This was the first week of school in Appling County, GA, and our daughter returned home from her summer in Kentucky. It’s been a good first week of school, though I have to admit I didn’t know you had to fill out that many papers. “Back In My Day,” I just remember Mama having to sign one or two. Times change, I guess. Going back-to-school shopping has been fun, expensive……lol……but fun. One day this week, my daughter asked for “Ten dollars…plus tax.” Man, I pity the guy who takes her out in a few………That’s right, she’s not dating until she’s 30…………!
Football has kicked off. NFL Preseason is going strong. I guess because of the recent strike, I have watched a little more than the first quarter. I actually screamed the other night when the Cowboys came back to knock off Denver 24-23 this past Thursday. I guess I thought it was the Super Bowl! Don’t look for either of these teams in it. I’ll give you my predictions in just a few weeks. For the first time since 1990, I will not have anything to do with a High School sports broadcast, though I still will be covering for newspaper. Tonight, I was taking pictures of the team I will be covering in their scrimmage. While I love football from late September on, it takes a few August games to understand why it gets under your skin so much. It’s hotter than Kathy Sue Loudermilk in a cellophane bikini! (Coffee is on me at the Huddle House if you know who she is!)Career-wise, this summer has been on of the craziest of my life. I have interviewed CNN hosts at the Opry, stars like Ronnie Dunn, Miranda Lambert, Ricky Skaggs, and Jake Owen, and the calendar keeps filling up. It’s not quite as glamorous as it looks (Try transcribing a 20 minute interview when you are sleepy), but I feel totally blessed to have had some of the opportunities I have had over the past month or two. Oklahoma, the Opry, and Dickson County / Bacon County High School. It all works together.
Musically, I want to leave this week with two separate thoughts. First of all, some really good stuff out there right now. You need to look up Blake Shelton’s RED RIVER BLUE on iTunes. You will find a cover of Dan Seals’ “Addicted” that will knock your socks off. Speaking of Blake, his prettier half is part of a new trio called the Pistol Annies that is well worth looking out for. Trace Adkins has a new album out that is great, and two Grand Ole Opry mainstays have new music coming out. Connie Smith’s first CD since 1998, LONG LINE OF HEARTACHES, comes out next week, and it can be summed up by saying “It’s Connie Smith!” Also, Jesse McReynolds of Jim & Jesse has a new disc out where he salutes tunes from Jerry Garcia and the Greatful Dead. If you know your history, they aren’t as far apart as you think…
And, I have been campaigning (for what it’s worth) for 2012 to be the “Year of the Pickers” for the Country Music Hall of Fame. I’m not a voter, but over the next three weeks, I am going to tell you who I would vote for, beginning with……..
Category of ACTIVE BEFORE 1980: Jerry Reed
With his work on TV and in the movies, Jerry created a persona that made him a household name. At the same time, it made him known to many as simply Burt Reynolds’ sidekick who made his name with some of the top novelty songs of the day. However, look closely at his resume, and you will find one of the most influential guitarists of all time. Chet Atkins even said that Reed himself had no idea how good he was. His recordings were far more balanced than he’s given credit for, and yes, he was one of the biggest stars of his time – regardless of what his records were or weren’t doing at the time. I think it’s high time that Reed “Claws” his way into the Country Music Hall of Fame………Next week, I’ll tell you about a guy from Cordell, KY who made songs by Flatt and Scruggs, Webb Pierce, and Ray Price cool all over again, and he’s a pretty good picker too!
