Mindy McCready Slashing More Than Prices This Christmas

It looks like Mindy McCready didn’t get what she wanted for Christmas this year- an easy way out. She failed in her career, she failed at an affair, now McCready failed again at a suicide attempt.
Now this seems like a heartless thing to say, right? Well, yes. Mindy has been crying for help for years now and no one has answered her call. Maybe people have helped or tried to help. I know that there is only so much someone can do without the compliance of the one in need. So I blame you Country Music America.With this being said, I do wish the best for Mindy McCready, her family, and anyone that may have been affected by her poor decisions. And to Mindy -sober the hell up and quit wasting everyone’s time!

Study Shows Music Is Good For The Heart- Especially Country!

Well, after I seemed to have got a few people’s blood pressure up with my last post I feel as though I should report some good news. According to CTV.ca,  “researchers found that music that makes the listener feel good causes the inner lining of the blood vessels to expand, which increases blood flow to the heart. On average, listening to joyful music led blood-vessel dilation in the upper arm to increase by 26 per cent, while music that induced anxiety caused the vessels to narrow by six per cent. The theory is that the positive emotions trigger the release of endorphins, the so-called happy chemicals, in the brain. This in turn activates the vessel-dilating chemical nitric oxide, says lead study author Dr. Michael Miller.” Miller, who is director of preventive cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center, presented the research on Tuesday at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions conference in New Orleans.

The study participants were able to choose what music they listened to while participating. “Many subjects chose country music artists, such as Hal Ketchum and Dwight Yoakam, to make themselves feel happy…”

I saw a study not too long ago that claimed that country music lead people to commit suicide, but I would disagree.  I am sure they based it on the idea that they claim country music is sad- ‘I lost my wife and my dog today…got no gas in the truck and more bills to pay…’ that kind of thing.  Maybe, they should listen to “Shotgun Willie” by Willie Nelson and get back to me…cause you can’t kill yourself if you are holding a Pabst and a doobie… So, get out there folks and keep it “Country” otherwise your life will be full of anxiety and regret!

Toby Keith Named Douchebag of the Year

 

Well, It is official- Toby Keith has been selected as Douchebag of the Year 2008.  It was a tough decision to make between some great candidates.  Runner-up for DbOTY went to  John Rich and a close third to Kenny Ches”t implant”ney.

Lorrie Morgan, If Looks Could Pay The Bills!

Well, it becomes more apparent every day that the hard times that we are facing financially do not discriminate between classes.  I was suprised today when I came across the news that Lorrie Morgan has filed for bankruptcy.  According to The Boot Morgan, 49, “has filed for bankruptcy, listing her debts at between $1 – $10 million.” When questioned about the decision to file for bankruptcy Morgan says, “It’s very important to me that my fans and business associates understand that I’m OK,” she writes. “Today’s economic times have affected many American families and businesses. I, along with many of you, am not immune to this fact. I would appreciate the courtesy of my friends and fans respecting my privacy regarding this matter.”

When I read this it really struck a nerve.  What leads these people to squander their riches?  Are they just niave?  Are they stupid?  I mean Mike Tyson, Michael Jackson, MC Hammer- just to name a few.  These were 3 superstars of the 80s and 90s.  There is no reason that these guys should ever have to work again!  Tyson probably has the IQ of a 2×4, but if he could have kept his zipper up and his upper-cuts in the ring he would be set to this day.  Michael Jackson, do I even have to explain?  If you want to be Peter Pan and hang out with little boys- don’t get them drunk and don’t sleep with them!  Or you will lose everything including your ass in prison.  MC Hammer…I really was pulling for that guy.  He was huge…but you got to know when to quit.  I don’t care how legit you say you are!

Lorrie Morgan, if looks could pay the bills!  I wish only the best for her and I am sure that with time she’ll get back on her feet.  But, look at the bright side, Lorrie, you won’t want to buy a car for another five years anyway.  Let me know if you need a ride…

Take An Old Cold Tater and Appreciate!

It has been 60 years since Little Jimmy Dickens made his debut on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry in 1948.  Introduced by Roy Acuff, LJD quickly picked his way into the hearts of Nashville and would become the longest-standing member of the Opry .   With a six-string of hits including “Country Boy,” “A-Sleeping at the Foot of the Bed,” “May The Bird of Paradise Fly up Your Nose,” “Out Behind The Barn,” “Take an Old Cold Tater And Wait,” and ”The Violet and the Rose,”  Dickens has become one of the most respected artists to grace the stage. 

So, in honor of Little Jimmy Dickens there will be a Signature Show celebrating the Country Music Hall of Fame member’s 60th Opry Anniversary on Saturday, Nov. 1 at the Grand Ole Opry House. There are several guests scheduled to appear like his good buddy Brad Paisley, Trace Adkins, George Jones, and a lot more I am sure. If you can’t wait til then here are two videos to curb your appetite.

