Chapter 1
Welcome to the Country Club
Perhaps it began when you heard Faith Hill on the adult contemporary radio station they play at work. After humming along to her infectious "Breathe," you decide to pick up her album next time you're at Target. Listening to the CD, you find your favorite song is her "Let's Make Love" duet with husband Tim McGraw. The next day you're home watching TV. Flipping through channels you catch a glimpse of the dynamic duo performing that very song in an extremely glamorous video shot in Paris. Who knew your satellite system carried CMT!
You find yourself watching CMT every time there's nothing good on regular TV. Who's Phil Vassar? You don't know, but you like his video for "American Child," where he cavorts in wheat fields with his real-life little girl. Next time you're in Target, you buy his CD. You also snag a Jo Dee Messina album because not only do you enjoy the redhead's spunky videos, you've noted that Phil Vassar's penned her hits "I'm Alright" and "Bye Bye." Even more incentive: Tim McGraw coproduced Jo Dee's record.
Your car radio becomes permanently tuned into the country station, where they play Faith, Tim, Phil, Jo Dee, and all the CMT regulars. You hear on the radio that Phil Vassar and newcomer Carolyn Dawn Johnson will be opening for Kenny Chesney when he plays the local amphitheater. You buy tickets. At the concert, you're envious when the fan in the seat next to you mentions that the last time she saw Kenny Chesney, he was opening for Tim McGraw. She also tells you to join Phil Vassar's fan club so next time you can participate in the backstage meet-and-greet before the concert.
As you write the check to join Phil Vassar's fan club, you realize there's no going back. You've gone country for good.
A Grand Adventure
There's never been a better time to be a country fan. Not only are there scads of exciting artists making music right now, but there are over eight decades of back catalog to explore. Just as Phil Vassar might have been your introduction to Jo Dee Mes-sina, you'll find one artist will lead you to another. As you follow these trails, you'll delight in one discovery after another. And while it's possible to have never heard George Jones or Tammy Wynette and still consider yourself a country fan, sooner or later you'll be exposed to something that will lead you to them, or further back, to singing cowboy Roy Rogers, or even further back, to the singing brakeman, Jimmie Rodgers.
Don't worry, we won't bore you with a time line tracing how the mountain string band sound transformed and mutated into cowboy music, Western swing, bluegrass, honky-tonk, rockabilly, the Nashville sound, new traditionalism, alt-country, and twang-lite crossover. We know new converts don't encounter music in chronological order. You start somewhere and follow where your interest leads. Perhaps your enjoyment of country doesn't go as far back as the George Jones and Tammy Wynette duets right now, but in a few years it might. Then you'll be blown away by the many amazing songs waiting to be experienced.
Everyone Is Welcome
Perhaps because it's always been the music that chronicles the life of ordinary folks, you'll discover that your fellow country fans range from presidents to barflies, octogenarians to toddlers. Singer/songwriter Pam Tillis explains, "Country music is for everybody. It's not exclusive. Sort of like blue jeans. Everybody is welcome to wear a pair of blue jeans if they so desire. Whereas with certain kinds of rock, sometimes part of the fun is feeling like you're part of a special club, like you get it and nobody else does. Country music to me is just not like that. It's for everybody."
Country Close Up
That's Jodie Weckman with hotshot band Trick Pony. Jodie has had her photo taken with Phil Vassar, Jo Dee Messina, Kenny Chesney, the Dixie Chicks, and even Shania Twain. Who is Jodie Weckman? Just a girl who likes country music. Since she's clearly got being a fan down to an art, we asked Jodie to share some tips for fans just starting on their country adventure.
To find out when artists are coming to your town, Jodie recommends checking the stars' websites for their posted tour schedule. Pollstar, Ticketmaster, and Clear Channel also have extremely helpful websites.
When it comes to scoring tickets, you can always buy them, but it's even better to win them. Jodie suggests doing all the radio station giveaway contests, especially in-store promotions where you have to put your name in a box (not many people actually make the effort, so your odds of winning are much better). Jodie's won prizes ranging from VIP seating to pre-show party passes. She even got to meet Shania Twain backstage thanks to a promotion run by her local radio station.
Join a star's fan club for preferred seating and meet-and-greet opportunities. Each artist's policy is different, but you usually get a chance to say hello to the star before the concert, pose for a picture, and get an autograph. Liz Beavers, president of Martina McBride's fan club, reports "Martina tries to arrange fan meet-and-greets at her concerts, and most everyone writes me later telling me how charming and down-to-earth she is." Jodie names Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts, Trick Pony, and Craig Morgan as up-and-coming artists who are especially friendly at their meet-and-greets.
