George once asked..Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes?
I was
raised with country music playing in my house.
My dad was and is a huge fan of traditional country and bluegrass music. You can count me in as a huge fan, too….along
with rock, heavy metal, big band, blues…bring it all on.
The other
night, though, I found myself listening to some of those traditional songs that
were so much a part of my childhood. The
memories flooded in when I ran on some classics by George Jones. He has always been one of my dad’s
favorites. George released a song in
1980 that asked a poignant question, and led me to ponder the answer both back
then and now. “Who’s Gonna Fill Their
Shoes” speaks to the artists who were the cornerstones of country music and
asks who might be out there to follow in their footsteps.
I’m not sure anyone will or would
even attempt to fill the shoes of legendary country artists George Jones,
Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynn, Kitty Wells, Tammy Wynette, Dolly Parton, Merle
Haggard, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson….the list could go on and
on. But, country music does appear to be
in good hands that’s for certain!
While there
is an impressive roster of current day superstars like Brad Paisley, Keith
Urban, Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts, Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert, Blake
Shelton, Jason Aldean, and Lady Antebellum, there is an equally impressive list
of artists paving a path all their own.
Chris Young, Brantley Gilbert, The
Band Perry, Justin Moore, Jake Owen, Little Big Town, Thompson Square, Jerrod
Niemann, Katie Armiger, and Pistol Annies are making their marks with a dash of
his/her own style, a bit of tradition and a little rockabilly for good
measure. The future of country music you
ask? Yeah, I’m pretty comfortable with
it.
Cool factor…..each of these artists
pay homage to the stars of yesterday, while staying true to their own current
day sound. Each is as respectful of the
past as they are dedicated to build the future of country music. Perhaps they push the genre boundaries a bit,
but the result is great music none-the-less.
I personally have never been one to pigeonhole songs by saying they’re
not “country enough”. If it’s good, I’ll
listen. If not, I’ll turn it off. Pretty simple philosophy.
Bottom line…today’s sound is different,
not traditional, but does it have to be?
Isn’t there room for both? This
new crop of artists follow the groundwork laid by their predecessors….and run
with it. They show a respect for the
tradition of the genre, a drive to make their idols proud and an appreciation
for the fans who buy the records. I see
a bright future indeed.
It seems
only fitting that I wrap this up with some tunes. You listen and decide for yourself. Do ya hear a little George, Waylon, Johnny or
Loretta in there? A little story-tellin,
kickin it fun, sass and sayin it like it is?
Yep…it’s all there.
Chris Young’s “Neon” http://youtu.be/il3a7iM8NHM
Brantley Gilbert’s “Country Must Be Country Wide” http://youtu.be/8peBUdlUNmM
Pistol Annie’s “Hell on Heels” http://youtu.be/fOKtbJfNLFk
Little Big Town’s “Pontoon” http://youtu.be/V0O0nzkESTI
Justin Moore’s “How I Got To Be This Way” http://youtu.be/uYdlUP91ohQ
Jake Owen’s “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” http://youtu.be/aRh-vBOS-dU
And of course, this blog wouldn’t
be complete without “Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes”….. http://youtu.be/xi3GgoLtlWk
Perhaps we do have our answer.
Copyright ©2012 Alicia's View On All Things Music All rights reserved
Copyright ©2012 Music Central All rights reserved
you may be surprised to read this, but as a kid, i did my share of listening to country music. there was actually a nyc station back in the 60's that was all country..old country. my father and brother loved it, me...not so much. it was the time of the beatles and the british invasion...that's where my soul was drawn. i do remember all the songs from back then, heard an old song last week in fact, that i hadn't heard in at least 35 years...and still remembered the words.
ReplyDeletei do agree with your thoughts about the new wave of country artists. you just can't pigeon-hole a genre of music that tightly. music, like all art needs room to grow, to breathe. and just like all other types of music, country is not only a sound, it's an attitude.
it's been around for a long time and maybe it's changed a bit, but it's still gonna be around for a good long time.
now let me go listen to some of those good ol' tunes you've picked out.
kath
I'm not surprised to hear that you listened to some country. When music is in your blood....genre doesn't matter! I speak from experience! ha My musical tastes are all over the map.
DeleteHope you enjoyed the tunes....and thanks for the kind words!
Alicia
Great blog Alicia! I agree with you about the new sound of Country music being in good hands. That genre seems to have also become a crossover for artists in other genres as well. Darius Rucker immediately comes to mind.
ReplyDeleteA lot of artists and songwriters I love from days past have also found a home in "Nashville" by writing songs for themselves or other artists. Among them: Lionel Richie, Richard Marx, Kelly Keagy (Night Ranger), Chris Daughtry and Matt Scannell from Vertical Horizon. (Music that was once considered 80's/90's "pop")
Thanks Jim! Its amazing how many artists are doing crossovers. I love Darius!! Always loved his voice. And he chooses great songs!
DeleteYou're right....songwriters flock to Nashville, no matter the genre. Richie Sambora and Jon BonJovi write there quite a bit. And it wasn't too long ago that John Rich of country act "Big and Rich" traveled to NY (if memory serves) to write with Richie and Jon. Too cool!
Lionel Richie has a hugely successful "duets" album with country artists right now. Just awesome!
Thanks for the kind words, Jim...and the encouragement! Much appreciated. :)
Alicia