glassstyle

By Jamie Page Deaton

2010 Ford Fusion HybridHow things change. Last year at this time the news was filled with stories of the demise of the American auto industry. Pundits crowed that years of building poor-quality products, and a refusal to keep pace with changing consumer demands -- not to mention a global recession -- had finally done the American auto industry in.



Now, just about a year later, the story is runaway Toyotas, while domestic automakers reap awards and revenue. So, now that the shoe is on the other foot, should you buy an American car now? Here are five reasons why you should -- and for each of those, a few counter arguments on why you shouldn't.



1. You Can Get a Great Deal
You'd think that domestic automakers making their way back from the brink would be bad news for consumers. After all, amid bailouts and dealership closings, carmakers were desperate for sales and offered some pretty incredible deals. But now, with Toyota in trouble, the venerable Japanese brand is the one rolling out the deals. And American automakers have followed suit. Right now Ford and Chevrolet are offering zero-percent financing on most of their lineup, including customer favorites like the Chevy Traverse and Ford Escape.


More from U.S. News & World Report

» Best Ford Deals for March/April

» This Month's Best Chevy Deals




Of course, the American brands aren't the only ones trying to match the Toyota deals. Mazda is currently offering zero-percent financing on some of its models, and Volkswagen has brought some of its financing rates down to less than two percent. Finally, you can't forget those Toyota deals -- most of the lineup is available with zero-percent financing, though the deals do vary by region.



2. Quality is High
J.D. Power just released its annual Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) and it may finally put to rest the conventional wisdom that American brands are short on quality. The top two midsize cars for dependability are the Buick LaCrosse and Mercury Milan, while the Cadillac CTS and Lincoln MKZ land in the top three of the Entry Premium Vehicle class, beating out cars from BMW and Lexus. Plus, seven of the 10 vehicle brands with the lowest problem rates come from Ford and GM. Not too shabby.



But, quality isn't just up for American brands -- it's up across the entire industry. From 2009, J.D. Power reports that overall vehicle dependability has increased by seven percent. The study also found that 25 of 36 brands in the study showed an improvement in dependability from 2009. So yes, it's easy to find a quality American car now, but the same is true of almost any manufacturer.



3. You Can Still Go Green
American automakers have been lambasted for focusing on large trucks and SUVs at the expense of small cars, but that doesn't mean that imports are your only green options. In fact, American car makers have introduced a bunch of well-respected hybrids. The Ford Fusion Hybrid is the 2010 North American Car of the Year, while GM has brought hybrid technology to its large trucks and SUVs. While their fuel economy isn't standout by most hybrid standards, getting midsize car fuel economy from an SUV that can seat eight and tow a boat is still pretty outstanding. Plus, other hybrids like the Mercury Mariner Hybrid have made it possible for families who need space and utility to save on gas and emissions. Finally, the highly anticipated Chevy Volt can run on electricity alone for up to 40 miles.



Of course, lots of imports also have green options. The Toyota Prius is a green movement icon, and the Lexus RX Hybrid gives buyers a luxury SUV option. German makes like BMW, Audi and Volkswagens don't have wide-scale hybrid operations, but they do have clean-burning, ultra-efficient diesel engines in some of their cars. Finally, Nissan is slated to start selling its LEAF electric vehicle, which can reportedly go 100 miles between charges, later this year. Red, white and blue aren't your only options when going green.



4. They're Class Leaders
Today's American cars can not only stand up to the competition -- they can beat it. In U.S. News' car rankings, American cars currently dominate the top spots in the midsize and large car classes. The top five affordable midsize SUVS are American, and when it comes to compact and large SUVs, two of the top three models in both classes are from domestic manufacturers. Of course, you can't forget those trucks that domestic automakers do so well -- the top six full size pickups are all American.



If you're looking for a small car, however, imports tend to beat American entries. Honda has the top two affordable small cars, with Hyundai taking the number three spot. In fact, when it comes to small cars you have to get to the nineteenth car on the list before an American model shows up. Of course, part of the reason is because domestic automakers make fewer small models.



5. You'll Help American Workers
When the federal government gave bailout money to General Motors and Chrysler, few people were happy about it. But the decision rested on the fact that allowing those two companies to fail would have not only hurt those two companies, but would have caused a ripple effect through the economy. Think about it: if GM went under, its suppliers would have lost business, and its dealers would have gone under. Even seemingly unrelated industries, like radio and TV, would have suffered from lost advertising revenue. Now that the industry is stabilizing, by buying American you're supporting a giant part of the economy. The sale doesn't just help the dealer. It helps everyone connected with the dealer, from the people who clean the dealership floors at night to the radio station who runs the dealership's ads, to the factory worker who assembled your car and the suppliers who provided the parts to do it. Plus, if Chrysler and GM increase their sales, the taxpayers could get more of their money back.



