Country Music Blog: Dolly Parton

Have I been listening to the next IBMA song of the year? I know it's already got my vote. Rhonda Vincent's recording of Jerry Salley and Lisa Shaffer's "I Gotta Start Somewhere" swept me away the first time I heard it. Most of us can recall a romantic breakup we didn't want to happen and the hollow, helpless feeling that followed it. That's the dark emotional territory this song explores, and Vincent's forlorn rendering of the lyrics make the terrain all the more bleak.

Now Vincent has further enhanced the song with a music video, thus enabling us to see as well as hear her misery. It's an effective piece of film that stays fairly faithful to the lyrics. The normally vivacious singer really does look distracted and heartbroken as she goes through the motions of ridding herself of a painful memory. My only qualm is that the director has her driving around in a stylish old convertible when her mood clearly calls for more somber equipage, perhaps a hearse. But there are some telling touches, too, as when she thumbs through a stack of old vinyl albums and lingers over a Dolly Parton record, or when she momentarily loses herself completing a jigsaw puzzle. She looks the most empty when she's back in her room removing her earrings after a date that hasn't worked out.

Here's hoping the video will expose the song to audiences that might otherwise never hear it. And I'm urging members of the International Bluegrass Music Association to pay it special attention. This is music worth awarding.

CMT Crossroads isn't just a TV show anymore. Now it's a real live bar in Bossier City, La.

Vanity Fair photos? What Vanity Fair photos? Miley Cyrus is just a little girl spending some time at Disneyworld.

While she normally rocks the sundress-and-cowboy-boots look, Taylor Swift let a camera tag along while she was wardrobed in all kinds of prairie chic for a photo shoot.

Wondering what Jack Ingram gave up for Lent this year? Here's a hint: It's a reality show made up of unrealistic women.

Whit Wright is a lucky young man. He brought Taylor Swift to his high school prom in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and the local media report proves it wasn't just a teenage fantasy.

Naomi Judd has a message for American Idol contestant David Archuleta's dad: Leave him alone!

Billboard has good advice from Dolly Parton, who says she wakes up with new dreams every day.

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If there's a downside to this job, it's the anonymity. Readers can get a sense of who I am through my blogs, but I know nothing about them. All I know is what I read in their comments and in the emails they sometimes send. But really, all those tell me is how they feel about that one particular topic. Like how much they love Dolly Parton, or how much they hate my opinion of whatever I've written about. So I'm going to ask a few questions. Okay, more like ten. And if y'all answer them in the comments section, we'll all get to know each other better. I'll go first.

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For my 21^st birthday plans, seeing Dolly Parton performing at the Opry was a no-brainer. The night of the show I found out she was sick and Brad Paisley would be filling in. My homemade poster now displayed a large "x" through her name where it now read "Brad." I thought it was pretty funny and apparently he did too because he took the poster onstage and held it high so everyone could see. We all got quite the chuckle.

Fast-forward three years. You could say Brad Paisley's on top of "the world." He's received multiple accolades to establish himself as a gifted guitarist and songwriter. To date, he's racked up 10 No.1 singles, sold 10 million records and continues to flourish with his record label, Arista Nashville, who he's been with for an impressive 10 years. His "perfect 10" success called for a celebration as Paisley, his father, fellow songwriters and the music industry partied at Nashville's popular and trendy Radius10 restaurant to commemorate his impressive career on Thursday night (April 10).

He shared memories and tears as he talked about his musical journey in Nashville. During a humbling speech, he thanked his fans and everyone involved in helping him get to where he is today. When I reminded him of the story, he smiled and said, "Oh yeah, that's awesome." Whether he really remembered or was simply being nice, that night he made me feel like more than "one in a million" or "just another girl." I'd like to think this is how his fans feel each time he steps on stage. He too makes them feel on top of "the world."

See photos from the party.

 Some people get it. Some people don't.

As excited as I was, I had a very hard time watching American Idol this week. I was so green with envy, I could hardly stand it. When I heard Dolly Parton was going to be on the show, I was more than excited. I was ecstatic. I set my television to tape just in case I wanted to rewind and watch again and again. I didn't want to miss a moment. The whole time I imagined myself standing there with Dolly Parton's full attention. These young contestants were in the presence of one of country music's most influential females, one of the greatest songwriters of all time, and they were singing Dolly Parton songs to Dolly Parton herself. Wow. Some people would give their "eye teeth" as my dad would say - just to be in her presence. What an honor these contestants were given. What a lifetime memory. They should savor the moment forever. I know I would.

Each contestant chose a Dolly song and sang it to her for her critiques. I noticed how some of them truly understood what they were experiencing, like Michael Johns. He welled with tears just talking about meeting her, and I felt like he truly recognized what a wonderful gift he was given that night. For people like me, and I'm sure thousands of others watching at home, we were living vicariously through him. Kristy Lee Cook, on the other hand, and several others for that matter, didn't seem to grasp or appreciate what was taking place.

