They Were Country, When She Wasn’t Cool

Written by: Todd
On 02-04-2009
at 8:54 pm

This year’s Hall of Fame inductees have been announced. Anyone surprised? Disappointed? If you haven’t heard; Roy Clark, Charlie Mccoy, and Barbara Mandrell are going to be the new arrivals into the Hall of Fame. Who was the most deserving? Was it luck? Was it Random? Do you know those two friends in school that let a third one tag along so that he/she didn’t feel left out. That’s what I envision when I look at this year’s inductees. Let me explain. Ever since I heard the Lightning Fingers of Roy Clark, I was totally enamored with Roy’s talent. He definitely belongs with the likes of Merle Travis, Chet Atkins, or Floyd Cramer. He not only played shredding guitar and banjo, but hits like “I Never Picked Cotton” and “Tips Of My Fingers” showed that he had the vocally ability as well. His stint on Hee-Haw and as sometimes co-host on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson exemplified his professionalism.

Charlie Mccoy has done it all. The harmonica never made Charlie famous, but the other way around. He was and still is the premier harmonica player in Nashville. No one comes close. Music Legends, such as, Johnny Cash, George Jones, Bob Dylan, and Roy Orbison, just to name a few, have used him. What’s even more incredible is that he actually had a top 20 hit with “I Started Loving Her Again,” featuring not his harmonica, but his voice. There is only one degree of separation between Roy and Charlie. Charlie was Hee-Haw’s musical director for 18 years.

What Barbara Mandrell has done for country music looks great on paper. She has had 24 top ten singles as a country artist. She had a hit variety show between 1980-82. We all loved the Barbara Mandrell Show. My favorite segment was the puppet band The Texas Critters.  However, her schtick was just down-right dreadful. Since when did  Country Music need dancing to entertain us.  Hey it was the 1980’s, they were accepting everybody by then. Like all country pop acts of the 80’s, she was a poser. If she was recording during the 1950’s and 60’s she would have probably taken a black person’s song and made it a top ten hit. Barbara should have turned to salt when she sang with George Jones on “I Was Country, When Country Wasn’t Cool.” Her induction should be a sigh of relief for every country artist. Who will be the next one? Sylvia? Hey Mindy Mccready, I think you have a chance. Hey that would make a great Punk’d

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8 Responses to “They Were Country, When She Wasn’t Cool”

  1. Posted by redk on February 5th, 2009 at 12:25 pm

    Please explain “If she was recording during the 1950’s and 60’s she would have probably taken a black person’s song and made it a top ten hit.” Probably one of the stupidest remarks I’ve ever seen. Barbara Mandrell never sang my type music, but I think she deserves to be in the HOF. This is totally uncalled for as well as saying she ranks with Sylvia and Mindy McCready. This woman was a hell of an entertainer. As for Roy Clark – Clown who plays really good guitar – Charlie McCoy – one of many good musicians but NEVER in my opinion with the same recognition factor as Chet Atkins or Floyd Cramer. If all you have to do is be affiliated with HeeHaw to get in the HOF, Jerry Clower should be next. I guess this means that people like The Browns, Bobby Bare, The Wilburn Brothers, and Jimmy Dean are no longer even in consideration. I neither hate or love the choices this year – I do however hate your crude remarks about Mandrell.

  2. Posted by Todd on February 5th, 2009 at 2:27 pm

    I basically think that she is the Pat/Patricia Boone of Country Music. She, like several country artists during her time, took Country Music down a commercial path that excluded artistry and welcomed pageantry. Maybe I went for ‘too harsh’ rather than something with a little more clarity. I said that Roy Clark deserved to be among Chet and Floyd, not Charlie. However, you probably won’t agree with that either. But you can’t deny Mccoy’s resume. I agree, all of the names that you have listed should have been considered before the ones that were announced. I don’t think Hee-Haw has anything to do with the HOF selection. However, the whole selection process is ludicrous. It states that industry leaders have a say on who gets in and who doesn’t. I am sorry, but record executives are not the “go-to-guys” in country music. They all have dollar shaped contact lenses, and know nothing about music. But if this was the case, wouldn’t they look at commericial success as well? The two that you suggested, The Browns and Bobby Bare, had a slew of hits. There are patrons of the Hall that probably have a say or should, such as, Ricky Skaggs or Vince Gill, but that is not enough. I think the Hall should be an artist ran institution. They should have the final vote. Go to this link, to look at the selection process.

  3. Posted by Raul Tejeiro on February 5th, 2009 at 8:26 pm

    There was a moment when Barbara Mandrell’s music had little to do with Country Music. So, if a country-pop artist is to be inducted, then give Kenny Rogers a chance! Although he has been country-pop most of his career, he is actually a hillbilly compared with what Mandrell has recorded. This man is also a hell of an entertainer, plus he is well-known all over the world, from China to Uruguay (where I live), from Spain to Canada. Let’s face it: nobody knows who Barbara Mandrell is outside the U.S. and I think that induction should go to an artist who has worked hard to promote Country Music, the more the better. And few people can top what Rogers has achieved.

