CMA Night 2008: My Thoughts and Predictions

The 42nd Annual Country Music Association Awards will be handed out tonight, November 12, at the Sommet Center in Nashville with Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood tag-teaming as co-hosts for the event airing live on ABC. (I know, I know, I am extremely late with this blog.)

Country's best and brightest will be on hand to perform and present awards this year. In probably the biggest performance and collaboration of the night, Brad Paisley and Keith Urban will team up to perform their hit "Start a Band." Other performers include, Sugarland, George Strait, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Kid Rock, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Trace Adkins, the Eagles and many more.

There aren't not too many suprises among this year's nominees. However, one particular nomination of note is Sugarland's first nod for the coveted Entertainer of the Year Award. They are still relatively new to headlining, but their shows are very fun and high energy and play to large crowds. However, I'm not sure if Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush can bring down the big boys just yet.

In the male, female, duo and group categories, I am predicting repeat wins by Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Sugarland and Rascal Flatts, as the other nominees in their respective categories have not had quite the same measure of blowout success this past year, and these artists have all been on top of their game the past couple of years.

I am looking forward to the many spectacular performances and waiting for something unique and fresh, especially from Sugarland and Taylor Swift, who always go that extra mile on their awards shows performances. Who can forget Sugarland's sliding stage floor and the "rain" pouring down on Taylor at the ACM's earlier this year?

Now, for the list of nominees. Here are my predictions and thoughts on who will win and who should win for each category. I usually do fairly well with my picks each year, but you never know how the CMA members will vote from one year to the next. Please keep in mind I am no expert or industry insider and these are just my opinions. Okay, here it goes:

Entertainer of the Year:
Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley - will win; should win
George Strait
Sugarland
Keith Urban

Three-time winner and reigning Entertainer of the Year Kenny Chesney had yet another majorly successful year on radio and out on tour, selling out venues everywhere he goes with his Poets and Pirates Tour. I love Sugarland and would love to see them win on their first nomination, but, it might be a bit too soon for them. I think their time will come in another couple of years. In the meantime, however, could this be the year that Brad Paisley, also coming off of a hugely successful year with hit singles and the wildly fun Paisley Party Tour (which I just happened to catch last month), finally get his due as entertainer after several previous nominations? I hope so. Plus, how much fun would it be to watch the co-host of the evening walk away with the big prize mere seconds before signing off the show until next year? Good luck Brad!

Female Vocalist:
Alison Krauss
Miranda Lambert
Martina McBride
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood - will win; should win

Carrie Underwood, in all liklihood, will take the three-peat in the female vocalist category based on yet another wildly successful album filled with consecutive, multi-week number one smash hits and a sell-out tour. Taylor Swift could give Carrie a run for her money this year, but I think it might be a bit soon for her, even though Carrie won her first trophy very quickly. Taylor has a massive teeny-bopper fan base and that might hurt her a bit with the CMA big wig voters. Even though she won the Horizon Award last year and the New Femal Vocalist at the ACMs earlier this year, I think Taylor will have to sit this one out until perhaps next year. Martina McBride and Alison Krauss have been CMA darlings in the past, but neither one has had the year that Carrie and Taylor have had. Which leaves, Miranda Lambert. She has not had the breakthrough chart success of the other nominees as yet and she has a harder edge to her personality and music than the others, so that also might hurt her chances a bit.

Male Vocalist:
Kenny Chesney
Alan Jackson
Brad Paisley - will win; should win
George Strait
Keith Urban

Mr. Paisley should easily take home the trophy for a repeat of last year. His Paisley Party has been playing to sold out crowds across the country, and his string of hits continues to grow. However, you can never underestimate or count out the other power house artists in this tough category, who have all had a great year.

Vocal Group:
Eagles
Emerson Drive
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
Rascal Flatts - will win; should win

In another repeat win, Rascal Flatts will take home their sixth vocal group trophy. These guys seem to be unstoppable and will leave the other deserving nominees in the dust once again. I love Lady A, but it is still too soon for them to win this award and they haven't amassed the amount of hits and large fan base of the Flatts boys just yet. Their turn will come soon enough, though, if they continue on their current path of success.

Vocal Duo:
Big and Rich
Brooks and Dunn
Montgomery Gentry
Sugarland - will win; should win
The Wreckers

At last year's CMAs, Sugarland was shocked and excited to break B&D's record winning streak as Duo of the Year. They could easily repeat based on the success of their Love on the Inside release and tour, as well as the residual effects of last year's smash tour de force single "Stay." However, the Brooks and Dunn boys won the ACM to keep their streak there alive, so it could be a toss up between the two. I do think Sugarland has the edge, though.

New Artist:
Jason Aldean
Rodney Atkins
Lady Antebellum - will win; should win
James Otto
Kellie Pickler

In what was formerly known as the Horizon Award, three artists are repeat nominees in this category. Jason Aldean, Rodney Atkins and Kellie Pickler were nominated last year but lost out to it girl Taylor Swift. Rodney is still riding the wave of his stretch of back-to-back multi-week number hits, while Jason and Kellie, although they are popular with fans, have not had the succes of Atkins. Throw Lady Antebellum, quickly becoming industry favorites with a rabid fan following, into the mix and you have one big toss up. This category, as always, remains the toughest one for me to call each year.

Album of the Year: (Award goes to artist and producer)
Carnival Ride - should win
Artist: Carrie Underwood
Producer: Mark Bright
19 Records Limited/Arista Nashville

Cowboy Town
Artist: Brooks and Dunn
Producers: Tony Brown, Ronnie Dunn and Kix Brooks
Arista Nashville

Good Time
Artist: Alan Jackson
Producer: Keith Stegall
Arista Nashville

Just Who I Am: Poets and Pirates
Artist: Kenny Chesney
Producers: Buddy Cannon and Kenny Chesney
BNA Records

Troubadour - will win
Artist: George Strait
Producers: Tony Brown and George Strait
MCA Nashville

Each of the nominated albums have sold very well and produced multiple hits, making this category difficult to call. I think Carrie's Carnival Ride might have the advantage, but you just never can tell how the CMA voters will cast their ballots.

Single of the Year: (Award goes to artist and producer)
"Don't Blink"
Artist: Kenny Chesney
Producers: Buddy Cannon and Kenny Chesney
BNA Records

"Gunpowder and Lead"
Artist: Miranda Lambert
Producers: Frank Liddell and Mike Wrucke
Columbia Records

"I Saw God Today"
Artist: George Strait
Producers: Tony Brown and George Strait
MCA Nashville

"Stay" - will win; should win
Artist: Sugarland
Producers: Byron Gallimore, Kristian Bush and Jennifer Nettles
Mercury Nashville

"You're Gonna Miss This"
Artist: Trace Adkins
Producer: Frank Rogers
Capital Records Nashville

Following the uber success of Sugarland's single "Stay" at the ACM's earlier this year, where it took home single and song honors, I think the powerful Jennifer Nettles vocal tour de force will win both categories here at the CMAs as well.

Song of the Year: (Award goes to songwriter and publisher)
"Good Time"
Artist: Alan Jackson
Songwriter: Alan Jackson
Publishers: EMI-April Music; Tri-Angels Music

"I Saw God Today"
Artist: George Strait
Songwriters: Rodney Clawson, Monty Criswell and Wade Kirby
Publishers: Big Red Toe; Extremely Loud Music; Steel Wheels Music; Blind Mule Music

"Letter to Me" - should win
Artist: Brad Paisley
Songwriter: Brad Paisley
Publishers: EMI-April Music; New Sea Gayle Music

"Stay" - will win
Artist: Sugarland
Songwriter: Jennifer Nettles
Publisher: Jennifer Nettles Publishing

"You're Gonna Miss This"
Artist: Trace Adkins
Songwriters: Ashley Gorley and Lee Thomas Miller
Publishers: EMI Blackwood Music; New Songs of Sea Gayle; Noah's Little Boat Music; Songs of Combustion Music

This one will be a toss up between the powerful songs "Stay" and "Letter to Me."

