What the Hell Happened to Country Music?

I don't listen to the radio much these days.  When I'm in the car with the kids, the DVD player is running, so I know a lot about kids movies.  When I'm driving in my Mustang visiting members, I'm playing contemporary Christian music at rather high decibels along with 80's Rock (can't beat that while driving a sports car).  So...I don't listen to the music I grew up with much: Country and Western.

Today, when I went to pick up our dogs from the kennel, I got a chance to listen to KILT out of Houston for an extended period of time, and after my foray into listening, I have only one question:

What the hell happened to country music?

A few things jumped out at me as I reflected about CW music when I was growing up:

1. There was no such thing as rapping, even with a southern accent.  (Got a great Doug Stone story about that one below.)
2. No one ever asked a country girl to shake it.
3. Getting drunk was especially reserved for when your girl left you or picking your momma up from prison. 
4. Life wasn't about partying but love, getting burned by love, hard work, rodeo, and farm life.
5. You had to have a fiddle in the band.
6. A fiddle with a big band sound didn't count.
7. Electric guitars????  Try acoustic and steel.

*sigh*

When did I get old?

And the sad part is realizing my parents said the exact same thing about CW when I was growing up.

Doug Stone Story

Back in the 90's, George Strait held gigantic music festivals in San Antonio at the Alamodome.  He would bring in all sorts of acts including Wynonna, Brooks and Dunn, Lee Roy Parnell, McBride and the Ride, Doug Stone, and a whole lot of others.  It was well worth the money to go to these things.

I remember vividly Doug Stone's performance.  I think he had one or two too many before hitting the stage, especially when he started preaching to everyone in attendance.  But now, I understand, he was a prophet.

His hit single at the time was "Why Didn't I Think of That", and he was bemoaning the fact that everyone considered him strictly a ballad singer.  Therefore, he introduced us to a new form of music.  He was going to combine country music and rap.  He blended the two titles to name the music "crap."  Then, he gave us a sample of the music by singing "Why Didn't I Think of That" as a rap, and he was right: it was crap.

Now, fast forward to today and listen to Jason Aldean's song "Dirt Road Anthem."  Country and rap.  Crap.  And what's even more crap: it's a huge hit.