CMT Blog: 2008 March

Editor’s note: In the days leading up to the 2008 CMT Music Awards, Taylor Swift is sharing some of her favorite photos she has recently taken.

Hi, I'm Taylor. And this is my dog, Bug. He's a mini pinscher, and I'm in love with him. I got him in a mall in California a few years ago, and he's been my main guy ever since. He's like an attack dog, but smaller.

If you thought the line for Hannah Montana concert tickets was long, wait until April 6. That's the day of the open casting call for extras who want to play a part in the Hannah Montana movie.

Replicated right down to the tin of baby powder, Dolly Parton's one-room cabin of a childhood home is on display in Dollywood, and now on this blog.

Alt-country fans, take note. Shout! Factory has acquired the catalog of HighTone Records, once home to Buddy Miller and Dale Watson.

See the Dancing With the Stars team of Julianne Hough and funnyman Adam Corolla interview each other in this clip from The Insider.

And if you really like reality TV, set your DVRs for Wednesday night when Dolly Parton takes the stage on American Idol, as well as former finalist Phil Stacey.

We had pot roast Sunday nights. It had to be a weekend night, because Mama was a teacher, and a roast wouldn’t get done until time for supper on a school night. Saturday night was steak-and-martini night for the ‘rental units,’ as we lovingly referred to our parents. The kids ate Vienna sausages and noodles with butter and Parmesan cheese from a can. I loved it. So anyway, that left Sunday night for pot roast.

It’s hard to pick one favorite thing about pot roast. I even liked the onions. They got really soft -- you could almost see through them. Mama peeled the carrots, but left them long. I liked them when one part had been stuck up out of the broth. That part got really sweet and chewy -- almost crisp -- while the part of the carrot that cooked in the broth was soft and beefy tasting from the jus it had absorbed. The same thing happened to the potatoes -- little waxy ones that mama peeled, so the outsides got crusty and brown.

The beef itself I saw little of. Daddy doled it out, morsel by succulent morsel, so tender and moist, it almost melted in your mouth. Poor Daddy, as head of a household of four women, he rightly believed that he deserved the Lord’s portion of protein.

I didn’t mind. My favorite part was actually the gravy. I called it juice. Mama didn’t thicken it, so it was really like a broth. Here’s the best part: the store-bought loaf of sliced white bread stacked high like the leaning tower in the middle of our knotty pine kitchen table. That’s what sopped up the juice like a delicious floppy sponge. That was before we learned that stacked white bread was considered white trash, and Mama moved on to popovers and even Yorkshire pudding, but the white bread was OK by me.

“Put some meat on that little girl’s bones, she’s bound to blow away,” that’s what Mama was told about me when I was little. Sunday night pot roast and that stack of white bread did the trick.

Pot Roast

Serves 4 - 6

3 lb. chuck roast
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup red wine
1 to 2 quarts beef stock
3 onions, peeled and quartered
4 or so small way potatoes, peeled and quartered
4 medium carrots, peeled (sliced lengthwise if really fat)

Preheat oven to 325. Rinse the pot roast and pat dry. Mix the flour with the salt and pepper. Dredge the roast in the flour mixture on both sides.

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven and brown the roast on both sides. Remove the roast and add the wine, then 1 quart of the stock. Add the roast back in, along with the vegetables. Bring the liquid to a simmer, cover and place in the oven. Cook for 3 hours. Remove the lid and cook one hour more. Taste for seasoning before serving.

As Carrie Underwood readies herself to become the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry, it's time we paid some attention to its oldest member -- Little Jimmy Dickens. He's a virtually untapped treasury of country music lore, and he's not going to be around to recount the old days forever. A member of the Opry since 1948, Dickens is 87.

Although there have been hundreds of articles written about him, I don't believe he's ever been the subject of a full-scale and scholarly biography. Yet here's a man whose performing skills were so impressive that the mighty Roy Acuff got him into the Opry even before Dickens had his first hit record. The diminutive (4'11") West Virginian was there to welcome Hank Williams to the Opry in 1949 and subsequently toured with him.

