Country California

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Q: What irks you the most about the country music business?
A: If they don’t add Holly’s record ‘Mama’ … If they don’t play my daughter they can kiss my ass. ●
- – Hank Williams Jr. is a proud (and potentially dangerous) dad.

When he speaks of his children, there is a pride and a love that comes out of the pores of his face. I swear to God, you can see it. He loves, he worships his children, and it’s just a beautiful thing to see. And then he’ll grab a woman and pin her against the wall, as soon as he’s finished talking about his kids! ●
- – Trace Adkins on Gene Simmons, who sounds like a real charmer… as long as you’re one of his kids.

Bobby [Braddock] is actually indebted to Troy [Jones], who had the original idea. It occurred to him that there were three statements that no one could argue with: God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy. ●
- – Maybe just a California thing, but I know people who would argue at least two of those three points.

It’s like a chef. You don’t expect a chef to make only marinara sauce. It would be a pretty boring restaurant if you only make one thing, and that’s the way I feel about music, I like doing it all. ●
- – Jace Everett. On the other hand, Chinese restaurants don’t serve burritos…

I remember Bill Anderson was doing a radio show at Opryland when we first got started. “Brand New Man” had really taken off. He said, “Boys, do you know what it means to have your career song as your very first single?” We looked at each other. “It’s over?! Dang, Bill!” He just put a period on our career with our first dang song. (laughs) ●
- – Kix Brooks on the first of several career songs for Brooks & Dunn.

I bought Kix’s 1989 solo Capitol Nashville album on vinyl and still have it. It shows him as a really good songwriter in search of a musical partnership, which he found with Ronnie. ●
- – Reading between the lines, I see that Chet Flippo enjoys Kix’s singing about as much as I do.

I understand where she’s coming from, even though I don’t burn pictures of my ex’s and don’t write songs about them if they hurt my feelings. I don’t remember who I had a crush on when I studied in the library, and my life lessons stretch beyond this little Swift nugget: “In real life, the bad guy is always really, really cute.” ●
- – Count on Craig Shelburne for a levelheaded review of a Taylor Swift concert. Good read.

I went there to try to be a songwriter, but I gave up trying to understand that marketplace. Writing for a marketplace just offends my sensibilities. I always said, “If I ever break even, I’m movin’ back to Texas.” I haven’t done it yet. ●
- – Guy Clark, in conversation with Patty Griffin, Jack Ingram, Robert Earl Keen and Sonny Throckmorton. Check out this piece in Texas Monthly; it’s one of the coolest things I’ve read recently. (via The 9513, via Twang Nation)

I listen to country music to see what they’re doing without the four-letter, bad words. They’re very equal to what we were doing in the Beach Boys days. ●
- – Beach Boy Bruce Johnston lays claim to some modern country cred.

I think we hear enough negativity. We don’t need to have a whole album full of it. I look to music to lift me up, so that’s kind of what I want to do with my music. ●
- – I’m gonna guess that Martina McBride rarely hangs out with Chris Knight, quoted last week.

I don’t like sobriety in my musicians.
- – My Kind of Country’s J.R. Journey, while (allegedly) intoxicated.

Q: What’s the stupidest question you’ve been asked lately?
A: Want a drink? ●
- – Blake Shelton answers a fan question on Twitter.