Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Country Music

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article falls under the scope of WikiProject Country Music, which is a project dedicated to improving Wikipedia's coverage of topics related to country music. If you would like to participate or learn more about the project please visit the project page, where you can join and see a list of open tasks.

Contents

[edit] David Allan Coe

David Allan Coe's page needs alot of work. Right now, there are only two album pages of his. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Jake9319 (talk • contribs) 00:50, 21 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Getting started

Thank you all for signing up. Hopefully this project will help us organize our efforts to improve country articles on Wikipedia. I hope to eventually get to some community discussion about what exactly this wikiproject should do. For example, we might want to do weekly or monthly collaborations, and we might want to develop a country music portal. Our immediate objective, though, should be to recruit more members. There are plently of country music enthusiasts who edit Wikipedia. There's even a category for them. (Don't go spamming their talk pages with invitations to join the project unless you know them and are familiar with their edits; there are several reasons to avoid spamming the category.) Anyway, I have been studying the development of some of Wikipedia's successful wikiprojects. (WikiProject Military History is the most impressive in my opinion.) As far as I can tell, the best way to advertise projects is to tag the talk pages of related articles. That's what {{Countrynotice}} is for. If you're willing to perform a mindless repetitive tasks for hours on end, feel free to get started tagging articles in Category:Country music and its subcategories. Also, we can go ahead and start filling out the project's open tasks chart. If you know of an article that needs to be improved, feel free to place it in the chart. If you have any questions, you can ask on this page or on my talk page and I'll try my best to answer you (or find an answer for you). Once again, thanks for your interest. --TantalumTelluride♪ 02:53, 16 May 2006 (UTC)

Well now I'm ready so let's do this! - Alakey2010 05:03, 16 May 2006
I don't know how to do it, but the template for the country banner needs editing. The WikiProject Country Music link leads here, but the project page link further down in the sentence leads to the project page for numismatists.Juneappal 20:21, 22 May 2006 (UTC) NEVER MIND - I figured it outJuneappal 23:00, 22 May 2006 (UTC)
Sorry about that. I copied some other templates from some other projects, too. I wouldn't be surprised if I messed up more than once. :-[ --TantalumTelluride 23:06, 22 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Goals

I've reiterated our primary goals on the main project page[1]. We don't have much of a group for discussion yet, but any objections or suggestions are welcome. Hopefully some more users will soon join the project so that we can start discussing some major collaborations. I'd like to eventually get some country articles to features status! --TantalumTelluride 05:20, 18 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Mary Chapin Carpenter

The article on Mary Chapin Carpenter needs a lot of work, and I'm surprised it hasn't been done yet. It deserves to get up to the standards of articles like those on Alison Krauss and Linda Ronstadt. I have very limited knowlegde on editing, but a good start could maybe be to put one of those templates on it so that the word is spread that it needs some work. It would be great if someone could do that. 11:20, 05 July 2006 (UTC)

I placed the "request for expert" tag on the article and the "CountryNotice" template on its talk page. However, even with limited knowledge of editing, you can add content and somebody else will be glad to fix any formatting issues that result. Be Bold, my friend.--WilliamThweatt 16:23, 5 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Johnny Rodriguez

On Johnny Rodriguez's page I put most of his albums and I added a picture as well. So check it out! - Alakey2010 18 May 2006 04:21 pm.

Great start! The text of the article still needs some work, though. It's terribly unencyclopedic. --TantalumTelluride 21:41, 18 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Leroy Van Dyke

This page has very little info we need to expand this page for Leroy Van Dyke. I'll see what I can do for this page. - Alakey2010 21 May 2006 1:08

[edit] Billy Walker Dies!

CMT/CMT.com Reports

We need to make a page for Billy Walker I just check it out and there is no page for this Opry star! I would like to send my condolences to the Walker family. - Alakey2010 22 May 2006 4:06 pm.

I was thinking the same thing. It looks like some pages already link to Billy Walker (singer), so that's probably where the article needs to go. --TantalumTelluride 21:35, 22 May 2006 (UTC)
I've started the page at Billy Walker (singer). It's not much more than a stub at this point, though. --TantalumTelluride 23:08, 22 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Project logo

Does anyone have any suggestions for a good free-license or public-domain image that we can use to represent this project? I'm thinking about something like the commons:Image:Waricon.png used at WP:MILHIST. --TantalumTelluride 23:45, 22 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Almost There!

As of 23 May 2006 at 01:55 PM we have 7 memebers! Hope to get that 3 more. - Alakey2010 23 May 2006 01:55 PM.

As of 24 May 2006 at 12:04 PM we now have 8 memebers! Almost there only 2 more until 10. - Alakey2010 24 May 2006 12:04 PM.
As of 31 May 2006 at 09:19 PM we have 10 memebers! - Alakey2010 31 May 2006 09:19 PM.

[edit] No. 1 on other charts

I am the creator of the "(year) in country music" pages; so far, pages exist for each year since 1951, and I hope to actually put content with the earlier years in soon. In any case, we have reliable No. 1 information from only the Billboard magazine Hot Country Songs (and its predecessors) charts, since there seems to be reference materials for only that magazine available. What I am wondering is if there is reliable information — print or Web based — for the other charts, such as Radio & Records, etc., since — at least in past years — a song that didn't go No. 1 on Billboard perhaps made the top of R&R, Cashbox, etc. What I'd like to do after such information is found is create a wikilist of some sort listing the No. 1 country songs in chronological order for R&R, Cashbox, etc., and perhaps have it link up with each of the "(year) in country music" pages. Sorry if this request sounds so vague, but any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks. [[Briguy52748 19:09, 23 May 2006 (UTC)]]

That's an interesting idea, but I can't find any reliable online lists of top country songs except for the Billboard charts. --TantalumTelluride 20:39, 25 May 2006 (UTC)
The only reliable source I can think of is actual back issues of Radio & Records magazine, but I doubt that many public libraries subscribe to the magazine, much less keep back issues back to 1973. Same goes for Cashbox and the other trade mags. Perhaps one day someone will write a book compiling the chart histories of R&R, etc., similar to the Joel Whitburn series with Billboard. Thanks anyway. [[Briguy52748 16:24, 29 May 2006 (UTC)]]

[edit] T. Graham Brown

We need to make a page for T. Graham Brown he may have not be the biggest star but he had a few good songs and some hits. Also he is a good singer as well! I see what info I can get on Mr. Brown. - Alakey2010 24 May 2006 12:03 pm.

I made a page for T. Graham Brown so check it out. This page could still use some work. - Alakey2010 27 May 2006 10:58 pm.
I put T. Graham Brown's album on his page. But I still don't know when he was born. This page could still use some work. - Alakey2010 28 May 2006 10:13 am.
I explained the copyright violation on your talk page. I'll try to find Brown's date of birth as soon as I get a chance to look for it. --TantalumTelluride 18:22, 29 May 2006 (UTC)
Got it: October 30, 1954, according to the trusty ole All Music Guide. --TantalumTelluride 02:15, 1 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Gene Watson

We need a page for Gene Watson. - Alakey2010 28 May 2006 04:28 pm.

Yep, I'm surprised there isn't already an article for Gene Watson. If you know of any other important people or subjects that don't already have articles, you can add them to the new requested articles section of Template:Country music tasks. --TantalumTelluride 18:11, 29 May 2006 (UTC)
Check it out: Gene Watson. --TantalumTelluride 20:27, 7 June 2006 (UTC)
I just put a picture of Gene Watson on his page so...check it out! - Alakey2010 30 June 2006, 08:06 pm.

