There's A Song In There Somewhere

A week of astronauts in a love triangle and a Marilyn Monroe-like celebrity death must mean there's a country-inspired song in the mix somewhere. Craziest week of news in a long time, while some on Music Row head for Hollywood and the Grammy Awards.

The Grammys are and have always been a popular-music show. If pop music is narrow and bad, then so goes the Grammy show. It's the first one I have missed in years. Just no interest in the Best Record nominees, and the show, like pop radio, just seems out to lunch.

Country folks get very little Grammy attention with just two slots, and one of those the Dixie Chicks, who remain on double-secret probation. Why is this? Well, at the end of the day, in CD sales, Country remains at the best possible guideline a 20% of the pie. Therefore, two slots in 3 hours? That still seems weak considering how many people buy country concert tickets and listen to its radio stations. But oh well. Expect ratings to be less than an "American Idol" final.

Speaking of "Idol," ratings are off the chart even with the screeching and hollering of these audition shows. Still no signs of any Carrie Underwoods yet, but they have not shown their cards yet and they kick off over 100 folks in this Hollywood week. I do like the show, and I could not have cared less the first few years of it. Not sure what got me -- maybe lack of anything worth a measured CRAP on TV.

Reading about Rick Dees and other L.A. DJs this week reminded me of the lack of up-and-coming Country radio folks. There are plenty of good ones right now, but has anyone heard or seen a break out one or two or three?

The music of 2007 is still in the incubation period as sales are awful and no real breakout hits either.

Music Row pal Billy Bob Thornton made it through the Super Bowl, then on to Atlanta for a press gathering. Meeting Billy Bob at the hotel with Lynyrd Skynyrd's Rickey Medlocke. Lynyrd Skynyrd is very alive and well and looking forward to a huge touring year.

Chesney is in the tour-getting-ready stage with tickets already on sale, and he hits the cover of Country Weekly.

Rascal Flatts getting a big salute in town from the city, the CMA and others as the best-selling group in any genre. February 20 will be dubbed Flatt Tuesday. These guys don't get their due. Maybe this year they will.

Sammy Kershaw making the paper with bankruptcy news and Sara Evans getting in for some divorce-related matters again brings me all the way back to the opening headline. Privacy. What is too much publicity and how can you feed the public's desire to know more and more? Feed it while not making the stars anymore crazy than they already are!

I just got mad this week watching the news crews in front of the troubled astronaut's home doing live shots. It just didn't seem right. The Sara Evans divorce coverage felt the same way. God knows the Anna Nicole Smith story is news, but when do you stop the train that's headed for the wreck at road's end?

Not being able to measure. Having no feelings for those involved. Feeding the public's celebrity appetite for news is getting weirder and weirder. Or are the stars themselves getting more strange and out of control -- and in some cases dead?

It's an interesting discussion. Celebrity backlash, is it coming? Or is it going to be that much more with YouTube, cell-phone cameras, etc.? We are going to find out one way or another very soon. These are changing times like none other. Fast times too. You'd better hold on or you WILL fall down.