The Original
S i t e   L o g
How the site was built from its start in March, 1999, up to December, 2000 
(back to the current site log)
December, 2000
31    Mike Craver found some early Red Clay Ramblers clippings in his mom's scrapbook.  And he sent some photos from The Folk Festival Book about the Winnipeg Folk Festival in the late 70s.
19    Added two guestbooks for the site: one on the main page for the Original Red Clay Ramblers site and one on Jesse's Letters and Tributes to Tommy Thompson
18    Added pictures and cards to Tributes to Tommy Thompson that he's had on his walls from his friends and fans.  Check out the caricature of Tommy done by cartoonist and playwrite Doug Marlette that we've added as the background for the page.
17    Jesse's letters: Tommy moves into a new stage of his illness

November, 2000
28   Jesse's letter: My trip to West Virginia: A mute tribute to my heritage
6     Tributes to Tommy Thompson from his friends and fans. Letters Jesse has received from folks sharing their special memories of her dad.
5      Jesse's letter: Hospital update

October, 2000
16     Jesse's letter: What Dementia Means

September, 2000
15     Jesse's letter: "Dear Friends, There'll be no sad farewells, there'll be no tear dimmed eyes. 
Where all is joy and peace and love, and the soul of man never dies." ...an update by Jessie

August, 2000
14   Rearranged the photo album to put all the new stuff Mike sent in the proper years.
7     Tommy, Jessie and hubby David, and several of more of us were the delighted guests of the Red Clay Ramblers at their August 5 concert at the North Carolina Museum of Art.  Jesse's letter tells all about it.

July, 2000
16     We just got some great new pictures from Jessie's collection.  You can see the '73 Red Clay Ramblers on the Cat's Cradle stage and the Hollow Rock house where it all started along with some wonderful pics of Tommy from those years.
1       Jesse's letter: Visitation

June, 2000
25     Jesse's letter: "You can't always get what you want.."
24     Sound!  Thanks to Chris Frank and efolkMusic, we now have Real Audio full-length music previews of Bill Hicks, Mike Craver, Jim Watson, and the Red Clay Ramblers on  News and the discography page.  Enjoy :-) 
22     Jesse's letter: Tommy's drum
17     Jesse's letter: Musical Memories
14     Jesse's letter:  Tommy's recent mini stroke

May, 2000
21     Village Voice and NY Times ads from 1975-1976 for Red Clay Ramblers NYC concerts
15     New pics for Bill and Libby
14     Jesse's letter: For Mother's Day
7       New Red Clay Ramblers pictures from Mike's scrapbook, 1974 - 1986! 

April, 2000
28    They really were gods in Johnson City.  See the proof at the '77 Pickin' review and interview, "What The Red Clay Ramblers Play."
8      Jesse reports from the Alzheimer's Conference organized by Lisa Gwyther of the Neurological Disorders Clinic and the Family Support Program at Duke University
5      We'll take you with pictures and stories to Bill Hicks' solo show at the Open Eye Cafe on March 30.  Try to catch your own live gig, tho.
4      See new pictures -- Red Clay Ramblers van and a 1977 Romanian concert poster that's hanging on Bill's ceiling

March, 2000
24    Jesse's letter: tribute to Michelle and Maurice
19    The day after the concert, Mike Craver and Cece Conway went to see Tommy Thompson.  Mike shares with us in "Visiting Tommy"accompanied by a note from Cece
18   For a birthday present for ourselves and all our readers, we proudly add pics and a review from Jim Watson & Mike Craver's Bull City Cosmic Hoedown Concert held in Durham on March 16.  Wish you'd all been there!  At the concert, Jim brought us a copy of his CD review from the Raleigh News & Observer to post.  Don't tell us we don't know!
18    Happy birthday to us, happy birthday to us...We're one year old!  As grandma always said, "Look how you've grown!"
11    Keep an eye on new music from Bill, Mike, and Jim in mp3 format from efolkMusic.  Check Flash for the latest and News for more detailed info.

