I guess everyone has heard the rigamaro with Howard Stern splicing together Dolly Parton quotes to make it sound like she is foulmouthed and a racist, but I am amazed how offended Dolly is. She might even sue. Now I am pretty sure you can hear the actual clip on Howard Stern’s website or Youtube, but I am not going to make a link to it for two reasons: 1. Fear of being sued, 2. I do not want to be blamed for your intelligence diminishing while you hear the rantings of an unfunny shockjock. This is not the first time Stern has done this. He has spliced together William Shatner and Oprah to make lewd comments. Parton should just shrug it off. Dolly is only going to bring more listeners to Stern’s show. What do you think she should do? Sue, or let it go?
Everyone knew that John Michael Montgomery had a problem when he sang these wrong words to his first hit, “Life’s a pill, you learn as you go, sometimes you drink sometimes you swallow.” I kid, I kid. But seriously, Montgomery has checked himself into rehab, citing substance due to severe anxiety and sleep disorder. We asked for some feedback here at work to what might be his drug of choice. The consensus was Xanax. All joking aside, John you were great during the 1990’s, there is still place in our hearts for you, don’t worry there’s room.
When it comes to authoring a book, research is relative. Getting your facts straight can be the difference between being a respected writer or being debunked as a charlatan. You might have read in an earlier blog about the collection of short stories, A Guitar and a Pen, co-edited by Robert Hicks. This book is recently under scrutiny. Oral tradition is only accurate when you hear a story firsthand, apparently Hicks does not understand this. The book is entirely made up of short stories written by Nashville songwriters, except one. Hazel Smith, a prominent figure in the music business, was to collaborate on a story that Hicks had heard at one time about the father of bluegrass, Bill Monroe at the Whitehouse during the Clinton administration. Apparently, the lines of communication got crossed and Smith never recounted the story to Hicks. So what did Hicks do? He took it upon himself to write down the story from what he has heard fourth or maybe fifth hand. Too bad Hazel was never even there. He has since apologized for the embellishment, but the damage might be irreparable. Maybe he could join forces with Stephen Glass and Jason Blair.
Accomplished Southern Gospel songwriter Dottie Rambo was tragically killed in a tour bus accident on May 11. Authorities are unclear to what made the bus steer out of control, all I do know is that gospel music lost someone very special. In the same vein as Bill Gaither, Dottie was known for great gospel songs such as “I’ve Never Been This Homesick Before.” and “I Go To The Rock.” But these two songs are just an inkling of the amount of compositions that she has contributed. Ms. Rambo has hundreds of hymns that have touched Christendom. She will certainly be missed.
Country music lost yet another great artist with the passing of Jerry Wallace, 79, on May 5. Wallace’s hits include “Primrose Lane” (1959) and “If You Leave Me Tonight I’ll Cry” (1972). Wallace, who was nicknamed “Mr. Smooth” because of his singing style, retired in the late ’70s. He had put out over 45 chart successes in his career.
It is with great sorrow that we report the death of Eddy Arnold at age 89. Arnold, whose hits included “Make the World Go Away” and “The Last Word in Lonesome is Me,” was one of the most successful country singers in history. Joel Whitburn’s book, “Top Country Singles 1944-1993,” ranks Arnold the No. 1 country singer in terms of overall success on the Billboard country charts. It lists his first No. 1 hit as “It’s a Sin,” in 1947, and for the following year ranks his “Bouquet of Roses” as the biggest hit of the entire year. After a half-decade lull in his career during the late ’50s, Arnold revitalized his career in the early ’60s by adding strings to his recordings. This initially drew criticism from some of his contemporaries; however, most of them eventually adopted this technique, and Arnold is credited with pioneering the “Nashville Sound” used so effectively by Patsy Cline and Jim Reeves. Many of Arnold’s hits were produced by legendary guitarist Chet Atkins.
Eddy Arnold’s wife of 66 years, Sally, passed away in March. He is survived by a daughter, Jo Ann Pollard of Brentwood, TN; a son, Richard Edward Arnold, Jr., of Nashville; two grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Bluegrass’ resident scholar Ralph Stanley has intermittenly recorded 18 tracks during the last 30 years. However, the tracks were recorded through Rebel, but when Stanley switched to Sony, the release was put on hold. Finally, this summer these recordings will be available to the public. “Old Time Pickin’:A Clawhammer Banjo Collection will hit stores later this summer in August.
It seems that the country music we know is dying off, literally. If it’s not from old age it is by their own hands. George “Leo” Jackson was found dead Sunday, apparently by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Jackson was a prodigy guitar player, who worked for the likes of Jim Reeves and Hank Williams Jr. Friends and Family of the guitar-great are shocked. They said that he was suffering from Chronic pain, and that could have been the catalyst.
