Growing up, watching television was something that was a huge part of my life. Back in the day of three television networks (Yes, Virginia, there was a time!), I was pretty much familiar with each of the programming on ABC, CBS, and NBC....even if I didn't watch it.
That was then, and this is now. Aside from House, The Mentalist, and occasionally the excellent Men Of A Certain Age, there's not a lot that I watch on TV anymore. Time is of the essence, and most days there's not a lot of it.
There are a few guilty pleasures that I have from the tube. Most of them come from the cable network RFD-TV. Whether it be classic country shows like Porter Wagoner or Pop Goes The Country, much of the network's programming takes me back to my youth. That being said, there is one of the network's shows that I have on DVR every week that I just have to watch----The Marty Stuart Show.
Every Saturday night at 7pm central, Stuart hosts a trip back in time. The show, a modern-day Wagoner, is simply a delight from start to finish. Just like Wagoner had one of the best bands at the time in the Wagonmasters, I don't know if there is a better back-up band than the Fabulous Superlatives. They have such an incredible chemistry together. Then, there's emcee Eddie Stubbs, one of the best radio personalites anywhere, banjo player Leroy Troy. One might wonder if Troy is for real, or carrying on a bit. I used to think the same about Mike Snider. However, as Leroy was once a guest on the Mule Skinner Bluegrass Show, a show that Marcia Campbell used to host on a station I once worked for...let me tell you, he is real..very much so. Then, you have the legendary Connie Smith, who is still one of the best female vocalists you will ever hear. Dolly Parton, herself an expert on the matter, once said there were three great female vocalists....Streisand, Ronstadt, and Connie Smith. The rest, she admitted, were all pretenders....She still sounds exactly like she did in the late 60s, cutting those classics for RCA.
Then, you have Smith's husband, Marty Stuart. What can you say about the way that he has represented Country Music over the years? He is an ambassador for the old, and also a representative of the new....which is a pretty incredible balance to make. He does it effortlessly. One of my favorite parts of the show is the Gospel segment. Marty and the Superlatives perform many a song with a soul feel to it, some of them coming from the Soul's Chapel CD, one of his best-ever efforts. It's an education, but yet it's also entertainment. I'm kind of reminded what Bill Cosby once said week during the intro to Fat Albert & The Cosby Kids. "This is Bill Cosby coming at you with music and fun, and if you're not careful...you just might learn something before we done." I know that cross-referencing Stuart and Cosby might be a little strange to some, but I think you get the idea. So, I urge you...watch it this weekend. You'll be entertained!
And one more thing, after all these years, Marty Stuart still has the best hair in Country Music....and as someone a few years younger who doesn't have it anymore, that makes him cool....very much so!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Monday, April 12, 2010
FAREWELL TO DIXIE
Over the past few weeks, we have lost some dynamic talents in the world of television. Peter Graves. Robert Culp, just to name two. However, I have to admit to being a little surprised to be greeted Sunday morning with the obituary for Dixie Carter, who passed away Saturday due to complications with cancer at the age of 70.
As a child, I remember passing through her hometown of McLemoresville on our way to see relatives in West Tennessee, and asking my parents and grandmother "Who is Dixie Carter," as we would pass by the city limit sign that proudly proclaimed the town as her home. As the 80s passed, I would soon find out.
Her first role that I remember was on CBS's short-lived 1982-83 sitcom Filthy Rich. A comedic send-up of Dallas, it featured Carter and Delta Burke as feuding members of the same family. The show didn't last, unfortunately, but proved to set her up a few years later for a role on the Harry Thomason & Linda Bloodworth-Thomason sitcom Designing Women. On the show, she portrayed Julia Sugarbaker, a Southern belle who was definitely no shrinking violet. She was a brass tack, as the old saying goes, and the chemistry between her and Burke that was already in place was joined by that of Jean Smart and Annie Potts, and the show had a long run. The producers, who were Arkansas natives, were one of the first to make a TV show set in the south that portrayed the locals as having some sense. That's not a knock on the rural sitcoms of the 60s such as The Beverly Hillbillies, but I would put Julia Sugarbaker and company up against the likes of Murphy Brown anyday. The show also benefitted from the addition of her husband, Hal Holbrook, to the cast. The man defines the word genius, and the chemistry these two had together was in evidence, as well.
After the show went off the air in 1993, she continued to act, starring in many series, including the underrated 1999-2002 series Family Law. All along, that southern charm was there. Next to Designing Women, my favorite Carter role came as herself...in a commercial, as strange as that might sound. A few years back, she starred in a series of commercials for AT&T. Holbrook might have been in one of them, but what I remember is the one she did with her father. I believe they filmed it in McLemoresville, where he had owned a grocery store for many years. It wasn't particularly emotional in any way, but it was refreshing to see that in spite of Hollywood success, some people never changed.
Tennessee has been fortunate to have had some great representation in the world of show business. Perhaps Dolly Parton and Elvis Presley are the two best-known people on that list.....but there are others that have represented the Volunteer State with class...and Dixie Carter was one of them.
As a child, I remember passing through her hometown of McLemoresville on our way to see relatives in West Tennessee, and asking my parents and grandmother "Who is Dixie Carter," as we would pass by the city limit sign that proudly proclaimed the town as her home. As the 80s passed, I would soon find out.
Her first role that I remember was on CBS's short-lived 1982-83 sitcom Filthy Rich. A comedic send-up of Dallas, it featured Carter and Delta Burke as feuding members of the same family. The show didn't last, unfortunately, but proved to set her up a few years later for a role on the Harry Thomason & Linda Bloodworth-Thomason sitcom Designing Women. On the show, she portrayed Julia Sugarbaker, a Southern belle who was definitely no shrinking violet. She was a brass tack, as the old saying goes, and the chemistry between her and Burke that was already in place was joined by that of Jean Smart and Annie Potts, and the show had a long run. The producers, who were Arkansas natives, were one of the first to make a TV show set in the south that portrayed the locals as having some sense. That's not a knock on the rural sitcoms of the 60s such as The Beverly Hillbillies, but I would put Julia Sugarbaker and company up against the likes of Murphy Brown anyday. The show also benefitted from the addition of her husband, Hal Holbrook, to the cast. The man defines the word genius, and the chemistry these two had together was in evidence, as well.
After the show went off the air in 1993, she continued to act, starring in many series, including the underrated 1999-2002 series Family Law. All along, that southern charm was there. Next to Designing Women, my favorite Carter role came as herself...in a commercial, as strange as that might sound. A few years back, she starred in a series of commercials for AT&T. Holbrook might have been in one of them, but what I remember is the one she did with her father. I believe they filmed it in McLemoresville, where he had owned a grocery store for many years. It wasn't particularly emotional in any way, but it was refreshing to see that in spite of Hollywood success, some people never changed.
Tennessee has been fortunate to have had some great representation in the world of show business. Perhaps Dolly Parton and Elvis Presley are the two best-known people on that list.....but there are others that have represented the Volunteer State with class...and Dixie Carter was one of them.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
FLYING THE FRIENDLY SKIES
For the first time since 2006, I was above the ground last week, flying in an airplane. As a child, I have to admit being very scared of airplane travel. As someone who studied music from an early age, maybe it was the fact that so many musicians lost their lives while trying to get from Date A to Date B in the air. Once I did fly for the first time, however, in the fall of 1999, I have to admit I liked it...I liked it a lot. There are some things that puzzle me about the flying experience. For example, why do gummi bears, one of my guilty pleasures, cost $4.99 for the same size bag that I can get for $1.99 at Donna's IGA in downtown Centerville, TN? It's just a question I have wondered from time to time.
That, and a few other quirks aside, I have no problem with the airport experience. Granted, a four hour flight from anywhere seems long, but if you ever want to do some serious people watching, one can do it at the airport. You see all kinds. It's more of a cultural universe than going to Wal-Mart. What has always amazed me about flying is you can leave Nashville at 6am, and within three or four hours (save Hawaii or Alaska) you can be anywhere in the United States. Reno, Bangor, Key West, Bakersfield, Chuicago....It doesn't matter.
Over the past week, I sliced two states off my "never been to list" as a result of air travel. Granted, I spent much of a forty-minute layover in Denver hoping I could find a bathroom quick enough to find my connecting flight. I got to spend some time in Nevada, however, and I've got to say that I enjoyed the experience. I even had time to cross into that great state known as California. The pace is such that I don't know if I could ever live there, but visiting for a week at a time...that's not bad at all. The Chicago Midway Airport is truly a city within itself, one that has about as many food choices as a shopping mall.
In preparing for the flight, I was surprised that it had been that long since my last one. Suffice to say, I'm ready to go again. You know, I would love a job where I was on the road quite a bit....Maybe that's something to consider. Any ideas? Let me know.....I just hope that next time, I get to see a little more than Denver....I know there's more there than a crowded men's restroom, and a snack bar that sells bottled water....But, I'm just saying!
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
A SPECIAL THANK-YOU
One of the two radio stations I work at right now is WNKX Radio in Centerville. I have been doing quite a bit of fill-in work lately, and I am glad for the air time. One of the programs the station airs is a five minute daily program called "How To Plan Your Life." A gentleman named Dave McRee hosts the show, and more than usual...I find myself listening and taking note of his words. On one of the shows last week, he talked about thanking people who gave you a break. After doing some contemplating on that subject, I realized that quite a few people who have made an impact on me have been teachers. I thought I would collectively thank a few of them. I went in chronological order, but to each of these people, I say "Thank You."
LAVERNE FISHER---My very first teacher. I remember my mother dropping me off at Burns Elementary School for my first day of school in August 1980. Mama's boy that I was, and continued to be for 25 more years, I cried like a....child on his first day of school. I will always remember her trying to calm me down by saying "If you cry, I think I will too." You never want to see a person cry, do you?
JOAN ATKEISON----My second grade teacher was and is special to me for a lot of reasons. Going to school when and where I did was unique because a lot of things were different. Imagine saying the Lord's Prayer in school nowadays. I remember that she did....but what I remember and treasure most is the fact that she was the first teacher to encourage what made me different. For a second grader to want to skip recess to watch filmstrips of presidential history, or to bring his Kenny Rogers' GREATEST HITS album to class for show and tell, you're probably something just shy of normal. Thank you for encouraging that. Since then, I have been privileged to call her friend....though despite her asking me to, I never have been able to call her "Joan." "Ms. Joan," maybe!
RANDY TIDWELL-----I have called Randy by his first name for about twenty years. I had to. I was the board operator for DCHS Football games for the first four years of my radio career, and saying "Now back to Mr. Tidwell" didn't have a radio ring to it. Since 1996, I have been in the booth doing those games with him, and it's one of the things I love doing most. Only the call letters have changed over the years. One of these days, I am going to ask him to sing Waylon Jennings' "Amanda" on the air. It was something he did every now and then in Gym Class!....Speaking of class, he's the definition!
BARBARA EASLEY-----I had Ms. Easley my third and fifth grade year, and I'd like to think I was one of her favorites. I remember when I started in radio, she was one of the first callers I ever had at the station. She's the one out of these ten that I haven't kept up with as much as others, but still she made quite the impact.
RHONDA MADDEN------I was in her first class when I was in the fourth grade. She's someone that I have kept up with over the years due to my work with Dickson County High School. On any Friday night in the fall, Ms. Madden will be the first Cougar fan in the stands---home or away. She's always been very supportive of the work I've done---whether in class or on the air!
DAVID GREENE-----As I said earlier in describing my feelings about Ms. Atkeison, times have changed. David Greene was not what you would call politically correct. Nor would he wanted to have been. There was a little bit of Gabe Kotter, a dash of Lewis Grizzard, and even a huge helping of Robin Hood in my seventh grade Tennessee History teacher, and I can tell you I enjoyed nobody else's class any more than his.