Musical Event:
"Another Try"
Artists: Josh Turner with Trisha Yearwood
MCA Nashville

"Every Other Weekend"
Artists: Reba McEntire with Kenny Chesney
MCA Nashville

"Gone, Gone, Gone"
Artists: Robert Plant with Allison Krauss
Rounder Records

"Life In a Northern Town" - should win
Artists: Sugarland with Little Big Town and Jake Owen
Mercury Nashville

"Shiftwork" - will win
Artists: Kenny Chesney with George Strait
BNA Records

Kenny Chesney and "King George" will likely take this category, as both are fan and industry favorite and this song was huge hit at radio this year. Even though Allison Krauss doesn't get the radio play she deserves, her collaborative album, Raising Sands, with Robert Plant was a critical smash and could sneak in with a suprise win. However, if I had my way, my personal favorite, "Life in a Northern Town," would win. I love the vocal collaboration and harmonies worked out to perfection by Sugarland, Little Big Town and Jake Owen. And watching them perform the song live on the CMT Awards earlier this year was the highlight of that awards show. But since it was a live recording and not super successful on radio as a single, we'll see what happens.

Music Video of the Year: (Award goes to artist and director)
"Don't Blink"
Artist: Kenny Chesney
Director: Shaun Silva

"Good Time"
Artist: Alan Jackson
Director: Trey Fanjoy

"Stay" - should win
Artist: Sugarland
Director: Shaun Silva

"Waitin' on a Woman" - will win
Artist: Brad Paisley
Director: Jim Shea

"You're Gonna Miss This"
Artist: Trace Adkins
Director: Peter Zavadil

Another tough one to call. All are great videos. Brad Paisley could follow up last year's video win with the hysterical "Online" with the sentimental "Waitin' on a Woman," which features a guest appearance by legend Andy Griffith. On the other hand, Jennifer Nettles gave such a raw, powerful and emotional performance in the bare bones video for "Stay" and could take home the trophy for Sugarland.

Musician:
Jerry Douglas - dobro - will win; should win
Paul Franklin - steel guitar
Dann Huff - guitar
Brent Mason - guitar
Mac McAnally - guitar

Last year's winner, Randy Scruggs, isn't nominated this year, so I will go with Jerry Douglas. All five, however, are great musicians and have a shot at winning. I just don't know enough about any of them to be able to accurately make a prediction, so I am going with my gut on this one.

The CMA Broadcast Award winners were announced prior to tonight's award show. The winners were:

Station of the Year:
Major Market: WQYK - Tampa, Florida
Large Market: WFMS - Indianapolis, Indiana
Medium Market: WIVK - Knoxville, Tennessee
Small Market: WGSQ - Cookeville, Tennessee

Broadcast Personality:
National: Lon Helton - CMT Country Countdown USA (Westwood One)
Major Market: Randy and Dave (Randy Price and Dave McKay) - WQYK - Tampa, Florida
Large Market: Gerry House and the House Foundation (Gerry House, Mike Bohan, Duncan Stewart, Al Voecks and Richard Falklen) - WSIX - Nashville, Tennessee
Medium Market: Andy and Alison and the Morning Crew (Andy Ritchie, Alison West and Jimmy Holt) - WIVK - Knoxville, Tennessee
Small Market: The Good Morning Guys (Brian Gary and Todd Harding) - KUAD Fort Collins-Greeley, Colorado

Well, once again, this is my take on who will win big at this year's CMA Awards. I'll be keeping a tally and taking notes as the show airs to see how well I did compared to the bigwig critics and industry insiders. Of course, I'll be back here after the show with a recap of the winners, losers, surprises and performances.

Blog Update

Well everyone, I’m finally back in blog action! It’s been a rough and crazy couple of months both personally and professionally, so my blog got put on the back burner for a while. I have many stories to work on and catch up on.

I have just posted three new entries, one is a very belated recap of the 2008 ACM Awards held back in May. I also have two concert reviews from seeing Wynonna in May and Carrie Underwood in June. Sorry for the lengthy delay, but enjoy the stories and feel free to leave comments.

I think things are back on track and I plan to resume this blog and keep it up more regularly. My next entry will be a recap of the entire sixth season of Nashville Star. Let’s just say it was not my favorite season, to put it mildly. However, I will say I am soo happy Melissa Lawson won! America actually got it right this time! She just seems like a perfect blend of my two all-time favorite artists, Trisha Yearwood and Wynonna. She has a long road ahead of her starting her career with a large family of five young children, so I hope things go well and work out for her. Much more in the blog coming soon. Until then, congrats Melissa!!

Carrie Rocks the Cajundome

Having seen Carrie Underwood win over the crowd as Brad Paisley’s opening act at the Cajundome in November 2006, I knew I would be in for a good show when she returned to the venue as a headliner. There is no doubt the girl can sing, and sing she did. I was originally not going to attend the show because it was on a Wednesday night, but at the very last minute, literally the Monday before the show, I ordered tickets and my husband and I went. Granted, our seats were five rows from the highest row in the building, but the view point was great. And besides, what arena tour these days does not have the big screens on the sides of the stage so those up in the nosebleed seats can enjoy the action and actually watch the artist do their thing.

Opening act Jason Michael Carroll performed a solid half-hour set including his three breakout hits, “Livin’ Our Love Song,” “I Can Sleep When I’m Dead,” and “Alyssa Lies.” The crowd response to his performance was wild - especially from the young ladies in the audience. No surprises there. The young and hot newcomer also previewed a few new tracks from his upcoming sophomore release. He worked the stage and the crowd like a pro and earned many new fans that night who may have only been familiar with his few hits. I predict, if he keeps on this current path, he will be huge within the next few years, even though the male market in country music is somewhat oversaturated these days to say the least. He’s got the sexy baritone voice going on, and he’s not hard on the eyes, girls. Plus, he knows how to rock.

On to headliner Carrie. She opened the show with the rockin’ “Flat on the Floor” from her current release, Carnival Ride. She ran through a medley of songs from her uber successful debut cd, but she focused more on material from the new cd. Of course, the set list included the big hits, such as “Last Name,” “All American Girl,” and of course, “Jesus Take the Wheel.”

The show was well put together, and the staging and lighting were well choreographed. Her crew did a great job putting this tour together. Also, Carrie had several costume changes (I lost count.) She donned her rocker chick attire for the up tempo numbers, and at one point in the show, she changed into a beautiful deep blue gown to perform “Jesus Take the Wheel,” “So Small,” “Just a Dream,” and “I Know You Won’t.” The latter two were definitely the highlights of the night for me. She nailed the emotion of these two strong power ballads, and I was in tears.

At one point in the show, she shared her memories of the night she was asked to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry by legend Randy Travis before belting out her cover of his early hit “I Told You So.,” to the wild approval of the crowd.

Carrie was fairly chatty with the audience and even commented on the sad state of her love life making the tabloid rounds of late and told the guys, “Don’t think I’m not scoping you out.” After the guys roared at that comment, Carrie talked about her “baby,” dog Ace, and sang “The More Boys I Meet,” with the hook line, “the more I love my dog.”

Towards the end of the show, she came back out after another quick costume change to finish out the set with her two most recent chart-busting smashes, “All American Girl” and “Last Name,” much to the squealing delight of all the teeny bopper Carrie fans in the crowd, including a loud and loyal group right next to me.

After she left the stage, she returned for an encore several minutes later. I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard the opening notes of “Paradise City” by Guns and Roses. Back in the day, I loved GnR, and at the previous show, Carrie sang the heck out of their “Sweet Child of Mine,” so I was stoked to hear her take on this serious rocker. And she nailed it - Axl Rose moves and all! You go Carrie! The next day, I was surfing You Tube and saw that she also performs GnR’s “November Rain” as an encore. I would have loved to see her do that one at the ‘dome. Carrie must be a serious Guns fan to rotate three of the biggest Guns and Roses hits as her encores for each show.

Before Carrie left Lafayette, however, there was one more song the fans were dying to hear from the petite blonde Oklahoma native, and as the strains of “Before He Cheats” kicked in, the crowd roared its approval and sang along to every word. I am so glad I ended up going to this show. Even my hubby, who is not a huge concert goer like myself, enjoyed the show and is a big Carrie convert. I will definitely see her again if she returns to the area in the future.

Wy Wows 'Em in Marksville

After raving about attending my first Wynonna show back in August of last year, I was excited to learn she would be returning for another show near me less than one year later. Of course, I went to the May 9, show at Paragon Casino Resort in Marksville and drug a friend along for her first “Hurricane Wy” experience. (Which, I might add, she thoroughly enjoyed.)