The flip side is, the same is true when you buy from almost any dealership. While other car makes may not have gotten U.S. government funds, all are enmeshed in the economy at both the local and national level. All of the dealerships, regardless of what kind of car they sell, employ people in your community, so a sale helps them out too. Plus, most imports have factories and suppliers in the U.S. as well. Then there's the dirty little secret that while most American cars are built here, many aren't. Buying American doesn't necessarily mean that all of your purchase money stays here any more than buying an import means that all your purchase money goes overseas.



Sign on the Apple Pie-Encrusted Line
When you come down to it, there are a lot of complex reasons why you should or shouldn't buy an American car right now. But the answer to the question itself is pretty simple: You should buy an American car if you want to. While consumers may have had concerns about American quality, that's not the case any more. If there isn't a domestic car out there that fits your needs and tastes, you've got plenty of import options to choose from. The bottom line is, no matter who built the car, you need to find one that fits your lifestyle.

這個影片中的女士在林中發現這隻受傷嚴重即將死亡的小獅子
> >
> > 她把小獅子帶回療養,
> 讓獅子恢復了健康
> >
> > 當小獅子長大了之時候
> >
> > 她安排獅子到一個動物園
> >
> 期望獅子可以有個幸福快樂的新家
> >
> > 這個影片拍攝之時,
> 是這位女士返回動物園探望獅子的時刻
> >
> 請看看這隻獅子看到救命恩人時的反應

Title: I Just Want To Dance With You
Artist: George Strait
Songwriters: Roger Cook & John Prine
From the MCA Nashville Album: One Step At A Time

Intro: C

Verse 1:
C
I don't want to be the kind to hesitate
C G7
Be too shy, wait too late
G
I don't care what they say other lovers do
G7 G C
I just want to dance with you
C
I've got a feeling that you have a heart like mine
C G7
So let it show, let it shine
G
If we have a chance to make one heart or two
G7 G C
I just want to dance with you

Chorus:
F
I want to dance with you
F C
Twirl you all around the floor
C G
That's what they intended dancin' for
G7 G C
I just want to dance with you
F
I want to dance with you
F C
Hold you in my arms once more
C G
That's what they invented dancin' for
G7 G C
I just want to dance with you

Verse 2:
C
I caught you lookin' at me when I looked at you
C G7
Yes I did, ain't that true
G
You won't get embarrassed by the things I do
G7 G C
I just want to dance with you
C
Oh the boys are playing softly and the girls are too
C G7
So am I and so are you
G
If this was a movie we'd be right on cue
G7 G C
I just want to dance with you

Chorus:
F
I want to dance with you
F C
Twirl you all around the floor
C G
That's what they intended dancin' for
G7 G C
I just want to dance with you
F
I want to dance with you
F C
Hold you in my arms once more
C G
That's what they invented dancin' for
G7 G C
I just want to dance with you

Instrumental:
C G7 G G7 G C (Same as verses)

Chorus:
F
I want to dance with you
F C
Twirl you all around the floor
C G
That's what they invented dancin' for
G7 G C
I just want to dance with you
F
I want to dance with you
F C
Hold you in my arms once more
C G
That's what they intended dancin' for
G7 G C
I just want to dance with you
G7 G C
I just want to dance with you
G7 G C
I just want to dance with you
G7 G C
I just want to dance with you

Country music
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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For the Willie Nelson's album, see Country Music (Willie Nelson album).
Country music
Stylistic origins Appalachian folk music, Gospel, Blues music Anglo-Celtic music and Old-time music
Cultural origins Early 20th century Southern United States
Typical instruments Guitar - Fiddle - Steel Guitar Piano - Dobro - Harmonica - Bass - Drums - Mandolin - Banjo - Vocals
Mainstream popularity 1920s - Present
High in US, Australia and Canada
Medium in United Kingdom, Ireland and New Zealand


Low in Asia, Africa, Latin America and mainland Europe.
Derivative forms Rock and Roll, Dansband, Roots rock, Southern rock, Heartland rock
Subgenres
Bakersfield sound - Bluegrass - Close harmony - Honky tonk - Jug band - Lubbock sound - Nashville sound - Neotraditional country - Outlaw country - Red Dirt - Texas country
Fusion genres
Alternative country - Country blues - Country rock - Psychobilly - Rockabilly - Gothabilly - Cowpunk - Country-rap - Country pop - Country soul - Southern soul - Western swing
Other topics
Country musicians - List of years in country music
Country music (or country and Western) is a blend of popular musical forms originally found in the Southern United States and the Appalachian Mountains. It has roots in traditional folk music, Celtic music, gospel music and old-time music and evolved rapidly in the 1920s.[1]

The term country music began to be used in the 1940s when the earlier term hillbilly music was deemed to be degrading and the term was widely embraced in the 1970s, while Country and Western has declined in use since that time, except in the United Kingdom and Ireland, where it is still commonly used.[1]

In the Southwestern United States a different mix of ethnic groups created the music that became the Western music of the term Country and Western. The term "country music" is used today to describe many styles and subgenres.

