Box Office Results - The Woman King  -   (19 Million)

New This Week - Avatar -  (Back in theaters)  -  Don't Worry Darling

New NEXT Week - Smile / Bros / Hocus Pocus 2 (Disney Plus)

Reminder - October 14 — Halloween Ends with Jamie Lee Curtis

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

  Last week I featured Randy Travis and how his impact was immense on the future of Country Music in 1986, essentially saving the genre. Dwight Yoakam was right there with him.  And from my seat when these two showed up, everything changed for country.  Dwight Yoakam had a bevy of really great songs, but who he was, was just as important.  Dwight Yoakam was good for us in so many ways, the music was just one of them.

His Break Through Song!

As Urban Cowboy was running out of gas, we were at a pivotal point in our genre. Do we continue to record, release, market, and play the same stuff that was stagnant, vanilla and not really loved by fans, or do we go in a very different direction?  Travis' Storms of Life  album shifted the direction of the format for years to come, as did Yoakam's Guitars And Cadillacs.  Musically the two were entirely different, and in style and image as well.  But the one thing they totally had in common was they were new, young, and here to make an incredible difference.  They arrived at about the same time, the right time, they just took very different paths. 

This Was A Very Popular Song!

Yoakam for the most part grew up in Columbus, Ohio where he went to school and eventually enrolled in Ohio State, but that didn't last long.  He was heavily influenced by the music he grew up listening to on Columbus country radio, and what he saw on TV.  Elvis, and others to be exact.  He moved to Nashville in the early 80's and was told he was too honky-tonk, too bluegrass, too rockabilly, in short, he was just too much - period.  You see, country was very safe in those days. My first number of years in country radio there were safe pop sounding songs from mostly established older artists and no one new was finding us, listening to us, and most of all enjoying us.  We were officially "non-fun"  and "non risk taking" overall and we all were concerned. We were treading water.

A Former Elvis Hit One Of His Heroes - Big For DW

Yoakam moved to California where he embraced the Bakersfield sound, and eventually found the ear of Reprise Records and recorded an "EP" at that time with some songs Yoakam had written and a couple of covers. It would become the iconic, Guitars and Cadillacs, and it was a huge success.  I emceed a live show with Yoakam right at his beginning, as Honky Tonk Man was just finding its way to the charts.  It was at some big club in Columbus, and I was doing mornings at WRMZ FM-100 Country there, we were the sister station to WMNI, the station Yoakam had grown up with as a kid.  We had done shows there a few times with a local legendary group called, McGuffey Lane, all great guys.  (They were sort of the Michael Stanley of Columbus, in how much they were loved)  The place was mobbed, I mean jammed, with people seemingly hanging from the rafters to see Yoakam play.   He was different, and you could feel and see it.

With One Of His Idols - Legendary Buck Owens  #1   (This Song Was A Big Moment In His Run) 

Yoakam was this new avant garde hybrid with his look and way.  He was a new deal with a low riding hat, tighter than tight jeans that had holes in them, pointed boots, un-tucked shirt, jean waist jacket with some kind of rhinestones, and other stones lining the seams of his clothes with leather straps hanging off his sleeves, and some strange handmade belt worn low.  All of that unheard of at the time, common place later.  He had some Elvis type moves, a rockabilly singing delivery, and was just - cool.  That's the best way I can describe it.  The music was a bit loud, with a band that looked nothing like any country backup band I had ever seen.  The music was also respectful of his heroes well before him, and we knew that was his passion, and loved him for it.  We believed him, and that's a BIG DEAL for any country singer. He was on to something, it was new and really fun. It was a new day.

Huge Hit  - Grammy Award Winner

Gone were the freshly pressed leisure suits of the day with badly died hair, capped teeth, long necklaces with wide open collars, and boots with no hat or anything else that was up to date. And also gone were the perceived "fake cowboys" of country where the big belt buckle and occasional hat wasn't fooling anyone anymore.  This was a new kind of country star.  And to me, along with the incredible music, that is the real gift Yoakam brought us. 

A Real Yoakam Favorite

As where musically Randy Travis was politely asking Urban Cowboy to kindly step aside so others could play too, Yoakam seemed to give them the old heave-ho by the seat of their polyester pants, and Jordache jeans.  Yoakam's music in many ways was a throwback to an era gone by, but it had a thump, it was traditional, loud, brash and more in your face, all being delivered by a guy in a very cool and new kind of get up and approach. He really helped begin the change of the stage show for country, another great gift.  We were not just standing at the mic anymore.

