A Whole Lotta Love!

If love can heal, soon-to-be Country Music Hall of Famer Randy Travis must be feeling better. Fellow Hall of Fame inductee Charlie Daniels stopped his Nissan Stadium show 6/9/16 and brought out Randy for the stage's wings. Charlie on one side and Randy's wife Mary on the other. They got Randy to center stage where Charlie pronounced to the cheering crowd ... "This is Randy Travis 2016 member of the Country Music Hall of Fame ...When the book of Country music is written, this man will get a whole chapter!" Standing ovation and cheers ... Randy soaks it in with the biggest smile! Charlie behind to lead him off stage when he stops and gives Randy the biggest man hug I have ever seen. If love heals, that stadium was filled with it ... It was a beautiful moment! Randy is getting better; he has come from death's door. He has a long way to go but he is trying so hard to get better. The Country music family is cheering for him; that is very clear.

The CMA seven days of everything Country is overwhelming and now with 98-degree temps, it is hotter than ever ... I really wish this even was done some other time than the boiling Summertime. No rain this year but Vegas kind of heat!

Among the hot acts are Dierks Bentley. The Black album is #1 Pop and Country, selling over 100,000 units. It has been well received and Dierks has worked very hard during the release week. It is the year of Dierks! He deserves an Entertainer of the Year Nomination this year ... It is time!

The CMT/"Nashville" engagement was late but has arrived. The obvious home for this prime time soap is the Country Music Network. They made a deal for Season Five ...The streaming service, Hulu, is on the deal, too. Hundreds of Middle Tennesseans get their good paying jobs back ... The Chamber of Commerce gets their show that sends people to Nashville much like Dallas did for Dallas. Charles Esten will become a bigger star ... now watch. Local media didn't always want to interview him as you were promoting the competition; now he's not really. Good man and very much in love with the city of Nashville.

Dolly Parton is not at this festival but is making news while on tour. She just renewed her wedding vows to husband Carl Dean ... 50 years and says she wants 50 more. But hubby Carl is Nashville version of the Loch Ness monster ... few report ever seeing him and may be the most secret spouse in music history. Well, Dolly just made pictures and is auctioning them off to the highest bidder! The money goes to children charities. The mystery of what does Carl look like will be solved!

Blake Shelton is the biggest star in town ... I actually saw people chase his car down the road ... like a dog chases the mail man. I've never seen that here ... Even saw a lone paparazzi trying to get tape ... How do I know it was a pap? Seen enough in LA, long crappy hair ... a camera ... backpack and looks like he smelled bad. Blake Shelton's career is crazy hot. The album is good ... life is good.

The greatest survivors of all this -- The Oak Ridge Boys ... In the Hall of Fame ... cast of the Opry and the only act still standing on the front stage that has been to every one of the Fan Fair's CMA Music festivals ... They sound better than ever! Long live the OAKS!

CMT Award show got 3.3 million, up 21%, had a lot of collaborations. Got a ton of crap in social media ... Too many pop stars, Haggard tribute was weak. It was pretty pop leaning ... but that's how they roll. No one says you have to watch...

This present-day Country music is the alternative to Urban-flavored pop ... It is the Top 40 of the '70s....safe.. It is not the Country of Chet Atkins day. It is in a constant state of evolution. Keep fighting for what you like and don't like.