"George May Like His Sour Mash...But He Don't Care Much For Pop.."

The debate has been going on for a lot of years.

If memory serves, it first bubbled up in a major way back in the 1970's when the CMA gave the Entertainer of the Year Award to that tradtionalist/purist/bedrock legend of country music...

...John Denver.

Lately, though, with the multi-generational, multi-cultural (translation: multi-platinum) success of Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban, et al, the debate is finding new legs...and voice.

As evidenced by this little nugget that I shared on the show this week:


George Jones is accusing the new crop of pop-country crossover artists of identity theft. He says “they’ve stolen our identity. That’s what I think.” Jones says they had to use some sort of established name for their kind of music, so he says they decided to use “country.” He says what they need to do is “find their own title, because they’re definitely not traditional country music.” Jones says he’s happy to see that Alan Jackson and George Strait are still out there doing “traditional country.”


I've made no secret of the fact that I grew up playing and writing pop songs, got my first guitar because I wanted to be a Beatle like every other twelve year old on the block and though I have proudly written what I think are some pretty damn good country songs (good enough to be recorded by some pretty respectable country artists), I also spent a lot of years writing pop leaning songs right there in the heart of Music City, USA.

In other words, I have no problem with what Taylor and Carrie and Keith are up to.

But here's a thing.

I agree with George.

To a point.

I think "theft" is a little strong. "Usurption" might be a better fit.

Although, with all due respect to the Tenneessee educational system, I think it not incorrect to add that "usurp" isn't a word that gets dropped a lot during the weekly breakfast meets at Pancake Pantry.

The part where George and I are eye to eye, as it were, is the part about this crop of singers and songwriters needing some sort of established name for their work.

Because the song business that prides itself on artistry and free spirited creation is nothing if not adament that everything has to have a very specific label.

I feel pretty sure that nobody set out to sneak in the garage and leave a pop music seed pod to take over while country music slept unwittingly in the night.

The pop gang simply showed up in country music because they had nowhere else to go.

Pop music, per se', is, and has been for some time, no longer "pop music". The pop charts are basically filled with dance, hip hop, etc.

And, like it or not, country purists, the closest cousin to country music is, in fact, pop music.

"True" country fans very likely don't own a single Rhianna CD, but I bet you my Al Gore DVD that they own at least one Beatles album.

Or even John Denver.

So, for singers like Garth and Shania and, of late, Carrie and Taylor and Keith, the almost inevitable solution to the problem of musical homelessness was to take their pop music, add some steel and/or fiddle and show up on 16th Ave's doorstep with a wish and a prayer and a demo tape.

George Jones is a classic singer of classic country songs.

But lamenting the loss of "pure" country music and petitioning for it's "return" is an exercise in futility.

And, frankly, not just a little bit disingenous.

Music, by definition, is incapable of purity.

The music family is, simply, just that.

Family.

And putting down the pop side of the brood has just the faintest resemblance to that funny, but rude, bumper sticker:

"Welcome to Nashville...now, ya'll go home..."

Can't help but wonder how many royalty dollars from "I Stopped Loving Her Today" came from "pop music" fans.

And maybe helped pay for that famous riding lawn mower, there, possum.

Not to mention one of your other biggest, classic country hits.

"White Lighnin".

Written by J.P. Richardson, who we all might remember better as The Big Bopper.

And had a hit of his own.

"Chantilly Lace".

Classic...

And pop.