Country music has produced two of the top selling solo artists of all time. Elvis Presley, who was known early on as “the Hillbilly Cat” and was a regular on the radio program Louisiana Hayride,[2] went on to become a defining figure in the emergence of rock and roll. Contemporary musician Garth Brooks, with 220 million albums sold, is the top-selling solo artist in U.S. history.[3]

While album sales of most musical genres have declined, country music experienced one of its best years in 2006, when, during the first six months, U.S. sales of country albums increased by 17.7 percent to 36 million. Moreover, country music listening nationwide has remained steady for almost a decade, reaching 77.3 million adults every week, according to the radio-ratings agency Arbitron, Inc.[4][5]

1 Early history
2 1920s
3 1930s–1940s
3.1 Singing cowboys and Western swing
3.2 Changing instrumentation
3.3 Hillbilly boogie
3.4 Bluegrass, folk and gospel
3.5 Honky tonk
4 1950s–1960s
4.1 Rockabilly
4.2 The Nashville and Countrypolitan sounds
4.3 Country soul
4.4 The Bakersfield Sound
4.5 Country rock
5 1970s–1980s
5.1 Outlaw country
5.2 Country pop
5.3 Neocountry
5.4 Truck driving country
6 1990s
6.1 Alternative country
7 2000s
8 Country music outside the United States
8.1 Canada
8.2 Australia
8.3 Other international country music
9 Performers and shows
9.1 US cable television
10 See also
11 Further reading
12 Notes
13 External links


Early history
Immigrants to the Southern Appalachian Mountains of North America brought the music and instruments of the Old World along with them for nearly 300 years. The Irish fiddle, the German derived dulcimer, the Italian mandolin, the Spanish guitar, and the West African banjo[6] were the most common musical instruments. The interactions among musicians from different ethnic groups produced music unique to this region of North America. Appalachian string bands of the early twentieth century primarily consisted of the fiddle, guitar, and banjo.[7] This early country music along with early recorded country music is often referred to as old-time music.

Throughout the 19th century, several immigrant groups from Europe, most notably from Ireland, Germany, Spain, and Italy moved to Texas. These groups interacted with the Spanish, Mexican, Native American, and U.S. communities that were already established in Texas. As a result of this cohabitation and extended contact, Texas has developed unique cultural traits that are rooted in the culture of all of its founding communities.[8]

1920s
The first commercial recording of what was considered country music was "Sallie Gooden" by fiddlist A.C. (Eck) Robertson in 1922 for Victor Records. Columbia Records began issuing records with "hillbilly" music (series 15000D "Old Familiar Tunes") as early as 1924.[9]


Vernon DalhartA year earlier on June 14, 1923, Fiddlin' John Carson recorded "Little Log Cabin in the Lane" for Okeh Records.[10] Vernon Dalhart was the first country singer to have a nationwide hit in May 1924 with "Wreck of the Old '97."[11][12] The flip side of the record was "Lonesome Road Blues," which also became very popular.[13] In April 1924, "Aunt" Samantha Bumgarner and Eva Davis became the first female musicians to record and release country songs.[14]

Many "hillbilly" musicians, such as Cliff Carlisle, recorded blues songs throughout the decade[15] and into the 30s. Other important early recording artists were Riley Puckett, Don Richardson, Fiddlin' John Carson, Al Hopkins, Ernest V. Stoneman, Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers and The Skillet Lickers.[16] The steel guitar entered country music as early as 1922, when Jimmie Tarlton met famed Hawaiian guitarist Frank Ferera on the West Coast.[17]

Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family are widely considered to be important early country musicians. Their songs were first captured at a historic recording session in Bristol on August 1, 1927, where Ralph Peer was the talent scout and sound recordist.[18][19]

Rodgers fused hillbilly country, gospel, jazz, blues, pop, cowboy, and folk; and many of his best songs were his compositions, including “Blue Yodel” [11], which sold over a million records and established Rodgers as the premier singer of early country music. [12] [20]

Beginning in 1927, and for the next 17 years the Carters recorded some 300 old-time ballads, traditional tunes, country songs and Gospel hymns, all representative of America's southeastern folklore and heritage.[21]

1930s–1940s
One effect of the Great Depression was to reduce the number of records that could be sold. Radio, and broadcasting, became a popular source of entertainment, and "barn dance" shows featuring country music were started all over the South, as far north as Chicago, and as far west as California.


Roy AcuffThe most important was the Grand Ole Opry, aired starting in 1925 by WSM-AM in Nashville to the present day. Some of the early stars on the Opry were Uncle Dave Macon, Roy Acuff and African American harmonica player DeFord Bailey. WSM's 50,000 watt signal (1934) could often be heard across the country,[22]

This era of country music also began that which is called the "golden age." The Grand Ole Opry is most famous for popularizing this form of country music, as mountain sounds blended with new instrumentation such as the pedal steel guitar. Artists such as Johnny Cash, Porter Wagoner, and Loretta Lynn epitomized the golden age of country [23] and many of these songs still resonate today in their simplicity.

