Mindy McCready Uses Her ‘Get Out of Jail Early’ Card
- Mindy McCready is getting out of jail today after serving just half of her 60-day sentence. Speaking of sentences, TMZ says she read enough of them to finish two books while in the slammer–no word on which books, though.
- Trace Adkins, George Jones and daughter Georgette, and Brad Paisley are among the artists performing at the Grande Ole Opry this weekend in honor of Little Jimmy Dickens‘ 60th anniversary.
- Little Jimmy Dickens will also be the first guest on Marty Stuart‘s country music show scheduled to debut this Saturday on RFD-TV.
- The Star-Telegram‘s Preston Jones cites Carrie Underwood‘s “appealing, girl-next-door quality” as one of her strengths, but also her biggest weakness.
But having watched her perform live does little to alter my fundamental opinion. Underwood has lucked into one of the biggest careers not only in country music but in popular music, period. Yet, maddeningly, she has little apparent substance.
- Glenn Campbell covered the Replacements tune “Sadly Beautiful” on his latest album, Meet Glenn Campbell, and now former Replacements vocalist Paul Westerberg wants to be Campbell’s next Jimmy Webb. (via Paste)
- Julianne Hough and Craig Morgan pulled hosting duties for the first-ever CMA-produced red-carpet television special before the association’s 42nd annual awards show on Nov. 12.
- Chet Flippo feels Hank: The Unreleased Recordings is one of the most important recorded music projects in recent years because of its ability to introduce a new generation to the architect of modern country music.
The 54 songs included here range widely across the spectrum, from traditional Southern gospel to Hank originals, from Appalachian ballads to a Western standard, from honky-tonk to cob-webby ancient tunes. They all share Hank Williams’ formula for musical success: total emotional commitment to the song. If he couldn’t identify with the song himself, Hank Williams could never sell it to anyone else and he well knew that.
- Music Tomes‘ C. Eric Banister discusses humor and its importance to the country music tradition with Loyal Jones, author of Country Music Humorists and Comedians. Fantastic interview.
- Is Hank Jr. contemplating a run for senator?
- George Strait, Miranda Lambert and Lee Ann Womack were just a few of the stars who gathered last night to pay tribute to Alan Jackson and tape a segment for the CMT Giants series. The actual show won’t air until Dec. 6, but forum member “bu11″ attended the live show and posted a recap..
- Just as soon as the rumors that Sam Wurzelbacher, more famously know as Joe the Plumber, were beginning to heat up (did anyone not run this story?), he went and shot them down. “I love country music, and I mean it’s pretty much what I listen to from sun-up to sundown,” he told FOX News on Thursday. “But as far as me being a country music star, I don’t know. I don’t think people are that deaf-tone out there.” However, if he were to pursue the country career, we might be reading something like this:
Samuel Wurzelbacher (aka Joe The Plumber) is on the verge of counry music stardom. His band Country Joe The Plumber & The Septic Tank Band will be going into the recording studio and recording their first album entitled, It’s My Damn Trailer So The Friggin’ Lid Stays Up.
The album features songs like “Let Me Be The One Who Fixes The Leak In Your Love Life” and “I’ve Got The Overflowing Septic Tank Blues.”
- Meanwhile, teachers in Texarkana dressed up like the gossip girls from the 1970s hit TV show HeeHaw to teach elementary students about the history of country music.
- The McCoury Music Club is live. For a $100 annual fee you’ll receive a free live show download every month, plus bonus content like exclusive studio tracks. (via BluegrassJournal.com)
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Alan Jackson // Brad Paisley // Carrie Underwood // Craig Morgan // George Jones // George Strait // Hank Williams // Hank Williams Jr. // Jimmy Webb // Julianne Hough // Lee Ann Womack // Little Jimmy Dickens // Marty Stuart // Mindy McCready // Miranda Lambert // Trace Adkins
Current Discussion
- Jack Hanford: For those who are interested, there is a new 90-minute documentary video about Tompall & the Glaser Brothers on DVD ...
- joe morris: how come nobody mentions his fan club which started 1950 and was called the " the penny pushers " which ...
- jane: I'm reading this article in 2013 and I've yet to hear anything from the album played on the radio.....
- Catwandy: I guess Matt C. is eating his well-deserved crow 'bout now. Critics....gotta love 'em , bless their little hearts.
- Ed McClendon: Saw the brothers in Greeley CO on the occasion of Tompall's 50th birthday. The show wasn't well promoted and there ...
- Roby Fox: I'm sure no one else will know, or even care about this little tidbit of trivia. "Keep Your Change" was ...
- kate wonders: Roni Stoneman is still on Hee Haw every Sunday night on RFD channel.
- Marsha Blades: Tommy, You were so kind to me during a tough time in my life and I don't think I ever ...
- Leona Jones: I seen Chris at the Grand Ole Opry last week.. First time I have heard of him.. He rocked the ...
