I recently wrote a letter, giving a bit of a 'dressing down' to someone who is a part of (what I believe to be) the current movement, in Nashville, to "re-invent" country music. (by the way, I didn't get a response to that letter, so I guess Pete Fisher didn't care much for what I had to sayÉ..bigggg surprise, huh? (smile) )
In that letter, and in my eagerness to express my anger and disappointment, I mistakenly made the statement that É"country music is 100% American". Of course it isn't!! As we all know, or should know, there are country music fans all over the world! And its' roots are not only here, in the states, but in many other countries, as well. I'm sure, however, that most of the people who read that statement, knew that I was speaking about the dangerous new turn of events, with our "traditional" American country artists, being turned away from mainstream radio/TV, and being forced to sell their music ONLY outside the states. Why is this happening? I think its happening for several reasons, many of which are so clear to those of us in the music journalism business, that we are starting to see a pattern here. And its NOT a pretty patternÉ.Not, at least, for country musicÉ.not for the artists..not for the writersÉ.and especially, not for the fans. But the most outstanding reason, the one that's most easily seen, and most often usedÉ.is MONEYÉ..and not little money, eitherÉ.we're talkin..BIG money, folksÉÉBut, rather than dwell on the underbelly of the music business, I'd like to make some observations about the brighter sideÉ.the performers, and their fansÉÉÉ..Now, its being said (not out loud, of course), that traditional, roots-grown, country music isÉÉ.wellÉ. for the "old folks" É..that its no longer 'in"É.. that the fans will buy only the new stuffÉ..only the pop soundÉ.(remember, I said its NOT being said out loud) É.heck, you'll NEVER hear a "suit" in Nashville call the new country music, POPÉ..Nor will you hear any of the artists, who sing it, admit to it! I could name a few, but for now, I'll try to contain myself, to my own opinionsÉ..(don't be too surprised though, if I wander a bit) ÉÉÉSo, anyway, getting back to POPÉÉI have no argument with pop musicÉ.or even with calling it COUNTRY POPÉÉAnd I understand and appreciate the argument, that music changes through the yearsÉ.and that it progressesÉÉÉwhat I do NOT agree with, however, is that it has to progress and change, at the expense of traditionÉ(I do NOT believe you have to KILL the mother, in order to LOVE the child!)É!! Can you imagine, other areas of our lives, where we have had traditionsÉ.yet made changes, and progressed? Lets take CHRISTMAS, for instanceÉÉ.years ago, Christmas was a MUCH less commercialized holidayÉ..it started out with Christmas trees, and candlesÉ.pretty little giftsÉ..Christmas dinner with family and friendsÉ..(I'm not speaking of the religious aspect of Christmas, of course, only of the celebration itselfÉ.we all have our own religious feelings and beliefs about the season) ÉÉbut lets just talk about what we do at Christmas to celebrate the holidayÉÉÉÉ.so now, we have the tree, yesÉ..but we have progressed from candles on the tree, to lightsÉ.of every shape and size and colorÉÉand we still have pretty little giftsÉ.but we've progressed to much BIGGER gifts nowÉ.like new TV'sÉand computersÉandÉwhatever we want! BUTÉÉhave we forgotten tradition?? No, I think notÉÉ.we still celebrate this beautiful season in much the same way, as we did many years agoÉÉwe continue to give gifts, to decorate our homes, and to have family dinnersÉ..we celebrate with the people we've always celebrated with, our loved onesÉour friendsÉÉÉ.yes, we've changed thingsÉ.some would even say the holiday has become very over-done, very commercializedÉ.it's a lot about how big the gift isÉ.and how big the tree isÉ.and how many parties we get invited toÉÉbutÉ..we have NOT thrown out tradition ÉOh, and how about Easter? HellooooooooÉEaster bunny???? FUN!! Ébut have we thrown out the whole experience of Jesus on the cross, dying for our sinsÉrising again? I don't thiiiiink soÉoh, and how about dating? Girls are now asking guys outÉand paying for their dates!!! É.but does that mean, guys don't ask the girls out anymore? Nooooooo, I don't think so !! That's TRADITION!! Ésoooooo, now you see my pointÉI hopeÉÉÉÉ.. We have to keep our traditionsÉ..They are what makes us who we areÉ..They are what makes MUSIC what it isÉthey are, very definitely, what COUNTRY music HAS to maintainÉor its goneÉÉ..FOREVER, folksÉÉFOREVER! I don't think we can let that happenÉ.Do you? ÉÉÉÉÉ..So, how do we hang on to it? How do we re-claim the tradition that is slowly being taken from us? How do we take back country music?? It won't be easy, folksÉÉ.the trend has begunÉ.its slipped, insidiously, into the country music sceneÉand walked quietly onto the streets of NashvilleÉ.and into the music rowÉÉ.but now, its getting real loudÉand its starting to make some ugly noisesÉ..noises that are heard throughout the businessÉ.and beyond! The fans are no longer allowed to choose their music, on radioÉremember when you could call in, and request a song??..and they actually played it?? Well that kind of thing is almost extinct! Because now, most of the larger stations are no longer owned by the folks in the area, where they're being broadcastÉ..no longer a neighborhood stationÉÉand they're being TOLD what to play, and WHEN to play itÉÉÉI have one station, in particular, that I listen to É.SOME of the timeÉOh, Éit's a station that calls itself Country RadioÉÉand it definitely plays country musicÉ..but its POP countryÉits NEW countryÉÉthey do NOT play traditional music..not very often, anywayÉ.nor do they take requestsÉÉoh, they CLAIM to take some requestsÉlike during the lunch hourÉor very late at nightÉÉbut I've called them, many times, to request music from such performers as Willie NelsonÉDolly PartonÉ.Hank Williams, Jr. or Hank SrÉÉ..and guess what! They tell me they will look for it, but "I don't think we have THAT oneÉ." HA!!! what they MEAN is, "we won't PLAY that one", cause its not in our lineupÉÉÉÉ.soooooo, back I go, to the old station I used to listen to Éand still doÉ(I tend to trade off, every now and then)ÉI seem to enjoy the DJ banter on the "new country" station better, but the music, on the "old country" is betterÉ.(smile) É.

