“To be really frank, they weren’t interested in me as a songwriter,” Black said. “I didn’t find anything more ironic than that. Why am I going to make records if I’m not really making records? I would rather sell less records and actually make them than say, ‘Hey, go find me a hit by some songwriter that I can sing.’ That’s what they wanted me to do — sing other’s people songs that they thought would be hits.”
It’s hard to imagine Clint singing songs that he didn’t write. Especially when he has written one of the greatest songs of all time. This article also talks about how Clint might have been a rocker had he grown up a few years earlier. He has talked about his influences, from the Eagles to Loggins and Messina to Stevie Ray Vaughan to Merle Haggard.
Shelly and I will be seeing him in July and it is going to be fun to hear some “new” covers.
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Here’s an idea for those Bush-bashing Dixie Chicks, whose summer ticket sales have taken a licking in markets upset with their ranting. Stop whining about your country fans and do what you did in 2004: Give in to your political outrage by following the model of groups like the Dave Matthews Band. Because Dave Matthews isn’t just talking the talk: During his summer concert swing, he is teaming up with other political rockers for the Midterms Matter Tour–a reference to the fall elections–to sign up new voters.
You didn’t know the pop-rock bandleader played the beltway game? Well, that was him with the Dixie Chicks at Bruce Springsteen’s 2004 concerts for Sen. John Kerry. And he’s just as passionate today. “Both parties,” he tells us, “are doing a pretty appalling job.” His No. 1 issue: the environment. “Is terrorism and immigration really all there is?” he asks. “Global warming is obviously much more important.” The more he talks, the hotter he gets. “It takes drowning polar bears to get our government to get their heads out of their asses and start to even maybe, on occasion, talk about global warming.” (emphasis mine)
Yes, obviously much more important. Where do these people come from?
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When Maines made her comment on March 10 2003, 10 days before Operation Iraqi Freedom unleashed “shock and awe” over Baghdad, the Dixie Chicks were probably the biggest act in country music. Yet within days, their music vanished from the charts and the airwaves, apoplectic rednecks crushed piles of their CDs with tractors, and the FBI was feverishly monitoring death threats against the trio. It was the most heinous pop-star outrage since Ozzy Osbourne urinated on the Alamo. “The reaction was as if Natalie had said ‘Death to the President’ or something,” says violinist and vocalist Maguire. “It was the bullying and the scare factor,” shudders banjo and guitar player Robison. “It was like the McCarthy days, and it was almost like the country was unrecognisable.”
Oh, come on! If the country is unrecognizable for some reason, I can say with certainty that it has nothing to do with the Dixie Chicks. Does this say anything about what these childish girls think of themselves? Seriously, are we talking “McCarthyism, as it applies to the Dixie Chicks?” (I think Matt Leinart took that course at USC!)
The Chicks can’t hide their disgust at the lack of support they received from other country performers. “A lot of artists cashed in on being against what we said or what we stood for because that was promoting their career, which was a horrible thing to do,” says Robison. “A lot of pandering started going on, and you’d see soldiers and the American flag in every video. It became a sickening display of ultra-patriotism.”
Yeah, because it wasn’t about the soldiers that are dying for your right to talk negatively about what they are doing. It was because they wanted to steal some of your fame.
“The entire country may disagree with me, but I don’t understand the necessity for patriotism,” Maines resumes, through gritted teeth. “Why do you have to be a patriot? About what? This land is our land? Why? You can like where you live and like your life, but as for loving the whole country… I don’t see why people care about patriotism.”
I’ve heard that once upon a time they were going to be called the Dixie Chickens, but they shortened their name to the “Chicks” instead. That would have suited them much better. It really saddens me, too, that they are having trouble selling concert tickets (ala Dick Yarbrough):
It is with a heavy heart that I tell you the Dixie Chicks concert tour is sucking wind. Reports say the airheads are having trouble selling tickets to their upcoming concert tour, which includes an appearance in Atlanta. It seems sales are far below expectations, and industry sources say several dates may be cancelled or postponed. This, in spite of the fact that the left-leaning media keeps trying to make them out to be heroes. Entertainers are allowed to express their political opinions, but we are allowed to vote on those opinions with our pocketbook. Looks like we are the winners and the Chicks are the losers on this one. Yee-haw!
And, for good measure:
The members of embattled country trio the DIXIE CHICKS have discovered they have legions of gay and lesbian fans after speaking out against US President GEORGE W BUSH at a 2003 concert in London.
The girl group was targeted by patriotic Americans who were offended by singer NATALIE MAINES’ comments about her shame that she came from the same state, Texas, as the US leader.
But while the trio lost many country music fans, who staged record-stomping protests and banned the group from their radio stations, they gained a gay army of people who appreciated the outspoken stance the girls took – and then refused to back down.
In an interview with America’s leading gay magazine The Advocate, Maines says, “We do think we have more liberals and more gay men behind us. We have a gay hairdresser and gay make-up artist who are with us every single day, so they fill us in.” And bandmate EMILY ROBISON admits she notices more lesbians at their shows, because they’re normally smitten by bandmate and sister MARTIE MAGUIRE.
