Alan Jackson with Cole Swindell? More Dubious ACM Duets
The calamitous and disturbing plan of the Academy of Country Music to pair up some of country music’s worst stars of today with country music heroes of the past just keeps getting worse. Ever year the ACM’s take advantage of the talent assembled for their awards show in April to tape a future-airing television special. This year their bright idea was to pair up old stars with new ones and have them play the ACM’s “Party for a Cause” event and then air it May 15th on CBS.
Though a few of the collaboration ideas seem kind of cool, some of them are downright sinister to the hearts of traditional country fans who revere the past greats, and revile the new artists who are stomping on the traditions of the genre. Fans were already horrified to hear that Dwight Yoakam had been paired with EDM country star Sam Hunt. Now the full slate of duets has been revealed, and it also includes Alan Jackson singing with former Luke Bryan merch guy turned Bro-Country earache Cole Swindell, and sainted country music historian Marty Stuart buddying up with “Outsider” Eric Church. Florida Georgia Line is also getting into the mix with a duet with David Lee Murphy.
Not all the pairings are terrible though. Some of them look downright intriguing. And perhaps we should be thankful that older artists are being highlighted at all instead of being kept on the sidelines as is usually the case. But reuniting old friends, and working to craft timeless collaborations where the chemistry is rich would have resulted in more memorable collaborations that what it appears we have here, which is trying to mix to things together that naturally are polar opposites.
The Duets Include:
- Dwight Yoakam and Sam Hunt
- Alan Jackson and Cole Swindell
- Marty Stuart and Eric Church
- Luke Bryan and Ronnie Milsap
- Alabama and Eli Young Band
- Florida Georgia Line and David Lee Murphy
- Brooks & Dunn and Reba McEntire
- Keith Urban and John Anderson
- Darius Rucker and Sara Evans
- Dierks Bentley, Ashley Monroe, and Kip Moore
- Clint Black and Joe Nichols
- Hunter Hayes and Brett Eldredge
- Lady Antebellum and Brandy Clark
- Miranda Lambert and Patty Loveless
- The Band Perry and Deana Carter
- Brantley Gilbert, Jake Owen, and Kenny Chesney will all perform solo as part of the taping as well.
Fuzzy TwoShirts
April 10, 2015 @ 7:53 am
Pinky and the Brain, yes Pinky and the Brain. One is a genius, the other’s insane.
the pistolero
April 10, 2015 @ 8:05 am
“They’re laboratory mice, their genes have been spliced…”
I see what you did there, Fuzzy TwoShirts. Nicely done. 😀
Fuzzy TwoShirts
April 10, 2015 @ 8:36 am
to prove their mousey worth, they’ll take over the Earth.
the pistolero
April 10, 2015 @ 10:51 am
“Cole! Are you pondering what I’m pondering?”
“I think so, Alan ”” but if they called them Sad Meals, kids wouldn’t buy them.”
Fuzzy TwoShirts
April 10, 2015 @ 12:01 pm
Gee Brian, what kind of songs do you wanna record tonight? the same kind of songs we record every night Tyler. Beer and Trucks and Girls.
BanditDarville
April 10, 2015 @ 3:36 pm
“Narf!”
emfrank
April 10, 2015 @ 9:40 am
I LOVED Pinky and the Brain. Haven’t thought about them in years. Guess I’m off to youtube to find some old episodes…..
Bear
April 10, 2015 @ 11:15 pm
Costco round here was selling box sets. Great stuff. ANd perfect for this thread.
Scotty J
April 10, 2015 @ 7:58 am
Woo Hoo!
Hunter Hayes and Brett Eldredge!
A legend and a newcomer…
Warthog
April 10, 2015 @ 8:00 am
Really looking forward to Miranda Lambert and Patty Loveless, and Dierks Bentley/Ashley Monroe/Kip Moore has got me interested.
Ronnie Milsap and Luke Bryan? Gross.
Fuzzy TwoShirts
April 10, 2015 @ 8:35 am
I think the Bryan/Milsap duet will consist of one act who has no idea what the other one looks like, and one singer who is blind.
JC Eldredge
April 10, 2015 @ 8:07 am
Hunter Hayes and Brett Eldredge?? Hunter is a legend? Come on. I’m not a Hunter hater, but they are giving Brett the shaft. It’s going to look like he is singing with a child since Brett is about a foot and a half taller than Hunter.
