Is Country The Answer?

The A.I Taylor Hicks hooked us, but it was the acoustical Taylor who reeled most of us in permanently.

As we sit and listen we are spellbound, this is when the magic of Taylor Hicks' artistry really shines.

We long for the moments of just Taylor and his stool, and when it happens the excitement level just skyrockets.

The same phenomenon happens when he begins to play his harp, we are on the edge of our seats straining not to miss a moment of the magic taking place.

Taylor made us sit up and take notice from the moment he appeared on our television screens.

Here was a young man who had the ability to not only sing his heart out, but to entertain us at the same time.

He made the music come alive!

He asked for his voice to be heard and to give him a chance.

We voted to give him that chance, but the PTB and the radio industry have discounted our votes and have not embraced Taylor.

Which brings me back to the title of this topic ... is Country the answer for Taylor Hicks?

The following is an excerpt from an article that appeared in 2001.

The only part I am not in agreement with is the reference to "payola".

I am totally convinced that though it is illegal, it is still taking place.

You just have to look at who has dominated the AC charts since the beginning of this year, to have no doubts about what is happening.

.....

"Most new songs cannot become popular without the medium we know as radio. After all, people won't usually buy CDs without hearing at least one song first, and the place they hear it is usually on the air.
So who is it that decides what is played on the radio and how?
The Radio Industry
During most of the last century, many independent radio stations had DJs who chose the music they played on the air. Many developed legions of hard-core fans who tuned into their shows regularly. Listeners depended on their favorite DJs to introduce them to new songs. Good DJs knew their audiences and could predict which songs would become hits.
These days, large corporations own most of the radio stations. They are in business to make money and play the music they think will lure audiences and sell advertising. (The exception is non-commercial, or public, stations that don't play ads and depend on listeners and corporations to send in donations.)
Some people say that large corporations are less willing than individual DJs to take a risk on new or innovative music, and therefore don't offer listeners as much variety.
One thing commercial stations can't do is accept money from record companies or musicians in return for playing their music. That's illegal, and known in the business as "payola."
"Since the early days of Rock and Roll on the radio there have been numerous rumors of payola in the radio industry, but very few have ever gone to court, and only a few of those have ever led to convictions," said Reed Bunzel, editor-in-chief of the radio industry Web site Gavin.com.
At commercial stations, DJs play songs from a pre-selected playlist put together by the station management based on what they think listeners want to hear. The DJ's job is mostly to entertain listeners with talk between songs and introduce the music. He or she has little choice or input for song selection at most stations.
There are about 10,000 commercial stations in the U.S. and about 2,500 non-commercial stations. The most popular format in the U.S. is Country Music. That means Country Music dominates the airwaves, but not the record stores. "

Acoustical Taylor fits quite nicely into the Country Music genre.

A perfect example, 'The Fall' written by Taylor Hicks

from his 1999 CD 'In Your Time'

This video is from his concert appearance in Waukegon, IL

July 12, 2007

video by samz

Would the Country Music Industry embrace Taylor now, and give him the recognition he deserves?

Obviously it will be up to Taylor whether he chooses that direction, and with the promise of more acoustical music from him ... is it a possibility?

Your comments are welcome.