Bonnie Hill Is On a Mission to Get Keith Whitley Honored In Hall of Fame
- Keith Whitley uber fan Bonnie Hill is on a mission to get the late singer recognized alongside all the legends already inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Her online petition has amassed nearly 2,000 signatures, including those of Ralph Stanley, J.D. Crowe and Alan Frizzell. Hill knows her petition alone won’t get Whitely in, but she thinks his influence on modern artists like Ashton Shepherd and Kenny Chesney should keep his name in the mix.
- After filming for The Today Show, Blake Shelton put his fame and dignity to the test by walking the streets of New York City to see how many people really recognized who he was.
- Elvis Presley only recorded 20 Christmas songs, yet his 1957 release, Elvis’ Christmas Album, is the top-selling holiday release of all-time. With today’s technology, his Christmas songs are getting a new twist–they’ll be duets. Carrie Underwood, Martina McBride, LeAnn Rimes, Gretchen Wilson, Wynonna Judd, Sara Evans, Amy Grant and Anne Murray have all signed on to perform on Elvis Presley Christmas Duets, due out on Oct. 14.
- Richard Skanse conducted a short email Q&A with Jason Boland, whose surgery to remove a throat polyp falls on the same day of his album release.
Any co-writers you worked with on this album that you’d like to talk about? Anyone new, or old favorites that you’ve teamed up with again and again?
Roger Ray and I wrote a fun one he came up with called “The Party’s Not Over.” We revisit “Alright,” which is a [Cody] Canada collaboration from back in the day. Jonny Burke and Jackson Taylor also gave me their blessing on a couple. - NBC’s daily video highlights of the Olympics will feature a new song written by Taylor Swift titled “Change.” The song will be available for download on iTunes tomorrow and will be included on her next album.
- AT&T put together a Team USA soundtrack for the Olympics which also includes Taylor Swift along with Lady Antebellum. Video previews of their songs are available on AT&T Team USA website.
- Chris Cagle calls “Never Ever Gone,” his newest single, the only love song with a negative connotation that makes him feel good.
- The Next GAC Star is down to its final six contestants. The finals will be televised on September 3rd and 10th, but for now you can check them out online and watch their music videos.
- In an effort to further his education, Squinty Dan is asking for your reading material suggestions on the subject of country music.
- Travis Tritt told Billboard that he has tentative plans to record a new album with his good friend Marty Stuart, who he’ll be doing an acoustic tour with this fall. Tritt says he’ll probably co-produce the album with Stuart and it will most likely be something stripped down like their tour.
- Chris Gray takes a look at how Texans Miranda Lambert and Hayes Carll fit in today’s country music landscape and how careers of past Texans have played out and influenced Nashville.
- Watch the new video for George Strait’s “Troubador.” The video was directed by Trey Fanjoy, who directed Strait’s previous video two years ago, “Seashores of Old Mexico.”
- Update: Dixie Chick Emily Robison and Charlie Robison finalized their divorce yesterday.
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Anne Murray // Ashton Shepherd // Blake Shelton // Carrie Underwood // Chris Cagle // Elvis // Elvis Presley // George Strait // Gretchen Wilson // Hayes Carll // Jackson Taylor // Jason Boland // Keith Whitley // Kenny Chesney // Lady Antebellum // LeAnn Rimes // Martina McBride // Marty Stuart // Miranda Lambert // Ralph Stanley // Sara Evans // Taylor Swift // Travis Tritt // Wynonna // Wynonna Judd
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34 Comments
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August 7, 2008 at 11:25 am Permalink
Uh oh, now everyone in the country music blogosphere will know how ig’nant I am! The plug is much appreciated, though.
August 7, 2008 at 11:37 am Permalink
I’d love to have a Travis and Marty album!
August 7, 2008 at 11:44 am Permalink
I love me some Keith Whitley, but he is not even close to deserving a spot in the hall of fame.
August 7, 2008 at 11:59 am Permalink
I think if you add up his singing, writing and musical contributions, Keith deserves a spot.