Robberino
April 13, 2015 @ 7:50 am
And can actually sing without sounding like a pre-pubescent helium sucker.
A.B.
April 10, 2015 @ 8:18 am
There’s a youtube video out there of Luke Bryan doing soundcheck to Steve Wariner’s The Weekend and he sounded good. I think Ronnie and Luke will be fine.
I especially look forward to seeing Marty and Eric along with Miranda and Patty. It’s Dwight and Sam that I’m dreading.
Applejack
April 10, 2015 @ 2:08 pm
I especially look forward to seeing Marty and Eric along with Miranda and Patty. It”™s Dwight and Sam that I”™m dreading.
Yeah, the Marty Stuart and Eric Church collaboration intrigues me, although it does seem like an odd pairing. I think I might be coming around on Eric Church a little bit… maybe.
Sam Hunt may well do a good job for all I know, but it’s not going to convince me that he’s a country artist.
Jared
April 10, 2015 @ 8:33 am
Oh well…not like I planned to watch anyways…
Kale
April 10, 2015 @ 8:42 am
Maybe they pulled random names out of a hat.
Clint
April 10, 2015 @ 8:53 am
Clint and Joe, looks like the most traditional sounding pairing overall.
Acca Dacca
April 10, 2015 @ 5:17 pm
I’d say that one is certainly interesting. However, I’m not so sure how your music is going to mix with Joe’s, Clint. After all, don’t you hate Mr. Nichols’ kind? I’m surprised you’re going to be making an appearance at all.
In all seriousness, though, I’m interested to see this. Joe Nichols’ music has always been decent with a certain amount of twang and good vocals, while Clint Black is very much my favorite country artist of the ’90s (along with Ricky Van Shelton) and one of my all-time favorites of music overall.
Clint
April 10, 2015 @ 7:43 pm
Well, that was my initial reaction to the list. But let’s analyze this with numbers. If I rate everybody 1 through 10, with the 1 being the least Country, and 10 being the most Country, and then average each pair, let’s see who wins.
9)Dwight Yoakam and 0)Sam Hunt AVG 4.5
9)Alan Jackson and 2)Cole Swindell AVG 5.5
9)Marty Stuart and 3)Eric Church AVG 6
8)Ronnie Milsap and 3)Luke Bryan AVG 5.5
7)Alabama and 2)Eli Young Band AVG 4.5
7)David Lee Murphy and 1)FLA GA Line AVG 4
7)Brooks & Dunn and 4)Reba McEntire AVG 5.5
10)John Anderson and 2)Keith Urban AVG 6
5)Sara Evans and 3)Darius Rucker AVG 4
4)Dierks Bentley, 7)Ashley Monroe, and 2)Kip Moore AVG 4.3
8)Clint Black and 7)Joe Nichols AVG 7.5
0)Hunter Hayes and 3)Brett Eldredge AVG 1.5
1)Lady Ant and 6)Brandy Clark AVG 3.5
5)Miranda Lambert and 10)Patty Loveless AVG 7.5
6)Deana Carter and 1)The Band Perry AVG 3.5
It looks like Patty and Miranda tied Clint and Joe, for the most traditional pairing.
Acca Dacca
April 10, 2015 @ 9:01 pm
That’s a fascinating way to look at it. How did you arrive at these ratings? Obviously it comes down to your personal feelings on the performers, but specifically I’m curious about you motives behind the ratings for Alan Jackson, Eric Church, Alabama, Eli Young Band, Brooks & Dunn, Reba, Dierks Bentley and particularly Clint Black.
And just for my own amusement, how would you rate Big & Rich on your scale? Obviously you don’t like their music but I’m sure you’re intelligent enough not to squish traditional together with “good” or pop with “bad.”
Clint
April 11, 2015 @ 5:57 pm
“That’s a fascinating way to look at it. How did you arrive at these ratings? Obviously it comes down to your personal feelings on the performers, but specifically I’m curious about you motives behind the ratings for Alan Jackson, Eric Church, Alabama, Eli Young Band, Brooks & Dunn, Reba, Dierks Bentley and particularly Clint Black. And just for my own amusement, how would you rate Big & Rich on your scale? Obviously you don’t like their music but I’m sure you’re intelligent enough not to squish traditional together with “good” or pop with “bad.” ”
First off AD, the ratings are relevant to who’s on the list. For example, if Johnny Bush had been on the list, it would’ve knocked everybody else down a point.