Miss Wy once again opened the show with “Heaven Help My Heart,” one of my absolute all-time favorites of hers. From that opening number, I knew this would be one magical show. Don’t get me wrong, she was fantastic the first time, but at some points during the show, I could tell she was not quite herself with everything going on in her personal at that time. This time, however, she was definitely in a better place and ready to rock and have fun. She had a great time chatting up the lively crowd and enlisting them to sing for her on the Judds classics “Mama He’s Crazy” and “Grandpa.”

Wy/Judds music has always moved me and inspired me, and I often find myself singing along with the fun, up tempo songs, and being reduced to tears with the heartbreaking ballads. And watching Wy perform those songs live with that amazing voice of hers only intensified those emotions. I was totally moved and just let the emotion and sheer power of her voice and the music wash over me to soak up every minute of the experience. I was on my feet cheering and singing along during rockers like “Rock Bottom,” “Tell Me Why,” and “What it Takes.” And at the other end of the spectrum, I became a complete puddle when she belted out the big, heartfelt ballads.

One of the highlights of the night for me, as it was last time, was when Wy sang “I Can Only Imagine.” I don’t what it is, but there is just something so intense and uplifting about Wy’s emotional delivery of this contemporary Christian anthem, which holds such strong personal meaning for her. My friend and I literally got chills during that one.

When she introduced another all-time personal favorite Judds tearjerker, “River of Time,” I was a total goner. As soon as I heard the opening notes, I looked over at my friend and told her to get ready because I was going to lose it during that one. That song has always been a personal favorite of mine and has helped me through many tough times in my life. I was crying the entire time while watching Wy’s expressions as she sang this powerful song written by her mother, Naomi Judd. When she nailed the “money note” at the end of the bridge, there are simply no words to describe it. The crowd blew the roof off the place and I totally had goose bumps. Unbelievable! Definitely the biggest chill bump raising moment of the show.

To close out the show, Wy performed “Love Can Build a Bridge” and “At Last,” a cover of the Etta James classic, which is slated to be included on her upcoming release this fall. (I cannot wait for this cd!)

For the encore, fans gathered at the front of the stage for a raucous sing-along of her biggest solo hit “No One Else on Earth.” The crowd sang every word along with Wy, and she handed the microphone down to a cute little girl who couldn’t have been more than four or five. This little girl, to Wy’s amazement, sang every single word of the chorus without missing a beat, and the crowd roared its approval. Very cool moment!

Miss Wy may not make the award show circuit anymore or have the radio success and award nominations of the next generation coming up, but she’s still got it and can definitely teach the newcomers a thing or two. Keep on rockin’ Hurricane Wy!

ACM 2008 Recap

The 43rd Annual ACM Awards held May 18, in Las Vegas was another night for country music and its artists to shine on national television. Despite the usual sound issues that tend to accompany most televised music award shows, many rockin’ performances wowed the crowd that night. Queen Reba did a fabulous job as hostess with the mostess for this year’s ACM party in Vegas. Letting the oneliners fly fast and furious. her opening monologue was downright hysterical. My personal favorites were when she called Taylor Swift on giving her a funny look when she announced the first time she hosted the ACMs was back in 1986 (before Taylor was born!) Reba slyly said, “Ok, Taylor Swift just looked at me like I announced I flew with the Wright Brothers, which of course I did not!”

After throwing out some more good natured ribbing at a few more of her fellow artists, she saved the best zingers for the entertainer nominees. She made reference to Kenny Chesney’s recent onstage injury by joking the name of the song should be changed to “She thinks my fractures sexy.” About Brad Paisley, she said, “Brad is so much cooler on line, but no girls, just because you vote for him, he won’t check you for ticks.” She said Rascal Flatts has made over $34 million on their last tour, but noted that,“Of course, these days that just about buys gas for the trucks and buses. And finally, she reserved her best line of the night for Keith Urban, proclaiming, “Of course we all know by now that Keith is going to be a dad. I don’t want to go into all of the details of how that all happened, but Nicole Kidman is definitely calling him ‘entertainer of the year.’” Let’s just say I couldn’t stop laughing at that one, and I swear, I never saw Keith and Nicole’s faces so red. Their reaction, and that of the crowd, was absolutely priceless.

The following is my recap of the show and my thoughts on the winners and some of the performances.. Performances:Carrie Underwood kicked off the show with a rockin’ performance of “Last Name,” an appropriate choice, seeing as the song is about the end result of a one-night fling in Vegas. What’s that old saying, “What happens…”

Blake Shelton introduced his girlfriend by saying, “God help me if I screw up the introduction of this next artist. The last thing I need in my life is a “crazy ex-girlfriend.’” With that, female vocalist nominee Miranda Lambert gave a kick ass performance of her current single “Gunpowder and Lead.”

First-time male vocalist nominee Rodney Atkins performed a medley of all four of his number one singles from this past year. With Atkins enjoying four back-to-back number one singles off of one album, he earned the right to perform that medley, as that kind of success is rarely seen in this day and age of the music business, in any genre.

Sugarland got the crowd ready for summer with a performance of their catchy new single “All I Wanna Do.” Known for their unique performances, this one was no exception. To end the performance, the duo fell back into the stage only to pop back up laughing a few seconds later. This duo definitely knows how to have fun on stage and work the crowd.

Despite the sound issues during this performance, George Strait and Kenny Chesney each performed their current hits before joining forces on their smash duet “Shiftwork.”

Taylor Swift also proved her mettle with a bold performance of “Should’ve Said No,” complete with onstage costume change and getting doused with “rain” mid-performance. She is another artist who likes to shake things up and do something fun and unique on stage.

There were many other great performances, but the two that really stood out the most to me personally are the tribute to late country legend Eddy Arnold by Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley, who offered a simple and moving rendition of Eddy’s classic hit “Make the World Go Away;” and Garth Brooks, who performed a medley of his hits before receiving the Crystal Milestone Award. Of course, Mrs. Brooks joined him mid-medley on their duet “In Another’s Eyes.” Let’s just say my jaw dropped when I saw the blue dress Trisha Yearwood was wearing for the performance. To borrow a quote from the CMT live blog, “Good God almighty, Trisha’s showing off the girls and that’s all I’ve got to say about that!” My sentiments exactly! No wonder Garth called Reba “Miss Yearwood” during his acceptance speech - I’m thinking he was just still flustered from singing with his wife and seeing her in that dress a few minutes earlier. Anyway, moving on…

As I suspected, there were not too many surprises when the awards were handed out. Here is a recap of the winners at the 43rd Annual ACM Awards:

Entertainer of the Year:

Kenny Chesney - With his fourth ACM entertainer nod in a row, Kenny has now tied Garth Brooks for the most entertainer nods in a row by a solo artist. However, this category become embroiled in a minor controversy backstage when Kenny let the press know that, while he was very happy to win the award and tie Garth’s record, he felt strongly about the fact the entertainer category was fan-voted this year. He told the press, "I've got to choose my words wisely here. I think it's important to know that I do think the fans should be a part of this awards show. I really do. But I'm probably one of the guys in the audience that didn't think it should be for entertainer of the year. The entertainer of the year trophy is supposed to represent heart and passion and an amazing amount of sacrifice, commitment and focus. That's the way Garth [Brooks] won it four times. That's the way I won it. That's the way [George] Strait won it ... and Reba [McEntire] and Alabama all those years."

Kenny continued, “I don't think it's right that they picked the one award that means the most, that all the artists sacrifice the most for. I think it's a complete disrespect of the artist -- what they've lowered us to, to get entertainer of the year. ... Because of that, it really diminishes the integrity of the music that we're making and how much work goes into it. That's what really matters. That's what entertainer of the year really is. It's not about flying somebody to some shows and giving free songs away -- and giving this and that -- and seeing how hard you can push people's buttons on the Internet. As much as I love the ACMs and what they've done for my life, that's how I really feel about it.. And I can say that because I won tonight." He admitted, "I'm honored to be up here for four years in a row to tie Garth's record, believe me. I may not ever win it again, but I know I've achieved this. I just think we all need to be careful how we give this award away in the future. ... If somebody stands up here in the future, they should do it because they sacrificed a tremendous amount."On the other hand, Kenny also proclaimed, "I think the fans should be a part of it. It could be video of the year or duo of the year -- or both. I think the fans should be a part of it, but not the one award that every artist sacrifices the most to achieve."

