George proposes name change for New Country Options

[1haggard]

All I can say is Amen George !! Read this guys :

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Country Music Hall of Famer George Jones isn't a big fan of where the genre has moved in recent years.

When asked about what he thought about music by today's top country stars, the 78-year-old said while they are good, "they've stolen our identity."

Jones made the comment during a recent interview when asked about music by artists like Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift.

"They had to use something that was established already, and that's traditional country music. So what they need to do really, I think, is find their own title, because they're definitely not traditional country music," he said.

"It's good to know that we still do traditional country music. Alan Jackson still does it, so does George Strait. We still have it, and there's quite a few of us that are going to hope that it comes back one of these days."

Still, his contemporaries haven't always stuck to traditional country, either. Fellow Hall of Fame member Johnny Cash was met with critical acclaim a few years ago by covering the Nine Inch Nails song "Hurt." Asked whether he'd ever branch out to a completely different genre of music, like heavy metal or rap, Jones laughed and said: "Rap? That's tacky."

"How can you call that music?" he added. "Now, I love music, too. I love all kinds. I really do. I've got Brook Benton. I like his singing. Ray Charles. I've got an open mind. But now, you can't call rap, talking stuff like that, music. No, no, no, you've got to have another name for that."

Jones recently put out a new CD, through Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, called "A Collection of My Best Recollection." It includes some of his most requested songs from throughout his career, including classics like "White Lightning" and "I Don't Need Your Rockin' Chair," as well as two previously unreleased ones.

"Only thing I would like to keep accomplishing is music for my fans and achieving some goals to keep them happy with what I record in the future," Jones said. "I've done just about everything else. The good Lord's been good to me ... I'm going to enjoy the rest of my life."

[PossumFan#1]

Great article..I agree with George 100%.. Thank you for posting it..

[JetSet]

Preach It George!

[MarilynJinIL]

http://www.countrymusictattletale.com/2009...1#comment-32132



Carrie Underwood Says She’s Contemporary
Wednesday, November 4, 2009 11:18

According to the Associated Press Carrie Underwood says she hates being called “pop-country”.

If we are talking about putting country music into different categories most would lump her into the same likes as Rascal Flatts (whom she used to call her favorite country group back in the days of American Idol) and Taylor Swift.

But Carrie says I hate saying pop-country – I hate using that,” adding she prefers to describe such music as “contemporary”.


As much as I hate to hear two Opry members going at it in the press, I agree with George's thoughts.


I left my thoughts on her situation:

Mar says:

November 4th, 2009 at 3:25 pm

She’s a member of the Grand Ole Opry… a spot that many ‘more country’ singers envy her big time!
She should be Proud to say she’s Country..period. IMHO

[chickenbutt777]

[font="Georgia"][/font][size="6"][/size][color="#48D1CC"][/color]I agree with George 100% these new people need to have a new name The Traditional Country Singers worked hard just to get on the Opry and they have been pushed aside for no good reason, now people get a song on the radio and without really working hard boom they are a member of the opry. its sad because George Bill Anderson Stonewall Jackson Jimmy Dickens Loretta Kitty wells Connie smith all have worked hard to make country music what it should be Country!!! hard core bootstomping country with the fiddle and steel guitars

[jerryopry]

In my opinion I find it disgusting that the press would run with a story like this when a lot of us who've been fans of George for YEARS know how he feels about country music and what he prefers to hear in a country song. While I was inside a restaurant today they were playing a new country station in the area and the radio person had people calling in asking what they thought of George's comments and a lot of callers were throwing all kinds of fits. It felt like a nightmare.

George has always said that he didn't care much for pop-country...for years he's said that...and it's sickening that just because his thoughts are tacked onto Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift's names that his opinions of "new country" are brand new!? That's what I don't understand...some people making comments on the radio were acting like they had no clue how George felt about the state of country music. In their minds it was like "OMG! How could he say that??". If I had magic I felt like cutting into the conversation and turning the tables around by questioning whether or not they really paid any attention to George's career at all...if they had they would've knew his thoughts of country music a long time ago and all this wouldn't be new to them. Due to this sort of scenario it doesn't really matter what non-fans have to say about George anyhow. Those who are fans are well aware of his stance on country music and even the interview he gave he mentioned he liked other kinds of music but prefers to stick with traditional country music and wishes others in the industry would do the same. This is something he's been saying for awhile...so the press running with it like it's all breaking and shocking news is ridiculous. It's all did on purpose to stir up trouble and perhaps cause younger listeners to not even dream of picking up a George Jones CD.

