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Future Inductees for the Country Music Hall of Fame

Country Music Hall of Fame

 
First of all, I have a few more articles that are in the works, and if there are any you’d like to see me write one on, let me know.  I was inspired to write this article after watching (on mute) this year’s country music awards.  Don’t worry, this won’t be a rant similar to my earlier letter.  Been there, done that.  Anyway, Vince Gill was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, along with Ralph Emery and Mel Tillis.  This follows George Strait’s induction last year, and the band Alabama’s induction before that.  This is a bit concerning, since it seems as though the HOF is inducting newer artists while overlooking many artists who deserve to be in the HOF who were successful long before these artists.   Alabama’s first #1 hit was in 1980, George Strait the next year, and Vince Gill first topped the charts in 1984.  Don’t get me wrong, these are some of my favorite artists, and each of them unquestionably deserves to be in the HOF.  But there are others who were successful and who had an impact long before these artists did, who deserve to be recognized.  Below are my picks for future additions.  Hey, at least it’s not as bad as what the Rock Hall of Fame has been going through (just wikipedia it, if you don’t know). 

Jerry Lee Lewis—(#1 in 1957)—although primarily remembered as being a member of the founding class of rock and rollers (along with Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley), Jerry Lee Lewis’ recordings have an unquestionable country sound to them (as do many of the songs by the early rockabilly artists).  His first #1 hit was not on the pop charts, but rather the country charts.  Plus, nearly any country song after the 1950s featuring an up-tempo piano lick draws from Lewis’ style of playing.  My guess as to why he hasn’t already been inducted, as his fellow rockers The Everly Brothers and Elvis Presley and the Jordanaires deals with his personal history (namely, marrying his 13-year old cousin).

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yRdDnrB5kM

The Statler Brothers—(#1 in 1966)—The fact that they sang backup for Johnny Cash during his prime recording years is possibly enough on its own to warrant their induction (as noted above, Elvis’ backup singers, the Jordanaires were inducted separately from Elvis in 2001).  However, their success on their own makes it unquestionable that they deserve a place in the hall.  Before the Statlers (none of whom are actually named Statler, and only 2 of the 4 are brothers), country music was largely a solo act.  Hank Williams, George Jones, Roy Acuff; unlike in Rock and Pop, in country, groups were out, and individual artists were in.  The Statler brothers paved the way for future country groups like the Oak Ridge Boys in the 70s and 80s (see below), Sawyer Brown and Shenandoah in the 80s and 90s, and Diamond Rio and Rascal Flatts in the past few years. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbreGl_ZFM4

Tom T. Hall—(#1 in 1968 as a songwriter, 1970 as a performer)—Tom T. Hall, “The Storyteller,” is one of the most talented and prolific songwriters in country music.  His songs have been recorded by country legends like George Jones, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bobby Bare, even Alan Jackson.  In the late 60s, he was advised to begin recording some of the songs he had written, because he didn’t feel that some of the artists were handling his songs like he had intended when he wrote them.  Hall became a staple of country radio, and deserves to be inducted for his contributions both to the songwriting and performing fields of country music. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGPDlTvx0PQ

Ray Stevens—(#1 in 1970)—Another fixture in the country music world of the 1970s, Ray Stevens had immense success with his ballad “Everything is Beautiful,” a tribute to love for people of all colors.  Ironically, most of Stevens’ other work consists of comedic songs, such as The Streak, Gitarzan, and The Shriner’s Convention.  Stevens demonstrated that an artist could have success performing goofy songs and yet maintain the respect of the fans and fellow artists (something which artists like Brad Paisley and others who have performed humorous country songs owes to Stevens).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KHOeVeCbFA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_IrMBM6DT8

Jerry Clower—(first gold album in 1970, no info on singles)—Jerry Clower was a favorite on country music television shows from the 60s to the 80s.  Clower had immense success with country comedy, with a distinct style which differed from many of his contemporary comedians.  While many at the time, and most comedians now fill their routines with quick laugh after quick laugh, Clower was more content to, in his own very Southern way, tell humorous stories in a slow manner, while simulataneously filling the routines with energy that few would expect from an older, portly gentleman.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYUrdMzbtUg

Hank Williams, Jr.—(#1 in 1970)—Probably the only artist on this list who most people know, largely from him screaming “Are You Ready for some FOOTBALL!?!?” before Monday Night Football.  In his early year, his music and performing style were as much like his late father’s as possible, even recording most of his father’s songs on new albums.  However, Bocephus, as his daddy called him, grew tired of being his father’s clone.  His decision to strike out on his own stylistically was sparked when he fell off of a mountain.  He was nearly killed, as his skull had been cracked open and his brain was exposed while he was unconscious.  Somehow he survived, but grew a beard and began wearing aviators to cover as much of his scarred face as possible.  However, the glasses and beard became part of his trademark outlaw image that he is remembered for.  Songs like “All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight,” and “Family Tradition” are country music staples, and some of the few older country songs which still get some airplay on country radio. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVpfUURpoVc

Tanya Tucker—(#1 in 1973)—Tanya Tucker had her first hit with “Delta Dawn,” when she was just 13.  She continued recording and having hit records for several decades.  Aside from her numerous radio hits, she is remembered for the increasingly controversial and provocative nature of her songs and image.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YGsztPnSVM

The Oak Ridge Boys—(#1 in 1978)—Along with the Statler Brothers, the Oak Ridge Boys took the gospel quartet formula but switched from singing spirituals to mainly secular songs in the late 70s, and a string of #1 single, as well as gold and platinum albums. 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VJ6RUmlbLE

Roy Clark—(#2  in 1975)—Despite the absence of a chart-topping hit, Roy Clark’s impact on country music was immense.  During the 70s, he was a frequent guest host for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show.  Additionally, he was the host of the long-running country music/comedy show Hee Haw.  His talents with various instruments and comedic routines made Roy a powerful concert draw through the 80s. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmgJ91N-oZk

Barbara Mandrell—(#1 in 1978)—Barbara Mandrell is probably the most surprising candidate for this list, largely because she is still quite popular among country music fans.  In the 70s and 80s, her music was controversial both because of the risqué subject matter she often sung about, as well as the overt pop sound to her music.  Her television show in the 1980s brought country music to a wide audience, and was a great stage for her ability to play dozens of instruments.  Unlike some of the other artists on this list, I have no doubt that Barbara will be inducted in the near future.   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6phVKqSUwdk

Don Williams—(#1 in 1974)—Don Williams’ career features 16 #1 hits, along with three decades on the radio.  Williams was able to straddle the tightrope that existed in country music in the 70s and early 80s, between the increasingly pop-oriented music favored by many producers and the traditional styles favored by many of the fans.  Williams was able to combine lyrical themes and traditional sounds in his music, with his smooth ballad-style singing, to appeal to both audiences.   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLBxAWGHwy0

Jerry Reed—(#2 in 1977)—I was very surprised to learn the Jerry Reed never hit the top spot on the country charts.  Reed was a staple on country radio and television in the 70s and 80s, wowing crowds with his lightning-fast guitar picking rivaled only by that of his producer and friend, Chet Atkins.  His friendship with Burt Reynolds resulted in Reed’s appearance in several of the many country-themed movies of the late 70s, the most famous being Smokey and the Bandit. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLMzMnhSRm0

Ronnie Milsap—(#1 in 1974)—Along with Barbara Mandrell, one which is really surprising when you consider that he topped the country charts a whopping 40 times, which places him behind only George Strait and Conway Twitty.  Reaching prominence in the 1970s (which, as I mentioned above, stressed crossover success moreso than tradition), Milsap was arguably the only crossover artist to survive the influx of the neo-traditionalists in the mid-80s, hitting the top-10 for the final time in 1991.   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZVs7TUKeKU

Currently Watching Walker, Texas Ranger - The Complete First Season By Chuck Norris, Clarence Gilyard Jr, Sheree J. Wilson see related

Top 8 Worst Professors I've had at UR

Dishonorable Mention—Andy Gurka (Apartments Area Coordinator/only dude I’ve ever seen with the earring bar) UR Aware Fall 2006—OK, to be honest, this guy was facing an uphill battle to start with.  He’s not on the numbered part of the list, because he only taught me for a few hours.  My original UR Aware got hurricaned out (really), and so I had to take it later.  I wound up taking it my senior year, so I really cared even less than I already did.  I wore my Jim Beam shirt and PBR Beer belt buckle, hoping that he would realize that I was already very aware of alcohol, and he would just dismiss me, but no such luck.  Sorry dude, I’m Irish, Catholic and from Kentucky; ain’t no way a two-hour class is going to be able to fight those three things. 

8—Ben Mitchell (Political Science Adjunct/made me so confused I don’t know what to write here) Political Theory from Plato to Locke Fall 2004—This guy is lowest on the list, because he had mostly good traits as a professor.  He was a nice guy, who genuinely tried to be good at his job.  Kristen Greenholt and I were in this class, and she says she didn’t like him because he was boring.  My problem with him was that I literally had no clue what he was talking about at any point in the semester.  Seriously.  Dude was horrible at explaining stuff.  I only actually started understanding the stuff the class was on literally the night before the final, at a study session with the class.  He left shortly thereafter. 

