Vince Gill & Alan Jackson Show How To Grow Old Gracefully in Country
As much as we may love the older music performers we grew up with, or cherish the performers from a past beyond our own, there might be nothing worse to behold as a music fan than watching an aging artist who refuses to come to grips with reality, and won’t let go of the spotlight. Of course it is a shame that the music business is so callous towards its aging talent and seems so quick to cast its older entertainers off. But all artists eventually age and experience the passing of mass interest, and must face a new set of realities.
As much as Ronnie Dunn started out showing promise as a substantive artist and one willing to speak his mind about the state of the country music business after the Brooks & Dunn breakup, he’s now out there now kinking his hair and cutting country rap songs. Hank Williams Jr. might be the poster boy for the country artist who’s unwilling to face their fate; carousing with Kid Rock and taking great care not to show any gray in his mane. Remember when Alabama collaborated with ‘N Sync? Or the catastrophe of Kenny Rogers’ facelift? Even our beloved Willie Nelson had a moment when he thought the best thing for his career was to cut a Dave Matthews song produced by Kenny Chesney. We can’t blame our country heroes for not wanting to call it quits from the mainstream spotlight until they’re absolutely sure it’s time, but sometimes you wonder why they just can’t rest on their laurels, appreciate their years of success and the financial windfall it afforded them, and simply refocus on the music as their first priority.
That is exactly what we are seeing from two of country music’s most prestigious previous heavyweights: Alan Jackson and Vince Gill. With 34 CMA Awards, over 20 Grammys, and and some 80 million records sold between the two, they both have seen their share of overwhelming commercial success, public notoriety, and peer recognition. But over the last few years the writing has been on the wall that their time has come, and their days of widespread radio play and big awards are over.
And so what did these two men do? Did they shake their fists at the system and criticize it for being unfair? Did they try to mix it up with some young artist outside of the genre to hopefully rekindle interest? Did they debut a new look to try to hide their age? No, they both did something out-of-the-ordinary—they embraced their roles as legacy artists, and put out albums that paid homage to the roots of the music that brought them both so much fortune over the years.
Vince Gill teemed up with legendary steel guitar player Paul Franklin and put out an impressive and energetic tribute to the West Coast influence on country called Bakersfield, swapping songs from California country titans Merle Haggard and Buck Owens. For all the chatter about country having to evolve to stay commercially viable, Bakersfield debuted at #4 on the charts and sold an impressive 12,000 copies its first week—virtually unheard of for a tribute album, especially one from an older artist.
Right on the heels of Bakersfiled‘s success, Alan Jackson has just released an album of bluegrass music simply called The Bluegrass Album. It includes 8 Jackson originals all done in authentic bluegrass style, and covers artists like Bill Monroe and The Dillards. The record is a critic’s favorite and has been creating tremendous buzz.
As much as country music, especially in the current era, may feel like a business of the here and now, one thing that still separates country from other genres is the role of the legacy artist. Rock once had this as well, but there is a reason a 51-year-old Sheryl Crow decided to bring her act to country in 2013. As much as it may pain purists when pop and rock artists cross over to country, it also speaks to how despite the conventional thinking of modern country as a kid’s game, country still deliver strength to older artists. Sure, artists like Vince Gill and Alan Jackson may no longer be able to sell out arenas, but they’re also not considered “has-been’s” simply because the big hits have stopped coming. You may not be treated as a superstar in the twilighting of your country career, but you’re still doted on as a legend by core fans who will never forget your contributions. That was one of the unfortunate things about the early passing of Waylon Jennings. He never got that opportunity to take a victory lap and stand as a country music elder statesman.
Like Emmylou Harris allowing her raven hair to turn a shimmering silver, watching an artist age in country music can be a splendid thing to behold when the artist performs the transition with grace, class, and wisdom, and the industry allows this process to unfold naturally instead of shutting them out. By setting new parameters of success that don’t have to do with sales and flashy awards, an artist can craft the finishing touches on their legacy while the genre shows their respects for their contributions.
But moreover, what Vince Gill and Alan Jackson have proven is they still have plenty of tread on the tires, and aging artists can still have a sizable impact and contribution to the country music canon.
