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Stacy's Archives 2006
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We expect that Stacy will be back at her column after the New Year's holiday. December 19, 2006 Thanks also to Jenna Young for sending me a copy of Jay Warner's How to Have Your Hit Song Published, the revised and updated version of Warner’s 1988 volume of practical advice. Changes in areas ranging from copyright to technology mandated an update, as did the consolidation that demanded current contact information, if not the names of current artists, to underscore examples of the points the author so deftly makes. Sample contracts give the aspiring songwriter a sense of what is involved with commitment to the craft and alone should convince the less committed that writing songs is a business and, if that’s a frightening thought, the best advice may be to keep your day job! Also from the bookshelf: Insider Don Sweeney’s Backstage at the Tonight Show: from JOHNNY CARSON to JAY LENO includes a couple of anecdotes that will be of special interest to country-music fans: Sweeny recalls that, back in the ‘60s during one of Carson’s more heated contract renewal disputes, there was at least talk at NBC suggesting that Johnny could be replaced by one of the guest hosts already familiar to viewers as substitutes when the King of Late Night was on vacation. Indeed, “many replacement hosts were mentioned… “Bob Newhart was one of them, but another person who was doing a fairly good job of it and getting considerable ratings was Jimmy Dean.” Former show drummer and music supervisor Sweeney also has high praise for Garth Brooks, who, Don says, was especially attentive to the needs of a children’s choir performing with Brooks on the program when Garth appeared on the show during Leno’s earliest days at the helm. Readers will also learn why Don lied to Garth re: the forced firing of Helen Kushnick. December 13, 2006 Richelle Rene Wright (whom you know as Chely Wright), filed suit in Davidson County Circuit Court December 7th against Waller, Lansden, Dortch & Davis and one of the Nashville law firm’s partners, litigator Paul S. Davidson, claiming negligent representation in Wright’s suit against Hollywood talent agent Gilbert A. Cabot. (If Wright had Googled Cabot’s name before she hired him, she would have seen that the ex-con, the Left Coast’s equivalent of Nashville’s own late Destiny Records con man, "Colonel" Tom Anthony, is no stranger to litigation.) Chely bolstered her claim of negligence by indicating that Waller, Lansden… misrepresented important facts, lost documents and videotapes that would have been beneficial to Wright in her suit against Cabot, that the firm failed to advise Chely of the possible consequences of following its advice during that litigation and that it violated Tennessee’s consumer protection laws. As a result of Waller, Lansden… breaching its duties to Wright, Chely alleges, she suffered emotional distress and excessive legal fees that became more exorbitant as a result of the second lawsuit filed on Wright’s behalf by Franklin lawyer H. Anthony Duncan. Chely requested a jury trial, pre- and post-judgment interest on whatever money a jury decides is fair up to $499,999 plus court costs, along with the right to amend her complaint as further evidence develops. But, as Paul Harvey likes to say, “hold the phone”: Advised that reporter E. Thomas Wood was about to go public with the news of Chely’s action, thus bringing attention to her earlier lawsuit, Duncan filed a Notice of Partial Voluntary Dismissal, on Wright’s behalf, with the Circuit Court December 13th. Chely’s December 13th filing retracts the singer’s claim of emotional distress, as well as a claim of “legal malpractice,” though the latter claim is not is found in the language of Chely’s December 6th filing. This episode is just the latest in a series of events assuring that Wright will ever be as well-known for her songs as she is for courting controversy. What are ya doin’ New Year’s Eve? I could be a “cheap date” this year, thanks to Shaun Bertand’s invitation to join Scott Sherrill and the Nashvilleparty.com gang as they and BarTwenty3 host the fourth annual New Year’s Eve in the Gulch, Sunday, December 31, 2006. The celebration takes place at City Hall, the 15,000 square ft. entertainment space located at 405 12th Ave. South. Those of us offered VIP accommodations and media tickets will have run of the 15,000 square-feet entertainment facility at 405 12th Avenue South. The partiers will gather at 8 p.m., listening to the music provided by DJ Jon Doe and DJ Mindub. Memo to Nancy Jones: You’re barking up the wrong tree. If you’re concerned that your management client/husband, George Jones’ music isn’t being heard, you have no further to look- and/or vent- than George’s own record label! You are well aware- or should be- that, again this year, I am among the country-music reviewers being polled by Geoff Himes for the (7th) Annual Country Music Critics Poll. (Results will be published in the January 25, 2007 issue of the Nashville Scene.)
