Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow...

Gretchen Wilson and Columbia Records have "parted ways." Surprising? Expected?

They haven't really had much success with her since Redneck Woman, but I wouldn't call her a one-hit-wonder either. The surprising thing to me was that the record label put out a press release on it. Normally these things happen quietly and people don't know it's happened until months later when someone publicly asks "hey, when's that ______ album coming out?"

One Year Ago Today...

...I was in Foxboro, MA... where I got The News.

Happy (?) Anniversary to us. I can honestly say I didn't think I'd survive this long. I almost didn't. At one point I was told I was going to be let go, and prepared to let someone else take over my job. There have been days I kind of wished that had happened. But I know everything happens as part of a much bigger plan, so it's intriguing to me that I wound up making it. I'm not sure how many of us original XM'ers there are left, but I know there aren't many.

Now that we've hit the one year mark, I can get fired, demoted, or given a pay cut, without any sort of severence option. Or, I may be here for another 8 1/2 years.

Stay tuned.

CMA Music Fest on Sirius XM's "The Highway"

Listen in on The Highway - Sirius channel 60 / XM channel 16 / DISH Network 6060 / DirecTV channel 814, as well as Jet Blue, Air Trans and Air Canada. Schedule subject to change... !!

Wednesday, June 10
3:00 PM ET The 5th Annual CMA Music Festival Kick-off Parade – Jon Anthony and Storme Warren will kick off The Highway’s live coverage with a “car-by-car” play-by-play of the stars and special guests in this year’s parade. Among those scheduled to be interviewed as they roll down Broadway in their Chevy vehicles – NASCAR driver Jeff Burton, Grand Marshall Rodney Atkins, Sammy Kershaw, Collin Raye, The Oak Ridge Boys and many, many more!

4:00 PM ET The 4th Annual CMA Music Festival Block Party – LIVE concert performances from the Chevy Stage by Rodney Atkins, Eric Church, The Lost Trailers, Emerson Drive, James Otto, Jason Michael Carroll, Trent Tomlinson, and the LoCash Cowboys.

Thursday, June 11
10:00 AM ET Phil Vassar Phan Club Party

12:00 PM ET LIVE Concerts from the Chevy Stage – Jeff Cook, Steve Holy, Caitlin & Will, Danielle Peck, John Conlee, Trailer Choir, Kentucky Headhunters, Colt Ford

9:00 PM ET Dierks Bentley “Last Call Ball”

Friday, June 12
12:00 AM ET The 3rd Annual “Late-Night Songwriters LIVE Concerts” to benefit Musicians On Call – Bob DiPiero, Sarah Buxton, Gary Burr, The Warren Brothers

8:00 AM ET Songwriters Concert replay from midnight

12:00 PM ET LIVE Concerts from the Chevy Stage – David Nail, Lee Brice, Dean Brody, Rhonda Vincent

3:00 PM ET Dierks Bentley “Last Call Ball”

4:00 PM ET LIVE Concerts from the Chevy Stage – Kate & Kacey, Julie Roberts, Cherryholmes

8:00 PM ET Joe Nichols Fan Club Party

10:00 PM ET Luke Bryan Fan Club Party

Saturday, June 13
12:00 AM ET The 3rd Annual “Late-Night Songwriters LIVE Concerts” to benefit Musicians On Call – Jason Matthews, Luke Laird, James Slater, Karen Rochelle, Jonathan Singleton

8:00 AM ET Songwriters Concert replay from midnight

11:00 AM ET Dierks Bentley “Last Call Ball”

12:00 PM ET LIVE Concerts from the Chevy Stage – Ty Herndon, Katie Armiger, Halfway To Hazard, Jonathan Singleton & The Grove, Holly Williams, Carter’s Chord, Justin Moore, Billy Dean

7:00 PM ET Mark Wills Fan Club Party

9:00 PM ET Phil Vassar Phan Club Party

11:00 PM ET Joe Nichols Fan Club Party

Sunday, June 14
12:00 AM ET The 3rd Annual “Late-Night Songwriters LIVE Concerts” to benefit Musicians On Call – Bobby Pinson, Rachel Proctor, Dallas Davidson, Leslie Satcher, Rhett Akins

8:00 AM ET Songwriters Concert replay from midnight

11:00 AM ET Luke Bryan Fan Club Party

12:00 PM ET LIVE Concerts from the Chevy Stage – Bo Bice, Emily West, Carter Twins, Jypsi, Grascals, Charlie Louvin, Blackberry Smoke, Bomshel, T. Graham Brown

7:00 PM ET Jo Dee Messina Fan Club Party

9:00 PM ET Mark Wills Fan Club Party

Country Music's Biggest Party

My cases bottled water, snacks, and aspirin arrived today. My multi-tabbed, color coded spreadsheet is a thing of beauty. All of the production pieces have been tweaked, mixed, pad'd and activated. Someone else is doing the jock prep this year. We have boxes and boxes of banners, signs, and stickers. They tell me they've even ordered staff shirts with our combined company logo on them.

