Show Me the Way

By Jimmy Carter en route to steamy Florida

Wasn't there a Tommy Shaw/Styx song, "Show Me the Way?" I think of it often when reading through all the crazy, diverse show music business stories.

The new iPhone may overheat and change colors ... I hate AT&T service; in Wisconsin it was on the edge the whole time ... Worthless for data, Twitter, anything but a phone. Great phone, though. I love it but wrong that Apple locked up with AT&T ... Verizon ( I have them, too) great service ... Crappy phones ... I'm not a Blackberry person ... Glad texting is illegal in Tennessee while you are driving now ... Starting a fire, making soup and riding on the roof illegal, too ( just kidding on the last three, but) ... Choosing a phone that should be easy!

I like the new Tim McGraw song ... It's up and it's Tim. Heard one boss say NO ... I just don't have the same ears, I guess ... Not playing a Tim song is hard now, too?

What is easy? Choosing to avoid or run from any and all Michael Jackson coverage ... you couldn't run. I mention to a fellow morning man that I always liked "Stop the Love You Save." He admitted he did, too ... We grew up with Michael and then he got crazy and we got older. You still could not avoid the story, but the networks overdosed on it like they did Princess Diana. Finding the way in news is very difficult. Daily ratings ... try that in radio someday ... It really doesn't make the bosses kooky!

Finding the way for the audience ... Concerts are keeping the artists in jet planes and big houses ... Alan Jackson wants $38 million for his mansion ... Figured that's $220,000 a month minus taxes and insurance at 6 % ... Easy to find the way on not taking on that monthly load ...That's a monster by any standard of Spielberg or Arnold.

Big shows in July for festival audiences ... In Wisconsin again, Ohio, West Virginia and State Fair time about to get going, too ... Delaware for one. KC ending his super-shows and he grossed over $3 million at that Chicago show! GS over 5 on the Cowboy stadium show.

Taylor Swift is going to be a worldwide pop star before it's all done ... Playing Wembley Arena/London 11/23. Garth Brooks did it ... I think Shania Twain did ... Maybe the Dixie Chicks ... Short list,though ... Big room, no Country station.

Taylor's the cover of Glamour July 7th. What would the music biz be without the 'Tween acts right now? Miley, Jonas, Taylor ... They are the buzz and energy. Nick Jonas, the one who really likes Country, engaged. Recently in town for a BBQ at Little Jimmy Dickens ... How cool was that?

Sick Call: Doug Stone heart pacemaker ... Ray Price colon/polyps ... All improving.

Brad getting a break on the GMA show ... Big free concert and thank goodness the MJ funeral moved to next week or that would have meant a possible cut. Brad's new CD will debut #1 Country ... MJ all crowding the top of the pops ... Great Kevin Fowler song for Montgomery Gentry, "Long Line of Losers" ... VERY country.

July 4th is Toby day and he's get big buzz for the lead single off his new CD ...

Happy 4th ... Let's PRAY for a better 2nd half of 2009 -- or sales, radio, TV, newspapers, the audience ... Everyone ... First half pretty much sucked!