[edit] Some recent additions to the project page

Here's some additions I've made to the project page's "Request for articles," and why they may be deserving of their own articles:

  • Artists
    • Mel Street — beloved honky-tonk styled singer from the 1970s; sadly committed suicide.
    • Johnny Russell — songwriter, most notably "Act Naturally"
    • Tommy Overstreet — pop-styled singer who had success in the '70s.
    • Johnny Carver — had major hits with covers of "Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Old Oak Tree" (his was titled simply "Yellow Ribbon") and "Afternoon Delight."
    • Danny Davis — bandleader who won many CMA awards in the 1960s-1970s.
    • Norro Wilson — songwriter and record producer whose career has spanned five decades.
    • Jimmy Wakely — 1940s country star.
    • Sonny Throckmorton
    • Redd Stewart — Lead singer for Pee Wee King and His Golden West Cowboys
    • Carson Robison — 1930s-1940s country singer.
    • Dickey Lee — pop-styled country singer, had death-themed songs like "Rocky" and "Angels, Roses and Rain."
    • Leon Payne, Dallas Frazier, Dean Dillon, Jerry Foster, Bill Rice, Tommy Collins — All well-known songwriters.
    • Melba Montgomery — honky-tonk styled female vocalist of the 1960s, had duets with George Jones, recorded the sentimental ode to motherhood "No Charge" in 1974.
    • Don Rich — Buck Owens' right-hand man for years, part of the Buckaroos.
    • Margo Smith — Another popular singer of the 1970s, won yodeling contests.
    • Ed Bruce — writer of "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys," and had several big 1980s hits of his own.
    • Jacky Ward — country star of the late 1970s-early 1980s; dueted with Reba McEntire on some of her earliest Top 40 hits.
    • That Nashville Music and Pop! Goes the Country — Both syndicated country music programs during the 1970s-1980s.

That's just a start. Briguy52748 15:08, 1 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Let's do something!

Saluton! We now have ten members, and at least a few of us are active, so I think it may be time to start discussing some major projects. I'd like to get some community input about what we should actually do first. If you're familiar with any other wikiprojects, you probably have some ideas about the various schemes that they implement to encourage productivity. For example, many of them have periodic collaborations, where everyone bands together and beefs up a particular article over the course of a fixed amount of time, perhaps a week or month. Alternatively, we could just choose an article to collaborate on until its ready to be submitted for peer review or featured status. (I would really like to see this project improve an article to featured status.) Wouldn't it be cool to have your work appear on the Main Page one day? Anyway, now let's hear it. Would you all like to have a country collaboration of the <insert length of time here>? Or do you have any other suggestions? --TantalumTelluride 03:07, 1 June 2006 (UTC)

I like the idea of having a collaboration project for everybody here to research and contribute to. (Thanks for the Welcome, by the way. I have worked mostly on modern acts, like Chesney, Strait, Garth, etc., but I'm into all kinds of Country & Western). It would be great to have a Country article reach feature status.--WilliamThweatt 03:44, 1 June 2006 (UTC)

Since nobody seems to be making any suggestions about a collaboration, I'll stick my neck out and suggest we do something with Jimmie Rodgers (country singer). Personally, I think this could make a great featured article candidate if it could get fixed up. He's widely acknowledged as the "first country music superstar"...seems like a good place to start. I grew up listening to my Grandpa strum his guitar and sing "Waitin' for a Train" over and over. Rodgers influenced all the early greats. What does everybody think?--WilliamThweatt 01:30, 2 June 2006 (UTC)

Another suggestion that seems obvious to me is the Carter Family article. As the first country "super star group", A.P. and Mother Maybelle have influenced every generation of Country singers and songwriters. Who doesn't know how to pluck out "Wildwood Flower"? I think this would make another good candidate for Featured Article if it was fixed up and wikified.--WilliamThweatt 01:43, 2 June 2006 (UTC)

What time period do you think would be best? In my opinion, a week is probably too short and a month is too long. What do you think about two weeks or perhaps half a month? --TantalumTelluride 16:51, 2 June 2006 (UTC)

I would like to suggestion Hank Williams. He was a great singer and songwriter and his music lives to this day. All of his hits like "Hey, Good Lookin'", "Your Cheatin' Heart", and others have become American classics. Hank Williams is a true country music icon. - Alakey2010 11:38 AM, 05 June 2006

Check out Wikipedia:WikiProject Country Music/Collaboration. I've added the first three suggestions, but you can feel free to amend your nomination statements, which I just copied and pasted from this page. We can start the first collaboration on June 15; that way it'll be easy to keep track of when each collaboration is supposed to begin and end. --TantalumTelluride 21:18, 6 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Billy "Crash" Craddock

Just started this article from the "requested articles" section of Template:Country music tasks. Should I remove it from the template? Or place it in a "stubs to be expanded" section?--WilliamThweatt 04:25, 1 June 2006 (UTC)

I guess you can just move it to the "stub" section. --TantalumTelluride 06:04, 1 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] White trash with money

It says on Toby Keith's White Trash with Money page that the song "runnin block" is controversial does anyone know why? I have the CD and i recommend to any Toby fans but I don't know why it's controversial. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Kevmicester2000 (talk • contribs) 19:43, 14 June 2006 (UTC)

The song is probably offensive to some listeners because it makes fun of obesity. Feel free to change the wording of the article for clarification. In fact, since there are no sources cited, the article isn't very reliable at this point. --TantalumTelluride 04:58, 15 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Wikipedia Country Hall of Fame

It's exactly what it sounds like I propose that we have a Country wikipedia Hall of Fame it could include Garth Brooks, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams --Kevmicester2000 20:49, 15 June 2006 (UTC)

The only problem with that idea is that we'd have to violate Wikipedia's neutral point of view policy in deciding who to include and exclude from the Hall of Fame. I have a pretty good bit of experience at WP:MfD, and I'd say that that a Wikipedia Hall of Fame probably wouldn't survive very long. Pages in the main namespace have to be neutral and encyclopedic, while pages in the project namespace have to somehow support or improve the main namespace. We might be able to pull something off by saying that it improves community spirit, thus indirectly helping the encyclopedia. (It seems as though a lot of users, even Esperanzians, have been forgetting lately that Wikipedia is a community as well as an encyclopedia.) What do you think about a page or section where each member of the project lists his/her favorite country singers and/or songs? That way, we would also know which articles each member might be especially interested in improving. --TantalumTelluride 21:32, 16 June 2006 (UTC)
  • While not a literal hall of fame, there's nothing wrong with maintaining a list somewhere on the Project page of featured country content as a Wikipedia Country Music HoF rather than a Country Music HoF on Wikipedia. Staxringold talkcontribs 20:15, 16 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] CMT Outlaws

Check out the page for CMT Outlaws I just made it. It still needs alot of work. - Alakey2010 25 July 2006, 11:39 am

[edit] Ratings: Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other

Anyone willing and able to help me or find ratings information about Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other "such as sales figures...and which record charts the song has appeared on"? I would appreciate it much and it would be a quick and easy way to turn an article into a Featured article, per Wikipedia:Featured article candidates/Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other. Hyacinth 19:48, 7 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Wikipedia:Featured article candidates

Is the Hank Williams page on Wikipedia:Featured article candidates? - Alakey2010 07:12 p.m. Monday, August 07, 2006

Having worked on a more than a few Featured Article Candidates in the past, I can say with confidence that the article is not ready for Featured Article status yet. There are not enough in-line sources to support all the statements of fact. I've worked on articles of approximately this same length with footnotes numbering in the 30s and 40s and people still complained that the article was not thoroughly sourced. Also, they like to see the nitty-gritty details of longer sections broken off into daughter articles, especially where tables and lists are concerned. Lastly, the folks that tend to "vote" on Featured Articles are sticklers for prose style, punctuation and grammar. Redundancy, ambiguous clauses, colloquial phrasings, etc won't cut it. I don't know enough about Hank to do what needs to be done here and I don't have access to any sources to provide references. Since it seems that work has stalled here in this circle, I'm going to submit this article for Peer Review to get some fresh eyes on it and to offer suggestions for improvement.--WilliamThweatt 02:47, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Kickin' Out the Footlights...Again

Kickin' Out the Footlighs...Again is an upcoming about by American country music singer and songwriters George Jones and Merle Haggard. This album is to be released on October 24, 2006 on the Bandit Records label. Merle Haggard and George Jones will record an album together this summer. Kicking Out the Footlights...Again will feature Haggard singing five of his favorite Jones songs (such as "She Thinks I Still Care"), and Jones will offer covers of five of his favorite Haggard songs (including "Silver Wings"). They also plan to record several duets for the project that will be produced by Keith Stegall, best known for his work with Alan Jackson. "The last time we recorded together was 25 years ago, and though we've both changed a lot over the years, our love for real country music and respect for each other has only gotten stronger," Jones said. They released the album, "A Tast of Yesterday's Wine", in 1982. The title track (written by Willie Nelson) reached No. 1 on Billboard's country singles chart. – Alakey2010 03:35 p.m., 14 August 2006 (CDT)

