Slackeye Slim Backhands Hank III / REAL Country Music Fans

Alright people, I’m not going to lie to you. I’m a little hot right now, even though I’ve tried to give myself a chance to cool off, because I know, justice is better served cold. But someone’s gotten on the fighting side of me, and let me warn you foul language is going to follow.

Slackeye Slim, a semi-successful goth country-style guy who now hails from Montana was recently interviewed in a Bozeman, MT magazine, and had some not so kind words to say about the grandson of Hank Williams. For the record I have been a fan of Slackeye Slim. I have written about his music. I have tried to spread the word about him as an artist.

Here’s what Slackeye had to say:

“I used to proudly say I played country music until I realized how fashionable Hank III made it while he was raping his family name to pay child support, err, I mean while he was paying tribute to his grandfather, speaking out against corporate Nashville and restoring country music to its true form.”

But then it even gets worse. He decides to train his crosshairs on EVERYONE who has a problem with the current state of country music.

“I get lumped into outlaw country constantly, but most of it is so insincere and generic. I’d never even heard any of that stuff when I started Slackeye Slim. I didn’t know there was a third Hank Williams. As far as I knew, I was the only person playing that kind of stuff. Granted, I do like some of it, and I have quite a few very good friends who are well-known in the genre, but they a) were doing it before it became the flavor of the week and b) didn’t make name-dropping people they know or bitching about how bad corporate country is a prevalent part of their lyrics. There’s lots of bad music, and I honestly don’t understand what everyone’s so up in arms about. For a bunch of people who act like country music belongs to them, they sure took their time being offended about how bad the mainstream stuff is. It’s not like it started sucking last Thursday.”

To read the rest and COMMENT (if he’s man enough to let them through) CLICK HERE.

My Response to Slackeye Slim.

Listen Slackeye, it’s very simple. Can you even comprehend how much money Hank III would have right now, with his voice, with his looks, and with his name, if he would just do what Nashville asked him to do? Do you understand that if he would record pop country songs other people wrote with studio musicians, shake his ass in CMT videos THAT HE WOULD BE A MULTI-MILLIONAIRE RIGHT NOW, LITERALLY!?!?!! ARE YOU REALLY IMPLYING THAT HANK III IS A SELLOUT WHEN HE PLAYS TO SMALL VENUES FOR A $20 COVER AND LIVES IN A RENTAL??? ARE YOU REALLY MAKING THAT ASSERTION?!?! DO YOU UNDERSTAND HE HAS BEEN IN LEGAL BATTLES FOR 5 YEARS STRAIGHT OVER HIS MUSIC, BECAUSE HE WON’T SELL OUT LIKE CURB RECORDS WANTS HIM TO?!?!

Just because he has found more success than you Slackeye, doesn’t make him a sellout. Just because his name is Shelton Hank Williams III, something he had absolutely no control over, doesn’t make him a sellout. You would have to go over 100 deep in the names of current country artists as far as earnings before you got to Hank III, and some of those people are dead, and have been dead for years.

And just because you were self-admittedly IGNORANT of people like Big Sandy, Wayne Hancock, Dale Watson and Hank III, doesn’t get you brownie points with me or somehow makes you more original than anyone else. By your own admonition, you hadn’t even heard of Hank III when Hank III was publicly giving props to Wayne, Dale and Big Sandy for being FIRST.

And as for all of us that think that “country music belongs to us.” THAT’S BECAUSE IT DOES ASSHOLE! AND THEY WILL HAVE TO PRY COUNTRY MUSIC OUT OF MY COLD DEAD HANDS! FUCK YOU FOR IMPLYING IT DOESN’T BELONG TO THE PEOPLE !!!!

AND IF COUNTRY MUSIC DOESN’T BELONG TO US, WHO DOES IT BELONG TO ???

Now I will tell you straight up, I do not think Hank III is perfect. I am not a house organ for him. My long time readers know that at times I have been critical of him and some of the decisions he’s made. There’s even a little part of me that thinks that III thinks I’m a dumbass. But I really don’t care. I just try to do what is right and what my heart tells me to do, and honestly, I think III tries to do the same thing. Sometimes living that way steers you in a wrong direction, but the difference between a good human and a bad human is a good human man’s up and takes responsibility for his mistakes, and yet you want criticize Hank III for taking responsibility of his kids and paying child support? REALLY? You think he should dribble around with nothing and make no money and not take responsibility for his kids, just so some asshole in Montanta won’t accuse him of selling out?