September 25, 2013 @ 10:01 am
Good blog/article. Great points. I haven’t heard the Alan Jackson album, so I can’t speak to it directly, but I have heard Vince and Paul’s album, and it’s excellent. The guys that have true talent to begin with, seem to figure it out. Just like you said, watching Emmylou grow into an icon has been an enjoyable thing for me. A few months back I went to see Peter Frampton at the Ryman, ( I know, nothing to do with Country) and he brought Vince out on stage. They did a rocking version of “Liza Jane”, then the two of them, plus Steve Cropper tore up a version of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”, with Vince pretty much smoking the other two guys with his guitar solos. I’ll pay to watch and listen to that stuff, all day long. The fact that longevity still plays a role in Country, really does set it apart from other genres.
September 25, 2013 @ 3:07 pm
Keith, I just looked up the vid of While My Guitar Gently Weeps from that performance. That is the bar a guitarist should hold himself to. Thanks for the share, man.
September 25, 2013 @ 10:30 am
Both of those guys are grounded, and both would be making music somewhere into their golden years even if they had not made the big time. Thats the secret to the whole longevity thing, they do it for the music, the rest has been icing on the cake.
September 25, 2013 @ 11:04 am
Just taking a first listen to the Alan Jackson album. It’s great so far! He seems to be a really grounded guy, who despite a few dumb songs, is respectful of tradition and isn’t afraid to go against the grain. As much as I love George Strait, he doesn’t seem willing to take any shots at modern country because he’s the only legacy artist that the younger artists still treat with any shred of decency. As a side note, I didn’t think Willie recording “Gravedigger” was nearly as heinous as the other aging mishaps you noted. I actually think he did a really good job with it, and it sounds like a Willie song when he does it.
September 25, 2013 @ 11:44 am
More than enough Strait fans should know by now where he stands. He and Jackson famously performed “Murder on Music Row” at the turn of the century.
I certainly don’t buy the notion that you HAVE to be habitually outspoken to let everyone know what you’re about and where you stand. Besides, Strait rarely gives interviews so it’s quite clear to me he prefers to lead a quiet life separate from media scrutiny, which I surely respect.
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Ditto on your Willie Nelson viewpoint, by the way. I don’t quite understand the dismay surrounding his interpretation of Dave Matthews’ “Gravedigger”. The original was hardly among his most commercial offerings. It didn’t even chart well commercially.
Also, Kenny Chesney did NOT produce it. Stephen Harris, also known for his work with U2 and The Automatic, produced “Gravedigger”. You may have confused that with the Kenny Chesney/Dave Matthews duet “I’m Alive”, which Chesney co-produced. Even then, Willie Nelson had no affiliation with that cut.
September 25, 2013 @ 12:27 pm
I’m with you fellas. I thought Willie cut a good version of Gravedigger. He’s done many other questionable things, but that’s not one of them for me.
September 25, 2013 @ 12:31 pm
Keeny actually co-produced that whole Nelson album I believe. You can read this article here.
http://www.countrystandardtime.com/news/newsitem.asp?xid=1211
September 25, 2013 @ 1:10 pm
I actually like Willie’s version of “Gravedigger” as well, and wrote a positive review for it (though I can’t seem to locate it {on my own site no less} at the moment). When I posted it, I got hammered by commenters because Dave wrote it and Chesney produced it (and I do believe Kenny did produce it in some capacity).
I included it because it is an example of an aging artist collaborating with other stars trying to hold on to their relevancy. We may still like it, but that is based on our own tastes. It still illustrates the phenomenon I was referencing.
September 25, 2013 @ 11:34 am
Alan Jackson nearly lost me with his “Good Time” album. I was gravely worried “this was it” and he was prepared to sell-out to retain relevance…………most blatantly with the release of the god awful “Country Boy” as its third single and, later, the release of “I Still Like Bologna” as its fifth.
As needless as that album’s pandering to the mainstream was, I nonetheless admit I pre-judged him at the time. Since then, Jackson has only gotten better: greeting us with a decent (but not great) follow-up “Freight Train”, with album cuts like “Taillights Blue” and “True Love is a Golden Ring” reminding me why I fell in love with him and his music in the first place during the early nineties. There were still ostensible duds like “That’s Where I Belong” and “Big Green Eyes”, but because it was his last album with Arista Nashville, I chose to cut him some slack and banked on an even better follow-up as he transitioned.
And he delivered exactly that with “Thirty Miles West”, which I consider among his finest releases to date. Perhaps he could have done without “Long Way to Go” and the bug in his margarita, and it could have easily been construed as his frenzied Hail Mary attempt to reclaim that “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” appeal, but I didn’t even mind that song overall. For a throwaway, it was exquisitely produced and Jackson gave a winning vocal. And everything else on that album was superior to “Long Way to Go”, with its two succeeding singles being his most compelling one-two punch in many years, and “When I Saw You Leaving (For Nicey)” a tear-jerker at its finest.