What is Country? By Michael Kosser

Trying to define it is a bit like trying to hold on to
a handful of mercury. There are so many different
sounds that are recognized today as real country but
sparked controversy in their infancy. I have no doubt
that when the old string band players first heard Bill
Monroe and his Blue Grass boys, they let out a moan
and declared, “That’s country?!”

Likewise, when World War II came along and Ernest Tubb
and others started singing the cheatin’ drinkin’ songs
that eventually became the meat and potatoes of
country music, the old country singers who sang their
story songs of death and religion and lost love
probably thought their world was coming to an end. To
add insult to injury, Ernest Tubb’s band began to
feature an electric guitar. You can imagine the
wailing that inspired!

By the late fifties country recording had pretty much
settled in Nashville and the two men who ruled music
row were Owen Bradley and Chet Atkins.
Owen produced Patsy Cline, Kitty Wells, and a host
of other artists that ranged from the Osborne Brothers
to Brenda Lee.
Chet oversaw the recordings of Jim Reeves, early
Willie Nelson, Floyd Cramer, Hank Snow, Jerry Reed
and, oh yes, Perry Como. Owen Bradley was the leader
of a big band and Chet Atkins was a country guitar
picker whose music eventually got far above his roots.
Both men, when they were producing country records,
moved far beyond recognized country boundaries. And
some folks didn’t like it.

Then there was Ray Price. During the late fifties
and early sixties, that grim post-Hank Williams era
when country almost died, Ray was the best thing
country music had to offer with his succession of
irresistible honky tonk shuffles. But when country
began to gain wide acceptance, Price used his
magnificent voice in the service of middle-of-the-road
ballads backed by acres and acres of violins — not
fiddles.

In the late sixties, a young man from
North Alabama named Billy Sherrill began a production
career that included the greatest records of Tammy
Wynette, George Jones, Charlie Rich, Johnny Paycheck,
Tanya Tucker and many others. Most of Billy’s hit
recordings featured the country sounds of Hargus “Pig” Robbins
on piano and Pete Drake on steel but Billy insisted on
sweetening these records with string arrangements. He
took a lot of flack for that, especially from northern
elitist magazines like Rolling Stone, who wouldn’t
dare tell R & B acts that their music was not rootsy
enough but felt free to tell Nashville when its music
was not country enough to suit them.

Funny, out of those string laden Sherrill sessions
came the universally recognized “greatest country
song,” “He Stopped Loving Her Today.” Remember? That
George Jones classic had violins all over it! And one
of its writers, Bobby Braddock, who has given us many
of our greatest song moments of the past 35 years
(“D-I-V-O-R-C-E,” “Time Marches On,” “I Wanna Talk
About Me”), insists that when he first heard the cut,
before the strings were added, “It just seemed to lay
there. The strings really made it come alive.”

Now, you’re probably thinking that my point is, nobody
really knows what makes a country song, or a country
record. But that’s not what I’m saying at all. Just
the opposite. You know what a country record is, all
right. You may not be able to say why it’s a country
record, but you know it when you hear it, even if it
doesn’t have a fiddle and a steel guitar. And you
know that very little of what you hear on mainstream
country radio is country.

Well, I think you’re right. I think that big time
radio doesn’t care about you because they think if
you’re not a 35-year-old soccer mom, you don’t fit
their target audience.

Tell you what. The devil with big time country radio!
I suggest you delve into the lists of Catalog Music
Co. and other companies that specialize in the music
you and I have always loved. Most of these records,
repackaged as CDs, have been cleaned up so you can
hear that great old music more clearly than the day it
first hit the record store on a 78, 45, or LP. And
these CDs will last you a lifetime, no matter how many
times you play ‘em.

But wait, there’s more! Catalog Music is preparing to
carry a series of new. current country acts, called
the “New Masters” series, great country voices singing
great country songs, most of whom you can’t hear on
big time country radio, because they’re too country
and don’t conform to the preconceptions of frightened
radio music directors. Company President Martin Davis
is searching diligently for artists that’ll be a
perfect fit.

So now you have a choice. You can turn on the radio,
tune in your strongest country signal, and drive
around town and country like a zombie using the
station as background music featuring artists whose
names you’ll never learn. Or you can join us,
and listen to some genuine great country artists whose
music will give you pleasure you haven’t experienced
since the bosses of the radio and record industries
decided to dumb down country music. When you hear
something you especially like, call up a
country-loving friend and tell him or her that country
ain’t dead yet. These country acts will be your own
personal discoveries. You’ll love them because you
love them, not because some radio station shoved them
down your throat until you thought you kind of liked
them.

This morning I turned on my radio, and started
pressing buttons. I’d heard rumors along Nashville’s Music Row
that a new breeze was stirring on country radio and
roots music was coming back. The rumor kept
mentioning “Man Of Constant Sorrow,” “Riding With
Private Malone,” and a few others. But when I started
pressing the buttons, none of the stations sounded
very country. Like you, I wouldn’t know how to define
it, but like you, I know it when I hear it.

