Who Will Rally The Troops?

It’s a subject no one wants to talk about … Morgan Wallen. He has had the most popular album in America for eight consecutive weeks. That was not way the script was to go.

The great song goes, “No one knows what goes on behind closed doors.” Silence is deafening. Is there a plan here on this deal?

Put the guy on trial and pronounce sentence, but on appeal the crime doesn’t seem to deserve the death penalty. Or does it?

What is the answer to this? Radio people have been put in a very awkward spot. How does this story end?

Two wrongs don’t make a right. Read the lyric sheets on some songs getting airplay in some formats. This situation needs some leadership and a resolution. Six-month punishment? A year? Fines? Community service? What is the correct resolution?

It doesn’t seem to be going away. A neutral party intervening would be nice, a learning moment for everyone, with something positive coming out of all this.

And it’s award show time again. Will the 17 million that showed up on CBS for the royals come back this Sunday night? Will this weekend’s Grammy show do better than the Golden Globes’ low water mark? I would bet yes, it will do better. But how much enthusiasm do you feel about this year’s show?

Four Country artists are set to perform. Will the Country audience even try to get through this three hours?

Love the Grammys, personally. Great memories of covering them in New York and Los Angeles. But that was yesterday, and music and the stars are quite different in 2021. And the audience most of all is different -- cord cutters, fragmentation, old skewing network and, honestly, a real lack of star drawing power.

I hope The Academy of Country Music (ACM) folks are watching. Put out Prince Harry on a tambourine and leak out the rehearsal footage. That may be the only hope.

A banned bestseller album, a pandemic one-year anniversary, and still so many stars in Nashville are very quiet. Got to give it to a few of the A-listers that keep some buzz going. Spring is here.

The vaccine is here or very close. Masks or no masks? Is Country music scared to take a virus stand too? If we don’t get the shot by fall when the virus may surge again, this goose will really be cooked.

You would think the Country music touring industry, with so much to lose, would be giving people shots on the corner, and pushing for more.

There’s a bad need for leadership right now. The industry needs to be united on fighting the virus, getting the shot and doing what it takes to be safe. Dolly Parton can’t do this by herself! Look at the stars who have been sick or even died.

Winter is ending. Labels and trade organizations must lead the industry back to work, and safely. It’s not going to just happen. Who will rally the troops?