[edit] Singer-Songwriter Johnny Duncan Dies of Heart Attack

Johnny Duncan, a country hitmaker of the '70s, died Monday afternoon (Aug. 14) after suffering an apparent heart attack while being flown to a Fort Worth, Texas, hospital. Earlier in the day, the 67-year-old singer-songwriter had sought treatment for abdominal pains he experienced at his home in Dublin, Texas. Duncan was a cousin of Jim Seals (of the pop duo Seals & Crofts) and Dan Seals (who moved to a country career after a pop career in England Dan & John Ford Coley). After attending Texas Christian University, Duncan moved to Clovis, N.M., in 1959 to record with producer Norman Petty, who had worked with Buddy Holly. After working as a radio disc jockey, Duncan moved to Nashville in 1964. A guest appearance on Ralph Emery's local TV show led to a contract with Columbia Records. He charted his first single, "Hard Luck Joe," in 1967 and scored his first Top 10 hit in 1973 with "Sweet Country Woman." However, his greatest success began in 1976 when he enjoyed a Top 10 hit with Kris Kristofferson's "Stranger." He followed it up with three No. 1 singles -- "Thinkin' of a Rendezvous," "It Couldn't Have Been Any Better" and "She Can Put Her Shoes Under My Bed (Anytime)." Funeral arrangements, which were incomplete late Tuesday (Aug. 15), are under the direction of Harrell Funeral Home in Dublin. – CMT/CMT.com Reports

This page has very little info we need to due something about this! - Alakey2010 05:55 p.m., 15 August 2006 (CDT)

[edit] Tom T. Hall

On Tom T. Hall's page there is very little info about one of country music's greatest songwriter. So if we could put more info on his page that would be great! I will see what info that I can get on Tom T. Hall. – Alakey2010 12:50 p.m., 19 August 2006 (CDT)

[edit] Harold Bradley

Got word this morning that Harold Bradley is a new inductee into the Country Music Hall of Fame, but yet there is no article. He is a legendary session musician (guitarist) who performed on some of country music's best-known hits (too many to list, but a few include "Crazy," "King of the Road," and "Make the World Go Away," among many many others) and is a founding father of the Nashville recording scene (he and brother Owen Bradley built the Castle Recording Studio in the 1940s), and has many, many other honors. I've placed this article on the "requested articles" page, but someone should do a story on him. Thanks! [[Briguy52748 15:54, 30 August 2006 (UTC)]]

[edit] Strait, James and Bradley Tapped for Country Hall of Fame

Contemporary superstar George Strait, '60s and '70s hitmaker Sonny James and legendary studio musician Harold Bradley have been selected as the newest members of the Country Music Hall of Fame. The formal inductions will take place during the 40th annual CMA Awards on Nov. 6 in Nashville.

Strait will become the second artist inducted in a category for artists who achieved national prominence between 1975 and the present. James will be inducted in a separate category for those who achieved career prominence between World War II and 1975. Bradley will be inducted in a category honoring recording and/or touring musicians active prior to 1980.

Strait, James and Bradley will increase membership in the Country Music Hall of Fame from 95 to 98 inductees. All Hall of Fame inductees are selected by a panel of more than 300 anonymous voters appointed by the board of directors of the Country Music Association.

George Strait

George Strait remains one of the most successful and influential country artists of the past 25 years. Born May 18, 1952, in Poteet, Texas, and raised in nearby Pearsall, Strait was the son of a junior high school teacher who owned and operated a ranch that had been in his family for nearly 100 years. After graduating from high school and briefly attending college, Strait married his high school sweetheart, Norma, before enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1971. While stationed in Hawaii, he began playing country music with an Army-sponsored group.

Discharged from the Army in 1975, Strait returned to Texas and enrolled in Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos. He graduated in 1979 with a degree in agriculture, but he also formed the Ace in the Hole band and recorded a few albums for a Dallas-based independent record company. In 1979, Strait became friends with Erv Woolsey, a Texas club owner and former MCA Records employee. A year later, Strait was signed to MCA Records with Woolsey as his manager.

Strait's debut single, "Unwound," hit No. 6 on the country chart in 1981 and became a Top 10 hit. Ever since, he has had at least one single hit the Top 10. He landed his first No. 1 single, "Fool Hearted Memory," in 1982, and his long string of Billboard No. 1 hits include "You Look So Good in Love," "Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind," "The Chair," "Nobody in His Right Mind Would've Left Her," "All My Ex's Live in Texas," "Blue Clear Sky," "Carrying Your Love With Me," "Write This Down" and "She'll Leave You With a Smile."

From 1997 until 2001, he headlined the George Strait Country Music Festival. The day-long concerts at stadiums throughout the U.S. featured Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw and several others.

Strait has sold more than 62 million albums, and his certifications from the RIAA include 13 multi-platinum, 30 platinum and 33 gold albums. According to the RIAA, he has received more Gold albums than any other country artist, and he is currently tied with Frank Sinatra in eighth place for the most gold albums of any artist in any musical genre. Strait has received 16 CMA Awards, including consecutive entertainer of the year honors in 1989 and 1990.

He will release his 34th MCA Nashville album, It Just Comes Natural, on Oct. 3.

Sonny James

Born James Hugh Loden on May 1, 1929, in Hackleburg, Ala., Sonny James was one of the most successful country artists of the '60s and '70s. Known as the Southern Gentleman, James recorded a string of singles that spent a total of 57 weeks in the No. 1 spot on the country chart between 1960 and 1979.

By the time he was 3, James was performing with his family at friends' houses. In 1933, the family band began performing regularly on radio station WMSD in Muscle Shoals, Ala. After winning a regional talent competition, the group performed for two weeks on WAPI in Birmingham, Ala., where vocalist Kate Smith gave the child a silver dollar and predicted he would have a bright future as a musician. The Loden Family performed on radio stations in Arkansas and Mississippi before heading to WNOX in Knoxville, Tenn., in the mid-'40s. At the Knoxville station, James first came into contact with several notable musicians, including Chet Atkins and Earl Scruggs.

After finishing high school and serving a tour of duty in the National Guard during the Korean Conflict, James moved to Nashville and renewed his friendship with Atkins, who had become a successful recording artist and studio musician. Atkins arranged an audition with Capitol Records' producer Ken Nelson. He changed his name to Sonny James before releasing his first Capitol single, "That's Me Without You," in 1953. He scored his first No. 1 in 1956 with "Young Love," a single that spent nine weeks at No. 1 on the country chart and also topped the pop chart.

With a smooth vocal delivery and a sophisticated acoustic guitar style, James began hitting his stride in 1964 with the No. 1 single, "You're the Only World I Know." With a total of 23 No. 1 singles, James was never hesitant to put a country spin on songs that had been pop hits for others. His biggest hits include "Take Good Care of Her," "I'll Never Find Another You," "A World of Our Own," "Born to Be With You," "Bright Lights, Big City," "My Love," "Running Bear," "It's the Little Things" and "Only the Lonely." Backed by his band and vocal group, the Southern Gentlemen, James toured the U.S. and overseas and made frequent TV appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Bob Hope Show and The Andy Williams Show.

In 1961, James became the first country artist to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1967, he and Bobbie Gentry co-hosted the first-ever CMA Awards show. James moved to Columbia Records in 1972 and scored a string of Top 10 singles, including two that reached No. 1. He became involved in music publishing and producing other artists during the early '70s. His production work with Marie Osmond includes three albums and her first No. 1 single, "Paper Roses," in 1973. James retired from performing in 1983 to raise cattle in Alabama. He currently lives in Nashville.

Harold Bradley

One of the most prolific session musicians in the history of recorded music, Harold Bradley is a founding father of Nashville's recording industry. Born Jan. 26, 1926, in Nashville, he is the brother of legendary record producer Owen Bradley, who himself was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1974.

Harold Bradley's first instrument was a tenor banjo, but he soon began playing guitar and was touring as a member of Ernest Tubb's band, the Texas Troubadours, during the summer between his junior and senior years in high school. After serving in the U.S. Navy, Bradley studied music at George Peabody College in Nashville while playing guitar for artists on the Grand Ole Opry. His first country music recording session took place in Chicago in 1946 with Pee Wee King & the Golden West Cowboys. When Nashville's recording industry began to flourish in the late '40s and early '50s, he became in great demand as a guitarist and banjo player. Adept at rhythm, lead and bass guitar, he is credited with creating the "tic-tac" style of muting notes on the bass guitar.

