Toby Keith photo courtesy of Show Dog-Universal Music.

By David Scarlett, with Sarah Wyland

If you want to hear patriotic songs, whether openly saluting the military or just extolling the virtues of everyday life in America, country music is a great place to start. In recent years we’ve heard heartfelt songs by several artists who may not be household names yet–like ex-soldiers Luke Stricklin (“American by God’s Amazing Grace”) and Keni Thomas’ (“Not Me”). But the tunes that made it on our list of the 20 Greatest Country Patriotic Songs are by some of country’s most influential artists, and these patriotic tunes are among their most enduring. For those counting, we even included an extra song. In no particular order, here they are:

“If You’re Reading This” (2007) co-written and performed by Tim McGraw

When Tim McGraw performed “If You’re Reading This” at the 2007 Academy of Country Music Awards, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. The song is a tribute to fallen soldiers and takes the form of a letter, meant to be read only if the soldier didn’t return home. Co-written with Brad and Brett Warren of the Warren Brothers, the track was inspired by an article the three men read about war casualties. After Tim’s performance at the ACM awards, one hundred relatives of soldiers who died in the line of duty appeared onstage under a banner that read ‘Families of Fallen Heroes.’ An emotional Tim rightly received a standing ovation from his fellow country artists.

“Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue (The Angry American)” (2002) written and performed by Toby Keith

Written just days after the attacks of 9/11, this tune makes no bones about it—Toby was fighting mad. Written partly as a tribute to his war veteran father, the song summed up the feelings of a lot of Americans who wanted a very forceful response to an assault by terrorists on innocent men, women and children. It became a rallying cry for our troops and a thorn in the side of people like Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks who called the song “ignorant” and Peter Jennings of ABC News, who uninvited Toby to be part of a patriotic television special after reading the lyrics of “Courtesy.” While Toby doesn’t describe himself as a very political guy, he is a “very patriotic” guy. “If you believe in it enough, it’s worth fightin’ for,” he’s been quoted as saying. “And if you’re not gonna fight for it, then you deserve to be dictated to, you know—and I’m not willing to do that.”

“God Bless the USA” (1983), written and performed by Lee Greenwood

Often called the “unofficial National Anthem,” in 2003—the 20th anniversary of its release—online voters named this powerful song the “most recognizable patriotic song” in the nation. And, after nearly 25 years, the song Lee wrote to show his appreciation for his country and his willingness to defend it still routinely brings crowds to their feet at the opening strains of the first chorus. While cynics may describe it as jingoistic, there are a good many citizens who, to this day, cannot hear its heartfelt championing of America’s virtues without getting misty. Continue Reading

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Steve Wariner at the Nashville Chapter of the Recording Academy® Grammy Nominee party. Photo courtesy of The Recording Academy® 2009 & Rubin Media. Photograph by Rick Diamond/WireImage.com.

Four country acts that launched a series of hits in the 1980s and ‘90s — Steve Wariner, Patty Loveless, John Michael Montgomery and the late Keith Whitley — are set to enter the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame when it holds its next induction ceremony in April 2011 in Lexington.

They’ll be joined as new members by bluegrass duo the Goins Brothers; gospel singer Larnelle Harris; and Molly O’Day, a country vocalist who left a critically acclaimed body of work in a short five-year recording period in the late 1940s.

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Clint Black with wife, Lisa Hartman Black.

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, causing single people to gnash their teeth, men to pony up for flowers and women to get positively squishy about romance.

For kicks, we’ve endeavored to come up with the Top 20 country love songs of all-time, and only two people — Clint Black and John Michael Montgomery — are two-timers on that list. Clint’s “Something That We Do” and “When I Said I Do,” the latter recorded with his wife, Lisa Hartman Black, are well thought-out expressions of the work involved in making a relationship last. John Michael’s “I Swear” and “I Can Love You Like That” lean toward the age-old pop approach of giving love a fairytale stamp. “I Can Love You Like That,” in fact, makes a Cinderella reference; and it’s no coincidence that both songs were simultaneously pop hits at the time John Michael had them on the charts.