7—Ernest Bolt (History—Vietnam War/Revolutionary War veteran, I believe) The Vietnam Conflict Spring 2005—Ernest Bolt is to a classroom what your Great-Uncle Lou is to your family reunions—he’s such a sweet guy that you really can’t bear to tell him that if you hear one more of his irrelevant, rambling stories you’re going to go take a nap out on I-95.  Dr. Bolt seemed like a very intelligent man, and maybe at some point he was a vigorous, informative professor, but I think that this Dr. Bolt disappeared right around the same time that flappers and Woodrow Wilson did, and what was left was an old man who you’re literally afraid could die at any minute.  I was in this class with Todd Jones, and I distinctly remember several occasions where we argued about which one of us would go to class that day, and which one would get to copy the notes from that person.  It was not fun.

6—Mark McGarvie (History—Early America/gets his suits from the same tailors as the residents of Munchkinland) US History Since 1877 Spring 2004—Professor McGarvie was a nice guy, at least when I had him.  Johnny Badass [student whose real name has been changed to protect his identity] tells me that this has changed, and that McGarvie yells a lot now.  I certainly hope that I had nothing to do with the change, but I probably did.  MacGarvie’s on here for two reasons, and both of them are that he’s dumb.  He’s not book-smart, at least as far as I could tell.  One of our first days of class, someone asked about poll taxes and literacy tests for black men who wanted to vote after the Civil War.  McGarvie’s response was “Hmmm, I’ve never heard about that.  It sounds like it might be right, I’m really not sure.”  At that point I resigned myself to the fact that I would never learn anything from this man, and turned off my brain.  The second way he was dumb was that he wasn’t savvy either, as in common sense stuff.  I actually went to his class most days, but I don’t think he had an attendance policy at all.  He had set aside 1 class period for us to discuss one of the three books we were assigned (so 3 book discussion days total).  Pretty much no one came on these days.  I think there were literally 5 of us there, in a class of 30.  It was pretty sweet.  And of those of us who did come, very few of us had a good grasp of the books.  And by good grasp, I mean had read anything more than the back cover and the table of contents.  He would ask us a question, and everyone just stared at him, and a thrilling 2 minutes of silence would set in.  We would thumb through our books, hoping he would be thinking “Wow, they’re looking hard for quotes to back up their answers to my challenging questions,” when really we’d be thinking “Dang, there’s a lot of pages in this book.  Glad I didn’t read this crap.”  The only time I (or anyone else) answered a question was when he asked us one in the format of “OK, well do you think the author’s trying to say this or this?”  I had no clue, since the answer wasn’t written in the author’s dedication, but I decided my odds were 50-50, so I raised my hand.  “I think the author is saying this…”  As I said it, his faced got all scrunched up, so I quickly asked “Well, in what context?”  He said “Oh, well like this…”  I replied “Oh, well then obviously the other one.”  And he said “Exactly.  Exactly!  Very good!”  And remember, I did all this with my brain turned off.

5—Joanna Drell (History—Medieval Studies/would get some extra points for being a UK fan, but also loves cats a ton, so it cancels out) Medieval Frontier Societies Spring 2006—Matt Hitchcock likes Drell a lot, and she does seem like a very nice person, however, she is on this list for two reasons.  One, the class was “medieval frontier societies,” which was strange enough in and of itself.  I guess my idea of what the class would be was a bit skewed—we never did learn about guys in coonskin caps who fought dragons—but it was crappy even without that idea.  I really don’t remember what we talked about, because we had no tests or final in the class, so my notes consisted mainly of stream-of conscious ramblings, such as “this class is sooooooooooooooooooooooooo boring.  I’m going to go poop now, because I’m bored.  Wow, that was nice.  Wow, this class is boring.  Would she believe that I need to poop again 2 minutes after I just got back?  Sure, why not?”  She also is on the list because we had to write a paper for the class, and I was planning on writing on Christianity and Ireland.  She was cool with that idea, until I met with her to further discuss it, and she out of the blue said that topic was overdone and told me she wanted me to write on Icelandic poetry.  I was so blown away by this sudden development, I was like, “Sure.”  I eventually realized that I know nothing about Icelandic poetry, and so I wrote my paper on something totally different.   