Many musicians performed and recorded songs in any number of styles. Moon Mullican, for example, played Western Swing, but also recorded songs that can be called rockabilly. Bill Haley sang cowboy songs, and was at one time a cowboy yodeler. Haley became most famous as an early player of rock n roll, adding Jimmie Rodgers-stylings to his environment, thus creating a sound that was very much his own. Between 1947 and 1949, country crooner Eddy Arnold placed eight songs in the top 10.[24]

Singing cowboys and Western swing
During the 1930s and 1940s, cowboy songs, or Western music, which had been recorded since the 1920s, were popularized by films made in Hollywood. Some of the popular singing cowboys from the era were Gene Autry, the Sons of the Pioneers and Roy Rogers.[25]

Bob Wills was another country musician from the Lower Great Plains who had become very popular as the leader of a “hot string band,” and who also appeared in Hollywood Westerns. His mix of country and jazz, which started out as dance hall music, would become known as Western swing. Spade Cooley and Tex Williams also had very popular bands and appeared in films. At its height, Western swing rivaled the popularity of other big band jazz.

Changing instrumentation
Drums were scorned by early country musicians as being "too loud" and "not pure," but by 1935 Western swing big band leader Bob Wills had added drums to the Texas Playboys. In the mid 1940s, the Grand Ole Opry did not want the Playboys’ drummer to appear on stage. Although drums were commonly used by rockabilly groups by 1955, the less-conservative-than-the-Grand Ole Opry Louisiana Hayride kept their infrequently-used drummer back stage as late as 1956. By the early 1960s, however, it was rare that a country band didn't have a drummer.[26]

Bob Wills was one of the first country musicians known to have added an electric guitar to his band, in 1938.[27] A decade later (1948) Arthur Smith achieved top 10 US country chart success with his MGM Records recording of "Guitar Boogie," which crossed over to the US pop chart, introducing many people to the potential of the electric guitar. For several decades Nashville session players preferred the warm tones of the Gibson and Gretsch archtop electrics, but a “hot” Fender style, utilizing guitars which became available beginning in the early 1950s, eventually prevailed as the signature guitar sound of country.[26][28]

Hillbilly boogie
Country musicians began recording boogie in 1939, shortly after it had been played at Carnegie Hall, when Johnny Barfield recorded "Boogie Woogie." The trickle of what was initially called hillbilly boogie, or okie boogie (later to be renamed country boogie), became a flood beginning in late 1945. One notable release from this period was the Delmore Brothers' "Freight Train Boogie," considered to be part of the combined evolution of country music and blues towards rockabilly. In 1948, Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith achieved top ten US country chart success with his MGM Records recordings of "Guitar Boogie" and "Banjo Boogie," with the former crossing over to the US pop charts.[29] Other country boogie artists included Merrill Moore and Tennessee Ernie Ford. The hillbilly boogie period lasted into the 1950s and remains one of many subgenres of country into the 21st century.

Bluegrass, folk and gospel

Red FoleyBy the end of World War II, "mountaineer" string band music known as bluegrass had emerged when Bill Monroe joined with Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, led by Roy Acuff at the Grand Ole Opry. Gospel music, too, remained a popular component of country music. Red Foley, the biggest country star following World War II, had the first million-selling gospel hit and also sang boogie, blues and rockabilly.

In the post-war period, country music was called "folk" in the trades, and "hillbilly" within the industry. [30] In 1944, Billboard replaced the term "hillbilly" with "folk songs and blues," and switched to "country" or "country and western" in 1949.[31][13]

Honky tonk
Another type of stripped down and raw music with a variety of moods and a basic ensemble of guitar, bass, dobro or steel guitar (and later) drums became popular, especially among poor white southerners. It became known as honky tonk and had its roots in Texas. Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys personified this music which has been described as "a little bit of this, and a little bit of that, a little bit of black and a little bit of white...just loud enough to keep you from thinking too much and to go right on ordering the whiskey."[32] East Texan Al Dexter had a hit with "Honky Tonk Blues," and seven years later "Pistol Packin' Mama."[33] These "honky tonk" songs associated barrooms, were performed by the likes of Ernest Tubb, Ted Daffin, Floyd Tillman, and the Maddox Brothers and Rose, Lefty Frizzell and Hank Williams, would later be called "traditional" country. Williams' influence in particular would prove to be enormous, inspiring many of the pioneers of rock and roll, such as Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis, while providing a framework for emerging honky tonk talents like George Jones. Webb Pierce was the top-charting country artist of the 1950s, with 13 of his singles spending 113 weeks at number one. He charted 48 singles during the decade; 31 reached the top ten and 26 reached the top four.