GEORGE DUFTY-----It might shock many of you who know me well that I took Shop in 8th grade. I thought it taught you how to find records in record stores, as the concept of hammer and nails confuses me. Mr. Dufty overlooked my error, and was a great teacher, but he's been even nicer to me post-school. One thing's for certain...he'll never forget the day one of his students sanded off his fingernail on the sander....though, I'm probably not the first or the last.
RANDY SULLIVAN----Just like others on this list, Randy Sullivan must have known that something wasn't quite right inside a tenth graders head when he spoke on such topics in speech class as the Grand Ole Opry, the CMA Awards, and George Jones. However, he encouraged me quite a bit, and off-kilter characters were many on Cougar Hill around this time. In addition to whatever I have become, he also taught a million-selling singer / songwriter and a popular movie actor who had a love scene with Britney Spears...It takes all kinds of us!
BOB BEAUBIEN-----One of my favorite people on this list. He was one of the assistant football coaches for the Cougars, and you could tell it from his classroom. If you didn't have your homework, or were cutting up....well, as Mr. T would say, "I pity the fool." As scary as that might sound, I have as much respect for him as anybody on this list because he didn't have to pass an Algebra student who was barely cutting it--or maybe wasn't....However, I was not going to be accused of not trying, and I busted my Burns backside trying to figure out why 2x + y = 14 matters. To be honest, I haven't. But just like he coached many young men on the field about hard work, the idea of giving it your all is something I will always connect with Bob Beaubien!
EMMA HALL---I had Mrs. Hall for two classes at DCHS--English and Psychology. Whatever writer I am, and that may be debatable, I credit to her. Keeping a journal was one of the best assignments anyone could have ever given me. I might have been too honest about certain things....but she was always encouraging of everything I did. A few years ago, she fought a battle with cancer, and came out a winner. She's got a lot of courage, and she doesn't have a bigger fan out there than me!
At the same time, there are two people that, while I never had them for a teacher, I can't write this post without talking about them....
SHELBY RYE----While I never had Coach Rye as a teacher, he's one of the best all-around people there is. In all my years being associated with DCHS, there is nobody up there who has represented the orange and blue with as much class as Shelby Rye. When people from other schools find out that I have covered DCHS for close to fifteen years, they always have good words to say about him. Simply put, he's the best. To illustrate this point, let me point out that nobody has had a field named after him at DCHS....and there have been some great men associated with the school. If you take a left at the top of Cougar Hill, you will see Shelby Rye Field. As Eddie Stubbs would say, "Are there any questions?"
KENNETH FUSSELL----I was blessed to have some great principals during my school years....Reed Evans and Ralph Overton among them, but Kenneth Fussell was a different breed, to say the least. For over twenty years, he was the boss at Burns, but I doubt anyone--student or teacher--looked at him as anything other than a friend. Go to Co-Op in Dickson on the day he works, and you'll find one line to buy stuff, and one line to talk to Kenny Fussell...and can he talk!....But we all would do good to listen!
To all of these people, and others that I failed to mention, I thank you. Being a parent makes me more appreciative of how you dealt with thirty students a day from August-May. Thanks again!
LAVERNE FISHER---My very first teacher. I remember my mother dropping me off at Burns Elementary School for my first day of school in August 1980. Mama's boy that I was, and continued to be for 25 more years, I cried like a....child on his first day of school. I will always remember her trying to calm me down by saying "If you cry, I think I will too." You never want to see a person cry, do you?
JOAN ATKEISON----My second grade teacher was and is special to me for a lot of reasons. Going to school when and where I did was unique because a lot of things were different. Imagine saying the Lord's Prayer in school nowadays. I remember that she did....but what I remember and treasure most is the fact that she was the first teacher to encourage what made me different. For a second grader to want to skip recess to watch filmstrips of presidential history, or to bring his Kenny Rogers' GREATEST HITS album to class for show and tell, you're probably something just shy of normal. Thank you for encouraging that. Since then, I have been privileged to call her friend....though despite her asking me to, I never have been able to call her "Joan." "Ms. Joan," maybe!
RANDY TIDWELL-----I have called Randy by his first name for about twenty years. I had to. I was the board operator for DCHS Football games for the first four years of my radio career, and saying "Now back to Mr. Tidwell" didn't have a radio ring to it. Since 1996, I have been in the booth doing those games with him, and it's one of the things I love doing most. Only the call letters have changed over the years. One of these days, I am going to ask him to sing Waylon Jennings' "Amanda" on the air. It was something he did every now and then in Gym Class!....Speaking of class, he's the definition!
BARBARA EASLEY-----I had Ms. Easley my third and fifth grade year, and I'd like to think I was one of her favorites. I remember when I started in radio, she was one of the first callers I ever had at the station. She's the one out of these ten that I haven't kept up with as much as others, but still she made quite the impact.
RHONDA MADDEN------I was in her first class when I was in the fourth grade. She's someone that I have kept up with over the years due to my work with Dickson County High School. On any Friday night in the fall, Ms. Madden will be the first Cougar fan in the stands---home or away. She's always been very supportive of the work I've done---whether in class or on the air!
DAVID GREENE-----As I said earlier in describing my feelings about Ms. Atkeison, times have changed. David Greene was not what you would call politically correct. Nor would he wanted to have been. There was a little bit of Gabe Kotter, a dash of Lewis Grizzard, and even a huge helping of Robin Hood in my seventh grade Tennessee History teacher, and I can tell you I enjoyed nobody else's class any more than his.
GEORGE DUFTY-----It might shock many of you who know me well that I took Shop in 8th grade. I thought it taught you how to find records in record stores, as the concept of hammer and nails confuses me. Mr. Dufty overlooked my error, and was a great teacher, but he's been even nicer to me post-school. One thing's for certain...he'll never forget the day one of his students sanded off his fingernail on the sander....though, I'm probably not the first or the last.
RANDY SULLIVAN----Just like others on this list, Randy Sullivan must have known that something wasn't quite right inside a tenth graders head when he spoke on such topics in speech class as the Grand Ole Opry, the CMA Awards, and George Jones. However, he encouraged me quite a bit, and off-kilter characters were many on Cougar Hill around this time. In addition to whatever I have become, he also taught a million-selling singer / songwriter and a popular movie actor who had a love scene with Britney Spears...It takes all kinds of us!
BOB BEAUBIEN-----One of my favorite people on this list. He was one of the assistant football coaches for the Cougars, and you could tell it from his classroom. If you didn't have your homework, or were cutting up....well, as Mr. T would say, "I pity the fool." As scary as that might sound, I have as much respect for him as anybody on this list because he didn't have to pass an Algebra student who was barely cutting it--or maybe wasn't....However, I was not going to be accused of not trying, and I busted my Burns backside trying to figure out why 2x + y = 14 matters. To be honest, I haven't. But just like he coached many young men on the field about hard work, the idea of giving it your all is something I will always connect with Bob Beaubien!
EMMA HALL---I had Mrs. Hall for two classes at DCHS--English and Psychology. Whatever writer I am, and that may be debatable, I credit to her. Keeping a journal was one of the best assignments anyone could have ever given me. I might have been too honest about certain things....but she was always encouraging of everything I did. A few years ago, she fought a battle with cancer, and came out a winner. She's got a lot of courage, and she doesn't have a bigger fan out there than me!
At the same time, there are two people that, while I never had them for a teacher, I can't write this post without talking about them....
SHELBY RYE----While I never had Coach Rye as a teacher, he's one of the best all-around people there is. In all my years being associated with DCHS, there is nobody up there who has represented the orange and blue with as much class as Shelby Rye. When people from other schools find out that I have covered DCHS for close to fifteen years, they always have good words to say about him. Simply put, he's the best. To illustrate this point, let me point out that nobody has had a field named after him at DCHS....and there have been some great men associated with the school. If you take a left at the top of Cougar Hill, you will see Shelby Rye Field. As Eddie Stubbs would say, "Are there any questions?"
KENNETH FUSSELL----I was blessed to have some great principals during my school years....Reed Evans and Ralph Overton among them, but Kenneth Fussell was a different breed, to say the least. For over twenty years, he was the boss at Burns, but I doubt anyone--student or teacher--looked at him as anything other than a friend. Go to Co-Op in Dickson on the day he works, and you'll find one line to buy stuff, and one line to talk to Kenny Fussell...and can he talk!....But we all would do good to listen!
To all of these people, and others that I failed to mention, I thank you. Being a parent makes me more appreciative of how you dealt with thirty students a day from August-May. Thanks again!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
THE "NEW" OPRY HOUSE
A few weeks ago, I was talking about the Grand Ole Opry with someone at the Country Radio Seminar. I don't really remember the context of the conversation, but the other person said 'You know, the Opry hasn't been the same since they moved to the "New" Opry House.' I didn't think much about that comment until I was looking at the Country Calendar this week, and saw that the Opry moved into its' new digs 36 years ago this week. I bring that up, because the Ryman was only home for the show for 31 years. It's interesting to note that the current home of the Opry is actually the longest running.
Moreover, in thinking about that fact, I thought of what the "New" Opry House has meant to me over the years. The night that I knew for sure what I wanted to do with my career was in February 1986. I had won tickets to see Hank Williams, Jr. at the "New" Opry House, and went there with my father and my brother. We walked around the Opryland Hotel for a while that evening, and I still remember walking by the Music Country Radio Network booth inside the lobby of the hotel. I was mesmerized, and though a lot has changed at WSM over the years, I still have to admit that whenever I am there...I look a little longer at that studio than anything else at the hotel.
Before that night, I went to the Opry for the first time back in 1983. Roy Acuff, Minnie Pearl, Hank Snow, and Bill Monroe were all still alive at that time and performing at the "New" Opry House. I also remember concerts there during the summer featuring people like Loretta Lynn and Ricky Skaggs, back in the days of Opryland. Remember that place? One of the best musical memories I have of those shows was Ricky, with just a guitar, debuting a song he had written about his parents---"Thanks Again."
One of the first major interviews I ever did took place back in February 1995 at the "New" Opry House. I went backstage and talked to Bill Anderson in Dressing Room Number One. For historians, that was the room assigned to Roy Acuff until his death in 1992. I didn't have a tape recorder at the time, so I borrowed one from my friend Mickey Bunn, who programs one of the two stations I now work at. If you want to hear a twenty-one year old who was so nervous that his voice was as high as Donald Duck on acid....it would be me.
For many years, I was very honored to be able to go backstage and meet many of the people who I have long admired. Grandpa Jones, Lee Ann Womack, Tony Brown, Faith Hill...they are all in the picture book. One night, I got to meet "Dashing" Doyle Holly, one of the former members of Buck Owens' Buckaroos. I even met Gomer Pyle, Jim Nabors himself, one night there.
I wasn't even a month old when the Opry moved from the Ryman to the "New" Opry House, so I don't have any memories of Saturday nights on Fifth Avenue. I don't doubt they were classic nights, though...How could they not have been? But, for a generation like mine, don't discount the allure of the current home for the Grand Ole Opry.
Last September, my wife and I took the kids to see the Opry for the first time. For a few minutes, I walked around the hallway of the "New" Opry House, and felt just as many ghosts and spirits as people say they do at the Ryman. As a radio guy, the picture and tribute to Grant Turner is probably one of the more meaningful tributes in the whole place.
Trust me, I love the past and the heritage of Country Music as much as anyone. I often have remarked to people that I wish I could have started my career in 1961 instead of 1991, but with that said.....the "New" isn't always a bad thing, and to some of us....it's as "Classic" as can be!