Male Vocalist:

Brad Paisley - There is no doubt Brad is on a roll these days, and as the reigning CMA and ACM male vocalist, he continues to sell out tour dates across the country with his mixture of serious ballads like “Letter to Me” and tongue-planted-firmly-in-cheek numbers like “I’m Still a Guy.” Next stop - Entertainer of the Year. I predict his turn to win the “big one” will come within the next couple of years.

Female Vocalist:

Carrie Underwood - No surprise win in this category. Riding high with the success of her current smash hit, “Last Name,” Carrie remains the female vocalist to beat, and as the newest Opry member, I predict her reign will continue for a long time.

Vocal Group:

Rascal Flatts - Anyone surprised by this win? I thought not. Rascal Flatts have become the Brooks and Dunn of the vocal group categories of late, and with their rabid and still-growing fan base, I don’t see their stronghold on this category ending any time soon.

Vocal Duo:

Brooks and Dunn - I have to say I was kind of surprised with this one. After Sugarland won this category at the CMAs last year, I was positive they also would take home the ACM hat trophy. And Kix and Ronnie, thinking the same thing, were stunned to say the least when their name was called. An in shock Kix joked, “We’re glad Dr. Phil was here because we’re going to need therapy for this one.”

Top New Male Vocalist:

Jack Ingram - In perhaps one of the toughest categories of the night to call, Jack Ingram was announced as the ACM’s new male vocalist. After nearly 15 years since his first album was recorded and many more years on the Texas music scene, he is finally enjoying success on a national level. In accepting this award, he acknowledged, “It’s been a long road to stand here in front of you as the New Male Vocalist of the ACM. For anybody that ever came to see me play, for anybody that ever played my songs on the radio, for anybody that’s ever taken something from the words of one of my songs; to anybody who dared to dream big dreams and high hopes with me, know this: Live it! Own it! Dreams come true, man. Never give up.”

Top New Female Vocalist:

Taylor Swift - Again, big shocker here - NOT! The always sweet and humble Taylor gave the most memorable acceptance speech of the night when she dedicated her win to her mother by saying, “There are so many people who deserve to be thanked for this, but I’m just going to thank one person. And that’s a person who used to love to go to lunch with her friends and cook dinner for her family and sleep in her bed every night. She gave that all away and left it all behind to go on the road with her 16-year-old daughter; and then she was sleeping in rental cars and in airplanes with her mouth wide open because she was so tired. So, Mom, thank you so much. I love you. This is for you.”

Top New Vocal Group or Duo:

Lady Antebellum - Despite not even having a record released when the nominations were announced, Lady Antebellum was nominated for this award. What a difference a few months makes! Since garnering their first industry nomination, the group has seen their career skyrocket with a wildly successful debut single currently riding high in the top 10 on the charts, along with strong album sales, both physical and digital. Industry voters must have picked up on their infectious melodies and wonderful harmonies, as well as their wacky personalities, just like the legions of loyal fans the young trio has attracted in such a short time. That’s a huge deal for a trio that got together only two short years ago. I predict “Lady A” will continue to grow and become huge over the next few years. Watch out Rascal Flatts!

Album of the Year: (Award goes to artist and producer)

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

Artist: Miranda Lambert

Producers: Frank Liddell and Mike Wrucke

Label: Columbia

Definitely the surprise of the evening, albeit a welcome one! Industry voters went with the well-written and critically acclaimed album over the multi-platinum blockbuster albums also nominated in this important category. To say Miranda was surprised is a total understatement. Her reaction to her name being called was priceless, and the crowd roared its approval as she accepted the hat trophy. She simply said, “I don’t know what to say. I was not expecting this at all. I was sitting right behind Kenny Chesney and I just don’t feel right taking this. But thank you so much to my fans and to the industry for accepting me so much, being a little left of center. I’m a songwriter. I poured my heart and soul into this album. It’s a part of who I am. Thank you for appreciating it.” Way to go Miranda!

Single of the Year: (Award goes to artist and producer)

“Stay”
Artist: Sugarland

Producers: Kristian Bush, Byron Gallimore and Jennifer Nettles
Label: Mercury Nashville

When “Stay” was named Single of the Year, Kristian Bush spoke on behalf of himself and his partner, an emotional Jennifer Nettles, and told the approving crowd, “Thanks everybody for believing in a song that’s almost a five-minute acoustic song and making that a hit on the radio. That’s something that wouldn’t have happened without everybody here.”

Song of the Year: (Award goes to songwriter and publisher)

“Stay”
Artist: Sugarland

Songwriter: Jennifer Nettles

Publishers: Jennifer Nettles Publishing (ASCAP)

This song was a huge hit for Sugarland, and its success was no doubt enhanced by the bare bones, rip your heart out, stripped down video performance by Jennifer Nettles. A stunned Jennifer told the Vegas crowd, “It means so much to me that you really relate to this song and that you accept it. Thank you so much to my partner Kristian Bush and to Gail Gelman [manager] for believing in this song before anybody did. Thank you to Luke Lewis and your whole staff at Mercury to have big ones enough that when we came to you and said, ’hey, let’s put a song without drums on the radio,’ you said ‘sure.’”

Vocal Event of the Year:

“Find Out Who Your Friends Are”

Artists: Tracy Lawrence featuring Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney

Label: Rocky Comfort Records/CO5Music

Video of the Year: (Award goes to artist and director)

“Online”

Artist: Brad Paisley

Director: Jason Alexander

As with my CMA picks, I only missed three categories for this year’s ACMs. I missed the New Male Vocalist, Duo and Male Vocalist categories. We’ll see how I well I do with the next round of country music award shows, starting with the 2008 CMA Awards coming up later in the year.

ACMS 2008: Nashville Takes Over Las Vegas

Reba McEntire will host the 43rd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards live from the MGM Grand Las Vegas tonight, May 18. As Vince Gill is no stranger to hosting the CMA Awards multiple times, so it is with Reba, who will be leading the ACM show for the 10th time. With Reba at the helm, the pace will be lively and infused with the red head’s trademark quick wit.

Besides the requisite performances and trophy presentations, Garth Brooks will be on hand to perform a medley of his hits, as he will be honored with the academy’s Crystal Milestone Award. According to the ACM press release, “The Academy of Country Music Crystal Milestone Award is given to an artist or industry leader to commemorate a specific, remarkable achievement. This award was originally acknowledged during a presentation in Hollywood last fall celebrating the Record Industry Association of America’s (RIAA) special recognition of Brooks’ 123 million in unit sales. As the only solo artist in RIAA history to have six albums top the 10 million sales mark, Brooks has been certified the top-selling solo artist in U.S. history. His most recent release, The Ultimate Hits, has been certified five times platinum.” The press release also featured comments from Bob Romeo, Executive Director of the Academy of Country Music, who said, “The academy wanted to more formally recognize Garth’s career achievements and success. We felt the only way to underline his unmatched contribution to the genre of country music was to recognize him on our awards show.” Garth also shared his thoughts about the prestigious honor he will receive this evening and said, “The ACM has always taken care of me and my music. From Gene Weed to Bill and Fran Boyd, the ACM family has been a frontrunner in my career. I am flattered and humbled by what this award means. The fact that they have never awarded it before makes me feel the respect and the faith they have in me as an artist, and I will continue to work my butt off to make sure they are happy with their choice.” Trisha Yearwood was announced as presenter for the evening. Gee, I wonder who will be proudly presenting such a special honor to her hubby?

And Garth isn’t the only artist receiving special recognition during the awards telecast. Rascal Flatts was recently announced as the 2008 recipient of the ACM/Home Depot Humanitarian Award. The ACM press release said the group was nominated for the award and chosen by a blue ribbon panel of country music big wigs, as well as philanthropic leaders for their community service efforts. As the recipients of this award, a KaBOOM playground will be built at a location of their choosing. Member Joe Don Rooney said of the honor, “We have been blessed with some incredible successes in our career the past couple of years. The most rewarding thing for us is the opportunity to give back to our communities. We’d like to thank The Home Depot and the Academy for recognizing us in such a humbling way.”

In addition to those special awards, the Jim Reeves International Award will be presented to Dick Clark, whose production company has been a long-time producer of the ACM show. Brenda Lee, the Oak Ridge Boys, Conway Twitty and Porter Wagoner will be the recipients of the Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award. Bill Anderson and Fred Rose will be honored with the ACM’s Poet’s Award.