But I respect your opinion Slackeye, and I mean that wholeheartedly. I respect anyone’s opinions about III, even if they are counter to mine or they are completely unfounded like yours are. If you think Shelton is a sellout, fine man, leave him. Nobody told you you had to be a fan or like his music. But what in the HELL is the point in coming out publicly and critcizing him??? What does this accomplish??? ARE YOU JEALOUS ???? You want us all to puff you up by saying that YOU were the first ?!?! Like Hank III or not, he’s a leader in the underground country movement. And for the sake of the movement, regardless of what your beliefs are, for the sake of people like Those Poor Bastards, .357 String Band, Rachel Brooke and others, keep your uninformed, unhelpful opinions in your mouth.

Do you understand the amount of time, energy, sweat, heart, love, and MONEY people like me and other bloggers and podcasters have spent trying to prop up and support artists, and then you come around to tear them down? WHY??? I supported YOU Slackeye, I supported YOUR music. I think you’re a brilliant musician. I told people to go buy your music. SO WHY DO YOU HAVE TO GO AND SHIT ON SOMEONE WHO IS SHINING A HUGE SPOTLIGHT ON THIS GREAT MUSIC AND EVERYONE WHO IS TRYING TO REVERSE THE TRENDS OF CORPORATE CONTROLLED MUSIC???? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU !!! FUCK YOU FOR MAKING US TURN OUR GUNS ON EACH OTHER!

This is EXACTLY what corporate Nashville wants, for the grass roots to fragment, stay weak, fight amongst each other, bicker about people’s bullshit interpretations of who is a sellout or not. AND YOU SLACKEYE ARE BEING THEIR TOOL!

But screw it, I’m not going to let your careless, unfounded, wanton whiny rant draw a wedge in this movement. I’m just not going to let this happen. I am NOT going to judge YOU or other artists or people who associates with you or even agree with your views. That is petty ass high school bullshit. I support ANY artist, blogger, podcaster, or fan that is involved in any way in this underground country movement. I will let your words harm this movement and the work of MANY to build strong grass roots throughout it OVER MY DEAD BODY!

Slackeye, you are not being as bad as the corporate machine that is keeping good music underground. With these words, you are being worse.

But you said your piece, and now I’ve said mine. And we will let the fans and artists decide who is right.

Respects,

The Triggerman.

Slackeye’s Ignorant Statements Revealed

Slackeye said about Hank III: “bitching about how bad corporate country is a prevalent part of their lyrics.”

First off this is not only a stab at Hank III, but anybody who has taken on corporate Nashville, including Those Poor Bastards, J.B. Beverly, Bob Wayne, Dale Watson, Joe Buck; pretty much a who’s who of the whole underground country movement. This also implicates David Allan Coe, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, George Jones, Johnny Cash, Johnny Paycheck, Hank Jr., Hank Williams Sr. and many others, ALL who came out against Nashville and its institutions at one time or another.

But as far as how “bad corporate country is a prevalent part of their lyrics,” Hank III has recorded and released over 50 songs on four albums, and has written even more. Out of that, only 2, TWO, have lyrics that talk about corporate country “Prevalently.” And only two more mention it. So 4 out of 50+ songs talk about “corporate country.” That doesn’t sound very prevalent to me. Maybe you should get your facts straight before you start throwing verbal daggers Slackeye.

And the same thing could be said about Hank III’s supposed “name dropping.”

Slackeye also said: “they sure took their time being offended about how bad the mainstream stuff is. It’s not like it started sucking last Thursday.”

Slackeye, Waylon Waymore Watashin Jennings recorded “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way” in 1975. We’ve been fighting this fight for 35 years man, and we’ll be fighting this fight for 35 more if we have to. You are clearly ignorant about the history of country music, and you are self-admittedly ignorant about the current movement and Hank III. If you want to start throwing verbal daggers around, you better get your facts straight first.

Slackeye is clearly a victim of his own reality. He thinks that if he doesn’t know about stuff, then that stuff doesn’t exist, or it never existed, or that it is irrelevant. He throws out erroneous, false claims and then says, “well I never knew about it” to somehow attempt to justify falsifying the truth. Anything that didn’t happen within his sphere of influence or knowledge base is clearly inferior to his reality, and thus, bullshit. What a sad existence that must be.

Respects to ALL

If you go to Slakeye’s blog, you will see that some artists who I work hard to promote agree with what Slackeye said, principally Rachel Brooke, Junk, and IBWIP. I went out of my way to email all three to let them know I respect their opinions, and will not allow Slakeye’s bullshit to harm ANY relationship I have with ANYONE. THE PEOPLE I HAVE MET DOING THIS BLOG ARE FAMILY TO ME !!! And I outright refuse to let one asshole screw anything up.

I also want to give the absolute biggest props to Montana Section 08 Productions for turning me on to this, being an absolute stand up guy, for taking the right side of this issue, damn the consequences, even after Hank III’s tour manager outright stiffed him on this last tour. Darren might the most pure hearted and honorable man we have in this whole movement, and we ALL should recognize that and send him an email and let him know how much we appreciate him supporting the music.

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