Moreover, in thinking about that fact, I thought of what the "New" Opry House has meant to me over the years. The night that I knew for sure what I wanted to do with my career was in February 1986. I had won tickets to see Hank Williams, Jr. at the "New" Opry House, and went there with my father and my brother. We walked around the Opryland Hotel for a while that evening, and I still remember walking by the Music Country Radio Network booth inside the lobby of the hotel. I was mesmerized, and though a lot has changed at WSM over the years, I still have to admit that whenever I am there...I look a little longer at that studio than anything else at the hotel.
Before that night, I went to the Opry for the first time back in 1983. Roy Acuff, Minnie Pearl, Hank Snow, and Bill Monroe were all still alive at that time and performing at the "New" Opry House. I also remember concerts there during the summer featuring people like Loretta Lynn and Ricky Skaggs, back in the days of Opryland. Remember that place? One of the best musical memories I have of those shows was Ricky, with just a guitar, debuting a song he had written about his parents---"Thanks Again."
One of the first major interviews I ever did took place back in February 1995 at the "New" Opry House. I went backstage and talked to Bill Anderson in Dressing Room Number One. For historians, that was the room assigned to Roy Acuff until his death in 1992. I didn't have a tape recorder at the time, so I borrowed one from my friend Mickey Bunn, who programs one of the two stations I now work at. If you want to hear a twenty-one year old who was so nervous that his voice was as high as Donald Duck on acid....it would be me.
For many years, I was very honored to be able to go backstage and meet many of the people who I have long admired. Grandpa Jones, Lee Ann Womack, Tony Brown, Faith Hill...they are all in the picture book. One night, I got to meet "Dashing" Doyle Holly, one of the former members of Buck Owens' Buckaroos. I even met Gomer Pyle, Jim Nabors himself, one night there.
I wasn't even a month old when the Opry moved from the Ryman to the "New" Opry House, so I don't have any memories of Saturday nights on Fifth Avenue. I don't doubt they were classic nights, though...How could they not have been? But, for a generation like mine, don't discount the allure of the current home for the Grand Ole Opry.
Last September, my wife and I took the kids to see the Opry for the first time. For a few minutes, I walked around the hallway of the "New" Opry House, and felt just as many ghosts and spirits as people say they do at the Ryman. As a radio guy, the picture and tribute to Grant Turner is probably one of the more meaningful tributes in the whole place.
Trust me, I love the past and the heritage of Country Music as much as anyone. I often have remarked to people that I wish I could have started my career in 1961 instead of 1991, but with that said.....the "New" isn't always a bad thing, and to some of us....it's as "Classic" as can be!
Monday, February 15, 2010
36......REALLY?
Back in the 1980s, there was a song by Don Williams called "Maggie's Dream." The lyrics describe the life of a woman who was "closer now to 50 than to 40." I can't identify with that line yet, but I can say that this week, I have some of those thoughts.
This week, I will hit 36 on the age scale. It's something that I have a little trouble believing. That means I am closer to the age of 40 than I am to 30. I realize that I may not get much sympathy from a lot of people, as I have been told that I'm still young by a lot of people over the past year....but 36...wow....that's something.
Don't worry. I'm not going to go into an early mid-life crisis or anything like that, but I guess I always thought that I would have it all figured out by the time 40 came into view. The truth is....lol....I think you know the truth!
I totally understand now about how age is just a number. Even though I don't feel 21 anymore, you still view time as standing still...when it waits for nobody......
I don't feel a great sense of time passing by, even though the past year has been one of transition, and many times I have wondered where it ends up. I think I have done some of my best work over the past twelve months, and hope that lands me somewhere.....but more about that later.
Anyway, it's kind of neat to say that I am (or will be--depending on when you are reading this) 36......Time does pass by......
This week, I will hit 36 on the age scale. It's something that I have a little trouble believing. That means I am closer to the age of 40 than I am to 30. I realize that I may not get much sympathy from a lot of people, as I have been told that I'm still young by a lot of people over the past year....but 36...wow....that's something.
Don't worry. I'm not going to go into an early mid-life crisis or anything like that, but I guess I always thought that I would have it all figured out by the time 40 came into view. The truth is....lol....I think you know the truth!
I totally understand now about how age is just a number. Even though I don't feel 21 anymore, you still view time as standing still...when it waits for nobody......
I don't feel a great sense of time passing by, even though the past year has been one of transition, and many times I have wondered where it ends up. I think I have done some of my best work over the past twelve months, and hope that lands me somewhere.....but more about that later.
Anyway, it's kind of neat to say that I am (or will be--depending on when you are reading this) 36......Time does pass by......
Saturday, February 6, 2010
A COUPLE OF REASONS WHY
I haven't been writing as much on this blog for a couple of weeks now. Yes, I can tell that you are very upset at this fact, because reading this blog probably is as high on your list as it is getting the e-mail that the blog has been updated. But, it has been a crazy past few weeks...but all good.
I wanted to write you this week and tell you about a couple of things that happened to me this week. With all that goes on in the music industry---consolidation, losing jobs, seeing talented artists not make it----it's sometimes easy to get a little bit jaded...Then, you have a week that I had.
Wednesday night, I had a chance to attend the album premiere party for Dailey and Vincent's new album, DAILEY AND VINCENT SING THE STATLER BROTHERS, at the Country Music Hall Of Fame. Bluegrass music, generally, is something that I can take or leave....unless it's done right. Names like Lawson, Skaggs, Krauss, Nugent, and yes, Dailey and Vincent do it right--and then some. The album is fantastic, and the live performance at the Hall that night was even better.
In fact, I want to challenge each and every one of you to run to Cracker Barrel right now (unless it's the middle of the night), and get this album. It is truly a musical event. The harmonies, the instrumentation, everything about it as tight as twin fiddles in a Bob Wills band....I stole that line from the great honky-tonk philosopher Gosdin, by the way!
The next night, as an early birthday present, my wife took me to the Schermerhorn Center in Nashville to see my favorite singer, Kenny Rogers. So many of my earliest musical memories from my childhood stem from his music---whether it be my mother buying his 8-track tapes, or seeing the clouds go around on the record player on the United Artists label. I think I sang along with every song, and it was a great night. One time before he retires, I would love to be the person that he grabs from the audience where he pays them 10 dollars for each of his songs they can remember. Then again, seeing how I could probably quote the track sequence from each album he has released since 1975.....that might not be a good idea on his part...but still, it was a great night!
I say all that to say this. Friday, I decided I would call Dailey and Vincent's publicist, Karen Byrd, and thank her for the invite. Something she said struck me. We were talking about how easy it is to get jaded by it all, and because of that fact, you don't get truly excited about as much. She said "It kinda makes you remember why you do what you do, doesn't it?" Karen, after those two nights...you are exactly right!
I wanted to write you this week and tell you about a couple of things that happened to me this week. With all that goes on in the music industry---consolidation, losing jobs, seeing talented artists not make it----it's sometimes easy to get a little bit jaded...Then, you have a week that I had.
Wednesday night, I had a chance to attend the album premiere party for Dailey and Vincent's new album, DAILEY AND VINCENT SING THE STATLER BROTHERS, at the Country Music Hall Of Fame. Bluegrass music, generally, is something that I can take or leave....unless it's done right. Names like Lawson, Skaggs, Krauss, Nugent, and yes, Dailey and Vincent do it right--and then some. The album is fantastic, and the live performance at the Hall that night was even better.
In fact, I want to challenge each and every one of you to run to Cracker Barrel right now (unless it's the middle of the night), and get this album. It is truly a musical event. The harmonies, the instrumentation, everything about it as tight as twin fiddles in a Bob Wills band....I stole that line from the great honky-tonk philosopher Gosdin, by the way!
The next night, as an early birthday present, my wife took me to the Schermerhorn Center in Nashville to see my favorite singer, Kenny Rogers. So many of my earliest musical memories from my childhood stem from his music---whether it be my mother buying his 8-track tapes, or seeing the clouds go around on the record player on the United Artists label. I think I sang along with every song, and it was a great night. One time before he retires, I would love to be the person that he grabs from the audience where he pays them 10 dollars for each of his songs they can remember. Then again, seeing how I could probably quote the track sequence from each album he has released since 1975.....that might not be a good idea on his part...but still, it was a great night!
I say all that to say this. Friday, I decided I would call Dailey and Vincent's publicist, Karen Byrd, and thank her for the invite. Something she said struck me. We were talking about how easy it is to get jaded by it all, and because of that fact, you don't get truly excited about as much. She said "It kinda makes you remember why you do what you do, doesn't it?" Karen, after those two nights...you are exactly right!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Random Thoughts
Well.....The weather is warmer this week. That's definitely a plus in Middle Tennessee. There are a lot of things to write about this week, and I couldn't choose just one. From Haiti to Carl Smith, there's a couple of things that matter....and a couple that don't, but here goes...
HAITI-----We read and see about destruction all over the world sometimes that I think we tend to get immune to it. The earthquake in Haiti is something that threw me for a jolt. I was watching CNN with my wife over dinner Saturday night, and I've got to tell you that my respect for Anderson Cooper went up about twenty notches. In one of his reports, he was asked to follow behind a family as they carried one of their loved ones to an unmarked grave. Watching this on TV, I can understand the respect that many had for Cronkite and Rather during Vietnam. Sometimes, no matter how wide or vast your experience is, there are no words. Then, CNN ran footage of crews trying to pull a little girl from the rubbish. She had survived a few days, but after they got her out...she passed away. I'm sure the tragedy has had many faces, but that's one that got to me. Folks, there are many ways, and many organizations that you can help that are over there right now doing their best to make this situation a little easier. If you can, please do so.
CARL SMITH-----Sunday afternoon, Nashville was hit with the news that Carl Smith had died at the age of 82. In writing a tribute to Carl for LimeWire.com, I realized that along with Little Jimmy Dickens, Smith was the last male star standing from the early 1950s. I remember my mother once telling me that even though she wasn't the biggest Country fan growing up...(that changed!), there were two that she liked---Marty Robbins and Carl Smith. Two very talented, and also very handsome men.....I have read many other stories along those lines the past couple of days. Over the years, on my trips to Franklin, I would pass by Smith's ranch. If there's any consolation about all of this, at least he is with his beloved Goldie. If you like Classic Country, pick up a Carl Smith CD....You'll be glad you did!
THE NFL PLAYOFFS: I have taken some flak the past few days from some that have blamed me for the Cowboys' loss to the Vikings. Let me say this....As I team fan, there is none other that I root for like I do "America's Team." I do think that Tony Romo and company made a lot of progress, and I also think that they are right about where the team was in 1992...so stay tuned....At the same time, for a lot of reasons....I am a huge fan of Brett Favre, and if the Vikings can win one this year, I would love to see him do it. Through his career, he has been one of the more exciting athletes I have ever seen. He has taken a hit or two from some for being wishy-washy about retirement. But...when it's all said and done, I think that history will judge the Packers for showing him the door. There's two sides to every story, but I think that seventeen years with a team gives you some leeway...or at least it should! With that said....I'm not trading in any of my Dallas stuff....I'll need it for next year when we win it all!
and finally.....As many know, I am a fan of classic TV. The past few years, there have been many who have lamented that the medium isn't what it once was. While that may be true, I ask that they tune into Fox on Monday nights for HOUSE. Hugh Laurie has brought such an understanding to the role of Dr. Gregory House over the past six seasons. With another actor, the character might very well be looked up as an annoying know-it-all, but not this doctor. Then, on Thursday nights, CBS has this show called THE MENTALIST. I have watched a couple of episodes, and I am hooked. It has some of the best dialogue, and the lead character, played by Simon Baker, delivers some of the best smart-aleck lines since Larry Hagman's JR Ewing some three decades ago. While most of the stuff on TV today won't make me put my DALLAS and THE WALTONS DVD's away...(and there's two more of those coming out this month), it seems that some fifty years after FCC Chairman Newton Minnow once claimed that TV was a "Vast Wasteland," there's still some "Must See TV," after all!