August 7, 2008 at 12:03 pm Permalink
dan,
here’s a useful one:
Country music – the rough guide
by kurt wolff
isbn 1-85828-534-8
$ 25.– approx.
content:
on 596 pages you get insightful essays, concise biographies of hundreds of performers, critical album reviews and pictures for the time period 1920 – 2000
August 7, 2008 at 12:38 pm Permalink
I’ve mentioned it before, but are Trey Fanjoy and Roman White the only two music directors in Nashville? Are they on retainer with the labels? Cheap?
August 7, 2008 at 12:53 pm Permalink
I think the Country Music Hall of Fame needs two wings / levels, one for the A team first stringers (as it is now), and a B Team section for artists that made significant contributions but didn’t reach the A Team status level. There are many such artists who fall into that “B” category and maybe Laura Cantrell could get all those female artists favorites of hers included! (lol)
I think Elvis Presley’s recording of “Blue Christmas” is one of the most annoying songs ever. On the other hand, the version by Amber Dotson on the “Christmas Angels” compilation kicks ass….
The six finalists on GAC Star thankfully include one of my favorite male country artists of the last few years Lane Turner. Back around 2005 Lane was signed to Warner’s Nashville and released a couple of radio singles that went nowhere. Lane is similar to Georger Strait except that Lane writes his own songs and is one of the songwriters with Major Bob Music. Country Radio’s attitude was “We already have George Strait, so who needs this guy…”. Lane cut a fantastic debut album for Warner’s that was never released but thankfully a few advance copies leaked out. A CD single was released but sold in miniscule quantities since Top 40 radio ignored him. As talented as Lane is I don’t expect him to win as the majority of voters will be young “airhead country” fans who thrive on Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, and Rascal Flatts. These types couldn’t recognize a truly talented traditional country artist if one bit them on their designer jeans clad ass…..
August 7, 2008 at 1:05 pm Permalink
PS – Here’s a direct link to a video of Lane singing “Little Book of Matches” that was one his unreleased debut album. All of the songs were of this caliber. The video is super low budget as this was obviously made after lane was cut from the Warners label..
Link: http://musicnation.com/music/myspacecomlaneturner/little-book-of-matches
August 7, 2008 at 1:08 pm Permalink
Being a sucker for Christmas music myself, I’ve never liked “Blue Christmas” at all.
August 7, 2008 at 1:15 pm Permalink
Leann, what do you think about Lane Turner’s song on the music video? You have good taste in music, so if you like it maybe others here will click on the link and check it out! I’d like to hear some feedbacl on Lane for the discerning regulars here at The 9513! (lol)
(Dang, I think everyone is so busy over at the new forum that the main blog here is going to be neglected…..)
August 7, 2008 at 1:24 pm Permalink
Rick – I cant access the link here at work, but I heard Lane a couple of years ago at a writers round and I’m pretty sure that is one of the songs he did. Never-the-less, I remember that I was VERY impressed with him, both as an artist and a writer.
August 7, 2008 at 1:41 pm Permalink
Rick, thanks. I’ll check him out. I’m working on some other stuff right now (mainly ripping music to my computer), but I’ll get to it soon. Remember though, I *do* like much of the “airhead country music” of which you often speak.:)
August 7, 2008 at 2:12 pm Permalink
Rick said, “I think the Country Music Hall of Fame needs two wings / levels, one for the A team first stringers (as it is now), and a B Team section for artists that made significant contributions but didn’t reach the A Team status level.”
Don’t you think it would be a bit of a back-handed compliment to be inducted to the Hall of Fame B Team?
August 7, 2008 at 2:34 pm Permalink
Razor X,
I laughed out loud on that point! Too true! I wonder how they’d go about announcing that category?
August 7, 2008 at 2:39 pm Permalink
Rick, I’m with Razor; I would rather not be included at all than be cemented in “second-tier” status.
August 7, 2008 at 3:24 pm Permalink
I’ll stick up for Elvis’ “Blue Christmas.” I always heard it as a bit of intentional self-parody — Elvis imitating Elvis.
August 7, 2008 at 3:30 pm Permalink
The story (and I’m not sure it’s not apocryphal) goes that Elvis hated BC so much, he insisted the Jordinaires sing that background part to try to sabotage it as a hit
August 7, 2008 at 3:33 pm Permalink
We had a news roundup around last Christmas that talked about Elvis’ version of “Blue Christmas.” The roundup was titled, Even Elvis’ Crap Turns To Gold.