Secondly, the ratings are based strictly on how Country each act is, not on how much I like them. I took into consideration each act’s entire career, and I thought about how many sell-out moments they’ve had along the way. Did an artist start out really traditional, and then go pop? Have they been traditional their entire career, with a few bad moments? Have they been pure Country their whole career? Have they been pop their whole career? Also, how much does each act care about Country music and it’s culture and history?
But of course, my gut instinct also played a large role.
I wrestled with whether or not to give Alan Jackson a 10. He seems to love Country music with all his heart, and his career has reflected that. But he’s recorded a few borderline checklist songs/redneck anthems ( i.e. “I’m A Country Boy”), and some real sappy light ballads (i.e. “Remember When”) over the last 10 years. This, along with him dueting with Zac Brown, are why I gave him a 9.(I hate Zac Brown)
I didn’t put a whole lot of thought into Eric Church’s 3 rating. He may not be a bro, but his music isn’t any more Country than Luke Bryan’s, who I also gave a 3. His first album was Country enough that I could enjoy it, but every album has been less Country than the one before it. Also, he seems to be almost proud of the fact that he’s more Rock than Country, and really doesn’t care about Country music in general.
Alabama. They’re my favorite Country band of all time. I love Alabama. But they’re never going to be mistaken for a traditional Country act. Tons of great, Soft-Rock tinged Country songs. They’re not Hard-Country, and the N’Sync duet made me sick enough to almost give them a 6. But ultimately, they’re too Country for a 6. I think 7 was the perfect rating for them.
The Eli Young band reminds me of a bunch of suburban boys who probably haven’t really been exposed to Country music. They don’t look Country. There’s no twang in their vocals, or in their instrumentation. They got a 2, because they are slightly more Country, than not-Country-whatsoever, which is what Sam Hunt is.
I wish Brooks & Dunn would’ve stuck to their original sound, because it was wonderful. Down the stretch, they almost completely abandoned their original sound. But their original sound was Country enough, that I couldn’t see rating them less than a 7.
Had I judged Reba solely on the first 10 years of her career, she’d have gotten at least a 9; maybe a 10. But when the mid-nineties pop-Country explosion hit, Reba sold out like a stock broker In 1929. Plus, she cares more about Hollywood than Country music. I thought a 4 was generous.
When Dierks first came on the scene, I thought, ‘ok, this guy is tolerable’, and despite growing up in a cul de sac in Phoenix, he has an in-depth knowledge of Country’s past. But, as time has a way of doing, it exposed Dierks’ true colors. He may love old Country music, but he’s a city boy that grew up on Rock ‘N Roll, and his music reflects that.
If Clint Black had’ve maintained the sound of his first album, throughout the rest of his career. I would’ve given him a 10. His first album was a masterpiece, modern Hard-Country at it’s best. But like the rest, he started wearing tight, shiny leather pants, and eased up on the twang. He didn’t go as pop as the rest though, so I wouldn’t have dropped him below an 8.
Fuzzy TwoShirts
April 11, 2015 @ 6:29 pm
Why would Johnny Bush drop everybody else by a point? His bland brand of easy-listening country was one of the banes of that era, along with people like Johnny Rodriguez and O.B. McClinton. If you want to call Sam Hunt a generic voice in a sea of generic material I would expect you to look at Mr. Bush in a similar light, given that he and Tony Booth were practically interchangeable stylistically and content wise. and yes, I know he played the drums for Willie Nelson.
Clint
April 11, 2015 @ 8:47 pm
I seriously have no idea what to make of your comment. Either you just referred to hardcore honky-tonk music as,’bland easy-listening Country’, or Johnny and Tony recorded some pop stuff that I’m not aware of. I also can’t think of anything that Rodriguez did that wasn’t traditional. Help me understand you better, because you’re not making sense.
Maybe you’re one those people who think anything that’s not Waylon, Willie, or Cash, is bland.