HAITI-----We read and see about destruction all over the world sometimes that I think we tend to get immune to it. The earthquake in Haiti is something that threw me for a jolt. I was watching CNN with my wife over dinner Saturday night, and I've got to tell you that my respect for Anderson Cooper went up about twenty notches. In one of his reports, he was asked to follow behind a family as they carried one of their loved ones to an unmarked grave. Watching this on TV, I can understand the respect that many had for Cronkite and Rather during Vietnam. Sometimes, no matter how wide or vast your experience is, there are no words. Then, CNN ran footage of crews trying to pull a little girl from the rubbish. She had survived a few days, but after they got her out...she passed away. I'm sure the tragedy has had many faces, but that's one that got to me. Folks, there are many ways, and many organizations that you can help that are over there right now doing their best to make this situation a little easier. If you can, please do so.
CARL SMITH-----Sunday afternoon, Nashville was hit with the news that Carl Smith had died at the age of 82. In writing a tribute to Carl for LimeWire.com, I realized that along with Little Jimmy Dickens, Smith was the last male star standing from the early 1950s. I remember my mother once telling me that even though she wasn't the biggest Country fan growing up...(that changed!), there were two that she liked---Marty Robbins and Carl Smith. Two very talented, and also very handsome men.....I have read many other stories along those lines the past couple of days. Over the years, on my trips to Franklin, I would pass by Smith's ranch. If there's any consolation about all of this, at least he is with his beloved Goldie. If you like Classic Country, pick up a Carl Smith CD....You'll be glad you did!
THE NFL PLAYOFFS: I have taken some flak the past few days from some that have blamed me for the Cowboys' loss to the Vikings. Let me say this....As I team fan, there is none other that I root for like I do "America's Team." I do think that Tony Romo and company made a lot of progress, and I also think that they are right about where the team was in 1992...so stay tuned....At the same time, for a lot of reasons....I am a huge fan of Brett Favre, and if the Vikings can win one this year, I would love to see him do it. Through his career, he has been one of the more exciting athletes I have ever seen. He has taken a hit or two from some for being wishy-washy about retirement. But...when it's all said and done, I think that history will judge the Packers for showing him the door. There's two sides to every story, but I think that seventeen years with a team gives you some leeway...or at least it should! With that said....I'm not trading in any of my Dallas stuff....I'll need it for next year when we win it all!
and finally.....As many know, I am a fan of classic TV. The past few years, there have been many who have lamented that the medium isn't what it once was. While that may be true, I ask that they tune into Fox on Monday nights for HOUSE. Hugh Laurie has brought such an understanding to the role of Dr. Gregory House over the past six seasons. With another actor, the character might very well be looked up as an annoying know-it-all, but not this doctor. Then, on Thursday nights, CBS has this show called THE MENTALIST. I have watched a couple of episodes, and I am hooked. It has some of the best dialogue, and the lead character, played by Simon Baker, delivers some of the best smart-aleck lines since Larry Hagman's JR Ewing some three decades ago. While most of the stuff on TV today won't make me put my DALLAS and THE WALTONS DVD's away...(and there's two more of those coming out this month), it seems that some fifty years after FCC Chairman Newton Minnow once claimed that TV was a "Vast Wasteland," there's still some "Must See TV," after all!
Monday, January 11, 2010
LIFE GETS TEE'JUS, DON'T IT?
Charlie Daniels used to kick off his Volunteer Jam each year by saying "Aren't You Glad To Be Alive and Living In Tennessee?" Well.....Yes, I am glad to be alive and living in the Volunteer State. That being said, I will tell you that last week was...well....(TRYING TO THINK OF WORDS)....a week.
Middle Tennessee got hit with one of the coldest spells that we have been under in some time over the past week, which also included snow. It was pretty to see, but it was the kind that got on the roads, and made driving around kind of interesting. I had quite the time making it up our road. We woke up one morning to no water....anywhere, as our pipes froze up. This just didn't happen once, but a few times during the week. "Why didn't you leave the faucet dripping," you ask? We did.....It was that cold.
There were some other factors at play last week as well. I went out to my car to get some things I was working on, and picked up my box out of the car, only to slip, drop the box and all its' items, and hurt my side pretty good in the process. It still hurts, but has gotten a little more manageable.....It was the kind of week where you were glad that it was over with.
Still, it wasn't all bad. The family has been eating well, because Shannon has attacked cookbooks with a vengeance as of late. She's been trying out a lot of new recipes since Christmas, and they have all been delicious. The Cowboys won their first playoff game since 1996 Saturday night, and I had a great time last week interviewing Jimmy Fortune for my radio show, and for LimeWire.com last week. So, as Forrest Gump once said....."It Happens."
I know we all have weeks that you feel they will never end, so I'm not looking for sympathy......but I was reminded tonight about an old Country song (not that it takes me that much to be reminded of old Country songs) that you just might identify with......Truth be told, I've never heard the record, but you might have.
Life Gets Teejus, Don't It? / Carson Robison)
The sun comes up and the sun goes down
And the hands on the clock go round and round
I just wake up and it's time to lay down,
Life gets teejus, don't it.
My shoe's untied, but, shucks, I don't care
Cuz I recon I ain't a-goin' nowhere
I'd brush my teeth and comb my hair
Just too much wasted effort.
The water in the well get lower and lower
Ain't had a bath in a month or more
I've heard it said and I'm sure it's true
That too much bathing will weaken you.
Danged ol' mule, he must be sick.
I jabbed him in the rump with a pin on a stick
He hunched his back, but he wouldn't kick
Something cock-eyed somewhere.
Hound dog's howling so forlorn
Laziest dawg that ever was born
He's howlin' 'cause he's settin' on a thorn
Just too tired to move over.
Well, the cow's gone dry and the hens won't lay
And my well dried up last Saturday
My troubles keep pilin' up day by day
And now I'm gettin' dandruff.
Roof's a-leakin' and the chimney leans
An' there's a hole in the seat of my old blue jeans
Now I've et the last of the pork an' beans
Just can't depend on nothin'
Mouse is gnawin' at the pantry door
He's been at it now for a month or more
When he gets through he'll sure be sore
Cause there ain't a dang thing in there.
Well, it's debts and taxes and pains and woes
Aches and miseries and that's how it goes
And now I'm getting a cold in my nose
Life gets tasteless, don't it.
Copyright Carson Robison.
Talk to you next week....unless I get laryngitis....LOL!
Middle Tennessee got hit with one of the coldest spells that we have been under in some time over the past week, which also included snow. It was pretty to see, but it was the kind that got on the roads, and made driving around kind of interesting. I had quite the time making it up our road. We woke up one morning to no water....anywhere, as our pipes froze up. This just didn't happen once, but a few times during the week. "Why didn't you leave the faucet dripping," you ask? We did.....It was that cold.
There were some other factors at play last week as well. I went out to my car to get some things I was working on, and picked up my box out of the car, only to slip, drop the box and all its' items, and hurt my side pretty good in the process. It still hurts, but has gotten a little more manageable.....It was the kind of week where you were glad that it was over with.
Still, it wasn't all bad. The family has been eating well, because Shannon has attacked cookbooks with a vengeance as of late. She's been trying out a lot of new recipes since Christmas, and they have all been delicious. The Cowboys won their first playoff game since 1996 Saturday night, and I had a great time last week interviewing Jimmy Fortune for my radio show, and for LimeWire.com last week. So, as Forrest Gump once said....."It Happens."
I know we all have weeks that you feel they will never end, so I'm not looking for sympathy......but I was reminded tonight about an old Country song (not that it takes me that much to be reminded of old Country songs) that you just might identify with......Truth be told, I've never heard the record, but you might have.
Life Gets Teejus, Don't It? / Carson Robison)
The sun comes up and the sun goes down
And the hands on the clock go round and round
I just wake up and it's time to lay down,
Life gets teejus, don't it.
My shoe's untied, but, shucks, I don't care
Cuz I recon I ain't a-goin' nowhere
I'd brush my teeth and comb my hair
Just too much wasted effort.
The water in the well get lower and lower
Ain't had a bath in a month or more
I've heard it said and I'm sure it's true
That too much bathing will weaken you.
Danged ol' mule, he must be sick.
I jabbed him in the rump with a pin on a stick
He hunched his back, but he wouldn't kick
Something cock-eyed somewhere.
Hound dog's howling so forlorn
Laziest dawg that ever was born
He's howlin' 'cause he's settin' on a thorn
Just too tired to move over.
Well, the cow's gone dry and the hens won't lay
And my well dried up last Saturday
My troubles keep pilin' up day by day
And now I'm gettin' dandruff.
Roof's a-leakin' and the chimney leans
An' there's a hole in the seat of my old blue jeans
Now I've et the last of the pork an' beans
Just can't depend on nothin'
Mouse is gnawin' at the pantry door
He's been at it now for a month or more
When he gets through he'll sure be sore
Cause there ain't a dang thing in there.
Well, it's debts and taxes and pains and woes
Aches and miseries and that's how it goes
And now I'm getting a cold in my nose
Life gets tasteless, don't it.
Copyright Carson Robison.
Talk to you next week....unless I get laryngitis....LOL!
Monday, January 4, 2010
"AND NOW......THE PLAYOFFS"
First of all, Happy New Year to everyone reading this. If you are a sports fan like I am, this is a big week. The 2009 NFL regular season has ended, and all eyes are focused on the twelve teams that are still standing---those fortunate few to be involved in the NFL Playoffs. I write a little bit about sports from time to time on the high school level, but I thought I would play NFL prognosticator, and do my best to dissect the teams left. I will let it be known that back in August, when making my predictions on WFGZ Radio, I predicted Minnesota and San Diego....Will I stick to that? Let's take a look!
AFC:
Indianapolis: First of all, I want to say that Wesley Welker's injury for the Patriots proved Jim Caldwell's theory right about resting your starters. It has been a great year for Peyton and Company, but have they been as dominant as their record? I really don't think so. They are going to be tough to beat, but it is doable.
San Diego: Quite possibly, they are one of the most dangerous
teams out there. Defensively, they are very strong and quick, and on offense...they are loaded. I think they probably closed the season playing just as strong as anybody in the NFL.
New England: They might not be as dominant as they were a few years ago, but Brady and Company in the playoffs in January seems like a sure bet. I do think that Welker's injury is going to be a tough one to overcome, but if anyone can overcome it....it's Tom Brady.
Cincinnati: The Bengals stumbled in their final game, though it was quite a meaningless affair. That aside, I think that the fact that there were no Bengals selected to the Pro Bowl, coupled with the fact that the team has rallied around the death of Chris Henry, make this team kind of a sleeping giant of sorts.
New York Jets----I think that Rex Ryan did a great job in getting this team back to the post-season. With that said, I don't really know if their season-ending win against the Bengals was as big as you might think. Regardless of what happens over the next few days, I think that Mark Sanchez is the real deal.
Baltimore: This team has been the surprise of 2009. The first few weeks of the season---they looked unstoppable. Then, the Ravens came crashing back down to earth. They rebounded enough to clinch a spot here, and they should prove to be a tough team to play.
AFC PLAYOFF PICTURE:
Patriots over Ravens
Bengals over Jets
AFC DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS
Patriots over Colts
Chargers over Bengals
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP
Chargers over Patriots
NFC
New Orleans: A month ago, I thought they were unbeatable. The last three weeks of the season, we have seen enough of their weaknesses. Still, if they get their mojo back, they could be dangerous.
Minnesota: They did fade a little down the stretch, but their final victory against the Giants proved how good a team they can be. Brett Favre is the key. In spite of what they might have said about him just running the offense when he arrived, they haven't been able to get the ground game going as much as they would have liked. In the end, I think # 4 is going to dictate how the Vikings story ends.
