The State of the Red State Radio Rodeo

It happened to Loretta Lynn-- supposedly she had more banned songs than anyone in the history of country music. And it happened to k.d. lang. Despite recording some phenomenal country CDs which I continue to place on the pedestal of top 50 country recordings ever, she was never accepted by the country music radio establishment or by Nashville. And in 1992 she was an out lesbian -- like we had to wait until then to know for sure! And then add a card-carrying vegetarian label on that big-boned gal from southern Alberta's cattle country, and you've got the recipe for red-state ostracism.



It seems country music performers, especially women, are meant to conform and keep their mouths shut except to sing. It you want country radio to love you, then behave yourself.

The Dixie Chicks are literally taking the long way. Slow sales of concert tickets in several obvious "red" cities have resulted in concert cancellations. Many country music program directors and their radio listeners can't seem to let go of their "freedom fries" mentality and just get over it. Not surprisingly, most of the slow ticket sales are in the south and midwest -- "forgive and forget" just isn't in Jim Bob and Sue Ellen's vocabulary.



Kansas City, Houston, St. Louis, Memphis and Knoxville are among 14 cities no longer on the original schedule released in May, according to a revised itinerary posted Thursday on the Dixie Chick's web site.

Other shows, including Nashville, Los Angeles, Denver and Phoenix, have been pushed back to later dates.

Several Canadian cities have been added in place of the dropped US shows. Smart thinking by those Chicks. Screw the country radio establishment. Rock on, ladies.