Virginia’s Caleb Bailey has a new single to finish up June with his band, Paine’s Run. It’s a song he wrote about one of the most devastating storms ever to hit the United States, Hurricane Camille.
Camille first struck in the Caribbean, hitting Cuba on August 15, 1969 as a Cat 2 storm, but intensified dramatically when it got into the Gulf of Mexico. When she came across in Mississippi two days later, it was a full-strength Cat 5, and caused tremendous damage along the Gulf coast and a good ways inward. What inspired Caleb to write about Camille is that in an unusual result for a hurricane, the storm did tremendous flooding damage in the Appalachian region around the Virginia/West Virginia Border, leading to more than 150 deaths.
Bailey tells the story of the destruction like he was there, as I’m sure he has heard many descriptions from older folks about how quickly the flood waters charged through the area, with normally small streams and creeks jumping way over their banks and taking out structures and bridges as they went.
Caleb sings lead, supported by Paine’s Run: Rob Slusser on banjo, Brandon Kyle on bass, Joe Showalter on fiddle, Chandler Beavers on mandolin, and Wyatt wood on guitar.
Have a listen…
Camille is available now from popular download and streaming services online. Radio programmers can find the track at AirPlay Direct.
