Columnist: Dolly at CRS and the Dixie Chicks NOT at CRS

Don Rhodes has written about country music for 35 years for the hometown paper in the home of The Masters. He joined a large group of managers and programmers from Morris Communications radio stations at CRS and put these random thoughts in his column this week that are worth pondering:

Things I learned during my recent visit to the Country Radio Seminar:

- The new buzz words are "terrestrial radio," which refers to traditional radio stations that broadcast from the ground as opposed to the new satellite radio stations.

- I was about 20 feet from Dolly Parton and Keith Urban when they sang Jolene and Two Doors Down at one show during the Country Radio Seminar gathering. They need to release Jolene as a single.

- Ms. Parton looks incredible to be 60 years old!

- Ronnie Milsap still has with him two Augusta guys who have been so much a part of his career: Warren Gowers and Jamie Brantley. They were performing with him on a Sony/BMG-sponsored show held aboard the General Jackson paddlewheel showboat.

- Brenda Lee has been working on a killer gospel album recording duets with folks including Dolly Parton, Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn (individually), Charlie Daniels, Martina McBride, Ricky Skaggs, Huey Lewis, Trisha Yearwood, Allison Krauss, Delbert McClinton, George Jones, Vince Gill, Willie Nelson and Emmylou Harris.

- Jaye Albright, of Albright and O'Malley radio research consultants of Washington state, said she has heard tracks of the new Dixie Chicks CD due out this month. She said, "If country radio doesn't play it, they cannot use an excuse that it's not good music."

You would think, however, if the Chicks wanted to get country music stations to play their new CD, they would have shown up for seminar week, shaken some hands and sung some of their new songs. It wasn't a smart move to stay away from the very people they need to help them.

- You can barely tell Dierks Bentley and Craig Morgan apart with that same blond curly hair, same slender build and same ruddy complexion. And you barely can tell Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood apart, either. Someone told me, "It used to be everybody who wanted to be successful had to wear cowboy hats. Now you have to be blond."

Don can be reached at (706) 823-3214.