Trace Adkins Wins Over Colleagues, But Loses Celebrity Apprentice

Gee, ya think that The Salt Lick will be busy the weekend of the Ol’ Settlers Fest? Maybe thats a good time for my first Salt Lick BBQ Experience????

Trace Adkins showed both amazing intelligence and restraint on the Celebrity Apprentice. Trace contributed many of the best ideas to each task his teams were involved in and always pitched in to do his best. Its not surprising Brit Twit Piers Morgan won as the previous week two high level consultants recommended the final two be Trace and model Carol Alt and Donald Trump instead went with Piers to pit good/evil and ethical vs. unethical. Piers had direct relationships with many rich and famous brits (Richard Branson, Chef Gordon Ramsey, Sarah Ferguson etc.) that he exploited fully. I really just wanted Trace to win because he was Trace! (lol)

As for Chet Flippo and talent contests, American Idol has already become the prime mechanism for unknowns to leap to the top of the country music charts. So far we have Carrie Underwood, Kellie Pickler, Bucky Covington,Josh Gracin, and most recently Phil Stacey. Carmen Rasmussen proved if you don’t last long enough on the show and wait too long then being on AI isn’t enough. Nashville Star helped launch the careers of Miranda Lambert and Buddy Jewell but hasn’t really done much for any of the other winners. (Anyone remember Brad Cotter?)

In Australia “country music talent quests” are still the primary way that young artists become known. These contests are held all over the country and serious young artists follow the circuit. The two biggies are the “Telstra (phone company) Road to Tamworth” and the “Toyota Starmaker Award”. Winning “Starmaker” puts an artist on the fast track with one of the early winners back in the early 1990’s being Keith Urban before he moved to the US. So far no contestants on or winners of “Australian Idol” have conquered the Aussie country music scene…..

Trace Adkins did all Southerners proud on Celebrity Apprentice! He may have done more to mitigate the prejudice northerners have against southerners than anyone or anything since the Civil War ended. He was SOOO “southern” but also SOOO wise, creative, thoughtful, patient and courteous. He was resourceful and had good judgement during the entire process.

It makes you wonder if someone else is sometimes making his decisions when it comes to which songs to record, doesn’t it?

Funk, I didn’t watch the whole show, but I think I caught the part where Trump insinuated Trace got a number one out of the show. “Honky Tonk Bodonkadonk” only made it to number two. In his book, Trace mentioned it got wedged between two Jesus songs (I believe it was “When I Get Where I’m Goin” and “Jesus, Take The Wheel”) and he figured they deserved the top spot.

He has gotten a couple of number ones in the past, including “Ladies Love Country Boys,” another song that Jamey Johnson helped write. He also got a number one from his debut album and then went through a period where he didn’t do so well at radio. He mentioned that Columbia was so preoccupied with getting Garth his sales that they neglected the rest of their artists.. Wikipedia has a list of his singles and where they topped out on the charts.

Thanks for the pointer for Trace to Wikipedia. Of course, looking at that list, with what, maybe 8 or 9 songs that have made the Top 10, it’s a little sad he’s put out his SECOND Greatest Hits CD. Aye.

Trump was a lot more direct in the way he addressed that Baldwin guy - he flat out said his career has bumped since the show. Trump seemed to genuinely like Adkins so the way he talked about his bump was much more in a joking and kidding around kind of way. In any case, Trace done good. The Brit raised a ton o’ money so he should have won but no shame in Adkins’ second.

Brady you got that right except is was Capital..not Columbia….and Garth’s ego to get to 100 million in sales was also the reason keith urban’s first record with the ranch got no promotion….every penny of their budget went to Garth….what a shame…then he retires until someone else sells more records and he rereleases the same crap to sell more albums…..someone needs to teach Garth what being retired means…..

I think you both meant Capitol.