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Did country music fans get it right?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For the first time, fan votes determined the entertainer of the year at the Academy of Country Music Awards. And the winner was? Kenny Chesney.
The category was filled with heavyweights. In addition to Chesney, who won for the fourth straight year, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, George Strait and Keith Urban were nominated.
The one person who seemed most unhappy with the new voting system was the same one who benefitted from it. “It really diminishes the integrity of the music,” Chesney said backstage. “It’s not about flying somebody to some shows and seeing how hard you can push some buttons on the Internet.”
With such stiff competition, do you agree with the outcome? Do you think the fans should be allowed to determine the winner of the biggest award? Did the Academy get the nominees right in the first place? Were women such as Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert not good enough to compete with the guys?
RELATED LINKS: Chesney wins fourth straight; Photos: On the red carpet; Photos: At the show
Comments
By ADL
May 19, 2008 7:43 AM | Link to this
Amazingly, George Strait is the only one of the group that sings anything close to country music. The rest are just “pop” stars. So, there is no integrity of the music.
By Donna
May 19, 2008 8:18 AM | Link to this
I like George too and I voted for him. I also agree country music is not like the country music I grew up with bu I still like it better than anyother music.
By Jim
May 19, 2008 8:20 AM | Link to this
ADL……you got that right, ain’t much country in mainstream country music anymore (at least in most of the top artists anyway).
Although I do like Keith Urban (my wife and I went to his concert recently at Gwinnett Arena…excellent musican and entertainer) — But his music is way more ’70s style country rock/pop than country (think early Eagles, Jackson Browne, Poco, etc.).
I never got the deal with Kenny Chesney at all…..as to why he is such a phenomenon (I think that is because I think he looks like that turtle in the old Bugs Bunny cartoons that use to take his shell off……think about it) —- but more power to him. he seems like a good dude. As for me, I’m a huge Parrothead and I’d rather listen to the real Jimmy Buffett, instead of “Jimmy Buffettett” (Don’t get mad at me….Reba called him that one time….halarious!).
And Rascal Flats is pretty much just a pop-country “chick band”….nothing wrong with that either, just ain’t my thing.
Oh well, time to listen to some Hank Jr., Waylon, Charlie Robison, George Jones, Billy Joe Shaver, Allman Brothers, Skynyrd, Clapton, etc., etc……..
By pseudo redneck
May 19, 2008 9:15 AM | Link to this
sure they did, an barbara mandrell is the greatest female country singer ever,
wait, I meant to say Shania Twain!!!!!!!
By jd
May 19, 2008 9:19 AM | Link to this
Ain’t no country in alleged country music today. Rick Bragg said it makes him ill..its just pop in a hat. I love real country music. and I tried to watch the first five minutes of that show..the girl loked good..but the music was terrible..its all rock… I long foir the simplicity of real country .with steel guitars..and GET RID OF THE DRUMS
By Becky
May 19, 2008 9:44 AM | Link to this
I agree with most here, country music today isn’t what I grew up with..Think back to Conway, Ernest Tubb, Bill Anderson..Where was Alan Jackson?? I love him & think that he’s as close to real as it gets..
By Kevin
May 19, 2008 9:58 AM | Link to this
I did not grow up listening to country music. I listened to the Beatles, Rolling Stones, CCR, etc.. But after the sixties, there was no other music that I wanted to listen to other than country so I have to agree with Donna above. So I can appreciate artists like Waylon Jennings and Charlie Daniels as well as Little Big Town and Martina McBride.
I do think the ACM should have included Carrie and Sugarland. Jennifer Nettles has a great voice reminiscent of Trisha Yearwood.
By Earl
May 19, 2008 10:03 AM | Link to this
Some of kid pop acts like Taylor Swift try to put a little banjo in their music to make it seem like country but it’s still pop. Country music is Jerry Jeff Walker, George Strait, Reba and Alan Jackson. These days it’s all about hot little smokin’ blondes, and don’t get me wrong, I like hot smokin’ blondes but this is not country. Heck, even the Dixie Chicks were more country than this lot of people we saw last night. I do think the female singer in Sugarland has a voice that could be pure 100% pure country with the right material.
By Rusty
May 19, 2008 11:01 AM | Link to this
Garth Brooks, best selling solo artist of all time? Sorry, thad be Elvis and Garth knows it and has publicly said so recently. Media, please stop with all the “King Elvis dethroned” crap ie. Mariah,Garth,Michael(self proclaimed king of pop)Jackson,Madonna and the rest of the pretenders.Elvis has sold more music than anyone in the history of recorded sound and no one’s even close.Do a little research.
By woodstockcountry
May 19, 2008 11:12 AM | Link to this
Jennifer Nettles voice is too irritating and twangy for me- altho I like their songs. Anybody else agree?
By Rusty
May 19, 2008 11:15 AM | Link to this
Woodstock, if you’re talkin about that Sugarland chick then yea’nails on a blackboard.
By woodstockcountry
May 19, 2008 11:35 AM | Link to this
Yea the gal in sugerland. I’ve always wondered if their was some country singing school where the singers went to develop their “unreal” twang. Think about george jones- where did his voice style come from? (again I love a lot of his songs; “She thinks I still care…!”)
By woodstockcountry
May 19, 2008 11:48 AM | Link to this
Yes that’s her. I’ve always wondered if their was a country singing school where they developed their “unreal” voice styles. Take George Jones- where did he get that voice style of his? (again I love a lot of his songs- “she thinks I still care…”)
By AC
May 19, 2008 11:55 AM | Link to this
This blog is supposed to be about if the Entertainer of the Year award should be chosen by fans, not a new country vs old country debate. Jeez! You don’t hear people getting all up-in-arms about how any other music genre has evolved over time. It’s natural for musical genres to evolve over time. The rock of the 5o’s evolved into the rock of the 60’s and so on. The rock music of today is nothing like the rock music from when I was growing up. But, you don’t hear anybody saying that it’s not rock music. The same with any other genre.
As far as the Entertainer of the Year award, I agree that it shouldn’t be decided by Internet vote because Internet voting can be skewed and manipulated by people and it doesn’t always give a true reflection of the person that most deserves it. Keith Urban should have won. He puts on a way better show than any of the others.
By Jake Johnson
May 19, 2008 12:23 PM | Link to this
I didn’t watch the show. But were the people who still write and perform serious “country” music even represented: Patty Griffin, Emmylou Harris,Lucinda Williams, the band Freakwater (I think they put out another song or two this year), John Prine?
Maybe there needs to be another company set up to celebrate these and other people who continue the older tradition?
By ADL
May 19, 2008 12:28 PM | Link to this
That’s true AC. Isn’t fan voting what decides the People Choice Awards? Then again, maybe it should be one aspect of how the winner is chosen. It seems, sometimes, performers win awards on their reputation, not their performances (see: Grammy).
By Monica
May 19, 2008 1:28 PM | Link to this
Keith Urban? Naaah. I don’t get why people like him.
By Becky
May 19, 2008 1:38 PM | Link to this
Monica, I like his music, I just wouldn’t pay to go see himm…
By ADL
May 19, 2008 2:25 PM | Link to this
Kenny Chesney should probably keep his comments to himself. There is a good chance he doesn’t win if the fans don’t vote for him.