[PossumFan#1]

Well said...I agree. I wonder where Country Music, either Traditional or the new music will be in 20-30 years.. Can the new artists of what they "call" country even keep it alive...On my cable TV we have 3 choices for listening to Country Music. We have Today's Country, True Country and Classic Country..Never listened any of them except the Classic..

[MarilynJinIL]

I love the possum from Cracker Barrel running across this screen. Ha

I don't like to see Opry members fighting in public about this. That is another thing I was mulling over yesterday. Maybe George should not have named names as the singers who are riding the coattails of the legends of traditional country musicians Know Who They Are themselves.

When I saw Carrie's response from that Associated Press item yesterday, I cringed. I mean, we should hear from her, but I wonder if George's naming names and her responding will affect their Opry experiences in the future?

I always felt her being inducted into that venerable organization was way too soon, plus she jumped over some other More Country singers in the process!
People were paying their dues way before she came into the genre and they are more Country than her, too.
~~~~~~~
Now today I see another news site has put up this article:

http://www.roughstock.com/blog/george-jone...s-country-music

George Jones Hates Today's Country Music?
By: Marc Erickson

A legend who once was known as “No Show Jones” for his inability to show up to perform at shows while a top concert draw, recently said that he worries about the future of country music to Yahoo and the Associated Press. He said that he liked the music that artists like Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood make but though that "they've stolen our identity."

George Jones also stated that artists like Underwood and Swift "had to use something that was established already, and that's traditional country music. So what they need to do really, I think, is find their own title, because they're definitely not traditional country music.”

Jones then went on to praise the artists that he does like right now and they included old standbys like George Strait and Alan Jackson, stating: “It's good to know that we still do traditional country music. We still have it, and there's quite a few of us that are going to hope that it comes back one of these days."

What do you think of George Jones’ comments? Does there need to be a new name for today’s country music? Or is it just that, “Today’s country music?”

[jerryopry]

When I saw Carrie's response from that Associated Press item yesterday, I cringed. I mean, we should hear from her, but I wonder if George's naming names and her responding will affect their Opry experiences in the future?

I was sickened by her comments. Instead of saying she doesn't want to be called "pop-country" or "country-pop" she wants to be called "contemporary". Now what's that suppose to mean? I always thought contemporary meant "pop"...whatever sound was the current trend...why would a country singer want to be called "contemporary" instead of "country"? Is this her way of saying she doesn't like country music? Is this her way of saying the "country" label is limited and if she isn't tagged as a country singer then she'll have more and more success on pop radio? If she's not wanting to be called a country artist she shouldn't have her music marketed at country radio. The thing that I see is a lot of those kinds of artists take advantage of the loyalty of a country music fan. It's like a deceptive tactic in my opinion. Artist's proclaim they love country music but sure enough 90% of them will in a few years confess "oh, I love all kinds of music...you shouldn't limit yourself to just one genre...". Whatever happened to a country music singer wanting to sing and appeal to just country music fans? Why must there be this pop crossover appeal. Do they think they're not legitimate unless they have mainstream pop acceptance?

Anyway...perhaps he shouldn't have named any names but then again, when you think about it, what fans of Carrie Underwood or Taylor Swift could honestly call themselves actual fans of George Jones in the first place? Maybe a few...but certainly not a huge amount. I think the majority of people he upset were those who worship the ground Carrie and Taylor walk on and I'll further say those kinds of fans perhaps didn't even know who George Jones was at the time and I say that as a reflection on how little the audience who listens to "new country" know about the legends.

It's not a big deal, though. I wrote about this topic briefly in my blog page. The link is available through my profile here. I have a blog page that I post on from time to time about George. I don't put anything up to the minute or anything. That's what this message board is for...but my blog site is just a fan's run of the mill commentary about George's music.