End of Volume 1 … Let’s Hope For No Volume 2

How much more of this virus ordeal can we take? The all-consuming story of Covid. Shots are in the arm for many stars and millions of the fans, with millions more added every month.

The tipping point may have been reached, but it’s not here yet and not likely before the big July 4th weekend.

The Country Music Association (CMA) had to cancel the big musical festival in June. That means no ABC three-hour special later in the summer, and no big CMA payday. Did anyone really think that would happen in 2021? The city fathers might have loved the tourism revenue, but it was way too unpredictable of a situation. No one in the entire world is doing anything that ambitious yet.

Nashville has a huge 4th of July event with one of the nation’s biggest fireworks presentations. It draws 100,000-plus people downtown. Anyone think that’s a 100% go?

Then there is the inaugural Music City Grand Prix event in August. That WILL happen, come hell or high water!

The fall, barring something surprising and huge, will see the return of stadium shows like Garth Brooks in Charlotte, NC. Football at Alabama in Tuscaloosa is going full stadium. Let’s hope something will be done to make the attendees feel safe gathering. Maybe it will be that whispered about app on your phone that says you are vaccinated and you are allowed entrance.

The controversial thing to do is only allow those who are vaccinated to attend big events and fly on planes. You show the pass on your phone just like you would at the airport, and it says you have been vaccinated.

To fly may require proper medical clearance at some point. Will lawmakers and leaders have the nerve to require you get a shot if you want to go to a big event in a mass crowd? That’s unknown.

Same for a stadium concert? A movie theater? Stay tuned, this debate is coming. Look at how divided people are on masks. Texas, Mississippi and a few others dropped the mask requirements. There are fights and more fights over masks. How is a required shot mandate going to go over?

Award shows are in deep trouble. The horrible Golden Globes lost 60% of the audience from the year before. It was an awful show highlighting films that the masses never saw, and a weak star lineup. It was not must see TV!

Now the Grammys and Oscars, then the ACM Awards. The Grammys are next week. CBS has tradition in its court, but PR on this show is nearly invisible. The writing is on the wall.

The Country Music Hall of Fame usually shows up this time of year with an announcement on the new class of CMHOF inductees. There’s always much speculation, and that speculation is usually wrong. One fact is for sure: They are WAY behind and need to do a special make good year with legends they have passed over and should be in the Hall.

The list is long, and I know they don’t want to fill the hall with plaques. But how do you leave Ray Charles out of the Hall of Fame year in and year out? Or Jerry Lee Lewis and John Denver? Denver has more evergreen, Country-sounding songs than ANY current on the charts singer.

Outrageous. It really is. “Thank God I’m A Country Boy.” Anyone ever listened to John Denver? Amazing.