Fuzzy TwoShirts
April 12, 2015 @ 5:13 am
Clint: I think you mistook my comment. I find nothing pop or untraditional in any of the artists I brought up, their material, is, to me at least, very cliche and borderline stereotypical. Johnny Bush’s music was very country, just not very memorable in the sense of being fresh, unique, inventive. It was the same kind of country music that lots of other artists (like Tony Booth) were making at the same time, and that’s one of the reasons that lots of those artists, Like Rodriguez, Bench, Booth, and O.B. McClinton didn’t age well with their careers like Don Williams or Vern Gosdin did. I’m not saying they’re bad, “Key is in the Mailbox” (Booth) is a grand song, but it’s not a landmark in country music history. I’m just saying that a lot of those artists sound almost as similar as the bros do, even though their music is good.
Clint
April 12, 2015 @ 7:23 pm
“Clint: I think you mistook my comment. I find nothing pop or untraditional in any of the artists I brought up, their material, is, to me at least, very cliche and borderline stereotypical. Johnny Bush”™s music was very country, just not very memorable in the sense of being fresh, unique, inventive. It was the same kind of country music that lots of other artists (like Tony Booth) were making at the same time, and that”™s one of the reasons that lots of those artists, Like Rodriguez, Bench, Booth, and O.B. McClinton didn”™t age well with their careers like Don Williams or Vern Gosdin did. I”™m not saying they”™re bad, “Key is in the Mailbox” (Booth) is a grand song, but it”™s not a landmark in country music history. I”™m just saying that a lot of those artists sound almost as similar as the bros do, even though their music is good.”
I don’t know Fuzzmeister. You, said “easy-listening Country”. Now you’re saying,”Johnny Bush”™s music was very country”. It seems like you’re talking out of both sides of your mouth; or, you don’t know what Easy-listening is.
Anyway, if you don’t like the shuffling, hardcore Honky-Tonk sound of Johnny Bush, that’s your dad-gum business. But I’ll answer your original question. Johnny Bush would knock everybody down a point, because he’s more Country than anybody on that list.
Calling those guys “cliché” and “borderline stereotypical”, makes you sound crazier than everybody thinks I am.
A cliché of what? They’re Honky-Tonk singers, in the style of Ray Price. There are many styles of Country music, and that’s one of them. If an artist has a style that they enjoy, and that their fans enjoy, why should they have to change it? The reason Johnny Bush couldn’t maintain popularity, is because he stuck to his guns, and was too Country amid changing times, that, and he was struck with a condition that nearly destroyed his vocal chords.
You’re a funny guy Fuzz. I mean, I love Don Williams as much as I love Johnny Bush, but he’s a lot closer to Easy-listening.
Fuzzy TwoShirts
April 13, 2015 @ 5:09 am
Clint: alright maybe “Easy-listening” wasn’t the best word choice. I never meant he wasn’t country, I meant his material was softer, less and less bloodcurdlingly intense than a lot of his peers on the radio. “In the style of Ray Price” was your description, and that’s more where I was going with my previous comment. Johnny Bush was very similar to many peers. (again… Tony Booth) I’m not questioning his countriness, I just found his material kind of soft. Now that you’ve elaborated on your original comment: I agree, he is countrier than anybody on that list. Sad to hear about his vocal misfortune… Never heard that before.
Fuzzmeister, huh? I like that. I need to adopt that for myself haha
Acca Dacca
April 11, 2015 @ 8:31 pm
I can understand a bias, but I don’t think that a couple of borderline or otherwise generic songs should knock Alan Jackson down. After all, what artist has a perfect batting average? That includes the Zac Brown Band duet, which even if you hate the band, the song isn’t bad in and of itself and it’s certainly country. I’d say the very fact that he’s “too country” to be played on the radio anymore should merit him a 10 by default, but ultimately it’s your rating.
I personally like Eric Church as country-tinged rock. Sure, The Outsiders was just garage rock, but his first two albums Sinners Like Me and Carolina have some great country rock tunes. Traditional? Not so much, but he strikes me as more authentic and gritty than Luke Bryan’s polished ass ever has.
I love me some Alabama as well, but if you want to talk about generic fluffy love songs with Alan Jackson, Alabama can’t be far behind. Call me crazy, but even a number of their big hits strike me as just filler on the love song front and just flat out corny. In fact, given their career trajectory in the mid-’90s, it’s unsurprising to me that they ended up recording a power pop ballad by *Nsync. I like a few of *Nsync’s songs for their catchy hooks and I think Alabama did a decent rendition of “God Must Have Spent a Little More Time On You,” but the group’s appearance on the ACMs was very much unnecessary and a sell out moment. We always talk about transparent cries for relevancy around here, but that’s about as obvious as it gets.
