Opry Member Charlie Walker Passed Away Friday at 81
- Grand Ole Opry and Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame member Charlie Walker passed away on Friday at age 81. Peter Cooper eulogizes:
In 1958, Mr. Walker decided to record “Pick Me Up On Your Way Down,” from the pen of an aspiring songwriter named Harlan Howard who was a forklift driver at a California printing factory. The song became Mr. Walker’s signature hit and it was Howard’s first commercial writing success. (Howard went on to write more than 100 Top 10 country hits and to become a Country Music Hall of Famer.)
- David Cantwell lingers a moment longer for Jerry Reed and notes that “as an ambassador for country music, he was, among his contemporaries, second only to Willie Nelson and, perhaps, Dolly Parton or Glen Campbell.”
- And tonight, friends of Jerry Reed, will take another moment to linger and perform a musical sendoff to the guitar legend with a free show at Douglas Corner.
- Daily Trivia: The original “King of Country Music,” Roy Acuff, was born this day in 1903. (watch him perform “Wabash Cannonball”)
- NPR has a live performance of Sarah Borges & The Broken Singles on Mountain Stage.
- Toby Keith took his Biggest & Baddest Tour to Atlanta for the anniversary September 11th, and despite the profanity-laced performance, 18-year-old Michael Paul exclaimed that “there could never be a better concert on 9/11 than that of a Toby Keith concert!”
- Country Music Goodness has a brief Q&A with Earl Scruggs. (via The Bluegrass Blog)
- Songwriter Craig Bickhardt discusses the decline of the American songwriter:
It’s safe to say that never in the history of our culture have so many superficial similarities existed between the musical artists of today and the musical artists of a previous generation. Look at the clothes, hair styles, images and artwork and you’ll see 1969. Listen to the CDs and you’ll hear production that reminds you of the Byrds, the Beatles, “Positively Fourth Street” and Joni. But check out the songs. The lyrics are unfocused, the choruses unmemorable, the ideas lack the motive to really communicate. It reeks of self-indulgence. Simply put, no one has told these folks that they haven’t worked hard enough, that they haven’t written their best song, that they need to develop their instincts and hone their craft. No one has said, “No”.
Both the article and ensuing comments are worth checking out, and there’s more in response to Ben Cisneros’ forum topic “Do pop-country songwriters know the score???”
- The video for Taylor Swift’s first single, “Love Story,” from her upcoming album is spreading like wildfire and features a performance from Nashville Star’s very own “Underwear Boy.”
- Twang Nation’s Baron Lane recalls a round table in Nashville last year that included Southern fiction writers and songwriters discussing how storytelling through the different mediums were alike. Among the songwriters was Chris Knight and in his review for Heart of Stone, Lane claims the storytelling presence is strong throughout.
- Nashville At Nite posted video from their exclusive backstage access to rehearsals from Nashville Star finalists. Melissa Lawson talks about traveling to China, Gabe Garcia explains the format of the planned concerts on their tour, Shawn Mayer shows off her new tattoos and dishes on Gabe’s emerging status as a prankster, while Coffey says he had paparazzi following him around L.A.
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11 Comments
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September 15, 2008 at 11:16 am Permalink
oh man oh man, i really dig sarah borges.
September 15, 2008 at 11:21 am Permalink
I threw that bullet in there knowing you’d comment ;)
September 15, 2008 at 11:36 am Permalink
Man, that is service for ya! People really do win on The 9513.Com!!
September 15, 2008 at 11:38 am Permalink
These blog titles are getting depressing (and that’s not a comment on your choices, just the state of affairs). :(
September 15, 2008 at 2:20 pm Permalink
I wanted to remark on Craig Bickhardt’s comment. I agree with what he said. But I also believe that the listener is to blame. I would assume that all through the history of country music there have been bad songs that people liked. The problem is that today’s bad songs are now written for a group of listeners that take what ever song comes down the pike.
The real critic should be the listener. Maybe when there is so much information coming toward a listener maybe the listener is disarmed. But unless the listener is really listening there is not a songwriter on earth that has to improve. Garth Brooks, Shania Twain, Kenny Chesney,Toby Keith, and any new young hunk of the week has had a song that wouldn’t pass for a real song in years past. Thus it must be the listener.
The “Bob That Head” listener who finds the singer cute or real, and drinks the Kool-Aid that is offered as music is the real killer of good music. So we may blame the songwriter but in reality they are only writing for a market that takes any crap that will sell.
September 15, 2008 at 2:33 pm Permalink
This is a great site. And , of course, RIP Charlie…and God bless…
September 15, 2008 at 4:01 pm Permalink
I typically don’t care much for Taylor Swift’s music but I sure can’t knock the quality of her music videos thus far, excluding the live “Couldn’t Say No”. This new video is more like a short film and no scrimping was done on the production values. Taylor has earned enough money for Big Machine that she can live out her fantasies in these videos. And who knows, this may be “Underwear Boy’s” big break as The Disney Channel may be calling any moment now….
David Cantwell’s article on Jerry Reed is excellent. Its nice to see someone who appreciates Jerry for all of his musical contributions and not just his mainstream hits……
I also enjoyed the brief Earl Scruggs interview and his talking about the old days with Bill Monroe. I wonder if anyone hung onto that ‘41 Chevrolet he’s talking about. Seeing Earl and his sons perform live was definitely a highlight at this year’s Stagecoach Festival.
I think “Nashville At Night” may be doing it’s bit on Nashville Star a little too late as their 15 minutes of fame has already expired. I don’t think Melissa Lawson’s single even made a blip on the country radio airplay charts(?). I can’t imagine people paying money to see this troop perform live…
September 15, 2008 at 4:45 pm Permalink
I’m embarrassed that I know this but Underwear Boy is actually rumored to be dating Miley Cyrus. Presumably BRC introduced them? I totally didn’t catch that it was him in the Taylor video.
September 15, 2008 at 8:01 pm Permalink
Love Taylor new song
September 16, 2008 at 12:40 am Permalink
Rick’s Random Tidbits: I think Taylor Swift has taken control of country radio! Check out the Top 5 Mediabase Adds at Top 40 country radio stations this week:
1. Taylor Swift/Love Story (74)
2. Rascal Flatts/Here (49)
3. Brad Paisley + Keith Urban/Start A Band (47)
4. Sugarland/Already Gone (29)
5. Dierks Bentley/Feel That Fire (13)
That list more than explains why I quit listening to mainstream country radio. Every time a Taylor Swift or Carrie Underwood or Rascal Flatts song came on I changed the station and found I liked the mellow rock oldies station a whole lot better than “today’s country”….
September 16, 2008 at 1:43 am Permalink
Rick,
Taylor scored a Top 26 debut wit that single too. It likely will be #1 a month. The Paisley Urban Song charted @ 36 or so. Indications are that Darius Rucker will score a #1 with his new single this week or next.
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