Great Song  - Cool Video

DW would enjoy a number of years of really good success in country.  There are those who had more number one songs, and so on, but he was loved. His music was as distinct as he was.  You knew it was him on the radio and I always feel that is the mark of a really great artist, the one that can cut through.  His look which was  -  and is -  distinctly his.  It directly led to others in the years straight ahead to be more as daring, different and new.  Yoakam made us far more adventurous.  And at the beginning, we could have played him and Travis about 10 times an hour and no one would have minded. 

Big Concert Song For Him

Yoakam opened up the minds of those reluctant to do so, while easing the minds of those longing for a new traditional country sound, and he brought us new listeners who decided to give us a try after seeing and hearing him.  He was right there with Randy Travis closing out the Urban Cowboy pop country era for the newer traditionalists that were on the way.  He is a Grammy winner, a CMA and ACM winner going on to sell close to 30 million albums which was unheard of then.  He also was the very first country artist to EVER to have videos played on MTV.  He was that cool and different.  Acting was ahead as you know and he became re-famous in Hollywood doing great work there.

Later Yoakam - Different But Still Really Cool -

Dwight Yoakam to me is a very important player in the evolution of a far more modern country music landscape.  He broke down a bunch of barriers and was daring enough musically and style wise to help change the direction of country music and its future entertainers.  In the last few decades, he is one of the most respected artists we have had.  He was accepted by artists from many genres as a real innovative artist.  In a different way, he was as pivotal as Travis  - and for us he was right on time.

Dwight Yoakam - A true trailblazer.

Insanely awful loss yesterday.  Simply unacceptable. I have said all summer long this team has a lot of question marks and problems.  Today local and national media should be fun to listen to.  The locals think we are the greatest team of all time, and the nationals don't.  Social media has been fun all summer long with many saying we will be 14-3 and others saying we will win 6 games.  Who knows?  Vegas says about 8, may be about right.

Maybe the Browns and media should quit talking about how great things will be after week 11. Or how great it's going to be when Myles Garrett breaks the team sacks record, or gets Defensive Player of the Year. (Good lord  - who cares?)  Or how great many of these average players they extended in the off season really are.  

Fact is, I am NOT down on the Browns, but I am willing to look at them honestly and admit, we are not in the upper crust of the NFL - Not yet anyway, but it's a long season.  And I DO know this team has issues.  We all know what they do well, and who does it well, this team has some great players, a few are the NFL's best at what they do.  But today we will look at what we DON'T have.  (No order)

We don't have a coach that is outwardly demanding of players.  You need to adjust coach, your clock is ticking.

We don't have a coach that is emotional and the team reflects it.  You can be too laid back.

We don't have an owner that makes the organization as a whole want to be better.

We don't have a lot of real NFL experience at many vital position groups.

We don't have the ability to not overpay some players that numerous other teams won't.

We don't have many big draft picks in the next few years.

We don't have an experienced backup QB right now if this thing goes wrong.

We don't have access to a QB they paid a quarter of a billion dollars to for good long while.

We don't have a real leader on defense. The guy who WON'T let you lose.  It's starting to show.

We don't have a star defender who makes game changing plays when you need a big play made at games end.

We don't have good special teams - period.

We don't really have the ability to make massive comebacks if needed with the current QB situation.

We don't have receivers that make really big plays after the catch.

We don't have a star tight end either, we have expensive ones.

We don't have a killer instinct.

We don't have a real home field advantage like some teams - Try beating the Chiefs at Arrowhead.

We don't know how to handle good fortune.

I have been worried about these things all off season.  The truth is the Browns spent much of the off season focusing, out of a necessity of their own making, on many things except the football challenge at hand.  The thought was a star QB would solve problems, but he won't. Yes, he will solve a few issues on offense, more than likely in 2023.

These are some of the issues the Browns need to somehow address right now as Sunday was pathetic. And we won opening week on a wing and prayer.  If this team is really as good as many say, both should have been slam dunks, as so far we have faced teams that are not very good.  Steelers this week, then the schedule gets tougher.  

Time to wake up, face the issues and get to work.  

  Today is the start of National Dog Week.  I love dogs.  What I really love about dogs are the lessons we can learn from them if we pay enough attention.  They are incredible teachers.

My Husky Juneau is, and has been a great companion for me for 12 years.  She is the dog that many like me have always wanted.  She's a part of the family.  She is fun, she is very talkative, she is emotional and loves to be where the people are.  She is far closer to the end than the beginning now, and requires a bit more attention, work and few meds, but she's still a great friend.