Eli Young Band I was curious about mainly because I thought your rating was a signifier of your like or dislike for an artist, which you clarified not to be the case. I like “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” and “Crazy Girl” but not much else from them is very distinctive.
Brooks & Dunn is another nostalgic one for me. As for “abandoning their sound,” is an act not allowed to experiment in your eyes, or is it mainly that the experiments were at the expense of the country sound? After all, if there’s authentic twang I think even a moderate computerized beat can have a place, even if I think it’s unneeded. What’s your take with that in mind? Any specific songs in which B&D really seemed to jump ship?
On Dierks, I think we’ll just have to disagree. Sure, Riser is pretty rock & roll, but how many other pop country acts have cut a bluegrass album, mainstream sound or not? Also, until his last two or so records, he always included a bluegrass tune on each of his albums at the end, typically featuring one or all of the members of the Del McCoury Band. His independent debut album, Don’t Leave Me In Love is pure twang from the first track to the last (though it’s basically only available as a bootleg nowadays). I don’t know about that one. 4 or not, I’d still term him one of the “good guys” of the mainstream. He’s cut a few duds but seems to have his wits about him for the most part.
Clint Black… I can see where you’re coming from with that. I don’t think I’ve met a single country music fan that doesn’t think Killin’ Time is a great album (or at least respect that popular opinion) so we can very much agree on that one. I’ve been listening to that one about once every three weeks for the past six months. It’s very much the template for what I wish country radio sounded like. A few popier acts here and there would be fine, but mostly just modern hard country. He stayed strong through his next few albums Put Yourself in My Shoes, The Hard Way and No Time to Kill. I’d say he first stumbled with One Emotion; that album wasn’t so much pop as it was just dull. I think he’d become bored with the standard country template at that point and was wanting to branch out. Next came Nothin’ But the Taillights, which is where leather-clad Clint Black came into play. Not a bad album but certainly nothing next to his first four. After that came D’lectrified, an album with good songs but hardly any twang whatsoever and too much gloss. It had almost none of Black’s trademark grit and that very much bothered me as a fan. Five years later came Spend My Time. At this point his contract with RCA had run out and he decided to start his own label. Perhaps fearing that he wouldn’t be noticed if he didn’t get a few songs on the radio, he slicked up the production even more. This is hands-down his least country and weakest album to date, bar none. I’m tempted to recommend it to you just to hear your reaction. Ironically, he followed that one up with his best album since his first few: Drinkin’ Songs & Other Logic. It featured an updated version of his original hard country sound and very much had a honky tonk vibe to it. As such, it was pretty much completely ignored upon release, which is a shame. If you’re unfamiliar with that one, find a copy and listen to it. I don’t profess to know what you like or don’t like but I’d wager you’d enjoy it quite a bit. Black has been talking about a new album for the past five or so years, but at this point I’ve given up hope that it’ll ever see the light of day. Here’s hoping that if it does it’s more hard country.
Eric
April 11, 2015 @ 9:39 pm
Wow, Clint, it’s remarkable how much we agree on countriness. About the only ones I disagree with are Ashley Monroe (who should be a 9 or 10), Brandy Clark (who should be at least at 8), and Reba (who, despite her forays into pop, still merits a 7).
Clint
April 12, 2015 @ 7:28 pm
It’s not that remarkable Eric. I’m always right when it comes to Country music, and you’re intelligent enough to realize that.
It’d be like agreeing with Merriam-Webster that the word “dictionary” was spelled correctly.
Eric
April 12, 2015 @ 9:30 pm
Cool. Now, if you could only tone down the anger and bitterness in your regular commentary and post more insightful analysis like this one, then maybe we could have some productive conversations…
Acca Dacca
April 15, 2015 @ 9:17 am
Did I lose you at some point, Clint? I thought we were having a very pleasant conversation and it abruptly petered out. Do you have nothing more to say as per my response or did I say something that struck you as ignorant?
The Ghost of Waylon
April 10, 2015 @ 8:55 am
I personally find that ignoring the ACM (and the CMA) is the best way to make them go away. I haven’t been bothered by them for 20 years now.
Here’s to another!
Dan H
April 10, 2015 @ 12:49 pm
Great advice, definitely taking it!