[edit] 1950s–1960s
See also: 1960s in music
By the early 1950s a blend of western swing, country boogie, and honky tonk was played by most country bands, but a new style was about to become popular.[34]

Rockabilly
Rockabilly was most popular with country fans in the 1950s, and 1956 could be called the year of rockabilly in country music. The number two, three and four songs on Billboard's charts for that year were Elvis Presley, "Heartbreak Hotel;" Johnny Cash, "I Walk the Line;" and Carl Perkins, "Blue Suede Shoes".[35]


Johnny CashCash and Presley placed songs in the top 5 in 1958 with #3 "Guess Things Happen That Way/Come In, Stranger" by Cash, and #5 by Presley "Don't/I Beg Of You."[36] Presley acknowledged the influence of rhythm and blues artists and his style, saying "The colored folk been singin' and playin' it just the way I'm doin' it now, man for more years than I know." But he also said, "My stuff is just hopped-up country."[32]

Within a few years, many rockabilly musicians returned to a more mainstream style or had defined their own unique style.

Country music gained national television exposure through Ozark Jubilee on ABC-TV and radio from 1955–1960 from Springfield, Missouri. The program showcased top stars including several rockabilly artists, some from the Ozarks. As Webb Pierce put it in 1956, "Once upon a time, it was almost impossible to sell country music in a place like New York City. Nowadays, television takes us everywhere, and country music records and sheet music sell as well in large cities as anywhere else."[37]

The late 1950s saw the emergence of the Lubbock sound, but by the end of the decade, backlash as well as traditional artists such as Ray Price, Marty Robbins, and Johnny Horton began to shift the industry away from the rock n' roll influences of the mid-50s.

The Nashville and Countrypolitan sounds
Beginning in the mid 1950s, and reaching its peak during the early 1960s, the Nashville Sound turned country music into a multimillion-dollar industry centered in Nashville, Tennessee. Under the direction of producers such as Chet Atkins, Owen Bradley, and later Billy Sherrill, the sound brought country music to a diverse audience and helped revive country as it emerged from a commercially fallow period.[38].


Jim ReevesThis subgenre was notable for borrowing from 1950s pop stylings: a prominent and "smooth" vocal, backed by a string section and vocal chorus. Instrumental soloing was de-emphasized in favor of trademark "licks". Leading artists in this genre included Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves and Eddy Arnold. The "slip note" piano style of session musician Floyd Cramer was an important component of this style.

Nashville's pop song structure became more pronounced and it morphed into what was called Countrypolitan. Countrypolitan was aimed straight at mainstream markets and it sold well throughout the later 1960s into the early 1970s. Top artists included Tammy Wynette and Charlie Rich.

Country soul
In 1962, Ray Charles surprised the pop world by turning his attention to country and western music, topping the charts and rating number three for the year on Billboard's pop chart[39] with the "I Can't Stop Loving You" single, and recording the landmark album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music.

The Bakersfield Sound
Another genre of country music grew out of hardcore honky tonk with elements of Western swing and originated 112 miles (180 km) north-northwest of Los Angeles in Bakersfield, California. Influenced by one-time West Coast residents Bob Wills and Lefty Frizzell, by 1966 it was known as the Bakersfield Sound. It relied on electric instruments and amplification, in particular the Telecaster electric guitar, more than other subgenres of country of the era, and can be described as having a sharp, hard, driving, no-frills, edgy flavor. Leading practitioners of this style were Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, Tommy Collins, Dwight Yoakam and Wynn Stewart, each of whom had his own style.[40] [41]

Country rock
The late 1960s in American music produced a unique blend as a result of traditionalist backlash within separate genres. In the aftermath of the British Invasion, many desired a return to the "old values" of rock n' roll. At the same time there was a lack of enthusiasm in the country sector for Nashville-produced music. What resulted was a crossbred genre known as Country rock.

Early innovators in this new style of music in the 60s and 70s included rock n' roll icon band The Byrds and its spin-off The Flying Burrito Brothers (both featuring Gram Parsons), guitarist Clarence White, Michael Nesmith (Monkees & First National Band), the Grateful Dead, Neil Young, Commander Cody, The Allman Brothers, The Marshall Tucker Band, Poco, Buffalo Springfield, and The Eagles among many. The Rolling Stones also got into the act with songs like "Honky Tonk Women" and "Dead Flowers".

Described by All Music Guide as the "father of country-rock",[42] Gram Parsons' work in the early '70s was acclaimed for its purity and for his appreciation for aspects of traditional country music. [14], Though his career was cut tragically short by his 1973 death, his legacy was carried on by his mentee and duet partner Emmylou Harris; Harris would release her debut solo in 1975, an amalgamation of country, rock and roll, folk, blues and pop.

Subsequent to the initial blending of the two polar opposite genres, other offspring soon resulted, including Southern rock, Heartland rock and in more recent years, Alternative country.

In the decades that followed, artists such as Juice Newton, Alabama, Hank Williams, Jr.,Gary Allan, Shania Twain, Brooks & Dunn, Faith Hill, Garth Brooks, Dwight Yoakam, Steve Earle, Dolly Parton, Rosanne Cash and Linda Ronstadt moved country further towards rock influence.

