This week on The Allan Handelman Show it's the history of Southern Rock, and interviews with the biggest names in Southern Rock 'n' Roll!

The rise of southern rock from the 1950s all the up through the 80s and 90s-from Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Charlie Daniels Band to R.E.M. and The Dave Matthews Band.

The southern rock movement "changed our lives and gave us a sense of community and purpose. We had southern rock, and therefore we had each other." Those are the words of one Mark Kemp, of Allan's guest this week. He is a veteran music journalist and author of the new book,  Dixie Lullaby: A Story of Music, Race, and New Beginnings in a New South.

Mark Kemp is a former music editor of Rolling Stone and former Vice President of Music Editorial at MTV Networks. He began his journalism career covering the crime beat for a small North Carolina daily. Mark's articles, essays and criticism have appeared in numerous books, magazines and newspapers including Rolling Stone, Spin, Option, The New York Times, The Charlotte Observer, The Village Voice and L.A. Weekly. He has written and co-written music documentaries for MTV and VH1. In 1997 he was nominated for a Grammy for his liner notes to the CD Farewells & Fantasies, a retrospective of music by the 60s protest singer Phil Ochs.  He's now the entertainment editor at The Charlotte Observer.

And joining Allan in the third hour, it's Asia. Once in a long while, a musical synergy erupts that leaves a mark for generations. Asia's initial incarnation pooled together the considerable talents of past members of such legendary groups as Emerson, Lake and Palmer (Carl Palmer), Yes (Steve Howe / Geoff Downes, also a member of The Buggles), King Crimson, Roxy Music and Uriah Heep (John Wetton). Considering such a musical pedigree, the aforementioned debut album was expected by many to be an orgy of self-indulgence. Asia was released in 1982 and was full of radio-friendly choruses and refreshingly sparse instrumental performances. Asia soon found themselves tapping into the lucrative singles market with Heat Of The Moment and Only Time Will Tell with an additional radio play onslaught from Sole Survivor. The record turned out to be a smash hit going on to sell over 10 million copies worldwide!

2004 kicks off with John & Geoff in the studio working on the follow up to Aura. Entitled Silent Nation, the album is a deliberate return to the rock roots from which Asia was born. With solid rock tracks like Ghost In The Mirror and What About Love, Silent Nation is poised to bring Asia's distinctive brand of music back to the masses. Silent Nation also heralds the first album released under Asia's new record label, Inside Out Music. "Inside Out seems like the perfect home for Asia" an enthusiastic John Payne beams, "I can't wait to play some of these new songs live". Silent Nation will be released in August 31st.