CountryKnight
April 12, 2015 @ 1:56 pm
DVR is your ally.
Travis
April 10, 2015 @ 8:59 am
Well, one things for sure. I dont see Alan Jackson performing any tractor rap. He’s too big of a name to be persuaded into that direction. I’m sure he’s calling the shots on what he sings.
Tunesmiff
April 11, 2015 @ 3:31 pm
One would hope~
gtrman86
April 10, 2015 @ 9:22 am
Looks pretty fucked up, great to see some older artists get back on the air ,but no need for todays pop-tards. Might as well pair up Metallica and Don Williams, same fucking difference.
the pistolero
April 10, 2015 @ 11:22 am
Might as well pair up Metallica and Don Williams, same fucking difference.
Not quite. Unlike Cole Swindell and Sam Hunt, Metallica was actually good once upon a time. 😀
Scotty J
April 10, 2015 @ 11:28 am
Metallica and Don Williams.
I’d watch that.
gtrman86
April 10, 2015 @ 11:32 am
Well that is absolutely true, I guess I was thinking that some of these artists are about as Country as Metallica is. Who knows, the Country music world is so fucked up right now Metallica is probably in the studio working on a Country Album.
Tunesmiff
April 11, 2015 @ 3:33 pm
With Steven Tyler?
Tom
April 15, 2015 @ 8:47 am
It’s not outside the realm of possibility. “Friends in Low Places” has been part of their live show for years, and James Hetfield cut “Don’t You Think this Outlaw Bit Has Done Got Out of Hand?” for a Waylon Jennings tribute album and appeared on a CMT Outlaws special several years ago.
But country pop and Garth Brooks bug him, according to an article from a few years ago.
http://www.guitarworld.com/archive-james-hetfield-and-kirk-hammett-metallica-discuss-their-1997-album-re-load?page=0,3
Applejack
April 10, 2015 @ 1:46 pm
Speaking of which, where is Don Williams when award shows and events like this take place? The man was a consistent hit maker for nearly two decades, with 42 top ten singles in all. And specifically pertaining to this event, he is also an ACM legend, with nine award nominations in all, including five for Top Male Vocalist, and a win for Single of the Year in 1978. And his songs are still being played on mainstream radio via those “Nash Icon” stations. I don’t know if he would want to participate in something like this or not, but it seems like he should at least be asked. Of course, the event’s organizers would probably ask him to duet with someone who is not worthy of shining his boots, but he did a duet with Keith Urban on his 2012 album that was really nice.
Gena R.
April 10, 2015 @ 9:34 am
Clint Black and Joe Nichols
Lady Antebellum and Brandy Clark
Miranda Lambert and Patty Loveless
The Band Perry and Deana Carter
Dang… I can’t say I’m not intrigued, but I’m not sitting through 3 whole hours (or more) just for a few performances. :p
Nick Brown
April 10, 2015 @ 9:39 am
Well thankfully I won’t have to suffer with seeing George Strait preform with a wannabe.
I am looking forward to seeing Patty Loveless though.
Jack Williams
April 10, 2015 @ 9:46 am
Well, we can hope that Alan Jackson has another act of rebellion planned, like maybe throwing Cole off the stage as soon as he opens his mouth.
Lorenzo
April 10, 2015 @ 1:20 pm
lol I’d pay millions to see that!!
Applejack
April 10, 2015 @ 2:15 pm
Heh heh… this actually made me laugh out loud.
I’m imaging Alan delivering a swift below-the-camera blow to Cole Swindell just as he begins to sing, and as Cole collapses in a crumpled heap outside the frame, Alan sings loudly and triumphantly as the crowd rises to their feet.
I’ve had choices, since the day I was boooorn… there were voices, that told me right from wrong…
CountryKnight
April 12, 2015 @ 1:54 pm
Alan Jackson is going to swipe Cole’s hat and toss it into the crowd.
ElectricOutcast
April 10, 2015 @ 9:50 am
Apparently they REALLY want this thing to flop
Scott Campbell
April 10, 2015 @ 10:16 am
Very interesting….
I’m a bit confused from one of my favorite all time artist Alan Jackson; the man who sang “Murder on Music Row” to agree to such terms.
I can’t argue that showcasing these classic artist is a good thing for country music but I think it will do little to open the eyes of the current country(I’m mean pop) music listeners.
At the one hand it upsets real country music fans to see such talent sharing the stage with such pukes.