CMA Music Fest is almost here. I'll be able to post the broadcast schedule in the next day or two.

So... the one thing I don't know yet is -- are YOU coming? Tell me when you arrive, when you leave, and where you're staying.

It's a Love Story, baby just say "Yes"

As part of the Tennessee Renaissance Festival, we got to tour the first floor of Castle Gwynn ("White Castle") which was the site for Taylor Swift's "Love Story" video. The castle is actually a private residence... a long time work in progress, that is still (almost 3 decades in) only half finished.

Needless to say, Delaynie thought it was pretty cool. She even met the owner, and thanked him for letting Taylor shoot her video there.

Greetings from Castle Gwynn

Blogging from the site of Taylor Swift's Love Story video. Photos to come!

Sent from my Windows Mobile® phone.

Taking a survey

Where do you get your country music news online? Trying to figure out what, if any, decent country music web sites are out there.

Please list the Top 3 places you go to get news, and city/state or country.

Thanks!

Pint Sized Taylor Swift Fans

Couldn't resist sharing this video of my niece Maddie, who was VERY excited when Delaynie walked in wearing a Taylor Swift t-shirt today.

Next Stop on the Producer J. World Tour Is...

...the cornfields.

Busy weekend... if I'm completely successful I will have celebrated Mother's Day with my mother, my dad's 65th birthday, and my nephew Ryan's 1st birthday in addition to having lunch with our younger son and completing the Walk for the Cure while pushing a baby stroller. (?)

Wish me luck.

Cledus T. Judd's New Single...

"Garth Must Be Busy."

Discuss.

Boots... continued

Here is a better picture of our new boots. Which I really wish were here NOW! Not that I have anywhere to wear them this week... but I want them here! (We had them shipped to us so we didn't have to carry them on the plane.)

By the way... we went looking for boots for Sandi. I had absolutely NO intention of buying a pair myself. But then we walked in... and I was pleasantly surprised at the price tags... and my husband happened to call while I was looking around... so I asked him if he wanted to get me an early birthday present... When in Rome, you know? I've wanted a pair forever, but somehow couldn't buy one in the touristy "Buy One Get One Free" shops downtown Nashville. If you're gonna buy cowboy boots, you've gotta buy them in Texas!

So before I knew it, I'd spent more than Sandi on something I really didn't need to be buying. But I'm glad I did!

For those of you following along the comments in the previous post... here's Laynie in her red boots and hat, the last time I was in Texas -- Fall of 2003 .

Boot Shopping in San Antonio!

Two pairs sold! Guess which pair is going to Nashville and which pair is going to Washington D.C.!?!

Sent from my Windows Mobile® phone.

Sent from my Windows Mobile® phone.

1st sign that you're not in Kansas anymore...

Sent from my Windows Mobile® phone.

Next Stop On The Producer J. World Tour: San Antonio!

The first question everyone asks is... "Why San Antonio?"

The short answer is... "Because we can." For the long answer, keep reading.

So I have been sitting on a free Southwest Airlines ticket for almost a year now, which tells you how long it's been since I had a real vacation. It expires May 8th. So I realize that I have to go somewhere.

I had a couple of main thoughts. I've never been to the Sirius HQ in NYC, and y'all know I love the Big Apple. So I thought about flying into Long Island, trying to get in to see HQ, and seeing a show. Not really fun to do alone, and hotel rooms in NY are pretty pricey, and even now, 10 months after the merger, an XMer setting foot on Sirius territory requires some heavy duty battle armor.

Then I was leaning towards going to Virginia... seeing my friend Sandi, doing a little Statler stalking in Staunton, and spending a day at XM HQ in D.C. Although this plan carried the risk that I'd get depressed by all the empty desks at Eckington, I do want to make one more trip there sometime, so I was liking this idea.

Then Sandi posted one of those Facebook things where you mark off all the states you've been to, and I discovered... the girl is 30something years old, traveled the world, lived in foreign countries, is fluent in Spanish, and loves country music, but has NEVER been to Texas. Hello! Something needed to be done about that, I think.

