This week I am looking back on a few women in our history that were cut from a very different cloth.  These amazing and highly original women all had varying levels of success on the charts, but they all had a nice following.  They were far edgier than many other women of their era with a unique style and that was their calling card.  I loved all these artists and you can't talk about "edgy" women in country without beginning with Tanya Tucker, who is STILL a force winning Grammy's in the past couple years. (My full profile on Tanya).  And in an even more contemporary sense, Lainey Wilson who is reinventing it right before our eyes.  But you may not be as familiar with these three below, or it'll be good to hear from them again.  Let's look back on three women, cut from a different cloth, that are simply terrific!

Lacy J. Dalton

I loved her.  She she hit the charts in the early 1980's and remained there for a few years.  She was dubbed by some as the "Janis Joplin Of Country Music", and that was apt.  She reminded me too of Bonnie Tyler and even Bonnie Raitt to a degree with her singing delivery.  Her very edgy voice really stood out in her era.  I always felt that she picked perfect songs for singles.  Her single, 16th Avenue was highly influential to other women coming up, and was universally loved by critics as well.  She never had a number one, but Takin' It Easy was a #2.  The gift LJD had was when you heard her sing, you KNEW it was her, as she cut through and was exceedingly different. The song I'll feature here is Hard Times.  It was a top 10 hit and was out during the very tough economic recession of the early 80's, and it was right on time, and she was perfect for it.  I loved this song as it spoke to the times and listeners perfectly.  She now saves wild horses in Nevada. 

Michelle Wright

Not long before there was Shania Twain, Terri Clark and others out of Canada, there was the passionate Michelle Wright.  She is among the most awarded singers of all music in Canadian history.  When she broke through in the states in the very early 90's, she opened the door for a flood of north of the border singers to come to Nashville.  I loved hearing her sing with her very sultry and soulful voice. Her chart success in this country was not nearly the same as in Canada, and that's a shame.  She charted a number of songs, like Take It Like A Man, which was a top ten and New Kind Of Love, and there were a few others.  But her style was new and in her native country she is as big as any country star has ever been.  She has won every award there is to win a few times over and is in their Hall Of Fame.  A truly unique talent, voice and stylist, Michelle Wright has had a stellar career. 

K.T. Oslin

You can't possibly talk about a different cloth and not mention the utterly unique K.T. Oslin.  She had an amazing career and was very definition of the aforementioned.  When she debuted, that extreme difference was the absolute key to her incredible success.  She was so unique in her sound, style and heck the stage in life -  when she at last found a gigantic fan base. (She was 45 when she took off  - simply unheard of).  That base was more than proud to cheer her on  -  and a musical genre that accepted her and took her to the absolute top.  She is a huge award winner and the owner of many big hit songs over about an incredible 5 year span.  80's Ladies  was an anthem for a generation and she had other powerful songs that made her a hero.  And that's not too big of a word for her at that time.  She was most certainly a bluesy stylist, and there was NO DOUBT who was singing on the radio when she was on it.  K.T. Oslin died in 2020, she was 78. (My Complete Profile On Her)  -  There will never be another one.

Old Country - Mark Chesnutt  - 1992  - (Album - Longnecks and Short Stories)

Mark Chesnutt was a big time hit maker in the 1990's.  I was a big fan, and I thought he really had the right idea a that moment.  He was in the era of Garth, Alan, George, Shania, Reba and about a thousand other huge artists.  Chesnutt is a Texas honky-tonk legend and gifted country singer.  He had a lot of fun and upbeat songs, but I always felt songs like this were his real strength.  This is a powerful, emotive song of opposites attracting and falling in love.  Hope you like your country - "country" because that's what we've got here.  It's well done, well sung, and you're happy for our "city" gal, and "good ole" boy who find each other after being left unfulfilled before meeting.  This works too because at the time of this release, guys like MC were a bit under-dogged as the country charts were jammed with gigantic stars.  And in our minds we were cheering for him as well as our lovers within the song itself.  This song ended up exactly where it belonged with him. #2 on the country charts at the time, but this is a #1 if I've ever heard one.  This is a country music work of art. 

He will be at Neon Nights this summer.