Juneau

She lost her great friend, Kona  (another husky) a few years ago, but she recovered.  She made new friends when I met the beautiful Windy. She LOVES Windy, and the pugs, Luna and Midnight.  They friended each other up quick as you can see.  Juneau is much older than those two, and leads the pack.  The pugs are great dogs too, and I have become big fans, as I have never owned little dogs.  They are wonderful company for our family.  And it's very peaceful at the house when we see the three of them snoozing in the same room.

Luna -  Loves Her Stuffed Llama  (So fun)

What dogs do is amazing. My mom's dog Summer was great company for my mom until Summer died.  My mom was very old (92), and losing her health and memory, and Summer sensed a change and became even better company as her, and my moms days dwindled down to a precious few.  I am thankful to Summer for that.  Summer could be difficult at times, but she was razor sharp and smart, and was a good dog for my mom for many years.

Midnight -  Same

You see the dog/human thing goes back about 25,000 years as legend goes.  Legend says this - One day all those years ago a starving human and a hungry dog ran across each other in the woods.  They each thought about eating each other, until they came to an agreement. They would hunt and eat together.  And the rest is history as we have been best friends ever since.

Is that true?  Who cares?  It's a nice allegorical story if it's not, and fantastic if it is.

Love your dog, happy week to all!

Box Office Results - Barbarian (10 Million)

New This Week - The Woman King / See How They Run

New NEXT Week - Avatar - Back in theaters 

Over The Weekend - New Trailer for live action Little Mermaid his YOU tube - Halle Bailey movie out May

The Crown - Viewing is up about 800% since the Queen passed away  

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

  I have been emceeing shows at the Wayne County Fair for about 17 years now, and they continue to bring in GREAT acts like Lonestar.  They've been there before, but it was good to see them again.

Check Out My Article On Lonestar

Fans jammed he grandstand and the show didn't disappoint.  After all these years, they still have it, and still have the admiration of their fans.

See you TUESDAY for Sara Evans - I'll be on stage at 8PM

Check Out My Article On Sara Evans

Early on in this series I wrote a piece Who Saved Country Music.  It was a two-part series where I stated that  Randy Travis was the one in 1986.  I stand by that.  Oh, and by the way, Garth Brooks has stated that publicly too.  I feel he and Dwight Yoakam were the absolute ones.  Randy Travis with a single album, put us on an entirely new track that led to the massive country boom.

His First Hit Song   (Album -  Storms Of Life)

When Travis showed up in Nashville, Country was still a very pop-country sounding format.  The Urban Cowboy trend began years earlier was still very influential.  For me, Urban Cowboy had done its job.  It introduced us to a new fan base but it had a shelf life that had worn out its welcome by the mid 80's.  Much of the music was piano laden ballads or medium tempo love songs with little bark and less bite, being performed by and large by older stars with the idea that we could be all things to all people. That seldom works in life  -  let alone music.  To me, the music was rudderless.  Too country for pop fans, not country enough for others, and we weren't selling tickets or albums at a very good pace.

This Song Started A Whole New Era   (Storms Of Life) 

I joined country radio in 1981, and this is what we all knew.  Sure, Alabama, Hank Jr, George Strait, Reba, John Anderson, Earl Thomas Conley and others were the new traditionalist of that time that had a fresh sound and fan bases, but on the radio we were musically very inconsistent.  Pop country was still drowning out the new sound.  Around 1986, there was a new breed coming in, Keith Whitley, Holly Dunn, Patty Loveless  and others were making some new waves.  But everything changed when Randy Travis showed up.  He about single-handedly ended the pop country era with one iconic album - a title of 3 simple words - Storms Of Life. 

That album completely changed the entire direction of country music.  Fans loved his big warm voice, his style, his clean younger look, and the feel of that album.  I have stated too that I feel On The Other Hand is one of the most important songs in country music history.  It failed in its first release, peaking on the charts in the 60's. Then re-released and going number one.  The artist and the sound of that song is what country fans had been waiting for - had arrived. And a sound that many others didn't know they wanted.  Then Guitars And Cadillac's from Yoakam showed up and it was on. For the next couple of decades, country would have a boom we could have never imagined.

Mel Tillis Passed On This Song  (Storms Of Life)

Travis was told countless times after arriving in Nashville that he was "too country."   (As were others too)  That was a prevalent thought from many -  against many new artists then. Seems silly now, but Nashville was in love with pop-country even though it was not doing well and whose shelf life had expired.  Travis took country, TV, award shows and the nation by storm.  He went on a chart and award show run that was incredible.  He opened the door for so many stars, they should all send him a thank you card. Some in Country had been trying for a number of years to be more traditional from the inside with moderate success overall.  He made it the rule.  There was a time we could have played his music 5 times and hour and no one would have minded.  Travis overnight became this humble, almost reluctant star.

