Brittany sent me a note wanting to see if we could feature her favorite, Tracy Lawrence.  You bet Brit, what a great run he had and what great music he recorded.  I have played all of his hits on great radio stations across the country for years.

This Is About As Good As Debut Songs Get

TL was one of those really great artists that was part of the 1990's for the most part whose success was so big, he just blended in with many of the gigantic superstars of his era.  He was a couple years behind the class of 1989, but as time went on, you thought he was. He recorded a ton of great songs, and really dominated his era alongside Garth, Alan, George, Clint, Travis, and Randy Travis.  But what made his early success all the more impressive, is that he was only 23 years old at the time of his debut in 1991.  That is more than common today, but it certainly was not then.

Great Early Success - One Of The Best Songs Of the 1990's!

It all started with a song with a simple title in 1991, Sticks And Stones, and it went number one, and you could tell from that single, there was something special here. This was an incredible debut song. There was a strong sense of real in his music, and fans noticed that from the get go.  Sticks And Stones the song, set the stage for real success. In fact, from that song in 1991, till late 1997, every single from him made the top 7 with seven going number one. That was a remarkable feat in any era, as usually with a newer artist there is a slip up or two, but not with Lawrence.

Alibis - Was A Very Big Song!

Tl was right on time in 1991, as he was heavy on honky-tonk and he was a true hat wearing, Neo-Traditionalist. His warm country voice was welcome, and in short order he was in the same conversation as any big star in country.  He was on Atlantic Records for the bulk of his run, and when that country division closed down about 2001, it seemed to really take a toll on his charting career. 

This Song Spoke To Fans Directly

He did have success after that, and scored some real nice songs over the next number of years.  But Lawrence is another great example of just tough the biz can be.  Here's a guy on a roll, and in the same breath as many of his contemporary giants of the format, and then things change, listeners change, styles evolve, and society changes.  Again, we are reminded that the 20-25 year successful chart run of some, is certainly the exception and not near the rule.

I Always Loved This Song

I thought musically Lawrence was true and honest.  I believed his music. There was nothing phony about it, and when listening to a TL album, there was no doubt you were hearing country.  These songs were not going to cross over to the pop charts, and I think that was his absolute key. He was country from day one, and remained country throughout his entire run, and that garners a ton of respect.  His traditional fans loved that and I did too. He sold about 15 million albums and had solid chart success for a good long while.  His first five albums all multi platinum.

Classic Lawrence!

I'm very proud to have my name next to Habitat Of Humanity of Summit County. They are amazing people that do great work.  I have been the Honorary Chair for their golf outing for 13 years and I am again this year in July.

They asked me to host this event too, but I can't this year because of a prior station commitment, but my friend, fellow Dewsweeper, and co-worker Mason Meyer is going to, and I hope to join him next year for this really cool event at Baxter's Speakeasy, downtown Akron on May 19.

So support Habitat and go to this event next Thursday May 19!  I mean, Bourbon, food, and raising money for Habitat?  Can't go wrong there.  See you there next year!!!

(In the meantime, I'll see you at the Tim McGraw Concert the same night at Blossom)

Habitat's Bourbon Build Event May 19

Well the Browns off season has been interesting.  The draft is over and we can sort of move on to the biz of playing football in a few months. 

It may be a bit of irony that with all the money the Browns have spent, guaranteed, and the money the DON'T want to pay to bad contracts they themselves granted, the biggest impact player this year may be one of the lowest paid Browns.  Welcome rookie kicker Cade York from LSU.  And it's ABOUT TIME!

The Browns got the best kicker in the draft and that's all you can do.  The past few years it's been agonizing watching Browns kickers shanking kicks all over the stadium in win-able games. Hitting uprights, crossbars, coming up short, hooking footballs into the luxury suites, getting blocked, hitting the center in the fanny with the ball.  (OK that one is a lie).  But it feels true. Quite frankly, it's been embarrassing.  I have had to cover my eyes on simple extra-point tries. They have consistently and completely mishandled this area of the game miserably, there is no other way to put it.

Funny how the NFL is. Could be with our division and the AFC in general being so tough this year, it very well could be the most impactful player the Browns may have this year will be about 175 pounds.  They will without any question play a whole lot of very close games this season, and York could very well be the difference in all of those.  I think if he is as good as billed, he could be worth three points more a game.  Last year our kicking game WAS the difference in a few games, just - the wrong way.  I believe it may have cost us a playoff spot.

The Browns have done all they can do in this area, now the kid just has to perform and get it done.  He will possibly be the biggest impact player we have signed this year.  How many games come down to a kick made or missed? This year, more than likely a ton.

Go Cade!

Today is Mothers Day, and first I would love to wish all moms a very happy day, and I hope it's all you could ever wish for.  Great day to be with your family

My Mom, Babs At About 25  (Before My Time)

This is the first Mothers Day that I have been alive, where my mom hasn't been.  Babs passed away September 25 last year at the age of one week shy of 94, so I'll give it to her.  She lived a grand life for about 92 years and the last two or so, well were not near as good as the previous 9 decades. Her physical health was always remarkable, but her memory became the problem, and then so on and so forth.

