Figuring Out The CMA Voter

Award shows are giant infomercials so it is obvious why any business wants their product/service out there for display. The months leading up to the event is marketing and publicity platinum. The publicity is free and often plentiful. Sales increases follow. With that all said checking out who is in and who is out with the CMA awards is a lot easier.

The Chicks are clearly out! I think BOTH sides lose on this affair. They are damaged goods no matter how the spinners spin it. Despite making some of the dumbest PR moves of ALL TIME, The Chicks are fantastic recording artists and mesmerizing performers. They lose since they are too dumb to overcome bad decisions/bad advice/bad management and the industry loses by abandoning this talented trio. LOSE-LOSE is never a way to end a battle.

Toby Keith with ZERO nominations. You would think CMT would have the juice to get him in something. Toby is a roughneck. Hard to get along with but one of the best song pickers around. A solid stage performer, but he's out now on his own label, still full of himself and not one who has ever tried to fit in. So here we are. Another LOSE-LOSE. Toby is a good guy deep down. Excellent on stage and in the studio. He deserves better but you reap what you so sometimes. Self imposed exile.

Tim McGraw with one nomination. What's that all about? Biggest tour of the year, etc, etc. He is without DEBATE one of the top five but his Music Row politics MUST be askew. His label isn't the biggest three and I can't think of any other reasons. Tim is a great guy. He got hosed!

What is going on here? I'm just on three of the top performers in music and they are ignored. Add Hank, Jr., Lee Ann Womack, Trisha Yearwood and you have some real Country talent missing in action. But hey they are on the wrong side of the promotion ladder or something.

The nominees who did make it for the most part are very deserving. Short of a few names that I would replace for others, it's nothing to lose sleep over. In a perfect world, things would be different right?

You do have to thank some mysterious Wizard of Oz on 16th Avenue for picking George Strait for the Hall of Fame. Talk about outsiders, but hey they did the right thing by doing it NOW! Hooray for someone wherever you are. Sonny James is 15 years late but better late than never and same for Harold Bradley. So justice can be served on Music Row. Next year Charlie Daniels.

I'm still tired from that Kenny Chesney show in Detroit.

Early winners of CMA's: Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, I guess Keith Urban, "Believe," Rascal Flatts, Brooks & Dunn. Album of the year? Maybe Brad. Maybe Alan Jackson, probably Brad.

Happy Labor Day.