So I post the FB query about where in Texas we should go to. I love Ft. Worth and would go there any time. Austin was intriguing. Plenty to do in Dallas. Overwhelmingly, the public opinion suggested San Antonio. We checked concert schedules. Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, and Lady Antebellum were there May 1st. Miranda Lambert in Texas! How awesome is that gonna be?

Friday, we fly to San Antonio, for no other reason than... we can. God bless my amazing husband who lets me just run away for the weekend with a friend, even though we probably could put the money to better use a dozen other places.

My mission for the weekend: Tex Mex... brisket... Riverwalk... The Alamo... and Sandi buying a pair of cowboy boots.

Stay tuned!

Things We Do For Our Kids

I think I have sufficiently recovered enough from Taylor Swift Ticket Buying Adventures to bring you up to date on the final outcome. As with all things... it was the journey that was the best part of the story.

(Good heavens... I now have "It's the Climb...." running through my head. Make it stop!)

So... Friday morning I wake up, feeling miserable. And when I say Friday Morning, I'm talking early hours of the morning... not horribly long after I've gone to bed. I don't know what was wrong with me, but I felt like a truck ran over me and I was in horrible pain and couldn't sleep. So I get up and shower and get Delaynie ready for school and decide I'm going to have to call off work, which I completely did NOT have the time to do. But I was in too much pain to drive.

So I prop myself up in bed with the laptop. I'm all logged in to Ticketmaster, and I'm writing a Martina McBride episode of ShortCuts to keep myself awake. Poking around Ticketmaster, getting the lay of the land, googling "Taylor Swift Concert Sold Out" and getting nervous.

A few minutes before tickets go onsale at 10am, I get Sydney on the phone. She reports there's no line downstairs at the Sommet Center. She also logs into Ticketmaster as me... she's going to try for 2 tickets, I'm going to try for 3, whichever comes up better seats I'll buy. Starting about 2 minutes 'till 10, I'm constantly hitting "refresh," waiting for them to unleash the flood gates.

As SOON as they become available I put in for 3 and submit the request. I get 3, way way way at the top of the 300 level section in the back of the arena. According to my laptop clock, it's not even 10:01 yet. For those that don't know, my daughter has VERY bad eyesight, even with her glasses. To the point that unless they get a WHOLE lot more advanced with the surgery that could help her, she probably isn't going to get to drive. From up in the nosebleeds, Taylor would be just a sea of blurry lights. I pass on those and try again.

Meanwhile Sydney is just a few seconds behind in her request to get 2 seats. She comes up empty handed. By the time I back out and switch my 3 to a 2, I can't get anything either. We have failed.

So I'm completely dejected, having terrible flashbacks of trying to get Garth tickets in Kansas City, when I remember something. My brilliant friend Sandi, who is way more experienced in concert ticket buying than I am, often buys seats in singles. So I go back to Ticketmaster and put in for 1 ticket.

Voila! I'm in! 10:08am. Lower level, on the side of the stage. Surely Taylor will walk around the stage, right? I buy one ticket in section 103. $70. Which is a little pricey considering I don't care for either of the opening acts. $10 of that was add on fees.

Then I realize a slight problem that clouds my joy... even if Delaynie had perfect eyesight, she's not old enough to drive, and I'm sure not just dropping my 12 year old off at a show and picking her up later.

So at that point, I panic. Must. Get. Another ticket. Clock is ticking. What if I can't get another? Didn't she sell out MSG in a minute? Am I going to have just thrown $70 away? I put in for another single. Success! A seat is open in 117. A good seat actually, much better than the one I've already purchased.

Another $70 gone. I'm on a slight high because I beat the system and wound up with 2 seats. 10:13 am. We're in! Ok... so we're at opposite ends of the arena. But we're in the building. Maybe we could just walk around all night. Hmm... I wonder if there's another single open around 117....

Back into Ticketmaster AGAIN... one more try for a single. This one was behind the stage completely. No thanks. Give up and search again.

102. Hey... that's the section next to my first ticket. At least if someone tried to snatch her up I'd be close enough to hear her screaming. Over the 13,000 other screaming girls. Ok, maybe not. But if I spent the show watching her... I could see anyone trying to mess with her. What the heck. $140... $210... what's the difference? (I know, $70. Two tanks of gas or a month of cell phone service.)

I take it. 10:18, and I am DONE. Ok, I went back a few minutes later and peeked again and saw that they'd moved up to singles in the 200 level. But then I was really done. 3 tickets was my limit.

Clearly, I couldn't let her take a buddy to the show since our 3rd seat wasn't anywhere near the other 2, so maybe I could sell it on ebay. I figured as hot a ticket as these were, there were probably lots of Taylor tickets on ebay. So I wandered over to ebay and searched "Taylor Swift Nashville."

