blues guitarist John Cephas died on March 4 at the age of 78. He and his musical partner Phil Wiggins spent time with Howard Armstrong at the Centrum Country Blues Festival in Port Townsend, Washington, when I was making “Sweet Old Song.” In the film they play “Louie Bluie Blues” […]

When Howard’s parents named him William Howard Taft Armstrong on March 4, 1909, they named their son after the U.S. President inaugurated that same day. I heard from Bill Claiborne (of the Louie Bluie Arts and Music Festival) a couple days ago that on this coming Wednesday, March 4, 2009, a flag will be raised […]

Today a San Francisco TV show called “View from the Bay” featured a clip from SWEET OLD SONG and invited me to speak along with Nader Shabahangi on a segment called “Five Elements of Healthy Aging.” We were promoting the International Film Festival on Aging, which kicks off Friday with a screening of the film.