Following the CMA awards last week, I posted my surprise about the Red Clay Strays winning as Vocal Group of Year. I acknowledged and responded to the legitimate posts that followed but then deleted the original post because of the low class people who feel the need to PERSONALLY attack my opinion.
I was challenged that I don’t know anything about music. Well, let’s see…I’ve probably been in this business longer than most of these “critics” have been alive. As a former drummer in bands and playing the music for DECADES I feel I’m qualified to have an opinion. It’s fine if you don’t agree but how the devil can you bring it to a personal level? Get a life!
Country music is once again evolving. Do I like some of the stuff that trends online through whatever service? No, I don’t. Has radio gone and embraced the status quo? To a degree, yes. Do I like it? No, I don’t.
As you’re driving around listening to Spotify or Sirius or TikTok, that’s fine. There are literally HUNDREDS of fine musicians looking for their big break into “real” radio. The Red Clay Strays have been around for a little while but our network has never played them. Hence, neither have we. Do I embrace a lot of these new artists? Absolutely! But we have a business to run. The MAJORITY of our audience enjoys the established artists and when someone breaks through all the clutter, enjoy the new ones, too.
Ty Myers is a classic example. He’s had millions of online views and broke into the mainstream just lately. He has GREAT stuff and I hope he does well because he deserves it. Remember folks, music is a business. It’s dog eat dog sometimes. But you don’t have to spit out the vitriol because you don’t agree with someone else’s opinion.
I mentioned this in my last posting…I’m a HUGE fan of Caroline Jones and don’t know why the heck radio isn’t playing her stuff! We can’t play it because our network doesn’t provide it. Maybe, if people spew their anger at these entities, things may change. Direct all that anger to iHeart or Westwood One. They make the decisions.
I’m tired of dealing with these people who think they know everything. They don’t. It’s damn near close to politics. Well you know what? That’s why they put knobs on radios because if you don’t like it, listen someplace else. We can’t please everyone. But if you can’t deal with three and a half minutes of someone else’s music, we don’t need you. And as I said earlier, get a life.
MM