Looks like some old friends are getting back together for another show.   It is not a tour it is a... reality show!  

Kelly Clarkson and Jason Aldean will team up as Jason will help the Voice Judge in The Knockout Round...

Dierks Bentley will be the artist that teams to help Blake and his team...

You may remember Jason and Kelly, performing together before, on another reality show...

Ask anyone in my life and they will tell you I ask a lot of questions.  I do. I know that it can be a bit much after a while, but I am a very curious person.  Years ago I went to get some help for some problems I was dealing with (or actually not) and my counselor told me  "Scott, you are a very curious individual, you want to know things."  It was the first time anyone had ever said that to me. I mean how do you know?  You're just - YOU!

I do want to know things.  Asking people questions is about the nicest thing you can say to them.  You are actually saying, "What do you think or feel about........"  And it makes people feel important to be asked, about that there is no doubt.  By asking others questions you are showing interest in THEIR feelings and thoughts and taking the focus off of yourself. People like that.  I always think that is a good formula to building long lasting friendships.  I am VERY proud to say I have many GREAT friends that I see regularly and play golf with I have known all my life.

Here is a fun read too, about questions. What do you think about that??

Click To Read!

The 1990's were a great time for our format and mega star names like Shania, Garth, Alan, Clint, and Billy Ray were absolutely synonymous with it.  But so were names like, Chesnutt, Stone, Byrd, McGraw, Hill and John Michael Montgomery.  He was part of a class that came along a few years after the huge avalanche of 1989, and was a major factor and very popular.  His gift to us was that he was a big new star in an era where we needed one to keep the momentum going that had been building since 1986.  He was right on time.

His First Hit Song - Really Got Him Noticed!  Should Have Been #1 (#4)

In the 1990's we had all those major stars mentioned above, and there was others too like George Strait, Alabama, Randy Travis, Brooks And Dunn, and Reba.  Every era has its big, and mainline stars.  BUT, I have always maintained what made that era the very best ever, were the acts just outside of the mega stars.  In addition to the above mentioned JMM, Pam Tillis, Tracy Lawrence, Martina McBride, Joe Diffie, Patty Loveless, Terri Clark, JoDee Messina, Kathy Mattea and many others. We also had a young Kenny Chesney and Toby Keith, and new groups like Blackhawk, Lonestar, Diamond Rio, and Shenandoah.

His First #1 - A Staple At The Time!

We have never had such a robust and talented group of successful artists like this  -  in this regard. They were artists that had real popularity, sold a lot of albums, concert tickets, and had real appeal, that in any other era would have been the dominant stars. These are stars that gave us real depth and kept the radios on. These stars to me are the ones that really helped drive the format to incredible heights. We had GREAT songs on the radio all the time. Every era has it gigantic stars and you need them. But not many eras have this kind of talent.  It was a remarkable time. And John Michael Montgomery was the leader of this new class.

Another Number One!

He really hit in 1992 with Life's A Dance, and the success of that first album really set the stage for his march through the 1990's which was very strong.  During his run he released some 30 songs, and had 7 number ones.  It seemed like there were more because of his incredible popularity, but many of the songs stopped near the top of the charts.  In fact, between 1992 and 1999 only 4 of songs didn't make the top ten.  He was a big time hit maker and fans loved him.  The real key for him in my view was song selection.  He really picked songs that not only he would do well, but would find a niche within the format and cut through. Especially his ballads, many became staples in pop-culture and not just on the radio.

His Ballads Were Loved

In addition to charting well, he was selling well. His first album, Life's A Dance sold over 3 million.  His second, Kickin' It Up sold 4 million, and his third and his fourth sold 2 million each.  Funny thing is, that in an era of so many dominant stars, we almost are numb to how many great stars we had at that time, and the record sales were simply staggering. JMM had an amazing run and recorded hugely popular ballads like, I Can Love You Like That, I Love The Way You Love Me and I Swear, and many others that became love themes and wedding songs. 

Huge Song - Still Gets Requested

He also had some real fun songs, like Sold, Be My Baby Tonight and others that showed his amazing versatility.  He was about the most versatile we had then. He is from a musical family as you may know as his brother is Eddie Montgomery from Montgomery Gentry.  And his nephew is newcomer Dillon Carmichael who is on the charts now. 

What a run, what great music and what a star.  JMM still tours and plays  - and this week he will be in town at the Dusty. 

The sold out WQMX Golf Outing is going to be a blast.  This is behind-the-scene footage of me at Raintree Golf  and Event Center on the 16th!  I'm kidding but it is funny.   

Thanks to our sponsors - Mazda of Wooster, The Amy Wengerd Group EXP Realty, Mike's Hard Lemonade Seltzers and Cayman Jack Margaritas!  