Now he has released a most convincing bluegrass set that accomplishes all you said and will pave the way for assured longevity as a genre legend.
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Honestly, I’ve never considered myself a Vince Gill fan at all. He was way too Adult Contemporary-leaning for my tastes in my opinion much of the time. Even so, I immensely respect Gill for his astounding commercial longevity (it took him six albums to get his first #1 hit) and that he fully immersed himself in his craft from the songwriting to his guitar chops all the way down to his homage to the numerous facets of the genre and his influences. “These Days” in particular underscored that. And I think he sounds better than ever at this point of his career. Gill has never exactly been my cup of tea, but he earned my respect long ago as a true artist who has matured gracefully.
September 25, 2013 @ 11:54 am
I love Alan’s material through the years and he has stayed true to country music he has my respect. Vince was and is my favorite guitar picker in country music and has been for awhile. My lord his chops are astounding and that soaring tenor voice is astounding. Yeah some of his stuff was a little to adult contemporary for me but both of these guys have chops and grace and integrity as people and artists and that is all to rare these days. I love Willie’s version of gravedigger too it absolutely sounds like a willie tune the way he does it.
September 25, 2013 @ 12:34 pm
The Alan Jackson CD is very good. Its good to hear these songs with bluegrass instrumentation. I hope it sells well and shows that traditional instrumentation is not a dead end for sales. I have some concerns with the title as this really isnt a Bluegrass Album. To my ears, this sounds more like traditional country song construction (ie verse / chorus) with Bluegrass Instrumentation. My first reaction was “this is really good, but, it sounds a bit slow”. Most of these songs could be almost doubled in tempo.
I know I just criticized the CD, so let me reiterate that I really like this CD and want to give a HUGE recommendation for people to seek out / obtain (at a minimum) Alan’s cover of The Dillards “There is a Time”. This version is excellent! With any justice this will be played on Country, Bluegrass and Folk stations. Blacktop is another top notch uptempo number (which includes a sly criticism of modern country lyrics).
Kudo’s to Alan for putting this together and to Trigger for highlighting it.
September 25, 2013 @ 2:13 pm
I completely agree..I thought the same thing. That it did sound a little slow compared to the traditional sounds of bluegrass. But, then I was thinking that I don’t know if Jackson’s vocals would be a great fit for that faster tempo. So maybe they slowed everything down to lend the music more to Alan Jackson’s style. I don’t know that may be completely wrong, but that was my take.
I really enjoyed both these albums.
September 25, 2013 @ 4:25 pm
I think your guess is correct. Alan’s voice seems more suited to the slower tempo. They did show that they can put some speed in with the Dillards cover, and I enjoyed hearing Rob Ickes pop off a great little dobro solo in that song (followed by the rest of the band).
September 26, 2013 @ 12:51 pm
I’m giving AJ’s CD a spin at the moment. Nice to hear him in this acoustic mode — I especially love the rerecording of “Let’s Get Back to Me and You” (originally from 1994’s ‘Who I Am’), and the lyrics of “Blacktop” (sort of the anti-“Dirt Road Anthem”) make me chuckle.
September 25, 2013 @ 12:40 pm
Two legendary artists with enough good music to fill a months playlist and more new tunes on the way. Longevity is certainly a rare trait these days in any genre of music and VG and AJ among many others have proved their music will stand the test of time. It is very unfortunate unlike rock stations who still give the classics a spin country radio doesn’t give a shit about the artists who built the bridges in which the young generation are burning down. Its a guarantee that the likes of aldean, bryan,church,swift,florida homo line,etc…..will not have the longevity or longterm success of actual talented artists as they are just cookie cutter flavours of the week.
Its a shame radio won’t play cuts off of these two new albums because they blow the new crap way out of the water and I believe there is a whole lot of listeners that would agree.
September 25, 2013 @ 1:36 pm
“homo line”
Was that really necessary?
September 25, 2013 @ 2:09 pm
Yes Karl, yes it was.
September 25, 2013 @ 10:02 pm
Trust me…………it would have been MUCH more effective if you said “Florida-Autotune Line” or “Florida-Antares Line”. 😉
September 25, 2013 @ 4:15 pm
This article could have easily included Dwight Yoakam, as well.