Dallas: I am a Cowboys fan, as many of you know. That being said, I am as surprised as anyone with their late-season surge. You just don't see it in Big D. Can they parlay it to their first victory in the post-season since 1996? Stay tuned?
Arizona: If any team can perform well against the odds, it would have to be the Arizona Cardinals. Their run last season is proof of this. I think they are well-suited for another run, and their defense is playing even better than last year.
Green Bay: Aaron Rodgers proved his worth in 2009, and played extremely well. The offensive line rebounded from sloppy play early, and sometimes forced Rodgers to try too hard. Now that they are in the post-season, I think that they've got a good chance this year......and a better one next year.
Philadelphia: What a final week it was for Philly. All they had to do was win and they would have been the number two seed...yet, they fell all the way to # 6 via their loss to Dallas, where they go this weekend! Can they beat the Cowboys, a team they haven't won against this season? I think they can, but I think Dallas is going be ready.......
NFC Playoff Picture:
Dallas over Philadelphia
Arizona over Green Bay
NFC Divisional Playoffs:
New Orleans over Arizona
Minnesota over Dallas
NFC Championship:
Minnesota over New Orleans
and that Super Bowl prediction? I am sticking with it.....Minnesota over San Diego with Brett Favre riding out into the sunset with another ring.....Enjoy the playoffs, and I hope your team wins.....unless they are playing mine!
AFC:
Indianapolis: First of all, I want to say that Wesley Welker's injury for the Patriots proved Jim Caldwell's theory right about resting your starters. It has been a great year for Peyton and Company, but have they been as dominant as their record? I really don't think so. They are going to be tough to beat, but it is doable.
San Diego: Quite possibly, they are one of the most dangerous
teams out there. Defensively, they are very strong and quick, and on offense...they are loaded. I think they probably closed the season playing just as strong as anybody in the NFL.
New England: They might not be as dominant as they were a few years ago, but Brady and Company in the playoffs in January seems like a sure bet. I do think that Welker's injury is going to be a tough one to overcome, but if anyone can overcome it....it's Tom Brady.
Cincinnati: The Bengals stumbled in their final game, though it was quite a meaningless affair. That aside, I think that the fact that there were no Bengals selected to the Pro Bowl, coupled with the fact that the team has rallied around the death of Chris Henry, make this team kind of a sleeping giant of sorts.
New York Jets----I think that Rex Ryan did a great job in getting this team back to the post-season. With that said, I don't really know if their season-ending win against the Bengals was as big as you might think. Regardless of what happens over the next few days, I think that Mark Sanchez is the real deal.
Baltimore: This team has been the surprise of 2009. The first few weeks of the season---they looked unstoppable. Then, the Ravens came crashing back down to earth. They rebounded enough to clinch a spot here, and they should prove to be a tough team to play.
AFC PLAYOFF PICTURE:
Patriots over Ravens
Bengals over Jets
AFC DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS
Patriots over Colts
Chargers over Bengals
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP
Chargers over Patriots
NFC
New Orleans: A month ago, I thought they were unbeatable. The last three weeks of the season, we have seen enough of their weaknesses. Still, if they get their mojo back, they could be dangerous.
Minnesota: They did fade a little down the stretch, but their final victory against the Giants proved how good a team they can be. Brett Favre is the key. In spite of what they might have said about him just running the offense when he arrived, they haven't been able to get the ground game going as much as they would have liked. In the end, I think # 4 is going to dictate how the Vikings story ends.
Dallas: I am a Cowboys fan, as many of you know. That being said, I am as surprised as anyone with their late-season surge. You just don't see it in Big D. Can they parlay it to their first victory in the post-season since 1996? Stay tuned?
Arizona: If any team can perform well against the odds, it would have to be the Arizona Cardinals. Their run last season is proof of this. I think they are well-suited for another run, and their defense is playing even better than last year.
Green Bay: Aaron Rodgers proved his worth in 2009, and played extremely well. The offensive line rebounded from sloppy play early, and sometimes forced Rodgers to try too hard. Now that they are in the post-season, I think that they've got a good chance this year......and a better one next year.
Philadelphia: What a final week it was for Philly. All they had to do was win and they would have been the number two seed...yet, they fell all the way to # 6 via their loss to Dallas, where they go this weekend! Can they beat the Cowboys, a team they haven't won against this season? I think they can, but I think Dallas is going be ready.......
NFC Playoff Picture:
Dallas over Philadelphia
Arizona over Green Bay
NFC Divisional Playoffs:
New Orleans over Arizona
Minnesota over Dallas
NFC Championship:
Minnesota over New Orleans
and that Super Bowl prediction? I am sticking with it.....Minnesota over San Diego with Brett Favre riding out into the sunset with another ring.....Enjoy the playoffs, and I hope your team wins.....unless they are playing mine!
Saturday, December 26, 2009
MIRACLE ON BEECHWOOD ROAD
I hope that all of you are having the best of holiday seasons. As I write this, it is the night after Christmas, and I am reflecting on the events of the past couple days. Anyone who knows me can tell you that I have a deep affinity for the feel-good vibe of shows like "Touched By An Angel" or the classic "The Waltons," and indeed---I am counting down the days until January 26 when I can complete my John-Boy collection with the release of The Waltons TV-Movie Collection, but a couple of things happened during that time span to rekindle my faith.....that whatever you want to call it....there's someone (my choice) or something out there watching over us....
First of all, it was a great day to be in Hickman County on Christmas Day. For the past two and a half years, I have called Centerville----a town that I had visited many times in the past---home. I love it, for a lot of reasons. But, sometimes I will also express my frustration that there is no Wal-Mart here, but that's another blog post. What happened here on Christmas was very cool. Several of the local Churches banded together to present a Community Christmas Dinner at Hickman Middle School.The spread was impressive, and everyone involved did a great job, but what impressed me was the diverse group of people represented while we were there. There were several young people, like us, who just might not have had a huge family in town. Older folks, who for whatever reason, didn't have a lot of people coming in for the holidays. There were even a couple of gypsies there, and several volunteers who were inmates of the Hickman County Jail. You know what? Nobody looked down on anyone, and everyone got along. Maybe it was the magic of the season, but it was well worth the drive into town. This has been going on for a few years in the town that Miss Minnie helped to promote, and everyone...town leaders, Baptist, Methodist, Church Of Christ, whoever...are to be commended! Though Centerville doesn't have a Wal-Mart, it still has that Mayberry feeling that I remember growing up....
And, as the late Paul Harvey would say....the rest of the story. If, somewhere around Burns, TN, there is a dog eating T-Bone steak tonight, one best not think anything about it. There's a big celebration going on.
Around 5pm yesterday, my phone rang. It was my father, and he had some distressing news for me. "Jack," the pug dog that belongs to him and his wife Marcia (technically my step-mother, but I hate that word), had mysteriously turned up missing that day. The dog is a rescue dog, and hadn't really bonded with anyone that much besides them, so it was a mystery how he got out. But reason aside, he was gone...and there wasn't a trace. Daddy had looked all over the metropolitan Burns area, and found nothing....I drove over and looked around myself, and didn't find him, either.
Needless to say, Marcia was quite distraught, and I can't say that I blame her. As someone who has always had a soft place in my heart for animals, I truly believe that "All Dogs (and Cats, now!) Go To Heaven." I left Burns last night with a heavy heart, knowing full well what the odds were.
First of all, it was a great day to be in Hickman County on Christmas Day. For the past two and a half years, I have called Centerville----a town that I had visited many times in the past---home. I love it, for a lot of reasons. But, sometimes I will also express my frustration that there is no Wal-Mart here, but that's another blog post. What happened here on Christmas was very cool. Several of the local Churches banded together to present a Community Christmas Dinner at Hickman Middle School.The spread was impressive, and everyone involved did a great job, but what impressed me was the diverse group of people represented while we were there. There were several young people, like us, who just might not have had a huge family in town. Older folks, who for whatever reason, didn't have a lot of people coming in for the holidays. There were even a couple of gypsies there, and several volunteers who were inmates of the Hickman County Jail. You know what? Nobody looked down on anyone, and everyone got along. Maybe it was the magic of the season, but it was well worth the drive into town. This has been going on for a few years in the town that Miss Minnie helped to promote, and everyone...town leaders, Baptist, Methodist, Church Of Christ, whoever...are to be commended! Though Centerville doesn't have a Wal-Mart, it still has that Mayberry feeling that I remember growing up....
And, as the late Paul Harvey would say....the rest of the story. If, somewhere around Burns, TN, there is a dog eating T-Bone steak tonight, one best not think anything about it. There's a big celebration going on.
Around 5pm yesterday, my phone rang. It was my father, and he had some distressing news for me. "Jack," the pug dog that belongs to him and his wife Marcia (technically my step-mother, but I hate that word), had mysteriously turned up missing that day. The dog is a rescue dog, and hadn't really bonded with anyone that much besides them, so it was a mystery how he got out. But reason aside, he was gone...and there wasn't a trace. Daddy had looked all over the metropolitan Burns area, and found nothing....I drove over and looked around myself, and didn't find him, either.
Needless to say, Marcia was quite distraught, and I can't say that I blame her. As someone who has always had a soft place in my heart for animals, I truly believe that "All Dogs (and Cats, now!) Go To Heaven." I left Burns last night with a heavy heart, knowing full well what the odds were.
But, wait just a second....This story has a happy ending. This morning, just a few miles from home, "Jack" was found...tired, a little hungry....but very much in health. I, and a few others, had put out a e-mail chain about him, and I just wanted to use this forum to tell you that he's OK. And, if he wanted a couple of T-Bone's tonight....Well, I know a woman who is not going to have a problem with that..
Happy Holidays!
Chuck
Sunday, December 13, 2009
ONE LAST PRESENT
One of the top things people write about this time of year is about favorite Christmas presents you've given or received. On the giving side, there are a couple that stand out----giving two of my favorite teachers (and someone I have worked with doing sports for almost twenty years) gift certificates to Red Lobster as the fulfillment of a long-standing running joke between us three, and the first Christmas that I spent with my children. Let's just say my little Suzuki Vitara was full of presents as it made a trek from Burns to Paris one Saturday afternoon three years ago....
On the other end of the spectrum, I don't know if it's my favorite gift that I've received or not....but the story is worth telling for sure.....Warning.....This might sound a little bit Hallmark Channel-ish, but it's true.....
Let me begin by saying that my mother could not stand the music of Buck Owens. That might very well be an understatement. Now, she didn't mind the fact that I was a fan, as long as I turned the volume down. One of my favorite pranks I pulled on her was when I replaced her Conway Twitty CD that stayed in the player beside her bed with....you guessed it, Buck Owens' Greatest Hits....She was expecting
"Hello Darlin," and got "Tiger By The Tail.".....I got a kick out of that one, and she wanted to kick my...Well, you get the idea.
So....I have set up the story. As many of you know, my mother passed away in October 2005 after suffering from a variety of ailments. Christmas was always one of her favorite times, and that's where I got my love for the season. 2005 was the first Christmas that I spent without her, but there was one last present from her to me.
"Now, how is that possible?" you ask....Read on....
The day after Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite days of the year. My brother and I have always gone out on Black Friday, and shopped till we or our money stopped. On Thanksgiving, my Dad surprised me with a pair of hundred dollar bills. "Your mama had these in her pocketbook when she died," he said. "I know she would want you and Randall to have them for tomorrow."
So, I kept one of the bills, and gave the other one to him the next morning. I love spending money---maybe a little too much---but try as I might, I just couldn't see spending my little windfall on four tins of popcorn, a Kenny Rogers CD, and other stuff I didn't have to have. A special occasion, I reckoned...that's what I would use it for.
