The Wreckers photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Nashville.
Each week country music expert Neil Haislop answers your questions!
Q: What happened to The Wreckers?
(Betty, Pearl, MS)
A: Betty, the Wreckers — Michelle Branch and Jessica Harp — after having initial success, have decided to go their separate ways and pursue solo careers, which is what they were doing before they partnered up. Billboard reports that Michelle has a solo album coming out by the end of 2008, and Jessica reports on her website, jessicaharp.com, that she's ready to mix the first five songs of her upcoming solo album, with a release date TBD.
Q: How do artists choose their opening acts for their tours? It seems like artists like Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood always have some of the best opening acts like Josh Turner, Chuck Wicks and Julianne Hough, while others have rather strange ones like Kenny Chesney having Sammy Hagar on his current tour.
(Aaron, Mesa, AZ)
A: Aaron, selecting an opening act for a big star is, for the most part, up to the discretion of the star. They will usually have the final say on what artist they think would be compatible with their audience, or whom they'd like to hang with. Sometimes they'll invite artists that are within their same record label group, as Brad Paisley did this year when he invited Chuck Wicks. Kenny Chesney, as you point out, likes including his friends like Uncle Kracker, Kid Rock and so on. For a couple of years George Strait invited Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney, who were well established acts. So the rule of thumb is, the bigger the headliner, the better the quality of opening act might be.
Q: Can I purchase a copy of an episode of a show?
(Jenna, Colorado Springs, CO)
A: Jenna, unfortunately in most instances, you cannot buy individual episodes of most TV shows, network or cable network. There are contracts that allow performers to appear as guests on a show, but protect them from the show's profiting from their appearance by turning around and selling their appearance on a show commercially. Eventually, you'll see TV series episodes for sale, but only after the guests receive a fee for their appearance on the show. Best way to make sure you get your favorite episodes of a show is have a Tivo unit, or some other video recorder that will record episodes of your favorite shows.
Q: What does the tattoo on Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles' wrist say?
(Kristine, Concord, CA)
A: The tattoo on Jennifer Nettles' wrist says, "Believe." That is a proper bit of tattoo advice for anybody trying to make it big in the music business.
Q: I was at the Brooks & Dunn concert in St Louis recently. They were filming it to be viewed later on GAC. How can I find out when this is going to play on the network?
(John, Florissant, MO)
A: John, usually these kinds of specials are recorded well in advance of the release date. Sometimes the live specials include segments from several venues. So just keep checking into GACTV.com for upcoming programs to find out the date of the show.
Q: I don't see Ronnie McDowell or Mel McDaniel in GAC's artist photo A-Z section. Could you add some information to your website on these two great artists? I've seen them both in concert and they are fantastic.
(Teresa, Oxford, NC)
A: Teresa, both of those singers are tremendous talents who had a brief time at the top, but neither of them has had a hit song for many years. The good thing is that they're still performing and recording. And, they have websites that include interaction with fans. Check them out at ronniemcdowell.com and melmcdaniel.com.
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