Another Huge Hit  (Storms Of Life)

The albums that followed were huge as well, and he was recording songs from the best songwriters in Nashville and his own writing.  There were the true stories of him playing hits like Forever And Ever Amen multiple times in the same concert because of fan demand.  Sometimes back-to-back. He was selling concert tickets and albums at an amazing pace that we had not been seeing except for maybe Alabama.

Big Song Fans Loved

Travis' main gift to us, beyond shifting the sound and direction of country was this.  He made people fall in love with traditional country again who had been waiting for an artist like him to show up.  And he also introduced that same sound to people who never knew they would like it.  He made it safe for them. His easy going, honest sound was to love.  Singing songs that were real, to the point, arranged simply and suited for him.  Fans liked him, his way, his look, and ability to sing and say the words they could not. 

I have always felt that Randy Travis deserves in the country music world a whole lot of the credit for the gigantic success of the 1990's and beyond.  When the class of 1989 came, and led to the 1990's, the names were different, and so were the shows. Concerts became different, larger, bigger, louder and more along the lines of a rock show. Garth helped bring us that with his love of Kiss from the 1970's and 80's.  And the acts that followed him -  followed that.  It to me was all made possible by Travis, and his introduction of a new day, to an eager, hungry, excited and much younger and newly enthused fan base.

Great Remake Of A GREAT Song

His run was well into the 1990's and he needs to get a bunch of the credit for the success of that decade too.  Sure there were new names, bigger names, but Travis was still right there with them.  There has been much written too about the relationship with his one time manager and later wife, Liz Hatcher, and their eventual nasty divorce.  They had a relationship of some nature that was tabloid stuff in one way or another for about 30 years and it was a real headline starter, that seemed to follow him always.  Sadly, Travis had a stroke in 2013 and has never been the same -  as a young man, as he is now only 62.  Sometimes life is just not fair.

Another Number One Song

That is all a part of his story, but for here, he should be celebrated mightily.  Randy Travis was a new deal, a difference maker and he should be in every Hall Of Fame there is.  Many artists make the charts and score hit songs, number ones, sell tickets and albums.  But the raw, hard, cold truth is not many make any real difference. Randy Travis did.  He totally ended one musical era and ushered in another and not many can say that.  His arrival signaled the complete turnover of artists on the country charts as well.  His contribution was immense.  Sure, others have sold more since him, but that doesn't tell the story. The big stars, Clint, Garth, Alan, Brooks And Dunn and hundreds of others should be thankful to Travis for opening a totally new door.

Great Song - Honest

With Travis, pay no attention to the sales, number ones, or any of those stats, they are very impressive but they don't tell the majority of his story. The shift began about 1981 of a new kind of country, then in 1986 be took it all to another level.

Song Written By Alan Jackson

Travis was the lightning bolt that energized and revolutionized the format, and made a whole lot of everything possible, changing it forever.

Forever And Ever, Amen.

Mega Star Randy Travis.

Thank YOU for coming out to the Heart Walk on Saturday morning as we raised money for the Heart Association. It was my second year hosting the event at Lock 3 in Akron, and I look forward to many more!

Perfect weather, and GREAT people! 

See you next year - THERE!

Maybe you do this, because I used to.  Do you buy a bunch of meat maybe a pig, or half a steer of something similar and freeze it?  I had a chest freezer and I would buy a real nice package that was a mix of pork, beef and chicken.  It saved me a bunch of money and dinner was always at the house. It generally lasted about a year.

I know there are some that don't care for frozen meat and that's fine.  But it doesn't bother me, just so I remembered to take dinner out of the freezer.

But how long do certain meat last in the deep freeze.  In case you have ever wondered, here is a table to help you.

Thanks

How Long Can You Freeze Meat

This weekend, Saturday is the annual Heart Walk Akron at Lock 3.  I will be emceeing the event and I'm looking forward to seeing you there!  The weather is going to be GREAT, and you can come on down and register that morning if you haven't already.  I talked with the great folks from the Heart Association and Fifth-Third Bank on the show this week and they are very excited about this years walk.

So, get up early and come downtown and be a part of the Heart Walk 2022.  See YOU there!

GREAT Info About The Heart Walk This Weekend!