A couple of weeks later, I was surfing the net one night when I discovered eBay. I began typing various things in, and then I thought of something I had wanted for years. If you remember Buck Owens, you know that he had a red,white,and blue guitar that was marketed through Sears back in the 1960s. One time, I saw one....just a few blocks from where I live now, but I couldn't convince my parents to buy a $75 guitar for a child who didn't play......but there it was on e-bay...and the bid was $50. I filled out all the forms I needed to....and made my bid.
Then, I found out just how competitive the bidding world is. Someone topped me at 60....So, I went to 70.....Then, the bid went to 75....so I made one last bid....80 dollars....My competitor didn't top me.....so, I ended up winning a Red, White, and Blue acoustic guitar----identical to the one Owens played for $80....Well, not quite....with shipping...it came to $100....even.
Well, I told you before that I have no problem spending money, if I have it....but, at the same time...once I have to pay for something....I cringe a little bit....Do I really need it? How am I going to pay for it?, I asked myself. There was enough money in the checking account, but I had to get through Christmas myself.
Then....it occured to me. The guitar....shipping and all, came out to the grand total of $100.00. There was a hundred dollar bill in my billfold that I had been saving for a .....special occasion. So, I deposited the bill that I had been holding on to, and about a week later---the guitar came, which sits on top of a bookshelf in our office today.
Am I saying that it was planned that way.....from the start? I don't know. I'll admit to being a sucker for shows like Touched By An Angel, but sometimes I think that life hardens us to the point that we don't believe in little bolts of lightning that you can't explain.....In this case, all I will say...is evidence points to something outside of my control. You can call it coincidence, if you like......Not me....and, as the legendary Forrest Gump would say...'That's all I have to say about that.'
On the other end of the spectrum, I don't know if it's my favorite gift that I've received or not....but the story is worth telling for sure.....Warning.....This might sound a little bit Hallmark Channel-ish, but it's true.....
Let me begin by saying that my mother could not stand the music of Buck Owens. That might very well be an understatement. Now, she didn't mind the fact that I was a fan, as long as I turned the volume down. One of my favorite pranks I pulled on her was when I replaced her Conway Twitty CD that stayed in the player beside her bed with....you guessed it, Buck Owens' Greatest Hits....She was expecting
"Hello Darlin," and got "Tiger By The Tail.".....I got a kick out of that one, and she wanted to kick my...Well, you get the idea.
So....I have set up the story. As many of you know, my mother passed away in October 2005 after suffering from a variety of ailments. Christmas was always one of her favorite times, and that's where I got my love for the season. 2005 was the first Christmas that I spent without her, but there was one last present from her to me.
"Now, how is that possible?" you ask....Read on....
The day after Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite days of the year. My brother and I have always gone out on Black Friday, and shopped till we or our money stopped. On Thanksgiving, my Dad surprised me with a pair of hundred dollar bills. "Your mama had these in her pocketbook when she died," he said. "I know she would want you and Randall to have them for tomorrow."
So, I kept one of the bills, and gave the other one to him the next morning. I love spending money---maybe a little too much---but try as I might, I just couldn't see spending my little windfall on four tins of popcorn, a Kenny Rogers CD, and other stuff I didn't have to have. A special occasion, I reckoned...that's what I would use it for.
A couple of weeks later, I was surfing the net one night when I discovered eBay. I began typing various things in, and then I thought of something I had wanted for years. If you remember Buck Owens, you know that he had a red,white,and blue guitar that was marketed through Sears back in the 1960s. One time, I saw one....just a few blocks from where I live now, but I couldn't convince my parents to buy a $75 guitar for a child who didn't play......but there it was on e-bay...and the bid was $50. I filled out all the forms I needed to....and made my bid.
Then, I found out just how competitive the bidding world is. Someone topped me at 60....So, I went to 70.....Then, the bid went to 75....so I made one last bid....80 dollars....My competitor didn't top me.....so, I ended up winning a Red, White, and Blue acoustic guitar----identical to the one Owens played for $80....Well, not quite....with shipping...it came to $100....even.
Well, I told you before that I have no problem spending money, if I have it....but, at the same time...once I have to pay for something....I cringe a little bit....Do I really need it? How am I going to pay for it?, I asked myself. There was enough money in the checking account, but I had to get through Christmas myself.
Then....it occured to me. The guitar....shipping and all, came out to the grand total of $100.00. There was a hundred dollar bill in my billfold that I had been saving for a .....special occasion. So, I deposited the bill that I had been holding on to, and about a week later---the guitar came, which sits on top of a bookshelf in our office today.
Am I saying that it was planned that way.....from the start? I don't know. I'll admit to being a sucker for shows like Touched By An Angel, but sometimes I think that life hardens us to the point that we don't believe in little bolts of lightning that you can't explain.....In this case, all I will say...is evidence points to something outside of my control. You can call it coincidence, if you like......Not me....and, as the legendary Forrest Gump would say...'That's all I have to say about that.'
Monday, December 7, 2009
IT'S A CRAZY CHRISTMAS WORLD
Well....I bet you thought the opening of Dollar General has kept me that busy....huh? Well, I actually did go there once, but it has just been a crazy time over the past week. Interviews with several people, and High School basketball has kept me pretty busy. Then, throw in Christmas time, and it makes for one of the busiest three-week stretches of the year. Then again, it is for everybody. It's funny, I actually do try to keep to a schedule, but it can be intimidating to do so. I was looking at what December holds in store for the rest of the month, and it's crazy.
In any case, schedule volume and checking account lack of volume aside, this still qualifies as my favorite time of the year. From the start of High School Basketball season through the end of December, I love just about everything concerning the Christmas season. This morning, for example, I had to walk down to the town square early for something. It was cold (34*), gloomy and overcast, and I loved it. I've always joked that one can put more clothes on, but in good taste....there is only so much you can take off! I know that I am in the minority about cold weather, but I do like it~!
Then, of course, there's Christmas Cards. Growing up, we would always tape the Christmas Cards up over doorways, on walls...wherever we had to. That's something that I still do to this day. Each day when the mail runs, I am always interested to see if any cards are in the mailbox. OK....Maybe I'm a little more interested to see if there's a check in the mail, but I do love getting as many cards as I can....(Then again, cards with checks in them.....The best of both worlds!) I will say that something we started doing since I have married is putting the cards that we receive in a ziplock bag each year. I never thought about doing that before, but it's amazing how just a year later things change, and relationships do too....It's great to have that rememberance of the moment.
Christmas Music......Where do I begin?......Anyone who knows me knows that's obvious. I absolutely love it....from Bing Crosby to Sugarland and all around the bend....It doesn't get any better than ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS, the 1984 classic album from Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton....imho.....
Christmas Food......I don't know if anything qualifies as "Christmas Food." After all, you can eat summer sausage and creme drops any time of the year. But, I have to admit they taste a little better in front of the TV as the Cowboys are beating the Redskins.....Oh, wait a minute, the Cowboys don't beat anybody in December......but you get the idea. I don't need any of it per se, but it does taste good.....and that leads to me a question. I know they have creme drops, but I seem to remember eating fudge drops one year that I got from the store....but I never see them....Just wondering....
All in all, it's still the Most Wonderful Time of the Year! I hope you're having a good one.....and get those Christmas cards in the mail!....You never know who might be waiting at the mailbox!
In any case, schedule volume and checking account lack of volume aside, this still qualifies as my favorite time of the year. From the start of High School Basketball season through the end of December, I love just about everything concerning the Christmas season. This morning, for example, I had to walk down to the town square early for something. It was cold (34*), gloomy and overcast, and I loved it. I've always joked that one can put more clothes on, but in good taste....there is only so much you can take off! I know that I am in the minority about cold weather, but I do like it~!
Then, of course, there's Christmas Cards. Growing up, we would always tape the Christmas Cards up over doorways, on walls...wherever we had to. That's something that I still do to this day. Each day when the mail runs, I am always interested to see if any cards are in the mailbox. OK....Maybe I'm a little more interested to see if there's a check in the mail, but I do love getting as many cards as I can....(Then again, cards with checks in them.....The best of both worlds!) I will say that something we started doing since I have married is putting the cards that we receive in a ziplock bag each year. I never thought about doing that before, but it's amazing how just a year later things change, and relationships do too....It's great to have that rememberance of the moment.
Christmas Music......Where do I begin?......Anyone who knows me knows that's obvious. I absolutely love it....from Bing Crosby to Sugarland and all around the bend....It doesn't get any better than ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS, the 1984 classic album from Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton....imho.....
Christmas Food......I don't know if anything qualifies as "Christmas Food." After all, you can eat summer sausage and creme drops any time of the year. But, I have to admit they taste a little better in front of the TV as the Cowboys are beating the Redskins.....Oh, wait a minute, the Cowboys don't beat anybody in December......but you get the idea. I don't need any of it per se, but it does taste good.....and that leads to me a question. I know they have creme drops, but I seem to remember eating fudge drops one year that I got from the store....but I never see them....Just wondering....
All in all, it's still the Most Wonderful Time of the Year! I hope you're having a good one.....and get those Christmas cards in the mail!....You never know who might be waiting at the mailbox!
Friday, November 20, 2009
IT'S A BIG TIME OF YEAR IN BURNS, TENNESSEE
I don't know how many of you are fans of "The Andy Griffith Show," but do you remember an episode where Barney Fife was excited about something, and to describe it he said "It's big...really big." Well, that's how things are in my hometown of Burns, Tennessee this month. Possibly nobody is more excited than my father's wife, Marcia. She, like a lot of Burns residents, are counting down the days!
You see, Burns has always toiled in the shadow of the much larger communities of Dickson and White Bluff. Aside from a few gas stations, and one very popular restaurant called "Donna's," there's not really a lot of places to spend your money in Burns. But, it's all changing....fast!
People are buzzing in the town that I referred to for eighteen years on the air in Dickson as "The Big B." Quite possibly, it's the biggest buzz since Barbara Mandrell landed her helicopter on the Burns baseball field back in 1982 and went to Burns Sound Studio to record a duet with Bill Monroe. (Hey, I remember that...and it was exciting!)
Sometime, quite possibly by "Black Friday," a new era will have dawned----Dollar General Store will have swung its' doors open. OK.....I see some of you right now, shaking your head saying "You're excited about that?"......With fist pumped in the air....Heck, yes...I'm excited! You can take the Burns boy and put him in Centerville (a beautiful place), but you can't take the Burns out of the boy!
For the first time, if you need a screwdriver, you don't have to go to Dickson. Need a loaf of bread at a decent price? Why go to Wal-Mart? It's all right there, on Highway 96. Even though I do not live there anymore, I can tell you that Burns folks will appreciate Dollar General a lot. I know I do. There's something about being married with children that makes one go to Dollar General (or "DGS" in my check register) quite a bit, and they have improved a lot over the years. Trace Adkins even has been a spokesperson for them, and are you going to argue with him?
So....if you do hit the Dollar General Store this week, do it with me in mind. Somehow, I have a feeling I probably will be driving through Burns at some point myself...just to look!
Anyway, that's my take on the big week in Burns. To quote Fife, "it's going to be big....really big."....Now, if we can just bring on the Red Lobster!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
You see, Burns has always toiled in the shadow of the much larger communities of Dickson and White Bluff. Aside from a few gas stations, and one very popular restaurant called "Donna's," there's not really a lot of places to spend your money in Burns. But, it's all changing....fast!
People are buzzing in the town that I referred to for eighteen years on the air in Dickson as "The Big B." Quite possibly, it's the biggest buzz since Barbara Mandrell landed her helicopter on the Burns baseball field back in 1982 and went to Burns Sound Studio to record a duet with Bill Monroe. (Hey, I remember that...and it was exciting!)