But the only reason I tuned into American Idol was to see Dolly. In fact, I even watched it a second time. No matter what anyone thinks of her performance, the contestants' performances or an interview with Ryan Seacrest, she's Dolly Parton. Thank goodness she was recognized. I am so happy that her music was exposed to the millions of young Americans watching that may not be familiar otherwise. My eyes were glued to the set. Though I don't want a critique on my singing (believe me, it's bad) or even aspire to be a singer, I truly think we can all learn something from Miss Dolly Parton.

You don't expect nine amateurs to be able to pull off Dolly Parton songs. But you do at least expect Dolly Parton to.

That's why I was, in the words of Simon Cowell, utterly appalled at Tuesday and Wednesday night's episodes of American Idol. Their so-called country week.

First, the contestants' performances felt about as country as an investment banker with a penthouse view. All butchered up to "make them their own" and basically stripped of their traditional sound in favor of some kind of alt-emo-rock-whatever vibe. And when Dolly herself performed last night, she sounded downright nervous on her just-released "Jesus & Gravity." A weak and shaky voice, then later an awkward interview with host Ryan Seacrest, showed the world she was way out of her wheelhouse. Even worse was the performance by country trio the Clark Brothers, with the oddly punk take on the Christian preschool anthem "This Little Light of Mine."

But as always, a few moments did shine. Not for being particularly tied to the roots of country music, but just for the raw talent. Like when Carly Smithson sang "Here You Come Again" and when Syesha Mercado did "I Will Always Love You." Then there was Cowell, getting his drama queen on, calling Brooke White's fiddler "someone who's better in the shade," and telling David Archuleta that he was "Absolutely. On. The. Money."  As for Michael Johns, my personal favorite because he looks like Mark Wahlberg and talks like Keith Urban, his potentially cool "It's All Wrong, But It's All Right" was overshadowed by the fact that he was wearing an ascot. A full-on Hugh Hefner silk ascot. He redeemed himself Wednesday night, though, wearing all black punctuated only with a retro image of Parton on a white-on-black T-shirt.

By the end of the night, Brooke White, Kristy Lee Cook and Ramiele Mulabay were in the dreaded "bottom three." And then Mulabay was sent home, in the cruelest of cruel Idol ceremonies, being forced to sing one more time despite having to do so through her tears. Pain like that, though, gave the week its one true country moment. 

Could Taylor Swift's change in representation be a good thing, or is she fixing something that clearly ain't broke?

If you love New York City, and newcomer Ashton Shepherd, you could be one of five lucky winners to get a pair of VIP tickets for her performance on Good Morning America.

Shame on Sony BMG. After all their litigation to stop piracy of their music, the software program Ideal Migration was illegally installed on four of their servers.

Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman took the baby bump to lunch in Sydney. See photos of the burgeoning belly here.

The list of country artists who don't have their name on a fashion line is getting even shorter now that Reba McEntire has introduced footwear with her name on it.

Houston City, Ala., is the future site of the next Worleybird Café from Darryl Worley. This down-home eatery will open in 2009 with a military theme.

A humble Dolly Parton says the folks at Dancing with the Stars asked her to sing, but that she doesn't think they'd want to see her dance.

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.

As I've blogged before, I am not a fan of flying. I'll do it if I have to, but only short little flights to nearby hot spots like Nashville. But now I'm about to board a flight for California. A four-hour flight. If you know anything about aerophobia, you know there's a strong correlation between the length of the flight and the increased risk of death. In my mind, anyway. Since I may not make it back, I wanted to put in writing how I'd like to be remembered. Basically, I just want country music to sing me home.

I know funeral services are usually steeped in religious tradition but I'd like mine to be steeped in a more twangy, banjo-rich tradition. With lots of fiddle and steel, too. Lyrically, I'd like for my services to tell the stories of my well-lived life, cut tragically short while on a family vacation. Which is why I think the mass should open with Kenny Chesney's "Who You'd Be Today."

Then Tim McGraw's "My Old Friend" could bring my loved ones back around, telling them that "The love and the laughter/Will live on long after/All of the sadness and the tears." While I'm sure the priest will say a few words about the final destination of my soul, I'd prefer a religious requiem from the lips of Brad Paisley and Dolly Parton, singing about what's in store for me up there with "When I Get Where I'm Going." Gary Allan's "Best I Ever Had," Andy Griggs' "If Heaven" and Vince Gill's "Go Rest High on That Mountain" are must-haves, too. I'd probably want the day to end with "Prodigal Son's Prayer" by Dierks Bentley. Even though I'm nobody's son and have not led a particularly rebellious life, this gospel-bluegrass number sends a beautifully simple message that if you ask for God's forgiveness, you can ask him to keep a spot open for you in heaven. Because my God is a devout country fan, He will have no problem welcoming me with open arms after a funeral like that.