Don't Mess With Cinderella ... Can You Hear Me, People?

Jimmy Carter in his homebase Nashville.

And back to work we go ... kicking and screaming and slowly getting into the groove of 2011. The January freeze and its companion SNEEZE not my favorite time of the year.

New music in the pipeline and the first big radio smash may be from Trace Adkins ... a ditty called "Brown Chicken, Brown Cow." This will come out of the gate strong ... may burn fast, but it will be a bright rocket for Trace ... Good for you, son, you can pick 'em!

With Country album sales off 10%, you take out Taylor and Lady A and Country would be in cardiac arrest. This year won't get prettier as the digital world will put a bang on the bookstores and physical music providers. It's a download world and DVDs are going out like the CDs. The speed of this change is in debate. The end result is not.

The CES gadget show in Las Vegas this week showing off all the new TVs, smartphones and mostly the new iPad competitors. iPads aren't perfect, but they are close enough to perfect for me...

(By the way, Alabama seems to be putting out feelers for a return to the spotlight and airwaves...)

Cinderella ...The music business had one last year. The very odd Susan Boyle. She was a huge seller and a confusing figure to many. And now we have our first "Susan Boyle" of 2011: Ted Williams.

I am not to proud to say I cried during one of his Today Show segments. It got me teared up. Embarrassing to sit home and cry at the Today Show! You had to be there and you have to not have a hard heart. Most people in this great country can tear up at the flag,

a new baby and a sweet story. People Magazine went negative on Ted Williams and got their butt handed to them with flaming reactions. Don't mess with Cinderella.

The best reporters working today seem to be in Sports journalism. Too many empty-headed people running TV newsrooms-- and in radio, too few newsrooms to even mention. Has this Ted Williams joined AFTRA? Does he have a lawyer, manager and shrink yet? Who is flying this right now ? The Today Show?

Ted Williams has the voice 99.9% of all radio people wish they had. This is a huge story. It's potentially a life-and-death story.

Can this guy handle the pressure? Will hisnine kids all file for back child support? How much money can he make? Get him on the paid speaking circuit and cut back on TV. I can't imagine the people chasing him right now. It might be too much. Stay tuned.

Country Strong finally opened ... Roger Ebert called it the best film of 1957! Social melodrama from the '50s and I agree. Haven't seen a negative word about the performances and few positive words about the writer/director. Unhappy ending and rather bland soundtrack. Missed opportunity. Marketing did a great job out and developing awareness.

Bad weather time of the year and a new Rasmussen survey said folks mostly get their weather from local TV. I guess so. Radio is automated and in many, many places outside morning drive there could be a nuclear attack and the songs would play on. Another missed opportunity. But never too late to fix!

Lots of new music in the new year pipeline. Let's hope for a great 2011! Congrats to Taylor Swift for her People's Choice award. (How cool was that Johnny Depp thing about hi to Taylor for his daughter or he couldn't go back home ... she is a HUGE star ... deal with it!)