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APRIL 2018 Volume 49 Number 4 Issue 578
Editor Duncan Warwick
Contributors David Allan, Janet Aspley, Donnie Ayers, Craig Baguley, Larry Delaney, Don Cusic, Julie Flaskett, Kelly Gregory, Michael Hingston, Tony Ives, Spencer Leigh, John Lomax III,, Douglas McPherson, Stephen O’ Hanlon, Roland Purdy, Adrian Peel, Paul Riley, Wayne Smart, Chris Smith, Alison Stokes, Tom Travis, Walt Trott, Jack Watkins
News
Walt Trott in Nashville Duncan Warwick in London
Forever
Changed
Assistant editor / Special projects coordinator Kelly Gregory
Photographers Helen Parish, Patricia Presley, Ian Tilbury, Barry Dixon, Billie McAleer
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Grand Ole Opry favourite Vince Gill addressed his concern about child sexual abuse from a personal level during a Country Radio Seminar appearance, Feb. 6, where he performed Forever Changed. Gill, 61( on April 12), confided that he had been a victim himself in a Norman, Okla. school:“ I was in seventh grade and a young, dumb kid. I had a gym teacher that acted inappropriately toward me, and was trying to do things that I didn’ t know what the hell was going on. I was just fortunate that I got up and I ran; I just jumped up and I ran. I don’ t know why, and I don’ t think I ever told anybody my whole life, but even what’ s been going on has given me a little bit of courage to speak out, too.”
It’ s believed Vince wrote the song a while back, but from a girl’ s point of view, though his heartfelt presentation seemed apropos considering his own experience, prompting a standing ovation:“ Too afraid to tell someone / You might as well have used a gun / She cries to Jesus to ease the pain / Because of you / She’ s forever changed...”
The veteran vocalist mused,“ I never really know where this song came from, other than we’ re living in a time right now when finally people are having the courage to kinda speak out about being abused. I think that is beyond helpful, and beyond beautiful, to see people finally have a voice for being wronged.”
Huckabee hounded out
Former Arkansas Gov. and ex-presidential candidate Mike Huckabee resigned from the Country Music Association’ s Foundation Board a day after being made a member, following wide criticism from industry members and fans. The conservative TV host’ s known for negative views on LGBT issues, boasts strong support of the NRA, as well as extremist political stances. One dissenter was Jason Owen, an executive both with Monument Records and Sandbox Entertainment, calling Huckabee’ s election a“ grossly offensive decision,” in e-mails to both Sarah Traherne, CMA chief, and Tiffany Kerns, Country Music Foundation executive. Owen, whose artist clients include Faith Hill, Little Big Town and Midland, made it clear they would withdraw their support, if he remained.
Upon learning of Huckabee’ s addition to the board, hundreds of country fans also voiced their opposition in e-mails, and suggested they would boycott both the CMA and the annual CMA Music Festival in protest. Huckabee’ s resignation letter stated, in part,“ I genuinely regret that some in the industry were so outraged by my appointment, that they bullied the CMA and Foundation with economic threats, and vowed to withhold support for the programs for students, if I remained... I’ m somewhat flattered to be of such consequence when all I thought I was doing was voluntarily serving on a non-profit board, without pay, in my advocacy for the arts.”
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