Country Music Blog: 2007 October

I thought I knew Carrie Underwood. Carrie, the American Idol. Carrie, the paparazzi darling. Carrie, the six-million-album girl. Who knew there was another side? A chocolate-gravy-and-biscuits-lovin’ side? A take-a-nap-on-your-parent’s-living-room-carpet side? Chicago now knows that for all the fame and fortune, the Oklahoma girl is still in there somewhere.

On a trip to Chicago’s country station US99 today to promote her new album, Carnival Ride (which had first week sales of 527,101 and hardly needs promoting), Carrie talked about things she hasn’t talked about before, even with all the press surrounding this release. Like the fact that she wears Anna Sui perfume, always reads her horoscope, still drives a 2000 Mustang, calls soda “pop,” cleans her own toilets and calls her mom every day. That’s the kind of thing that reminds you just how young she is. That, and stories about gutter cleaners coming to her home in Nashville and asking if her parents were home. And saying that while fame does come with certain restrictions, “The goods definitely outweigh the bads.”

The “bads” would be the media, who might see her at a club talking to another celebrity for five minutes and report that “they were flirting all night, they were all over each other.” When she does make it to the cover of a magazine, she said she’s her own worst critic. Of the recent Target campaign where she’s in a red dress, she said, “I’m just not a red girl.”

When you consider the fame that’s been thrust upon her, and all the people she must get to meet, it was refreshing to hear her talk about the thrill of meeting Randy Travis. Carrie’s always maintained that her roots are nothing but country. When she put Travis on a pedestal, that must mean she’s telling the truth. Her cover of his No. 1 hit, “I Told You So,” is one of the best tunes on the new album. So now that I know this other side of Carrie, she seems a little more real to me. Like someone I could get close to. Maybe not BFF close. But as close as her ominous shadow of a bodyguard would let us.

Trisha Yearwood has had a spectacular music career, but some people may think of her now as Mrs. Garth Brooks. Marriage is tricky that way -- the person you choose is ideally a lifelong partner, but you don’t want to lose your own identity after the rings are exchanged. Of course, not everybody is up to the task. Trisha will be the first to remind you that it’s OK to be single, and in fact, she’s telling Garth’s daughters that very thing.

“Everything you see in magazines and television and media is about finding the right guy,” Yearwood says. “I want them to be happy, and if and when the right person comes along, they come along. Not, ‘I won’t be complete until I walk down the aisle.’ We are so geared toward gearing our daughters that this is your goal in life, or you’re not complete until you find a man who makes you happy. I want them to know they’re OK on their own, and when they’re happy with themselves, that’s when love – in whatever form it comes in – is going to be there. I just want them to know that.”

Sometimes I listen to Trisha sing “Hearts in Armor” or “Trying to Love You,” and I think, “Well, if this is how a relationship is going to turn out….” She has some great heartbreak songs on her upcoming album too, which is how we got to talking about being single vs. being married in the first place.

“I got married for the first time at 22 years old. I would never go back and say that was a mistake, in that he was a really nice guy,” she says. “But it was a mistake in that part of the reason I did that was because it was expected. At 22, I was one of the older people in my community to get married. My sister was 24 when she got married and that was almost not done, you know? We don’t tell that to guys. Guys are told, ‘Oh, you’ve got plenty of time.’ … You don’t know who you are at 22 years old. You don’t know who you’re going to be. Give yourself a chance. Travel the world. Find what you love to do, and then, if it happens, it happens. And if it doesn’t, it’s not the worst thing in the world.”

I expected a good show when I went to see Vince Gill and Mel Tillis play Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium Monday night (Oct. 29). Ralph Emery also hosted a portion of the show. What I didn’t expect was that Gill would encore with “Old Shep” and that Tillis would fall off the stage, each thereby illustrating the difference between an entertainer and a mere singer.

