Still Thankful For .....

Jimmy Carter's post-Thanksgiving weekend 2013

A week after the Thanksgiving holiday ... and what an interesting cast of characters in this way-too-crowded Country music cafeteria as we go into the final act of 2012.

Too crowded! Like when Hollywood puts out five movies on a weekend, three of the films croak. You have seven lanes of freeway and it merges into five. Right now it's Country crowded and somebody is going to get hurt!

Making a living in the entertainment business has never been a rational goal. With at least 18 headliner tours going out in 2013, you know that's crowded!

The new crop of young guns is crazy. It just seems a little too much, too fast. Hard to think they will all be financially successful. Radio can only digest so much at a sitting. The older acts have already found it impossible in the Top 40/Country world.

The big tent is throwing out the old folks faster than a bouncer at Spring Break. Look at the recent CMAs. If you were new or your career is less than a decade old, you were okay. Older than that ... very little room in the inn. Older than 10 years in the business, you are probably off the radio rules book. Too old.

Make a list to yourself of all the established Country stars NOT on the CMA show. Make a list of those you never hear on the radio. No sense of tradition sonically. Conway, Kenny, Jerry Reed, Johnny, Waylon. Many of the newcomers have no clue and were not even a little influenced by the twang gang who came before them.

Actually, that's okat. Country was a foreign place where Homer and Jethro lived. Where hay bales replaced furniture on Country TV shows. Ancient history. Play some of those old shows for college kids and they will look at you crazier than if you played Ed Sullivan ... where they also look at you like you were crazy.

Country is the new pop. In everyway you can imagine. Thankful that America is buying the tickets and buying those downloads.

But don't get too cocky, young guns and gals. You older established stars, too.

This year the red carpet had more press than stars. Very few stars were brave enough to face that entire hungry bunch. Willie did, a bunch did but the big A-listers ... nah.

The new folks use it for needed publicity while the established stars think they can do without that one more interview. Hollywood at Oscar time is about the same way. Too much media ... everyone is media.

The CMA throws the party and if the stars don't want to make the perp walk, you can hardly make them. CMA throws a great party. Well-oiled machine. Nashville and Music Row are proud on that night.