Several musician, industry and radio awards were already presented. The winners were as follows:

Musicians, Band, Instrumental Awards:
Top Guitarist of the Year: Dann Huff
Top Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year: Matt Rollings
Top Bass Player of the Year: Michael Rhodes
Top Percussionist/Drummer of the Year: Shannon Forrest
Top Steel Guitar Player of the Year: Paul Franklin
Top Fiddle Player of the Year: Stuart Duncan
Top Specialty Instrument(s) Player of the Year: Jerry Douglas
Audio Engineer of the Year: Justin Niebank
Producer of the Year: Mark Wright

Industry Awards:
Night Club of the Year: Bill Bob’s, Ft. Worth, Texas
Casino of the Year: Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Connecticut
Don Romeo Talent Buyer of the Year: Gil Cunningham, Neste Event Marketing
Promoter of the Year: Brian O’Connell, Livenation
Venue of the Year: Nissan Pavilion, Bristow, Virginia

Radio Awards:
National On-Air Personality: The Big D and Bubba Show and The Lia Show
On Air Personality - Major Market: Gerry House & The House Foundation, WSIX- FM, Nashville, Tennessee
On Air Personality - Medium Market: Valleri St. John, WWGR-FM, Ft. Meyers, Florida
On Air Personality - Small Market: Gator & The Styckman, WGSQ- FM, Cookeville, Tennessee
Radio Station - Major Market: WMIL- FM, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Radio Station - Medium Market: WUSY- FM, Chattanooga, Tennessee
Radio Station - Small Market: WGSQ- FM, Cookeville, Tennessee

Now, for the list of nominees. Here are my predictions and thoughts on who will win and who should win for each category at this year’s ACM Awards ceremony.

Entertainer of the Year:
Kenny Chesney - will win; should win
Brad Paisley
Rascal Flatts
George Strait
Keith Urban

Riding high with the success of his latest release and his sell-out Poets and Pirates Tour, Mr. Chesney is a virtual a shoo-in for his fourth Entertainer of the Year nod in a row from the ACM. In fact, there are already rumblings that if he does win this award, he will almost be guaranteed the nod as entertainer of the decade in 2009 or 2010, which ever year the special award is handed out. As Garth Brooks was the last winner of this prestigious honor for the ‘90s, Chesney, should he indeed receive this honor, will be in outstanding company, which includes Alabama for the ‘80s and Loretta Lynn for the ‘70s.

Male Vocalist:
Rodney Atkins - will win; should win
Kenny Chesney
Brad Paisley
George Strait
Keith Urban

I am going with Rodney Atkins on this one because he is on a roll with a string of four number ones all from his current release. He has garnered quite a following and has quickly become a fan favorite for his fun, sing-along anthems, such “If You’re Goin’ Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)” “Watching You,” and “Cleanin’ This Gun (Come On In Boy).” However, Brad Paisley has had another blockbuster year out on the road and could easily get a repeat win in this category.

Female Vocalist:
Miranda Lambert
Martina McBride
LeAnn Rimes
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood - will win; should win

New Opry member Carrie Underwood will undoubtedly keep her award show winning streak in tact with a no-contest win in this category. While Taylor Swift might give her a run for her money, she is still new and has not yet had the level of success enjoyed by Carrie, though she is quickly catching up. However, Carrie’s phenomenal success, including a string of multi-week number ones and two albums still in the 10 on the country albums charts, speaks for itself and she will walk away the victor in this category, her second in a row.

Vocal Group:
Diamond Rio
Eagles
Emerson Drive
Little Big Town
Rascal Flatts - will win; should win

Again, no surprise should occur here. Rascal Flatts, have dominated this category at all of the awards shows for the past few years and will continue to do so. The other groups nominated in this category, while all great, have not had the mega-success of the Flatts boys this past year. However, with a new label and new music on the horizon, I personally am hoping for Little Big Town to give them some stiff competition in the next couple of years.

Vocal Duo:
Big & Rich
Brooks & Dunn
Halfway To Hazard
Montgomery Gentry
Sugarland - will win; should win

Kix and Ronnie better watch out, there is a new duo in town taking over. After nearly two decades of domination in both the ACM and CMA duo categories, Sugarland beat Brooks and Dunn at the CMAs back in November. As Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush are coming off of a successful run as first-time headliners with a rabid fan base, I am predicting a Sugarland win here as well. The duo category is finally getting some real competition in the form of Sugarland, plus you can never count out a surprise upset by Montgomery Gentry.

Top New Male Vocalist:
Luke Bryan
Jack Ingram
Jake Owen - will win; should win

This is a really tough category to call. All three have had great success on the radio and out on tour this past year. I am a fan of all three guys, but I think academy voters might go for Jake Owen, with his deep, smoldering voice.

Top New Female Vocalist:
Sarah Buxton
Kellie Pickler
Taylor Swift - will win; should win

Unlike the female vocalist category, Taylor Swift will definitely bring home the hat trophy for new female vocalist. Her singles have consistently hit top 10 on the charts and her album, almost two years after its release, is still hovering at the top of the album charts. In the age of the Brittanys and Linsdeys of the pop culture world, Taylor (at the ripe old age of 18) is a breath of fresh air and someone young girls who enjoy her music can look up to.

Top New Duo or Vocal Group:
Carolina Rain
Lady Antebellum - will win; should win
The Wreckers

This category should be an easy call. The Wreckers, despite a wonderful initial buzz and successful singles, are no more; and Carolina Rain have had marginal success this year. Lady Antebellum, on the other hand, burst onto the scene as a force to be reckoned with. Their debut release is a huge critical success and has been hailed as one of the best debut albums released by a new group in years. And with their first smash single sitting in the top 10 at the moment, fans are snapping up copy after copy in stores and digitally online. Lady A’s sound is unique, and I love how members Hillary Scott and Charles Kelley trade off lead vocals on several songs, making them duets. Their unique voices blend well together, along with Dave Haywood, for some amazing vocals sprinkled throughout every track on the record. It also does not hurt that they have Victoria Shaw at the helm as their co-record producer or that they wrote or co-wrote all but one song on the release together.

Album of the Year [Award presented to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company]:
5th Gear Brad Paisley (Arista Nashville) - will win; should win
Produced by Frank Rogers

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend - Miranda Lambert (Columbia)
Produced by Frank Liddell, Mike Wrucke

Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates - Kenny Chesney (BNA)
Produced by Buddy Cannon, Kenny Chesney

If You’re Going Through Hell - Rodney Atkins (Curb)
Produced by Rodney Atkins, Ted Hewitt

Taylor Swift - Taylor Swift (Big Machine)
Produced by Scott Borchetta, Nathan Chapman
# 6 Produced by Robert Ellis Orrall

Voters will probably take a look at the CMA winners from last November and vote for Brad’s album. With the success of the singles released off the record, and Brad Paisley’s current headling tour promoting it, I think this will be the winner.

Single Record of the Year [Award presented to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company]:
Don’t Blink - will win
Kenny Chesney, Produced by Buddy Cannon, Kenny Chesney
BNA

Famous In A Small Town
Miranda Lambert, Produced by Frank Liddell, Mike Wrucke
Columbia

Lost In This Moment
Big & Rich, Produced by Big Kenny, John Rich
Warner Bros/WRN

Stay - should win
Sugarland, Produced by Kristian Bush, Byron Gallimore, Jennifer Nettles
Mercury

Watching Airplanes
Gary Allan, Produced by Gary Allan, Mark Wright
MCA Nashville

In another tough category to call, voters will be torn between Chesney and Sugarland’s smash singles, arguably the biggest of their careers to date. Both are serious songs with tough subject matter and have strong videos to go along with them.

