Titles Sought for Country Music Stars
It wasn't too long ago that country performers routinely incorporated a title with their name, the idea being that such an addition gave them a little extra boost in stature and individuality. Thus, Roy Acuff was the King of Country Music, Kitty Wells the Queen and Tammy Wynette the First Lady. The practice went a long way back. Jimmie Rodgers billed himself as the Singing Brakeman (and later bore the title of Father of Country Music). Grand Ole Opry patriarch Uncle Dave Macon was known as the Dixie Dewdrop. Eddy Arnold gained fame as the Tennessee Plowboy (but gradually eased away from that designation as he sought a broader, more urbane audience). Tennessee Ernie Ford styled himself as the Old Pea Picker, and Ernest Tubb labored as the Texas Troubadour. Patti Page was the Singing Rage.
Sometimes these titles were conferred on performers by their admirers and sometimes by their paid promoters. But whatever its origin, the value of a title lay in whether or not it stuck and eventually became synonymous with the performer's name.
Before there was a Gary LeVox, Vern Gosdin was the Voice. Roy Rogers was King of the Cowboys, Bill Monroe the Father of Bluegrass, Hank Snow the Singing Ranger, Johnny Cash the Man in Black and Tom T. Hall the Storyteller. Generously proportioned Kenny Price of Hee Haw went to his grave as the Round Mound of Sound. Ranger Doug Green of Riders in the Sky continues to call himself (albeit puckishly) the Idol of American Youth.
So here's what I'd like to know: What do you think would be fitting honorifics for the likes of Garth Brooks, Vince Gill, Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire, Martina McBride, Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill (separately or in tandem), Josh Turner, Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, Miranda Lambert or any other act of your choosing? Here's your chance to influence country music history. The floor is yours.
©2008 Country Music Television, Inc., a Viacom company. A division of
dale merrel says:
My comment is on Tracy Adkins had said on us99’s countryroad. It is true that the American people are not ready to is the truth on the fight against terrorism. My degree will be in criminal justic and emergency management.We will be hit again. As true american people, we withdraw our troops from the Middleast we are leaving with our tails between our legs, when the fighting gets tough we give up and go home and who wins,the terrorists do.We are so two face it makes angry to be with you people.Does 9-11 mean anything to these people. Those that died in the towers,Penn. and in Washington those were heros. I am in country of cowards.This is not why my family died for in the first two wars. This country can turn their backs on freedom. There is a price for everything in this world.I am not going to let this coward filled country stop me from fighting against terrorism. We got what was coming to us on 9-11. We are so selfcenter group of monors no wonder the rest of the world laughs at us.We need to support those men and women fighting for us. We are so ungrateful to our service people.No matter what they try to hold on to the dream of Liberty and Freedom.When we get hit once more on our soil,I will not feel saddness for those that die(expert for the first responses and our troops).
OutlawSteph says:
Garth ‘ruined country music as we knew it’ Brooks
Pete says:
hey Dale - how about instead of hitting the old “support the troops” button you answer the freaking post?
Julia says:
What the new artist bring to country music are people like me, I was a New York City girl who heard Keith Urban’s “You’ll think of me” on a local pop radio station and just loved the song. I had no idea who he was, or that he was “Country” NY City has no country music stations, so I bought his Be Here album which the song wasn’t even on but loved it anyway, I found the CMT station on my cable and was introduced to a whole realm of music that I absolutely fell in love with, I have relocated to the Berkshire where there are actually country radio stations, but I mostly listen to Prime Country and Road House on Sirius, the whole point being that the new artists attract attention from people out there who never had any knowledge of country, now I love Sawyer Brown, and Dwight Yokum and Mary Chapin Carpenter, the list goes on and on. Thank you Keith!!! By the way I saw him a few weeks ago live in NJ and he was spectacular.
ranfan says:
Faith Hill, Defender of Balls
Ms. HK says:
Well, of course Keith Urban is the “Thunder from Down Under”! Or Keith Urban: He takes Southern to a new Hemisphere!
Julia - So glad you discovered Keith, and country music THROUGH him.
marieann says:
faith hill, defender of balls! love it!
too right thou! no one touches my mans balls!
faith and tim are the ultimate country partnership! i love that they hav worked together so much, it speaks volumes for how they care for their family!
gmhycw fyjkbcgeo says:
pxbjyldn nsfdi srnt tvau pqdylh onixbqk ehmj