I know there are a lot of people who post here that do not care for country music. I'm pretty picky on the performers I like in every genre of music I listen to. But from where I grew up I often find certain country artists as very relative to my upbringing. Mostly what people put in the category of outlaw country. But what is becoming more and more popular these days is that music is being infused into the country genre that has no resemblance of country music at all. A lot of that has manifested itself as pop music being infused and labeled as country. That I'm not so much a fan of. But one of the biggest winners of country music awards at this time is a man named Chris Stapleton. There's not much that resembles country and it's certainly not pop.

This was his performance at the CMA awards this past week. I hope you all like it. I like music that makes me feel it. This I can feel.

Chris Stapleton rocks!
Check out Sturgill Simpson dude.
Good country music

Love me some Chris

I also like Luke Combs

Without any real place to put pop singers, country is where they land.

You have seen that with female singers for a good while. Linda Ronstadt had a place on the pop/rock stations in the 70's and 80's. Today she would be on the country charts.

For male artists....you can go back to Ray Price or Conway Twitty. They were more crooners who found the country charts for good. Even Kenny Rogers in the late 70's couldn't find a place on the pop/rock charts any longer but he was too talented to not have a record label. Darrius Rucker is another in more recent times.

Put them in some boots and cowboy hat, have them hang in Nashville, maybe change a few chords, throw out the organ and one of the electric guitars, insert a steel guitar and fiddle and see if the rebrand works.

Country is a part of a lot of music and it is part of a lot of others.

I really like Luke Combs too. But man, I had to feel sorry for him at the CMA awards. He had to follow that performance by Chris Stapleton at the CMA's. I would have felt sorry for any country artist that had to follow that.

I don't really disagree with you to an extent. A lot of younger people don't remember the early careers of people like Kenny Rodgers. Old Hootie came over to country too as you mentioned as did Ronstadt.

But as you eluded to, I don't actually think it's always about them wishing to be a country artist. I think it's far more about finding a way to extend their careers. Also, in the past it seemed like there was at least an effort on the part of artists to "pretend to be and to sound" country. An attempt to at least fit in. It doesn't quite seem that way so much anymore. I'll use Dan and Shay as an example. There's nothing close to country about it. No attempt to make it sound or look like country at all. That has seemed to become far more normal in today's country music than I've ever seen before. But hey, it's bringing in the bucks!

He's really good too but the main reason I brought up Stapleton is because he is the only artist recently that has been even close to this successful at the commercial level. Even back in my day we had people like Waylon Jennings who had some pretty good success. Yes, I could add Willie, Johnny Cash and a few others, but Waylon was my favorite from that bunch and it's not even close. But the country music world being this accepting of this style of music is something I've ever really seen before.

I did put a thread up some time ago about outlaw country where we discussed people like Simpson and other outlaw artists of today.

I can’t post a link because of language but do a Google search… Bo Burnham Country Song
It speaks directly to your post.

When it comes to country there are a few who really move me. Others not so much.



The harmonies of Gram Parsons are truly beautiful. And few can touch the vocals of Patsy Cline.

I've been a fan of Emmylou Harris for decades.

If you’re a fan of female performers of that genre… Brandi Carlile…

There some songs that are called country but the label becomes meaningless.

And some artists that can bring full meaning to the song. Johnny Cash did not write this song.
Ian Tyson wrote this song.

Neil Young sang it on one his albums.

But Johnny Cash brings something to this song that runs deep.

As much as it may shock some people with me being a country outlaw fan, Johnny cash was never high on my list. It's not just the fact his voice isn't very good, but that as a writer I was never impressed by him either. He did tons of covers. I do give great song writers with mediocre voices a lot of credit. Bob Dylan as an example. A far lesser known name Billy Joe Shaver is another one I like. But Johnny was never high on my list. My dad died right before Johnny covered the Nine Inch Nails song Hurt. So I do have a sot spot for that one. Here's something that just came out last week i like.



I'm pretty sure they'll call it country but it's once again, really not. But whatever the hell they call it, I like it! It sort of reminds me of Rock and Roll Choo Choo Train by The Tractors.

Early on when Johnny Cash was young. I used to make fun of him.

One note Johnny Cash.

Later towards his end I started to appreciate him a lot more. He did some covers that I thought were classic in the sense of style and emotion.

I don't always like really good voices as much as I like voices that move me.

Johnny Cash as an old man brought something that mad you feel the song.

First Pit, Emmylou is still gorgeous, and I love her voice. Always have.

I also love how Robert Plant refuses to reunite Led Zeppelin - I’m a huge fan but don’t want to see a reunion tour without Bonham (don’t mess with the legacy, I say) - and reinvented himself yet again with Alison Krausse the last few years. She is the Myles Garrett of bluegrass chick singers: a beast, and maybe the best.

Great stuff.

Only Johnny Cash could make a nine inch nails song sound good.

I agree with every word you said! Imagine that!

I would only add Plant has lost a lot of his higher vocal range with age. Even their last shows he couldn't cover the range of their earlier tours. I can relate to that. So not only would them touring without Bonham be wrong IMO, it would nor could ever sound anything close to the old days.

When you listen to Sting do covers of his older stuff, it's transposed down. Sometime a full tone, sometimes a minor third. Depends on the tune.
Those high-register, keening voices don't last forever. Find a recent version of "If I Ever Lose Myself" then compare it to the original. Big diff, 4 sure.

I've been a public speaker for 25 years. When I listen to old recordings of stuff from 15-18 years ago, my speaking tessitura was about a third higher. The pay is better, now that my voice has dropped.

In HS/post HS, I could sing all the Jon Anderson Yes tunes at pitch. Them days is loooong gone-

I used to cover everything from low baritone notes to singing the high tenor notes of Styx. The first band I was in at 15 I covered La Grange by ZZ Top. My range covers even lower than that now but that high range is long gone. lol

My music teacher loved me though. I went to a very small high school. My graduating class had 88 students. Depending on how many tenors or baritones were absent on any particular day determined which group I sang with.

Speaking of Styx, I had the chance to play with Dennis DeYoung about 3 years ago. It was amazing. All the charts were in the original keys, and he nailed the entire 2-hour show. Here's this GrandDad-looking dude just belting it out like he was still in his 20:s.

Father Time hasn't touched his voice at all. The exception to the rule, for sure.

Sorry for the thread hijack, everyone. We now return you to the CMA Channel's regular broadcast.