Comments on: 100 Greatest Women, #85: Gretchen Wilson

By: Patrick

Patrick — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 22:31:32 +0000

Here for the Party was one of my first country albums. Man, it was such a great record, even if a bit immature at times. Still, she grew up extremely poor and was supported by a single mother. Now, she’s rich and making a name for herself

By: Dan

Dan — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:23:10 +0000

Something about Gretchen Wilson makes me want to comment a lot…it’s probably the fact that she got huge not too long after I had just started getting really into country music. I agree with Matt C. that Wilson’s slip in singles quality was probably a huge part of her decline. I think “All Jacked Up” was a sub-par single that the country audience and radio were willing to forgive her for – hence it still going top 10 – but “I Don’t Feel Like Loving You Today”, though lovely, was WAY too low-key (and yes, perhaps too traditional) to get people excited about her again. And then the singles just became bad. I liked the stuff off the One Of the Boys album a lot better, but again, none of those singles was big or triumphant enough to rekindle the excitement. Still, the fact that that album managed to go Gold with so little radio support tells me she may still have enough of a real fanbase to pull off comeback if she can come up with just one completely kick-ass (in quality, not in overdone attitude) single. And here’s hoping Ashton Shepherd learns from Wilson’s career trajectory.

As for all of the talk of “pop divas”/”Nashville puppets”…I honestly don’t mind either Carrie Underwood or Taylor Swift; one is a promising new vocal talent, the other a promising revival of the popular songwriter in country music. The fact that their music has pop appeal doesn’t make it inherently bad or even inherently less country; I just wish that radio believed enough in women in general enough to allow these “glamorous young blonde” types to co-inhabit the airwaves with less conventional artists like Wilson (at her best) or Shepherd or any number of ladies whose singles aren’t fairing half as well.

By: james

james — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 18:44:59 +0000

Rick, you are wrong. Country industry has been trying to find the next Shania for over 15 years but nobody comes close. Even American Idol singer Carrie Underwood has tried to copy Shania and even mentioned her in one her cross over song.
The problem is that Shania is bigger than country music and is global and has the money and power to do what she wants.
All these acts like Underwood and Swift after under control by Nashville.
There are no megastars in country music anymore like a Shania or Dolly who tracend genres and don’t need country radio.
Thats why there are so many who can’t wait for Shania to return with new music and a new world tour, she is an original icon.
These days all you see are manufactured Nashville puppets who will be thrown away when the next new thing comes along.

By: Rick

Rick — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 16:58:58 +0000

The fact a true country artist like Gretchen would be replaced by pop divas like Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift is not surprising these days considering the direction mainstream country radio has been heading. Gretchen has held to her guns and released singles with a traditional country sound to radio programmers who don’t want a traditional country sound from female artists (or even new male artists for that matter). Top 40 country radio is now looking for the next Carrie or Taylor and Gretchen Wilson types need not apply, although I’ve been surprised at how well Ashton Shepherd has done on radio.

I’ve tuned out of Top 40 country radio due to the popularity of artists like Carrie and Taylor. The replacement of “bona fide” real country artists with pop artists has already gone way too far and I don’t see it ever turnung around…

By: Leeann

Leeann — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 11:50:56 +0000

I guess that 2 is bigger than 0 though. I’d add Brooks & Dunn to the list as well off the top of my head.

By: Paul W Dennis

Paul W Dennis — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 10:36:43 +0000

Age probably is a factor – it is very difficult to keep a radio-hit career going for male artists, too, Alan Jackson and George Strait notwithstanding. Look at the top 10 from ten years ago and see how many are still having hits on a regular basis.

Even when icons such as Willie Nelson and Kenny Rogers do have a hit, it is a blip rather than a progression

By: Margie

Margie — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 14:07:38 +0000

Never been a fan of Gretchen’s and never will! She is everything she totally sings in her songs and it’s a big turn off! I sure wouldn’t want my daughter to be like her. She drinks, chews/dips, leaves her child a lot or so she says on the program I saw her in on CMT. I think of a woman as having class and I do not think Gretchen has any…..sorry, if I’ve offended anyone, but this is what I think of her. I would not want a Mother like her or a sister or a friend….sorry! Call me old fashion or whatever and that’s ok!

By: Lanibug

Lanibug — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:33:49 +0000

I have to agree with things that JT says, I know the place where Gretchen grew up, and it is basically a stop on the interstate, not much there and she is basically being who she is and staying true to herself. And I am from a small town that if you blink twice you will miss it and there are things about her music that I love because it reminds me of home. And she has a had some wonderful slow songs, but country music today is so wrapped up in female artists like Carrie Underwood, that they are looking past the artists like Gretchen.

I am not sure that I would have put in in this spot, but then again, this is not my list….

By: james

james — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 04:20:46 +0000

She was basically just a fad because all she had was country music and they controlled her just like country radio controls Carrie underwood, they write her songs and produce her albums.

To be really big and in control you need to do what Shania did which is go outside nashville and write your own songs and have your own producer and do your own thing.
Shania is the biggest and greatest country female of alltime because she took charge and changed the face of country music and she doesn’t need country airplay to sell tens of millions worldwide.
Shania Twain is a one in a millions artist that comes by and creates her own sound and music and takes it worldwide far beyond country music. Nashville has no control over her and she has the money,power and status to make the kind of music she wants on her own time.

By: J.T.

J.T. — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 03:56:01 +0000

Just my 2 cents……

I think they best way to explain why Gretchen has struggled with radio is that I think she just made a lot of people very uncomfortable. Example, when Carrie sings “Before He Cheats” its all done with a bit of a wink because we all know that she would never do that–she’s playing a role and we all get that. When Gretchen sings “Homewrecker” we absolutely believe she would do what she sings about and I think thats the twist. She sings songs about drinking, cheating, bar fights, etc.. and she is singing about what she knows. She isn’t playing a role or just doing it for a laugh. She means every word she sings.

It used to always make me laugh when people would write in to Country Weekly and they would almost always say “Why doesn’t she ever wear a dress???”. I don’t think she ever fit the role that most people have in their head of what a woman in country music should look like or act–she wasn’t trying to be a glamazon or look the part of a high fashion model. That was really the whole point of “Redneck Woman”

No matter how far we might have come in country music there are still those double standards. We make heroes of guys like Waylon, Willie, Kris, and so forth but there were very few women who were part of that “Outlaw” movement in country music. It just wasn’t accepted and it still isn’t I’m afraid. Women can sing a drinking song but she better not actually be out drinking and talking about one night stands.

I think for anyone to say that she hasn’t done anything for this genre is completely wrong. When just about every woman was trying to be the next “pop diva” and trying to out glam each other, Gretchen came in and said be proud of who you are and don’t try to be like everyone else. She broke down that door for women who wanted to sing songs that were actually country and not try to be the next big crossover hit. She wasn’t pop and damn sure wasn’t going to be

Also sadly I think some of this also has to do with her age. She got started very late and I swear that radio has turned into “Logan’s Run” for women. If you are over 30 there is some big red light that starts flashing that says your time is almost up. Just think about all the women who just a few years ago were able to have some minor success on radio, maybe not a #1 song but at least Top 10 or Top 20. and now can barely get played.

If anything maybe her lack of radio support will be for the good because she can just do the songs that she wants to and doesn’t have to worry about trying to fit in where she isn’t wanted. Her next album is scheduled for Sept. and I can’t wait.