"Rock N' Roll"

Avid Listener said:

And maybe Marty doesn't dislike the term at all!

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Or maybe...just maybe...you're wrong. If course that could never happen.

Avid - do a little research on Marty. You said you had never heard of him. Right? He has an interesting story to tell. To all those on here, about rockabilly: Basically, most artists simply don't like being driven into a specific genre of a music category. It's kind of stereotypical entrapment in their minds. Marty is a country music artist. He is flexible and talented and that's where he prefers to draw the connection. Usually writers try to isolate or micro cast these artists and it can frustrate the artist. I could totally see WHY Marty or others would not like the term, but, I doubt he spends much time thinking about it verses trying to have a great time in a career he loves. Also, BigA, in your interviews, you spent how much time talking about this subject? Probably very little. He is more into being an ambassador of the music and again, is blessed and appreciative to have been at the right place at the right time. The fact that he is a gentleman and has an awe of those before him makes him a very unique and qualified person to be a bright spot in an industry that has been fragmented and expanded to most insiders dismay.

Tibbs2 said:

Avid - do a little research on Marty. You said you had never heard of him. Right? He has an interesting story to tell. To all those on here, about rockabilly: Basically, most artists simply don't like being driven into a specific genre of a music category.

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First, it's TheBigA's responsibility to back up any claims that he makes. Second, if Marty objects to being pigeonholed into a particular genre of music, that's an entirely different thing than opposing a particular term as being offensive. Most musicians hate being pigeonholed, regardless of the genre. But that it beside the point. TheBigA is trying to convince us that the word "rockabilly" is offensive to most musicians because TheBigA named one musician who didn't like the term rockabilly.

So, are you saying that Marty finds the word "rockabilly" offensive, or are you saying that Marty doesn't want to be pigeonholed into the rockabilly genre?

Avid Listener said:

First, it's TheBigA's responsibility to back up any claims that he makes.

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It was a very minor point that I made to someone else. He has long since left this thread. You weren't even in the discussion. You've made it much bigger than it was intended to be. My suggestion is to go back to the theme of this thread, and leave this point out. I've made it, and I'm glad, regardless of what you believe.

Avid - my point was for YOU to listen to and read up on Marty Stuart to see what you think of his music and message. I bet you would recognize him. I wasn't going to give you a test or anything. Yes, it is a tiny part of this whole discussion. Marty's entitled to his opinion on the damn term. I kinda doubt Marty will be inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame anytime soon, anyway.

BigA takes an analytical look at this business and studies it, as well as works his magic in it. Like David said, while I may not always see eye to eye, I do understand where BigA is coming from 99 percent of the time, and, if nothing else, generally (his) points are valid AND it's stalkingly fun to watch those comments stir up things.

Hehe. I will let you all get back to the debate of radio's past vs. today vs. the future. It's much more entertaining. Is newrockabilly even being performed by anyone? Boom...

Tibbs2 said:

Is newrockabilly even being performed by anyone? Boom...

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Yes, it is. It's being performed live in bars and honky-tonks around the country, but people who only know music based on what's on the radio are unaware of it. Check out acts like Devil Doll sometime. Or the Tom Stormy Trio, The Hillbilly Moon Explosion, The Obscuritones, The Devil's Daughters, and others.

Rockabilly is alive and well. It's a niche genre though, like goth or industrial or ska. There are countless bands all over the world performing it, and I would have no problem finding a rockabilly show to go to here in Ottawa if I wanted to go. The thing is, none of these bands are mainstream, none of them really want to be, and none of them will get airplay on commercial radio with the exception of a very few radio stations. Yes it does sound like old time rock and roll, as it should. Times do change whether we like it or not...if they didn't Doo Wop would still be on every top forty radio station.

mimo said:

Rockabilly is alive and well.

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This should make your point:

http://www.rockabillyrockout.com/

Tibbs2 said:

Avid - my point was for YOU to listen to and read up on Marty Stuart to see what you think of his music and message. I bet you would recognize him. I wasn't going to give you a test or anything. Yes, it is a tiny part of this whole discussion. Marty's entitled to his opinion on the damn term. I kinda doubt Marty will be inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame anytime soon, anyway.

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I never questioned whether or not Marty is entitled to his opinion. I wanted to know what his opinion was. Does he object to the term "rockabilly" as being a pejorative, or does he object to having himself pigeonholed as a "rockabilly act"? Both are valid opinions. The former is what TheBigA claimed, the latter is what you claimed. I tend to think you're correct and TheBigA is incorrect.

I like rockabilly, regardless of what the music is called when someone plays it. Elvis is the second greatest male artist ever behind only Sinatra (my opinion) and yet he is best known for rockabilly.

I like The Stray Cats too and whatever you call what The Brian Setzer Orchestra does. It's a mix of rockabilly and swing, I guess.

I started reading where it was debated whether George Thorogood ever had a hit. I think I am remembering this correctly. In the 1980s Transtar had a radio format called Format 41, positioned between adult standards and soft rock. At some point I made the discovery that some "soft rock" stations also used a Transtar format, and there was one in my area. I am quite certain I heard "Bad to the Bone". Now some songs AC radio plays are not "hits" as in having reached the Billboard Hot 100, but this song was obviously a hit as far as AC was concerned. This also means Transtar's other "soft rock" format wasn't exactly soft.

The first song I ever heard on 94.5 The Rock Alternative in the Greensboro, NC market in 1994 ws "Move It On Over". That was George Thorogood, too, I believe. Whatever you think of him or the song, that was a good version. All the rumors about what had been a country station were that it would play a "rocking" version of country to distinguish itself from the country station so popular at the time they said cockroaches and WTQR would survive nuclear war.

So I thought this was an illustration of what was meant by a rocking version of country, and I believe that would have been true. Instead, the next voice after the song said, "94.5 The Rock Alternative. It's not for everybody. It's for you."

George Thorogood alternative? I don't know. This station played Stone Temple Pilots, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana and The Cranberries.

"Rock & Roll's Greatest Hits", but that is not a station; it is the title of a weekly radio program.