4—Reed West (Theater—Theatrical Stuff/“a little too touchy-feely, if you know what I mean” according to someone’s comments on ratemyprofessor.com) Stagecraft Spring 2006—This class had a pretty simple reason for existing: get free labor for the theater department by having classes that require tons of work in the scene shop.  I took this class with Whit Wilson and Kevin Panicker, which was the only rewarding part of the class.  Reed is kind of a jerk, and was a horrible teacher.  We had to use this computer program in class, and I still don’t know how to use it.  He spent one entire class period showing us how many of the functions were similar to other Windows programs.  “See, you have File:New, File:Open, File:Save, File:Save As…” which he did for the entire class.  Then with about 2 minutes left to go, he flew through everything that we actually needed to learn about the program, and then said “OK, now that we’ve gone over this, you’ll need to do the project on this handout and hand it in to me next week.”  Also notable: he didn’t bother to tell me and Whit that the tables we were working on in the scene shop had fiberglass insulation on them, and when our hands started feeling, um, horrible, we asked him and all he could say was “Oh yeah, you might want to wear gloves when you work with those.”  Gee, thanks a lot coach. 

3—Robert Nelson (English—Native American Literature/Berkley prof wannabe) CORE Fall 2003—This guy irritated me for a variety of reasons.  First of all, it’s a good thing to challenge students’ beliefs and attempt to make them think about their own stances.  It’s another to take one side and just attack from that angle (although that does seem to be the case with the CORE class as a whole, but that’s another topic).  This guy would make idiotic political comments with no relevance to the material.  Also, he never gave actual grades, just a weird system of hieroglyphics which really was his way of saying “I’m going to decide at the end of the semester what grade I think you deserve, and if you disagree, you really don’t have any way to argue you earned a better grade.”  Also, his area of specialty was Native American Literature, so we spent literally a month on Ceremony.  I didn’t even read that book.  I got about 20 pages into it, and I was like “Uh, yeah, I have no clue what’s going on in this weirdo acid-trip.  I’m gonna watch I Love the 80’s now.” 

2—Robert Galgano (History Adjunct/very bad ambassador of what people from New York are like/jerk) US History to 1877 Fall 2005—This guy almost made #1, except that he did have one thing going for him: he was interesting.  First off, I don’t like revisionist history, which is all he taught, so that didn’t suit me very well.  Second, I don’t like history teachers who teach total crap, like he did.  He’d teach us things as undisputed, when really they were theories accepted by a small minority of historians, most of whom, I suspect, are constantly intoxicated.  Second of all, he was a total jerk at grading papers.  He had us write 3 papers for him, a 1-page, a 2-page, and a 5-page, all compare/contrast.  That’s not easy to do on 1 page.  He hated my (and everyone else’s) papers.  It’s one thing to read a paper and look for mistakes that the author needs to correct.  It’s another to only focus on errors, to the point that you start pointing out crap that isn’t even wrong.  For example, in one paper I talked about two missionaries to two different Native American tribes, and I used the phrase “their respective tribes” in making a comparison.  He wrote in his comments “they do not own the tribes, rewrite this.”  Hey jerkwad, “their” or “ ’s ” doesn’t necessarily mean you own something.  It can mean a connection to something, such as “Willie Nelson’s hometown is Abbott, Texas” (doesn’t mean he owns it), or “Joseph’s foot is going to go up Dr. Galgano’s butt” (which does mean he owns it).     

1—Woody Holton (History—Early America/nutjob—not the cool kind of nutjob like Murdoch on The A-Team, the bad kind of nut job, who is too crappy to be featured in a show) Abigail Adams Spring 2007—This guy takes the cake.  The only nice thing about Dr. Holton is he can, at times, be fun to talk to, and he can be unintentionally funny because he’s so bizarre (like the time a student handed him some peanut butter Girl Scout cookies, and he inexplicably said “mmmm…marshmallows”).  It’s hard for me to describe just how bad of a teacher he is.  First of all, he didn’t teach this like a History 400 class, more like a middle school remedial English class.  History 400’s typically meet for one-half to two-thirds of the semester, then the students just work on the paper.  The paper is the exclusive focus of the course, with minimal readings, just enough to give the class a general feel for the period/topic they are studying.  Holton had us meet every week, assigned massive amounts of reading, and then gave us pop quizzes on it.  His comments on our papers were moronic.  He wrote on mine that I needed to learn how to use commas.  He also has no concept of time, such as when he wrote me an email suggesting directions for where he would like my research to go, literally 4 hours before the 23-page thesis was due to him.  The class is incredibly boring, Abigail Adams is incredibly boring, and Dr. Holton is incredibly boring.  They really shouldn’t hold that class in the Ryland tower; too easy for someone to decide that their best choice is to jump out the window and end the pain. 

