Garth And Keith Get It!

Garth And Keith Get It!
Jimmy Carter

All this week … story after story … Garth Brooks and Keith Urban seem to have a PR story every day. They create the appearance that they are superstars and here’s what cool thing they’re doing next.

Both acts are superstars with now very long careers. Look at how many singers have come and gone since these men started up the music ladder.

First Garth. The book on Garth is like no other. He and his folks operated like a well-oiled machine. The label and the PR … the producer and the booking agents. Everyone grabbed this tiger and just held on. It kept going higher and higher. But Garth remained loyal to his fans and the industry people who believed in him. 

This week you get lost after a while with all he is doing. Played Albany while selling tickets for Illinois. He was doing his Monday night Garth TV show. The tweeting about going to Houston and Austin. Then appearing in the middle of the 6pm news in Houston to announce his 2018 RodeoHouston shows. He will open and close. Huge news for the rodeo.

Then it was off to Austin to make more news as a speaker, a news conference and free concert. Google Garth, he is everywhere.

Social, traditional, everywhere…..

Taylor Swift is the only other one who plays in Garth’s league. She is tireless … secret … all the ingredients Garth uses so well.

Keith Urban plays it differently. He works hard and is media-friendly. She is not nearly as shy as he was in those early days. His team is announcing a show before the Indy 500 and a free show before the Final 4 in Phoenix. Then I see him in Montreal doing a huge PR trip for an upcoming concert. He is busy. Making everything sound so exciting. It’s a dance, an art and hard work. But you must have a talent who can make it down the long road. Garth and Keith are running textbook careers.

It’s a jungle and you have to fight for your supper. The new acts have power and can ruin a veteran’s day. The veterans can show no mercy!

Radio is in all this mix but less than ever. No Country station in Montreal and Country is growing. There are alternate media. Radio still the most important. Garth and Keith love radio; they are again … simply the best.

Seen the trade talk about Country song titles and pop leaning again? How does this story end ...Watch the ACM commercials as they don’t use a note of Country music to promote the show … sounds like they are talking about the Grammys.
Classic Country is far from dead, but kiddie Country is the kind the record labels know they can sell. But when I hear some of the kiddie Country artists in morning drive I wonder, are there adults tolerating the music or have they simply changed stations? How do you sell big-ticket items like cars and Home Depot to 19-year-olds? I don’t see how the music matches the advertisers … But greater minds must know. Just sat through a five-and-a-half-minute commercial break today just to see how long it would be … Is that crazy or what, in the time of sat radio, Spotify etc. That cannot be a winning model. Broadcast radio has to be more than a jukebox or it will surely die!