Chris Vallillo

Dirty Linen

This is an excerpt from the print edition of Dirty Linen #136 (June/July 2008).
The full article is in the magazine, available on newsstands, by subscription, and at the Dirty Linen webstore.

Chris Vallillo

Sonic Archeologist Follows the Musical Footsteps of Abraham Lincoln

by Dan Willging

He was a consummate politician who sought harmony among disparate party factions by anointing them to his cabinet. His political influence was enhanced by superior oratory skills, while his classical speeches were short but effectively appealed to the nation. He's best known for abolishing slavery and penning the Proclamation of Emancipation. When he took the oath of the highest office that this nation has to offer on March 4, 1861, seven Southern states had already seceded. Eventually he reunited the country, but not without the experience of a bloody Civil War. In the end, Abraham Lincoln paid for this monumental success with his life, thanks to the cowardly bullet fired from the gun of assassin John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865.

This year marks the beginning of a special two-year celebration of one of the world's most beloved leaders -- the bicentennial of Lincoln's birth on February 12, 1809. While some activities kick off in 2008, the majority are expected to take place in 2009, especially in Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky, three states that all lay claim to Lincoln. Additionally, 2008 commemorates the 150th anniversary of the great Lincoln-Douglas debates that occurred in various towns in Illinois.

Perhaps one of the most unusual perspectives will be the sonic tribute prepared by singer/songwriter Chris Vallillo of Macomb, Illinois. For the past 20 years and counting, the man dubbed "Prairie Poet" has done what few musicians have ever done: combine fact-finding research skills as a trained anthropologist with a fascinating musical acumen to present topical, historically based programs.

[cover #136]