Montgomery Gentry performs during the Sprint Sound & Speed Country Concert at the Sommet Center on Friday, January 9, 2009 in Nashville, TN B) Aaron Crisler / Retna Ltd.
Each week country music expert Neil Haislop answers your questions!
Q: Why isn't Montgomery Gentry a bigger part of the country award base? All they get nominated for is country duo. They get the short end of the stick.
(Jordan, Nixa, MO)
A: Jordan, I don't have to tell you that if there wasn't a duo called Brooks & Dunn around, Montgomery Gentry would have trophy cases full of Duo awards. They are one of only two duos that ever beat Kix and Ronnie out of a duo award (CMA 2000). Their brand of southern rock-tinged country has sold a lot of records for them, and made them big on the concert trail, but it hasn't brought them the consistent string of No. 1 hits that produce a lot of Single and Song awards. However this past year of success for them, thanks to some of their best music yet, seems to indicate they have moved up another level in popularity and the recognition for that may earn them some awards in the coming year beyond the Duo contests.
Q: With all the songwriters that are getting record deals and becoming recording artists, is there a directory I can look up a person and find out what songs they wrote?
(Mike, Mechanicsburg, PA)
A: Mike, many of the top songwriters that had deals and lost them, or just like to perform part of the year (as Jeffrey Steele does), maintain websites that will include their writing discography. Beyond that, you can check the websites of the major music song licensing companies, ASCAP, BMI and SEASAC, and do a search of the artists they represent to see what songs the artists have published.
Q: About 10 years ago I saw Bocephus' son on TV. I know Bocephus' first child was a boy and he's been married and divorced a few times. What was that son's name and what is he up to now — and how many children does Hank Williams, Jr. have?
(Clara, Ephrata, WA)
A: Clara, Hank Williams Jr.'s first child is Hank Williams III, born in 1972. He's followed his father and grandfather into the music business, although his brand of music is a mix of alternative country and turbo rock and more. You can check him out at www.hank3.com. You might find him a bit out there in his brand of music and language, but he's a true chip off the blocks. Hank Jr. has 5 children in all, Holly Williams (a singer), Hillary Williams (also a singer), Katherine Diane Williams and a son, Samuel Williams.
Q: What's Minnie Pearl's real name?
(Sam, Pleasant Hill, MO)
A: Minnie Pearl was born Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon in 1912. She joined the Grand Ole Opry cast in 1940, became an American icon and was part of that show until her death in 1996.
Q: Why do you all not play more of Rodney Atkins? And when you do, you play the same two videos. I would love to see more of him on GAC.
(Amanda, Mineral Point, MO)
A: Amanda, Rodney Atkins has only four videos, "Invisibly Shaken," These Are My People," "Watching You" and "If You're Going Through Hell." What is chosen to air on the network depends on feedback from fans, and what best works with the mix of videos on the GAC playlist. Remember that the newer the song, the better chance it has to still be heard on the radio or seen on video networks. It's also possible all of his videos are being played at some point on GAC, so do a search on the site to find out when any of these videos may be programmed to air.
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