They Don't Dig For Coal Here Anymore-Alan Cathead Johnston

[@TheAppalachianStoryteller]

love this sir, thank you

[@cathead77]

Thank you very much.

[@migitpoo]

I liked the video and song to. Im a proud daughter of a coal miner that walks with the Lord now. I live in a coalcamp town with my hubby who also is a proud son of a coal miner as well, thanks for sharing and showing some of the history of our state, the most beautiful state ever.

[@Maribo33]

My Grandpa was a coal miner here in Germany. That was very hard work, my Grandpa died too early because he had black lung:-( I loved him.. Thanks so much, dear John, for sharing this touching video. 5*****

[@TheYankster1]

I was born and raised in Coalwood. This video brings back a lot of memories...

[@Irreverent_RVer]

Sir, I am in awe of your voice. You are a beautiful singer.

[@gunnyu.s.m.c8606]

cathead you bring alot of memories to alot of us and we are grateful for your song's from all of us our compliments Sir

[@cathead77]

Thank you for listening and thank you for your service.

[@DAVIDDAMIENR]

Great Song! Why do we Love those Old Minin' Towns so much? They all look so much alike. Strip mines, Culm Banks, Row Houses, Mine Fires, Train Track to Nowhere. They're Not Quite Ghost Towns but they're Not Alive either. People move away for a Job or an Education and never come back. Hope it never gets to the point where no family is left to put flowers on Grand Ma's grave from time to time. Not much Coal left in the Ground but lots of family burried in thos hills. David

[@jackmcreynolds3343]

40 year underground coal miner....50 year UMWA member and proud of it....God bless John L Lewis...and God bless America...

[@davidnichols7485]

death of a town is always a sad thing but the memories live on beautiful song by the way and respect from this oil working country boy

[@guitarplyr2255]

I am studying mining engineering at WVU. I'm from Matoaka and I feel everything you said in this song. I wanna revitalize Southern West Virginia. I love the place.

[@seanhartnett79]

If West Virginia can be saved, we must teach coal miners to manufacture solar panels and put wind turbine on those old mountains to generate power,

[@midnightrunner684]

My Father was a Pennsylvania coal miner back in the late 60's early 1970's .My Dad got real sick and we moved to Florida in 1982 My Dad passed away in Florida in 1988 at 49 years old from Black Lung

[@voodoo4uonly]

OMG!!! THIS BROUGHT TEARS TO MY EYES!!! I GREW UP IN COALWOOD WV AND REMEMBER THE CLUBHOUSE, THE COALWOOD UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, CO STORE N EVERYTHING HERE!!! MY GRANDFATHER LOST HIS LIFE IN THE MINE THERE IN COALWOOD JUST UP FROM THAT GAS STATION WHEN MY MOTHER WAS ONLY 9 MTHS OLD!!! I LOVED GROWING UP THERE BUT IT IS BUT A SHELL OF WHAT IT USE TO BE!!! THE SCHOOL IS A SHELL THAT HAS ALL BUT BURNT TO THE GROUND ONLY AFTER BEING CLOSED FOR MANY YEARS!!! MEMORIES MEMORIES MEMORIES!!! SO SAD!

[@treybtv7494]

My pawpaw was a miner. He was crushed in the mines and ultimately had health problems for the rest of his life. They lived in iager / panther area. I spent every summer in these mountains. West by God, Virginia as he would always say.

[@wythetrumpet6419]

Great song Alan! Coalwood was a wonderful place to live and grow up. It is so sad the coal economy was so devastated. Those days at the Coalwood School and Big Creek were the best days of my life. God Bless....Mark Alderman

[@cathead77]

Thank you for watching.

[@seanhartnett79]

Rocket boys?

[@dsramfam]

My family is from Pocahontas, VA, and included several miners and railroad workers. My grandfather lost his leg in a mine accident and two of his sons worked in the mines, one for over 30 years in Gary, WV (he died of black lung in 2005, a proud UMWA man to the end). Many of your pictures could have been taken in Pocahontas. None of our parents' children remain in Pocahontas - we all moved out decades ago, but your poignant pictures and lyrics bring back memories of our youth.

[@superbulldog81]

Great song, Allen. I feel the pain and sorry in your voice.

[@cathead77]

superbulldog81 Thank you much.

[@songster99]

Really great song brother! Enjoyed it a bunch! This is what country music is supposed to be !!! Thanks - Ricky :-)

[@ScottLanter]

Thank you for the photos and the great job singing, too. I will show your video to my mother, who is originally from Coalwood. She moved to southern Ohio when she was 7, but has very fond memories of her hometown. I know she will like this video. We are planning to visit Coalwood sometime this summer or early Fall. The last time we were there was 35 years ago. We are looking forward to hearing her share her memories with us again. Thanks again for this video, sir.