My Profile On Mark Chesnutt

Once in a while an artist finds a song and everything changes for the entirety of their career.  That is this song, with this now Mega Star woman.  Faith Hill was rolling along with a nice string of solid country songs and enjoying success.  Then in 1998 this song and album (Faith) came out and she smashed the gas and took off like never before.  This is one of those songs I can't hear anyone else but Faith singing.  It matched her perfectly personally and professionally at that moment and is still 100% believable.  She and this song seemed to be on a collision course long before this.  It's one of those cosmic things that is just meant to be.  After this went #1, Faith Hill was forever changed as an artist.  She wasn't quite as country as before, but was catapulted into a whole new arena of pop and adult contemporary charts in addition to the country charts. This song is VERY SPECIAL to many fans still, as this was their introduction to country music. I respect when a single song can do that. The 90's had a few songs that did that, and this was one of them.  After this her image was new, her sound was new and her popularity found a higher gear. She brought us a lot of new fans with this song, and in very short order became a Mega Star!

Last Week #37

My Full Profile On Faith Hill

Hey, I won't lie.  I am not the biggest seafood eater on the planet, or in the ocean. But I do like a good shrimp recipe.   And then you glue on the "5 Minute Thing" on there and I'm listening. THEN the "garlic card" comes out and I'm good to go.

So let's dig in!

5 Minute Shrimp!!

A lot of time here In feature a brand new song and a new artist, but this week's a bit different. You have told us there at WQMX you LOVE Brantley Gilbert and have for years.  His new song with Vince Gill and Blake Shelton is a real gem.  It's a bit different for him and this song is about perfect.  Featuring three big stars singing about the greatness of the country lifestyle, a slick arrangement and a very tidy 2:54, this song is about perfect.  And this week, Vince Gill has a birthday!

Heaven By Then

 And How This Song Happened

Box Office Results - Mario  -  (147 Million)

John Wick 2  - #2  - (14 Million)

Soon - HBO Max will simply be Max (Story)

New This Week - The Pope's Exorcist / Sweetwater / Renfield / Mafia Mamma

 A Stranger Things - Animated series franchise is coming to Netflix  (Story)

Scarlet Johanson – Says she's “too fragile” to ever get on social media  (Story)

Moana - There will be a live action version of this, and The Rock will produce it!~ (Story)

Get Ready - Warner Bros. Discovery is close to finalizing a deal for a Harry Potter television series (Story)

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

Also - My 50 Favorites Over 40+ Years This Week #37   (Link)

Mega Star Vince Gill is having a birthday this week, he is 66. Gill is one of the greatest vocalists that any genre of music has had in the past 40 years.  From his career as a pop singer, country singer, Eagle's player and vocalist and now on a new hit song with Brantley Gilbert and Blake Shelton, Gill has done it all.  Let's revisit my profile and article on him.  Get out your earbuds, there is a ton of GREAT music here.

The Mega Star Series - Vince Gill

Easter Sunday 4/9

Eat Of The Week

50 Favorites From 40+ Years

Forgotten Jukebox - A-35

Country Music Memory Lane - Vince Gill Revisited

Wynn At The Movies

I know, slow cookers or crock pots are a real sign of colder weather, let's crank it up one last time before it heads to the pantry collecting dust all summer long.  This is amazing!!!

One Last Slow Cooker - Before Summer

Baby I Lied – Deborah Allen - 1983 - (Album - Cheat The Night)

Deborah Allen had few songs on the country charts that charted well in her career that she recorded. But she wrote a ton of really big songs for others, and has been recognized as one of the most influential women in country.  But this song is all hers  -  and it's a gem.  In 1983, it's hard to effectively communicate just how different this song was on the radio.  It was cool, slick, rockin' -  in short it was amazingly different, everyone loved it, and it further opened more doors for her.  This was still the era of Urban Cowboy, vanilla pop country, and we were still playing singles from George Jones, Conway, Loretta, Crystal Gayle and the like.  This song in its arrangement, its feel and sound captured you the second it came on the radio and you had to listen.  It was a big #4 hit and crossed over to pop as it should have.  Her performance on it is incredible and cut through -  and halfway through it, you wanted to hear it again.  This song was way, way ahead of its time, and I have always wondered how this ever fell from our ears.  A big hit, from a great artist. Catch this one too - I've Been Wrong Before -  the follow up single - #1