It was probably his small stature that drove Dickens toward the novelty songs by which he's primarily known, pieces such as "Take an Old Cold Tater (And Wait)," "Out Behind the Barn" and "May the Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose." But he's also a first-rate ballad singer who can rivet an audience with something like "We Could" or bring it to tears with a recitation like "(You've Been a Good Doll) Raggedy Ann." Younger Opry stars, notably Vince Gill and Brad Paisley, have recognized Dickens' still formidable talents and featured him in some of their music videos. But more needs to be done.

Somebody at the Country Music Hall of Fame (of which Dickens has been a member since 1983) ought to sit down with him and record every story, joke and obscure lyric he can recall. There aren't many memories of his era still around.

It was completely unintentional. It's not like I went into rehab to kick my country-music habit. What I did was go away for 10 days and didn't hear any country music. Not one single solitary song. No fiddle. No banjo. No stories about drinkin' and cheatin' and fishin'. It never occurred to me how hard the withdrawal symptoms would be.

When we arrived in California (alive and well despite my fears), I realized I'd forgotten my iPod. Surely there would be some good country stations out there, I thought. But since our rental car had two major drawbacks -- no DVD player and no third-row seat -- that meant all three of my kids were about four inches from my head with their own portable DVD player blaring. That was the one thing that kept them quiet on our excellent adventure driving up the Pacific Coast Highway. So, no country radio.

Still, I assumed the beach towns we visited would be filled with a little Kenny Chesney or some other tropical-leaning country. By the time we got to San Francisco, I saw a man busking with a violin and I thought I'd finally hear some good, down-home stuff. But he had different stuff in mind, like the entire soundtrack from Phantom of the Opera. Nice, but not when you're craving Keith Urban, Sara Evans and Jason Aldean.

The minute we got home yesterday, I turned on our local country radio station. Trace Adkins, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and Jack Ingram coursed through my veins and instantly cured me of my symptoms and put me back into a state of country euphoria. That certainly must qualify me as an official addict. I'm totally OK with that. Of all the things to get hooked on these days, country music's probably the healthiest one.

I've always been a fan of popular TV show, The Apprentice, as well as country music superstar Trace Adkins. When I found out he was going to be a part of the celebrity cast, it was a must-see. From the beginning, I greatly admired the way Adkins dealt with the rest of his fellow famous cast mates, especially Season One's conniving Omarosa and oftentimes uncouth America's Got Talent judge and eventual winner, Piers Morgan. Though Adkins' hard work and courteous demeanor did not get him officially "hired", he managed to always show the qualities of a true Southern gentleman.

Not once did Adkins belittle another teammate, nor attempt to win a task through conspiring against the opposing team like many of the others. (Did someone say, "Piers"?) He played the game with class, charisma and flair. I've always thought Donald Trump made appropriate decisions in the boardroom, but not this time. I think that a competitor's principles and behavior throughout the entire season should be taken into account, not simply who has tallied the most wins.

Trace Adkins is quite the force to be reckoned with, both musically and personally. With his tall, firm stature, deep baritone voice and Southern hospitality, Trace Adkins is truly a man that country music can be proud of. No, he may not have been crowned Celebrity Apprentice, but he did have something even the winner was lacking. Adkins walked away with his moral compass. You've made us proud, Trace. Great work. We were behind you all the way.

Can you prove that you are Keith Urban's biggest fan? If so, enter a new sweepstakes on his Web site.

Kenny Chesney rustles up his famous friends for this 40th birthday celebration. Check out the guest list.

Mindy McCready seems to have a lot going on, like filming a reality TV show and coming up with awful nicknames. ("Flem"? Accch.)

Toby Keith remakes the Barry White classic, "Never Gonna Give You Up," as a duet with former NBA player Wayman Tisdale.

Narvel Blackstock, Reba McEntire's husband, possesses a secret talent - interior design.

Every year, millions visit the Great Smoky Mountains and Dollywood. But no trip to East Tennessee is complete until you’ve seen the neighboring “big city” of Knoxville. In the spring, the lush foliage turns bright green and virtually every tree is in bloom. In fact, Knoxville is well-known for its Dogwood Arts Festival, held this year on April 4-23. The climate is said to be perfect for flowering dogwood trees, and they’re in peak bloom during the festival. Drive the numerous “dogwood trails” throughout the town and see nature show off: Spectacular blooming dogwood, redbud, crabapple and cherry trees line the roads, and gardens burst with tulips, daffodils, pansies and other colorful flowers. The festival also includes art demonstrations and exhibits, bluegrass music with local and regional performers, arts and crafts markets, and plenty of other activities for adults and kids.

