The farce of the CMA awards

[Snaggletiger]

There are even some mainstream artists like Church and Paisley who are immensely talented at the trade but to satisfy record producers they have to sell the garbage half the time. Anyone who is a purist won't ever get known or if they do they will get ruined very shortly. Very few can pull off still being big while doing their own thing and not beholden to Nashville - yokam, Alan jackson, etc.

A tiny bit of devil's advocate here.  If it's all about the music, don't sell out.  Just play your music and if you're talented enough to be offered the "sell out" by Nashville, you'll build your own following. But if you want to set yourself up for life, play what they tell you.  AUT1, how many time have you seen Jason Isbell?  You're going to need to take off your shoes to keep counting, amirite?  BTW, he was nominated for Album of the Year last night.  I found this from a Q&A with Isbell on his nomination.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Congratulations! Album of the Year is a big nomination. How did you and your band, the 400 Unit, react to the news?
JASON ISBELL: Thank you! We’re definitely grateful. It’s weird: I don’t really see myself as a country musician. [Laughs] I see what we do as rock & roll. But when you’re from Alabama and you have a Southern accent and you sing about rural things…

He's built one hell of a following without the help of Nashville or country radio.  But his nomination alone just made that boy an ass load of money. 

[dallaswareagle]

Didn’t watch. Have never really paid much attt to award shows.

Interesting to learn about your family history.

No fan of today’s radio and I simply don’t care about their political views.

Didn't even know it was on and would not have watched it anyway.

I truly don't see how anybody listens to any local radio. It is truly shit here in Dallas. XM has gotten terrible lately. I cancelled it last year. They basically have DJ's now on most stations that fucking cackle with their opinions on shit. 

[GH2001]

A tiny bit of devil's advocate here.  If it's all about the music, don't sell out.  Just play your music and if you're talented enough to be offered the "sell out" by Nashville, you'll build your own following. But if you want to set yourself up for life, play what they tell you.  AUT1, how many time have you seen Jason Isbell?  You're going to need to take off your shoes to keep counting, amirite?  BTW, he was nominated for Album of the Year last night.  I found this from a Q&A with Isbell on his nomination.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Congratulations! Album of the Year is a big nomination. How did you and your band, the 400 Unit, react to the news?
JASON ISBELL: Thank you! We’re definitely grateful. It’s weird: I don’t really see myself as a country musician. [Laughs] I see what we do as rock & roll. But when you’re from Alabama and you have a Southern accent and you sing about rural things…

He's built one hell of a following without the help of Nashville or country radio.  But his nomination alone just made that boy an ass load of money.

Isbell is an exception to an extent. For everyone of him you have sturgill Simpson who is excellent but a starving artist. Same with hank 3. And hank 3 wouldn't even have what he does without his name. End of the day, the millions are hard to turn down. I don't blame them. I just hate the music becomes a casualty.