I will be voting in 11 categories. But having not received the album you are so proud of, nor invited to see any of George’s live performances within the eligibility period, I can’t honestly vote for that which I have yet to hear and/or see. Again, if you want to know why George’s album is not among the featured albums on country-music professionals’ most widely-read Web page, I haven’t received it. (Of course, I encourage all of my readers to order George’s album through my other Amazon-generated CD links.)
Thanks to all who include this Report in their product distribution and invitation lists throughout the year. You keep me up to speed and that’s important to those who value my opinion. Thank you, Heidi Labensart, for the invitation to attend Trent Summar and The New Row Mob’s December 16th 10 p.m. performance at Wildhorse Saloon. Trent and his band will be featuring songs from Summars’ second album, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades (on Palo Duro Records). December 10, 2006 The Country Music Association may be talking Hispanic outreach, but the CMA, the trade organization famous for once torturing Kathy Mattea and, less successfully, sweet, dear, demure Minnie Pearl, over the AIDS issue, is actually partnering with the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community, recruiting Dierks Bentley, Gretchen Wilson, Kenny Alphin and Brad Paisley as the public faces of its effort. (So far, the CMA has not recruited its award nominee/hit songwriter Tommy Rocco in the campaign. Nor has Tommy mentioned if he is confused with Nashville screenwriter/independent filmmaker and Out & About Newspaper contributor Tommy Rocco.) Back in 2004, the CMA partnered with Nashville-based Red Angel Brownies, Red Angel's owner Carla McNally providing hospitality for the CMA’s awards show. The CMA moved its 2005 awards telecast to the Big Apple. But, after a year’s absence, the organization asked the GLBT community-friendly business to furnish the 2006 CMA awards gift room with the same gourmet brownies that were such a hit two years before, while providing brownie boxes to awards presenters, nominees, winners and other favored few. CMA made it a point to photograph Dierks with Carla for the GLBT business page of Out & About’s December, 2006 issue, as it plans to include similar photo endorsements featuring Gretchen, Kenny and Brad in the near future. Why Big Kenny and not his (business) partner, John Rich? The answer may be found in Rich’s religious convictions: When unwed Wilson became pregnant by her boyfriend, Mike Penner, the unwelcome surprise for the couple with no desire to marry prompted Gretchen to momentarily consider abortion. But when Wilson told preacher’s son John of her plans, Gretchen’s mentor told Wilson what a stupid decision he thought that would be. Is it any wonder Gretchen named her daughter, Grace?
Dottie West had an appreciation for younger men and her fans include one British teenager who has plans in the works to honor Miss Country Sunshine on what would have been Dottie’s 75th birthday, October 11, 2007. More specifics later, but I am pleased to announce that I am one of several people who knew Dottie that Paul Porter, 17, has recruited to help him with an objective of which West would be proud. (Eerily, I took what is, perhaps, the last photo of ever taken- certainly the last one ever published- of Dottie and her granddaughter, Tess .) December 6, 2006 If there could be anything more idiotic than the Country Music Association’s tabbing its token Australian board member to establish a Hispanic task force for the disinterested masses, it is Country Music Television’s Writer/Producer/Affirmative Action Hire Santos Lopez’s statement to WKRN-TV: Lopez says the key to making country music palatable to Latino ears would be for a major country artist “to release a song in Spanish, maybe a traditional ballad and sing it with beautiful production, beautiful vocals, I think it would be a huge hit.” Perhaps Señor Lopez was not yet born when Johnny Rodriguez had country hits with Eres Tu (1977) and Cuando Calienta El Sol (1978). Pobrecito!... December 5, 2006 What do James Taylor and Keith Anderson have in common? Both Keith and Sweet Baby James, as well as others who bear their common names, are having to contend with the presence of those names on the No Fly list!
