Proud To Be A Southern Boy

Growing up in Arkansas, I spent a lot of time listening to Country music, although I never considered myself a hardcore "fan". I liked, and still like, a lot of the "older" stuff -- country music that came from the 80's and early 90's (apologies to those for whom "older stuff" implies Patsy Cline, Hank Williams Sr. and pre-ponytail Willie Nelson), which makes sense, since that was what I was fed as a child. Clint Black, George Strait, Randy Travis, up to and including a pre-self-obsessed Garth Brooks. Then came the country/rock bands with their wannabe-trendy clothes and obnoxious, it-was-cool-five-years-ago haircuts, at which point "modern" country music and I parted ways. The end result of that trend, I think, was the Dixie Chicks (I acknowledge their talent, but when country music and politics mix, politics wins and the fans lose). Fortunately, the resulting backlash helped to bring Country Music back to its roots.

Where am I going with all this? Jeff Foxworthy, three-time host of the Country Music Awards, closed the most recent show with a very rousing monologue:


Sorry, but this is the best-quality version of it I could find to embed. A much clearer version can be seen here (click on the second box down to view the video).

Anywho, I think his short speech says it all. And it makes me proud to have grown up with that heritage.