Tim McGraw photo by Danny Clinch, courtesy of Curb Records.
#10 on GAC’s Top Stories of 2009 | View all »
You can count on seeing country music in certain places on television. It’s a 24/7 proposition on GAC. And the daily talk shows — including “The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien” and “The Late Show With David Letterman” — obviously need a good smattering of country acts to fill out the music slots on their programs.
But country artists did an excellent job in 2009 in grabbing a larger share of acting roles and musical moments on TV and in the movies. Led by Tim McGraw’s part as Sandra Bullock’s husband in The Blind Side, by Taylor Swift’s TV acting debut on “CSI” and by the bevy of country stars who appeared on the platinum soundtrack to Hannah Montana: The Movie, the genre was well represented in the visual media in the last 12 months.
The highlights include:
- Tim McGraw was initially reticent to play the father of a high-school football star when he was approached about The Blind Side, since he’d already had a similar role in the movie Friday Night Lights. The chance to act opposite Sandra Bullock — and the quality of the script — changed his mind, and the movie ended up being a No. 1 box-office hit and got Sandra a Golden Globe nomination.
- Hannah Montana: The Movie brought attention to plenty of Nashville acts, beginning with the picture’s star, Miley Cyrus, and her dad, Billy Ray Cyrus. Rascal Flatts and Taylor Swift both contributed to the soundtrack, and they were featured on screen, too, as was Bucky Covington.
- Taylor Swift appeared as a dead body, stabbed in the heart with a pair of scissors, in her CBS guest slot on “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.” She also contributed a live performance of “Should’ve Said No” to the motion picture Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience. She was featured twice on “Saturday Night Live” — as the musical guest in January and as both the musical guest and guest host in November. Look for her back on the big screen in 2010 in the movie Valentine’s Day.
- “Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special” gave the multi-platinum singer two hours of prime-time exposure on FOX. The highlights included a duet with Brad Paisley on “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man” and a collaboration with Dolly Parton on “I Will Always Love You.”
- The neighborly “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” was — as it has been throughout its history — very kind to country stars, who are in turn quite kind to the folks they’re helping out on the show. Kellie Pickler, Trace Adkins and Clint Black all pitched in during the year.
- Clint became the second country star to participate in Donald Trump’s “The Celebrity Apprentice,” though his contribution was marred by an on-again, off-again feud with the series’ ultimate winner, Joan Rivers.
- Lee Ann Womack and Tracy Byrd acted in the movie Noble Things, though it received only a smattering of theatrical showings before coming out on DVD. The soundtrack’s contributors include Clay Walker, Tracy Lawrence, Pam Tillis and Mark Chesnutt.
- Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett shared a Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Song for a Motion Picture, honoring “The Weary Kind (Theme From Crazy Heart).” Merle Haggard also performed over the closing credits of Michael Moore’s controversial movie Capitalism: A Love Story. And Jimmy Wayne’s version of the 1975 Orleans pop hit “Dance With Me” appeared in the indie pic Love N’ Dancing.
- “America’s Got Talent,” “Dancing With The Stars” and “American Idol” all brought in country performers to augment their lineups. Reba McEntire and Rascal Flatts were featured on “AGT,” Chuck Wicks and then-girlfriend Julianne Hough competed on “DWTS” and “Idol” guests included mentor Randy Travis and Kris Allen’s finale partner, Keith Urban. Shania Twain also popped into Chicago to serve as a guest judge for the 2010 “Idol” season.
- Several country stars are already in line for the big screen in 2010. Tim McGraw is set to shoot his next movie role in January, Dwight Yoakam and Kris Kristofferson have completed filming their parts in Princes Of Night, and Julianne Hough is cast for next year’s remake of Footloose.
What was your favorite TV or movie moment from the past year that featured a country star at the center of the action? Leave a comment below and let me know!
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