Jon Corneal, a former member of the Flying Burrito Brothers and the International Submarine Band, brought his rich musical legacy to the Country Music Hall of Fame (CMHF) stage on August 4th in Nashville. Corneal’s career spans decades, having performed with icons like Dillard & Clark, the Glaser Brothers, Loretta Lynn, Connie Smith, Kitty Wells, the Wilburn Brothers, and even Warren Zevon. For this special event, he was joined by Jim Lauderdale, a Nashville mainstay in country, bluegrass, and Americana, who has released over thirty studio albums and written songs for the likes of Vince Gill, George Jones, Ralph Stanley, and George Strait. Rounding out the lineup were bassist Garry Tallant and guitarist Tim “Buster Cousins” Kelliher.
The performance celebrated the “Western Edge: The Roots and Reverberations of Los Angeles CountryRock” exhibition, where Corneal’s iconic Nudie suit and a jacket once belonging to Gram Parsons are on display. “It’s an honor to have something of mine in the Country Music Hall of Fame,” Corneal said, reflecting on the exhibition, which will feature the suits on loan for a total of three and a half years. He described Gram’s Nudie jacket as red with submarines and torpedoes on it. He laughed, “He left the britches somewhere else!”
Corneal shared that it was a full-circle moment, recalling when he lived in Nashville in the 60s. For this trip, he stayed at a Holiday Inn near “Record Row,” where all the labels and studios were and around the corner from where he used to live.
Jim Lauderdale not only performed but also interviewed Corneal on stage between songs. “Jim’s sort of been my buddy,” Corneal noted, emphasizing Lauderdale’s efforts to bring his story to a wider audience. Corneal proudly claims his place in music history: “I was the first country-rock drummer, the first country-rock musician, singer, and producer— when I was just 19.”
The August 4th show featured six songs, with Lauderdale on rhythm guitar and Corneal handling the drums and vocals. The audience packed the house, hanging on every note and story shared. When asked what it means to him to have had this experience, Corneal replied, “Well, it’s the recognition. It’s a revered institution. I remember visiting the original Hall of Fame and seeing Elvis’s white Cadillac with gold everything. Finally, somebody’s paying attention. Since social media, my career has come back to life.”
Corneal still performs regularly, though he admits he’s not as strong or as breathy as in his younger days. He hopes to release a box set chronicling his life’s work and is working on a gospel album. His passion for music remains as vivid as ever, and his supporters have been there every step of the way.
You can hear Jon play along with a group of musicians every Friday at Hillcrest Coffee in Lakeland. There are two shows, the first at noon, the second at 1:30 pm. They draw a crowd, so get there early and grab a seat to hear and watch the legendary Jon Corneal perform.
