The Nashville Star Curse?
I think I mentioned recently how much I love 2006 Nashville Star winner Chris Young's first CD. It took a long time after the show for Chris to get the CD to us, but it was worth the wait. The CD features several songs written by Chris and some great songs (like my favorite "You're Gonna Love Me") written by other great people. Not a single song is a cover song, and the only one he sang on Nashville Star was the one for original song night, "Drinking Me Lonely,"which was arguably what won the show for him.
I've mentioned many, many times that the plight of previous Nashville Star winners seems to be to rush to release that debut CD, go on the Nashville Star tour and fade out of existence. They win a one-record deal, and none of them have won a re-up from their label yet. With Chris' success, he just might be the first one. Every single other Nashville Star has lost his or her recording contract. Currently the only one signed is Brad Cotter, who is not with Sony, but some label that I've never heard of. (I'm not dogging that, though, Merle Haggard isn't with Sony either and his last CD with George Jones has done quite well. Indie labels are good, but I imagine it's a let-down after Sony.)
Chris Young did things differently. Maybe it was because Buddy Cannon produced his CD, and I've never known Buddy Cannon to half-ass anything. The next time I see Chris, I might just have a conversation with him on this subject, because I don't know exactly how his production process went down. I can infer from the finished product that he spent last summer touring and in the studio working on the perfect CD. I think he realized he had one chance at making it and this was it, and wanted to do it the right way.
I'd hoped that Chris' attitude toward making his CD indicated a change in the attitude of Nashville Star, but apparently it did not.
[Warning: Before I launch into the next part of this post, I want to make it perfectly clear that I like Angela Hacker. I think she's fantastic. I want many great things for her. I thought this was her big break, and I very much want it to translate into success for her. Because I don't want her to be the next Erika Jo or Fantasia Barrino, that's why I'm writing this.]
I am on Angela Hacker's e-mail list, and I got an update from her today. My heart dropped just a little when I read this:
I love to listen to Angela sing. I want to listen to her sing for a very long time. I would rather wait for her CD like I did Chris' rather than her rush to put something out. I have bought everything she sang on Nashville Star, including her original song. As a consumer, am I really going to Wal-mart to spend $10 to get the three extra songs?
Well, yes, I will. Because I want to support her. And maybe if she sells lots of CDs, RCA won't drop her contract as soon as the year they are obligated to her is up. I'll keep telling people about her, because I don't want her to make this CD, go on the tour and then fade off into the sunset. She's talented, and she has a family to support. I want her to have unprecedented success, like Gretchen Wilson did. I don't want her to be a one-hit wonder.
This is the first time since January that I've doubted the direction of Nashville Star. I just think it's too soon, and I think that everyone -- both the artist and the fans -- deserve the best product they can put out. And I just don't think you can do that in three weeks.
There may be underlying reasons for all of this. I'm not privy to any behind-the-scenes info. I'm just going to cross my fingers and pray that it works out. Because someone who reminds me of all my country favorites -- the women who have been around for 40+ years with no signs of slowing down -- doesn't deserve a career that won't extend past Christmas.
I've mentioned many, many times that the plight of previous Nashville Star winners seems to be to rush to release that debut CD, go on the Nashville Star tour and fade out of existence. They win a one-record deal, and none of them have won a re-up from their label yet. With Chris' success, he just might be the first one. Every single other Nashville Star has lost his or her recording contract. Currently the only one signed is Brad Cotter, who is not with Sony, but some label that I've never heard of. (I'm not dogging that, though, Merle Haggard isn't with Sony either and his last CD with George Jones has done quite well. Indie labels are good, but I imagine it's a let-down after Sony.)
Chris Young did things differently. Maybe it was because Buddy Cannon produced his CD, and I've never known Buddy Cannon to half-ass anything. The next time I see Chris, I might just have a conversation with him on this subject, because I don't know exactly how his production process went down. I can infer from the finished product that he spent last summer touring and in the studio working on the perfect CD. I think he realized he had one chance at making it and this was it, and wanted to do it the right way.
I'd hoped that Chris' attitude toward making his CD indicated a change in the attitude of Nashville Star, but apparently it did not.
[Warning: Before I launch into the next part of this post, I want to make it perfectly clear that I like Angela Hacker. I think she's fantastic. I want many great things for her. I thought this was her big break, and I very much want it to translate into success for her. Because I don't want her to be the next Erika Jo or Fantasia Barrino, that's why I'm writing this.]
I am on Angela Hacker's e-mail list, and I got an update from her today. My heart dropped just a little when I read this:
The release date for my CD is April 3rd – Exclusively at Wal-Mart. The 10 song CD will have 6 of the Cover songs that I performed and 4 of my originals. To answer many of your questions about singing a song with Zac. Yep, one of the songs will be a duet with him. I hope you enjoy it! Maybe one day soon we'll have that CD together you've all been asking for.
I love to listen to Angela sing. I want to listen to her sing for a very long time. I would rather wait for her CD like I did Chris' rather than her rush to put something out. I have bought everything she sang on Nashville Star, including her original song. As a consumer, am I really going to Wal-mart to spend $10 to get the three extra songs?
Well, yes, I will. Because I want to support her. And maybe if she sells lots of CDs, RCA won't drop her contract as soon as the year they are obligated to her is up. I'll keep telling people about her, because I don't want her to make this CD, go on the tour and then fade off into the sunset. She's talented, and she has a family to support. I want her to have unprecedented success, like Gretchen Wilson did. I don't want her to be a one-hit wonder.
This is the first time since January that I've doubted the direction of Nashville Star. I just think it's too soon, and I think that everyone -- both the artist and the fans -- deserve the best product they can put out. And I just don't think you can do that in three weeks.
There may be underlying reasons for all of this. I'm not privy to any behind-the-scenes info. I'm just going to cross my fingers and pray that it works out. Because someone who reminds me of all my country favorites -- the women who have been around for 40+ years with no signs of slowing down -- doesn't deserve a career that won't extend past Christmas.
posted by Laura at 9:52 AM
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