Bradley and his brother built Castle Recording Studio, Nashville's first recording facility, in the late '40s. In 1955, they built the Bradley Film and Recording Studios as the first studio to be located in the area near downtown Nashville that became known as Music Row. They sold the studio to Columbia Records in 1962.

With a reputation as the Dean of Nashville Session Guitarists, Bradley was one of the city's original "A Team" studio musicians. His session credits include numerous classics, including "Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy" (Red Foley); "Ballad of New Orleans" (Johnny Horton); "Jingle Bell Rock" (Bobby Helms); "I'm Sorry" (Brenda Lee); "Crazy" (Patsy Cline); "Only the Lonely" (Roy Orbison); "King of the Road" (Roger Miller); "Big Bad John" (Jimmy Dean); "Make the World Go Away" (Eddy Arnold); "Harper Valley PTA" (Jeannie C. Riley); "Stand by Your Man" (Tammy Wynette); "Coal Miner's Daughter" (Loretta Lynn); and "Swingin'" (John Anderson). He also played on recordings by Joan Baez, Perry Como, Buddy Holly, Burl Ives, George Morgan, Elvis Presley, Charley Pride, Jim Reeves, Marty Robbins, Hank Snow, Conway Twitty, Gene Watson, Hank Williams and many others. As a solo artist, he recorded three albums of guitar instrumentals.

Bradley was the first president of the Nashville chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS), and he has served as president of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) in Nashville since 1991. He became vice president of the AFM International in 1999. – CMT/CMT.com Reports – Alakey2010 04:40 p.m., 30 August 2006 (CDT)

[edit] We Did It!

We made our goal of getting 30 memebers by the end of Sepetmber! Thanks. – Alakey2010 30 September 2006, 04:31 p.m. CDT.

[edit] Singer Freddy Fender Dead at 69

Singer-songwriter Freddy Fender, acclaimed for his work as a solo artist and with the Texas Tornados, died Saturday (Oct. 14) at his home in Corpus Christi, Texas, following a lengthy battle with lung cancer. He was 69.

One of the few Hispanic artists to achieve major success as a mainstream country artist, Fender came to national prominence in 1975 with his No. 1 single, "Before the Next Teardrop Falls." His other No. 1 hits -- all released in 1975 and 1976 -- include "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights," "Secret Love" and "You'll Lose a Good Thing."

Born to a family of migrant workers in San Benito, Texas, on June 4, 1937, his real name was Baldemar Huerta. He later adopted the professional name of Freddy Fender, borrowing the last name from the brand name of the electric guitar he played.

Raised in one of San Benito's barrios, he was exposed at an early age to a wide variety of traditional Mexican music and polkas that were popular in the Rio Grande Valley. At age 10, he made his professional debut on a radio station in Harlingen, Texas, but his style was later influenced by black blues musicians he met while his parents traveled to work on farms.

Fender joined the Marines when he was just 16 and served for three years. Following his discharge, he performed in dance halls and clubs in Texas while recording two of his earliest records -- Spanish-language versions of Elvis Presley's "Don't Be Cruel" and Harry Belafonte's "Jamaica Farewell." Billed as El Bebop Kid, he scored a regional hit with "Holy One," but the success of his original 1959 recording of "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" put him in national limelight when the single was released a year later on Imperial Records. It was then that he changed his stage name to Freddy Fender in an effort to gain an even wider audience.

However, Fender's career was interrupted in 1960 when he and his bass player were arrested in Baton Rouge, La., for possession of two marijuana cigarettes. Sentenced to five years at Angola State Penitentiary, a maximum security prison that housed murderers and other violent criminals, he served three years. His early release came when he was paroled by Louisiana Gov. Jimmie Davis, a singer and politician who was later inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

After his release from prison, Fender moved to New Orleans and spent five years playing in the clubs of the French Quarter. During his time in Louisiana, he was influenced by the region's swamp-pop music, a blend of country, rock and Cajun styles. Unable to get his music career back on track, he returned to San Benito in 1969 and took a fulltime job as a mechanic. He also enrolled at Del Mar College in nearby Corpus Christi, Texas, and played music on weekends.

Although Fender first met record label owner Huey Meaux while working in Louisiana, they began working together after Meaux moved his music operations to Houston. In 1974, Meaux convinced Fender to add his voice to the prerecorded instrumental track of "Before the Next Teardrop Falls," a song written by Vivian Keith and Ben Peters. Initially released on Meaux's Crazy Cajun record label, the recording received national distribution on the ABC/Dot Records in 1975. It reached No. 1 on both the country and pop charts and was named the Country Music Association's single of the year for 1975.

Fender followed up the success with an updated version of his earlier pop hit, "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights," which he wrote with Wayne Duncan. The single also reached No. 1 on the country charts. His other Top 10 hits include "Since I Met You Baby," "Vaya ConDios," "Living it Down" and a remake of the Sir Douglas Quintet's '60s pop hit, "The Rains Came."

In the late '70s, Fender began working as an actor in films and television shows. His acting career was highlighted by a role in the 1988 film, The Milagro Beanfield War. Directed by Robert Redford, the cast included Rubén Blades, Sonia Braga, Melanie Griffith, John Heard and Christopher Walken.

In 1990, Fender teamed with Tejano music legend Flaco Jimenez and Sir Douglas Quintet members Doug Sahm and Augie Meyers to form the Tex-Mex supergroup, the Texas Tornados. "Soy de San Luis," a track from the band's self-titled album for Reprise Records, won a Grammy for best Mexican-American performance. They recorded three additional studio albums for Reprise -- Zone of Our Own (1991), Hangin' On by a Thread (1992) and 4 Aces (1996). Live From the Limo, Vol. 1, recorded in 1998 at Antone's club in Austin, Texas, was released by Virgin Records in 1999. Another live performance originally recorded for an episode of the Austin City Limits television series was released in 2005 by New West Records as part of its Live From Austin, TX series.

Although he continued to tour, Fender's health began to deteriorate in the late '90s. He received a kidney transplant from his daughter, Marla Garcia, in 2002 and a liver transplant in 2004.

Fender's last performance took place on Dec. 31, 2005. In January, doctors discovered two tumors in his lungs. He underwent chemotherapy later that month but decided to stop the treatments because of the side effects. In July, nine smaller tumors were detected. He was being treated at a Tulsa, Okla., hospital when he was transferred to another medical center in San Antonio on Oct. 4 because of a blood infection. He was released from the hospital Thursday (Oct. 12) and returned to his home.

Funeral arrangements are pending. – – CMT/CMT.com Reports – Alakey2010 14 October 2006, 08:02pm (CDT)

[edit] Project Directory

Hello. The WikiProject Council is currently in the process of developing a master directory of the existing WikiProjects to replace and update the existing Wikipedia:WikiProject Council/Directory. These WikiProjects are of vital importance in helping wikipedia achieve its goal of becoming truly encyclopedic. Please review the following pages:

  • User:Badbilltucker/Culture Directory,
  • User:Badbilltucker/Culture Directory 2,
  • User:Badbilltucker/Philosophy and religion Directory,
  • User:Badbilltucker/Sports Directory,
  • User:Badbilltucker/Geographical Directory,
  • User:Badbilltucker/Geographical Directory/United States, (note: This page will be retitled to more accurately reflect its contents)
  • User:Badbilltucker/History and society directory, and
  • User:Badbilltucker/Science directory

and make any changes to the entries for your project that you see fit. There is also a directory of portals, at User:B2T2/Portal, listing all the existing portals. Feel free to add any of them to the portals or comments section of your entries in the directory. The three columns regarding assessment, peer review, and collaboration are included in the directory for both the use of the projects themselves and for that of others. Having such departments will allow a project to more quickly and easily identify its most important articles and its articles in greatest need of improvement. If you have not already done so, please consider whether your project would benefit from having departments which deal in these matters. It is my hope to have the existing directory replaced by the updated and corrected version of the directory above by November 1. Please feel free to make any changes you see fit to the entries for your project before then. If you should have any questions regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you. B2T2 21:32, 23 October 2006 (UTC)

