Scotty Emerick
Each week country music expert Neil Haislop answers your questions!
Q: Did things end badly for Toby Keith and Scotty Emerick after Scotty left Toby’s label? Toby doesn't seem to be writing with him anymore, and I believe Scotty isn't touring in Toby's band anymore.
(Todd, Woodbridge, VA)
A: Todd, Scotty Emerick (band member and co-writer of many Toby Keith hits) told me that he wasn’t real happy with how things went with his record deal on Toby’s record label, but his issue wasn’t with Toby personally. Beyond that, he and Toby are still friends, they still write together, and Scotty is always the one Toby takes with him when he visits our soldiers in the Persian Gulf, as they did recently.
Q: I have just viewed the nominees list for the CMAs and am astounded. Why is Gary Allan not nominated for anything, when his music is hot right now?
(Debbie, Roa, Australia)
A: Debbie, Gary Allan is experiencing an upturn in popularity. And he sells well, but hasn’t had any huge albums, and hasn’t strung together a run of giant No. 1 hits. That’s partly because Gary takes a lot of time between album releases, so he’s not in the headlines that much. He’s always been one foot outside of the Music Row establishment and is proud of that. So, he’s not always high on the radar of CMA voters. Most observers, including this one, feel that Gary has already cemented a place of respect in the radio and records industry, in spite of not being country music’s most prolific star or award winner.
Q: What is happening to country music? It isn’t the same as it was in ‘90s. It sounds more like rock music. Will we ever have honky tonk in country music again?
(Brian, Pikeville, NC)
A: Brian, that’s an age-old question that’s been asked since the late 1940s when Hank Williams, Sr. started recording his brand of country music, causing fans of Roy Acuff to ask, "What’s happening to country music?" It’s just natural that creative new artists, attracted to the genre by the country hits of their time, will put their stamp on the music. The good thing is, most all of them revere what’s come before them, and while pop influences are inevitable, there is a traditional country element to the music that always survives through each new generation.
Q: How can a video be submitted for viewing on the Top 20 Country Countdown? I know of an artist (Billy Scroggs) that is dynamic and submitted his video to the "GAC Next Star" competition.
(Lee, Tucson, AZ)
A: Lee, if you notice, all videos you see on the channel credit the record label of the artist since they’re usually involved in the making of videos. So, while you can’t submit videos as a fan, you can write to his label and suggest they do. It will still come down to whether the song is making progress on the radio charts before it can be considered by the video channels. For more information on the decision-making process behind Top 20, click here.
Q: I just saw John Berry in concert. He has such a great voice and his old and new songs are so romantic and nice to listen to. Why has his career not been able to get going again?
(Mike, Newberry, FL)
A: Mike, it’s pretty tough to get back into the mainstream when you lose your place in line, as John Berry did several years ago. But he is a great singer who had already sold thousands of independent albums before he got a major record deal. So, for now he’s doing his thing as an independent artist again.
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