Sometime, quite possibly by "Black Friday," a new era will have dawned----Dollar General Store will have swung its' doors open. OK.....I see some of you right now, shaking your head saying "You're excited about that?"......With fist pumped in the air....Heck, yes...I'm excited! You can take the Burns boy and put him in Centerville (a beautiful place), but you can't take the Burns out of the boy!
For the first time, if you need a screwdriver, you don't have to go to Dickson. Need a loaf of bread at a decent price? Why go to Wal-Mart? It's all right there, on Highway 96. Even though I do not live there anymore, I can tell you that Burns folks will appreciate Dollar General a lot. I know I do. There's something about being married with children that makes one go to Dollar General (or "DGS" in my check register) quite a bit, and they have improved a lot over the years. Trace Adkins even has been a spokesperson for them, and are you going to argue with him?
So....if you do hit the Dollar General Store this week, do it with me in mind. Somehow, I have a feeling I probably will be driving through Burns at some point myself...just to look!
Anyway, that's my take on the big week in Burns. To quote Fife, "it's going to be big....really big."....Now, if we can just bring on the Red Lobster!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
AND NOW.....THE WOMEN SIDE OF THE ARGUMENT
Last week, I posed the question of "Who is the greatest male Country performer of all time?" Once I got done writing the blog, I realized that I ought to make this one a two-parter, because there could be as many answers to the female side of this question, as well. Over the years, Country Music has been blessed with many great female voices, so I'll offer up my opinion, and also say I would love to see yours.....
KITTY WELLS-----She was not the first female Country star, but she was the first one to be a consistent hitmaker, and from 1952-1967, she released hit after hit. Gene Autry once said about being the first major singing cowboy, "It doesn't matter if you're the best, as long as you're the first." That could be said of Wells. Though today's generation might not know of her many accomplishments, she broke down so many doors for female singers from Jean Shepard all the way to yes, Taylor Swift.
PATSY CLINE-----I take a lot of flak from my friends for wondering if Cline's career would have been as influential were she living today. It's an unfair question, as there's not a way to know. But, I'll say this....What Patsy Cline did in her recording career in six years (and most notably the last two), few will ever equal. She set a standard, one that people are still reaching for today.
LORETTA LYNN-----Though Cline stood up to the men behind the scenes, Loretta was the first female Country singer to say what she thought....and she did it often. Whether is was laying down the law to her husband, or being thankful for "The Pill," female listeners could relate to the songs she was singing. If anyone can say they have lived their music, it's Loretta Lynn.
TAMMY WYNETTE----Speaking of living their music, most of the songs that Tammy Wynette wrote could very well have been three-minute soap operas. There were so many sides to her personality, but she really delivered the goods when she sang about the blue side of love, like "Till I Can Make It On My Own."
BARBARA MANDRELL---Her smoky, raspy voice served as the focal point of some of Country's sexiest moments such as "Tonight"
or her cover of "If Loving You Is Wrong," but she could also deliver some powerful emotional moments, like "Years," or the best anthem the Country genre has ever had, "I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool."
EMMYLOU HARRIS----I don't know if any female singer has done as much to preserve and promote the history of Country Music than Emmylou, who has helped to introduce her hip audience to music from the masters, like Jones and Owens.
REBA MCENTIRE-----For over three decades, she has been the female singer who has likely inspired the largest number of vocalists. Her business acumen is legendary, but it's her voice that has made her a radio favorite since 1980...and she's still going to this day.
ROSANNE CASH------The music that Rosanne Cash has made definitely belongs on any "Best Of" list, but there's something about that voice. It's not traditional, by any stretch of the definition, but anyone that can run the balance of 80s rocker ("Seven Year Ache) to a smooth and seductive jazz sound ("I Wonder") gets my vote...and that's not even mentioning perhaps the greatest song by a female vocalist in Nashville in the 1980s, "Blue Moon With Heartache." Even though it was 1982, what a record...what a record indeed!
PATTY LOVELESS----She's starting to make some of these lists, and with good reason. That high lonesome Kentucky sound has inspired many of today's top acts, but more importantly, she's just that dang good. Her recent forays into Bluegrass Music also kind of set her apart as the Emmylou Harris of her generation, and that's a great comparison.
MARTINA MCBRIDE----Over the past fifteen years, nobody comes close to Martina--whether on record or on stage. I've gotten to witness both over the years, and she's simply one of the best. Sometimes, I would love to hear her record things a little more gritty than the four-minute self-help songs she tends to records for the Oprah crowd, but she's selling millions...and I'm writing blogs...so I guess she knows what she's doing, but if you heard her fill in for Sheryl Crow with Kid Rock at the CMA Music Festival this past year on "Picture,' you know what I'm talking about...
AND MY TOP TWO.......
CONNIE SMITH---She might not have the chart numbers of the artists above (or the one below), but listening to this woman sing is truly a privilege. I recently saw her at the Grand Ole Opry, and there's no smoke, no mirrors, no hoops to jump through....just a voice---that is one of the greatest treasures of this format. Ask Marty Stuart....Yes, he might be somewhat biased, but even he was a fan before he was a husband
DOLLY PARTON----I will admit that over the past couple of weeks, I have been listening to her new RCA box set, so that might influence me, but in all honesty...it just reminds me of what I have always known. The lady is perhaps the most talented person to ever have had success in the Country format. Listen to her early recordings for Monument and then for RCA. The voice is so piercing that it can literally break your heart, and when it comes to songwriting...there are few equals. No matter if it's a traditional tearjerker like "Jeannie's Afraid Of The Dark," one of the most commercial love songs of all time in "Here You Come Again," (one of the few hits she did not write), or the working girl anthem of "9 To 5," Dolly Parton is, and always has been the real deal. And I didn't even say anything about her undeniable charisma, which keeps her ever vital and young to this day....
Well, those are my thoughts....I would love to hear yours....Until next week, when I'll tell you about something big...and I mean really big!
KITTY WELLS-----She was not the first female Country star, but she was the first one to be a consistent hitmaker, and from 1952-1967, she released hit after hit. Gene Autry once said about being the first major singing cowboy, "It doesn't matter if you're the best, as long as you're the first." That could be said of Wells. Though today's generation might not know of her many accomplishments, she broke down so many doors for female singers from Jean Shepard all the way to yes, Taylor Swift.
PATSY CLINE-----I take a lot of flak from my friends for wondering if Cline's career would have been as influential were she living today. It's an unfair question, as there's not a way to know. But, I'll say this....What Patsy Cline did in her recording career in six years (and most notably the last two), few will ever equal. She set a standard, one that people are still reaching for today.
LORETTA LYNN-----Though Cline stood up to the men behind the scenes, Loretta was the first female Country singer to say what she thought....and she did it often. Whether is was laying down the law to her husband, or being thankful for "The Pill," female listeners could relate to the songs she was singing. If anyone can say they have lived their music, it's Loretta Lynn.
TAMMY WYNETTE----Speaking of living their music, most of the songs that Tammy Wynette wrote could very well have been three-minute soap operas. There were so many sides to her personality, but she really delivered the goods when she sang about the blue side of love, like "Till I Can Make It On My Own."
BARBARA MANDRELL---Her smoky, raspy voice served as the focal point of some of Country's sexiest moments such as "Tonight"
or her cover of "If Loving You Is Wrong," but she could also deliver some powerful emotional moments, like "Years," or the best anthem the Country genre has ever had, "I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool."
EMMYLOU HARRIS----I don't know if any female singer has done as much to preserve and promote the history of Country Music than Emmylou, who has helped to introduce her hip audience to music from the masters, like Jones and Owens.
REBA MCENTIRE-----For over three decades, she has been the female singer who has likely inspired the largest number of vocalists. Her business acumen is legendary, but it's her voice that has made her a radio favorite since 1980...and she's still going to this day.
ROSANNE CASH------The music that Rosanne Cash has made definitely belongs on any "Best Of" list, but there's something about that voice. It's not traditional, by any stretch of the definition, but anyone that can run the balance of 80s rocker ("Seven Year Ache) to a smooth and seductive jazz sound ("I Wonder") gets my vote...and that's not even mentioning perhaps the greatest song by a female vocalist in Nashville in the 1980s, "Blue Moon With Heartache." Even though it was 1982, what a record...what a record indeed!
PATTY LOVELESS----She's starting to make some of these lists, and with good reason. That high lonesome Kentucky sound has inspired many of today's top acts, but more importantly, she's just that dang good. Her recent forays into Bluegrass Music also kind of set her apart as the Emmylou Harris of her generation, and that's a great comparison.
MARTINA MCBRIDE----Over the past fifteen years, nobody comes close to Martina--whether on record or on stage. I've gotten to witness both over the years, and she's simply one of the best. Sometimes, I would love to hear her record things a little more gritty than the four-minute self-help songs she tends to records for the Oprah crowd, but she's selling millions...and I'm writing blogs...so I guess she knows what she's doing, but if you heard her fill in for Sheryl Crow with Kid Rock at the CMA Music Festival this past year on "Picture,' you know what I'm talking about...
AND MY TOP TWO.......
CONNIE SMITH---She might not have the chart numbers of the artists above (or the one below), but listening to this woman sing is truly a privilege. I recently saw her at the Grand Ole Opry, and there's no smoke, no mirrors, no hoops to jump through....just a voice---that is one of the greatest treasures of this format. Ask Marty Stuart....Yes, he might be somewhat biased, but even he was a fan before he was a husband
DOLLY PARTON----I will admit that over the past couple of weeks, I have been listening to her new RCA box set, so that might influence me, but in all honesty...it just reminds me of what I have always known. The lady is perhaps the most talented person to ever have had success in the Country format. Listen to her early recordings for Monument and then for RCA. The voice is so piercing that it can literally break your heart, and when it comes to songwriting...there are few equals. No matter if it's a traditional tearjerker like "Jeannie's Afraid Of The Dark," one of the most commercial love songs of all time in "Here You Come Again," (one of the few hits she did not write), or the working girl anthem of "9 To 5," Dolly Parton is, and always has been the real deal. And I didn't even say anything about her undeniable charisma, which keeps her ever vital and young to this day....
Well, those are my thoughts....I would love to hear yours....Until next week, when I'll tell you about something big...and I mean really big!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
SO....WHO IS THE GREATEST?
I will admit that the past two posts were somewhat emotionally heavy....so I thought I would lighten the tone a little, and post something that maybe will entice you to respond with your thoughts......
Sometimes, when an male act comes out with a new album, you will hear them be referred to as "One of the greatest Male Country performers if all time." That leads me to pose the question-----Just how many "Greatest" performers are there? Here are my eight classifications of "Greatest.".....Agree or disagree? It's OK....but I would love to know what you think!
GREATEST SONGWRITER: Hank Williams. I think this one is pretty self-explanatory. Look at his catalog, weigh everything he wrote, and throw this in---All that he did, he did before the age of 30. Nobody, and I do mean nobody, will come close to his accomplishments in this vein.
GREATEST STYLIST: Buck Owens. OK, I am somewhat partial on this one....but anyone who records with a little bit of rock in their attitude today owes a lot to the "Baron Of Bakersfield." Did he create the West Coast sound of Country Music? The answer would be no, as there was already a California Country scene before him, but did he kick the doors down wide open for a style of Country that wasn't being recorded in Nashville? You bet your Red, White, and Blue guitar he did!
GREATEST SINGER-SONGWRITER: Merle Haggard. I don't know which category you would put Haggard in. There are times when I listen to his music, particularly his 1970s recordings, that I think 'This is the best that has ever been.' Next to Hank, I don't know if any other singer put more of himself into the songs he recorded---good and bad. Some have tried to hide the rough edges, but with Merle---they became part of the allure.
