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Challenge: Compliment John Rich


Can you believe it has been nearly two months since we said nice things about Rascal Flatts? That was such fun that I knew we’d eventually have to do it again; I just couldn’t figure out who the next subject should be. After all, precious few country stars enjoy the winning combination of wild popularity and overwhelming critical disdain that made Levox & Company such a good fit for the inaugural edition of this series.

John Rich doesn’t quite fit the bill. He has done some fairly cool stuff as a producer, songwriter, and singer, so there are probably more openings for sincere compliments this time around. However, as country music’s resident arrogant leprechaun rapper, he also leaves himself quite open to mockery. If you choose to go that route, just be sure to deliver your mockery in the form of a (backhanded) compliment, as I do want these proceedings to stay within reason and maintain a (falsely) positive tone.

Remember, each compliment can only be used once. If someone already said what you were going to say, think of something else. That’s part of the challenge.

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17 Comments

  1. On Tuesday he performed his McCain campaign song on the lawn at Belmont while completely surrounded by Obama supporters. That took gigantic balls.

  2. John Rich is comfortable with speaking for country music’s true legends.

    http://countryuniverse.wordpress.com/2008/08/18/say-what-rosanne-cash-and-john-rich/

  3. John Rich’s facial hair is the envy of every ninth grader I know.

  4. John Rich’s solo career did about as well as his friends Shannon Brown, Shannon Lawson…

    (JR: Forever Loving You #46, SB: Corn Fed #47, SL: Dream Your Way To Me #45)

  5. John Rich writes some good songs: for example “Johnny Cash” and “Hick Chick.”

  6. Without a John Rich we as country fans would have never had the wonders that are Big Kenny, Coffey, or Jason Aldean!

  7. He did a nice deed for that bartender….ahhhh what’s her name again?….ahhhh oh yeah Gretchen Wilson. That sure was a sweet thing.

  8. He did actually write one song that I like - 8th of November –

  9. John Rich sucks. He is a joke. Get some taste people!

    • I kinda of agree with you! Allthough is a great songwriter, I lost TOTAL respect for him when he started being the host of Gone Country. Who does he think he is, God, when it comes to new artists? If they are an asshole on the show, then you can pretty much guess who JR is going to pick. I just found this, even though it’s like months later haha.

  10. John Rich sucks. He is a joke. Get some taste people!

    With all due respect, you’re not very good at giving compliments.

  11. That first Big & Rich album was actually pretty cool.

  12. dude, Jim, party foul.

  13. Hey, it was a compliment!

    But seriously–"Holy Water," "Wild West Show," "Deadwood Mountain," "Live This Life"…that was not the same Big & Rich who later gave us such classic lines as, "She was reading Cosmo, how to have good sex/When I saw her going through the security check.

  14. John Rich is … um, he, uh … I like the way he …

    I just can’t do it.

  15. He swings a mean bottle.

  16. Thanks to John Rich for keeping this post so topical.

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