1970s–1980s
Outlaw country
Main article: Outlaw country
Derived from the traditional and honky tonk sounds of the late 1950s and 1960s, including Ray Price (whose band, the "Cherokee Cowboys", included Willie Nelson and Roger Miller) and mixed with the anger of an alienated subculture of the nation during the period, outlaw country revolutionized the genre of country music.


Willie Nelson"After I left Nashville (the early 70s), I wanted to relax and play the music that I wanted to play, and just stay around Texas, maybe Oklahoma. Waylon and I had that outlaw image going, and when it caught on at colleges and we started selling records, we were O.K. The whole outlaw thing, it had nothing to do with the music, it was something that got written in an article, and the young people said, 'Well, that's pretty cool.' And started listening." (Willie Nelson)[43]

The term outlaw country is traditionally associated with David Allan Coe, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter, Floridian Gary Stewart and Billy Joe Shaver, and was encapsulated in the 1976 album Wanted! The Outlaws. A related subgenre is Red Dirt.

Country pop
Country pop or soft pop, with roots in both the countrypolitan sound and in soft rock, is a subgenre that first emerged in the 1970s. Although the term first referred to country music songs and artists that crossed over to top 40 radio, country pop acts are now more likely to cross over to adult contemporary music. It started with pop music singers like Michael Nesmith, The Bellamy Brothers, Glen Campbell, John Denver, Olivia Newton-John, Marie Osmond, B. J. Thomas and Anne Murray having hits on the Country charts. Campbell's "Rhinestone Cowboy" was one of the biggest crossover hits in country music history.


Lynn Anderson in concertIn 1974, Newton-John, an Australian pop singer, won the "Best Female Country Vocal Performance" as well as the Country Music Association's most coveted award for females, "Female Vocalist of the Year". In the same year, a group of artists, troubled by this trend, formed the short-lived Association of Country Entertainers. The debate raged into 1975, and reached its apex at that year's Country Music Association Awards when reigning Entertainer of the Year Charlie Rich (who himself had a series of crossover hits) presented the award to his successor, John Denver. As he read Denver's name, Rich set fire to the envelope with a cigarette lighter. The action was taken as a protest against the increasing pop style in country music.


Dolly PartonDuring the mid-1970s, Dolly Parton, a highly successful mainstream country artist since the late '60s, mounted a high profile campaign to crossover to pop music, culminating in her 1977 hit "Here You Come Again", which topped the U.S. country singles chart, and also reached #3 on the pop singles charts. Parton's male counterpart, Kenny Rogers came from the opposite direction, aiming his music at the country charts, after a successful career in pop, rock and folk music, achieving success the same year with "Lucille", which topped the country charts and reached #5 on the U.S. pop singles charts. Parton and Rogers would both continue to have success on both country and pop charts simultaneously, well into the 1980s. Artists like Crystal Gayle, Ronnie Milsap and Barbara Mandrell would also find success on the pop charts with their records as well.

During the 1980s, country artists saw their records perform well on the pop charts. Willie Nelson and Juice Newton each had two songs in the Billboard Top 5 in the early eighties: Nelson charted "Always On My Mind" (#5, 1982) and "To All The Girls I've Loved Before" (#5, 1984), and Newton achieved success with "Queen of Hearts" (#2, 1981) and "Angel of the Morning" (#4, 1981). Four country songs topped the Billboard Hot 100 in the 1980s: "Lady" by Kenny Rogers, which was the #3 song for the entire year in 1981, "9 to 5" by Dolly Parton, "I Love a Rainy Night" by Eddie Rabbitt (these two back to back at the Top in 1981), and "Islands in the Stream", a duet by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers in 1983, a pop-country crossover hit written by Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees. Newton's "Queen of Hearts" almost reached #1, but was kept out of the spot by the pop ballad juggernaut "Endless Love" by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie. [44]

Neocountry
In 1980, a style of "neocountry disco music" was popularized by the film Urban Cowboy,[45] which also included more traditional songs such as "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" by the Charlie Daniels Band.[46] A related subgenre is Texas country music.

Sales in record stores rocketed to $250 million in 1981; by 1984, 900 radio stations began programming country or neocountry pop full time. As with most sudden trends, however, by 1984 sales had dropped below 1979 figures.[45]

Truck driving country
Truck driving country music is a genre of country music[47] and is a fusion of honky tonk, country-rock and Bakersfield Sound.[48] It has the tempo of country-rock and the emotion of honky-tonk,[48] and its lyrics focus on a truck driver's lifestyle.[49] Truck driving country songs often deal with trucks and love.[48] Well-known artists who sing truck driving country include Dave Dudley, Red Sovine, Colonel Robert Morris, Dick Curless, and Red Simpson.[48] Dudley is known as the father of truck driving country.[49][50]

1990s
With his debut on the national country music scene in 1989, singer and songwriter Clint Black would usher in a new sound that would define much of country music for the 1990s and beyond.[citation needed]

During the 1990s, country artist Garth Brooks enjoyed one of the most successful careers in popular music history, breaking records for both sales and concert attendance throughout the decade. The RIAA has certified his recordings at a combined (128× platinum), denoting roughly 113 million U.S. shipments.[51]

In the mid 1990s, country western music was influenced by the popularity of line dancing. This influence was so great that Chet Atkins was quoted as saying "The music has gotten pretty bad, I think. It's all that damn line dancing."[52] By the end of the decade, however, at least one line dance choreographer complained that good country line dance music was no longer being released.