Robison explains, “They’re usually on Martie’s side. We always tease her that she gets all the lesbians.”
That, along with this magazine cover, and I’d wager a bet that it is more than just the war issues that find you lacking support from other country music performers. Perhaps it is that none of them can identify with the way the Chicks have sold their soul for fame and money. Neither can I and, perhaps needless to say, I won’t be buying an album or a ticket anytime soon.
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I know, master of the obvious. He lost it 20+ years ago. But, if you care for another example, take a look at the lyrics of one of his new songs.
Let’s impeach the president for lying
And leading our country into war
Abusing all the power that we gave him
And shipping all our money out the door
He’s the man who hired all the criminals
The White House shadows who hide behind closed doors
And bend the facts to fit with their new stories
Of why we have to send our men to war
Let’s impeach the president for spying
On citizens inside their own homes
Breaking every law in the country
By tapping our computers and telephones
What if Al Qaeda blew up the levees
Would New Orleans have been safer that way
Sheltered by our government’s protection
Or was someone just not home that day?
Let’s impeach the president
For hijacking our religion and using it to get elected
Dividing our country into colors
And still leaving black people neglected
Thank god he’s cracking down on steroids
Since he sold his old baseball team
There’s lot of people looking at big trouble
But of course the president is clean
Thank God
The interesting thing about this, a fairly common view among liberals, is that they actually give the President more credit than he deserves.
Spying has been going on for decades — perhaps we should backdate the impeachments?
What does blowing up the levees have to do with anything? Just a bizarre, remote reference? There were other elected people in New Orleans that deserve a lot more blame than the President of the United States.
How do liberals help black people more than conservatives? There are more black millionaires today than ever before.
Isn’t it the Senate that is most intent on cracking down on steroids? Perhaps we should focus our attention on 100 people rather than 1.
This is precisely why I don’t care that much about celebrities and their opinions. There are at least an equal percentage of idiots in celebrity land as in common man land (probably a much higher percentage). Neil Young is a drugged out nut. The terrible thing is that people will listen to him because of who he is rather than listen to people who are level-headed, but far less popular.
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In this article from the San Francisco Bay Guardian (I should just stop here, but I think this is kind of humerous), we read about the San Francisco Civic Center Hotel:
The Civic Center Hotel, a five-story residential hotel at the junction of Market and 12th Streets in San Francisco, doesn’t provide particularly elegant accommodations. The glass in the front door is spiderwebbed with cracks. In the lobby, the threadbare reddish carpet is grimy, and the wallpaper hangs in tatters. The building’s tiny elevator has an unnerving habit of stopping in the wrong spot – often about half a foot below the intended floor.
Okay, so that’s not terribly amusing. But later is this:
The case is ongoing, and neither Labor nor the pension fund’s lawyers chose to comment for this story, though the fund and associated union officials have denied any wrongdoing in court documents. A look at the Konocti Harbor Web site shows that the 120-acre resort has a parade of washed-up musicians slated for the weeks ahead, including Heart, Eddie Money, Clint Black, Peter Frampton, and Hootie and the Blowfish.
Not surprisingly, the place, according to Labor, has been losing money for years.
Washed up, you say? Peter Frampton? Hootie? Clint Black? That’s some good company!
Actually, though, I think it’s the San Francisco Bay Guardian that’s truly washed up. (I don’t, honestly, recommend you patronize their website. I happened to see this article thanks to Google’s news search.)
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1991 – Country music singer Lorrie Morgan marries Brad Thompson, a tour bus driver for singer Clint Black, outside Nashville, Tenn. The two met when the singer toured with Black and Merle Haggard in 1990. Black, who married just one week earlier, serves as best man.
Clint Black was “Best Man” in Lorrie Morgan’s wedding. Cool.
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The family of a soldier killed in Iraq has asked that, in lieu of flowers, a contribution be made to The Clint Black Foundation for families of fallen soldiers. That’s awesome.
God rest Sgt. Fifer’s soul.
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I have one of her albums and I actually had kinda forgotten about her until this story. This is sad.
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Clint Black received a standing ovation when he joined friends Kenny Loggins and Jim Messina on stage last night during the legendary duo’s performance at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus Ohio. Black was invited by his longtime friend Loggins to join the superstar duo on their tour stop at the University of Ohio. Loggins, Messina and Black delighted the audience with three songs: Back’s “Killin’ Time;“ Loggins and Messina’s “Kind Woman,” and a song Black and Loggins wrote titled “Alive and Kickin’.”
“Loggins and Messina created some of the most fantastic arrangements in popular music,” Black said. “Sitting in with them went beyond the thrill on stage for me. Spending time with two of my own legends of music was an epic evening.”
Classy.
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Clint Black’s Drinkin’ Songs and Other Logic is available via iTunes, weeks before the October 4th release of the CD version! I’m sure I’ll have some thoughts after listening to it a few times but I can already say this is going to be a top 3 Clint Black album.
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