August 7, 2008 at 3:42 pm Permalink
man, you guys are crazy, “Blue Christmas” is awesome!
August 7, 2008 at 3:51 pm Permalink
Hey brady – I knew I’d read that before; funny I’d forgotten I’d read it here…..I will never take the9513 for granted again!
August 7, 2008 at 3:53 pm Permalink
I’m also a fan of Elvis’ “Blue Christmas” love it love it love it. Self parody, crap or whatever, it’s good to my ears.
August 7, 2008 at 3:58 pm Permalink
I’m with you on this one Trailer.
‘course I love pretty much everything Elvis did.
August 7, 2008 at 3:59 pm Permalink
I’m thinking you need to read Dana Jennings book Sing Me Back Home, Ben. It’ll validate your existence.
August 7, 2008 at 4:03 pm Permalink
hhaha, damn! validate my existence, huh? I have been desperately searching for such a thing, so I’ll have to check that book out.
August 7, 2008 at 4:07 pm Permalink
Haha, I figured that’d be the best way to get you to read it.
August 7, 2008 at 4:31 pm Permalink
wow, I’m reading an excerpt on Amazon.com (we live in a wonderous age) and I’m pretty blown away. Methinks I’ll go pick up a copy after work. Thanks Brady.
If anyone else wants to check it out…
http://www.amazon.com/Sing-Me-Back-Home-Country/dp/0865479607
August 7, 2008 at 7:59 pm Permalink
1) I loved Keith Whitley’s singing but he simply didn’t have enough of a career to justify his inclusion into the CMHOF. I don’t think he was tremendously influential in that his primary influence was Lefty Frizzell and Lefty was also the primary influence for Randy Travis and John Anderson so there were others around to keep that particular karma going. Moreover, the others were contemporaries who were considerably more successful than Keith, as well as less self-destructive
2) I hate the idea of creating duets with the deceased. The Hank Sr. / Hank Jr duets at least are understandable as something Hank Jr felt the need to do in order to connect with his father, but otherwise the concept seems ghoulish
3) Give me Ernest Tubb’s 1948 version of “Blue Christmas” any day !
August 7, 2008 at 8:53 pm Permalink
I don’t particularly like duets with the deceased either. Mainly because the remasterd recordings of the deceased artist usually is not as good as the recording of the living artist, so it’s kind of annoying to listen to the two being spliced together. It just doesn’t sound natural enough to me.
August 7, 2008 at 10:13 pm Permalink
This plug netted me so many views and so much good advice today, I have to throw out a second “thanks”!
August 7, 2008 at 11:19 pm Permalink
Here is some news so hot I just had to share it! (lol) (from allaboutcountry.com)
” Two Special Versions Of Brooks & Dunn’s Put A Girl In It Now Available From Your Arista Regional Office!
Brooks & Dunn have made TWO special versions of ther Top 5 hit, Put A Girl In It available to COUNTRY Radio.
Begin your weekends with the new “5 O’clock Whistle” version, perfect for the Friday night ride home.
If NASCAR is part of your programming, consider the “Racing Version” of the song.
Your Arista Nashville Regional Director will get ‘em to you right away…just ask!”
See, I just knew you all wanted to know that! (lol)
August 8, 2008 at 7:57 am Permalink
Paul: He also played with the Clinch Mountain Boys, so he is a part of that legacy.
August 11, 2008 at 4:07 pm Permalink
Brady,
I picked up the book and have been reading it. It is validating my existence.
August 11, 2008 at 5:35 pm Permalink
Uh oh! Is it something that I should buy then? I’m starting to wonder now.:)
August 12, 2008 at 11:58 am Permalink
Sweet, glad to hear you’re liking it, Ben. I wrote a review on here somewhere and would be interested in hearing your thoughts when you’re done reading it.
Leeann, you might enjoy it. I don’t rightly know though, since you’re a fan of the 90s. It particularly focuses on the 50s through 70s and what made the music so great from the poor/working man’s experience.
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