The CMA's Rocked !!!!!!!!

November 15th, 2005, Country music invaded the Big Apple to prove that they are not only a major music force but they are the new Top 40 & Pop Music. Top 40 radio, from it's infancy through the '70's played not only the best rock & pop tunes but also adorned itself with the likes of Roger Miller, George Jones & Charlie Rich. Top 40 meant the Top 40 songs in the nation, regardless of format. You could hear The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Glen Campbell and Johnny Cash all in the same hour of programming. How great was that? That happens no more. Radio is too narrowly focused to try something so challenging as plays a diverse selection of music as the latest 40 best songs. Unfortunately, I know too many people who like Rod Stewart AND Merle Haggard AND Rosemary Clooney who can't find a radio station to listen to. Thanks for the automated, over-analyzed blandness Clear Channel...et all! With the influence of parents & friends,and the advent of cable/satellite tv and the internet, people have developed tastes beyond the boundries of one format. The CMA Awards invaded New York and took over. Artists were on Gotham based talk shows for nearly a week pre & I'm sure will be, after the show. The country artists proudly welcomed pop & rock greats like Bon Jovi, Paul Simon and Elton John as their own, just as they already had accepted Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, B.J. Thomas, The Eagles and the legendary Buddy Holly into their fold decades before. Just as Ray Charles, Dean Martin & Ringo Starr recorded the tunes of country greats to reflect their influence, the new country artists acknowledge their pop rock influences on this years ACM Awards. Well done kids! Now that I have made the argument to restore Top 40 radio to it's former glory and show the "big music circle"....on to the awards show. It is 10:26pm on the east coast as I write this and I think that the CMA has finally gotten this overtime-boring award show thing figured out. There has been damn near 2 & a half hours of music & entertainment & I can't honestly say I have seen more than 5 live awards presented. Most of them were presented in "an earlier ceremony" and were announced during commercial buffers. It looks like they are just awarding the major awards live & filling the rest with great entertainment. Again, well done kids! The end result has been a tight, exciting and most importantly, an entertaining program. Congratulations country music. You invaded New York, dominated live & talk tv, kicked ass on all awards shows, bland radio and showed that the rest of the music industry has a long way to go to catch up with you. A quick P.S. An Aussie was the big winner....how freakin' universal is that? Long live country music....the new Top 40!