GREATEST INTERPRETER OF SONGS: Conway Twitty. In addition to writing the majority of his hits from 1965-1978 or so, the man formally known as Harold Jenkins could pick a hit song. It didn't matter if you were a known commodity like Harlan Howard ("I Don't Know A Thing About Love") or a new tunesmith like Gary Burr ("That's My Job"), Conway Twitty had a knack for finding a hit song...and making you think he wrote it himself.
MOST VERSATILE: Marty Robbins. When you have success with Rock & Roll, Cowboy Music, Pop, Hawaiian, and Country, I think the answer speaks for itself. I think you could put Vince Gill down in this category, as well....but Robbins could do anything--and do it well.
GREATEST PERSONALITY----Johnny Cash. Was the "Man In Black" a great singer, sonically speaking? I don't remember anyone ever praising Cash's range, but his songs still strike a chord all these years later. However, with the lone exception of Dolly Parton, I don't know if there's a Country artist that is more well known anywhere.
PERSONAL FAVORITE------Kenny Rogers. Everyone has to have a favorite, and I guess you could say the fact that I make a point to get every GREATEST HITS collection no matter how many times I have "Lucille" and "The Gambler" in my collection speaks for itself. While everyone knows the hits, I urge you to go back and listen to several of his 70s and 80s album cuts, like "The King Of Oak Street," or his classic duets with Dottie West, and you will find one of the format's all-time most underrated singers.
"THE GREATEST"----Isn't it still an opinion, after all? I guess when it's said and done, there's one Country voice that has withstood just about everything over time, but yet he still manages to survive and endure. But that's a survival trait. Vocally, songs like "The Grand Tour," "These Days (I Barely Get By)," and "Choices" have cemented George Jones's place as one of the best pure singers of all time. When you have fans with last names such as Sinatra, Costello, and Richards, and you've recorded a song called "He Stopped Loving Her Today," which many (rightfully) say is the best Country singer of all time, your place is pretty secure. There may be others that rival him, but for my money...none that beat him!
OK....Those are my thoughts, but I did manage to omit Jim Reeves, Eddy Arnold, Lefty Frizzell, Ray Price (A CRIME!), Charley Pride, Glen Campbell, and B.J. Thomas, who could sing circles around just about anyone.....I would love to hear your thoughts on this one........
Sometimes, when an male act comes out with a new album, you will hear them be referred to as "One of the greatest Male Country performers if all time." That leads me to pose the question-----Just how many "Greatest" performers are there? Here are my eight classifications of "Greatest.".....Agree or disagree? It's OK....but I would love to know what you think!
GREATEST SONGWRITER: Hank Williams. I think this one is pretty self-explanatory. Look at his catalog, weigh everything he wrote, and throw this in---All that he did, he did before the age of 30. Nobody, and I do mean nobody, will come close to his accomplishments in this vein.
GREATEST STYLIST: Buck Owens. OK, I am somewhat partial on this one....but anyone who records with a little bit of rock in their attitude today owes a lot to the "Baron Of Bakersfield." Did he create the West Coast sound of Country Music? The answer would be no, as there was already a California Country scene before him, but did he kick the doors down wide open for a style of Country that wasn't being recorded in Nashville? You bet your Red, White, and Blue guitar he did!
GREATEST SINGER-SONGWRITER: Merle Haggard. I don't know which category you would put Haggard in. There are times when I listen to his music, particularly his 1970s recordings, that I think 'This is the best that has ever been.' Next to Hank, I don't know if any other singer put more of himself into the songs he recorded---good and bad. Some have tried to hide the rough edges, but with Merle---they became part of the allure.
GREATEST INTERPRETER OF SONGS: Conway Twitty. In addition to writing the majority of his hits from 1965-1978 or so, the man formally known as Harold Jenkins could pick a hit song. It didn't matter if you were a known commodity like Harlan Howard ("I Don't Know A Thing About Love") or a new tunesmith like Gary Burr ("That's My Job"), Conway Twitty had a knack for finding a hit song...and making you think he wrote it himself.
MOST VERSATILE: Marty Robbins. When you have success with Rock & Roll, Cowboy Music, Pop, Hawaiian, and Country, I think the answer speaks for itself. I think you could put Vince Gill down in this category, as well....but Robbins could do anything--and do it well.
GREATEST PERSONALITY----Johnny Cash. Was the "Man In Black" a great singer, sonically speaking? I don't remember anyone ever praising Cash's range, but his songs still strike a chord all these years later. However, with the lone exception of Dolly Parton, I don't know if there's a Country artist that is more well known anywhere.
PERSONAL FAVORITE------Kenny Rogers. Everyone has to have a favorite, and I guess you could say the fact that I make a point to get every GREATEST HITS collection no matter how many times I have "Lucille" and "The Gambler" in my collection speaks for itself. While everyone knows the hits, I urge you to go back and listen to several of his 70s and 80s album cuts, like "The King Of Oak Street," or his classic duets with Dottie West, and you will find one of the format's all-time most underrated singers.
"THE GREATEST"----Isn't it still an opinion, after all? I guess when it's said and done, there's one Country voice that has withstood just about everything over time, but yet he still manages to survive and endure. But that's a survival trait. Vocally, songs like "The Grand Tour," "These Days (I Barely Get By)," and "Choices" have cemented George Jones's place as one of the best pure singers of all time. When you have fans with last names such as Sinatra, Costello, and Richards, and you've recorded a song called "He Stopped Loving Her Today," which many (rightfully) say is the best Country singer of all time, your place is pretty secure. There may be others that rival him, but for my money...none that beat him!
OK....Those are my thoughts, but I did manage to omit Jim Reeves, Eddy Arnold, Lefty Frizzell, Ray Price (A CRIME!), Charley Pride, Glen Campbell, and B.J. Thomas, who could sing circles around just about anyone.....I would love to hear your thoughts on this one........
Saturday, October 31, 2009
REMEMBERING BUDDY
In my career, I have been very blessed and fortunate to be able to make friendships with quite a few people that I never in a million years thought I would even meet, let alone str ike up a relationship with.
One of those people for me was legendary Nashville personality Buddy Killen. Best-known as the head of Tree Publishing Company, he was among the first to sign such songwriters as Bill Anderson, Joe Tex, Dolly Parton, and Roger Miller. He also was one of Nashville's most prominent businessmen, having owned the Stockyard Restaurant for many years--even doing the memorable commericals that ended with the tag like "I wanna be seen at the Stockyard." In addition, he gave back to the area a hundred fold----having donated time and resources to several charities, most notably Easter Seals. Just how well-known and tuned-in to Nashville was Buddy Killen? In 1974, when Paul McCartney spent some time in Music City to do some recording...who was his tour guide? You guessed it....Buddy Killen.
I remember in the spring of 1993, Buddy released his autobiography, BY THE SEAT OF MY PANTS.. He hd scheduled a book signing at Brentano's Bookstore in Bellevue, TN. I got there a little late, but he was still there. You know how some people reportedly have "it." He was gathering his stuff to leave, and you could just tell by the way he carried himself, that Buddy Killen had "it."
Flash forward about a decade later. Long after selling Tree to Sony, he still was very active in the business, and was producing a new act on Lofton Creek Records, a label that is run by another of my good friends, Mike Borchetta. Mike asked me if I wanted to go to lunch with / and interview Buddy Killen. After thinking about it for a half-second, I said yes, and a few weeks later, it came to be.
We ate at Valentino's. I don't remember a lot about the meal, but I do remember watching how people responded to him in the restaurant. Have you ever dined with someone who knew everybody there? That was the case.....but yet, I got a crash course on how to make everyone feel important and not ignore who your guests are.
OK....I got a meeting, and I got lunch.....But it didn't end there. I had already started my journalism career by then, and asked if I could put him on my mailing list. He agreed, and that's where it usually ends. Every now and then, he would respond about something I wrote.....Then, on a couple of occasions, I would get a phone call asking me to come to his office. He just wanted to talk...about the music business, or life in general. When I lost a job in record promotion, he had some timely words of advice. When my mother died the next year, he offered me some insight on how he dealt with that in his life.
In no way, am I trying to say that we were tight as twin fiddles in a Bob Wills band, nor did I get an invite to sit at the table with him for Thanksgiving dinner.....but there's no doubt about it....Buddy Killen made Chuck Dauphin feel like he could contribute to the music business, and also life. There's a lot of so called "Power People" in Nashville today who have not achieved half of what he did....that act like you are beneath them....They all could learn a lesson or two from this native of Florence, AL.
I say all this to pay tribute to Buddy, who passed away three years ago tomorrow. It's a crime that he hasn't been inducted in the Country Music Hall Of Fame yet.....Hopefully that will take place in the next few years. They did name the infamous "Roundabout" at Music Row after him.....the one with the statues..but that's not enough....In addition to what you did for all the writers and artists, Buddy Killen, thank you for making a radio guy from Dickson County feel ten feet tall!
One of those people for me was legendary Nashville personality Buddy Killen. Best-known as the head of Tree Publishing Company, he was among the first to sign such songwriters as Bill Anderson, Joe Tex, Dolly Parton, and Roger Miller. He also was one of Nashville's most prominent businessmen, having owned the Stockyard Restaurant for many years--even doing the memorable commericals that ended with the tag like "I wanna be seen at the Stockyard." In addition, he gave back to the area a hundred fold----having donated time and resources to several charities, most notably Easter Seals. Just how well-known and tuned-in to Nashville was Buddy Killen? In 1974, when Paul McCartney spent some time in Music City to do some recording...who was his tour guide? You guessed it....Buddy Killen.
I remember in the spring of 1993, Buddy released his autobiography, BY THE SEAT OF MY PANTS.. He hd scheduled a book signing at Brentano's Bookstore in Bellevue, TN. I got there a little late, but he was still there. You know how some people reportedly have "it." He was gathering his stuff to leave, and you could just tell by the way he carried himself, that Buddy Killen had "it."
Flash forward about a decade later. Long after selling Tree to Sony, he still was very active in the business, and was producing a new act on Lofton Creek Records, a label that is run by another of my good friends, Mike Borchetta. Mike asked me if I wanted to go to lunch with / and interview Buddy Killen. After thinking about it for a half-second, I said yes, and a few weeks later, it came to be.
We ate at Valentino's. I don't remember a lot about the meal, but I do remember watching how people responded to him in the restaurant. Have you ever dined with someone who knew everybody there? That was the case.....but yet, I got a crash course on how to make everyone feel important and not ignore who your guests are.
OK....I got a meeting, and I got lunch.....But it didn't end there. I had already started my journalism career by then, and asked if I could put him on my mailing list. He agreed, and that's where it usually ends. Every now and then, he would respond about something I wrote.....Then, on a couple of occasions, I would get a phone call asking me to come to his office. He just wanted to talk...about the music business, or life in general. When I lost a job in record promotion, he had some timely words of advice. When my mother died the next year, he offered me some insight on how he dealt with that in his life.
In no way, am I trying to say that we were tight as twin fiddles in a Bob Wills band, nor did I get an invite to sit at the table with him for Thanksgiving dinner.....but there's no doubt about it....Buddy Killen made Chuck Dauphin feel like he could contribute to the music business, and also life. There's a lot of so called "Power People" in Nashville today who have not achieved half of what he did....that act like you are beneath them....They all could learn a lesson or two from this native of Florence, AL.
I say all this to pay tribute to Buddy, who passed away three years ago tomorrow. It's a crime that he hasn't been inducted in the Country Music Hall Of Fame yet.....Hopefully that will take place in the next few years. They did name the infamous "Roundabout" at Music Row after him.....the one with the statues..but that's not enough....In addition to what you did for all the writers and artists, Buddy Killen, thank you for making a radio guy from Dickson County feel ten feet tall!
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