Song of the Year [Award presented to Composer(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]:
Don’t Blink - will win
Kenny Chesney
Writers: Casey Beathard, Chris Wallin
Publishers: Lavender Zoo Music (BMI), Mama’s Dream Music (ASCAP), Sony/ATV Acuff Rose
(BMI), WB Music Corp. (ASCAP)

Lost In This Moment
Big & Rich
Writers: Keith Anderson, Rodney Clawson, John Rich
Publishers: EMI April Music, Inc. (ASCAP), Romeo Cowboy Music (ASCAP), WB Music
Corp. (ASCAP), Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI), Writer’s Extreme Music (BMI)
Moments

Emerson Drive
Writers: Dave Berg, Annie Tate, Sam Tate
Publishers: Gravitron (SESAC), WB Music Corp. (ASCAP)

Watching You
Rodney Atkins
Writers: Rodney Atkins, Steve Dean, Brian White
Publishers: Bethar Music (BMI), Mike Curb Music (BMI), Multisongs (SESAC), Songs
From The White House (SESAC)

Stay - should win
Sugarland
Writer: Jennifer Nettles
Publishers: Jennifer Nettles Publishing (ASCAP)

See above comments in Single category. However, if Rodney Atkins’s song would have been nominated in the single category, it probably would have a much better chance at a win, as it was a huge multi-week number one smash last year.

Video of the Year [Award to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)]:
Don’t Blink - Kenny Chesney - will win
Producer: Tacklebox Films
Director: Shaun Silva

Lost In This Moment - Big & Rich
Producer: Big Kenny, Steve Lamar, Marc Oswald
Director: Robert Deaton and George Flanigen

Online - Brad Paisley - should win
Producer: Frames Per Second
Director: Jason Alexander

Stay - Sugarland - should win
Producer: Kristian Bush, Byron Gallimore, Jennifer Nettles
Director: Shaun Silva

Watching You - Rodney Atkins
Producer: Broken Poet Production
Director: Eric Welch

Many categories this year seem to be a battle between former tour mates Kenny Chesney and Sugarland. Both Chesney and Sugarland’s videos are very powerful, and Jennifer Nettles’ emotional reading in the bare bones performance video for “Stay” dominated the GAC and CMT video countdown charts for months. However, should voters go in an opposite direction, Brad Paisley’s hilarious video spoof for “Online” could take home the trophy.

Vocal Evcnt of the Year [Award to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company]:
Because Of You - Reba McEntire with Kelly Clarkson - should win
Produced by Tony Brown, Reba McEntire
MCA Nashville

Find Out Who Your Friends Are - Tracy Lawrence With Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney - will win
Produced by Julian King, Tracy Lawrence
Rocky Comfort/CO5

Shiftwork - Kenny Chesney with George Strait - should win
Produced by Buddy Cannon, Kenny Chesney
BNA

Till We Ain’t Strangers Anymore - Bon Jovi featuring LeAnn Rimes
Produced by Dann Huff
Mecury

What You Give Away - Vince Gill With Sheryl Crow
Produced by Vince Gill, John Hobbs, Justin Niebank
MCA Nashville

I am personally very partial to the smash Reba/Kelly duet, which I thought was a shoo-in for this category at last year’s CMAs. Tracy Lawrence was the surprise winner that night, and he might well take home a second award for his first big hit in nearly a decade. However, the King George/Kenny Chesney duet was a huge hit that was all over radio late last year and they could easily snag the hat trophy.

Well, there you have it, my predictions for tonight’s ACM Awards. I’ll be keeping score throughout the night to see how well I fared with my picks for each category. Stay tuned for a full recap/review of the show’s highlights and big winners.

A Recap of the 2008 CMT Music Awards

The CMT Music Awards held April 14, in Nashville was one of the biggest parties of the year for country music. Hosted by Bill Ray Cyrus and his mega-popular teen star daughter, Miley (aka Hannah Montana), hosted what is perhaps the funnest award show of the season. This show is strictly fan-voted, which makes the win that much sweeter for the artists.

This year’s show was no exception to the fun rule. The show got off to a hilarious start, as everyone from Trace Adkins to Senators (and presidential hopefuls) Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John McCain were clamoring for tickets to the show. They all called Miley personally, and Trace also had Donald Trump try to help him score tickets for his daughters, who are huge Miley/Hannah Montana fans.

Many hysterical moments ensued between father and daughter throughout the night. The most memorable moments were when Billy Ray commented on what a great year 1992 was for him and Miley said,” Awe, that’s because I was born that year.” But Billy Ray then played a clip of “Achy Breaky Heart” to the crowd’s roar of laughter and Miley’s feigned embarrassment. Later in the night, Miley was texting on her cell phone, and Billy Ray told her to stop because she was running up the phone bill he pays for her every month. Miley had one of the best lines of the night when she told him in reply, “Who are you kidding, I pay yours.” That quick quip easily drew the biggest applause of the night. The father/daughter duo also provided a touching moment with a performance of their smash hit “Ready, Set, Don’t Go.”

There were many other wonderful performances to go along with the cute father/daughter banter. However, the performance of the night (and my personal favorite) definitely belonged to Sugarland, Little Big Town and Jake Owen, who joined forces on the ‘80s classic, “Life in a Northern Town.” The three acts performed this song as an encore during the CMT tour last year, and they reprised it for the show to thunderous applause from the crowd. They simply nailed the song with an amazing blend of harmonies and onstage chemistry.

LeAnn Rimes gave a strong performance of “Nothin’ Better to Do,” which was basically a live recreation of the video on stage, complete with set, costume and dancing. Later in the evening, when she won the Collaborative Video of the Year Award with Bon Jovi, she quipped, “It was a lot of fun rolling around in bed with Jon, sorry honey!”

“It girls” Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood also shined with rousing performances. Taylor performed the rocking “Picture to Burn,” complete with on stage pyro. Carrie closed the show with her latest smash hit, “All American Girl.” Taylor was the winner of two of the biggest awards of the night, Female Video of the Year and Video of the Year. She was in total shock when she won the award for Female Video of the Year. And when her name was called as the Video of the Year winner, her initial reaction was, “Are your sure? Are your serious?!”

However, the real winners of the night were the award winners’ charities of choice. Courtesy of CMT One Country, the winner of each category was given $2,500 to donate to their favorite charity.

With this show being the first award show of the country awards season, this is a great warm up, as well as a mostly fair indicator of who will be nominated for the upcoming ACM and CMA Awards later in the year.

The following is a complete list of the winners at this year’s CMT Music Awards:

Video of the Year: “Our Song” - Taylor Swift (Trey Fanjoy, director)
Male Video of the Year: “I Got My Game On” - Trace Adkins
Female Video of the Year: “Our Song” - Taylor Swift
Group Video of the Year: “Take Me There” - Rascal Flatts
Duo Video of the Year: “Stay” - Sugarland
USA Weekend Breakthrough Video of the Year: “I Wonder” - Kellie Picker
Collaborative Video of the Year: “Til We Ain’t Strangers Anymore” - Bon Jovi featuring LeAnn Rimes
Performance Video of the Year: “I Wonder” - Kellie Pickler (from the 41st Annual CMA Awards)
Supporting Character of the Year: Rodney Carrington in Trace Adkins’ “I Got My Game On”
Wide Open Country Video of the Year: “Gone, Gone, Gone (Done Moved On)” - Alison Krauss and Robert Plant
Tearjerker Video of the Year: “I Wonder” - Kellie Pickler
Comedy Video of the Year: “Online” - Brad Paisley
Video Director of the Year: Michael Salomon

Carrie Underwood: All-American Idol Opry Member

Just call her the “All-American Idol Opry Member.” That’s right, Carrie Underwood, just shy of three years after winning American Idol and performing on the Grand Ole Opry for the first time (June 10, 2005), was invited to become an official member of the Opry during her performance Saturday, March 15.

Now, some people might believe it’s too soon, but I disagree. Let’s not forget recent new members Dierks Bentley and Josh Turner also were asked to join the Opry very early on in their careers. All three artists share a deep love and respect for the history of country music and the Grand Ole Opry; and, let’s face it, the Opry has to bring in younger talent to fill the seats at the Ryman and the Opry House. The three of them, most notably Carrie, are on a hot streak in their young careers, so of course the Opry management wanted them to join the prestigious cast. As new artists, all three of them are quickly earning the respect of their country music elders in the Opry, and it is safe to say Dierks, Josh and Carrie are humbled and honored to join their heroes on the Grand Ole Opry stage. Having said that, I do agree there may be some injustice in the fact that some newer members are asked to join so early in their careers, while others, like country music and Opry legend Charlie Daniels, had to wait for years before getting their due. However, I also feel bringing in new, young artists as members can help educate many young fans just discovering country music and the Grand Ole Opry through artists like Carrie Underwood.

