ACMs Honor the Past and Present of Country Music

The Academy of Country Music celebrated it's 50th anniversary last night at the ACM Awards in Arlington Texas. The three and a half hour show featured numerous live performances not only by today's country stars, but also by many who got country where it is today. This was an awards show that tried to make everyone happy, and I think for the most part, all country fans saw something that they loved.

The ACMs handed out what they called 'Milestone Awards'. They were handed out to Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney, Reba McEntire, Brooks and Dunn, Miranda Lambert and Taylor Swift. All of those artists hold ACM records and were honored for them. I liked the fact they did this, and it showed just how transcendent these artist have been. But the way the ACMs really shined was in the diversity of live performances. A complaint I often hear from listeners is that the older country artists just aren't played much anymore. And they have a point. It just isn't the way mainstream country radio is programmed. But maybe we should take a cue from the ACMs last night. George Strait, Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks, Reba, Brooks and Dunn all performed. Alabama and Randy Travis made appearances. So if you watched last night's show, and don't know or care who Nick Jonas is, at least you had performances from some of country's favorite all timers!

I had a conversation over the weekend with a listener about what country music 'is and isn't'. I bristle anytime someone brings it up. We spend too much time worrying about it. Yes, today's country music is different than what it was 30 years ago. It's different than 10 years ago! But why is country music the only format that can't evolve and grow? Why must it all sound alike to be 'country'? Last night's show showed that country can be many things. It can be George and Reba. It can be Keith and Eric Church. The key is that the heart and soul and story telling is still intact. And I believe that it is.