But , my point isÉ..tradition is being slowly pushed out to pasture, by the new stuffÉ.and its killing us, the fans..who want to hear REAL country too!! I don't think any of us, or not MANY, anyway, would say that we don't LIKE country popÉ..but what we resent, is that they are trying to convince us, that its REAL country! And that it's the ONLY country music we should listen to! ÉÉÉÉÉÉ..Now, just who is making this claim? Who is making these decisions? Well, you only have to go down to Music Row..in Nashville, and take a look at who's running things todayÉÉyep, I've said it before, and I'll say it againÉ..it's the imported "suits" from LA, and NYC, just out of school, still wet behind the earsÉ.they've replaced the folks who dedicated their lives to country musicÉand they have done it with a smile on their face! .ÉÉÉÉÉÉ.I have to ask youÉ..do these kids really KNOW what you want to hear?? Do they CARE? I don't thiiiiiiiink soÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉbutÉ.there is ONE saving graceÉÉone place (actually more than one) where you CAN listen to good traditional musicÉalllll the timeÉÉit's the European market!! THEY seem to know and revere the tradition of country musicÉ..They play new artists and oldÉ.they are willing to take risksÉ..I thank God, that someone is still in this business to entertain the country music fanÉ.to "employ" the traditional artists and songwritersÉ..to show respect to American music, as well as their ownÉÉÉÉÉ.and I'm ashamed of our DJ's and station owners, who show less respect for American artists and fans, than the DJ's over in Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Holland, and other countries!! ÉÉI hope, that one day, we'll be able again, to listen to and enjoy the country music we've grown up withÉ..on a country music station that does what it says it will, and IS who it claims to be! ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ..well, folksÉ.I guess that's all for nowÉÉ..I know I wandered around, allll over the place in this articleÉ..But hey, I never said I was focused!!! (smile) ÉÉÉÉand just rememberÉthis isÉ.."AN INDEPENDENT VIEW"

By: LINDA FRYER, BMI

Music/Entertainment Journalist

Lfryer1324@aol.com