Alternative country
In the 1990s, alternative country came to refer to a diverse group of musicians and singers operating outside the traditions and industry of mainstream country music. In general, they eschewed the high production values and pop outlook of the Nashville-dominated industry, to produce music with a lo-fi sound, frequently infused with a strong punk and alternative aesthetic, bending the traditional rules of country music. Lyrics were often bleak, gothic or socially aware. Other initiators include Old 97's, Steve Earle, Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt, Ryan Adams, My Morning Jacket, Blitzen Trapper, and Drive-By Truckers.

2000s

Carrie UnderwoodSeveral rock and pop stars have ventured into country music. In 2000, Richard Marx made a brief cross-over with his Days In Avalon album, which features five country songs and several singers and musicians. Alison Krauss sang background vocals to Marx's single "Straight From My Heart." Also, Bon Jovi had a hit single, "Who Says You Can't Go Home," with Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland. Other rock stars who featured a country song on their albums were Don Henley and Poison.

One infrequent, but consistent theme in modern country music is that of proud, stubborn individualism. "Country Boy Can Survive" and "Copperhead Road"[53] are two of the more serious songs along those lines; while "Some Girls Do"[54] and "Redneck Woman"[55] are more light-hearted variations on the theme.

In 2005, country singer Carrie Underwood rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol and became a multi-platinum selling recording artist and a multiple Grammy Award winner. She is the first female country artist to have all of her singles from her first two albums all peak to number one. Underwood also made history by becoming the seventh woman to win Entertainer Of The Year for Academy of Country Music Awards.

In 2008, Taylor Swift rose as a major pop country artist, with her single "Love Story" becoming the first country song to reach number one on the Nielsen BDS CHR/Top 40 chart. In the same year, Hootie & the Blowfish vocalist Darius Rucker released his second solo album, Learn to Live, which was his debut into country music.

In 2009, George Strait was named Artist of the Decade by the Academy of Country Music

“Sorry you missed me
I’ll get back with you as soon as I can
Thank you and god bless”

Got the news on Friday mornin’
But a tear I couldn’t find
You showed me how I’m supposed to live
And now you showed me how to die
I was lost till Sunday mornin’
I woke up to face my fear
While I’m writing you this goodbye song
I found a tear

I’m gonna miss that smile
I’m gonna miss you my friend
Even though it hurts the way it ended up
I’d do it all again
So play it sweet in heaven
‘Cause that’s right where you wana be
I’m not crying because I feel so sorry for you
I’m crying for me

I got up and dialed your number
And your voice came on the line
That old familiar message
I heard a thousand times it just said
Sorry that I missed you
Leave a message and god bless
I know you think I’m crazy
But I had to hear your voice again

I’m gonna miss that smile
I’m gonna miss you my friend
Even though it hurts the way it ended up
I’d do it all again
So play it sweet in heaven
‘Cause that’s right where you wana be
I’m not crying because I feel so sorry for you
I’m crying for me

So play your upside-down, left handed
Backwards base guitar
And I’ll see you on the other side
Superstar

I’m gonna miss that smile
I’m gonna miss you my friend
Even though it hurts the way it ended up
I’d do it all again
So play it sweet in heaven
‘Cause that’s right where you wana be
I’m not crying because I feel so sorry for you
I’m crying for me

I’m still crying
I’m crying for me
I’m still crying

chorus
d a
Hey you get down the fiddle and you get down the bow
g d
Kick off your shoes and throw em on the floor,
a
Dance in the kitchen till morning light,
g a d
Lousiana Saturday night.

d a
Waiting in the front yard sitting on a log,
g d
Single-shot rifle and a one-eyed dog
a
Yonder come the kinfolk, in the moonlight,
g a d
Lousiana Saturday night.

chorus
d a
My brother Bill and my other brother Jack,
g d
Belly full of beer and a possum in a sack,
a
Fifteen kids in the front porch light,
g a d
Lousiana Saturday night.

chorus
d a
Kin folks leave and the kids get fed,
g d
Me and my woman, gonna sneak off to bed,
a
We'll have a little fun when we turn out the light,
g a d
Lousiana Saturday night

chorus 3x.

加州交通罰單明細表（01/06/2010）


VC 12814.6 開車沒帶駕照 $214
Failure to obey license provisions.


VC 14600(A) 換住址，在10天內沒有及時通知DMV $214
Failure to notify DMV of address change within 10 days
Note: The fine may be reduced with valid proof of correction.