You may recall an entry I wrote for this blog some time ago when Tim McGraw’s PR company announced his plan to collaborate with ’80s sensation Def Leppard. When I wrote the post, I decided to be charitable, to abstain from criticizing it until I heard it. “After all,” I thought, “who knows? It might be good — I doubt it, but stranger things have happened.” I mean, Tay Zonday’s“Chocolate Rain” video on YouTube has been viewed 21,221,014 times! Point being, anything can happen. Sure, a single that couples modern country and ’80s glam rock will probably make me want to puncture my eardrums; but maybe, just maybe, it will be one of those songs we’re embarrassed to like (think: “Since U Been Gone”).
In this case, however, it is not one of those songs. To the contrary, it is more hilariously godawful than anyone could have imagined. From the cookie-cutter modern country intro to the bland, impotent excuse for a guitar solo, this piece of crap represents everything that disgusts me about the sort of music that gets terrestrial radio play. I challenge you to watch as much of this as you can stand, all the while considering that, according to a January press release, this took THREE YEARS to put together. Now, without further ado, we are ashamed to present THE WORST MUSIC VIDEO EVER MADE.
Jim Hager, a member of the Hee Haw cast from 1969 until 1988, died on Thursday of a heart attack. Hager, who was discovered by Buck Owens while performing at Disneyland and later signed a recording contract with Capitol Records, collapsed in a the parking lot of a coffee house on 12th Avenue South in Nashville, and died at Vanderbilt Hospital shortly thereafter. “Jim was a delightful, funny, loyal friend,” said longtime Hee Haw cast member Lulu Roman. “He will be missed greatly as one of my true friends.”
I always thought that Glen Campbell was a poser, and his newest release is a testament to that fact. Campbell will be doing a covers album containing hit songs by artist such as Green Day, U2, Jackson Browne, and Tom Petty. Meet Glen Campbell is hitting stores on August 9th. This cd will probably be just as ridiculous as Will Ferrell as Robert Goulet on SNL covering rap songs. Hey! Maybe Glen will cover Green Day’s “Welcome to Paradise,” unedited. Seriously, who does he think he is, Willie Nelson. Wille could get away with an album like this, but not this Beach Boys reject! Talking about this, is just making me angrier, I am out.
I was lazily surfing the internet, when I found a diamond in the rough. Robert Hicks has written a book that has been long overdue. His book, A Guitar and a Pen, digs beyond the surface of songwriting and allows songwriters to share their inspiration and the process by which they go through to craft a song. Bobby Braddock, Hal Ketchum, Charlie Daniels, Kris Kristofferson, and Tom T. Hall are just some of the writers that contributed insight their masterful art form. Let’s not forget that music inspires far more than mere words can. This book looks like a must have for a true country fans.
I think it is safe to say we all miss Randy Travis resonant nasal twang on the radio. He has lately been baptizing his music with the sounds of Gospel. These recordings are a must have, but I have wanted Travis to jump back in the saddle and pick up the reins of traditional country music. Well, we will not have to wait for long, as Randy Travis is set to release his first country album in eight years. The title will be Around the Bend.
This past weekend I got the pleasure to visit Canuck country. I sing in a gospel quintet and we performed a series of concerts around the Beamsville area. We got to the see the Niagara Falls and taste the local fare. We got into a discussion with the promoter, a friend of ours, about country music. She was a huge fan of modern country, but wasn’t really that familiar with classic country. I was happy to find out that she was not a Shania Twain fan. Shania is about as country as a bag of toenail clippings. I brought up Hank Snow, and she said, “Hank Snow, who?”. I told her about the song “I’ve Been Everywhere.” She thought it was just another Johnny Cash song, but I told her it was originally sung by Hank Snow. She was surprised. I am sorry that it’s sound like I am rambling, but country music is in this world’s blood. You can’t escape it. Rock and Roll could never bridge the gaps that country music has.
Everybody should be getting ready for the rapture. It is official, Tim McGraw has his own Fritos flavor, Tim McGraw’s Spicy Jalapeno. The newest flavor will hit Walmart’s shelves next week. Frito’s is one of the sponsoring companies for Mcgaw’s “Live Your Voice” tour. I wonder if these new Fritos has a wicked side effect, consisting of sleep depravity and uncontrollable hyperactivity?
Randy Owen, the lead singer of Alabama, is receiving the coveted Ellis Island Medal of Honor. This award is bestowed upon it’s recipient for the imigrant experience and individual achievement. The latter characteristic is why Owen is receiving this award. He has given valuable time and money to St. Judes Children’s Research Hospital. He actually started the foundation, “Country Cares for St Jude’s Kids.” Owen is among an impressive list of actors, celebrities, and politicians who have been given this award. A-listers such as Bob Hope and Bill Clinton have received this award.
George Strait is the poster boy for modesty in country music, but if he wanted to, he could crown himself the new king of country music. Strait has now surpassed Conway Twitty with the most number one singles in Country Music with 56. George Strait has never changed his image to accomplish this feat. He has always chosen songs for his specific image and never wavered. There is not anybody more deserving than George Strait for this accomplishment. He is a rare breed, indeed. George Strait is like the remaining Jedi, the great ones are all but extinct.
