Brown: I'm Gonna Throw Up

Jimmy Carter in his homebase Nashville.

When you get to be a big star, expect to also get a target on your back. People look at you and try to figure out what you did and they didn't do. Such is the case with Luke Bryan.

Luke is on a path to become Entertainer of the Year at the Fall CMA Awards. He's not a sure thing to win, but in the final few. A great accomplishment if that's as far as it goes.

Luke is at the top because he has worked very hard, put together a great team and had excellent media relations. It all starts with the songs. His early material was very strong. He showcased it with Spring Break concerts and later Farm shows that helped create more buzz. He is not a dead man on stage! Like Chesney, he works it. Opened for Aldean at just the right time.

It's the perfect storm. Great label partner ... everything has worked.

Now here comes Zac Brown. "If I hear one more tail-gate in the moon light, Daisy Duke songs, I'm gonna throw up." Zac, if I hear anymore love songs about trucks and beer and other stereotypes, we will all just throw up. Zac got burned on this honesty. But it is rare for anyone to actually say what they are thinking. Not politically correct. You get misquoted and no one ever hears the whole rant just the juicy parts.

One man's trash is another mans treasure. Never has that been more true than music. Let's go back to the '60s for a second...On one ear there is "Revolution" by the Beatles ... August 30th, 1968. While that song was climbing the charts was also "Harper Valley PTA" ... Could there be any two more different tunes?

Zac is right ... Country music lyrics could evolve a little. Luke is right because the fans like the song ... the customer is always right.

Another blog about Country music ... Luke's music has the nutritional value of notebook paper. Whoa ... Target on your back, Luke ... That must mean you are doing something right!

Blake Shelton conquered Nashville Bridgestone Arena September 14th. Owned the place for his two-hours sing-along. They big party after the show was so Nashville. Hundreds of people, God only know who they were. Blake slips in and like a big old shaggy dog, everyone wants to pat his head. And he lets them. If there is ever a Star School, please make Blake one of the instructors. He handles everyone with ease. And he seems not to be working that hard to do it.

Blake Shelton is an underrated singer. (I may have written that before.) I'll say it again. With all the hoopla around him, that fact might get lost. His opening acts, Easton Corbin and Jana Kramer, complemented the show. Easton just needs some more hits and that seems to be in the cards. Corbin is country and he's working hard.

This is a week for the good guys. Darius Rucker having his "Wagon Wheel" #1 party on stage at the Ryman. Sixth #1 for Darius with more on the way. Left pop for Country and never looked back. Charming and a great judge of material ... Darius is such a great asset to Country music.

The NBC publicity machine is cranking up for Carrie Underwood and The Sound of Music. Live on NBC December. LIVE in primetime. This will be a very big deal the week it airs..

Arsenio's show had good first week ratings. He seems to be on his way. Booking wars are in the future.

Hurricane Taylor is in Nashville for three sold-out concerts. What can you say? The money folks can almost smell the cash.

Before we go ... Do I have to turn in my Alabama birth certificate because I've never done the following:

Out where the corn rows grow, row, row my boat
Floatin' down the Flint River, catch us up a little catfish dinner
Gonna sound like a winner, when I lay you down and love you right
Yeah, that's my kind of night!

Might sit down on my diamond plate tailgate
Put in my country ride hip-hop mixtape
Little Conway*, a little T-Pain, might just make it rain

You can hang your T-shirt on a limb
Hit that bank and we can ease on in
Soak us up a little moonlight
You know I know what you like, yeah!

Zac being a reviewer is much more dangerous than singing ... even if you're right... Enough of the truck songs ... please!