Michael Kosser is a songwriter and novelist. His
songs have been recorded by The Kendalls, Ray Price,
Tammy Wynette, Marty Robbins, Conway Twitty, Barbara
Mandrell, George Jones, Del Reeves, Kitty Wells, Tommy
Overstreet, Charlie Rich, Jim and Jesse, Skeeter
Davis, Blake Shelton and many others. His column,
Country Side, appears regularly on the pages
of Pure Country magazine*.

*Thanks to the folks at purecountrymusic.com for the use of this material.
It is not to be reused by anyone without the consent of purecountrymusic.com.

United We Stand, Divided We Vote

The second presidential debate took place here in Nashville last night at Belmont University’s Curb Center.  I thought there were some good points made by both candidates.  John McCain was his jovial-yet-stoic self and Barack Obama seemed calculated and cool with his token stare.  I thought Tom Brokaw was going to lose his cool there for a little while- due to some time constraint issues.  But, he held himself together.

I wouldn’t be discussing politics unless it directly involved the country music community.  Since the debate was in Nashville and it was at Belmont -which has seen its share of famous faces come and go like Vince Gill, Brad Paisley, Julie Roberts, Pam Tillis, Josh Turner, Lee Ann Womack, Trisha Yearwood, Minnie Pearl and many others.  Country recording artist Josh Turner (“Long Black Train”, “Your Man”) was noted in the audience of the town hall style debate.  Dolly Parton was not in attendance but she did show how it’s done in the south by performing during a pre-debate celebration dinner Monday at the Tennessee Governor’s Mansion.   Too bad the GovBunker is under construction at this time it could have served a purpose.  John Rich was doing something again with his stupid “Raising McCain” song.  Who cares, right?  Nothing like a coked-up asshole for a McCain supporter.  Thanks again John. 

It has been good to see the widespread coverage on Nashville, TN and Belmont University for the last few days leading up to the debate.  Hopefully, some of the people involved were able to take a break and see other great sites in Nashville.  Nashville has more to offer than just country music and we can only hope it was noticed despite the rain.   

 

An Age Old Dispute

Gentlemen that appear on the famous stage of the Grand Ole Opry are usually adorned with flashy sequined suits tailored by the likes of Nudie or Manuel.  Stonewall Jackson has decided he would choose the judicial system to make his newest suit.  Today, the interest of the Grand Ole Opry is getting in new fresh faces that will appeal to the younger contemporary audience (Some may disagree).  This is not settling well with some of the elder artists especially Stonewall Jackson.  Jackson, 75, had some success with hits like “Waterloo” and “BJ the DJ.”  Earlier this year, Stonewall filed a suit against the G.O.O. claiming that he was a victim of age discrimination.  The suit has been settled as of Friday, Oct.3 and it has not come to light whether the desired $10 million in both compensatory and punitive damage was reached at this time.

Well, I may be revisiting a tired subject- but there just seems to be a conflict of interest here. I hear from a lot of people that country music today…”it’s just not country”.  Now that is fine, however,
some of the new country music of today is less “rockin’” than someone like Hank Williams, Jr was the latter half of his career.  Some may argue the issue as far back as Billy Bird playing electric guitar for Ernest Tubb. Some people blame the drum.  I can see from both sides on this issue.  Country Music’s sound will always change with time, but the constant is the way of life that fuels the genre.

 

Until next time, Kyle

At What COSTner?

Ok, so we’ve all read the news by now that Kevin Costner is taking it to the stage. And I am not talking Broadway. Well, unless you mean the one in Nashville, TN.  

For those that aren’t on Costner’s email list…he’s gone country.  Ol’ Robin of Locksley is trading in his tights and band of merry men for a guitar and a band of pickers.  Kevin Costner and the Modern West are set to release a new album Untold Truths on Nov. 11.  KCost has penned 6 of the 12 tracks on the debut.  So, you may think…hmmm, is KCost a “Natural” or is he living in his own “Field of Dreams”…If you play it they will come!   We’ll See.   

Line-Dancing With Wolves, maybe?

Indicted: Billy Joe Shaver Shoots Self In the Foot

Well, It turns out you actually can’t shoot someone in the face EVEN outside of a bar in Texas.  And it will probably come back to haunt you.  In the form of a second and third-degree felony, that is. 

Billy Joe Shaver has found this out the hard way.  So, it seems that after an incident last April in which Shaver went outside of the Papa Joe’s Texas Saloon-followed by a fellow patron (supposedly, with a knife and a hidden agenda) to finish the “conversation” they were having inside.  It was then that words were exchanged and Shaver asked, “Where do you want it?” At which time he shot the man in the face.  No one tells Shaver to shut-up!  

Hmmm…who’s sorry now?  Well, my guess would not be Billy Joe.