Goin' Country

I thoroughly humiliated myself this afternoon, trying to be stupidly manipulative with cutie pie author, instead of being happy go lucky. So I thought I'd try and cheer myself up by writing a happy post for a change. I have a guilty secret, I kind of like country music. Not all country music. I'm more of a Dixie Chicks/Gretchen Wilson/Keith Urban/The Mavericks country music fan. Not traditional country. And why do I feel guilty? Probably for the same reason that I feel guilty that Gone with the Wind is one of my favorite movies. Country music is probably the whitest music on the planet. Seriously, apart from Charlie Pride and Cowboy Troy, can you name another country music artist of color?

Well CMT is trying to change that. Sort of. They just announced that they're doing a show that gives celebrities a chance to become country music starts. People like Maureen McCormick, Sisqo and Bobby Brown. That's right, I said Sisqo "Mr. Thong song" and Bobby Brown, the man who sang 'My Perogative' and 'Ain't Nobody Humping Around.' They're going to try and turn themselves into country music stars.

I don't know whether to laugh or to cry that Bobby Brown has been reduced to this. I refused to watch his Bravo tv show because I thought it looked like a train wreck. But I have to admit that the idea of him singing something like Garth Brooks 'Friends in Low Places' has me slightly intrigued. As well as frightened. But then again, he and Sisqo could do a duet and sing, 'Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy'!

And now Blogger is giving me fits so I can't post the picture of Rissi Palmer that I had planned to post. She's a female Country singer who just happens to be African-American, and she's really good. And she's getting a pretty big push in Nashville. Whether or not this turns into record sales or radio play, I have no idea, but I admire her for sticking to her guns and deciding that what she really wanted to do was put out a country album. Apparently a few years ago, she'd been offered a pop deal with Jimmy Jam's record label and she turned it down to pursue her dream of country stardom.

Her album drops on Tuesday and I for one will be standing in line to pick up a copy. You can watch the video for her song "Country Girl" here:

Thanks for reading,

EKM