Just give Mick Kinney that old-time, pre-rock ’n’ roll By Lee Valentine “I feel current,” laughs multi-instrumentalist Mick Kinney as he sits on his front porch in picturesque Pine Lake, not too far from the acoustic haven of Decatur. “I just feel a little—um, obscure.” For Mick Kinney, obscurity is a way of life. “When I play, people come up and...

Drive-By Truckers kingpin Patterson Hood chats with Georgia actor/director Ray McKinnon Ray McKinnon is a gifted actor, writer, director and producer of films. He grew up in Adel, Georgia and is best known as a character actor, usually playing southern weirdoes—but his range extends far beyond that. He was the “bonafide” guy engaged to Holly Hunter’s...

Soul/funk queen and Augusta native Sharon Jones has emerged triumphant, despite navigating a minefield of obstacles. With boundless energy and a stage show that’ll knock you out, is she the hardest-working woman in show business? Sharon Jones was on the road when she got the news of her brother’s death in late 2006—Sunday, December 31 to be exact. She and...

I first met Usher Raymond IV in 1993 at the Jack the Rapper convention. The 14-year-old R&B prodigy had been recently signed to a recording contract by LaFace Records co-founder L.A. Reid and was there to promote his debut single, “Think Of You”; I was an entry-level marketing rep for BMG Distribution, working with artists as they greeted their adoring...