If you don't live in an area where country stars come to perform, Jodie recommends going to Fan Fair in Nashville. This annual four-day all-star event is a great way to meet and see performances from practically every country star you can think of. Surrounded by over a hundred thousand of your fellow fans, you'll be overcome by the feeling of community. And you'll know that everyone there is thinking the same thing: There's nothing better than being a country fan!
Welcome to the club.
Phil Vassar, American Child (Arista)--Not only is this piano man apparently a very attentive father, he's a talented songwriter and extremely entertaining in concert. Join his fan club ASAP.
Jo Dee Messina, I'm Alright (Curb)--Packed full of catchy tunes. Even the ones Phil Vassar didn't write are fab.
George Jones and Tammy Wynette, George & Tammy's Greatest Hits (Sony)--Sooner or later you'll end up in George and Tammy's world. Start off with a collection of their amazing duets.
Trick Pony, On a Mission (Warner Bros.)--They look a little cartoonish, but so does Buck Owens! Heidi Newfield has a powerful voice that reeks of old-fashioned honky-tonk.
Rascal Flatts, Melt (Lyric Street)--Girls melt when this trio of charmers take the stage. See them live to fully appreciate their charisma.
Keith Urban, Golden Road (Capitol)--This nice blond Aussie plays a mean guitar.
Craig Morgan, Love It (Broken Bow)--Fan Jodie Weckman highly recommends giving this not-so-well-known but super-nice guy a listen.
Chapter 2
Seven Essential Hunks
Let's go "Strait" to the good stuff: all the fabulous hunks in hats. Today's country is overrun by so many stone-cold sexy gents that it's almost too much of a good thing! Every time you turn on CMT there's another hottie demanding your attention. They come in twos (Brooks & Dunn), threes (Rascal Flatts), fours (Lonestar), and sixes (Diamond Rio). They're even being imported from Australia (Keith Urban) and Canada (Emerson Drive)! While all of these contenders are extremely worthy, there are seven men who define the genre. Consider them contemporary country's Top Guns.
1 George Strait
Sign: Taurus (b. May 18, 1952)
Height: 5'10
Eyes: Green
Under the hat: Strong head of hair (Witness the "She'll Leave You with a Smile" video)
Availability: Taken (married since 1971 to high school sweetheart, Norma)
First album: Strait Country (1981)
Sexiest album cover: George in a bar, Always Never the Same (1999)
Song you've probably heard: "Amarillo by Morning"
Female fan favorite: "You Look So Good in Love"
Why he's essential: George Strait is today's quintessential male country singer. He has the career that all the "hat acts" who ape him hope to have.
Still on top of his game after two decades, George has more number-one singles (fifty, with more certain to come) than any other country artist, and his older hits are still in regular rotation on country radio. Strait's magic formula for picking hits? He listens first to a song's melody. If it grabs him, he then focuses on the lyrics.
When it comes to touring, George Strait is also the act to beat. In fact, at one time or another he's hired most of the other essential hunks to be his opening act.
George Strait has even starred in a Hollywood movie, Pure Country, which is basically a contemporary country take on the old Elvis movie formula: See George lovin', fightin', and singin' up a storm in glorious Technicolor! In true Elvis fashion, the sound track is better than the film.
"With George Strait, there are no negatives," points out music journalist Beverly Keel. "He's beautiful, he sings well, he's a gentleman, he's humble. He's a cowboy, lives on a ranch, been married to the same woman forever. How can you not like George Strait?"
2 Garth Brooks
Sign: Aquarius (b. February 7, 1962)
Height: 6'1
Eyes: Blue
Under the hat: Graying and thinning (looks good cut very short)
Availability: He's divorced from his first wife, but odds are he won't remain single for long
First album: Garth Brooks (1989)
Sexiest album cover: Garth in a stable, Sevens (1997)
Song you've probably heard: "The Dance"
Female fan favorite: "If Tomorrow Never Comes"
Why he's essential: Garth Brooks is the Oprah of country music. People either love him or hate him, but no one can deny his preeminence (the Recording Industry Association of America has anointed him America's biggest-selling solo recording artist, thanks to 105 million units sold). Like Ms. Winfrey, Garth took his format to a previously inconceivable level of popularity based on an intense connection with his audience.
To appreciate what Garth brings to the table, check out Mark Chesnutt's draggy version of "Friends in Low Places" or original demos by Garth's songwriters. No one can match Brooks's drama and emotion. A writer himself, he's passionate about recognizing the genius in other songwriters' material.
