In a Former Life, Reba McEntire Was a Man
- I an interview with Alan W. Petrucelli, Reba McEntire reveals that she believes in reincarnation and that she used to be a man:
“I believe in reincarnation,” she confesses. ” I believe I’ve gone both ways — that I have been here before as a man. I will get flak from Christians who will say I can’t be a Christian if I believe this. That’s true, and I’m sorry, but this is how I live my life, this is what I believe. I believe I have spent time with my son Shelby before. I believe I have spent time with other people in my life before. Who knows? Maybe I’m part Buddhist.”
- The Eagles, Trace Adkins, Kid Rock, Lady Antebellum and the Wailers have been added to the lineup of performers for the 42nd annual CMA Awards taking place Nov. 12.
- Houston Chronicle’s Joey Guerra asked dance-rock outfit Mechanical Boy to review Amber Digby’s new album, Passion, Pride & What Might Have Been, and had Digby do the same for Mechanical Boy’s newest release. Cool idea.
- NPR is featuring a stripped-down acoustic set from Eric Church on Mountain Stage. He performed “Guys Like Me,” “Livin’ Part of Life,” and “Sinners Like Me,” along with “Without You,” a song from his new album that Church says has an Everly Brothers feel. The new album, Carolina, is set to be released next March.
- Michael D. Ayers recaps the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s second annual benefit that took place at Nokia theater in New York last night. The “guitar pull” featured Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Levon Helm and Rodney Crowell with veteran sidemen Jerry Douglas and Larry Campbell.
The highlight of the evening came about three-quarters of the way in, with Harris, Gill and Crowell tackling the Townes Van Zandt ballad “If I Needed You,” with Campbell adding mandolin. A group sing-a-long including host Billy Bob Thornton on the country classic “Will The Circle Be Unbroken” closed the proceedings.
- Taylor Swift is taking he stage to open for Rascal Flatts tonight at the Sommet Center in Nashville and says her 50-minute time slot is “about the exact” amount of time it takes to play all her singles. If you’re in Nashville and a combination of Swift and Flatts isn’t your thing, visit Exit/In to catch Justin Townes Earle, Caitlin Rose (who’s mom has penned some of Swift’s biggest hits) and Chris Scruggs.
- The Boston Globe correspondent Marc Hirsh notes that Carrie Underwood’s spirited stage presence at her sold-out show at Agganis Arena on Wednesday night stood in stark contrast to the blandly pretty singer with a blandly pretty voice and robotic stage presence that was featured on American Idol three years ago.
- Daily Trivia: This day in 1941 marked the birth of Earl Thomas Conley, a birthday he share with Alan Jackson, who was born in 1958, and in 1991, Tennessee Ernie Ford passed away.
- In his review of Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison: Legacy Edition, Mark Kemp calls “Greystone Chapel,” written by inmate Glen Sherley, the highlight of Johnny Cash’s seminal Folsom Prison recordings.
The lyrics—“inside the walls of prison my body may be, but the Lord has set my soul free”—address everything important about Johnny Cash at that pivotal moment in his life: the despair that had trapped him in a seemingly hopeless drug addiction, the faith that was bringing him out of it, and the resolve that inspired him to give back to others in need.
- Kenny Rogers talked to journalists about the website dedicated to his lookalikes, Men Who Look Like Kenny Rogers, before kicking off his Australian tour, and says his favorite is “Chick Magnet Kenny.” (via ggcolumn)
- If you guys haven’t subscribed to ggcolumn yet, I heartily recommend it.
- Todd Snider names Jerry Jeff Walker’s Gypsy Songman as the one album that changed his life.
- John Goodspeed relays the touching story of an acoustic performance Steve Wariner played in February for Dick Cheney and about 100 wounded warriors just back from Iraq and their families.
- Steve Martin’s new album is due out in early 2009 and among those joining him are Earl Scruggs, Vince Gill, and Dolly Parton. Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s John McEuen, who is producing the album, says:
“The Steve album is coming along great! People will be shocked at how vast and varied is music is, and how hot he plays… this album will show Steve as a composer of unique hot and soulful music, and as a songwriter with an unusual twist for lyrics. And, in the 44 years I’ve known him, I’ve never heard him playing better.”
- The Gobblers Knob’s Kelly added Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson’s latest album, Rattlin’ Bones, to his “Desert Island List.” That’s love.
- Speaking of Ye Ole Knob, an artist that I discovered through his site, Joe Pug, is featured on NPR’s Second Stage along with his song “Hymn 101.”
- Ricky Skaggs added three Inspirational Country Music Awards to his list of achievements last night for Mainstream Country Artist, Musician and Inspirational Bluegrass Artist, while George Strait took honors for Mainstream Inspirational Country Song and Tracy Lawrence scored a trophy for Inspirational Video of the Year.
- Vince Gill discusses his scaled down tour, collaborating with Steve Martin and winning the Grammy for country album with Marijke Rowland. (via ggcolumn)
You had a great line when you won the Grammy: “I just got an award presented to me by a Beatle. Have you had that happen yet, Kanye?” I’m guessing that was ad-libbed.
Very much so. I thought his speech prior to that was, um, very, very confident. Sort of, “I’m the greatest artist in the world and I own this place.” … Then when I was walking up there and I got the award, I said, “Man, I’m going to get an award from a Beatle (Ringo Starr).” The camera didn’t show his first reaction, but Kanye was shaking his head no. He smiled later.
You’ve got to be careful when you take your chances with humor. But I guess it worked.
- Watch the video premier of Julianne Hough’s “My Hallelujah Song” on Yahoo’s Reality Rocks blog.