Babs At A Ball Game With My SIL Erin A Couple Years Ago!

My mom was a college professor for most of her life. A teacher of speaking, singing, acting, directing, and painting, anything to do with the arts.  She also made sure we all were exposed to all of that to hopefully become well rounded adults. I wasn't always happy about that as a kid, but I am now. Teaching is what she knew.

Examples Of Her Work

In the end though, she forgot she did all that.  She forgot about the plays she was in, the songs she sang, and the friends she did it all with for 50 plus years.  She forgot about the incredible paintings she created, and the ones she donated and sold. She forgot about decades worth of students that she taught at Baldwin-Wallace and the lives she changed. And the toughest one, she forgot about the historic house in Berea she loved and lived in for over 62 years on her 3 acre piece of land. She forgot about the room additions she designed and decorated, she forgot she had a home, and that was tough.

But in those final few months, when the fog made land impossible to see and it became clear that her memory would never be clear, she taught me one last thing, something important.  That life, no matter how long you get, is for living.  I never felt that the things she loved so much would be stripped from her mind. Did she deserve better than that?  We all do.  I know we all owe a death, and we all die of something, but many times sadly, it's not like in the movies. 

So her final lesson for me, and us, was to live and live well. Enjoy the people in your life more than before, bacause as my family learned, it really is fragile.  Do the things you like to do more often, with the people you love, and do them with a joy that is envious to others.  I do those things, and I have people in my life that do the same.  I feel we may think we all know that, but many times we need a wakeup call.

Knowing my mom gave me a keener sense of life not only when she was alive and well, but when things weren't so good and it was clear that we were far closer to the end than the beginning. She was a teacher till September 24th of last year. I'm thankful I learned all the things I did from her, back in the day, yesterday, and this day.

At first I missed her really being her.  But as I thought about it more after a few months of sunrises, even though things were very differenta the end, she still was really her. Even though she may not have known it, she was always teaching.

Thanks for every lesson, Babs.  Happy Mothers Day!

(Cover Pic me and Babs long ago)

How great is a grilled cheese sandwich?  Silly question right?  And even though we may think we have this thing down, there is always room for improvement.  I know, we've been watching entirely too much Food Network at the house, BUT you do get to the point where you don't want to eat the same thing, made the same way all the time.

So, let's get that Grilled Cheese game elevated and go to the next level. 

Let's Get Your Grilled Cheese Elevated~!

  Hey, I know it's a few days away, but many times for events like this, one needs to plan. We are having a Draw For McGraw blood drive with American Red Cross and supported by our great friends at Lucky Shoes. It takes place Thursday May 12, and we want you to come to it. It's a great cause and everyone that enters could win a terrific VIP McGraw package, in conjunction with his show on the 19th at Blossom!

It's 12-6 May 12 - all the deets are here!

 All The Info For Draw For McGraw

Box Office Results - The Bad Guys - (12 milion)

New This Week - Dr. Strange

James Bond - The next James Bond  actor  - will not be anounced any time soon – gonna take their time  (Story)

Meg Ryan – Will star and direct her first Rom/Com is 13 years! She'll star with David Duchovny - in a movie called  - What Happens Later   (Story)

Meg Ryan's - Last Rom/Com was - Serious Moonlight in 2009  (Yeah, Me Either)

Got The Axe - The axe used by Jack Nicholson in  The Shining was sold at auction last weekend for $175,000.  (Story) 

Kim Cattrall - Says she turned down SATC Reboot because she was NEVER friends with her co-stars - and there were other reasons too! (Story) 

It's Happening - There's going to be a Hunger Games prequel - The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes - November 2023.  (Story)

Avatar 2 - The Way of Water, and a teaser trailer has been released.

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

  Today is Cinco de Mayo and of course we all are thinking about Margaritas, Tequila, chips and salsa, shots, and a half day of work.  The funny thing is, Cinco de Mayo is a far bigger day here than most places on earth, but it's fun.  We have a GREAT time lined up for you at the Dusty Armadillo Today with a concert with a new artist, Ryan Griffin and his debut song, Salt, Lime And Tequila.  See you there!

Country has a long list of big songs about Tequila, so let's look back and listen to some of these, just because.

There are clearly many more and maybe you can add them to our list, but enjoy!  Click on them and listen.  Today is the day.....

Salt, Lime And Tequila -   Ryan Griffin -  New artist, new song -  come see us at the Dusty - Tonight!  We had him on the show a few weeks ago, good guy, good talent!

Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off -  Joe Nichols - (2005)  #1  Very big song that not only is known in country, but known to those who know nothing about us.  A real favorite from him.

Tequila Little Time  - Jon Pardi - (2021)  Top five hit with the Mariachi horns and the whole bit.  Love Jon Pardi, and I'm a fan of his videos too.  Wildly popular song.  Hard not to love Jon Pardi.