On the other it allows our current degenerate, cookie-cutter country “super-stars” to reinforce in their songs and their interviews about how their idols influenced their sound. Which couldn’t be further from the truth as we all know.
I don’t know. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe these classic artist don’t get too wrapped up in all this stuff and their there to just play their music.
I think the best lineup will be the Clint Black and Joe Nichols (in my humble opinion).
-Scott
Joshua R.
April 10, 2015 @ 12:30 pm
Are you reading my thoughts Scott and then posting them as your own? Or are we just long lost twins?
Buckarooguitar
April 10, 2015 @ 1:04 pm
Joshua is that you! Where have you been 🙂 Nah we just have good taste in music and can’t stand the circus
-You Twin
Joshua R.
April 10, 2015 @ 2:42 pm
Yup, and for that I get called close minded regularly when that’s not even close to the case.
Joshua R.
April 10, 2015 @ 2:43 pm
I’d reckon you do too?
Buckarooguitar.com
April 10, 2015 @ 2:53 pm
Oh ya mainly my fiancee (sighs).
She listens to all that new crap and she gets a little peeved when I say “there’s no excuse for having taste that bad” lol.
I was even invited by her friends to attend this years ACM awards. I laughed out loud and they understood immediately my answer.
-Scott
Applejack
April 10, 2015 @ 2:19 pm
“Maybe these classic artist don”™t get too wrapped up in all this stuff and their there to just play their music.”
Yeah, as best as I can figure, that’s probably it.
In some cases you’d like to think they would have a little more discretion though.
Buckarooguitar.com
April 10, 2015 @ 2:39 pm
Applejack,
I couldn’t agree more. I personally think it gives these traditional artist bad PR. It comes off as they support what they do, which doesn’t make sense. Trigger, has uploaded numerous articles on the distaste these artist have with current country music but then they go off and do duet with Florida Georgia Line.
Maybe they should fire their booking agents? Heck, maybe we should put on a show at the same time as the ACM’s in Texas and call it “The Real Country Music Awards” and only invite the traditional artist and some promising new artist who are left in the shadows.
A man can only dream,
Scott
Joshua R.
April 10, 2015 @ 2:51 pm
I’d just love for one of my heroes to take a public stand against this bull. It’d be one of the best days of my life. I’d have a party all by myself, complete with (Warning: clichés [though an accurate representation of myself] to follow) George Jones blaring out of my pick up and me standing on top of it with a Keystone Ice shouting, “Oww!!!” to all my favorite parts.
Sorry I just think about my favorites actually taking a stand allot and I always get stoked about the thought of them actually doing it with a large public forum.
Tunesmiff
April 11, 2015 @ 5:06 pm
Maybe “…the man who sang ‘Murder on Music Row’… ” is investigating that cold case under cover…
Tom
April 15, 2015 @ 9:05 am
I’m guessing Alan Jackson might just feel like he has nothing left to prove and he’s willing to do something like this for the overall good of the industry.
And I really don’t have a problem with it myself, assuming their song will be one of Alan’s rather than one of Cole’s.
Dr. Doom
April 10, 2015 @ 10:41 am
Is this part of your plan, Red Skull? I must say, you’ve hit a new low.
Hail HYDRA my armored ass.
Eric
April 10, 2015 @ 11:07 am
This type of pairing could be either a strong positive or a strong negative, depending on what songs are covered. If the traditionalists’ songs are featured clearly and fully during the presentation, it could serve as a great way to introduce those songs to a new audience.
CountryKnight
April 10, 2015 @ 11:10 am
Why are the legends agreeing to this?
Perhaps, there is a secret plan afoot?
A.B.
April 10, 2015 @ 12:46 pm
Maybe some of those legends are trying to stay in the public eye so those secret voters will vote them in for the Hall of Fame sooner? Marty, Alan, Dwight, & Brooks and Dunn have all been on hall of fame contender lists on various websites in recent years. Wait. This is the ACMs. The CMA is in charge of the Hall of Fame. Never mind. I have no idea why they’re agreeing.
Klancy
April 10, 2015 @ 3:18 pm
Handful of them have new albums coming out soon. Might be viewing this as their one chance to give their new stuff a push because we all know radio won’t play it.
RD
April 10, 2015 @ 11:10 am
Any chance of Merle Haggard and David Allan Coe singing “Merle and Me?”
