Keeping Classic Country Music Alive

Blogger and radio host is doing his best to help keep classic country music in front of readers and listeners, worldwide.
 
Feb. 18, 2013 - PRLog -- Asheville, North Carolina  

Recent comments by singer Blake Shelton, concerning fans of classic country music, created quite a firestorm of criticism aimed at the star, from the fans whom many believed he demeaned, and even rankled the feathers of music legend Ray Price.  When asked if he touched on the controversy on his show, Michael Reece, smiles and says, “We had some fun with it.  It was perfect timing, as the story came out on Thursday, the day my Ultimate Twang show airs.  This story was on all of the country music sites and all over Twitter, so I played it up, both on Twitter and the show.”

Classic country music is where Michael says his deepest music love and passion lies, and he intends to play a part in
keeping classic country music alive.  Michael, who goes by the moniker, Mike The Country Musicologist, on his Ultimate Twang blog (http://ultimatetwang.com/blog/) and weekly Ultimate Twang radio show (http://ashevillefm.org/ultimate-twang), has had a life-long passion for music of many genres, but for him, country music, especially that of the pre 2000 era, is where it's at.

“It's authentic, real, and goes for the heart with both joy and sadness.  You just don't get that, much, today.  Today's music is too much of the singer trying to convince you that he or she is country, or else, it's a sound that is closer to what we used to call bubblegum rock.”

He began his blog, which features reviews of classic country albums, along with spotlighting classic singles, in August, 2009.  He jokes that he did so...”To justify keeping all of these old records that I have, to my wife”.  In reality, though, Michael believes that country albums haven't always gotten the attention they deserved, until within the past 20 to 25 years.  “There are exceptions, of course,” he says, “but I'd argue the majority of releases didn't always get the recognition they deserved, partially because until the '80's and '90's, it wasn't unusual for a country artist to release 2 or 3 albums a year, not giving an album a whole lot of time in the spotlight to really build a following.”  He says his reviews are not written like those you might read in a music publication, “...where they sometimes seem to be more focused on trying to impress the reader with their command of the English language, than actually reviewing the music.”  He simply writes what he feels about each track on each album, good or bad.

In addition, those records, along with an ample amount of compact discs, are integral parts of his weekly World Famous Ultimate Twang Radio Show, heard every Thursday afternoon, worldwide, on the online radio station, Asheville Free Media (http://ashevillefm.org).  Michael, who worked for numerous Indiana small town radio stations, began the show in September, 2011, a few months after relocating to Asheville from Raleigh, North Carolina.  The three hour program, which focuses on classic country hits, mixed with a few album cuts, quickly became the most popular show on the station, and continues to gain a growing audience that extends well beyond the boundaries of Asheville and Western North Carolina.  Michael credits several items for the show's success.  “First off, the listeners.  They are more numerouis than many realize and they are loyal.  Plus, they are not all 40 and over, either.  I have encountered several teens and twenty-somethings who are into Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Waylon, Dolly Parton, etc., as much as, if not more than the new music.”  He notes that even his seven year old daughter is a fan of some of the music, noting Dave & Sugar's 1976 hit, “The Door Is Always Open”, as a song she loves.  Michael goes on to say, “I also think the listeners feel the passion I have for this music, as well as the energy I put into each program, and I think that makes the show fun to listen to, as well.”  One other factor that Michael believes is key for his show's success is that there are no limits on his play list.  Unlike most corporate, over-the-air radio stations, there is no consultant saying what can or can't be played.  “I draw my list, each week, from a library of well over nine thousand titles, and the lack of sameness in the music, I really believe, keeps people coming back, because they know each week is going to be something completely different.  Eddy Arnold had 92 top ten hits, according to Billboard magazine, yet, most radio stations that would even play his music, would never have more than maybe 10 or 15 of those in rotation.  On our show, you could hear any of them, at any time.”

Michael's blog can be seen at http://ultimatetwang.com/blog/, while his show can be heard live, every Thursday afternoon at 4p Eastern, at http://ashevillefm.org. In addition, his show page on the Asheville Free Media site, contains an archived version of the latest show, for listening at any time.
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