Sorry if you tried to update it before, and the corrections were gone. I have now put the new draft in the old directory pages, so the links should work better. My apologies for any confusion this may have caused you. B2T2 00:21, 24 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Wikipedia Day Awards

Hello, all. It was initially my hope to try to have this done as part of Esperanza's proposal for an appreciation week to end on Wikipedia Day, January 15. However, several people have once again proposed the entirety of Esperanza for deletion, so that might not work. It was the intention of the Appreciation Week proposal to set aside a given time when the various individuals who have made significant, valuable contributions to the encyclopedia would be recognized and honored. I believe that, with some effort, this could still be done. My proposal is to, with luck, try to organize the various WikiProjects and other entities of wikipedia to take part in a larger celebrartion of its contributors to take place in January, probably beginning January 15, 2007. I have created yet another new subpage for myself (a weakness of mine, I'm afraid) at User talk:Badbilltucker/Appreciation Week where I would greatly appreciate any indications from the members of this project as to whether and how they might be willing and/or able to assist in recognizing the contributions of our editors. Thank you for your attention. Badbilltucker 17:55, 29 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Grand Ole Opry Star Del Reeves Dead at 73

Del Reeves, the Grand Ole Opry star who delighted audiences for decades with his full-throated vocals and comic impressions of fellow artists, died Monday (Jan. 1) at his home in Centerville, Tenn. He was 73. The cause of death has not been announced.

A fixture on the charts throughout the 1960s and '70s, Reeves made his first big splash in 1965 with the whimsical "Girl on the Billboard," his only No. 1. He followed it with the equally leering "The Belles of Southern Bell" and "Women Do Funny Things to Me." His other major hits included "A Dime at Time," "Looking at the World Through a Windshield," "Good Time Charlie's" (which also provided him the name of his band), "Be Glad" and "The Philadelphia Fillies."

Franklin Delano Reeves was born July 14, 1933, in Sparta, N.C. He learned to play the guitar at an early age and had his own radio show by the time he was 12. After a brief period at Appalachia State College in Boone, N.C., he joined the U.S. Air Force, a move that took him to Travis Air Force Base in California.

It was in California that Reeves got his professional start in music, first by appearing on a local TV show and then by recording a series of singles for Capitol Records, none of which charted. However, Reeves showed early promise as a songwriter. His "Sing a Little Song of Heartache," became a No. 3 hit in 1963 for Rose Maddox, and he also had other songs recorded by Carl Smith, Roy Drusky and others. Reeves penned his own 1963 charter, "The Only Girl I Can't Forget."

In 1961, Reeves signed to Decca Records. This union yielded him his first charted single, "Be Quiet Mind," which rolled to No. 9. Following very brief stops at Reprise and Columbia Records, Reeves settled in at United Artists in 1965 and stayed there for the next 13 years.

Encouraged by songwriter Hank Cochran, the tall, gangly Reeves moved to Nashville in 1962 and became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1966. A talented mimic, he enlivened his shows with physical and vocal impressions of performers as disparate as Little Jimmy Dickens and Johnny Cash.

Reeves appeared in eight movies, including Sam Whiskey, a 1969 film starring Burt Reynolds, Angie Dickinson and Ossie Davis. Other titles conveyed their dramatic standing, including Second Fiddle to a Steel Guitar, Forty-Acre Feud, Gold Guitar and Cotton Pickin' Chickenpickers. Reeves also established his own syndicated TV series, The Del Reeves Country Carnival, which ran for four years in the early '70s.

After "The Philadelphia Fillies," which peaked at No. 9 in 1971, Reeves never had another Top 20 record, but he did continue to chart sporadically into the 1980s on the Koala label. His last charted single came in 1986 with "The Second Time Around" on Playback Records.

Reeves had a hand in launching the careers of two younger stars. Lee Greenwood first gained wide exposure playing in his band, and Billy Ray Cyrus relied on Reeves to make Nashville contacts for him when he was seeking his first record contract.

Reeves made his last Grand Ole Opry appearance in August 2002. He is survived by his wife, Ellen, and daughters Anne, Kari and Bethany. Funeral arrangements are incomplete. — CMT/CMT.com Reports

Alakey2010 January 10, 2007 2:09 pm (CDT)

[edit] FYI. Alison Krauss is Featured Article!

Alison Krauss is the Featured Article in Wikipedia. She is the first country artist to reach that honor. It is a day to celebrate for us country music fans! Chris 14:35, 7 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Pop! Goes the Country

I joined the project today. When I checked the tasks I found that Pop! Goes the Country was a requested article. I don't have any special knowledge of the progam, but I have enjoyed watching reruns on RFD TV. I did some preliminary research and gave a stub-quality basically internet research, found the dates of the series run, and started the article.

It does need a citation, the information for the citation is found on the article's discussion page.

SonPraises

[edit] Articles + succession tables for the #1s?

I was surprised to see that there appears not to be an infobox/succession table for the Country #1 singles the way there is for the Billboard Hot 100 (see, for example, the bottom of this article). It would be great if we could create one of these.

Also, it seems as if we should have a separate stub template for country musicians, maybe showing a cowboy hat or a lasso? (preferably something appropriate both to men and to women) Lawikitejana 20:42, 25 March 2007 (UTC)

I've added succession tables for many of the more recent #1's on here (including Last Dollar (Fly Away), When I Get Where I'm Going, etc.). I've also added some for songs that were also pop songs (e.g. I Don't Want to Miss a Thing). TenPoundHammer 17:09, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Article suggestions

I have several article suggestions. Please consider adding these to the template (unless I can add them myself).

[edit] Create

  • Robert Ellis Orrall (songwriter, had Top 20 in 1993 with "Boom! It Was Over". Briefly formed a duo called Orrall & Wright; the other half was Curtis Wright, below.)
  • Curtis Wright (songwriter, teamed up with Orrall a lot, now lead singer of Shenandoah, wrote "Next To You, Next To Me" for the same group way before he became their lead singer)
  • "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" (we REALLY need a page on this song, seeing as the song deals with 9/11)
"Where Were You" has been started. I'm sure more can be added to it, but I wanted to get it out there. Cheemo 11:09, 2 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Expand

(okay, I wrote those articles myself; I have no shame) TenPoundHammer 17:09, 14 April 2007 (UTC)

(I put an {{expand}} template on this article, but that is where my interest begins and ends... ;~] LessHeard vanU 23:13, 20 April 2007 (UTC))

[edit] ACM Announces Pioneer Award Recipients

Dolly Parton, Don Williams and the late Harlan Howard and Waylon Jennings have been named the recipients of this year's Pioneer Awards from the Academy of Country Music. They will be honored at the Tennessee State Museum in Nashville on June 20 at a ceremony hosted by Marty Stuart. In addition, the late Buck Owens will be remembered with the Jim Reeves International Award, and record promotion veteran Jack Lameier will receive the Mae Boren Axton award for his 28-year tenure on the ACM's board of directors. — Alakey2010, 20 April 2007, 08:11pm (CDT)

The topic of Pioneer Awards (as presented at the annual Academy of Country Music awards show) might make a good article. In a way, this honor is similar to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, it is very prestigeous and many legendary performers have been honored. This will be added to the requested articles page. [[Briguy52748 19:45, 8 May 2007 (UTC)]]

[edit] Reba discography

I would appreciate your help. On the Reba McEntire discography page, could y'all please help me check each album page for the following:

  • Type is properly listed (i.e. "studio", "live", "greatest", "remix", whatever instead of "Album". I swear, some people just don't know how to read directions.)
  • Reviews copy-pasted from All Music Guide are removed (I snipped most of them out)
  • Each album should be listed under [[(Year) albums]], [[country albums]] and [[Reba McEntire albums]].

Thanks! Ten Pound Hammer • (((Actions • Words))) 21:51, 5 May 2007 (UTC)

The problem that I see with your discography is that you are using album covers which are not fair use when used in lists and galleries like discographies. Could you please reformat the article to leave off the images? Thanks. ~ BigrTex 17:49, 31 May 2007 (UTC)
I didn't make the discographies. Ten Pound Hammer • (((Broken clamshells • Otter chirps))) 18:48, 31 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] If You're Reading This

(also posted at Talk:2007 in country music) I know that (at least for now) I'm kind of bending the unofficial "top 25" rule for "Other major hits", but I ask that an exception be made in the case of If You're Reading This. However, I ask that an exception be made in this case, since the song is highly notable for the ACM performance, and the unusual situation of the song's telecast charting.