- Even in these economically turbulent times, Chet Flippo says vanity artists–the ones with personal fortunes to burn or those whose families are loaded–continue to burn through money in their search for musical stardom. Unfortunately, Flippo doesn’t mention any names, which leaves us to speculation. Based on his definition, who are some of the vanity artists you can think of? Movie stars, maybe? Or even pop crossovers?
- What do Toby Keith, Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw have in common? They’ve been Photocrapped!
- Four more bullets and I could have called this news roundup the marathon edition.
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Alan Jackson // Amber Digby // Carrie Underwood // CMA Awards // Dolly Parton // Earl Scruggs // Emmylou Harris // Eric Church // George Strait // Jerry Douglas // Jerry Jeff Walker // Joe Pug // Johnny Cash // Julianne Hough // Justin Townes Earle // Kasey Chambers // Kenny Chesney // Kenny Rogers // Kid Rock // Lady Antebellum // Rascal Flatts // Reba McEntire // Ricky Skaggs // Ringo Starr // Rodney Crowell // Shane Nicholson // Steve Martin // Steve Wariner // Taylor Swift // Tennessee Ernie Ford // Tim McGraw // Toby Keith // Todd Snider // Trace Adkins // Tracy Lawrence // Vince Gill
Current Discussion
- Steve M.: I don't mind songs with political overtones-after all, Woody Guthrie wrote most of his tunes with a solid political bent, ...
- Vance: Only a superfan of Carrie would think I'm bitter as her fanbase is unable to take hearing any criticism about ...
- Dan E.: Vance: You seem a little bitter.
- Dan E.: Kurt: I bet you'd be surprised at how many people are both fans of Carrie and Taylor. Only a small ...
- Vance: The lyrics are actually, “boy meets girl, girl leaves boy” Also, I’m loving her fresh music. It's not fresh music, it's cookie ...
- kurt: I personally don’t think there’s anything inherently wrong with a country artist working with someone like Martin or Dioguardi if ...
- kurt: Thank you! Thank you! Carrie fans seem to think that “remixing” is the only way to make a country song ...
- Leeann Ward: Michael, That's ridiculous on more than one level.
- sam (sam): Why should we say, "You either like it or you don't. Just leave it at that?" I don't want to ...
- kevin w: I don't mind christian messages in songs, heck country has a tradition of christian messages in songs, along with the ...
17 Comments
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October 17, 2008 at 11:35 am Permalink
Man, Reba sure knows how to get a website’s comment section to go from having political arguments to having religous ones.
I bet Dale Watson used to be a badass outlaw in another….wait, he is that right now.
Thanks for the link love homey’s…
October 17, 2008 at 11:39 am Permalink
Thanks for helming our soon-to-be-revealed project. :o
October 17, 2008 at 11:52 am Permalink
That Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson is that friggin’ good. I haven’t spent enough time with it to know if it’s a desert island disc or not, but it’s got potential. Thanks for the mention!
October 17, 2008 at 12:16 pm Permalink
I’m not sure what to make of artists reviewing albums of other artists from different genres, BUT anything that gives Amber Digby a plug here at The 9513 is okay by me! Go Amber!
Sarah Buxton News! Sarah will be in the opening half hour segment of tonight’s Grand Ole Opry. Also, Sarah has been busy posting new blogs almost daily on her MySpace website since her new single was released to radio. And finally Sarah has been picked as the “Best Upcoming Country Star” by Nashville Scene (and The Wrights as the “Best Off The Row Country Act”). Check out their picks:
Link: http://www.nashvillescene.com/bestof/2008/section/music-87476/
October 17, 2008 at 12:36 pm Permalink
That Julianne Hough is pretty.
October 17, 2008 at 1:02 pm Permalink
title suggestion for reba’s next cover album: “sometimes it took balls to be a woman”
October 17, 2008 at 1:20 pm Permalink
…or “is there life out there….well, i guess there is a bunch of them”
October 17, 2008 at 1:55 pm Permalink
I’ve had a few experiences in my life where I was sure I had been in that exact place and time with the exact same circumstances before. I never attibuted it to reincarnation though, just a sense of deja vu. It was kinda freaky though.
October 17, 2008 at 3:07 pm Permalink
Yea, reincarnation seems a bit much for me.
October 17, 2008 at 3:41 pm Permalink
Kelly, I completely agree with you on the Chambers/Nicholson album! I love it more than when I gave it five stars a few weeks ago!
October 17, 2008 at 6:04 pm Permalink
thanks leeann! it was weird, i am a fan of chambers’more country-rock vibe so i am not shocked that i liked the album to a point, but i was really blown away and found myself on the 4th or 5th consecutive spin in my car before i even realized that i had the entire friggin’ disc memorized!
October 17, 2008 at 9:10 pm Permalink
Oh good. I was afraid we might have a country music awards show without The Eagles.
October 18, 2008 at 1:06 am Permalink
Just got back from the Justin Townes Earle show mentioned…i was not let down one bit. All three acts put on an incredible show!
October 18, 2008 at 10:25 am Permalink
Reba has actually made statements saying she believes in reincarnation several times before – Loretta Lynn too. It’s not really a belief that the christian majority holds, but who’s to say it’s not accurate … the after-life is still the greatest mystery in the known world.
October 20, 2008 at 10:45 am Permalink
thanks for that Eric Church set; I’ve been listening to “Without You Here” non-stop; too bad the album version is probably not acoustic…
October 20, 2008 at 3:49 pm Permalink
Check out the Reba parody spawned from the Reba quote:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3GTOQGJNP5k/SPtYe90MG5I/AAAAAAAAAPU/8lZOk5SGBSQ/s1600-h/REBA3.jpg
October 21, 2008 at 3:19 pm Permalink
LOL @ Stormy
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