Let Me Mutter Country

Since I changed my focus a year or so ago to "Mutterings of a Country Hick," I would not want to bypass a discussion of the country music awards night on CBS. I'm upset that my "early to bed, early to rise" syndrome caused me to miss what must have been one of the most stirring moments of last night's awards show.

In this morning's paper, I read about Trace Adkins' performance "Til the Last Shot's Fired," a salute to the U.S. troops. He was backed up by the West Point glee club. I can only imagine how impressive that performance had to have been. Darn that sleep anyhow!

It was a great night for those of us who love country. My only other regret is that I couldn't bring my horses into the house to watch with me. After all, they know those songs even better than I do, and I know they would have approved of both the "60 Minutes" interview with Dolly Parton and the awards show that followed.

Morley Safer knows how to get those good interviews, and it's obvious he's enjoying the opportunity. I think his visit with Dolly ranks right up there among his segments on "60 Minutes." I always liked Dolly, even when she had those big, big hairdos back in the days when she sang with Porter Wagoner and his sparkly cactus suits.

Morley simply let Dolly be Dolly on last night's segment, thus allowing him not to have to work too hard at his interviewing skills. Morley enjoyed a "sit back, relax and marvel" good time as the honesty and joy for life came radiating from his subject. She appears as genuinely natural as she can be, and to think of her talent, her shrewd business skills and her fierce loyalty to her roots.

I envy Morley the opportunity to sit in her Tennessee mountain home, listening to the pure, simple music that comes so easily for Dolly.

On to the awards show, I was happy to see that Carrie Underwood won entertainer of the year, but I would have been happy for any of the candidates. They're all superb musicians and performers in their own way. It was especially neat for Carrie and for those of us who have followed her ever since that first performance on "American Idol." She is a great representative for her home state of Oklahoma, for Idol and for country music itself.

It was a kick to see Julianne Hough win the top new female vocalist award. Partly because her grandparents are from Coeur d'Alene, partly because she's been so much fun on "Dancing with the Stars," and partly because she's so talented. It's amazing that someone can be so gifted in two disciplines and so happy on top of it all.

My favorite moments of the show were all of them. I loved the ring of fire that surrounded the lady who sings "Johnny and June," and who couldn't love anything by George Strait. One of the highlights, though, was seeing for the first time Jamey Johnson sing his nostalgically beautiful "In Color," a ballad about an elderly man looking back on his life through the black and white photos. It won song of the year, and rightly so.

I could listen to country music 24-7. My horses do, and I've never heard a complaint out of them. Take the music coming out these days and blend it with the country classics, and there's an entire history of our country culture----some good, some bad, but all rich in honest portrayals of down-home American life.

Last night's awards show beautifully reflected a bit of all of that.