It’s a name that’s been around since the middle ages, meaning worthy of love and often symbolizing steadfast friendship and loyalty. Surfacing in the U.S. around 1880, this common variant of the name Amanda made the Top 10 in baby names 6 times, hitting its peak in 1969 and was 2nd only to Jennifer as the most popular name in the U.S. during the ensuing 70’s. It’s the anglicized form of an old French word Amee and it, along with Mandy, another derivative of Amanda, has provided the inspiration for some mighty fine bluegrass songs. With the help of Special Consensus, Sideline, Ernie Thacker, Bill Harrell and Kenny & Amanda Smith, we’ll be continuing our celebration of all things Amanda with songs about Amy and Mandy.
PROGRAM PLAYLIST
- Amy Gallatin: “Edgar Griffin – 1919” from Sweet Gatherings(Happy Appy)
- Bill Harrell: “Amy” from I Can Hear Virginia Calling Me(Rebel)
- Danny Burns: “Amy” from North Country(Bonfire)
- Sideline: “Amy” from Breaks to the Edge(Mountain Home)
- Ron Rigsby: “Miss Amy” from Banjo On the Run(RRRainbow)
- The Nu-Grass Pickers: “Amy Lou” from Pickin’ and Singin’ Our Kind of Grass(Pine Tree)
- Troublesome Hollow: “Amy” from Troublesome Hollow(self-released)
- Ernie Thacker & Route 23: “Miami My Amy” from Backbone Job(Crosscut)
- Kenny & Amanda Smith: “Amy Brown” from Slowly But Surely(Farm Boy)
- Special Consensus: “Amy and Trevor” from Route 10(Pinecastle)
- Ron Cody: “Amanda’s Reel” from The Cooper Sessions(self-released)
- Homer & Jethro: “Once In Love With Amy” from Fractured Frank Loesser(RCA)
- Russell Johnson & Barney Rogers: “Mandy Play Your Mandolin / The Little Girl I Left Behind Me” from When the Bands Played(New Time)
- Open Road: “Mandy Jane” from In the Life(Rounder)
- Nu-Blu: “Mandy Jones” from The Grass Still Grown(self-released)
- Jimmy Arnold: “Mandy’s Song” from Guitar(Rebel)