Alan, Vince, and Dwight may all be aging, but they’re not old, or tired. This is unfortunate; they have reached the stage where they can exude a bit of wisdom in their songs, yet their listener base narrows. Maturity is sorely lacking in contemporary corporate country. Regardless, I am excited about the careers of all three for this very reason.
September 25, 2013 @ 5:12 pm
Dwight might have handled the transition the best because he really never strayed from the roots of the music so he didn’t have to go back to them. Instead he just disappeared for a little while, dabbled in some acting, and came back when people missed him so much it hurt.
Someone will probably point out that he co-wrote a song with Kid Rock on his last album, so I’ll do it for them.
November 7, 2014 @ 5:30 am
I think part of this comes from their being influenced by other artists who aged gracefully – George Jones (at least professionally), Buck Owens… and working with other like-minded artists – George Strait…
Too bad most of the current crop doesn’t see it that way or take note and advantage of the opportunity… (Zac Brown did… sort of… but still….)
September 26, 2013 @ 12:17 am
Love the “Bakersfield” album, one of the best releases of the year for me. I think Alan Jackson has done a good job on “The Bluegrass Album”, he sounds in great voice and the musicians are first class, but (you just knew there was going to be a but, didn’t you?!) over the course of an hour I feel it starts to sound a bit ‘samey’. It’s most likely to be a collection I’ll dip into rather than listen to straight through!
September 26, 2013 @ 12:29 pm
I agree with the premise of your post, but your reference to Bocephus is entirely off the mark.
I think that he remains a credit to the true country music.
I have no use for primping (including hair coloring), but I don’t dislike someone who does.
It pains me to see pictures of Waylon with rich brown (dyed) hair in the years preceding his death, but either he was vain or Jessie talked him into it. He looked like a complete fool
But that certainly doesn’t diminish his vast contribution to outlaw country music.
I saw Bocephus in concert a few years ago (at a small North Ms venue). He had Jamie Johnson and Colt Ford as his warm-up acts.
Bocephus was an incredible performer and he made sure that everyone got the most out of their modestly priced ticket.
He knew that those people loved him and he played like he was playing to a sold out stadium.
He played the guitar beautifully and then dismissed the band and played the piano for several songs.
He played at Bristol Motor Speedway in a free concert a few weeks ago and he is an incredible fan favorite.
He told the local media (something to the effect of) “I love NASCAR. Its fans are my fans.”
David Allan Coe toured with Kid Rock and Uncle Kracker and he played their songs better than they did.
And he has not aged gracefully (there isn’t a graceful bone in his body) and his hair piece is certainly ridiculous (albeit in an eccentric sort of way).
And Hank 3 plays metal or punk in Assjack, but that doesn’t diminish his contributions to country music.
Straining to look for a few morsels of good in mediocre (or bad) mainstream country music types, while at the same time dismissing someone like Bocephus, baffles me.
I don’t know a lot about Vince Gill, but I have almost everything that Alan Jackson has produced, and there are some pretty hollow offerings in his songbook.
He has made a significant contribution to true country music, but he certainly played the game with the Nashville crowd by buying a $27 million dollar home and acting like country music royalty.
I think that his inability to sustain that lifestyle may have helped him put life, country music and Music Row in perspective.
September 26, 2013 @ 1:25 pm
Trigger can certainly affirm this himself, but I certainly didn’t get the impression he was diminishing Bocephus and his legacy whatsoever and the fact he is a committed, dynamic performer.
The point he was making is that even Bocephus has shown visible signs he is reluctant to get the monkey off his back that is capitulation to the mainstream at age 64, and has been fine-tuning his image in a somewhat calculating fashion to appear “hip” to younger demographics.
That’s all. At any rate, I can respect him for his vast contributions to country music and numerous sub-genres as well, and even a few eyebrow-raising instances crying for relevance won’t change that reality.
September 26, 2013 @ 1:34 pm
I’ll add that, while I consider Ronnie Dunn’s latest effort a colossal embarrassment already……….not only because both “Country This” and “Kiss You There” are god awful cuts that egregiously pander to corporate country trends replete with “rapping” that feels painfully awkward and out of place………but because their end result is yet another album delay which only makes Dunn’s slide into irrelevance all the more obvious…………………..I would STILL never discount his numerous accomplishments and achievements leading up to this jarring pothole in the road.