All that marveling at nature can make you hungry, so don’t forget a stop at Litton’s Market and Restaurant. Established in 1946, Litton’s is known for its big burgers served on homemade buns, but also offers steaks, seafood and a variety of meat-and-three “blue plate” specials featuring meat loaf or fried chicken. Whatever you do, don’t skip dessert: Litton’s boasts a variety of homemade cheesecakes, layer cakes, pies, cookies and brownies that are simply not to be missed. Personal favorites include the Italian cream cake, red velvet cake and caramel brownies.

While you’re in town, check out World’s Fair Park, the site of the 1982 World’s Fair. It’s now home to the Knoxville Museum of Art, The Candy Factory, a playground called Fort Kid, and the fair’s iconic Sunsphere. History buffs might enjoy James White Fort, Confederate Memorial Hall, Armstrong-Lockett house or Blount Mansion. It may not be a hip metropolis, but you might be surprised at what you’ll find in good ol’ Rocky Top.

Who among us hasn't fantasized about being married to a country music star? We all do it. Men. Women. Teenagers. Seniors. No one is immune to that cowboy-take-me-away fantasy. I know, because I've seen the marriage proposals on signs at concerts. And I've heard people wondering out loud what life would be like on the other side of Nashville.

That got me thinking.... What is it really like to be hitched to a country star? Like when his latest single tops the Billboard chart, would he ignore your requests to take out the garbage? When a promoter writes a check for an 85-city tour, would you still question why she needs yet another pair of True Religion jeans? And when he's named one of the Sexiest Men Alive by People magazine, would you still be too tired for sex? God only knows what happens when two stars are married to each other. Does the one with the most awards get free back rubs for a month?

Certainly, there's a point in your musical career when household chores become someone else's job. But what about all those common courtesies that spouses do for one another? Brad Paisley knows all about those. He even wrote a song about one. How what his wife wants -- more than jewels, fancy cars and romantic dinners -- is for him to just put the toilet seat down. Little things like that could wreak havoc on a star-studded relationship. I wonder if being married to Kenny Chesney would mean he'd roll his eyes when you asked him to put the peanut butter back in the pantry. As if to say, "I'm the CMA Entertainer of the Year. Do you really expect me to clean up after myself?"

For a short time in the ‘80s, a friend of mine was the mayor of Sarepta, La., a community whose population usually hovers somewhere just below 1,000. In 1996, years after my friend's political career fizzled, I asked him if he'd ever heard of Trace Adkins, a Sarepta native who had just scored a Top 10 hit with "Every Light in the House."

"Tracy Adkins?" my friend gasped. "You mean to tell me that he's a country music star?"

Well, Adkins wasn't really a star then, but the fact that my friend still knew him as Tracy -- his given name -- reminds me that it's a long, long way from a little town in northwest Louisiana to hanging out with Donald Trump in a boardroom on the popular TV series, The Celebrity Apprentice. Believe me, the stretch of U.S. Highway 371 running through Sarepta is about as different from Fifth Avenue and Times Square as you could possibly imagine.

I'm sure the other Celebrity Apprentice contestants immediately underestimated Adkins because they thought he was a redneck. Most of us from the South aren't too concerned about being branded as rednecks, but we do have a big problem when we're perceived as possessing low IQs, bad teeth and a lengthy list of unspeakable vices. On the TV show, Adkins did a lot to dispel those stereotypes by conducting himself with true dignity and repeatedly demonstrating that just because you have a Southern accent, it doesn't mean you're stupid. Or lazy. Or unsophisticated.

Piers Morgan, a British tabloid editor and TV personality, managed to win the Celebrity Apprentice competition by outpacing the other contestants in fundraising activities, but those of us from the South owe Trace Adkins our gratitude for carrying himself in a manner that made us all look good.

See his new video, "You're Gonna Miss This."