News of the upcoming honor took the reigning CMA and ACM Female Vocalist of the Year completely off guard. The Oklahoma native celebrated her 25th birthday March 10, and just five days later, Opry officials asked Randy Travis to come out and surprise her with the invitation to join the Opry. After her performance of Travis’ classic “I Told You So,” which is a track on her current cd, Carnival Ride, he appeared on stage and announced, “To end your birthday week, I was asked by the management here at the Grand Ole Opry to come out here and ask you if you would like to be their next member.” After he delivered the news, a visibly stunned Carrie excitedly said, “Let me think about it - Yes!” Travis then announced she would officially be inducted as the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry on May 10.

Travis later said he had fun sneaking up behind Carrie and surprising her on stage. Opry Manager Pete Fisher added, “Since her Opry debut nearly three years ago, Carrie has not only created many memorable Opry moments with her numerous appearances and extraordinary talents, but she has also shown us that she shares a heartfelt connection and a commitment to country music and its rich legacy. We believe she’s going to be a very important part of perpetuating the legacy of the Grand Ole Opry for decades to come, and we look forward to May 10, when she will be formally welcomed as the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry.”

After the initial shock wore off, Carrie closed the show with the fitting song “Crazy Dreams,” also from her latest release. She told the audience, “This is one of the best nights of my life, and it’s certainly something I’ll never forget. And I’m glad each and every one of you were here to share it with me. This has been absolutely amazing.” Backstage after the show, Carrie proclaimed, “That was so amazing and I couldn’t have imagined it coming from a different person.” She jokingly added, “ Everybody here kept a tight lip.” She went on to say, “I grew up watching the Opry when I was little. That’s where I learned about people of the past, the present and the newcomers coming in and singing. It’s just something that’s been a huge part of country music, and it’s wonderful to think that I’m going to be a part of it.”

Iglesias Has Gone Country Thanks to CMT

The premise of CMT’s latest reality show, Gone Country, was to take seven B and C list artists from the worlds of hard rock, rap, and pop (and one Marcia Brady), throw them into a house together and see if they had what it takes to win over the country audience in Nashville.

The brainchild of John Rich, the six-episode series was filmed over a two-week period in Nashville. The performers lived together in Barbara Mandrell’s old mansion Fontanel, which is now known as the “Plowboy Mansion.” and serves as home base for Rich and his Muzik Mafia cronies. While living together, Rich gave the participants a crash course on the world of country music and the country music lifestyle by having them perform various tasks, such as cooking for his grandmother and working on Gretchen Wilson’s farm for a day. Rich also introduced them to his father and brought them to get fitted with custom Manuel suits for the final live performance of the competition.

The series also took viewers behind the scenes as the artists collaborated with some of the best songwriters Nashville has to offer hoping to write a hit song and perform it in the finale at the Wildhorse Saloon. The artists were competing for the opportunity to record their new song with Rich as producer and release it to country radio.

My initial reaction to hearing about this show was “what is CMT thinking?” And when I learned who would be participating in the competition, my first thought was “this is a huge trainwreck waiting to happen.” (For the most part, it wasn‘t, but it definitely had its moments.) Bad boy Bobby Brown, “Mr. Thong Song” Sisqo, Dee Snider, Maureen McCormick, Diana DeGarmo, Carnie Wilson and Julio Iglesias Jr. all headed to Nashville to step out of their comfort zone and try their hand at a completely different style of music in the hopes of reaching out to a large, brand new audience.

Marcia Brady, I’m sorry, Maureen McCormick, wrote perhaps the most emotional and personal song of the seven contestants. However, as the only non-performer of the group, she struggled with severe stage fright throughout the series. Her song was arguably the most “country” of the group, but the others gave it their best shot with mixed results.

The finale could not have ended with a bigger shocker. After listening intently to each of the songs and watching the artists on stage, Rich admitted to them that he had a very difficult decision to make. He told the group he was looking for the whole package, quality of the song, live performance, stage presence, crowd reaction and the indefinable “it” factor. Then, to everyone‘s shock, Rich announced Iglesias as the winner. However, no one was more shocked than Iglesias himself. I personally would not have picked him, but Rich, as one of contemporary country music's brilliant masterminds and songwriters, apparently knew what he was looking for and thought Iglesias deserved the win. The song isn’t bad, it's just not one that will do well at country radio, in my opinion. But then again, what do I know? It will be interesting to see what comes of the single at radio and on the charts.

I originally was determined not to watch this show, but as a huge country music fan, I just had to tune in to watch the crazy antics of the performers and see just how seriously they would take this challenge. While I’d say it’s a pretty safe bet they may not have a huge future at country radio, I was pleasantly surprised by just how seriously all seven participants took the competition and gave it their all to “go country.”

Hank Williams Sr.'s Legacy Still Looms Large

(Note: This is a story I wrote recently for my local paper. One of my boss' friends is a devoted Hank Sr. fan and he felt it was important to share the story of Hank Sr. and his relationship with his mentor, as well as his deep connection to Louisiana.)

Hank Williams Sr.’s legacy looms large in the world of country music, and his connection to Louisiana is legendary. He began his career on the Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport before going on to a successful career in country music, eventually earning a spot in both the Country and Rock and Roll halls of fame.

February was Black History Month, and Ville Platte resident James Bellard, a self-professed, devoted Hank Williams Sr. fan, felt the story of Williams and his mentor and teacher Rufus, “Tee-Tot” Payne, should be shared. Bellard says Williams’ music has haunted him since he was seven years old, and he has been a fan ever since. He sees many connections between the prophetic lyrics Williams wrote and his tragic life, noting, “He had it rough and he never slowed down. He never forgot where he came from. He was a bright star who dimmed too soon.”

The story and inspiration of Hank Williams Sr., Bellard admits, can be beneficial to all. He says Ville Platte needs a new school, but people are not willing to help because they are worried about “what will I get in return?” He says education is very important and should not be taken for granted. He feels the story of Williams and Payne shows, if we have the tools and support, we can accomplish anything, and he hopes this story will inspire people to open their hearts and pocketbooks for the education of our town’s children and the future of our town. He adds there could be far-reaching consequences for failing to get a new school for our children. He notes there are many talented people in the area, and he would like to see them have the opportunity to pursue their musical talents. He would like to see good bands continue at high school, and he thinks it would be a great idea to start a band at LSUE with the possibility of a Hank Williams Sr. scholarship for students pursuing music.

Williams grew up in Alabama attending church with his mother, where he learned to play piano, and he was taught to play guitar by Payne, a local black street musician. Williams’ mother allowed them to practice on the front porch, which was unheard of in those days. This friendship was unusual, as both grew up in poverty and shared a strong musical connection. Williams’ mother gave her blessing to the collaboration and paid Payne with food in exchange for him teaching her son to play guitar. Bellard says, “The only advice Tee-Tot ever gave to Hank was to ‘always keep the audience’s attention,’” which he did in spades. He also notes Williams later credited Payne for giving him the only training he ever had. This was training was evident in the abundant blues influence throughout his catalog.

Williams’ main ambition was to become a successful songwriter, and many of his ideas came from comic books. Bellard says the years Williams spent in Shreveport as part of the Louisiana Hayride were the happiest of his life. He goes on to say, “It is there Hank became the first American superstar when he performed the song ‘Lovesick Blues’ on stage to six encores.” Bellard says Williams had deep ties to Louisiana and even co-wrote songs and hung out with Louisiana governor Jimmie Davis, a songwriter and singer in his own right. Williams’ son, Hank Williams Jr., was born in Shreveport, and Bellard would like to see some kind of marker along I-49 recognizing them, as well as other artists with a strong Louisiana connection.

When he was older, and after he had achieved some success, Williams searched for his mentor for 10 years to pay him back, only to learn he had died and was buried in an unmarked grave in the same Montgomery, Alabama, cemetery Williams would later be buried in at the tender age of 29 a few short years later. Bellard says Williams wrote the haunting lyrics to his favorite Williams’ song, “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” about his search for Payne. The song’s lyrics include the lines, “The silence of a falling star lights up a purple sky and I wonder where you are...I’m so lonesome I could cry.” Bellard adds, “This simple, yet profound song lyric was written by Hank Williams so long ago, yet surely it rang true on the day he searched in vain for his childhood mentor.” Years later, money was raised and a nine-foot marble stone was erected to indicate Payne was buried somewhere in the cemetery.