Ronnie Dunn’s recording career from here on out, not just commercially but critically, can be akin to a truck in flames impacting a guard rail on a winding mountain pass, riding off the cliff and exploding upon the canyon floor below………………and it STILL wouldn’t affect his legacy as one half of Brooks & Dunn, as well as releasing one excellent single (“Cost of Livin'”) on his own.
But, yes……………I’m hoping Dunn can regain his focus and prove “Country This” will be more the exception than the rule in the latter part of his recording career! 😉
September 26, 2013 @ 6:19 pm
You’re right, Noah. No matter what Ronnie Dunn is doing now, you can’t discount his accomplishments as half of Brooks & Dunn. Based on some things he’s said recently I think he’s finished courting commercial radio and ready to do his own thing. He’s always said he likes rock in his country. That was a major beef he and his father had when he was growing up. I loved Ronnie’s first solo album and thought the label did him a huge injustice by not releasing “How Far to Waco”. Ronnie’s situation is quite different than all the other names mentioned above. He’s finally pursuing the solo career he’s always wanted and maybe going a little crazy while he’s doing it. When the dust settles, he’ll land on his feet because IMO he still has the best voice out there. I don’t even want to talk about the hair and beard…..he needs a stylist!
September 26, 2013 @ 7:14 pm
Noah –
You think that Bocephus represents”capitulation to the mainstream”, but you like Brooks and Dunn?
Bocephus looks like DAC or Pantera compared to these guys.
Care to take a wild guess as to who will be invited to the Outlaw Country Music grand opening and who will sit home?
I am not saying they aren’t fine artists (because they seem to have been quite popular), but they represent the mainstream – high airplay brand of country/country pop music.
September 26, 2013 @ 8:09 pm
I actually never really cared for Brooks & Dunn personally. They had a few songs here and there that were enjoyable listening fodder, and they supposedly knew how to put on an energetic live show to their credit. But I’m more drawn to lyrical depth and musical adventurism, and I felt both those qualities weren’t the duo’s strong suits.
It is important to remember that this duo was formed because of a matchmaking by Nashville music executive Tim DuBois. Yep……….about as corporately-driven as they come. I’d take Brooks & Dunn over Florida-Georgia Line ANY day obviously, but it is amusing that even Florida-Georgia Line actually formed more naturally! =P
The point I was making is that, at the time Brooks & Dunn were active, up until almost the very end of their career, they retained commercial relevance. That can’t be denied. And they hardly tweaked their formula one whit. They just plowed on through two decades with the same formula. Consistency isn’t necessarily a compliment when you have little to say, but I can respect them for keeping relevant up through their last several singles, which marked the end of the line for them.
Obviously radio airplay and album sales are not the only tools in measuring relevance as a recording artist, but Bocephus hasn’t had a Top Thirty hit since “If It Will, It Will” in 1991, and he hasn’t had an RIAA-certified album since “Maverick” in 1992. And let’s be honest here. Most recently, he is best-known for airing his confrontational political beliefs as well as his love of football. Oh, and being name-dropped in countless laundry-list “country” songs. Few have even a base-level recognition of his more recent recordings, with the exception of “Keep The Change” only because of the media scrutiny he got following being removed from “Monday Night Football”. Yet, he does seem to hunger for the limelight still, and yes………I do defend my assertion that not so much musically, but as a personality……….he has shown signs of wanting to remain hip. And yes: a caricature………….as much as his prolific and rich back catalog will always stand up well.
September 29, 2013 @ 1:04 pm
Noah-
I respect your opinions even though I don’t agree.
I would disregard airplay and Top Thirty hits as being any indicator whatsoever of a musician’s quality or contribution to true country music and roots music.
Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift are popular and sell a lot of albums/CDs, but that is not an indicator of their contribution to authentic country music.
And I don’t think anyone on this site sees Hellbound Glory as a potential CMA Artist of the Year, even though its music speaks to me in a very profound way.
I think Bocephus attracts attention much more than he seeks it.
He is a very well-known person and what he says or does, no matter how small, gets reported and passed around.
I am not saying he hasn’t made mistakes, but the media seizes on what he says because he is direct and doesn’t worry about being politically correct.
I don’t see him seeking to be hip, so I don’t know what you mean about that.
That may be the case, I just haven’t seen it.
