[Dixielandjazz] Honky-Tonk

Thu, 22 Aug 2002 10:51:26 EDT

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Bill Gunter wrote:

<<The question has been asked:

>What is a tonk?

John, a "tonk" is a verbal abbreviation for "honky-tonk" which is a term for 
a low class saloon.>>

That ain't the way I heard it from my favorite hillbily of Dry Branch Fire 
Squad, one of the best bluegrass bands around.

Ron Thomason, the leader, grew up on Clinch Mountain, and played in Ralph 
Stanley's Clinch Mountain Boys.  He tells the story of how one of his best 
friends, a black guy, agreed to teach him how to hambone, even though the 
friend said Ron probably could never get it because he "didn't have rhythm".  
Then Ron tells about his friend telling him the real meaning of 
honky-tonk--the sound made when you hit a white guy on the head with your 
knuckle!!

I only heard it, I didn't make it up!!

And Ron does great hamboning.

Jack Thomas

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<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><BODY BGCOLOR="#3dffff"><FONT  SIZE=2>Bill Gunter wrote:<BR>
<BR>
&lt;&lt;The question has been asked:<BR>
<BR>
&gt;What is a tonk?<BR>
<BR>
John, a "tonk" is a verbal abbreviation for "honky-tonk" which is a term for a low class saloon.&gt;&gt;<BR>
<BR>
That ain't the way I heard it from my favorite hillbily of Dry Branch Fire Squad, one of the best bluegrass bands around.<BR>
<BR>
Ron Thomason, the leader, grew up on Clinch Mountain, and played in Ralph Stanley's Clinch Mountain Boys.&nbsp; He tells the story of how one of his best friends, a black guy, agreed to teach him how to hambone, even though the friend said Ron probably could never get it because he "didn't have rhythm".&nbsp; Then Ron tells about his friend telling him the real meaning of honky-tonk--the sound made when you hit a white guy on the head with your knuckle!!<BR>
<BR>
I only heard it, I didn't make it up!!<BR>
<BR>
And Ron does great hamboning.<BR>
<BR>
Jack Thomas</FONT></HTML>

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