Because the Ryman is not a late-night venue, it was obvious that Gill and Tillis would both have to cut their shows short. So, at around 9 o’clock, Gill wrapped up his segment with “Liza Jane,” made his bow and walked off stage with his band. But the insistent crowd called him back. He came back alone, carrying an acoustic guitar. He told how his father used to send him scurrying to bed by singing “the saddest song” he’d ever heard. “I feel compelled to sing it tonight,” he said, “because it’s so very important.” Having wept at the song myself, I recognized it immediately when Gill strummed the first chords of “Old Shep.” Some in the crowd laughed nervously, waiting for the punch line, as he sang, “When I was a boy and Old Shep was a pup.” But as the sad story unfolded, the crowd settled into total silence, not a rustle or a cough. Near the middle of the song, though, Gill either choked up or forgot the words and recovered by joking, “I guess it’s true what they say about Cialis. It causes memory loss.” The crowd roared. Then he resumed singing, “With a hand that was trembling, I picked up my gun/And I aimed it at Shep’s faithful head” -- and it became stone quiet again. It was one of the most intimate connections between artist and audience I’ve ever witnessed, and I’m fairly certain it wasn’t just Gill and me dabbing at our eyes when the song ended.

Tillis was only five or six tunes into his set when he took one step too many and tumbled into the front row. “Oh, hell, I lost my hearing aid,” moaned the dapper 75-year-old as solicitous hands boosted him back on the boards. “You all right, lady?” he inquired, turning back to the fan into whose lap he’d fallen. Tillis brushed himself off, continued the story he’d been telling and acted as though nothing untoward had happened. Then he sang, joked and paced around the stage for another 45 minutes, the perfect model of a man in control.

Several of Porter Wagoner’s friends have shared their thoughts on his passing. Here are some we wanted to share with you:

Dolly Parton: “I went over on Sunday afternoon and spent his last few hours with Porter and his family, so I was able to say goodbye. I sang for him and prayed with him. It felt good that I had the opportunity to say goodbye properly. His family is very grateful to everyone for all their help.”

Marty Stuart: “Losing Porter is going to take a whole lot of getting used to as he’s been a part of my life for so long. I grew up watching his television show in Mississippi and it was as if he were a member of our family. After I got to know him, he was. He was a masterful showman, who understood the art of the final act. He left the world on top. Some of the things that soften the blow of his passing are all the memories from the past year. We made a wonderful record together that got him lots of acclaim, he celebrated his 50th anniversary with the Grand Ole Opry, he had a new generation of kids in love with him and his music, the awards were coming, the Martin Guitar Company had named a guitar in his honor and he was asked to light the nation’s Christmas tree at the Pageant of Peace celebration in Washington, D.C. next month. One of the last things he said to me was, 'You’re gonna have to call the President and tell him I won’t be able to sing him any Christmas songs this year. Maybe next year.'”

Patty Loveless: “Porter was my mentor in the early years of my musical journey and over the years became like family to me. He encouraged me and helped me to fulfill my dreams and was truly an inspiration. I love him and I miss him already."

Dierks Bentley: “I visited him in the hospital on Tuesday, and Porter led us in a prayer. He thanked God for friends, family and the Grand Ole Opry. This is a great loss for country music and the Grand Ole Opry. It’s also a great loss for me personally because he was a friend I was really just getting to know. I feel blessed for the time I did have with him.”

I want to start this blog by saying what a privilege it was for me to actually get the chance to meet the rhinestoned Porter Wagoner. The last time I sang on the Grand Ole Opry in August, Porter was the one introducing my segment of the show. A photographer there asked, "Is it OK if I snap pics of you while you are onstage?" I assured her it was fine with me, as long as she would email them to me. Well, turns out it's probably one of my most favorite pictures ever, because it's right after Porter introduced me and was walking over to stand on the side of the stage during my performance. It's my main picture on my MySpace page. It looks Photoshopped, it's so perfect.

I just got to Nashville this morning for all the happenings that are The Americana Music Association, and I'm doing some songwriting while I'm up here as well, but on Wednesday night, there was already a tribute that was going on to Porter. I'm sure it will become a celebration of life now, and make sure that everyone knows exactly what he contributed to country music and the Grand Ole Opry. For those of you that don't know, Porter is one of the sole people to get Miss Dolly Parton started in the music biz. I am walking onto the Grand Ole Opry stage again this coming weekend, and now more than ever, I really want to do country music proud. I'm dedicating my performance to him! I know he will be greatly missed. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.

I’ve been racking my brain for days since my first Kid Rock concert trying to figure out what constitutes a “Cowboy.” When I think of a cowboy, I think of Roy Rogers or Gene Autry. I think of “Happy Trails” and “Back in the Saddle Again.” I think of lyrics like, “Where the longhorn cattle feed/On the lowly Gypsum weed.” Not “Stoned pimp, stoned freak, stoned out of my mind,” as Kid Rock brags in his signature song, “Cowboy.” Perhaps he just got his “weeds” confused. 