September 26, 2013 @ 1:39 pm
CAH,
I in no way want to, or am attempting to diminish Hank Jr. contributions to the genre. In the late 70’s, early 80’s, there was nobody better than Bocephus, and even today he has his hits along with his misses. But in my opinion he has become a caricature of himself, and is refusing to embrace his role as an elder, which he would be perfect for, and would probably receive a lot more respect for. These are my opinions, but nothing Bocephus us doing now or ever will diminish the great songs an albums that I still listen to on a weekly basis.
September 26, 2013 @ 6:53 pm
Trig –
I suspect that Bocephus views himself as a performer and not as an elder.
He plays his heart out at smaller venues giving his fans their money’s worth for a very modest price, like his son says that he does in the interview you recently conducted.
You are selective as to whom you castigate (Bocephus and Shooter Jennings), whom you praise (Alan Jackson) and which mainstream/country pop singers you try to find something positive in (Natalie Maines, whom you recently portrayed as a victim of censorship, I think I recall).
In doing so, you subject them to vastly different levels of scrutiny and different standards.
On his current tour, Alan Jackson is offering expensive VIP packages which include a meet and greet and cheap swag:
http://tickets.musiconelive.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=103#vip
To their credit, Vince Gill and Bocephus do not.
But all 3 of them have toured with some pretty shallow artists over the years.
This is your site, Trig, and I truly appreciate it.
I respectfully disagree with you characterization of some of these artists.
September 27, 2013 @ 12:48 am
CAH,
You’re covering a lot of ground here, so let me see if I can explain this as best I can.
First off, I am not criticizing artists in their entirety, I am criticizing specific issues or actions. All that I was trying to point out with Hank Jr., Alabama, Ronnie Dunn, Kenny Rogers, and Willie Nelson were specific illustrations of when aging artists try to do things to hold on to their relevancy. Does that mean those artists’ entire body of work is garbage? Of course not. Willie is beloved by me, and virtually any sane person. Hank Jr. had some amazingly productive years, and even now can put out a good song or two here and there. None of this has ANYTHING to do with whether Hank Jr. takes care of his fans, or puts on a good show live. I have no doubt he puts on a good show, but in the specific case of collaborating with Kid Rock, I felt he was stretching. That is my opinion. Maybe I’m wrong, but I was using it to illustrate a bigger point that goes beyond Hank Jr. or any specific artist.
Also when it comes to Alan Jackson, I was praising his actions, but not his music. I may post a review of his latest album in due course, but I was simply pointing out that he could have attempted to hold on to his mainstream relevancy longer, but instead he decided to put out a very traditional album. Does that make his entire career great? Of course not. He put out some cheesy songs and did some cheesy things.
I guess what I’m trying to say is it is not all black and white, there is some gray here, and I’m not making wide sweeping judgements on any artist.
As for the VIP thing: I am against artists or festivals setting up VIP sections or dealing with music consumers based on wealth whenever, and wherever it is practiced, and I was record on this even before Shooter started offering VIP packages. If Alan Jackson is doing it, I am against it. But that doesn’t mean I’m against his music, or his other decisions surrounding the direction of his career. Same goes for Shooter.
The other thing you must understand is that this is not an apples and apples comparison. An artist like Alan Jackson who has won 2 CMA’s for Entertainer of the Year and sold 60 million records is in no way even close to the league of Shooter Jennings, who I would say that 99% of the US has no idea exists. Shooter hasn’t even sold 60,000 records, and he’s been struggling by his own accounts to fill venues recently. This is not an attack or knock on Shooter, this is simply the economics of the situation.
The price Shooter is charging for his meet & greets is literally the same price artists 150 times bigger than he is in attendance draw charge. That is the problem. And the reason he set up these VIP’s is because he can make enough from the door and guarantees to meet expenses because he’s not drawing like he used to. Shooter’s price is absolutely ridiculous and indefensible, but still that has nothing to do with his music, and it would be unfair to him if I based my musical opinion on him based off of what he charged for meet and greets.
Think of it like this: you may love Saving Country Music in general, but when it comes to issues like this, you may disagree with me, which is totally encouraged and cool. Same goes for these artists. None of them are perfect, and none of them will appeal to us perfectly. But that doesn’t mean we still can’t appreciate them and their contributions we see as positive.
September 29, 2013 @ 12:46 pm
Trig –
I would resist trying to distinguish one artist’s trying to milk money from fans from another artist’s doing the same, irrespective of their popularity.
Wrong is wrong, period.
I also think it’s wrong to tar an artist by his or her opening acts.