February, 2000
22    New design for Jesse's letters!  We have the letters described in a table of contents 
17    Jesse's letter: Kitchen in the Air
6      Bill Hicks and wife Libby play cajun/zydeco with Unknown Tongues.  Check out the new section on the band

January, 2000
18    Jessie's letter: Gratitude and Puppy Love
9      Pics from Bill's band Unknown Tongues
8      Publicity bios, pictures, and discography for Fiddlin' Bill and Libby
7      Tommy wrote his memories of the Hollow Rock years up to the Red Clay Ramblers
6      Part 2 of John McLaughlin's 1978 interview with Tommy Thompson for Folk Life

December, 1999
20     Jesse's Letter: "Real Art" - a visit to Bah Humbug
12     Split the home page into home, site map, and news
11     Historical t-shirts pics: Diamond Studs and 1977 European Tour
5      Added new section on the Hollow Rock String Band

November, 1999
20     Jesse's letter: Dixie Crystals play for Tommy
3       Jesse's letter: Tommy goes to see the current Red Clay Ramblers
2       Bill now has booking info on his page for himself and Unknown Tongues

October, 1999
25     Added a picture of Flying Fish's Bruce Kaplan to Blurred Time 1979
10     Come For To Sing article by Emily Friedman: "The Red Clay Ramblers: Evolution of a String Band" (1980)
6      new pics on page 3 of the Photo Album - check out the mag cover with Garcia!
1      Jesse's mission when she visits Tommy

September, 1999
17    Excerpts from Raleigh News & Observer when Tommy was Tar Heel of the Week
14   Paradise Inn, In a Birmingham Diner, and The Sleeper added to Blurred Time
11    Excerpts from the Old Time Herald review of Jim's Don't Tell Me, I Don't Know
10    Blurred Time 1980 from Bill
3      Blurred Time 1979 from Bill
2      Update from Jesse on Tommy - "Give Me the Roses" - Tarwater Band

August, 1999
31     Added Tommy's poem "Banjo" to his John Proffit page
15     Cover article from Bluegrass Unlimited (1984) - lots of history/biography
13     More outstanding reviews of Mike's Wagoner's Lad; created this Site Log
12     Added an excerpt from Perry Young's column about Tommy and Jesse's Carrboro performances in 1998
11     New Links added
9       Tommy's solo play John Proffit
      Added Mike and Jim's solo CDs to the discography
    Totally redesigned the Now section by making individual sections for each of the Original Red Clay Ramblers for their careers outside the Blurs, added new pictures and reorganized the whole Photo Album section

July, 1999
30     Lots of new pictures of Tommy and Jesse all through Tommy's section and interviews about their 1998 performances in Carrboro
27     Update from Jesse on Tommy
25     Added to the Photo Album
18     Posted a page of pictures and reports from Mike's concert at the NC Museum of Art
14     Information about Mike's new CD, Wagoner's Lad

June, 1999
20     Added new sections for lyrics and the Fuzzy Mountain String Band
      Jack Herrick and Bland Simpson send info about the current Red Clay Ramblers

May, 1999
29     1976-1981 Red Clay Ramblers tour calendars posted
27     "Sweet Corn," the 1978 chapter of Blurred Time
25     Bill's short story "War Pipes" carries on 1977 for Blurred Time
20    Jesse's first update on her dad's condition
19     Article from The Smithsonian about the Red Clay Ramblers at the Carter Family Store
15     Lots of new pics arrive from Mike to expand the Photo Album
      The current Red Clay Ramblers are getting a Tony for Fool Moon!
      Installment two of  Blurred Time

April, 1999
17     Blurred Time souvenirs posted--interviews, flyer, Prairie Home Companion newsletter, reviews, hand-written production notes on Chuckin' the Frizz

March, 1999
31   Diamond Studs gets its own section
29    Flyer and coverage from Jim's CD Celebration party for Don't Tell Me, I Don't Know
28    Blurred Time, Bill's history of the Red Clay Ramblers, starts in 1972
26     Jesse Thompson Eustice joins in with information on her dad Tommy Thompson
25     Mike Craver sends some pics
24    Stories of the Red Clay Ramblers were added as reports came in from Bill Hicks, Kerry Blech, and Perry Young
20     FLASH section created on the home page to publicize Jim's 3/27/99 concert
18     The Original Red Clay Ramblers site was posted on March 18, 1999 with the home page, Ramblers Now, Photo Album, discography, and links
 

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December 29, 2005