All of the stories about Dolly Parton receiving the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts honors seem to be missing a vital point: Sure, country music has been not high on the highbrows’ agenda (Roy Acuff, Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson have been the Kennedy Center’s only other country artist inductees during the Center’s 29-year history of honoring outstanding artists from other entertainment genres), but, in my opinion, Dolly would have been a class(ier) act if she’d declined the “honor.” Here’s why: Award winners are selected from a list of nominees whose names, unlike the names of nominees for other awards, are not generally publicized. After all, who wants to be an also-ran? Certainly not Kitty Wells, who, despite former Tennessee Congressman Bob Clement’s best lobbying efforts, didn’t make the cut. While it could be argued that no country star deserves the Kennedy Center honors since JFK was not a country-music fan, if the King of Country Music was deserving, why not the Queen? On an unrelated subject, the “apologies” of Mel Gibson, Danny Devito and now Michael Richards should cause Dolly to breath a sigh of relief. Following Parton’s 1994 Vogue flap, Dolly, like the others, was pressured to apologize for her own prejudice. But the ensuing controversy never rose to the level of career suicide proportions. Personally, I believe each of these individuals is merely sorry they were caught. Hearts can change on most everything else, but I have more respect for the bigot who admits her/his bigotry than for the apologist whose remorse is contingent on the personal consequences for not apologizing.
Would Joe Nichols spam me- and you? Well, I’ve only met Joe once, but there’s nothing I came away with from that encounter, let alone anything about Nichols’ persona, that would suggest he’s the spamming type. Frankly, I wouldn’t think Joe would even have that kind of time on his hands, would you? Actually, Nichols and Wachovia Bank may want to have a conversation, not so much about spamming, but about its kissing cousin, phishing. They might explain the following URL: http://joenichols.com/member/wachoviabank/index.htm. If this is a vestige of some sort of vanity credit card enterprise, perhaps someone needs to rethink it. Condolences to Report reader, Robyn Young. According to the November 29th issue of Diane Diekman's Faron Young biography newsletter, my late Music City News boss, Faron and his ex-wife Hilda’s son, and Robyn’s brother, Damion died November 25th at age 51 “at four in the morning. He’d been seriously ill, and his death was expected, but that doesn’t make it easier.” I must say though, that until Jeannie Seely says otherwise, I won’t believe Damion’s reported time of death!
The number of country stars who bear the names of famous media and political types has always amused me: Ray Price, George Strait, Bill Monroe and John Anderson are examples of a longer list that is expanded by one more than I’ve even thought of, thanks to John Atkin' remembrance of Tommy Jarrell in the December issue of Country Music People. (I wonder if Tom Jarriel is as tickled by these name games as I am!) Nashville’s Fox 17 produces one of Music City’s finest newscasts, but its focus on real news perhaps doesn’t attract enough of the desired demographic. In any event, I have seen no comment, even from the rip-and-readers, on an excellent Fox 17 news story that the Music Row crowd either missed or wish it had: I refer to a piece on Music Row dumpster-diving. If the subject sounds more tabloid than newsworthy, that may be because the only missing element was the sourcing. Then again, were that disclosure required, the tipster may not have alerted the station. In any event, one of the results was an embarrassed Jimmy Gilmer, with an off-camera admission: Jimmy had neglected to shred his personal information- bank records, income statements and the like- before discarding it. And, it seems, even at this late date, the private Conway Twitty estate papers, evidently a subset of otherwise long-public litigation information, were found in a Music Row dumpster. And, if you recently sent a résumé to a Record Row office, it may have also been among the résumés that surfaced during Fox 17 News’ dumpster-diving. (If you find that last revelation particularly disappointing, I don’t want to further disillusion you by informing you of what happens to those songs you’ve penned that you personally give to artists when you encounter them on the road…) Read the puff pieces and the hatchet jobs, then come to the source for the real deal!!! First please check the FAQs page (where you'll learn of Iceberg's identity) linked to this Report. Then feel free to respond to Stacy with your comments, questions and tidbits of news Stacy Harris by clicking here...
Please Note: I have modified my *reply to* address in an effort to avoid automated spam. If you wish to reply to me, or to receive a reply from me, please use the following address format: my first name (Stacy) at (the @ symbol) countrmusicreport.com
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