Furthermore, I propose that any song that has an article should be included under "Other major hits", regardless of chart position. Otherwise, the Top 25 limit remains in place. Any other comments? Ten Pound Hammer • (((Broken clamshells • Otter chirps))) 15:36, 31 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Time to replace Infobox Guitarist?

There have been a growing number of Wikipedians questioning the need for a separate infobox for guitarists. The {{Guitarist infobox}} was created by Wikipedia:WikiProject Guitarists, and it easily survived a deletion nomination back in September of last year, but that was before {{Infobox musical artist}} (which is supported by Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians) became a widely accepted standard. Both infoboxes are currently endorsed by Wikipedia:WikiProject Biography, but recent discussions between some members of the Guitarist and Musician Wikiprojects have concluded that it may be time to deprecate the guitarist infobox, and start replacing it. (Unfortunately, this is not a task for bots, and will have to be done manually.)

Before making any final decision on the matter, we would like to get feedback from the broader community, so I am posting this notice to several Wikiprojects which may be affected. Comments should be posted to Template talk:Guitarist infobox. If you have strong feelings about this infobox, one way or the other, please feel free to let us know. Thanks, Xtifr tälk 12:22, 1 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Genrebox traceback

Hi all. In the interests of those who like to trace the roots of a style of music, I've been starting with electric folk and, by clicking the "stylistic origins" sections of the genre infoboxes, I've been tracing them backwards, and adding new genreboxes any time I found some missing. This is turning out to be a bigger project than I expected, and I was wondering if anyone at WP Country music was interested in tracing the genreboxes for the origins of country music the same way.

-- TimNelson 12:48, 6 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Creating new pages

Come on, people, we've got plenty of new pages to create yet. I've been doing my part (see this page), and I don't want to have to do all the work on country music myself. Ten Pound Hammer • (((Broken clamshells • Otter chirps))) 04:02, 1 July 2007 (UTC)

I've been chipping in lately with a number of articles about No. 1 songs (and other well-known songs), mainly from the 1970s and 1980s (and a few 1990s-later). For instance, notice all the songs by Alabama I've created; more to come.
What I'd like to see to some of those pages is either video stills and/or pictures of the actual 7-inch single/single cover ... provided we can get free use. [[Briguy52748 20:28, 19 July 2007 (UTC)]]

[edit] Country Weekly article started

I finally created a page on Country Weekly. It's not much, but strangely, there's not a whole lot out there on the 'Net about Country Weekly. Expansion of the stub is greatly appreciated. Ten Pound Hammer • (((Broken clamshells • Otter chirps))) 04:58, 8 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Country music song articles and succession boxes

I've been creating a number of articles lately about various country music songs, most of them No. 1s (some well-known, others not-so-well-known but notable nonetheless). I've also been going through some of the existing song articles with infoboxes and noticed something I'd like to address.

Many of these articles have the succession box added to them, and they'll list the previous, then-current and successor No. 1s, along with the chart (usually, a Billboard magazine country chart) on which the song attained the honor. Many times, they'll list the name of the chart as Hot Country Songs, regardless of when the subject song went No. 1 (i.e., it could be a song from 1963, 1975, 1995, 2003 or 2007, and the chart name in the succession box will be given as "Hot Country Songs").

Really, when the succession box is added, the chart name referred to should be the one in use at the time the song went to No. 1. That is, if a song went to No. 1 on Billboard before April 30, 2005, the name of the chart is Hot Country Singles & Tracks; anything on April 30 and after is Hot Country Songs.

Here is a sample box, as seen on the page for Chains (Patty Loveless song):

Preceded by
"No Matter How High"
by Oak Ridge Boys		 Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks
number one single by Patty Loveless
March 10, 1990		 Succeeded by
"Hard Rock Bottom of Your Heart"
by Randy Travis

The rule of thumb I recommend:

  • October 20, 1958-October 27, 1962: Hot C&W Sides.
  • November 3, 1962-February 10, 1990: Hot Country Singles
  • February 17, 1990-April 23, 2005: Hot Country Singles & Tracks
  • April 30, 2005-current: Hot Country Songs

Hope this helps, and feel free to post any questions. [[Briguy52748 20:24, 19 July 2007 (UTC)]] (P.S. — I realize this discussion may have taken place on other discussion pages, so I apologize if this issue has been resolved there. If it has and there's a link, let me know and I'll eat crow! ;-) )

BTW — I haven't decided yet how to handle the pre-"Hot C&W Sides"-era No. 1 songs – that is, the multiple chart No. 1s (for Best Sellers, Disc Jockeys and (until 1957) Jukebox No. 1's, as not every No. 1 song topped all the charts. For instance, "I Walk the Line" was one of the most famous No. 1's ever, yet it only topped the Disc Jockeys and Jukebox charts in 1956 (Cash's song stopped at No. 2 on the Best Sellers). I guess there, my question would be should there be an "official" chart and if so, which one? [[Briguy52748 12:33, 20 July 2007 (UTC)]]

[edit] List of (U.S.) Billboard country chart chart achievements

I have started a new article to chronicle notable chart accomplishments and milestones on the various Billboard magazine Hot Country Songs (and all titled predecessors) chart, based upon the article List of Hot 100 (U.S.) chart achievements and trivia. I am inviting people who are aware of notable chart accomplishments and milestones to contribute and/or update the list as needed. I've started off the article with a few of the major categories, so perhaps some of you can come up with some important categories. Please note that I am not looking for trivial categories just to get a favorite artist nominated (unless his/her accomplishment is truly notable; I do not want to see this article become little more than cruft). Also, it might be a good idea to include Hot Country Albums chart accomplishments as well; currently, only the Hot Country Songs (et. al) charts are documented. Anyway, have fun and let's make this article something good — and show the Wikipedians how a good list is made! [[Briguy52748 14:43, 31 July 2007 (UTC)]] (P.S., a banner has already been added to the new article's talk page)

[edit] Newest Members of the Country Music Hall of Fame Announced!

Ralph Emery, Vince Gill and Mel Tillis as Newest Members of Country Music Hall of Fame

Announcement Made at Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum With Special Guests Brenda Lee, Barbara Mandrell and Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell

NASHVILLE – The Country Music Association announced today that influential radio and television personality Ralph Emery, multi-award-winning entertainer Vince Gill and legendary singer/songwriter Mel Tillis will become the newest members of the coveted Country Music Hall of Fame.

Emery will be inducted in the “Non-Performer” category, which is awarded every third year in a rotation with the “Career Achieved National Prominence Prior to World War II” and “Recording and/or Touring Musician Active Prior to 1980” categories. Gill will be the third artist inducted in the “Career Achieved National Prominence Between 1975 and the Present” category, which was created in 2005. Tillis will be inducted in the “Career Achieved National Prominence Between World War II and 1975” category.

“Induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame is the highest musical honor a Country Music artist and industry veteran can attain,” said Tammy Genovese, CMA Chief Operating Officer. “All three of these extraordinary men are highly deserving of this honor.

“Ralph Emery brought more than just Country Music into our homes via radio and television. His entertaining and thought-provoking interviews have always provided a unique glimpse into the personal side of our favorite performers.

“As a singer, songwriter and performer, Mel set a high standard for all entertainers. His presence in movies and TV alongside the top actors of that time gave Country Music a higher profile in the ‘70s and made Mel a pop culture icon.

“Vince is the ultimate triple threat: a singer with the voice of an angel, a songwriter who conveys the joys and heartbreaks of life with every word he writes, and a consummate musician, who is equally at home playing guitar with Chet Atkins or Eric Clapton. As the longtime host of the CMA Awards, Vince also represented Country Music with dignity and humor for 12 years.”

Emery, Gill and Tillis will be officially inducted in October during the traditional, invitation-only Medallion Ceremony at the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum.

“It is with great pride that CMA will induct these three outstanding artists and personalities into the Country Music Hall of Fame, where they will join a small yet monumental group of entertainers and industry veterans whose influence on Country Music is enormous,” said Genovese. “The Country Music Hall of Fame’s Medallion Ceremony, which takes place during the annual reunion of the membership, has historically been the occasion where new inductees are presented the keepsake medal commemorating their ownership of Country Music’s paramount honor,” said Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Director Kyle Young. “The medals traditionally are presented by a member of the Hall of Fame during an intimate and emotional evening of homecoming, storytelling, music, memories and fellowship.