BIG mistake. TWO HUNDRED and FIFTY FIVE listings -- for NASHVILLE! Less than an hour after they'd gone on sale. Floor seats! What. The. HECK? It was a good thing I'd taken the day off, because now I was completely nautious. And I am now reminded why I don't attempt to buy concert tickets. Because it's a racket. And no one is going to be able to get it under control.

Anyway, the slight problem with an ebay listing is that you have to have a ticket in hand to be able to sell it and send it to someone, and trying to save a few bucks I opted to pick my tickets up at Will Call. So I have to be the one to pick it up.

So THAT is the beginning of my Taylor Swift ticket adventure. I haven't told Delaynie yet. (I did confess to Gary who is undoubtably grumbling that I wouldn't let him buy a new $59 DVD player to replace his broken one, but spent $210 in concert tickets.) I'm going to wait and use it as a reward for something - hopefully end of school year if she makes Honor Roll all year.

Although it was awfully hard to keep it to myself when she came downstairs Saturday morning in her Taylor Swift Walmart Sundress ($14 -- so cute.) with her curly hair bouncing. Shhhh! Don't tell!

Just in case I've never mentioned it....

... my daughter is a bit of a Taylor Swift fan.

I think there are 16 assorted Taylor pictures on her bedroom door that she's cut out of various magazines or pulled out of CD's. There are a couple of more posters hung up inside her room next to Hannah, Selena, and the JB's. But only Taylor is on the door.

So the question is NOT how big of a Taylor fan Delaynie is. But rather... how dedicated Delaynie's mom is. Tomorrow morning tickets go on sale for her Nashville show. Which is great, because I was thinking we were gonna have to drive to Louisville. But I'm hearing she's selling out pretty quickly.

Are there people camping out at the Sommet Center? Will my building pass do me any good to get in early? (Umm... no.) Should I put TicketMaster on speed dial? Do I assign an intern to Ticketmaster.com? Will Delaynie be happy just to be in the building, even though with her bad eyesight we are probably going to be so far away she'd have a better view of Taylor staring at her bedroom door? How far is a Mom willing to go for her daughter's 'tween obsession. (You'll note, I didn't bother trying for Jonas Brothers tickets. But they are small potatoes compared to Taylor.)

Stay tuned....

The ACM Blog

First off... I've been trying to come up with a concise blog about the ACM's for a week now, and I've failed.

Second off... does anyone even care about the ACM's this year?

To be honest, it's become such a convoluted hodge podge of confusion, I'm not sure anyone does. First off there's this whole craziness in some of the awards being fan voted, and some of them not. I'm sorry, but you need to decide -- are you an industry award, or a fan award? Because taking the Entertainer of the Year award and the 37 years of history behind it and making it fan voted is a crock. Kenny said that last year, and he won it. If you want to make a category fan voted, create a Fan Favorite award.

This year they've made a New Artist award that is fan voted. Not quite as bad.

We won't go down the "Why do we have separate Group & Duo categories" road again... y'all know I believer there's not enough quality there to fill 10 slots and they should make it one.

Adding to all of the confusion is that half of the awards have already been given out. The show tonight is nothing more than a performance showcase, which in my humble opinion, is what they should do. Forget the awards, call it the ACM All Star Showcase and put it back in May Sweeps.

J.'s Prediction: Carrie Underwood Entertainer of the Year. I've seen her fans in action.

Hey Garth!

John Rich is looking for you!

Think Allen Reynolds is shaking in his boots?

Coming Soon...

... a new "Protecting the Guilty" column! It's written... I just need to sleep on it, to make sure I'm not forgetting something.

For some unknown reason, I spent some time tonight reading a few so-called country music blogs. Oh. My. Gosh. Do people even read back what they wrote? I mean, this blog is far from Honors English, but I think it usually at least makes sense. Tip to wanna-be writers: Read your stuff out loud. And spell check. And the profanity really has no point.

And for goodness sakes, learn the difference between the CMA's and the ACM's. Because Miley Cyrus performing on the ACM's next month is NO reason to badmouth the CMA's.

I miss Country Nation.

By the way, can someone please explain this whole "followers" thing? Because it kind of freaks me out. For a long time I had 12... so I pretended that y'all weren't there for fear God would smack me down. But I don't have any idea what it means to follow me. I don't Twitter, LOL. Please tell me you don't get an email every time I update something, because I'm going to have to constantly be apologizing since I'm constantly tweaking this thing.