Jose Cuervo - Shelly West   -  (1983)  Very big song #1 - She really broke through as Dottie's daughter after her very successful partnership with David Frizzell came to an end.  This song was loved, a very big hit.

Tequila Talkin' - Lonestar  - (1995) - Early days of Lonestar this song peaked at #8.  It's fun to hear and see them from the beginning of their run as the band was original and in tact. 

Tequila - Dan and Shay  -  (2018)  - Major hit for them, both pop and country.  142 million YouTube views! 

Straight Tequila Night - John Anderson  - (1991)  #1 One of the best comeback songs ever in country. This got his career back on track, and it's flat out great.    

Ten Rounds with Jose Cuervo - Tracy Byrd -  (2002)  - Big song  #1 - fans loved it, so did the clubs.

You And Tequila - Kenny Chesney  (Grace Potter)  - (2011)  Song written by Matraca Berg and Deanna Carter   -  Grammy nominated.

Bonus - One Margarita -  Luke Bryan

Have a GREAT Cinco de Mayo and be safe!

As long as I've played country music on the radio, now 42 years, there have always been "trends."  Nashville is big on them, always has been.  Someone has great success with something, and the rest of the town jumps on board with their version of the same trend.  It's fascinating to watch. Sometimes those trends are really good to follow, sometimes not so much.  And other times, they are benign, but it is fun to watch.  The current trend is the latter.

The "Fade In" is the latest thing. About all of the current songs right now have this very quiet "fade in" for some reason.  As someone on the air, sometimes you wonder if you're still on the air for a few seconds some of these are so quiet.  I wish I could pinpoint the song that got this current ball rolling, but there are so many now for so long now, I can't.  

Also "trending" now is the lack of "fade out" in country.  Songs ending "cold" as we call it, with no fade out.  Songs ending with the same lyric line out as the opening line of the song is in no way a new trend, as that has been going on for many decades.  In fact, that is really old school.  But there was a long while that country followed the "fade out" song trend, as Rock has used for a few generations.  I am not bothered by this either, although, I think in many cases a strong fade out keeps the excitement and forward momentum of a really good song going and doesn't make a great song come to a screeching halt.  As a famous star told me backstage a few years ago they fade songs, "Because they don't know how to end it."   True? Probably not, but it made me laugh.

So the fade in is the new thing, OK. Even though like I said, it doesn't bother me, I do like a nice uptempo quick start a bit better. I think that lasso's you into the song quicker, and sounds better on the air.  As far as the fade out is concerned, that is on a song by song basis. Each work on the right song.

Other "Trends"  Over The Past Many, Many Years  (No Order)

The Country Caribbean Trend - Many have recorded their version of an Island sounding song ala Chesney.  Sometimes it worked, sometimes - not so much.  But they are fun.

Bro Country  - Wildly successful for many artists. This trend was an accelerator for us for a couple years as it was party time.

The Duet Trend - Man are we in this now.  Duets with big time stars is nothing new for country, as it has been around for decades, many times with great success.  And right now, it's dominating the charts.

The Country Duet With A Pop Star - There was a year not long ago, there was like 5 of these out about the exact same time.

The Country "Phone Sounding Echo" -  Big right now and has been for a while.  Tons of songs have it where a sung phrase is repeated and fades off into the distance that sounds like it's on the phone.

The Country Finger-Clicking Trend - Songs where the drummer gets the day off and a bunch of people click thier fingers as a percussion section.

The Country Remaking Of A Big Pop Hit Trend -  This was really in vogue in the 80's, not so much now. Some were better than others.  We don't really do this much anymore.  (Excludes Tribute Projects)

The BIG Trend  - A number of years ago, especially mid 80's, the bigger the better, with a huge string section. Piggybacked off of Urban Cowboy. Trying to be very poppy.

The "I Wish Bad Things On You" Trend -  Still around from time to time, with mean sprited songs on occasion wishing the worst for you, OR how much better things are with you out of my life.   (Not parody)  A whole lot of artists have sold a whole lot of albums and tickets without ever recording one of these songs.

The Country Sam Hunt Sound-a-like Song -  When he developed his style of sound, that worked incredibly well for HIM, not always for the others that gave it a go.

The List Song Trend  - Been around for years, and still shows up from time to time.  Songs that are a complete laundry list of sentences that tell us how country they are.

Not just in Country, but in all music genres, there are trends.  We love them, and it's kinda fun to look back. If you think about each one, you'll smile when you realize there are lots of songs that fit many of these trends. 

There are also "trends" in Nashville in fashion too, but that's another article for another day.

TONIGHT!!!!   This is going to be a fantastic night at Jilly's Music Room in Akron! We are having an incredible fundraiser for WQMX Bosom Buddies at Jilly's with a couple of great new Country Stars from Nashville, Caitlyn Smith and Kassie Ashton!  The money raised goes towards our big show in October for Bosom Buddies.

Caitlyn Smith - Downtown Baby

 Kassie Ashton  - Dates In Pickup Trucks

Get your tix by clicking below and get ready for a GREAT NIGHT TONIGHT!

Click Here For Tix To This Event!