Most artists have had dreadful opening acts from time to time.
I liked Shooter’s first 4 or 5 CDs pretty much, but he has had more misses than hits over the course of the last couple of years.
But I don’t see Alan Jackson’s immense (and largely past) popularity and mainstream music awards as giving him street cred in the roots music culture.
He sold those records and garnered those awards by competing with country pop artists on the radio.
Whether, or the extent to which, a good bit of his music sounds like country pop itself is a debate I don’t care to have.
I like a good bit of Alan’s music because it sounds authentic, but I also don’t care for a fair amount of it because it doesn’t sound like the type of country music I like (by any stretch).
His vast accomplishments and commercial success tend to make him look like any other Music Row commercial success story that many of us would reflexively assume to be musically shallow (at least by our standards), like Kenny Chesney.
I am happy that he has made so much money, and I hope that he has kept most of it.
Bocephus’ accomplishments dwarf Alan Jackson’s by any non-Nashville music metric.
Instead of following in his father’s footsteps, he started out playing rockabilly, then the blues and ultimately his own version of authentic country music.
He has always honored his father’s music, but took pains to also craft his own distinct style.
He is a remarkably versatile musician.
Instead of calling attention to himself by buying a house with 2 zip codes and running in A-list Nashville circles, Bocephus lived for many years in Paris, Tn, is an avid hunter and fisherman, collects Rugers and reloads his own ammo.
There is no mistaking his music for high airplay country pop.
Complaining about the sad state of country music, by artists who previously made fortunes on Music Row, has become a way to get attention as of late.
To me, these revelations, which come with increasing frequency these days, ring pretty hollow.
Those complaints would be much more authentic if they were coming from a different sort of senior statesman, like Jerry Jeff Walker, for example, who was musically consistent during his entire music career (after his first rock and roll album, at least), and would have free meet and greets after his concerts.
I have much more respect for artists who never seek the fools gold of Nashville/Music Row commercial success, but instead work to play great music to devoted fans.
I enjoy the debate on SCM even when I disagree with you or others.
September 26, 2013 @ 3:30 pm
I’ve been wanting to check out both of those albums, and I think I’m going to have to now..
September 27, 2013 @ 1:39 pm
It’s interesting that other than the two references to Emmylou, not a single female artist has been mentioned. Perhaps that’s indicative of the role that female artists have often held. I think that Rosanne Cash and Kathy Mattea have both been “maturing” gracefully as artists. I don’t really have an opinion about Dolly and Reba– I was never a huge fan of theirs. (Heresy, I guess, when it comes to Dolly.)
September 27, 2013 @ 2:29 pm
Patty Loveless, too.
September 27, 2013 @ 2:35 pm
I definitely should have included Patty Loveless!
(And since Alison Krauss is “only” 42, I refuse to even consider her….yet.)
September 27, 2013 @ 2:36 pm
This wasn’t a list, this was a story about these two men specifically that are relevant to the point because they both just put out albums that are filled with very traditional music. That doesn’t mean there aren’t others out there, including women, who I’d like to think Saving Country Music goes out of its way to be inclusive toward more than most roots publications.
September 27, 2013 @ 3:07 pm
Chill, Trig. I wasn’t criticizing you or your original blog piece or the focus of this site. The COMMENTS to your post mention at least a half dozen other male artists who haven’t just put out traditional albums. I was simply struck by the fact that Emmylou had been the only female mentioned in any of the comments.
I considered, but rejected, noting earlier that in releasing an album of coal mining songs, and one of classic songs that were her father’s favorites, Kathy Mattea and Rosanne Cash, who early in their careers had a lot of success on the country charts, “beat” Vince Gill and Alan Jackson to putting out albums of traditional country music by about two or three years. That point hadn’t seemed relevant, particualry since after their greatest commercial success has waned, lots of artists, both male and female, have put out albums that are homages to past greats, and/or traditional music styles. Willie covering Ray Price, Loretta covering Patsy Cline, and Dolly tackling bluegrass are three who immediately spring to mind.
September 27, 2013 @ 3:26 pm
Sorry if it came across like I was jumping down your throat. I have been accused of male / chauvinistic bias many times over the years, and it is sort of a touchy subject for me. But I was also piggy backing off your comment to let folks know why there weren’t more names associated with this.
September 28, 2013 @ 11:49 am
I believe that there are still a lot of positive country acts to talk about, both young and old. So I’m glad to see this article celebrating those mainstream artists that stay country, and stay relevant at the same time. With that in mind, I’m going to try to keep this a mostly positive comment.