[@stephenbrand5661]

How much can she really remember if she was only 7 when she left? Seems like wherever she moved to and went to school would really be her home town.

[@WayneTinchMusic]

Love this song! Great singer and song.

[@cathead77]

I appreciate it.

[@samnjay2]

wife and i spend hours watchin you and the girls. It dont get no better.

[@HORNHost]

And in some cases, the towns aren't even there anymore, buried for all time under a valley fill.

[@garyhouston113]

U crazy boi!

[@taylorhershberger1353]

My grand dady worked in the steel mills and his brother worked in the mine.

[@crackthecode1578]

what a nice song! I've been exploring West Virginia on KZbin. 25 years old, born and raised in south jersey but have gotten more of a taste of a different life as I've moved deeper into PA. Your videos are a great way for me to learn a whole lot more!

[@cathead77]

Thank you very much.

[@samnjay2]

hey alan, this is cousin Ron M and i gotta tell ya these videos of you and stacy are the best. love ya.

[@MssJoanne]

These pictures appear to be of the Coalwood I knew back in the early 80's and before. So sad. The song makes a tear come to my eye.

[@cathead77]

Thanks for watching. I wrote this song for a documentary about Coalwood.

[@MssJoanne]

@@cathead77 Thank you for thinking about Coalwood. I hauled equipment in and out back in the early 80's. When Olga had to reclaim the land. I'm disappointed that Homer Hickam doesn't do more for his home town.

[@eddiemoore8468]

That is my favorite song by you. So many people can relate to that song. I worked for over 7 years as security guard at a mine in Martin county , Ky. The Mines have closed down after I was working there. A lot of Eastern Ky. And West Virginia has suffered because of this. Your song should be every unemployed miners anthem.

[@cathead77]

Thank you so very much.

[@Gunnarsguns]

Absolutely perfect. You sure remind me of Waylon Jennings

[@GerryMATW]

A magnificent song and a very evocative video. Your talent is quite awesome, Alan. This is as good as it gets.

[@seanhartnett79]

One of my relatives was a Welsh coal miner, going on strike when thatcher shut down the mines. Rather than get screwed they went on strike and had the bottom fall out.

[@cathead77]

Thanks for watching.

[@seanhartnett79]

@@cathead77 my pleasure. I love this type of music.

[@Bflatblues55]

I absolutely love this. What a great and reflective tune! I am one who is rather nostalgic and I really appreciate your photo montage here as well ... just a real excellent job! Thank you to John (huey180) for the share!

[@cathead77]

Thank you much.

[@TommyPraterSr]

Thought I would drop by to once again hear one of my favorite songs you have done on here. Brings back a lot of good old memories to me. I was born in Matewan, and still live at Red Jacket. This is such a sad song, and my how things have really changed. Nice song Cathead!

[@baggerchicforever2687]

CountryBoyYes I use to live there. .well right up the road a bit. ..blackberry. ..

[@MarkMaysey]

Excellent video and great music. I believe you did capture this very well. A special thanks to huey180 for sharing with me. Mark

[@6871dave]

good job love your song !!!

[@johngossett5957]

great song. great singing. miss yesterday's world with real jobs. John Gossett west Frankfort il

[@cathead77]

Thank you. I appreciate it.

[@davidnichols7485]

John Gossett still some real working jobs out here there's always a need for a working man

[@ljones121]

as far as i know most of the old coal miners houses still stand, in most of the towns, in southern wv. my ex gf's family lived in a n old miner's house up in a holler, in a small town of wv. i done be moving back myself soon hopefully.

[@midnightrunner684]

Cathead your music Rocks ...I like it

[@jandeband]

LOVE YOUR MUSIC

[@cathead77]

Thank you much.

[@a2zhandi]

great tune.

[@lindaoldham1510]

My grandpa and my uncle were coal miners. My uncle worked in West (by God) Virginia.

[@cathead77]

Thanks for watching. I'm proud to be from WEST VIRGINIA.

[@johnofypres]

Thanks Alan. Excellent as always.

[@MssJoanne]

Love this song. So sad,

[@cathead77]

Thank you very much.

[@Tony-dk9sx]

Cathead knows that coal miners in Appalachia still have to fight daily for a safe & healthy workplace. To hear how miners who make safety complaints today are treated by outlaw coal operators, check out Raymond Crooke's song "Big Coal Don't Like This Man At All" on KZbin. 1293. Big Coal Don't Like This Man At All (Original) - with Marco Acca on guitar It tells the true story of Kentucky coal miner Charles Scott Howard, who stood up for safety at an underground mine operated by Arch Coal and was fired as a result. He filed a whistleblower case, won his job back and is working in the mines again!

