CMT Blog: 2009 October

Toby Keith's new single, "Cryin' for Me (Wayman's Song)," was written for the funeral of Wayman Tisdale, a basketball great, jazz musician and someone Keith calls "the closest walking thing I've ever seen to Jesus himself." So I don't even need to see the whole video to know how poignant it will be. It's so sad to hear Keith talk about how he's crying for himself, instead of crying because he feels sorry for Tisdale. He told CMT Insider that after he'd heard the news of Tisdale's passing, "I just reeled around in a fog. I just couldn't believe that the Lord had taken someone from us that was that good of a human being." It's a very genuine and heartfelt song, with a tender shout-out to Tisdale's signature style as Keith sings, "So play your upside-down, left-handed, backwards bass guitar and I'll see you on the other side, superstar." The video premieres here on Monday (Nov. 2), the day after All Saints' Day.

"Cryin' for Me (Wayman's Song)"

I still can't decide whose side I'm on. But as this Garth Brooks ticket fight rages on, I can see how angry the ticket brokers are. Long story short, they will not be able to sell their ample inventory of Garth-in-Vegas tickets because Steve Wynn, the owner of the resort hosting the concerts, has put his foot down. So in a retaliatory move, the National Association of Ticket Brokers (NATB) is pulling its annual summer conference and show from the Wynn hotel. Their spokesperson said, "NATB brings hundreds of brokers each year to the Wynn at our annual ticket broker conference but now they've lost our business." Why is the group so furious? Because in an effort to cease scalping activity, the Wynn released a statement (OK, warning) that all ticket buyers need to identify who will use the tickets or risk having their purchase canceled. The spokesman for NATB added, "Fans hire brokers to help them find the tickets they want, for the price they can pay, or to resell the tickets they can't use. Wynn has no right to tell these fans, 'Hey, tough luck -- unless you bought them at our box office within two hours of going on sale then you can't go to the show.'" What I'd love to know is, whose side are you on, readers?

Photo credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Gene Watson and Rhonda Vincent's duet, "Staying Together," lets you eavesdrop on a tender moment between these two loveless lovers. Their reasons for staying together are not for their own hearts but rather for the family. Consequently they're left to wrestle heavy hearts weighed down by the baggage, sorrow and pain of a love that's long expired. You can see the sadness in Watson's eyes and hear it in his seamless vocals. Vincent, too, thrills with her powerful voice as she proves mighty convincing with each evocative note. Even the steel guitar weeps for these two unfortunate souls. I suppose when it comes to a true heartbreaker of a country song, in their own words, "There ain't nothin' sadder, there ain't nothin' colder."

John Fogerty's The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again is one of my favorite albums this year -- I just wish I could remember what I did with it. ... No matter, his video for "When Will I Be Loved" just came out to hold me over until I find it. Set in an Old West saloon, it tells the tale of three downtrodden drinkers all asking their whiskey the same question: "When Will I Be Loved?" Fogerty doesn't look like he's aged more than a few years since the '70s and his voice hasn't suffered at all since his days in Creedence Clearwater Revival. Speaking of voices, classic rock fans will surely recognize the guest vocals, and for the rest of us there is a clue in the form of a "Wanted" poster for a guy the law calls "The Boss." Hmmm ...

Not every one is crazy about deluxe album reissues. Why pay for songs you already have just to get a couple new ones, right? Well, I have three words for you: forever and always. On Taylor Swift's new Fearless Platinum Edition, she has six new songs, one of which is the piano version of her "Forever & Always." One listen gave me goosebumps. I'm kind of a sucker for piano songs and for songs that have only one instrument. So it was only natural that I'd like it. But I didn't know how much until I put it on. Using such sparse music makes the lyrics so much more powerful. It's kind of like the way a dash of salt on an orange makes the orange taste so much sweeter. You strip away the layers of guitars and you're left with a beautiful, although heartbreaking, story. (Remember Sugarland's "Stay"? I felt just as strongly about the way that song was arranged.)

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You have to wait 12 more days until the actual special premieres on Nov. 10. But right this minute you can get some very cool behind-the-scenes interview footage from In The Spotlight With Robin Roberts on ABC. She went down south to get the inside scoop on Carrie Underwood, Tim McGraw and more. But in a special section on their Web site today are great mini-clips with plenty of stand-out moments. Like Underwood telling Roberts, "I remember the day people started treating me differently. You say to yourself, 'I'm thirsty,' and somebody brings you water." And then McGraw giving Roberts a tour of his 900-acre farm and the big old house where he and his Dancehall Doctors rehearse. Then she even gets a few stars to sing bits of their favorite country songs: Reba McEntire does Steve Wariner's "The Weekend," Darius Rucker does Radney Foster's "Easier Said Than Done," and Underwood does "Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On" by Mel McDaniel, a fellow native of Checotah, Okla.

When the Steep Canyon Rangers tell stories to their future grandchildren, they'll probably start spinning yarns with, "Back in October 2009 ..." The bluegrass band started out the month with the IBMA Awards at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, followed by an after-hours gig at the Station Inn with Steve Martin. Within a week's time, they joined Martin at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in San Francisco, then flew to New York City for Carnegie Hall and The Late Show With David Letterman. Along with backing Martin in a dozen major markets, they also played a handful of festival dates and released a sturdy new album, Deep in the Shade, which has climbed to No. 3 on Billboard's bluegrass chart and helped them secure the cover of Bluegrass Unlimited's November issue. And somewhere in the madness, I managed to catch up with them for a few minutes in Nashville during one of their many visits here lately.

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Growing up in the South -- and being brought up on country music -- made going to a show at the Grand Ole Opry House something I've always wanted to experience. On Tuesday (Oct. 27), I found out that's just what it is -- an experience, not just any old concert. I realized this during the introductory video just five minutes into the show. At 4' 11", Little Jimmy Dickens climbed a stepladder in order to stand eye-to-eye with 6' 6" Trace Adkins and invited Adkins to become an Opry member. It was obvious from Adkins' facial expression that he was elated. The audience doubled over with laughter at the first sight of Dickens on the ladder but the laughs quickly died down as Adkins' emotion apparently overwhelmed him, leaving everyone else with a warm sentiment and a big smile -- and the show hadn't even started yet.

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We had three shows with Jason Aldean this past weekend. The first was in La Crosse, Wis., where the crowd was noisy, excited, and the place was packed. We shared the stage with Gloriana, as well, in LaCrosse and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where we played the second night. It was a fun lineup to be sure. I can't think of a more fun group of guys to be on the road with than Jason and his crew, nor can I think of a better musical match. For a true blue country act, no one rocks harder than Jason, and I don't think it's any secret that there are rock and classic rock influences in our stuff, as well, so it's a lot of fun. We love talking shop and comparing musical notes and ideas with his players.

But the best thing about these shows (not to belabor the point) is the crowds! They are UNREAL! Pure, unbridled energy. Some of my other favorite things may be a little more unexpected: Read more...

Country music and professional sports are hopelessly intertwined. Country stars go to the games, athletes show up at their concerts, and then those stars go to even more games. It's like a never-ending circle of mutual admiration.

And on Nov. 13, it gets even better for Chicago. Greg Olsen, the Chicago Bears' tight end, is hosting a Shake the Lake country concert to benefit breast cancer, brain cancer and Children's Memorial Hospital. Keith Anderson and David Nail will both be on hand to entertain and raise a little cash.

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