Bellard says Williams often sang about sadness, sorrow, pain and grief. But instead of making you feel that way, his songs simply did the opposite, by making those feelings seem bearable. He adds, “Williams’ songs are so beautifully written, with a timelessness that transcends generations of time, place and audience. He sang with an eloquent, emotional forthrightness.”

Bellard goes on to say Williams was a highly religious person who was happiest when he was singing. He states Williams took Payne’s music to a place Payne couldn’t and his mentor would have been proud of him, just as Williams’ mother was. In turn, Williams helped a lot of people and received very little credit for it. Bellard gives the following example of his generosity. “Williams and his band, The Drifting Cowboys, frequented an old barbecue stand owned by blacks, and one time, as they were leaving, an elderly lady ran out to tell him he had dropped his money clip. He usually carried several hundred dollars on him and he had dropped the money on purpose as a gift.” Bellard adds, “This was just his way of sharing what he had.”

Adding to Williams’ connection to blues and black musicians, the black quartet the Southwind Singers performed at his funeral, which very few white people in Montgomery, Alabama, had at the time. This was done as a tribute to Williams’ love of black gospel and blues music.

“In Williams,” Bellard says, “music has a legend so enduring he is still the model for countless singer/songwriters.” Bellard states Williams was the first artist inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1961, a tribute indicative of his impact. Williams later became a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

Bellard proclaims, “Legends rarely look like legends when they are being made, but Hank Williams was a legend in his own time, and it is safe to say Mr. Rufus ‘Tee-Tot” Payne has become a blues legend in our time and in our little town.”

The Long-Awaited Return of Crook and Chase

Country fans everywhere, as well as many country artists, are rejoicing about the long-awaited return of Crook and Chase to television. Last month, Lorianne Crook and Charlie Chase debuted their new weekly talk show on the RFD Network. As a long-time fan of Crook and Chase, I just happened to check their website one day and found out they would be back on tv in a few weeks. Needless to say, I was very happy to learn of their return to the television airwaves. Their presence on television representing country music, not to mention their interaction with the artists, has been a noticeable, missing aspect of the country music world for quite some time.

The popular duo was a staple of the now-defunct TNN Network, and now after nearly a decade, they have found a home on the similar RFD Network, which has a core focus on agricultural programming. The network also airs classic country programming, such as the Porter Wagoner Show, Pop Goes the Country and much more. Along with Lorianne and Charlie, Country Music Hall of Famer Ralph Emery can be seen doing what he does best, interviewing the stars, on his own RFD Network show.

As soon as I learned the news, I anxiously awaited the debut of the new show and was not disappointed. The guests for their first show back were none other than Garth Brooks, The Oak Ridge Boys and George Jones and his daughter, Georgette. You could not ask for a better line up to kick off the new show with a bang. The friendly teasing and brother/sister chemistry between Lorianne and Charlie was still highly evident, and their easy going rapport with the guests shone through. As they got back into the groove with a few more shows under their belt, it became apparant the old Crook and Chase magic was definitely still in tact. 2008 also marks the 25th anniversary of their partnership, and what better way to celebrate such a milestone occasion than with a new show on television.

What I have always loved about Lorianne and Charlie's partnership is that while she is the more serious journalistic one who keeps the show on track, Charlie is ever the comedian, having fun teasing her and the guests. As a hopeful country music journalist, Lorianne has long been my inspiration. I admire her great rapport with the artists. She is not afraid to ask the difficult questions, and she also has a great deal of fun with her subjects and keeps the interviews flowing and very conversational. She is also not afraid to try something new and fun with the artists.

I particularly enjoy the Off Stage series on GAC, where she has chatted in-depth and one-on-one with everyone from Garth Brooks to Denise Jackson. What makes these shows so fascinating is that the interviews always take place somewhere the artist will be comfortable, and Lorianne, country music’s Barbara Walters, allows the artists to reveal more of their personal side. And just like Barbara, she can bring her subjects to tears. Nearly every country artist trusts her, admires her and respects her, and they are not afraid to sit down for an in-depth special with her, even though they know they may get emotional, especially if they have a difficult and personal story to share.

As a big fan of theirs for many years, I am fortunate to have my own personal Crook and Chase story to share. I was a member of their fan club for a while and was able to attend their fan club party with a friend during Fan Fair back in 1997. The party was held at their own showplace, which housed much memorabilia from their various television shows. At the time, they had just released a book about their experiences together throughout their different incarnations. I, of course, brought the book along for them to sign. When it was our turn, Lorianne and Charlie asked where we were from, and when they found out we were from Louisiana, they immediately started asking us about New Orleans and how far away the city was from us. We soon started talking about Mardi Gras and the music, food and culture of the Crescent City. My friend and I thought that was the coolest thing ever. After our short chat, they signed the book for me and we took a photo. At the time, I was just beginning to think about getting into country music as a journalist, so I didn’t talk to them about my ambitions, but oh how I wish I had.

Another highlight of the party for me, as if one-on-one time wasn’t great enough, was that Lorianne had decided to sell off some of her wardrobe for charity. As guests walked into the main room of their showplace, many racks of her personal and show wardrobe, as well as many beautiful award show gowns, were on display. My friend dared me to pick something and try it on, so I found a red suede skirt and tried it on - it fit! Of course, I didn’t have enough money on me to be able to buy it, but it is still fun to say I tried on something of Lorianne’s. However, I didn’t dare try on one of the fancy award show dresses. Lorianne and Charlie were a blast to hang out with, and attending their party was the highlight of my first Fan Fair experience.

Anyway, back to their new show. I have watched each week so far, and I am taking mental notes while watching Lorianne. Many country fans who dream of getting into the business want to be artists. However, I have always wanted to be like Lorianne. If I do have the opportunity to pursue my dreams in Nashville, whether it be print or television journalism, I can only hope to do my job half as well as Lorianne and earn the respect of the artists as she has.

To Lorianne and Charlie - Congratulations on 25 years and the new show, and here’s to many more years together covering the wonderful world of country music!

Congratulations Charlie!

Country music legend Charlie Daniels became the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry family January 19, an honor long overdue. Known for his virtuoso talent on the fiddle and his flag waving patriotic songs, Charlie has been a consummate entertainer for 50 years. He grew up listening to the Grand Ole Opry as a child and soon became a staunch Opry supporter and fan favorite who has graced the hallowed stage far too many times to count throughout his illustrious career.

The night of his induction was indeed very special and emotional for Charlie, as he performed his signature hit, “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” like never before. He also performed two other classics before closing the televised show with a stirring rendition of “Will the Circle Be Unbroken,” alongside host Marty Stuart and performers Connie Smith, Trace Adkins and Montgomery Gentry, who were on hand to help celebrate Charlie’s big night.

In introducing Charlie, Marty commented, “The Opry is American and its reach is universal, a steady force in the midst of passing trends. The Opry is family. God bless Charlie Daniels.” This description perfectly suits Charlie and his relationship with the beloved institution. I am a fan of his and know his reputation for supporting the troops is legendary and arguably unparalleled in the country music realm. Passionate songs about the country and the military, as well as anthems for the working people of America, abound throughout his catalog. He has done so much for the troops over the years, from vocally supporting them whenever possible, to traveling the globe to perform for them. In this small way, he expresses his gratitude and appreciation for their dedication to defending us and our freedom.

While accepting the honor, Charlie recalled listening to the Opry as a child and sitting in the balcony for the first time in 1954. He remembered having weak knees during his performance on the legendary stage where so many greats had performed. He proudly told the crowd this year marked his 50th year as an entertainer and he was honored to become a part of the Opry institution. When he was presented with the signature replica statue of the Opry microphone stand given to all new members as they are welcomed into the Opry family, he proclaimed, “My Bible tells me God gives us the desires of our hearts, and tonight, the promise has come true.”

As a child, I never really liked country music that much, but my dad was, and still is, a huge Charlie Daniels fan. I can recall listening to his collection of CDB tapes in the house and in the car whenever we traveled anywhere. Of course, my sister and I loved “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” and we also grew to like many of the other songs we sang along to and memorized after hearing them so often. I also have seen Charlie in concert a couple of times, and the energy is simply electric. When he sets the fiddle ablaze - watch out! Witnessing the master perform “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” in person, with the fiddles and fireworks going, was astonishing and the crowd reaction indescribable. And well into his 70s, the man still has the energy and fiddle skills to show the younger generation how its done.

Congratulations on the well-deserved and long overdue honor, Mr. Charlie!