We watched this season's run of
The Voice on NBC without much enthusiasm; it reached its finale last week. My longtime love of musical talent shows is waning (pun unintended) these days. More and more there's an undercurrent of producer manipulation - if that was always part of the genre, it must have been more skillfully hidden in the past, or perhaps we were more naive.
The one good thing about this season's
Voice : the right guy won! Craig Wayne Boyd, age 35, country music artist, originally from Mesquite, Texas, based in Nashville for many years, but had not been able to make the breakthrough - until now.
From commentary online, before the finale and announcement of the winner, it seemed inevitable that one of the other, younger more pop or "indie", singers would beat Craig Wayne Boyd who, though being way ahead of them on stage presence and experience, wasn't to the taste of much of the young demographic at which the show is aimed. One should never discount the loyalty of country music fans though - they are the most dedicated, and mixed age group, of any music fans. I used to be one of them, back in the UK even. I still swing back and forth between disliking the overtly political leanings of some country music artists, but then thinking, what the heck it's about the
music not the politics. If they'd only leave it at that, and not push away would-be fans who happen to be of different political persuasion. In that way country music could move out of the virtual strait-jacket of south USA and other conservative rural areas to a far wider and varied community.
I hope that Craig Wayne Boyd's stars align for him now - he seems to me to have more in common with some of the traditional country music artists I've loved for years, than with a more recent crop of pop-cum-country singers. I shall support where I can, buy his first album anyway, and hope to watch his rise to fame be similar to that of Carrie Underwood's. She won
American Idol years ago, and is now one of country music's "royalty".
Here he is, from earlier this season, singing Johnny Cash's
I Walk the Line -
And in the finale show last Tuesday singing
Sweet Home Alabama, with Lynyrd Skynyrd -
5 comments:
I too was glad to see him win. I hope he takes his fame with a grain of salt and perhaps being a little older and having struggled so long, he will.
I can only imagine how tough it is emotionally to go from being your average Joe- to being famous, which to me is a two edged sword :-)
Happy for him that he was born on a holiday thats fun and doesnt carry special expecations along with it..
People often ask me if its tough being born on Christmas day.. The answer is YES, but thats because many people expected me to be Better. as in kinder, more forgiving, sweeter, smarter, tougher, stronger and the list goes on and on.
Their unrealistic thoughts about who I should be based on a holiday was a lot of pressure, especially due to my libra rising because I did try constantly to live up to other peoples expectations, even as a little girl.. Parents, their friends, teachers , most adults often said I was the Perfect child. If they only knew the thoughts in my head. When I finally did have my break down,, everyone wondered why and many chastised me for ruining their vision of who I was and who I should be. opps, I think I'll pretend to be Scarlett O'Hara and think about that Tommorrow..
I have much more enthusiasm for "America's Got Talent" than I do for "The Voice". I only have a few free-over-the-airwaves TV stations, so it's a relief to have "The Voice" finally conclude to make way for other programming. "X Factor", "Idol"...all of these reality TV programs have a weirdness to them. I have to swallow hard to get past the arrogance and swollen egos of the judges. The judges have a sub-genre niche in their chosen specialty, but have been endowed with an even greater platform simply for their presence and personality, a bit like Kim Kardashian in reverse (reality personality with no talent). But hey, I'm an old fuddy-duddy that makes no effort to appreciate the mainstream and normalize with the majority.
As for country music, there are some performers and-or lyrics that I greatly enjoy, but those are exceptions. I'm not into the “I've Been Flushed from the Bathroom of Your Heart” (recorded by Johnny Cash in 1968) set.
Sonny, I don't think that being born on Xmas day is a requirement for broken expectations...LOL...it's a common malady. Most adults live vicariously through their glorified expectations imposed on children. Childhood is all about learning to fit into the box, not outside of the box as a true individual. Have a Happy Birthday, Sonny!
Sonny ~ Yes, the transition from one kind of life to another vastly different one will be a challenge. i have a feeling that CWB is up to it though, his years of striving, and love for his young son, will help keep his feet on the ground.
Ah - you have a Christmas Day birthday - I didn't know - and, just in case I forget later, I'll wish you Many Happy Returns in advance - I hope you'll have an extra specially lovely combo-birthday.
What others expect of us is almost always worrying, whatever our birthdays... 25 December is bound to be tricky in that respect.
mike ~ The judges can be pains in the ass - agreed. I suppose glittery "celebs" are chosen in order to attract more viewers. They vary in quality a lot. American Idol had Harry Connick Jnr as a judge last season - he was excellent, I thought, and Keith Urban another Idol
judge is very good too.
The Voice judges can get very annoying and over the top, especially in the early audition rounds. The show has become almost 50/50 on attention to the competitors and attention to the singers. I'm not sure we'll watch the next season, this one was hard going, apart from looking forward to hearing the guy who won sing each week.
I'm not a fan of the "my old dog died and grandma's in jail" kind of country songs, but the likes of Merle Haggard, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings...and a few more, they were what it was all about for me.
Correction~ I had meant to write 50/50 on attention to the judges and attention to the singers. TSK!!!
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