The following list is partially subjective but not entirely. It’s mostly a reflection of success on the charts and at awards shows — and in a title’s ability to wear well over time.

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Reba McEntire photo by Russ Harrington, courtesy of the Valory Music Co.

As the cameras clicked and flashed about her in the lobby of her Starstruck Entertainment building on Music Row Monday, Reba McEntire jokingly sang a couple lines from Lady Gaga’s recent chart-topping single “Paparazzi.”

Wrong genre. Wrong artist. But right sentiment. Reba was the center attraction in a No. 1 party that honored her success with “Consider Me Gone,” which spent four weeks atop the Billboard country singles chart to become the best-charting release in her career. Dating back to her first No. 1 single, the 1982 release “Can’t Even Get The Blues,” it also gives her at least one No. 1 in four different decades. A cursory glance suggests the only other acts to have done that are Dolly Parton (‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s and 2000s), Johnny Cash (‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s) and George Jones (‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s).

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When songwriter Richard Fagan performs Wednesday evening at Nashville’s legendary Bluebird Café, the evening will be wrapped in personal symbolism. An installment in the Bluebird’s annual series of benefits for Alive Hospice, this particular show is dedicated to the late Tom Oteri, a former Alive Hospice volunteer who was Richard’s publisher.

Tom’s April 2008 death, in the aftermath of a fight with Richard, forced Rich — best known for writing John Michael Montgomery’s “Be My Baby Tonight” and “Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident)” — to confront his addiction to alcohol and his perpetual irresponsibility. Wednesday’s performance, with Rob Crosby and “Three Wooden Crosses” songwriter Doug Johnson, marks the first time Richard has performed at the venue since completing rehab, and he’ll no doubt be feeling Tom’s spirit.

Richard and Tom shared a house and had been business partners for 32 years, so when Tom died — apparently, it seemed at the time — by Richard’s hand, it shocked Nashville’s music community. Tom was being treated for a broken rib with fentanyl, an opiate that can create breathing issues. He’d gone through a long stretch of depression, and Richard — unused to seeing his associate in that state of mind — wasn’t dealing with it well. He got high April 26, 2008, on tequila and antidepressants, then got in a fight with Tom that turned physical. In the process, he slashed Tom’s wrist with a knife. They both went into immediate shock over what had happened.

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Montgomery Gentry photo courtesy of Sony Nashville.

The current Montgomery Gentry single “Long Line Of Losers” celebrates a colorful family tree that’s “half outlaw, half boozers.” And if it sounds like they mean it, that might be because Eddie Montgomery in particular can relate to the song firsthand.

“I really was raised with a shot glass in my hand,” Eddie says. “I ain’t gonna lie about it. You know, everybody’s like, ‘Well, I don’t know if I’d talk about it,’ or what. Hell, it does not bother me at all. You know, it never has. [Although] now I do know as an adult why none of the other parents would ever let kids come over to our house.”

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Kieth Urban photo courtesy of Capitol Nashville.

GAC’s Fan-Voted Top 50 Videos of 2004!

Each year GAC asks fans to help us choose the best of the best country music videos released during the prior 12 months for our year end Top 50 Videos of the Year countdown. Here are the voting results for 2004 based on videos released and added to the GAC playlist from Nov. 1, 2003 to Oct. 31, 2004.

1. Keith Urban – “You’ll Think Of Me”
2. Gretchen Wilson – “Redneck Woman”
3. Kenny Chesney/Uncle Kracker – “When The Sun Goes Down”
4. Tim McGraw – “Live Like You Were Dying”
5. Toby Keith – “American Soldier”
6. Terri Clark – “Girls Lie Too”
7. John Michael Montgomery – “Letters From Home”
8. Shania Twain/Billy Currington – “Party For Two”
9. Big and Rich – “Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy)”
10. Kenny Chesney – “There Goes My Life” Continue Reading

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