Change May Be Necessary ... But It Still Hurts!

Jimmy Carter in his homebase Nashville.

Life is about change. Nothing stays the same. Life goes on. One door closes and another opens or so the story goes.

This week has been a great example of how unpredictable life can be.

Two words: Seattle Seahawks. Who saw a game like that coming? No one is the answer.

Who knew that the game's most valuable player would be Bruno Mars? The Super Bowl made him a superstar!

Who was smart enough to know that Garth Brooks would sell out Croke Stadium in Dublin, Ireland. FIVE times .. .400,000 tickets at 63 Euros each. In US dollars approx 83 bucks a ticket ... I did the math for you: a $33 million dollar US gross for five shows.

Country music in a foreign country. Garth might just move to Ireland and become King.

Change can be ugly, too. ABC/BBC firing the "Dancing With The Stars'" 28-piece band with singers. The producers saying they wanted a smaller electric band and hope to make the show's sound fit better for a new generation. Hey suits ... They did it to save money. Those jobs don't grow on orange trees. Hope the film scoring business can pick up these AFM members. Such a shame.

Then there are 164 folks pink-slipped at the Tonight Show. The big Carson band and Leno band gave that show class. A rock version at Letterman remains. Paul Shaffer is a brilliant musician. One so-called informed source says Letterman will call it a day Aug of 2015. Right now, Nashville with miss Jay and his kindness toward Country. Just look at last guest: Garth Brooks.

Many horn players and others losing jobs. Styles change .. or do they? The big band is out at Tonight, replaced by sort-of-a-big band The Roots for Jimmy Fallon ... in the mainstream, right back in style with Bruno Mars. Horns and horn sections are still popular. Chicago and Robin Thicke were one of the most-rewatched parts of The Grammys per the researchers who know everything about us these days.

Life is about change..

Firing morning shows and replacing them with ... XXXXX ... story for another day ... Employees of corporate radio stations have been downsized so many times and the race is still on. Has a network, syndicated show ever won in a morning drive ratings race? Not counting Howard Stern ... The threat of change can very disturbing. I guess it's not about winning: it's about being profitable -- and that is the American Way. I'm just tired of watching hard working radio people lose their jobs to computers and voices from a distant city. Again it's change and life is about change.

Hearing some promising words about Randy Travis and his recovery. I hope those reports are credible.

Tim McGraw is one of the good guys ... He worked hard to get a career ... worked harder to keep one and as a superstar, he is still working hard. Staying on at near the top of the mountain is very difficult. No one ever said it was going to be easy but changing and adjusting mid-course can be critical. Tim has done that perfectly but never easily. He is one of the best in so many areas.

Blake Shelton is another one of those good guys. He makes it all look so easy. Who knew when he got started where his career would take him? Amazing and well deserved. Like Tim, a household name with a career still blooming on radio, TV and I bet sometime film.

Fun to watch Garth's comeback and Blake/Tim continue to flourish. Not fun to watch talented people lose their jobs. I never stop hurting for those folks...