Live Music Archive

An inspiring trend is currently occurring in country music radio: country singer names, 1st and final (sometimes middle), are being simplified. Garth Brooks is Garth. Reba McEntire is Reba. Willie Nelson is just Willie. After a song, radio DJ’s are reducing the names down to one.
Maybe it’s a time-saving device; it’s easier to say “That was Willie with ‘Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain’.” Some could argue that the simplified name is because of country music’s “simple” fans. While some country music fans could embrace this label, others could find it offensive.
But could be dwindling names is a sign of respect for the artist. The musicians with only one name have gained a certain amount of regard in th music business. Toby Keith has become Toby. On occasion Brooks and Dunn is Kix and Ronnie ( it’s not shorter but more respectful). Then of course the big names: Reba, Garth, Alan (or AJ), Willie, and so on. It gets trickier with names like George (George Strait or George Jones?) and Hank (junior or senior?). But even Hank is again and again “Hank Junior” or “Hank Senior.” On the contrary, country singer names of newer musicians are al most always referred to in full.
However another argument is the sense of comfort country music induces in its fans. Perhaps DJs try to capture that by referring to the multi-million-dollar stars by their 1st names. They talk about Reba like she’s your sister and not a star you will never meet (this is reinforced by the reruns of her TV show where she’s the mother next door). Radio has given these country singer names and some, like Reba, have embraced them, showing only the 1st name on posters, compact disc s, and even TV shows.
And you recall uncle Garth instead of the best -selling artist of all time with enough money to aid his gran children ’s grand children. This is the same guy who vary d the way musicians negotiated contracts and got paid; this country singer names his price on anything. He became influential in the industry and bought a big house and smashed thousand-dollar guitars on stage. But the radio makes you think you could call him up and talk about fishing two Sundays ago when you were eating fried chicken on the bank and didn’t get a bite. And do not forget his superstar wife, Trisha.
All in all, country artist names shortened seems to mean something. It’s up to the individual to determine meaning, but disk jockeys had to have shortened them for a reason. Now, you have to wonder when the new country music singers’ names will dwindle down to one. Or could be you miss the Brooks, the McEntires, the Nelsons, the Williams. could be you want the final names back. And what about the singers with three names: Earl Thomas Connely, John Michael Montgomery. Do they lose radio time because they have long names?