Call me old-fashioned, but I thought cowboys wore something along the lines of cowboy hats and Wrangler jeans. Even today’s cowboys like George Strait and Alan Jackson still follow suit. They’re not prancing around in brim top hats and unzipped two-piece jumpsuits. Anyway, as much as I don’t think Kid Rock should be classified as country, I do think he has a nice voice when he’s actually singing. I’m definitely not a prude but I did spend most of the concert blushing from his raunchy comments, but I sang along with what I could. By the end of the concert I moved to the front row (thanks to the man in front of me also confusing his weeds). My homecoming date used to listen to “Cowboy” on repeat. Apparently, we listened to the clean version because when Kid Rock got to a certain vulgar part of the song in the concert – “Cuss like a sailor, drink like a mick / My only words of wisdom are…” – I yelled, “Radio Edit!” Dang it! Wrong again!

Will someone please help me figure out what it takes to be a cowboy? So far, here’s the checklist I’ve come up with according to Kid Rock–

1. Call yourself and name signature song, “Cowboy.”
2. Get married at Tootsie’s.
3. Play at the Ryman Auditorium and cover one country song – preferably, "You Never Even Called Me by My Name.”
4. Start a brawl and get arrested at Waffle House at 5 a.m.

Wait, maybe not that last one. I obviously know nothing about what it takes to be a “Cowboy.”

Curiosity got the best of me last night, so I dropped into the Wildhorse Saloon for a taping of Gone Country, a new series coming to CMT in early 2008. John Rich is the host, and besides talking a whole lot, he ends up choosing one of seven singing celebrities to introduce to country radio. At this taping, the cast members sang for a country audience for the first time, trying out something co-written with some of the city’s finest writers.

Personally, my favorite song of the night was the first one – “Smile That Smile,” about the moment when your resistance falls away. Carnie Wilson of Wilson Phillips sang it with her co-writers, Marv Green and Leslie Satcher. (I guess Wendy and Chynna couldn’t make it.) She sparkled in a beautiful white rhinestone jacket, clearly loving her moment in the spotlight again. Julio Iglesias Jr. has … well… he has a great smile. Sisqo earned the most applause of the night, and his original song was a standout too. Am I the only one who never heard “The Thong Song”? Must be. So I had nothing to judge him against. If you like Martina McBride, you’d like Diana DeGarmo, a strong singer and American Idol runner-up. For a quieter performance, give a shot to Maureen McCormick (Marsha Brady on The Brady Bunch), who is taking another stab at a music career and did herself proud.

Bobby Brown – of New Edition and The National Enquirer -- offered a song about changing his ways. He told the audience he just got out of a long marriage, even though he wishes it wasn’t over. What would Whitney Houston say to that? Bobby was quick to add that he’s got a new woman and says he’ll be on his best behavior from now on. Considering the rumors about his behavior in the Nashville house where he and the castmates lived for two weeks, I seriously doubt that. Meanwhile, the original song by Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider was more rock than country, but what isn’t these days? Although I’m partial to country music, at the end of the night, I couldn’t resist singing along to “We’re Not Gonna Take It.” Of course, in the long run, we are gonna take it, because one of these artists is going to have a shot at country stardom, but we’ll have to wait until early next year to find out which one.

The Eagles and Jamie Foxx are appearing on the CMA Awards show -- and this year’s Country Music Hall of Fame inductees are not. That decision has angered a lot of country music fans, and I agree that the new inductees should be given priority over the Eagles and Foxx. On the other hand, I also feel that the new inductees should be given priority over all of the acts appearing on the awards show. It’s important to honor Vince Gill, Mel Tillis and Ralph Emery on their phenomenal achievements.

The CMA Awards show is essentially a TV broadcast, and having Foxx perform with Rascal Flatts should widen the viewing audience and boost ratings. It’s hard to imagine younger viewers anxiously awaiting the Eagles but the band will attract some older rock fans who might not otherwise watch the show. If you think about it, the Eagles are likely to be remembered as one of the most influential acts in the history of country music. No, they didn’t cater to a country audience, and only four singles made it to the country chart. (The most successful, “Lyin’ Eyes,” reached No. 8 in 1975.) But their vocal harmonies and unique blend of country and rock created a distinctive sound that country singers, songwriters and musicians have emulated ever since “Take It Easy” hit the airwaves. In 1993, the band’s contributions were honored in Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles, an album featuring Gill, Travis Tritt, Alan Jackson, Trisha Yearwood, Brooks & Dunn and several others. And if you’ve seen a Little Big Town concerts during the past couple of years, you’ve probably heard their great cover of “Heartache Tonight.”