  4. Posted by redk on February 5th, 2009 at 9:45 pm

    And what you just wrote has what to do with “take a black person’s music and make it a top ten hit”? A totally racist remark that still makes no sense. Are you saying that people like Ray Charles, Charley Pride or even Deford Bailey have no place in country music? And as for taking a black person’s music and make it a top ten hit, I believe Elvis Presley – another Hall of Famer – did quite well with that. Remember Hound Dog? As for Roy Clark, no I don’t agree that he belongs in the same group as Chet Atkins and Floyd Cramer. While he is a great guitar player, I don’t think he was elected as a musician but as a singer and frankly I think there are better. As for Charlie McCoy, there’s no doubt that he’s a great musician, but where’s Pig Robbins, Pete Drake or Weldon Myrick? Or even Don Helms – he didn’t just play for Hank Williams. All of these musicians released albums on their own – they weren’t just sessions players; however you didn’t name one person that McCoy played with that didn’t also use the ones I just mentioned. Once again I don’t have a problem with McCoy being in the Hall of Fame, I just think there’s others that should have been there first. I will agree with you that the selection process for the Hall of Fame needs to be revised. But I’m reasonably sure that that ain’t gonna happen.

    Sandra

  5. Posted by Briguy on February 11th, 2009 at 2:20 pm

    Barbara Mandrell I think got in because of some of the same reasons that Roy Clark was inducted — her versatility as a multi-instrumentalist, her style and charisma, and her presence as a television personality.

    As for the remark about Mandrell’s induction being a “sigh of relief” for every country music artist, correct me if I’m wrong, but I take that as implying that anyone can be inducted simply for having a major or even minor hit on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs (and all previous names) chart. (Sandra, I think this means I’ll be lobbying for Rascal Flatts next year ;-) ). Anyhow, I disagree with Todd. There still has to be certain criteria met (more than can be listed here) for an artist to be inducted, and that’s more than just having a million-seller, as Sylvia did with “Nobody.” And unless Mindy McCready’s commercial fortunes change for the better, I don’t foresee her induction anytime soon; remember, she had only a brief flurry of successful songs from 1996-1998.

    Sandra — some excellent suggestions for other artists deserving (some overdue) of induction into the Hall.

    Of the other names Sandra drops, I’d probably choose Don Helms first. Sure, it’s too late for him to see it happen in his lifetime (he died in August 2008), but his steel guitar playing rated among the best of all time, and made many of those classic 1950s records just so distinctive and perfect. He remained active until his death, last recording with Vince Gill shortly before succumbing to heart disease and diabetes. Don was the last surviving member of the esteemed Drifting Cowboys, and yes, he does deserve recognition.

    Brian

  6. Posted by Todd on February 11th, 2009 at 4:41 pm

    I just didn’t want to outright and call out Elvis. I am just struggling with the fact that people have stood on the shoulders of genuises, and have capitalized. Pat Boone did it as well. He stole hits from Little Richard. As far as the triad that you listed. They have every right to be in the Hall. If any racism is there, it has been from the people that I have listed above. While African Americans had to come in the back door of concert halls and play their songs, white artists could come in the front door and perform the songs of African Americans and produce bigger hits out of them. Ray appreciated country music more than any of the current artists. I failed to see the originality of Barb’s talent. Sure she is a good steel guitar picker, but I will never see her as a country artist. Maybe I am just letting my opinion get the best of me. I feel that she would have done what Pat and Elvis did. What about Little Roy Wiggins or Erik Robertson( said to have had the first country recording, great old-time fiddle player), I understand their current selection, but I don’t agree with it.

  7. Posted by redk on February 12th, 2009 at 7:01 pm

    Stay away from Elvis, Todd or I will be on you like a spider monkey jacked up on Mountain Dew. Sure he recorded music by black artists – he also recorded Bill Monroe. He also recorded and had hits with gospel music. I think he sang what he was comfortable with and it worked for him. You can also only guess that Mandrell would have used black performers to further her career if she recorded in the 50’s & 60’s, but the fact is she didn’t so stop making that supposition. In fact, what little I remember about her show, Ray Charles was a guest star as well as Andre Crouch (hope I got that right – I never actually had to spell it before). She featured a lot of performers on that show – Johnny Cash & June Carter, Statler Brothers, Dolly Parton, Marty Robbins – so she did promote country music even though her style was different. Like I said, she’s not my type singer, but I think she belongs in the HOF. As for Little Roy Wiggins, I just don’t think he was in the same class as Don Helms (Brian, we will agree that Helms would be first choice of the group I named, but I’m still trying to ignore that Rascal Flatts remark. I may need valium.) Back to Roy Wiggins – I know he played with Bob Wills and Eddie Arnold which is a good thing, but did he also play on George Morgan’s Candy Kisses? If so, never ever induct him – I hate that song and George Morgan was about as country as Pat Boone. According to a book I read years ago, even Hank Williams hated his style of country. Sorry but I don’t know the fiddle player you mentioned so I can’t comment. For a fiddle player, I’d have to go with whoever played with Ray Price on his early Cherokee Cowboy music – I know he had several and had the Drifting Cowboys playing with him for a while – I think Tommy Jackson played with him for a while too. Loved Price’s early music as well as his Nashville Sound stuff. This conversation should probably be continued over on the forum so others can jump in on favorites. It took forever for this site to accept my comments so others may have problems too or maybe I’m just challenged.

    Sandra

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