[@PhantomTrains]

Coming from a coal mining family, this song made me cry. Too many people have lost everything from the mines closing down. Entire towns are gone. Families are gone.

[@cathead77]

Thank you kindly, Sir.

[@scottbaker4314]

2nd generation electrician coal miner here in KY and being from the Big A with all the luxury's of a small city and then going to deep southeastern KY and not having nothing but the shirt on my back and a $900 S-10 straight out of high school I learned to work underground and it's been the most rewarding career for me. My grandpa who retired as a coal miner gave me 3 options when I finally got out of school 1- go join the military, 2-go to college, 3-he would get me a job with Consol energy and I could go become a coal miner. so working hard and using my back and not my brains was the norm for me so I chose the mines

[@cathead77]

Thanks for watching.

[@emiliepesavento9518]

It's not my story, but I feel it

[@danhclark]

Great stuff- and Truly from HERE! I posted a link to this on our Facebook page. Elisse & Dan

[@charlenehale6377]

Good job Alan!

[@cathead77]

Thank you much.

[@carnaghman]

Great song

[@Fyodor48]

my memorial to #coalminers everywhere, #Turkey #Scotland #USA #Russia two poignant songs with images A MEMORIAL TO ALL MINERS; song byAlex Hodgson

[@janmock1596]

My mom was birthed in a shanty coal town that doesn't exist anymore in SW Pa. She's from no where. It has always been a hard topic for her. Her dad was a coal miner and bootlegger.

[@cathead77]

Thanks for watching.

[@never1time]

My old town mined coal and had an population of several thousand. But they stopped and there is only a little of 67 remaining.

[@t74961971]

where are these pictures taken??? I am from WV. I lived in WEbster County.. I love the photos...

[@daylonspring]

TREMENDOUS!

[@cathead77]

daylonspring Thank you.

[@MssJoanne]

God Bless the miners past and prssent.

[@6871dave]

wv miners dont just dig coal thay rock lol you should be on cmt !! love your work ty lol !!!

[@Just2Intense]

thanks for your reply to ObamaMama, I was wondering the same thing.

[@evvo.1953]

That's cool

[@larrykillam8515]

(;U DA MAN ALAN ;) (;LOVE IT MAN;)

[@cathead77]

+Larry Killam Thanks, Larry.

[@larrykillam8515]

+cathead77 U welcome Alan.

[@weepeee]

See the you tube video by " Roots Revelators" a song called " resolve"it s a portent ( it tells the tale of) the dangers of hydrofracking

[@bartsimpson67543]

Long live Coalwood, WV!!!

[@themidnightracer9937]

+bartsimpson67543 I live in coalwood still a town.

[@bartsimpson67543]

Nice dude

[@cathead77]

Thanks.

[@edmundbrown4176]

you need to do Americas got talent bc this song would win

[@TommyPraterSr]

I thought you did a fine job on this Cathead. Is this done in part Coalwood or Davey? A lot of these areas look very familiar me. I was a railroad man for Norfolk and Western and layed track through a lot of McDowell Co during the 70s

[@MssJoanne]

Anyway, well done.

[@Chris231MCF]

well coal is king in West Virginia still it produces the electric in this state also only job that pays enough to raise your kids put food on table

[@ssquickmeal]

jump craze may have fallen on his head??Possibly his death?II have relatives that have mined coal from Shamokin to deep in by God W Va. Coal makes this world spin.

[@bradleygriffiths5101]

sounds the same as we ex miners have suffered here in the uk

[@MssJoanne]

Is that a picture of Olga #1? I know that 2 is in War.

[@cathead77]

If you're speaking of the cover photo that's Olga in Coalwood, WV. I don't know what you're calling 2 in War.

[@MssJoanne]

These pics look a lot like Coalwood in the 70's ?

[@cathead77]

I think I used all Coalwood pictures. Many I took myself. Thanks for watching.

[@samnjay2]

mullins here

[@sgt.mullins]

sam broderick Mullins here too. Haysi VA.

[@demammoet]

Pure semantics. Coal does dry up, W Va. might still have some but it isn't lasting wealth by far. Wait and see your towns empty out while mine-fires destroy your air-quality for decades, and houses collapse due to tunnels caving in. Meanwhile my father in law cant even take a fast walk due to black long. Greetings from coal and steel country, PA. greater Pittsburgh area.

[@palehorsepayton4428]

coalwood west virginia

[@cathead77]

Yes.

[@palehorsepayton4428]

cool place love old mines

[@chsdancemom38]

This is gonna be all of west virginia If the EPA gets their way

[@MGVA1982]

Do you really want to be a mineral-dependent third world economy? Apparently.

[@edrambo51]

I have worked in strip mining for 35 years & I have never seen a town buried under a valley fill HORNHost, get your facts straight or don't post!!!!