Mark f
April 10, 2015 @ 11:12 am
John Anderson has such a beautiful voice, Keith’s a Sturgill fan, he’s written some good tunes,
could easily be really good.
RD
April 10, 2015 @ 11:15 am
Are you sure Alabama is appearing with ‘N Sync?
Joshua R.
April 10, 2015 @ 12:29 pm
Clint Black’s making an appearance?! Get out.
DimM
April 10, 2015 @ 12:30 pm
Next year Sturgill & Jerrod Donkey!
Joshua R.
April 10, 2015 @ 1:29 pm
Honestly, half of these seem like a practical joke.
Like right when the show starts and they kick it off by announcing, “And here is All Time Great Alan Jackson performing with Modern Fan Favorite Col….sike!!! Na, even we’re not that distasteful. And plus Alan Jackson told us to fuck off.”
Chris
April 10, 2015 @ 1:50 pm
I hate when they try to make bad country look good and country by putting it beside country legends. Today’s best country artists are the ones who should be singing with country legends.
Alan Jackson Says There”™s “No Country Stuff Left” https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/alan-jackson-says-theres-no-country-stuff-left
Applejack
April 10, 2015 @ 2:32 pm
I just re-read the names again and noticed Brandy Clark.
Right on. At least she’s being included.
I guess the female singer from Lady Antebellum could make for a reasonable duet partner. Not sure about the two dudes, though.
Bobby
April 10, 2015 @ 2:58 pm
I can see it now… Cole comes out dancing, yells “y’all ready to partee?!?” , as Alan Jackson strikes the first chord to “Murder on Music Row.”
Sandra
April 10, 2015 @ 3:20 pm
Has anyone forgotten a lady named Kacey Musgraves. She would of killed it if she was paired up with an older singer, she respects them so much.
BanditDarville
April 10, 2015 @ 3:37 pm
Gee, maybe Cole will teach Alan some fly-ass hand jives.
pete marshall
April 10, 2015 @ 8:05 pm
I can’t believe these good country singers is teaming up with these morons.
Brett Dale
April 10, 2015 @ 10:17 pm
Clint and Joe will be great to see.
pete marshall
April 10, 2015 @ 11:39 pm
Brooks & Dunn and Reba
John Anderson & Keith Urban
Clint and Joe
Patty and Miranda
will be great together.
dukes
April 11, 2015 @ 12:19 am
I like to say my influences are Hank Jr, Waylon, CDB, Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, George Strait …
But I wonder how many would agree.
I wonder what people at Radio would make of what we play.
Just throwing that out there, because I’m as guilty as the next guy of calling today’s country music an abomination and calling “Bullshit” when I hear folks like FLGALine say Merle Haggard influenced their sound. But does anyone hear MY influences in my music? I just dunno.
I wonder what folks would make of it if I was paired with CDB on one of these shows.
Or would y’all all just turn it off, like always?
bamstrait
April 11, 2015 @ 6:22 am
I played some Patty Loveless a few days before the duet was announced. I was moved to tears at the beauty and pain her voice conveys. That is what I miss most about country music, the ability it had to make me feel.
After seeing Miranda in concert, suffering her wretched duet with Underwood, screaming rocking award show performances and “Red Wagon” trash, I am dreading their duet more than I can say. I don’t care how often they award Miranda, she is out of her league.
Dogit
April 13, 2015 @ 7:17 am
I hate that Alan has to sing with an unworthy loser to get on this fucking ACM special! Thank God George Strait was not paired with some Sam Hunt/ FGL fucker. We are so lucky that George will not be doing this shit.
Amanda
April 13, 2015 @ 12:44 pm
I can’t wait to see Miranda and Patty together again!
CJ
April 13, 2015 @ 4:37 pm
Sorry, a bit off topic here. Been seeing the campaigning being done by Miranda Lambert’s camp for the ACM entertainer of the year award (which is partly fan voted). They mobilized her husband’s buddies from the Voice and some other celebs to launched this Twitter campaign to get their own fans to vote for Lambert. All this campaigning cheapens the award in my opinion, which should have been the most prestigious, most coveted category. I guess there’s no one to blame but the ACMs for converting this award into a partially fan-voted category. Though they’ve never divulged the breakdown in tallying the votes – what percentage is made up of fan votes and what percentage for industry votes.