Come On Mammy, Gimme That Grammy!

First, I want to take out my name from consideration of being the father of Anna Nicole’s baby. That cuts the list under 300,000 I think.

As for Ms. Smith, most people didn’t seem surprised by her demise but it did surprise me. Though she was a mess who was an actress (who couldn’t act), a model (who few had hired in fifteen years) and a reality show star (who wasn’t in the least bit real), she was famous for being…. Gets me. But those types of folks who people expect to die because of their lifestyle (glaring example being Courtney Love) tend to stick around and, honestly, she didn’t live THAT wild a life. Compare that to River Phoenix who much of Hollywood seemed stunned at his passing. That one didn’t stun me a bit. The one time I met the guy (he was in town travelling around with T-Bone Burnette during a Burnette promo tour) he seemed completely out of his gourd. So no shock there.

As to the Grammys, why bother giving the things out. I really find it difficult to believe that Grammy voters really thought the Dixie Chicks released the best record of the year without giving more creedence because of the situation they found themselves in because of Natalie Maines’ comments in England a few years ago. The Dixie Chicks pretty much admitted as much in one of their acceptance speeches. Grammy voters have set the precedent by rewarding political heroes of recent with Grammys (Hillary, Bill and this year Jimmy Carter). Can you imagine releasing a spoken word project that you’ve worked your ass off on and the exultation felt at being told you’ve been nominated for a Grammy only to have the letdown on finding out that Hillary Clinton has also been nominated? Understand, I’m not coming down on anybody’s political affiliation here. I honestly don’t care what somebody’s politics are when I listen to their music (or spoken word or whatever) but it is dishonest for voters to allow sensibilities to play into their selection. Out of the final choices, I probably would have opted for Gnarls Barkley, myself.

As for musicians making political statements on stage, the hoi polloi came to hear music, not a dissertation. You’d be disappointed if you attended a John Edwards rally and, rather than hear his ideas for running the country, were forced instead to hear his a cappella rendition of ELP’s Tarkus album. So why is it different for Dan Fogleberg (just popped into my head) to be able to interrupt a concert to opine on saving the “squonking lizard” (or whatever). REM used to make a statement on stage that there was a Green Peace booth in the arena and to check out their info. That seems a fair way. Or incorporate your statement into a song or into interviews you give. That’s what the those who mock fans who shout “shut up and sing” don’t understand. An artist’s fans may agree with them (most do) or may not. The stage just is not the right place for a lecture. Got it.

I’ve actually got a kid named Curtis who’s the student helper guy that WREK requires for alum show hosts. Anyway, he’s going to fill in from time to time with him doing the 2/25/07 show solo. Advanced notice and give him props.

Also my friend Kevn Kinney sent me this :

“hey everyone…
i know you’ve all (yall) have been concerned with what’s been goin on with
my voice…
i thought maybe  i was just turning into howlin wolf…..
i took a month off thinking it was just stress on my vocal chords but it was
just getting worse…
so i saw a specialist in atlanta yesterday and i finally have a diagnosis
that makes sense…
(i couldn’t take any more honey and lemon)
i have a cyst on my larynx and am scheduled for outpatient surgery on
February 15
hallelujah!!!!
shayni and myself are very excited about this….and want to thank yall for
your
concerns,remedies,suggestions and well wishes….
i should be up and talking within a few weeks if not earlier
i truely do miss ranting and pontificating at yall…….

we will update you on what’s going on following the fifteenth
till then keep on rockin in the free world…..
kevn and shayni rae kinney”

Good luck brother….
 

2 thoughts on “Come On Mammy, Gimme That Grammy!”

  1. “Though she was a mess who was an actress (who couldn’t act), a model (who few had hired in fifteen years) and a reality show star (who wasn’t in the least bit real), she was famous for being…. Gets me”

    She was famous because of her big tits, big ass, plus-sized figure on Playboy. But maybe that’s too cynical a view. After all, she was a Guess? model before she was on Playboy.

    By the way, I’m not putting down Anna Nicole. I actually did like her big tits, big ass, plus-sized figure on Playboy. :-p I’m just saying, that’s what propelled her into tabloid fame.

  2. I loved anna nicole and think she could have been both a successful actress and model if she wanted too-the culture of celebrity didn’t require it. I disagree with you in that her appeal was that she was “real”. I was not suprised to see a quote from a bigshot Texas Public health official,who was the director of her towns library when she was a girl, remember her as being -not beautiful or popular-but as exceptionally bright.

    The political shit is a cancer on popular culture entertainment. I hate the irrelevant gratutious references to it by both artists and critics.If the material is political, that is OK but if it isn’t STFU. I don’t see the Right “wing-nuts” dragging this shit in all the time but the commie traitors can’t leave it alone.
    I love the Clash but am totally opposed to the politics they expressed but that never bothered me a bit. Ann Coulter is/was totally into the Ramones (yeah!) and that disgusting hippie jam shit despite the political leanings of many of their fans and supporting critics.Why can’t we all appreciate music, film, art whatever- without dragging politics into it. Seems I can’t read about anything from american rockabilly/country to Italian Horrror/slasher movies woithout some idiot going off on American Imperialism and Georege Hitler Bush(detracting from their otherwise informative and interesting take on the medium). See the WFMU blog post on Dave Dudley this week for a glaring example.

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