Currently Listening Live By Alabama If You're Gonna Play in Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band) see related

School of Male Studies

School of Male Studies/MILL (Men involved in Leisure and Lollygagging)

Available Male Studies Courses for Fall 2006

MLS    100      Intro Course: Sports Watching (focus NASCAR)

Focused study on NASCAR terminology, technology, and why Jeff Gordon is the worst thing since elevator music.  Additional resources on when it is acceptable to throw beer cans at the TV when a driver puts your favorite driver in the wall.

MLS    100      Intro Course:  Sports Watching (focus football)

            Focused study on the history of professional and college level football.  Special attention will be paid to tactics used by coaches, special plays, and why Terrell Owens is even worse than elevator music.  Vocabulary for the viewer is key to this course (i.e. whether you yell “you moron” or “I can play better than that” after a given error).

MLS    100      Intro Course:  Sports Watching (focus Professional Wrestling)

Focused study on the history and heritage that is Professional Wrestling.  This class will trace from the glory days of the WWF under the lead of Hulk Hogan and “Macho Man” Randy Savage, to the WCW debacle, to the time when the WWF became the WWE because the World Wildlife Fund filed a lawsuit (stupid pandas). 

MLS    212      Beer Appreciation

This class will examine the origins of beer, its present role in the world economy, and the hope for the future that all nations will one day be united in a love for beer.  This class will also have a hands-on workshop which will require the students to be able to identify brands of beer by taste (most importantly Old Milwaukee, Pabst Blue Ribbon and Billy Beer), as well as make their own beer.  

MLS    280      Men and Not Working (corresponds to WGSS 280 “Women and Work”)

Men naturally understand how to not work.  We will be exploring how societal expectations force them to “do stuff” like get a job, get off the couch, and make their own sandwich.  Additionally, this class will teach the tactics to fight society’s pressures, by providing logical reasons for why you can’t work:  ex. “it’s the playoffs” (there’s a gazillion sports out there, just say you’ve taken a sudden interest in Brazilian Na-Kim-Bo).  For the most drastic circumstances, the class will teach the proper way to break one’s own legs to keep from working, without, of course, too much effort.  

MLS    282      Power Tools

This course WILL NOT provide instruction on the proper way to use power tools.  On the contrary, it will explore various ways in which power tools are cool.  Creativity is encouraged (a student once earned an A on the final by opening a can of PBR with a chainsaw).  Note: additional $50 fee for provided electric hammers (the instructor has no clue what an electric hammer is, but knows the class needs them).

MLS    301      History of the La-Z-Boy

This class will explore the history of how the La-Z-Boy company revolutionized the way males live.  From the extra-padded armrests, concealed cupholders, and extra-wide seats for those whose gluteus maximus is certainly maximus.  

MLS    302      Fishing

This course will provide instruction on the use of equipment, as well as why fishing is really an excuse to sit in a boat away from work and hastles, and stare at something for hours and not think about anything.

MLS    318      History of the Gasoline Engine

Exploring the combustion engine from its creation, to its heyday in the muscle cars of the 70s (special focus on the HEMI Magnum), to the gasoline crisis which made people lose their minds and think that little plastic cars rock, to the travesty that is the hybrid motor (sure they reduce pollution, but you can’t even hear the dang things). 

MLS    353      Gross but Cool Stuff

OK, think of the nastiest thing you can think of…Yeah, we’re gonna talk about that.  And teach you a bunch of jokes about that too.  (Chapter 1: Snot pretty much says it all).

MLS    400      Individual Internship:  Firearms

Students will go to Dominion Shooting Range once a week and shoot things.  The term paper will be a 1-page max review of their experiences there.  Extra credit for every time the word “awesome” is used in the paper.

MLS    401      Individual Internship: Rebuilding an Engine

In keeping with the spirit of “Men Involved in Leisure and Lollygagging,” this course will only teach you how to hang an engine from a tree in the front lawn, or from some a clothesline.  After all, rebuilding an engine can take some work.

MLS    401      Individual Internship:  Using Duct Tape

We don’t meet for class.  There’s no homework.  This class consists of you calling the professor sometime during the semester and naming 5 things duct tape can tape (hint: name ANYTHING). 

MLS    402      Major Seminar: Offensive Driving

Society teaches men that they need to be “defensive drivers.”  However, men must throw off these shackles and realize their true nature: offensive driving.  Learn how to run people off the road who cut you off, bump draft when traffic is moving too slow, and how to make sure other drivers can hear exactly what you’re yelling at them.

MLS    402      Major Seminar: Sleeping

If you’ve read this description, you’ve already done more work than you will in this course.