We watched and enjoyed the recent TV mini-series about the Hatfields & McCoys, and apparently we weren’t the only ones. It set all kinds of records for a cable program, which surprised a lot of people. I guess it just shows you how fascinating hillbillies are to watch. Or maybe it was all the feudin’ and fightin’ that attracted viewers. Of course, having Kevin Costner playing Devil Anse Hatfield probably didn’t hurt.
I mentioned the feud itself in an earlier piece about jazzman Clyde McCoy, who was actually related to Randall McCoy (Bill Paxton in the TV show). And even though I don’t claim any kinship with either of the feuding families, I’ve written before about my own hillbilly roots. I guess that’s why so much of what I was watching seemed to strike a chord with me.
I probably should hasten to add that I’m not talking about the shooting and killing, but rather the way the people looked and the way they went about their lives. It just seemed so familiar to some of my distant memories of older family members.
Kevin Costner & Modern West – “Famous For Killing Each Other”
Geezer Music Club 