Better Than Watching ‘Yellowstone’ Reruns

The dramatic revealing of the next members of the Country Music Hall of Fame didn’t disappoint. Three excellent choices for sure, but with the constant refrain of “they are getting more and more behind.”

Brandi Carlile teed up one candidate, and Grammy put her over the top. “Texas” Tanya Tucker, one of Country’s greatest characters, is going into the Hall of Fame.

Patty Loveless absolutely belongs in the Hall. The Kentucky delegation of Chris Stapleton and Carly Pearce would sure second the nomination. Patty is a gem of a person, and has always been a breath of fresh air. She’s 100% Country, too. Go back and review her hits and love every minute.

Bob McDill has been retired since 2000. How great is it that someone has been promoting his entry into the Hall of Fame for years? The McDill-written “Gone Country” remains one of Alan Jackson’s best.

Here’s the BUT to all this: Not everyone belongs in the rare air of that rotunda. The Hall of Fame should be a rare honor. CMHOF is not a participation trophy.

The great names still in the queue, waiting on the sidelines, has grown rather ugly. When you tell the general public that so and so is not in the Hall of Fame, they gasp. I told a superstar recently about one missing executive not in the Hall, and they were confused. I’m trying to be careful here.

Short of having a mass induction of, say, a dozen, might I suggest a daring alternative? A new category of “influencers.” Maybe you have to be dead to get in this club. Let me give you the inaugural class of 10:

June Carter Cash
Mac Davis
Mickey Gilley
Charlie Rich
Buddy Killen
Eddie Rabbit
Freddy Fender
John Denver
Johnny Horton
Earl Thomas Conley

For some reason, potentially political, these folks are not in the Hall of Fame. You mention most of these and you get that gasp. They are all in Country heaven. Generations change … DO SOMETHING!

From Nashville to Texas … Austin looked great in the spotlight on CBS.

The CMT Music Awards show has always been a lot wilder and more fun than the others. The CMT’s red carpet was always the most fun with unpredictable guests, and the TV production has always been first rate.

The CBS Academy of Country Music Awards time slot replacement show did OK, almost six million first run viewers. A lot more than previously watched just on cable. CBS/CMT beat ABC’s “American Idol” by more than a million viewers.

The first thing I think of when running through the show is the song “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?” The Kelsea Ballerini / drag queen number got the most reaction. No middle ground on that one. It put some over the top.

The -- I’m sure -- anticipated blowback happened with some nasty social media, the “never going to watch again” type thing. Certainly expected.

The Lynyrd Skynyrd salute was as good as anything the Grammy show ever did.

CMT has an agenda. Heavy on the next big thing: check. Heavy on social warrior agendas: check. Heavy on flash and pace: check.

Now what will hosts Garth and Dolly and the ACM Awards do? The bar is set pretty high!