VC 16028(A) 無法提供保險証明 $796
Failure to provide evidence of financial responsibility (insurance)
Note: This fine may be reduced with proof of insurance on or after the violation date.

VC 21453(A) 闖紅燈 $436
Failure to stop at a red signal.

VC 22350 超速，1到15英裏 $214
VC 22349 Unsafe Speed, 1 to 15 miles over the limit.

VC 22350 超高速，16到25英裏 $328
VC 22349 Unsafe Speed, 16 to 25 miles over the limit.

VC 22450 在停止牌前沒有停止 $214
Failure to stop at a stop sign.

VC 22454(A) 超越校車紅牌 $616
Passing a school bus with flashing red signals.

VC 23123(A) 第一次開車用手機 $148
Drive using wireless phone not hands free, First offense

VC 23123(A) 第二次及以後開車用手機 $256
Drive using wireless phone not hands free, For each subsequent offense.

VC 23123.5(A) 開車發簡訊 $148
Drive while wireless device to send, read or write text.

VC 23124(B) 16歲以下開車用手機 $148
Minor drive using wireless phone.

VC 22500(I) 違章停在商業卸貨區 $976
Parking in a bus loading area.

VC 22507.8(A through C) 第一次停在殘障人車位 $976
Violation of disabled parking provisions, first offense.

VC 22507.8(A through C) 第二次停在殘障人車位 $1876
Violation of disabled parking provisions, second offense.

VC 26708(A) 汽車窗口上放置違章物品 $178
Unlawful material on vehicle windows.

VC 27150(A and B) 消升裝置 $178
Adequate muffler required

VC 27315(D and E) 開車沒繫安全帶 $148
Mandatory use of seat belts.

VC 27360(A and B) 嬰孩安全裝置 $436
Mandatory use of child passenger restraints
Note: This fine may be reduced by completing a court authorized child seat diversion program.

VC 27400 開車雙耳戴耳機 $178
Headsets/Earplugs over both ears.

VC 27803 (A through C) 摩托車不戴安全帽$ 178
Motorcycle safety helmet requirements.

VC 34506.3 卡車沒做好行車紀錄 $616
Commercial Driver - Log book violation

VC 4000(A) 汽車沒在DMV註冊 $256
No evidence of current registration.
Note: The fine may be reduced with valid proof of correction.

VC 4159 沒有在10天內通知DMV換地址 $178
Notify DMV of change of address within 10 days.
Note: The fine may be reduced with valid proof of correction.

VC 5200 沒有正確地顯示車牌$ 178
Display of license plates.
Note: The fine may be reduced with valid proof of correction.

VC 9400 (A through C) 卡車超重罰款 $178
Commercial weight fees due.
Note: The fine may be reduced with valid proof of correction.

There was a man who had worked all his life, had saved all of his money, and was a real "miser" when it came to his money.

Just before he died, he said to his wife..."When I die, I want you to take all my money and put it in the casket with me. I want to take my money to the after life with me."

And so he got his wife to promise him, with all of her heart, that when he died, she would put all of the money into the casket with him.

Well, he died. He was stretched out in the casket, his wife was sitting there dressed in black, and her friend was sitting next to her.

When they finished the ceremony, and just before the undertakers got ready to close the casket, the wife said, "Wait just a moment!"

She had a small metal box with her; she came over with the box and put it in the casket. Then the undertakers locked the casket down and they rolled it away. So her friend said, "Girl, I know you were not foolish enough to put all that money in there with your husband."

The loyal wife replied, "Listen, I'm a Christian; I cannot go back on my word. I promised him that I was going to put that money into the casket with him."

"You mean to tell me you put that money in the casket with him!?!?!?"

"I sure did," said the wife. "I got it all together, put it into my account, and wrote him a check.... If he can cash it, then he can spend it."

I’m looking for blue eyes
Has anyone seen him
Don’t you tell me
He gave up on me
I’m looking for blue eyes
I’ve got to find him
Cause something tells me
He’s looking for me

There was a time when blue eyes said he’d love no other
His one and only love he swore I’d be
There was a time when his blue eyes saw clearer than mine did
Storms and rain, tears and pain, bring me back his way

Looking for blue eyes
Has anyone seen him
No don’t you tell me
He gave up on me
I’m looking for blue eyes
I’ve got to find him
Cause something tells me
He’s looking for me

I’m looking for blue eyes
Has anyone seen him

I said goodbye to you this mornin'
With only these words to explain
You say you've found someone you love better
But I still hear your voice call my name

I thought I heard you call my name
Funny, I still feel this way.
Your voice sounds so near,
but I knew that by now you were many miles away

I walk through the streets of the city
People passing by think it's so strange
I'm talkin' but there's no one here beside me
And I thought I heard you call my name

I thought I heard you callin' my name
Funny I still feel this way
Your voice seems so close but I knew
That by now you're many miles away

I thought I heard you callin' my name