The Steel Guitar Forum

Noticed Tru-Country wasn't in the RFD program line-up for this week. I checked RFD's website and it no longer shows up on their program schedule. Does anyone know if the show is being pulled.

Nick

My "understanding" is that there was not enuff sponsorship to do the usual re-runs for until the new shows come out. It is supposed to return in July, again, if they get the sponsors. I believe the show has just finished taping some new "episodes", but I guess we will see. This intel may be all wet, but hope they get going again. It was a favorite show of mine and many others too.

I don't think they care to promote the best country music as much
as they do horses. Put some horses on stage & see the difference.

Maybe they could show it in between their televised cattle auctions??????

Only my opinion, but this show in it's present form is not going to attract younger audiences to country music, in fact it just may do the opposite. I know it's a sentimental favorite with a lot of seniors, but it's not helping to change the stereotyped image many younger folks have about country music. This may be part of the problem they are having finding sponsors. On the other hand, long live Marty!

My apologies to y'all. The above comments were in regard to Midwest Country, NOT TruCountry. I can't imagine how I could've gotten these two shows confused, especially in light of the thread title, but since I meet the age requirement, I will beg off by calling it a senior moment.

You may be right Barry, but I wonder what age group Midwest Country is targeted at or what market???? I guess truc could start peddling gold plated cheepy watches and super duper spy pens during their show....

Gentlemen, as we all know, producing and airing TV shows is not a free event aimed at a few Steel Guitar forum members. This is the same for ALL TV shows, concerts etc.. many, probably most if not all of which are bound by union pay scales as well. Music over the net or TV requires many other things other than a show and a band..fee's , royalties etc...someone has to get paid and there has to be money to pay them. Then after all that is done, the show has to attract an audience. Horses don't get paid royalties and they don't even need a script.

I, like many here, have viewed most of the live Country Music shows that are aired on cable. Some are pretty good and others leave a lot of questions unanswered. Seeing someone in a Plaid Poly suit in 2010 singing a Waylon song off pitch certainly has me wondering why I am watching ! I am guessing others have already turned the channel !

As far the Tru-Country show, I have some friends who went to Hamilton, Tx (where the show is taped) as recent as April. I'll ask them if the show was being taped that night and make a subsequent post on the subject.

FWIW, I agree with u Tony, I for one rarely ever watch tru country, as I would rather remember and listen to my opinion of the best of old school country, and not be reminded of the large amount of mediocrity in old country....JMHO.....Stormy

Here is my .02 cents for what it is worth. Tru Country had killer steel guitar players and that is why I tuned in every week. Dicky Overby,Rick Price, Ricky Davis,and Jim Lousburg. Even if you didn't listen to any of the singers Bobby Flores and Jake Hooker makes listening worth while. I wasn't crazy about all their singers, but Justin Trevino just happens to be one of my favorite singer in the world. Rockwell did look plastic. Just my opinion.

Keith I think that is the exact point, I loved the show seeing and hearing the Steeler's, but sadly, I doubt any sponsors care what I think because the show was really about Bobby and the guest singers, of which some the show could have done without...Tru Country is the only one I actually didn't turn the channel on !

I was at the taping of the new shows in Hamilton, as I was last year. It was great! There's more talent there than at most shows you'll ever see. They are promoting the Texas style dance music. Yes there were a lot of younger people there also. Why not. You can't dance to the newer so called country music! There was some great music and the pickers and singers are all "real" people. Anyone that thinks it lacks excitement has never seen Jody Nix play. Like I said, real people, not like the squirrels swinging onstage on a rope through smoke, and breaking guitars on stage!!

Cliff Trent wrote:I was at the taping of the new shows in Hamilton, as I was last year. It was great! There's more talent there than at most shows you'll ever see. They are promoting the Texas style dance music. Yes there were a lot of younger people there also. Why not. You can't dance to the newer so called country music! There was some great music and the pickers and singers are all "real" people. Anyone that thinks it lacks excitement has never seen Jody Nix play. Like I said, real people, not like the squirrels swinging onstage on a rope through smoke, and breaking guitars on stage!!

But it all looks different on TV and that's the issue, if people don't watch, and I am not talking about Steel players and other musicians, the TV show will not succeed. It's not about young people, it's about attracting an audience that will return, any age group.

What does real people mean ?

I suspect the producers of the show would love a squirrel swinging on a rope if it attracted sold out shows where people paid for a ticket. Even the squirrel on the rope had major hit songs that became popular with the minions and he also sold out the big arena's.

TV shows are about income and sponsors. Not the Players in the bands. Wish it was...

Plainly ,The show had plenty of good exposure,and brought out the best of the Texas usta be's..Unfortuatly the members of the band were better than the people they have had to back up at times..I'm not too sure Rockwell is the announcer that can spark interest in the show..When the Show was announced I like many tuned in each week and recorded the shows when I wasn't home to view them..If the show was dependant upon musicians as viewers to be a success (mainly steel players) It may have succeeded with the likes of 5-6000 biased viewers..Unfortunatly it is the overall content of a show that decides its success not how good the musicians are...More important the income the show generates decides the fate of its longevity.

Now that the show is no longer on--where do you tune in to hear great steel guitar players?

If I had my choice, Tru Country would be leaps and bounds ahead of Midwest Country. Marty certainly has a good show. Tru Country did have some good steel picking for sure. I just cannot believe Midwest Country would appeal to young people more than Tru Country would. You never know what some of the television executives will come up with.

Keith Hilton wrote:Now that the show is no longer on--where do you tune in to hear great steel guitar players?

YouTube ?

Paul King wrote:If I had my choice, Tru Country would be leaps and bounds ahead of Midwest Country. Marty certainly has a good show. Tru Country did have some good steel picking for sure. I just cannot believe Midwest Country would appeal to young people more than Tru Country would. You never know what some of the television executives will come up with.

The thing about it is knowing where the sponsorship support comes from for the shows. Maybe some multi millionaire Grandma is sponsoring the entire thing just so her son or daughter can sing and be seen on TV ! It probably has nothing to do with the executives.

Trucountry was on last week (the 13th). Dickie Overby was the steeler. On Saturday, 'Branson on the Road' was one of the performers on Midwest Country.

I really don't watch Midwest anymore -- there is no comparison with Marty and Trucountry (when it's on).

I've always enjoyed the show. The musicians are all very good,
and most of the singers are great, while some I don't care for.
I hate when the steel, or another musician is playing there part,
the camera is on the dance foor. Who wants to keep watching
the dancers. Then Rockwell repeating the same stuff over & over.

If Rockwell would shut up, they could add several additional songs.

Speaking of Rockwell talking too much reminds me of a steel player friend of mine. He had Sirius radio and said Bill Mack talked too much on Willies Place. He called to cancel and they knocked his subscription down to half price. I realize they need commercials to pay for the program but as one gentleman said, who wants to watch the dancers when you got some good music going on.

Paul King wrote:... who wants to watch the dancers when you got some good music going on.

Television loves movement and action, and hates someone sitting in a chair. Dancers move, steel players sit still; ergo...

This is also why skinny little blond fiddlers who shake their asses and guitarists who solo leaning back to back with the bassist get screen time on videos, even during the steel solos.

"This is the business we chose!"
Lee Strasberg in Godfather Part 2

You can add Junior Knight to the list of steel players on TruCountry, as he was there this year with Jody Nix.

...little blond fiddlers who shake their asses...

There are some things that are .. well, never mind.
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