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Growing up as a Baby Boomer provided access to a variety of music from across an entire century.

The beginning of the 1900s would bring along varied forms of music styles that included ballads from the old countries, the black experience, religious songs and country and western styles.

Vaudeville would be just one of the forms that picked among those styles to bring an often lively style of music into the new century..

Elements of those styles would continue throughout the century. Entertainers of the 1920s such as Bessie Smith and Al Jolson would bring blues and scat music along with dances such as the Charleston.

The ‘30’s would see the Big Band era with swing orchestras that motivated soldiers and other young folks through World War II and beyond.

Local swing orchestras would spring up with such leaders as John Payne, with his “Swing your Jane with Johnny Payne” logo. Sonny Greene would form an orchestra which would remain popular across several decades.

Sonny’s band would include a remarkable Black musician, Jackie Wells, who would aid in bringing his band to a diverse population.

In 1951 Alan Freed would tie together styles from years back to popularize what would become known as Rock and Roll.

The large number of Boomer children from the Greatest Generation would grab Rock and Roll as the music of their generation.

In a remarkably short time some of those young folks would quickly learn to play instruments to form rock and roll bands to entertain their age group.

Members of those rock and roll dance bands would find themselves quite popular among their age group and a number of those bands would emerge from communities across the country.

With the musical style popular across racial groups, those different groups would soon find common ground.

Needing a place for the young folks to gather and dance, polished gymnasium floors would often be chosen where street shoes would be removed to protect the floors.

That would lead to “sock hops” being found nearly every weekend at some nearby venue.

As automobiles became more available to the younger group, weekends often offered sock hops.

Those dances would become a popular method of socialization where many long time relationships would be made and which are still fondly remembered by that now aging group.

Hancock County is noted for a gifted musical population and was where a young Donnie Coldiron would begin his musical life.

Born in Blackwater, Virginia, the youngest of truck driver Warren and Ada Bunch Coldiron’s 3 sons and a daughter, the family would move to Miamisburg, Ohio, where young Donnie would begin his schooling.

With the passing of his mother at the age of 28, Donnie would be in the 6th grade when he was sent to Hancock County’s Sneedville to live with his grandparents.

Donnie would be 13 when he would acquire a worn guitar with only 3 strings. Determined to learn to play the instrument, he would spend a week picking up rocks in a tobacco patch to purchase a new set of Black Diamond guitar strings to make his instrument whole.

While learning to play his guitar he would “drive people crazy getting them to teach me how to play. You’ve got to put your nose to the grindstone and stay with it,” he advised.

After faithfully practicing for 2 years, Donnie felt ready to join a rock and roll band. Along the way he had also learned to play the drums.

During his freshman year in high school, he would be approached by Noah Crider with an offer. “Noah had gotten a group together and had the name ‘Cold Sweat’ on his mind which would become the name of the band,” he told.

Noah’s band would begin with himself as the singer while Donnie would be the drummer. Other original band members would be brothers Eddie and Donnie Frost, Aaron Trent and Sue Crider.

“We first played in Sneedville to get donations for our school’s senior trip,” Donnie told. “When it came time for the trip, the principal told us that we had to get our hair cut. Aaron did, but I decided not to and didn’t get to go on the trip. It was near the end of the school year in 1970 and I didn’t get to graduate but later got my diploma from Hancock County High School.”

“After several years we became quite popular and played in Morristown, Kingsport and Oak Ridge where we sometimes played 6 days a week,” he continued. “We had a chance to go nation-wide, but some of our players were tired and quit playing, so the band dissolved. Aaron continued playing with the Country Tennesseans while I played with several gospel groups,”

Along the way, Donnie would begin writing songs, which would enable him to meet such stars as Willie Nelson, Chris Ledux and Waylon Jennings, who he has appeared with on stage and has a similar singing voice.

After meeting George Jones, the Jones crew would help him with his song writing.

Donnie would marry the former Donna Hickey and the two would become the parents of Kasey (Justin) Drinnon and Carole (Andy) Kapnick and would become the grandparents of Corey and Colston Kapnick along with Zada Drinnon.

To support his family, Donnie would work at North Industries, Foamex and the E.R. Carpenter companies.

He continues to use various types of wood to form pictures in his popular Intarsia Woodwork Company.

Donnie would lose Donna to illness and he would undergo a struggle with cancer, but is now cancer free.

He is now married to the former Sandra Bloomer who has a son Carson Lamb along with a deceased son Matt.

The couple get along well and Sandra has brought grandchildren Evan, Brandon, Ryan, Madison, Haley and Cameron into the fold along with a great grandson Grayson Gulley.

Music remains in Donnie’s life. To relax, he can pick up one of his 7 guitars where a half century of experience can produce some beautiful sounds.

Cold Sweat veteran, Aaron Trent, had continued his music when several years ago he and Donnie decided to begin a new band, “The Last Ride.”

That band would feature Randy Davis, Jerry Ballard and sometimes his grandson, Colston Kapnik, on the drums.

“We’ve played at the senior center and Christmas Bazaar and just do family shows. We play Rock and Roll, Country and Gospel music now and are playing in rotation at the Music Barn, where they take a donation for the band,” he would tell.

Hearing that the band would be playing at The Music Barn in Newport, I headed over hear their live music among a crowd of other listeners.

The Music Barn is a story in itself, having originated from the former Hillbilly’s music gathering in Del Rio, which had been founded by Paul Simpson.

The Newport Music Barn’s director, Delores Temple, had been a singer at the original Hillbilly’s and had determined to continue the gathering, and with the help of her husband George and son Carson had found the Newport location to continue the Saturday 6-9 P.M. musical entertainment.