Sammy Kershaw has, mostly, stayed country. There are a few collaborations he’s done recently that I don’t appreciate but he still puts out songs with depth and tradition. John Anderson has always stayed true to his roots on the whole. Randy Travis is an artist who I respect immensely and I admit incredible bias. I could go on and on about him, but I will only say that he briefly went “pop” and then came back to his roots after that. Loretta Lynn has aged gracefully. Marc Chestnut has stubbornly continued to put out country albums. That’s just a few examples of the “old crowd” but there are many more.
Personally, I don’t think it’s that important to “speak out against the industry”. That’s not what needs to be celebrated. Sure, songs like Murder on Music Row are great but I think what really influences change is to just come out and BE traditional. WRITE great songs that get back to “three chords and the truth”. Learn to pick like Merle Travis and create licks like Waylon Jennings, etc.
I really appreciate these positive articles about both mainstream and underground artists.
September 29, 2013 @ 8:59 am
These are the guys that you know are truly in it for the music. They aren’t selling out and making country rap albums just because they know that’s what will sell. They take this as their chance to branch out and try something a little different, but still stay true to country music. They want to keep playing music, so they keep playing music. They don’t need to sell out arenas to do that. That is what keeps me supporting them
October 2, 2013 @ 5:06 pm
It’s really amazing that these two have been shuffled aside by the business. I never thought I would see this happen to this pair, of all people.
Not that long ago, they were everywhere. How many consecutive years did Vince do the TV country music award show? How many top hits did Allan Jackson have?
Funny thing, in the good old days, sixties, seventies, people in country music were proud of the fact that unlike rock (so they said) once you made it in country, you were good for years, and your fans stayed with you.
January 10, 2014 @ 8:25 am
Vince Gill’s Bakersfield was featured on Jay Leno last night. Vince sounded great!
I love Vince Gill.
August 4, 2014 @ 10:57 am
The one caveat I would mention about legacy artists, particularly with your name-drop of Waylon, is that some of them can become a bit pretentious. Part of the reason Hank Jr. can’t seem to grasp the idea that he isn’t still living in the ’80s and dominating his genre is because he thinks he’s something special. He might very well be, but thinking it yourself is very different from having fans that attest to it. Everything that I hear about Waylon suggests that he turned into an embittered, self-entitled old fart that alienated quite a few of his friends and seemed to hate the newer crop of artists more because they stole his thunder than because he disliked their music. David Allan Coe is another one that has this problem, though it’s my opinion that Coe thinks he’s achieved a lot more than he actually has and needs more respect than he deserves, and this is before we get to his actual personality and antics. Johnny Cash was never full of himself or self-important; he never really commented on the state of the mainstream music, either. He just continued to do what he did best and earned legions of new fans as a result.
October 31, 2014 @ 8:49 am
Like wine some getsmuch better with age ifthis is not the case with these two gentelmen I don’t know what is. None better in “Country” than Vince Gill the ultimate pro triple threat. Alan Jackson a very close second and I love Clint Black also.
November 7, 2014 @ 5:34 am
Yeah… and sometimes a crop of grapes turns directly into vinegar, too… Chateau Aldean, anyone?
October 31, 2014 @ 9:51 am
The artist will continue to grow if the genre lets him …..which it doesn’t , of course. Its just the nature of the business . Hence most artists continue trying to serve the genre wherever it tries to go rather than serving themselves – a losing battle every time…artistically AND more often than not , financially . Fading movie stars become character players which allows them to explore other aspects of their craft and expand their legacy while continuing to do something they are passionate about . Most musical artists without and ‘deal’, label and/or radio support play legions and pubs for rent money while pursuing the indie route , if the passion for the music still burns .
August 8, 2016 @ 2:57 pm
Merle Haggard did it the best. Yeah he had health issues, but he managed to get on stage or in a studio and still sound amazing. he was able to write about getting old and remembering being young and even sang with Willie about “we’d have taken better care of ourselves if we knew we were going to live this long.” Fact is, we never know how much time we have on this Earth, the key is to put as much down as you can while you are here and this man did that…..Allen and Vince are learning from the master and so many others who had that same mentality….I would rather listen to a “fading artist” than any of the horse manure they are peddling on radio these days….not to mention the embarrasing CMA Awards and CMA fest…. gawd awful music!