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November 12, 2008
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October 31, 2008 at 2:24 pm
Good to see a critic finally giving Carrie Underwood a bad review. Too many of them say how great her voice is but fail to point out her lack of stage presence or a personality. If you watch the AI auditions, even after day one Randy told her she needed to work on stage presence. She is so boring I’m surprised no reviewers have said so before.
October 31, 2008 at 2:46 pm
Glad that someone else was first to say something about that — I believe I have seen some other reviews that have said the same thing – big voice, but lacks the stage presence, presonality, etc.
October 31, 2008 at 2:53 pm
I’m imagining the introduction: “I present the honorable senator from the great state of Tennessee, Senator Bocephus!”
October 31, 2008 at 2:57 pm
“Are you ready for some tax refooooooorrrrm?”
October 31, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Joe the Plumber is the man, he should give it a shot.
October 31, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Jr’s campaign slogan:
Whiskey Bent and Washington Bound
October 31, 2008 at 3:05 pm
“A Country Boy Can Survive The Primaries”
October 31, 2008 at 3:12 pm
Hank, why did you run? Hank, why did you court votes? Hank, why must you keep all those promises you spoke?
October 31, 2008 at 4:02 pm
“Good to see a critic finally giving Carrie Underwood a bad review”
Nothing new here! Preston Jones and his Dallas Morning News buddy Mario Tarradell have been slamming Carrie for three years. Mario once described her as “barely mediocre” whatever that means. I’m beginning to think it’s a Texas vs Oklahoma thing.
October 31, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Apparently Joe the Plumber realized that, under the Obama tax plan, it just doesn’t pay to be a country music star.
October 31, 2008 at 4:20 pm
I dunno about that, as big a star as Carrie Underwood is, she says she doesn’t really have that much more money than before she made it big.
October 31, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Usually, when I don’t have much money, I offer to buy my parents a house.
October 31, 2008 at 4:50 pm
Brady, if that’s true then Carrie needs a new manager pronto! Carrie Underwear is pretty, sweet, a talented pop diva vocalist, and I consider her about as interesting as watching paint dry. Carrie’s lack of substance actually makes her more relatable and appealing to her legion of “airhead country” fans. These A.I. types can’t grasp the artistry of a real country artist and aren’t interested anyway.
I’d love to see Hank Jr. and Tim McGraw go head to head in a political grudge match as their politics are polar opposites. Sadly I’m afraid the “Faith Hill Factor” might give Timmy boy an undeserved edge among female and pop country loving voters…..
If it weren’t for Brad Paisley country humor songs would pretty much be absent from Crapola Country Radio. I think that humor songs tend to appeal more to male listeners and there just aren’t enough of them left around to bother appealing to. Even Shel Silverstein wouldn’t be able to get songs on mainstream country radio these days were he still alive and writing prime material and that’s a shame.
October 31, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Rick,
So everybody who’s taste in music happens to be different then yours is an airhead?? I believe Tsar Putin is looking for a new program director at Radio Moscow…maybe you ought to apply.
October 31, 2008 at 8:10 pm
I was just wondering,9513, why don’t you ever post good reviews of Carrie’s shows? There are way more good ones that bad ones and this jackass has had it out for Carrie since day one…I you want, I can do it for you. just a thought.
October 31, 2008 at 8:37 pm
The guy that wrote the review is a Miranda Lambert fan and resents the fact that Carrie Underwood has had more commercial success. You would think he’d try to hide his resentment a little better though, I mean, wow, he really hates her.
Mimi…This article is a good one and even has a Miranda Lambert quote that might surprise a few readers on this site.
http://www.azcentral.com/ent/music/articles/2008/10/31/20081031underwood.html
October 31, 2008 at 9:04 pm
Actually most of the reviews of Carrie Underwood I have read say that same basic thing–decent voice, relies too much on screaming and needs personality.
October 31, 2008 at 9:58 pm
hmm stormy, you must be just reading the ones posted on this site then.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20081029_11_hr842284
October 31, 2008 at 10:29 pm
@ Stormy most of the ones I’ve seen read that way too.
Mimi I would hope she would get a positive review from her hometown paper!!!
October 31, 2008 at 10:34 pm
Mimi: But the ones posted on this site come from so many different sources.
October 31, 2008 at 10:38 pm
@Mimi – As much as I’d like to read every country related article published online, it’s just not feasible. My email address is on the ‘About’ page if you want to send me articles from time to time, but you might want to do a search before accusing us of only posting negative reviews. Both of these articles were included in recent news roundups.
November 1, 2008 at 2:54 pm
@ Rick I completely agree with you about Carrie!!
November 1, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Westerberg
Did you turn off your rock star spell check again?
November 1, 2008 at 4:51 pm
We’re still working the bugs out of that thing, so good catch.
November 2, 2008 at 8:30 pm
I think that Carrie Underwood is a good singer. She’s not Allison Kraus or Martina, but she’s good. I think that she’ll go far in the industry for several years to come. It is true that she is boring to watch perform, however. I’ll still watch Before He Cheats when I can though. That was a good video.