“We are honored that CMA sees our ceremony as the appropriate setting for the official induction of new members. Including the formal induction as part of the evening will certainly seal the event’s reputation as Country Music’s most prestigious night.”

The announcements were made this morning at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in a press conference hosted by Genovese. Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell congratulated the new inductees on behalf of Music City U.S.A. Emery was introduced by his longtime friend and former two-time CMA Entertainer of the Year, Barbara Mandrell. Gill was introduced by Young, while Tillis was introduced by his good friend and Country Music Hall of Fame member Brenda Lee.

All inductees are chosen by CMA’s Hall of Fame Panel of Electors, consisting of more than 300 anonymous voters appointed by the CMA Board of Directors. Emery, Gill and Tillis will increase membership in the coveted Country Music Hall of Fame from 98 to 101 inductees.

[edit] Expert review: Bob Style

As part of the Notability wikiproject, I am trying to sort out whether Bob Style is notable enough for an own article. I would appreciate an expert opinion. For details, see the article's talk page. If you can spare some time, please add your comments there. Thanks! --B. Wolterding 11:32, 10 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Portal

I have created a base portal for the Country Music WikiProject. Anyone who wants to help edit, please feel free! Fl1942 16:28, 10 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Drumtar AfD input requested

I have nominated the Drumtar article for deletion. The drumtar is a sort of guitar-banjo hybrid incorporating a snare drum. One of the participants in the discussion has suggested that the discussion would benefit from more input from people who are knowledgeable about music. So I mention it here in the interest of getting more input from the project members. Please visit the discussion to weigh in. Thank you. Nick Graves 00:03, 12 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Peer Review

I have just requested a peer review for Diamond Rio. Please feel free offer any input to the article's improvement at the review. Thank you. Ten Pound Hammer • (Broken clamshells•Otter chirps•Review?) 18:20, 10 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Notability of Rank Strangers question

There is a relatively new article on the Rank Strangers, an Australian bluegrass band from the late 1980s and early 1990s. I was wondering if anyone here could verify some of the claims in the article and/or the band's notability?

There are several red flags for me here, however these could just be errors of new editors. For example, the article cites the book by David Latta titled "Australian Country Music" as being written by the publisher, i.e. "Random House’s 1991 book Australian Country Music declared the Rank Strangers to be among the major figures of the 1990s Australian music scene...". While this is a real book, I do not have access to it - does anyone who could check it?

The article also claims the group was the subject of a feature article in the magazine Bluegrass Unlimited before they had released any albums, and that it reviewed all three of their albums. The issues are listed, does anyone have these and if so could you look them up? The article also lists the Bluegrass Unlimited and International Bluegrass Music Association websites as external links, but I could find no mention of the group at either website (and precious little about them on Google).

There appears to be an error in the article as it claims that "In 1988, the Rank Strangers swept the Australian Gospel Music Awards in Tamworth, New South Wales, winning Best Group, Best Male Vocalist, and Best Composition." but a check of the Australian Gospel Music Awards web page says "Technically, the AGMAs were launched in Sydney in 1994." so it appears there were no awards to win in 1988 or for six years after.

Finally, the book rather prominently plugs a book by a former member of the band (complete with ISBN), but fails to give the names of bands formed by other former members. The band member has an article too, and his notability seems to hinge on the notability of this band (and both articles were written by the same editors, who seem to be single purpose accounts).

I am reasonably certain this band existed, but lots of bands exist that are not notable enough to have articles here. I am asking this question both at Wikipedia:WikiProject Country Music and Wikipedia:WikiProject Australia in the hopes that someone can verify these claims.

Thanks in advance for any help, Ruhrfisch ><>°° 22:16, 6 December 2007 (UTC)

I heard from Bluegrass Unlimited and while the albums were reviewed, there was no feature article on it. `Ruhrfisch ><>°° 00:56, 12 December 2007 (UTC

[edit] Asleep at the Wheel

Hi all, I took a look at the Asleep at the Wheel page and felt it need some improvements. If anyone is interested (before I post it and possibly make someone mad, check out what I have done here User:Fitzharry/sandbox. If there are no objections, I will post it in a week (December 19, 2007). I have also posted this on the talk page for AATW. Fitzharry (talk) 15:51, 12 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Song articles and single infobox

This is regarding the single infobox attached to articles about songs. Where it lists albums, my recommendation is that when a song is from an album (not all songs are), whenever possible we should include the original album that it came from. Only if that original album is a greatest hits album should that album be listed. Verification should be rather simple (I recommend the All Music Guide Web site; just type in the name of the song or singer and you can easily be led from there).

This is not about availability — note that many of the albums that will be listed are long out of print and available only at used record stores or second-hand retail shops, through eBay, etc. Rather, it's about creating an encyclopediac article, and in doing so, whenever possible, it should provide the first, original place once could find a given song.

In addition, the original label should be used in the infobox (not a current distrubtor's label, for example). If the label number is available (or at hand when you type the information in), try to include that as well. And try to get the release date if possible; often, if a song begins its Billboard chart run in early January, chances are the song was released in December of the previous calendar year.

Also, be sure to include any additional information you may have about the song for which the article is being written. Not all information may be available or at hand, so if you don't have it, just wait until you get accurate info. As well, any historical information you can get about a song through verifiable sources is always appreciated. Most often, this will include notable achievements by either the song itself or the performer (e.g., his first No. 1, whether it kicked off his/her popularity or was his/her only major hit, etc.), but also interesting facts should also be considered, such as why did someone write or record a song. I understand we're not trying to be Casey Kasem, but I want to see good articles about songs, and this means telling the story about the song. Sometimes that's not always possible — that is, all that can be provided for now is a simple two- or three-sentence article, which would then be classified as a stub and can be expanded later as you come across verifiable sources.

Hey, I'm happy to see all the articles being written about country music (and all genre) songs lately. Let's keep up the good work. [[Briguy52748 (talk) 13:29, 13 December 2007 (UTC)]]

P.S. — see Wikipedia_talk:WikiProject_Country_Music#Country_music_song_articles_and_succession_boxes for information about adding succession boxes to articles about songs that reached No. 1 on the Billboard chart. Remember to include these at the end of every song article where it topped the Billboard country chart (and be sure to remember any other charts it may have topped, such as the Billboard Hot 100). [[Briguy52748 (talk) 16:23, 13 December 2007 (UTC)]]

[edit] George Jones

I was just looking at the George Jones page, and it is a complete and utter mess. I mean, really unacceptable quality for someone so important. It gives no real information as to his career aside from an odd timeline for the last three years and a huge trivia section. I don't really know a lot about George, but someone needs to step in and probably completely rewrite the whole page. MikeND05 (talk) 19:52, 17 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] 3 more suggestions

by--I7114080 (talk) 05:32, 2 January 2008 (UTC)i7114080
1. Separate singles and album cut songs What is album cut songs? One thing is for sure: they are not singles. So why should they put together? It confuse me a long time.
I hope that all single charts will organize as following example. It makes people understand more.
Also, space is not a problem!

Year Song Chart Positions Album
US Country US Hot 100 US Pop 100 US Digital US AC
2000 "Prayin' for Daylight" 3 38 - - - Rascal Flatts
"This Everyday Love" 9 56 - - -
2001 "While You Loved Me" 7 60 - - -
"I'm Movin' On" 4 41 - - -
2002 "These Days" 1 23 - - - Melt
2003 "Love You Out Loud" 3 30 - - -
"I Melt" 2 34 - - -
2004 "Mayberry" 1 21 - - -
"Feels Like Today" 9 56 - - - Feels Like Today
2005 "Bless the Broken Road" 1 29 40 20 20
"Fast Cars and Freedom" 1 38 70 65 -
"Skin (Sarabeth)"A 2 42 74 66 -
2006 "What Hurts the Most" 1 6 11 3 1 Me and My Gang
"Me and My Gang" 6 50 71 63 -
"Life Is a Highway"B - 7 9 3 - Cars soundtrack
"My Wish" 1 28 49 - 13 Me and My Gang
2007 "Stand" 1 46 80 - -
"Take Me There" 1 19 33 11 - Still Feels Good
"Winner at a Losing Game"C 5 61 - - -
  • A "Skin (Sarabeth)" had originally charted earlier in 2005 as "Skin", based on unsolicited airplay that brought it up to #38 on the Billboard country charts prior to the single's release.
  • B "Life Is a Highway" was not released to country radio, but reached #18 on the country charts based on unsolicited airplay. It was released to all other formats on which it charted. The song is also available on later presses of Me and My Gang.
  • C Current single.

