Days Gone By … Remembering 2022

What can be said in New Year rhymes,

That’s not been said a thousand times?

The new years come, the old years go,

We know we dream, we dream we know.

-Ella Wheeler Cox

When you looked forward on January 1st of 2022, did you see the future? We accepted so much loss this year! Voices and ideas from people who were very important to the growth of modern Country music. They included: Loretta Lynn, Ralph Emery, Naomi Judd, Mickey Gilley, Bobbie Nelson (Willie’s sister and band member), Hargus “Pig” Robbins (the blind Hall of Fame piano player of too many hits to name), Olivia Newton-John (CMA Female Vocalist winner), Jim Owens (Country music TV show creator), and I’m sure to leave out some greats.

The point is, we lost some titans this year. Not one or two, but many. All lived long, productive lives. So much history!

In 2022, post Covid concerts entertained millions. Kenny Chesney was back, and Garth Brooks too. Big stadiums filled with adoring fans. Morgan Wallen played his first stadium show in Arlington, TX. Fastest sellout in stadium history.

Las Vegas became a residency landing spot for Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert, and Brad Paisley played several one-man shows at the Wynn/Encore. Vegas is Country cool again.

New stars were made with a long run expected for now CMA winner Cody Johnson. Lainey Wilson blasted off like a NASA rocket with hit songs, duets and TV appearances. Lainey appeared in multiple episodes of “Yellowstone.”

There were new places to play, like the beautiful Orion Amphitheater in Huntsville, AL. Luke Combs, Luke Bryan and Carly Pearce seemed to be everywhere.

Dolly Parton … what can you say about Dolly? She became a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. She had TVs shows and perfumes, new books, cake mixes and movies. Every day a new story. Amazing brand … Amazing woman!

We’re ending the year with the “George & Tammy” miniseries on Showtime. First class production about two of the most famous Country stars in history. During the holidays, find it. Showtime on Demand for a start. While streaming, check out Paramount+ for a new episode of “Behind the Music” profiling Jason Aldean. Jason liked it, and said he was proud to be featured.

Not sure this is going to fly, but who knows? One publication called a new bunch of male country singers “Ronky Tonk.” Are they the new Bro Country? (Musicians in that Bro Country group hated that branding.) Will the Ronky Tonkers like that brand any better?

One trend that’s not in vogue: bands. Old Dominion owns the group awards right now. Have any new bands broken out since them?

CMT and the CMA have done their best to push more diversity in the country world.

Keith Urban said in an interview recently that he feared the Country music family of artists was breaking up, and that efforts should be made to keep the family together. Keith’s fears are correct. Its become Maren Morris and others vs. Jason Aldean and others. The redemption of Morgan Wallen split the family, too.

The U.S. Senate is a 50/50 place. Country stars and their political leanings -- vocal and silent -- are well divided. It used to be the stars leaned right and many of the behind-the-scenes folks leaned left. You be the judge today.

The Morgan Wallen story is, in the long run, looking like a big one. He starts with promise, explodes, reassembles and soars. He was flatlined with the gatekeepers. The fans kept him going: streamed more, bought the album more, when they could, sold out anywhere he played. Now 2023 looks like it’s HIS year. How is that going to fly with the opposition?

You do have the newer traditionalists like Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Jon Pardi and, yes, Morgan Wallen, the pack of stars who have been tops the last five years or so. And then the Brandi Carlisle, Kasey Musgraves and a dozen others were labeled Americana, not sure accurately. Country music has as many flavors of style, substance, star appeal as does Baskin-Robbins.

Where is this train headed in 2023? Onward, in one word. The huge stadium shows, the momentum, the growing new star power … It’s going to be wobbly with all the different forces pulling the strings. But the public will decide, not the gatekeepers.

The customer is always right. The phrase was pioneered by successful retailers in the 1900s: Harry Gordon Selfridge, John Wanamaker and Marshall Field. They learned early on that their businesses’ success depended on the satisfaction of their customers. Maybe some folks on 16th Ave need a little educational tuning up.