Get Well, Willie!

Willie has called in sick. Late nigh,t Wednesday August the 7th, Willie told the world on Twitter that he was having a breathing problem and was going to cancel the tour.

Willie has been working a bunch this year with 30 dates still to play. Well, Willie take the rest of the year off! Go to Hawaii, play cards with Woody and Kris and come back strong in 2020. Willie is a young 86!

With pro football preseason officially underway, the Fall TV season, school and everything else is about to get into gear.

The new Miranda song, "Mess With My Head," is out; new Hootie single with the new Hootie album in November.

Luke Combs will unveil his new album in November before the CMAs. Can his This One's For You album break Shania's record of 50 weeks at #1?

The CMA nominations will be out soon and that's always a sure sign of Fall. The date was finally made official -- November 13th, a Wednesday. But where is the announcement about who is hosting the show?

The hosting issue has been a huge one for every other awards show. Only the CMA has shown stability with their Brad and Carrie hosts. They have been on duty for a decade.

The Oscars had no host and may likely do that again. The Grammys have changed directors and struggle with the host choice every year.

The ACMs went back to Reba after a few dry well years.

Hosting a live network, international television show is not for rookies or even untrained veterans. It's one thing to host a taped special with lots of retakes but live, off the script, last-second changes, with some very scripted comedy moments taking place in an arena is like walking a tight rope over Times Square. Brad and Carrie grew into the job after a few years and are great brand representatives.

But you are dealing with a network that has a new boss, just had a long "Idol" host renegotiation and has a lot of balls up in the air. The CMA fest TV show won the night, but the number of homes watching network TV is not growing. Delayed viewing and time-shifting is life in the real world.

Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon still seem to be booking a good number of Country acts. Brad Paisley is friends with Jimmy Kimmel and Kimmel reached out for help this week with a skit on new citizens. Go look at up on You Tube:

Jimmy Kimmel & Brad Paisley Welcome Immigrants to America. I think that more people see Kimmel's biggest bits on You Tube than they do live.

Kasey Musgraves took a few hits this week after having the audience at a Chicago show yell, "Somebody **cking do something" ... The story got some attention and went away. The subjects of Trump, guns, immigration are very hot subjects this Summer; 99% of all Country artists stayed away from it on social media.

Should they stay away from politics in general? Not for me to say. Selling movies, music, art in general can be more challenging to those who choose to pick a side. Some artists can't help it. It's who they are. Others choose not to face the heat so they remain quiet. From "Me Too" to "Guns and Trump." Then there's the continuing saga of Confederate Railroad. Where will that story come to an end?

And then there's The "Git Up" song by Blanco Brown. The second whatever you call this phenom. "Old Town Road" is the year's #1 song. Weeks on chart, etc. Now this ... are they Country or what? Doesn't seem Country per se but where are the navigational beacons theses days?

Big Boi is playing with Country acts at the California Tailgate festival soon.

When the PBS/Ken Burns series comes up, he is expected to address the fact that Country music can not be all put in one cup. It will be fascinating to see how Mother Maybelle beget Little Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus. The Country family tree will be exposed. It's a complicated stew.

"Your Cheatin Heart" to "The Git Down" ...That's a sonic journey worth taking ... PBS September 15th.