[edit] Album Cut Singles

These songs were charted from unsolicited airplay on Billboard Hot Country Song Chart.

Year Song US Country Album
2000 "Long Slow Beautiful Dance" 73 Rascal Flatts
2005 "Bless the Broken Road" (w/ Carrie Underwood) 50 Promotional single
"Oklahoma-Texas Line" 53 Feels Like Today
"Skin"A 38
"Here's To You" 48
2006 "Pieces" 57 Me and My Gang
"Ellsworth" 56
"Backwards" 54
"Life Is a Highway"B 18 Cars soundtrack
2007 "Revolution" 57 Still Feels Good
"Still Feels Good" 56
  • A Later release as a single
  • B Did not release to country radio

2.I try to organize the top hits on 2008 in country music page. I add some chart positions and make it into table form. It has some pros:
(1)It is well organized. Don't look so messy like some other articles.
(2)It includes its peak positions on this chart, for both US and Canada.
(Some country articles are "US only," and it is so unfair!)
I tried to organize it before, but it didn't approved. I hope everybody accept my version.

US Peak CAN Peak Single Artist
22 36 All-American Girl Carrie Underwood
12 22 Cleaning This Gun (Come On In Boy) Rodney Atkins
- 5 Come On and Get Some Paul Brandt
6 2 Everybody Keith Urban
2 - Firecracker Josh Turner
- 7 Flirtin' With Me Jason Blaine
14 - Get My Drink On Toby Keith
20 - God Must Be Busy Brooks & Dunn
- 4 I Remember the Music Shane Yellowbird
48 3 In My Next Life Terri Clark
16 - International Harvester Craig Morgan
25 - It's Good To Be Us Bucky Covington
23 - Laughed Until We Cried Jason Aldean
9 2 Letter To Me Brad Paisley
11 16 Ready, Set, Don't Go Billy Ray Cyrus (with Miley Cyrus)
30 - Rollin' With the Flow Mark Chesnutt
17 29 Shiftwork Kenny Chesney (with George Strait)
18 - Small Town Southern Man Alan Jackson
2 - Stay Sugarland
13 - Stealing Cinderella Chuck Wicks
19 30 Suspicions Tim McGraw
- 12 That Train Doc Walker
30 - Things That Never Cross a Man's Mind Kellie Pickler
10 - Watching Airplanes Gary Allan
3 8 What Do Ya Think About That Montgomery Gentry
20 - What Kinda Gone Chris Cagle
5 2 Winner at a Losing Game Rascal Flatts
27 - You Still Own Me Emerson Drive

3.I hope we can list all music videos that is made in discography like in Rascal Flatts page. It is very important to let everybody knows that what songs is made to music videos.



[edit] Rascall Flatts Winner at a Losing Game

Iam considering updating The Rascall Flatts song's article Winner at a Losing Game Do any of you have any ideas what I should put in?--Larkspurguy (talk) 20:44, 4 January 2008 (UTC)

I would suggest finding verifiable info about the song's content -- maybe something about how it's the first Rascal Flatts song that the group wrote itself; how it was given a 1970s soft rock sound, etc. Just make sure it's verifiable info (see WP:V, WP:RS). And I would suggest typing "-video -lyrics -mp3 -review -compare -karaoke" into your Google search. Ten Pound Hammer and his otters • (Broken clamshells•Otter chirps) 20:58, 4 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Doug Supernaw

I have just placed a {{expand}} template on Doug Supernaw. I gave the article a thorough rewrite, adding references and citing some passages that had {{fact}} tags on them. However, I've just barely begun to scratch the surface; there's a metric buttload of information about his (rather thick) criminal file, and I think I may be in over my head here. Please drop me a note if you want to help in the expansion of this article. Ten Pound Hammer and his otters • (Broken clamshells•Otter chirps) 20:42, 5 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Alabama Albums

i am currently working on making pages for all of the Alabama Albums i have gotten all of the studio ones done except for one. I am also working on an Alabama Template --Hman333 (talk) 21:24, 14 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Gary Stewart

Howdy all,

I just did a major edit to the Gary Stewart (singer) page. Feel free to make it better. I do wonder, does anyone have access to the country Billboard charts and can post there or on his talk page all of Gary's charting singles?

Your help is appreciated. Thanks,

TuckerResearch (talk) 05:54, 13 February 2008 (UTC)

  • I belive you mean Gary Stewart (singer)? Anyway, looks like good work, but the refs are a mess. It's like you have six refs bunched into one footnote or something. I would suggest asking User:BravesFan2006 or User:Eric444 about the chart positions, I know at least one of them has the Whitburn book. Ten Pound Hammer and his otters • (Broken clamshells•Otter chirps) 05:59, 13 February 2008 (UTC)
I can fix this. Thanks for the lead on the users with a copy of Whitburn.
Now if someone can make a nice discography/singles page with charts (like this one, Jerry Lee Lewis discography) for Waylon Jennings and I'd be the happiest Wikipedian in the world and would not ask for anything else for a long, long time.
TuckerResearch (talk) 03:51, 19 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Mac Martin

Could someone take a look at Mac Martin, of the Dixie Travelers. Very low quality probably copypaste article, but probably notable. I declined a speedy, but it cant survive as is & I dont have the knowledge to work on it. DGG (talk) 17:46, 9 March 2008 (UTC)


[edit] Justin Tubb

The article is a copyvio, because the text was copied 1:1 from All Music Guide, see to Tubb's discussion page. I don't know which template I have to use, maybe another user can do this. The yodeling cowboy (talk) 20:42, 22 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] WP Signpost on FAC and FAR/C reviewing - REVIEWERS NEEDED

The Featured Article and Reatured Article Review processes have put out a call for reviewers. Any editor can review an article and contribute to consensus on whether that article is of FA status. This week's Signpost Dispatch, located at

Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2008-04-07/Dispatches

, explains the advantages of being a reviewer and details the aspects of reviewing that are critical to maintaining WP's high standards. Hope to see some new faces at FAC or FAR soon! Karanacs (talk) 14:50, 10 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Portal:Country Music

I have listed Portal:Country Music for deletion, as the portal seems to be underpopulated and largely abandoned. You can list your comments at Wikipedia:Miscellany for deletion/Portal:Country Music Ten Pound Hammer and his otters • (Broken clamshells•Otter chirps) 19:06, 17 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Featured article candidate for The Greencards

Just wanted to toss out the invitation for help on this article, The Greencards. They're a bluegrass band up for Featured Article at Wikipedia:Featured article candidates/The Greencards. rootology (T) 05:08, 2 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Better Get to Livin' at Articles for deletion

Just wanted to let people know that Better Get to Livin' has been nominated for deletion. If anyone wants to weigh in on the issue feel free to comment at Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Better Get to Livin'. Kaldari (talk) 20:18, 5 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] New proposal for Discography sections at WikiProject Musicians

Please take a look at this proposal and express your support or objections. Keep in mind we currently have no guidelines for Discography sections whatsoever, so this would at least be a start. Kaldari (talk) 18:15, 9 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] New "List of number-one country hits (United States)" series

I have started a new series of articles called "List of number-one country hits (United States)," which as the article series implies is a week-by-week listing of number one songs from a given year. It is patterned after the series of articles under the umbrella "List of number-one hits (United States)" and based on the Billboard Hot 100 and its predecessor charts (from 1940 onward).

Take a look at the first article I published ("Number-one country hits of 2008 (USA)") or any of the articles seen in the "List of number-one hits (United States)" series, and you'll get an idea about formatting, wiki-markup and so forth.

Good luck and I'll help out whenever I can. [[Briguy52748 (talk) 22:28, 10 June 2008 (UTC)]]

Also in the near future, I will be creating a country version of the List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (United States) article. This will take a lot of work, but I am confident that it can be done. [[Briguy52748 (talk) 14:42, 11 June 2008 (UTC)]]