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Where are the famous/popular musicians? It’s not hard to figure that bringing in the big names would raise the big money. The majority of those on the list is local "good ole boys" that would have loved to make it big but didn't have the talent.

 

"Johnson there were so many people wanting to help that he could only take about half the musicians who offered to lend a hand.

Musicians who will be performing for an upcoming benefit for Sledge includes Eddie Floyd, Pat Upton, Lenny LeBlanc, Gary Baker, Walt Aldridge, Bobby Denton, Travis Wammack, Donnie Fritts, David Hood, Mike Dillon, Kelvin Holly, N.C. Thurman, Jim Seals, Donnie Carpenter and Mitchell Curtis, Harvey Thompson, Charles Rose, Doug Moffet, Steve Herrmann and John Paul White".

 

http://www.timesdaily.com/life...99-001a4bcf6878.html

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Those local "good ole boys" have plenty of talent.  That they did not "make it big" is not necessarily an indicator of their level of talent.  Success in the music business is not a pure function of the best talent achieving the most fame.  Politics, the strategies of promotion, and--on the part of those who make it to the top--a willingness to become something of a slave to their profession all play a role.

 

There are truly great, talented musicians who value the stability of family life and who are unwilling to submit to the demands that are accepted by many of those who gain star status.  For example, some of the finest pure bluegrass musicians in the world live in the hills of Arkansas and the valleys of West Virginia, and you will never see them on national TV or find their recordings in music stores, because they prefer the quiet and peaceful family lifestyle they grew up in.

Good stuff there, DHS-86.  These are truly talented people.  If Semi wants to lure a bunch of "big names" to the benefit concert, she is free to try, but don't count too much on  any of them showing up. By the way, does it make sense to consider John Paul White (who IS scheduled to perform) as anything other than a "big name"?

Yes, I know several of those guys & have for a long time. I didn't mean to imply they weren't talented but they're not what it takes to make it big. I've even personally heard three of those listed talk about how they would love to make it big in the music world. They would have no problem giving up the stability of family life to submit to the demands it would take. Not much of a stable home life anyway since most of them are either performing locally nightly or on the road.

 

Contendah, I have no part of getting this benefit together & said nothing about my wanting to lure a bunch of "big names" to this benefit. I don't appreciate your implying that I do. Of course, none of them would show up. Why would they want to come to a small redneck town to take part in something that wouldn't put money in their pocket?

I agree that some of the finest pure bluegrass musicians in the world live in the hills of Arkansas, West Virginia, & even the Alabama mountains & I have seen them on TV. Maybe you should try watching PBS & you will see many of them from different states doing what they love to do.

 

Originally Posted by semiannualchick:

Yes, I know several of those guys & have for a long time. I didn't mean to imply they weren't talented but they're not what it takes to make it big. I've even personally heard three of those listed talk about how they would love to make it big in the music world. They would have no problem giving up the stability of family life to submit to the demands it would take. Not much of a stable home life anyway since most of them are either performing locally nightly or on the road.

 

Contendah, I have no part of getting this benefit together & said nothing about my wanting to lure a bunch of "big names" to this benefit. I don't appreciate your implying that I do. Of course, none of them would show up. Why would they want to come to a small redneck town to take part in something that wouldn't put money in their pocket?

I agree that some of the finest pure bluegrass musicians in the world live in the hills of Arkansas, West Virginia, & even the Alabama mountains & I have seen them on TV. Maybe you should try watching PBS & you will see many of them from different states doing what they love to do.

 

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I have seen them, since I watch a lot of  PBS.  But being on PBS is not a big time thing such as we see with the really big names in the music industry; otherwise we would be seeing these bluegrass performers on network and major commercial cable/satellite telecasts.

 

If you did not mean to imply that the locals are not talented, then why would you refer to them as "local 'good ole boys' that would have loved to make it big but didn't have the talent"? I still contend that many of them and many others around this fair land have every bit as much talent as some of the most famous, nationally-prominent performers who have been strategically promoted and in some cases have politicked their ways to stardom.

 

Originally Posted by Contendah:

But being on PBS is not a big time thing

 

If you did not mean to imply that the locals are not talented, then why would you refer to them as "local 'good ole boys' that would have loved to make it big but didn't have the talent"? I still contend that many of them and many others around this fair land have every bit as much talent as some of the most famous, nationally-prominent performers who have been strategically promoted and in some cases have politicked their ways to stardom.

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You said we "will never see them on national TV" but they are on PBS & Austin City Limits frequently. As for as I'm concerned, that is being on TV.

 

I didn't say they didn't have talent. What I said was they didn't have the talent to make it big.

Remember one of the reasons big name entertainers came to the Shoals to record was the quality of the local session musicians.  A little Blue Grass goes a long way with me, However, I'm not like a liberal who  inferred that such musicians were the result of extreme inbreeding. 

 

I didn't sign up for the Ritz films because so many had a leftist leaning.  However, I shall go to "It Ain't No Mouse Music."

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