As a Matter of Respect.

This will probably not be my most popular blog, but there’s some things I want to get on the record as saying. I am also going to talk a little bit about myself, which is something I vowed to do very very little of when I started this thing.

But I want to talk a little about respect.

The great John Whiteleather made a good point the other day on my Kenny Cheseny blog:

“Just face it, we are different.. Let them yuppie country fucks do their thing.. I aint rich but I make enuff money to live on from my faithfull redneck hillbilly disfunctional fans/friends.. Why not enjoy what we got like Hank lll and the rest and quit pickin on them other fuckers..
Lifes too short…”

Also, Restless in Amsterdam made a good point when she asked me “What if pop country artists want to be a part of the Reinstate Hank movement? Should we not let them just because they are pop country?”

First of all, if you do not know who John Whiteleather is you should ramble over and check him out. He’s got great tunes, and I’m not just saying that because he plays the same red NEX Takamine guitar that I do. He’s an old school guy strapping it on a putting good music out there.

And if you don’t know who Restless in Amsterdam is, she’s the damn ‘Biker Mama’ of this whole movement, with a heart the size of Texas.

I wish I had more people leaving critical comments on these blogs. I think it’s healthy. I have hundreds of people reading these, and not as many commenting. If you have something to say, say it, don’t be shy.

But in response to Restless in Amsterdam’s concern, of course we should let pop country people participate in Restate Hank. The thing about that, is that it is so obvious the Hank Sr. should be reinstated, even Kenny Chesney should be able to see that. I support Reinstate Hank, but there’s reasons the two movements are separate.

As for John Whiteleather’s point, I agree, life is too short. But don’t think I’m losing any sleep over Kenny Chesney.

Here is part of my response from that blog :

“The problem is that I would like to enjoy my Hank III, and I do enjoy what I have, but Curb has been holding back his album now for 9 months, and held back his last album for 1 1/2 years.

Hank III fans are different from pop country fans, and that doesn’t mean we are right and they are wrong. But the world is Kenny Chesney’s and pop country’s oyster, and meanwhile Mike Curb is trying to starve Hank III, partly because he wants Hank III to become just like Kenny Chesney. And we, his fans, are starved for his music.

Kenny Chesney and his fans have what they want, it would just be nice if Hank III and his fans could to. And it would be nice if the country music fan had options instead of one pop country music artist with many names.”

I’m not using this blog to show up Whiteleather’s point, because again I partly agree with it, but I thought his point gives me a good opportunity to talk about RESPECT.

I find it hard to respect people who seem to not respect themselves. If you watch that video in my Hank Jr. blog , he clearly is not respecting himself, his reputation, or his REAL rebel son.

But sometimes I’m just grandstanding and joke cracking for its sheer entertainment value. I happen to be a sarcastic sombitch. Some that have either followed me from other blogs I’ve done, or found those other blogs know that. I write these blogs to inform AND entertain. Kenny Chesney makes a living disrespecting the traditions of country music, and I make funny by disrespecting Kenny Chesney. And if I didn’t think the majority of people didn’t like it, I would’ve stopped long ago.

And the truth is I’m just filibustering until Hank III goes on tour and gets his music released so there’s real Hank III news to talk about.

But when I started this thing, I did want to add a layer of respect with it. This is not a ‘FUCK CURB’ campaign, this is a ‘FREE HANK III’ campaign. That’s not because I have a huge amount of respect for Curb Records, it’s simply because I believe that to truly free Hank III, showing respect to them will help.

I also have respect for anybody who wants to say ‘Fuck Curb,’ and there’s a dude working his ass off running the Hank III Coalition Page saying that very thing, because I understand people are pissed.

But I’m trying to do this thing on the up and up, trying to get the media involved etc., and I think this is the best way to do it. And if I thought that posting the occasional blog roasting some pop country prick for sheer entertainment value would hurt the cause, I wouldn’t do it.