The first artist to bring a stadium rock-and-roll sensibility to country concerts, Garth credits high-energy cowboy singer Chris LeDoux for teaching him how to be a wild man on stage. Back in 1990, when Garth was opening for Reba McEntire, savvy Reba watched the audiences react to Garth's antics and knew right then he was going to be unstoppable. But not even Ms. McEntire could have predicted that seven years later Garth would be playing New York's Central Park before an audience of one million, with another 14 million tuning in to watch it simulcast on HBO. (This concert and a 1992 television special are available on video.) Since Garth says he won't tour anymore (country's biggest overachiever is fond of contemplating retirement), these taped performances might be the only way to see him in action.
His two-CD live album is also a treat. When it was released in November 1998, Double Live set a record for first-week sales (1.08 million copies). When it became the best-selling live album ever, no one was really surprised. Just another day at the office for Garth Brooks.
3 Alan Jackson
Sign: Libra (b. October 17, 1958)
Height: 6'4
Eyes: Blue
Under the hat: Receding hairline (search out his 1993 video collection Alan Jackson Livin', Lovin' and Rockin' That Jukebox to see him hatless backstage)
Availability: Taken (married since 1979 to hometown girl, Denise)
First album: Here in the Real World (1989)
Sexiest album cover: Alan in a boat, Everything I Love (1996)
Song you've probably heard: "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)"
Female fan favorite: "Chattahoochee"
Why he's essential: A contemporary of Garth's (their first albums debuted the same year), Alan Jackson has consistently been one of country's strongest singer/songwriters (he's written twenty-one of his twenty-nine number-one hits). His heartfelt reaction to 9/11, "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)," catapulted him to a whole new level.
In an era when many songs are indistinguishable and eminently forgettable, Alan Jackson's thoughtful rumination on our nation's great tragedy reminded everyone of the power of country music. But don't write Alan off as an earnest do-gooder. He's also the man who wrote a song especially for Faith Hill ("I Can't Do That Anymore") and recorded the guilty pleasure hit "It's Alright to Be a Redneck" (which he did not write). Alan's genius is that he knows country songs run the gamut from silly to sublime.
In 2002, Alan dominated the Country Music Association Awards, coming away with five trophies, including Entertainer of the Year, which he modestly accepted saying he wasn't as entertaining as other performers because his concert style is to just stand there and sing. But when it comes to music videos, Alan really shines. Who can forget him water skiing in shredded jeans for his now-classic video "Chattahoochee"? For that alone he deserves Entertainer of the Year every year!
4 Tim McGraw
Sign: Taurus (b. May 1, 1967)
Height: 6'
Eyes: Brown
Under the hat: Was thinning, but then began thickening (looks great hatless in the Paris-set "Let's Make Love" video)
Availability: Taken (married since 1996 to Faith Hill)
First album: Tim McGraw (1993)
Sexiest album cover: Tim in extreme close-up, Everywhere (1997)
Song you've probably heard: "I Like It, I Love It."
Female fan favorite: "It's Your Love" (sung with Faith Hill)
Why he's essential: Tim McGraw is the leader of the post-Garth generation, the young guns who assumed they would achieve Garth-level world domination only to be surpassed by the supernova Shania Twain and her female cohorts.
Tim has seen his wife, Faith Hill, go from being his opening act to a megastar. Instead of being bitter, he cheers Faith on and lends his singing and/or producing support to other megastars-to-be Martina McBride and Jo Dee Messina. What a guy!
Not a writer, Tim learned the importance of getting good material after his first album didn't include a single breakout hit. Like Garth, Tim's got an ear for catchy tunes and a weakness for classic rock (he's famous for a great live version of Steve Miller's "The Joker"). While he always seems a little stiff performing on televised award shows, in concert McGraw really lets loose. If you want to get a taste of what he's like in concert, just watch the video for "The Cowboy in Me." Tim's got smoldering down to an art.
5 Kenny Chesney
Sign: Aries (b. March 26, 1968)
Height: 5'6
Eyes: Blue
Under the hat: Not much left (looks nice with remaining hair buzzed extremely short in the video for "How Forever Feels")
Availability: Up for grabs (Country Weekly named him "Country's Hottest Bachelor")
First album: In My Wildest Dreams (1993)
Sexiest album cover: Kenny in water, Greatest Hits (2001)
Song you've probably heard: "Young"
Female fan favorite: "How Forever Feels"
Why he's essential: Known for radio-friendly music, extremely popular videos, and concerts packed with screaming female fans of all ages, Kenny Chesney is today's prototypical star.Copyright© 2003 by Kim Adelman