Instead of cutting the Eagles performance to allow the Hall of Fame members to be acknowledged, maybe the heads of the record labels in Nashville should toss a coin to decide which one of their newer acts they’re willing to delete from the CMA Awards show. If the deleted act is good and/or successful, they’ll be guaranteed a slot on the show the next year. And if they prove to be truly significant, maybe they’ll one day be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. If that happens, I’ve got a feeling they’d appreciate being recognized for receiving country music’s highest honor.

Birthdays, particularly the ones that mark the beginning of a new decade, are excellent times for self-assessment, and while I can’t be sure about it, I’d bet Keith Urban is doing a lot of that these days. He turns 40 on Friday, and he’s just announced the release of Greatest Hits: 18 Kids. Many artists typically note that assembling a hits album forces them to evaluate their progress, so Keith has a pair of reasons for reflection.

A therapist once told me the best way to keep from beating yourself up is to look back 10 years at who you were and see you’ve become. Usually, the results are rewarding, though sometimes they probably cause a person to take action on their issues. For Keith, in October 2007, looking back 10 years has a nifty symmetry to it. At the time, he was on the Billboard country chart for the very first time as a member of The Ranch, whose debut single scraped and clawed its way through the rankings for 13 weeks, getting all the way to... No. 50. Two years later, he had his first solo album, which -- to Nashville insiders -- didn’t really feel that much like him. In fact, he would later admit it was a concession to the trends, that he made an album he thought would get him played on radio (it did) and would provide a foundation from which he could then shape his own unique musical sound.

He’s done just that. You can pretty much recognize the typical Keith Urban anthem: An ode to modern life that acknowledges society’s flaws and constraints, yet still becomes a big celebration, wrapping his grainy voice in tinny percussion, sing-along choruses and a funky banjo. (Talk about creating your own sound; Roy Clark is a great banjo player, but I doubt anyone who watched Hee Haw would consider the instrument funky).

On Keith’s 40th, he’ll see that in the past decade, he’s created his own sonic niche, and brought a friend along with him, since former Ranch mate Jerry Flowers plays in his band. He’ll see he’s gotten married and cleaned up an addiction problem in a manner that, taking him at his word, apparently made him grow up a bit. Be happy for Keith. Or don’t. But it might not be a bad time for your own 10-year self-evaluation.

Emily Post never had a chapter for this. If she had, more concertgoers would have better manners. So in lieu of her gracious advice of how to behave at a country show, I’m going to offer my top-five tips for proper concert etiquette -- or "concertiquette."

1. If you need 18 beers to get through a 90-minute concert, for God's sake, buy an aisle seat. That way, you won’t have to keep doing the excuse-me-excuse-me dance when coming and going within your row. And it wouldn’t hurt if you took a few sips before you sat down, so the beer doesn’t spill on the folks in front of you.

2. Since all that beer has to go somewhere, if you are a big drinker, that's one more reason to sit on the aisle. Same goes for anyone with a small bladder or prostate trouble.

3. Go with the majority on the stand-vs.-sit decision. If the artist fires up a rocker, and everyone gets up to dance, don’t stay in your seat and tsk-tsk the ones in front of you. They’re standing because the people in front of them are, and so on. Don’t like to stand? Wait for a ballad or the dreaded new stuff, when everyone will sit down.

4. Cell phone conversations are unnecessary and frankly annoying. There’s no reason you should be screaming, “I can’t hear you. I’m at Keith Urban. Keith! Ur! Ban! No, the Australian. What? I can’t hear you. Call me later.” Text if you must, but unless it’s your kids’ babysitter and somebody’s bleeding, don’t answer.

5. If you plan on bringing a sign, but you aren’t in the first three rows, don’t. The artist can only see it if you’re up close, so don't block everyone’s view just to let Martina McBride know it’s your birthday.

One last faux pas. There’s an unwritten rule at general admission shows: If you earned the right to be up front, you maintain that position even if you leave to go to the bathroom. So if someone got in line at 6 a.m. to get that spot for Dierks Bentley, and she leaves to go to the bathroom, don’t take her place. Seriously, don’t. Hell hath no fury like a country fan scorned.