Are You Ready For Some BMI Country Awards; Hank Jr. Honored As Music Icon
- Taylor Swift’s “Teardrops On My Guitar” won country song of the year at Tuesday night’s 56th Annual BMI Country Awards and Hank Williams Jr. was honored as a music icon. Casey Beathard, who co-wrote several recent hits including Kenny Chesney’s “Don’t Blink” and George Strait’s “How ‘Bout Them Cowgirls,” earned songwriter of the year. Peter Cooper has a recap of the ceremony.
- Listen to Jason Aldean’s new single on People.com. He’ll perform the song for the first time at tonight’s CMA Awards.
- Spoiler Alert: Country California’s CM Wilcox didn’t let the fact that the CMA Awards haven’t happened yet deter him from recapping the event. Funny stuff.
- In talking to Jimmy Wayne at the SEASAC Awards dinner, The Washington Post’s J. Freedom du Lac found out that he is a former breakdancer.
- Former country music performer and award-winning disc jockey Jack Reno passed away from brain cancer on Nov. 1. He recorded seven albums during the ’60s and ’70s and made seven appearances on the Grand Ole Opry. (allmusic)
- Stillisstillmoving.com published a review and interview with Robert K. Oermann about his new book Behind the Grand Old Opry Curtain: Tales of Romance and Tragedy and received two copies of his book to giveaway.
- Ryan Laird is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter who’s taking a unique approach to getting his career off the ground. He gathered up his savings and bought a billboard in Nashville propositioning Taylor Swift to produce his album. NashvilleGab has the story and a video of Laird gauging passersby’s reactions.
- A source close to Shania Twain says she hasn’t put the guitar down since her divorce from Mutt Lange and that songs are “pouring out of her.” Anyways, she’s expected to be a presenter at the CMA Awards tonight.
- It’s a slow news day, so leave a link to an artist on Myspace for everyone to check out. I’ll suggest Weldon Henson (MySpace) to get things started–he’s a traditionalist and lists everyone from Dwight Yoakam, Merle Haggard and Dale Watson to Lyle Lovett, Hank III and Gram Parsons as influences. I’m still listening to his music, but he sounds promising.
- Be sure to come back tonight and join us tonight for our liveblog of the CMA Awards!
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Current Discussion
- Jon: Try to keep up, will you, Jim?
- Vicki: More will vote for Classic Country performers for Entertainter of the year, etc and on GAC and CMT Top 20.
- Michelle: It isn't old people only living out in rural areas. All age groups are living in rural areas. I bought ...
- stormy: I don't know that it will help country with its existing fans base, but it will help music in all ...
- mickey michael: A lengthy comment is necessary to make a small but important correction regarding the 1950's version of the song. ...
- Jon: @K Sorry, but that's not very clear, either, though it still seems like you wind up saying that a ...
- Dan E: Well this debate really doesn't affect Carrie much anyway. She is an amazing vocalist that can sing anything. Beyond that, ...
- K: First off, the songwriters vs. singers debate going on here isn't really what I intended to do with my post. ...
- Mike R: I think this is a great song - simple, but direct. You have to give her credit for sticking ...
- carol: you can't help but love bucky covington he is an awesome guy he is what you call a real down ...
12 Comments
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November 12, 2008 at 11:42 am Permalink
On one of the blogs or forums (I cant remember where) somebody was trying to guess the number of wardrobe changes that would take place. AT the BMI awards last night, Carrie took a little of the guesswork away by saying:
“There’s too many! Including my red carpet dress and the after-party dress, I change into nine outfits.”
Hmmm … so if my poor math skills dont fail me … that would be seven wardrobe changes for Carrie DURING the show?
November 12, 2008 at 11:42 am Permalink
Ryan Laird has a really inventive and creative idea. I’m not sure if it will actually succeed in netting Taylor Swift as a producer, but the publicity it’s generating for the newcomer now has to be worth the price of the billboard.
Also, I am totally stoked that Shania will be at the CMAs – if only as a presenter.
Oh, and I loved that pre-cap from Country California.
November 12, 2008 at 12:10 pm Permalink
Please, please let there be a backstage camera for all of Carrie’s wardrobe changes.
November 12, 2008 at 12:55 pm Permalink
Here’s a link to Anna Fermin’s Trigger Gospel, a Chicago band that blends country, Americana and jazz, led by a great vocalist.
http://www.myspace.com/triggergospel
And I’d rather watch CM’s version of the CMA Awards instead of what’s actually going to be on TV tonight.
November 12, 2008 at 1:19 pm Permalink
Weldon Henson sounds pretty good.
I’m a fan of J.B. Beverley & The Wayward Drifters:
http://www.myspace.com/jbbeverleyampthewaywarddrifters
Thanks for the shout-out.
November 12, 2008 at 2:40 pm Permalink
Isn’t there supposed to be a surprise performer tonight? Could it be Shania?
November 12, 2008 at 6:05 pm Permalink
Was it Taylor’s remixed pop version of “Teardrops On My Guitar” that won “BMI Country Song of the Year”? I get so confused by this concept of “modern country”….
As for Eileen Twain, er I mean Shania, I wonder about the quality of these songs that are pouring out of her. Shania’s first album before Mutt Lange was an inconsequential piece of musical fluff. Mutt’s co-writing and production skills are probably 50% responsible for Shania’s success and without him who knows what she’ll put out on her next album. Should be interesting.
If Ryan Laird’s publicity stunt actually worked, imagine how out of hand this could get! Ryan gets an “A” for creativity and effort but I’m not sure that was the wisest way to spend his money. Using it to bribe radio stations to play his single might have yielded more tangible results.
November 12, 2008 at 8:22 pm Permalink
Why do I shudder to think what Shania will make of Divorce?
November 12, 2008 at 11:36 pm Permalink
WOW!
Ryan Laird’s billboard idea is SO cool! Has anyone ever done that in Nashville before?? That’d be so cool if Taylor actually produced his album…but the publicity alone from that thing has gotta be money well spent!
I just checked out his MySpace too….his music is actually really good! I’m a fan for sure!
.*.kat.*.
November 14, 2008 at 3:39 pm Permalink
Rick, Shania only had one or two of her own songs on that debut, so I wouldn’t be too quick to judge what her post-Mutt output might sound like. Frankly, I can’t wait to hear it, as Mutt’s sound was always a bit too bombastic for me…give the new Crud-leback tune a listen and it sounds like a Shania/Def Leppard cross. Ugh.
November 14, 2008 at 4:06 pm Permalink
I may be in the minority, but I enjoyed Shania’s debut.
November 17, 2008 at 12:35 am Permalink
I think Ryan Lairds billboard to Taylor is a GREAT idea… it’s really original and I too checked out his myspace… his music is really good so Taylor should at least check it out and email him in my opinion
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