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Blake Shelton – On Top!

November 27, 2014 By NashStar

You will be hard-pressed to find a country music fan that doesn’t know the name Blake Shelton, and with good reason. His 11th studio album “Bringing Back the Sunshine” has broken so many records for this year that it’s hard to keep track. It was released in September and within the first week it sold 101,000 copies. Alongside his longtime friend and producer, Scott Hendricks, the album features a vocal power not yet heard from Blake. The combination of songs is a great balance between sentimentality, nostalgia, romance and some fun. At the age of 35 he still has many records to break in terms of sales, but it seems he prefers to do this sooner rather than later.

Recently Blake appeared on “60 Seconds” where he spoke to Norah O’ Donnell about his success, life and everything that goes with it. Answering questions about the album which debuted at No.1, Blake conveyed to O’ Donnell that the popularity of the music is largely based on how people relate to it. This is the bond between the artist and those who listen. More importantly, they want to relate to the artist and when he’s at home he does all the normal things other people. This is also where is inspiration comes from.

http://youtu.be/ZyxOwm76T80

When Blake isn’t making music he loves to fish, hunt, farm and drive back roads. He was raised in Oklahoma and for the most part he lived with his dad. Blake is the youngest of 3 siblings, but unfortunately he lost his older brother and hero, Richie, in a car accident. Blake was 14 at the time. When he was 17 he moved to Nashville in hopes of making a career out of music and this dream only materialized 8 years later with the release of the album “Austin”.

Earlier this month Blake accepted the CMA’s “Male Vocalist of the Year Award” for the fifth consecutive time. The only other person with this accomplishment is Vince Gill. To top off the festivities he performed the second single off the new album, “Lonely Tonight”, for the first time alongside Ashley Monroe. Ashley features on the album and the music video.

http://youtu.be/GhU7iP3cQLc

As for breaking records, Blake is officially the first country star to top the Billboard Artist 100 chart. As if that isn’t great enough, the first single off the album, “Neon Light”, became his 13th consecutive No. 1 release, which is a first for the Billboard Country Chart. Blake has already been nominated for several “People’s Choice” awards next year and he has received a nomination for “Favorite Country Male Artist” for the “American Music Awards”.

Currently Blake has been quite busy with the ever popular reality show “The Voice”. This isn’t something that is new to him, seeing as he was a judge on “Nashville Star” and “Clash of the Choirs”. “The Voice” is now in its 7th season and in support of the top ten finalists he and Adam Levine (co-coach) stood by as they performed at the “CityWalk Christmas Tree Lighting” following the red carpet event for the show. Out of the previous 6 seasons, contestants with Blake as a coach have won 3. In March next year he’ll be on the road again, starting with the “Runaway Country Festival” in Melbourne, Florida, and moving on to Florence, Arizona, for the “Country Thunder Music Festival” in April.

Girl In A Country Song – Maddie & Tae

November 27, 2014 By NashStar

Maddie & Tae is the new country duo that has popped onto the scene with nothing short of a bang. Brought together when they were 15 years old, they have been singing together ever since. Both are gifted with star quality, musical talent and entertaining expression. Their debut single was released in July and it’s called “Girl in a Country Song”. Apart from being fun and exciting, it takes a humorous look at bro-country music while empowering the role of women.

If you’ve heard the song on the radio and thought it was fun, then you’ll love the video. It starts out very ditsy and typical, with guys whistling at two pretty girls in short jeans and bikini tops. In slow motion they walk down a dirt road while Maddie & Tie sing with a very “matter of fact” kind of attitude. After flipping a “role-reversal” switch the fun really starts. Instead of seeing two pretty girls coming down the dirt road, there are three guys. But instead of looking strong and sexy they take on the roles that pretty girls would normally play.

One would think that a cute couple of country singers like Maddie & Tae would debut with a video filled with glamour and great visuals. But director TK McKamy made the better choice and kept it simple, placing more focus on the new country stars rather than overshadow them with unnecessary special effects. Cutting between three main scenes where the duo is enjoying an outdoor party, writing songs in their room and playing guitar on the back of two pick-up trucks gave room to emphasize the message. In between there are shots where the guys try to look sexy and the only natural reaction to this is laughing.

The birth of the song itself has an interesting story behind it. Apparently Maddie & Tae were on their way to a songwriting session when the idea came to mind. In the car they were listening to country radio, which is somewhat of a daily tradition. They also discovered that a lot of the guys that were singing had similar lyrics in terms of women. Then and there they decided to make a list of all the lyrics they heard which objectify women in some way or another. Make no mistake; it was all in good spirit and for the girls it was a fun experience. All they wanted to do is give a voice to the girls that appear in the songs while poking some fun at bro-country stars.

As expected, the video went viral very quickly. This doesn’t come as a surprise because it brings something original to the country music scene. Instead of making a typical debut they settled on something a little more controversial. Just to be clear, Maddie &Tae have nothing against bro-country singers. In fact, they stated in an interview that they love listening to them on a daily basis. However, they did think it would be a good idea to show the world how silly some of their videos and lyrics can be. Well, they have definitely made their point and everyone is enjoying it, even the bro-country stars.

Redneck Humor

November 11, 2014 By NashStar

Redneck Jokes

Jeff Foxworthy is probably the best known comedian regarding Redneck Jokes. Make no mistake; he considers himself a redneck as well and his clean one-liners have launched him into fame. In essence rednecks are exploited due to their sense of logic or lack of. If the jokes from Foxworthy and many other comedians are anything to go by, then they truly have a logic of their own.

