2010 | Country California

John Conlee Loses His Rose-Colored Glasses

December 27, 2010 by C.M. Wilcox 6 Comments

Here's some fake news kindly sent in by Ken Morton at That Nashville Sound. Thanks, Ken! Thirty two years after releasing the smash hit named in their honor, John Conlee has accidentally misplaced his rose-colored glasses. Even after a career that saw him achieving seven #1 hits and 32 charted country music singles, Conlee had no more prized personal belonging than his famous spectacles, which were last seen on December 7, 2010. "It's been a rude awakening spending the last three weeks … [Read more...]

Merry Christmas To All

December 25, 2010 by C.M. Wilcox Leave a Comment

... and especially to Matt Metsker, the winner of our Diffie/Grascals/Corbin/Hellbound Glory album giveaway. Thanks to all who entered by emailing articles to friends in the month of December. We hope you're enjoying good times with family and friends, and taking full advantage of one of the few days of the year when it's socially acceptable to consume your own weight in butter. Here's a shot of Christmas here at Country California headquarters. … [Read more...]

Stocking Stuffer: George Jones and Randy Travis Sing “Wabash Cannonball”

December 23, 2010 by C.M. Wilcox 4 Comments

George Jones and Randy Travis were both in especially strong voice at the beginning of the '90s, so this lively, loving tribute to Roy Acuff from 1991 is a keeper. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEbIfr9CsXQ … [Read more...]

Stocking Stuffer: Haggard Sons Do Songs Associated with George Strait

December 22, 2010 by C.M. Wilcox Leave a Comment

When you're a son of Merle, it just comes natural to be a fine singer as well. Curiously, the best clips I could find of the two singing Haggard boys are both performances of songs more commonly associated with George Strait. Marty Haggard does "Trains Make Me Lonesome," which appeared on Strait's 1992 album Holding My Own. Written by Thom Schuyler and Paul Overstreet. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktWBKGfGlnc Noel Haggard does "Tell Me Something Bad About Tulsa," probably best known … [Read more...]

Quotable Country – 12/19/10 Edition

December 19, 2010 by C.M. Wilcox 4 Comments

We're skipping Quotable Country next week in honor of the baby Jesus, so this is the final installment of 2010. Another wild, wacky year on the books. Thanks for sticking with us. Click the bullet after each quote to visit the original source. Son, that's pretty good, but I don't think you could get away with saying 'chew' on country radio. ● - - Johnny Paycheck to Vince Gill on "It's Hard to Kiss the Lips at Night That Chew Your Ass Out All Day Long." I'm sort of pissed at her. I've … [Read more...]

Martina McBride Suspected in Several Area Holdups

December 15, 2010 by Trailer 8 Comments

Superstar country singer Martina McBride is the unlikely suspect in several recent Nashville armed robberies. On Thursday, a Brentwood Texaco cashier reported that shortly after 9 PM, a very short-in-stature woman dressed in a black overcoat and a collectible miniature Predators hockey mask demanded all the cash from the register and 8 cans of watermelon Four Loko. The victim said he laughed until the assailant produced a semiautomatic pistol while screaming "Don't doubt me, Hassan, I know … [Read more...]

Just Choose Your Favorites. No Pressure.

December 14, 2010 by C.M. Wilcox 2 Comments

It's the time of year for definitive-sounding rankings of vastly different works. Why do we do this, again? … [Read more...]