According to one of our favorite blogs, the9513.com, a Chris Ledoux CD and DVD will be in stores on the 29th of April. LeDoux was a genuine cowboy whose career as a rodeo cowboy — he won the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Bareback World Championship in 1976 — was reflected in songs like “This Cowboy’s Hat” and “He Rides Wild Horses.” LeDoux’s talents extended beyond the rodeo and the stage; his Wikipedia entry claims he was also a skilled bronze sculptor.
Last night I lucked into a ticket to see the Nashville Predators host the Detroit Red Wings in a Stanley Cup playoff game. The intensity of the game, in which Nashville tied Detroit 2-2 on the series (go Predators!), lay in more than the simple fact of its being a playoff match-up; it has been apparent since long before the Preds grew from a mediocre expansion team into a Stanley Cup contender that these two teams were rivals from day one. In the past, people have said this resulted from the southward migration of Red Wings fans from Detroit to Nashville’s suburbs, where car manufacturer Saturn — a wholly-owned subsidiary of Detroit’s own General Motors — opened a plant in 1990. However, history has seen migration in the opposite direction as well. When I consider how many calls and emails we receive from country music fans in Michigan, it is clear that the northward migration of people from the rural southeast, much of it due to employment opportunities at now-defunct plants in Michigan throughout the 1950s, brought southern music along for the ride. In other words, despite the vast distance between us (not to mention that many players on both teams are foreign!), there is a fascinating cultural link between our two cities — hence the appeal of, for instance, the Bobby Bare song “Detroit City.” This may also account for why some of Nashville coolest citizens are Detroit ex-pats (read: Jack White of the Raconteurs).
For those who were to catch the pairing of Alison Krauss and Robert Plant on CMT Crossroads, you are in luck. People will be able to see the duo firsthand as they kick off their tour this Saturday in Louisville,Ky. It will feature the tracks from their critically acclaimed record, Raising Sand. These two are not afraid to mix it up with normal paisans. They were recently spotted at Bongo Java in Nashville, having, you guessed it, coffee. I would expect nothing but the best from these two. Their performance on CMT was remarkable.
The CMT Awards show took everything good about country music, stabbed it multiple times, and then left it for dead. First, why did some of the categories sound like they were made up on the spot. Tearjerker of the year? Was this an excuse just to get Kelly Pickler on TV? And for that matter, what about Rodney Carrington winning a buckle for Supporting Character of the year. I think a catatonic would have been better at inventing the catagories. What’s that Bob? Silence. It is official there will be no catagories this year. Yippee. We all win. Secondly, who cares what the fans like. The videos should be chosen by people who have a respected opinion. It’s the fans that perpetuate the mediocrity of contemporary country music. Nobody should win by default. Rascal Flatts should have been spectators not recipients. But do not blame this overrated band for the show’s format. It is being ran by Viacom, you know the same company that owns MTV. I think it is safe to say that Viacom is single handedly destroying music as I know it. The show would have been just as good as if it was ran by a few circus clowns and trapeze artists. It would have been funny to see Gary Levox trying to fit his disproportioned body in a pair of tights.
Pure Country definitely became a milestone in George Strait’s career. He skyrocketed from popular country artist to Hollywood actor. That movie will be the blueprint for a musical that will hit the bright lights of Broadway. A cast has not been selected, but Steve Dorf, who has been responsible for classics such as Kenny Roger’s “Through the Years” and Eddie Rabbitt’s Every Which Way But Loose will pen the score. John Bettis will write the lyrics. He was responsible for George Strait’s “Hearland.” It will mostly feature classic and contemporary country styles.
Hank Thompson did a fantastic job of melding honky tonk and western swing. He had great hooks, and a flawless band. Thompson was a huge favorite among the Texas dance halls. The word around town is that Hank was a veteran story. Warren Kice, a friend of Hanks’ for twenty years, has authored a biography titled My Side of LIfe: The Hank Thompson Biography. Kice said that Hank could spin a yarn with the best of them. He said that through the years Hanks has given him more than enough material to write about his life. This sounds like a ‘must buy’ for Hank Thompson fans.
Emmylou Harris is that rare artist that ages like a fine wine. Ever since I heard “Love Hurts,”the duet with Gram Parsons, Harris had me sold. She seems to always have her hand into something meaningful and relevant in today’s music. She is finally releasing a studio album after 5 years of other projects. All I Intended To Be, will be released on June 11 and it will feature orginal songs and ones that have always been special to her, but she never has had the chance to record them. Her subtle vocals have always been able to carry any of previous works. This record should not be any different.
All you Conway wannabees, listen up. If you think you have what it takes to carry that type of persona to the stage, then you are in luck. Open auditions for the musical based on Conway Twitty’s life will be held today and Wednesday right here in Music City USA. The production has been appropriately named It’s Only Make Believe. They are also looking for people to portray his family and his duet partner, Loretta Lynn.If anyone is interested, the auditions will be held from 10 am to 3 pm at 1101 Cherry Ave. If you think you can pull off that signature growl of Conway’s, give it a try.
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