Mobile homes, marriage within the family and their eating habits are just some of the subjects comedians love to focus on. Along with Foxworthy, guys like Bill Engvall, Ron White, Larry the Cable Guy, Blake Clark, and John Fox form part of the redneck comedy movement. Even comedians who don’t solely focus on the redneck community have some jokes to spare, for instance Russell Peter, Chris Rock, George Lopez and Carlos Mencia.

Shinning Stars of Country Comedy

August 29, 2014 By NashStar

There is nothing quite like good old country comedy, whether it comes in the form of song or the spoken word. Some know it as “Southern comedy” and others refer to it as “redneck” or “hillbilly” humor. For names such as Minnie Pearl and Ray Stevens who spent more than 50 years in the business of making people laugh, it was a lifestyle. As these two individuals played their part in making country comedy more popular, the evolution brought about new blood and different styles.

Minnie Pearl

Even though everyone got to know the loveable Minnie Pearl, her real name was Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon and her career as a comedian started in 1939. She adapted the persona of a mountain woman with a particular hat that always had the price tag still attached. She also introduced us to several “family” members of Minnie Pearl and although we never got to meet them, they sounded pretty real. Her songs inspired so many country comedians who still perform today and she is one character that is deeply missed.

Ray Stevens

This guy is what you can call a comedy music prodigy. He started playing piano at the age of seven and ten years later he recorded his first single “Silver Bracelet”. The year was 1957 and till today the talented Mr. Stevens continues to draw smiles with his comical genius. Apart from just writing funny songs, Stevens is a very skilled musician. His first job was with Mercury Records in Nashville where he did arrangements, played piano and served as a vocalist. He currently owns his own record label, Clyde Records, which he established in 2007.

Jerry “The Mouth of Mississippi” Clower

Jerry truly was a salesman’s salesman. Unlike Stevens, Miller and Pearl, he found his place in entertainment much later. After studying agriculture and playing college football he went into the seed selling business. His humor gave him a reputation among his customers, which ultimately led to a long contract with MCA Records. He was used in numerous commercials ranging between cars, auto repairs and fishing equipment.

Roger Miller

If you’ve ever heard the song “King of the Road” then you’ll know Roger Miller. Just like Stevens he was a natural songwriter in addition to being an actor and his career started in the late 1950’s. Miller rubbed shoulders with country greats like Willie Nelson, Kenny Rogers and even the beloved Minnie Pearl. He was a smoker, a brawler and had an amazing talent to write classic, signature novelty songs. Some of these include “Husbands and Wives”, “Do Wacka Do”, “In the Summer Time” and “You can’t Skate in a Buffalo Herd”.

Hee Haw (Television Show)

For individuals like Minnie Pearl, this particular TV show was considered a comedy headquarters. Hosted by Buck Owens and Roy Clark for the most part, the show aired from 1969 till 1992. Its focus was country music and the culture associated with the South, playing on stereotypes to create some lighthearted humor. The group of ladies that were known as the Hee Haw girls typically wore clad farmer’s daughter outfits or country style mini-dresses and the popularity of the show wasn’t excluded to a country audience. People from all over enjoyed it very much.

Jeff Foxworthy

This is the man responsible for the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, headlining himself along with three other popular comedians, and he is one of the most successful comedians alive. A proud Christian and known for his “You might be a redneck” one-liners, Jeff has written several books, sold thousands of records and appeared in numerous television shows, some being his own. He likes to keep his jokes focused on the common man.

Bill Engvall

Bill and Jeff are best friends and he joined Jeff in the Blue Collar Comedy Tour. Although he might not share the variety of success like Jeff, Bill is doing pretty well. His humor usually surrounds the life of a family guy, the frustrations and truths husband are too afraid to express. Many people describe him as a very nice guy and he branded the “Here’s your sign” one-liners.

Carl Hurley

Better known as “America’s funniest professor”, Carl used to be a university professor before engaging in stand-up comedy. He isn’t much for the limelight, but he can be heard on Channel 97 Blue Collar Radio. In terms of his style, he has been compared to the likes of Andy Griffith and Garrison Keillor for his home style storytelling combined with public humor. At the age of 75 he is a still a hoot.

David L. Cook

This 45 year old Christian country singer/writer and comedian has written more than 2500 songs in his career. Since the age of 5 he became a musical entertainer along with his family members, forming a group called The Cook Family Singers. Despite his medical conditions and his abusive childhood David has made a great name for himself in music and comedy.

Chonda Pierce

Stand-up comedy doesn’t get any cleaner than this, because Chonda is a much sought after Christian comedian. She loves the sound of laughter from the public and she’s got 8 books under her belt. When she is not busy with new material, she works with other Christian foundations, aiming to bring inspiration with the laughter.

Ron White

Ron might be part of the original Blue Collar Comedy Tour, but he isn’t exactly Blue Collar. He served in the US Navy, spent some time in Mexico then finally decided to make a career out of comedy. He will always have a scotch in his hand and his material might not always be family friendly, but he knows how to stir the audience.

Larry the Cable Guy

Believe it or not, the fourth member of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour is in fact a persona. Dan Whitney created Larry the Cable Guy and his popularity has gone from strength to strength. His movies might not have been the blockbusters, but everything else in terms of touring and records have done very well, placing him in the “Wealthiest Comedians” section.

Rodney Carrington

You’ll be hard pressed to find an adult that hasn’t heard the song “Letter to my Penis”. Rodney is one of the few comedians that managed to become a country star as well. The six comedy albums he has released thus far have all been successful and one might even say he’s built somewhat of a cult following in the US.

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