This will be a lot of fun (and NO BEARS!!!)!  Hole Sponsorships still available at WQMX.com.

The Perseid Meteor Shower started last month and continues through the end of August, but the peak days are August 11-13. NASA says at its peak you could see 50 - 100 meteors per hour. The best times to view is in the pre-dawn hours, but you may be able to see them as early as 10pm. Even though we are expecting clouds and rain those days, you still may be able to see the meteor shower, which doesn't require a telescope. Click here for more viewing tips from EarthSky!

Blake Shelton was a guest today on The Kelly Clarkson show along with fellow The Voice coaches John Legend and Nick Jonas. Blake had a bit of an embarassing moment during a heated game of "Throw Me A Line": 

In December, my house will continue to be a dojo...

My son goes thru spells of American Ninja Warrior, Bruce Lee Movies and Cobra Kai.

Basically he watches about 2 seconds of the show and then starts spin-kicking the air and everything around the room.

It is fun... Well sometimes!  The path of destruction leaves more coordination to be desired.

So in December looks like the McKee Dojo is back.... in the All Valley Karate Tournament.  I can't wait!!!!

For the past few weeks, I wrote a 4 part series on Desert Island Country Albums, featuring an album from each decade from the 1980's to today. Plus 4 Wild Cards.  The best albums you would want with you marooned on a desert island!

Here are all four parts if you missed them  -  (Part 1)  (Part 2)  (Part 3)  (Part 4)

So, there were 20 total albums by various stars from different decades.  They all are  -  and were GREAT!  But many of you have asked, what is the BEST one? I didn't really think about which one is best, but you all got me thinking, and I guess there has to be a "best."  That's where we are in the world.  What album is the best in the past 40 years of my country radio career?

To be honest, it was tough.  I had to ignore personal feelings about the songs and the artists.  Forget sales or radio play or singles. They all had a bunch of all of them.  What album start to finish best captured that particular era and the minds and hearts of fans and listeners from this list of 20?  The winner is what I remember to be the best in every regard.  I looked at it as honestly as I could.

And the Winner IS -  

The 1990's  (1997)  Tim McGraw - Everywhere

This is just flat out great stuff.  This is one of the very best albums, of any format, anywhere over the past 30 years.  Everywhere is an upper deck grand slam home run from the first song to the last. It was, and is the crown jewel of his incredible career.  There were great albums from him before this, and of course great albums after, but this is beyond sensational.  Again, this ten song album threw out 6 hits, 4 of them #1's.  Two of the hits spending 6 weeks at number one. This is a once in a lifetime kind of deal where an album is so good, and universally loved by fans. What a gem for music in general. Any artist  - recording any kind of music would love to record an album this good, focused, and on point.  Everything just lined up perfectly for this to be the classic it is. Multi-platinum, terrific. This album took a star and made him a mega star.

Singles  - It's Your Love #1 (6weeks)  /  Everywhere #1  /  Just To See You Smile #1 (6weeks) /  One Of These Days #2 /   Where The Green Grass Grows #1  / For A Little While #2

It's Your Love   - 6 Weeks Number One....

Title Song - A Work Of Art

Tim McGraw is back with a new song, and it's one of the strangest titles you'll hear, 7,500 OBO.  McGraw is seeming to be making an effort recently to recapture some of the magic of the 1990's with the last few songs, and I'm OK with that.  I feel there will be an audience for 90's country for the foreseeable future and he was one of the driving forces in it.

I loved, I Called Mama, which to me was very 90's driven, and there is a lot to like here with this song.  It's a love and lose song, that will strike a chord with many.  It's a sort of story song, and it is certainly original.  I always think McGraw is great when the songs come directly from his heart.  That is what he does best.  This sounds like it could have been a song from 1996 for him. 

So sit back and grab a coffee and take in a new McGraw song!  (The Video features his daughter)

About Half – Of us feel good about returning to a movie theater (Cinamasafe)

Box Office Results - Suicide Squad tanks - about 25 million  (Story)

New This Week -  Free Guy  /  Don't Breathe  / Respect   

Tim and Faith - Will to star in a Yellowstone prequel called 1883 on Paramount+  (Story) 

Next Week  - Reminiscence with Hugh Jackman (Theaters and HBO Max)

Addams Family Netflix Show  -  Coming soon, and Catherine Zeta Jones will play Morticia (Story)

Christina Applegate  -  Has been diagnosed with MS -  (Story)

Quentin  Tarantino  - Says his mom used to belittle him and his Hollywood dreams, so he has "never given her a penny"  (Story)

This Weekend – Check out my Country Music Memory Lane (link)

Check out my Song Of The Week - (Link)