Lean or Beauty Impaired Singers

Dennis Detweiler · Post by **Dennis Detweiler** » 20 Oct 2002 7:30 am

This is a politically correct question:
Why don't we see Lean or Beauty Impaired singers with great voices being promoted in country music today? I do see the opposite with some of them

Dennis

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 20 Oct 2002 9:23 am

In a word, "videos."

America is now more obsessed with youth, physical beauty and overt sexual suggestiveness than at any time in our history. So that leaves the modern-day Kenny Prices and Lulu Romans of country music sweating on the treadmills while Faith, Shania, Tim, Kenny, and the rest of the hunks and babes are running to the bank with the money.

Strange enough, three of the (no pun intended) big stars of the girl-singer world today must fight the weight battle: Trisha Yearwood, Wynonna Judd, and Natalie Maines. Their videos have them dressed and are shot to downplay their fondness for groceries.

Right now, I can only think of Chad Brock amongst the boy-singers who have a possible weight problem. There may be others out there on the jogging track... I don't know, since I don't hang around jogging tracks much, ya know?

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

Chris Forbes · Post by **Chris Forbes** » 20 Oct 2002 9:48 am

I think it's a freakin' crime that you can bet Justin Trevino will never become a star. He unfortunately has a frame that matches his talent.[This message was edited by Chris Forbes on 20 October 2002 at 10:49 AM.]

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 20 Oct 2002 10:10 am

Brings to mind a large framed, rotund fellow named Roy Self.

Used to Front for Bud Charleton, The Justice Brothers, and Sid Hudson, The String Dusters. I forget the drummer's name.

Played bass, fronted the band and sang every song. This in the late 70s.

I believe he was one of the original Country Gentlemen.

A musical giant if I ever saw one.

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EJL63FLH
'78 Pro III Sho-Bud
'63FLH 90"Stroker
'80 Gold Wing
-Peavey: When it's *not* about "The Sound"-
"You can Smart Yourself Dumb.
Why Can't you Dumb yourself Smart?"-Me
"There are only so many ways to fry cat food."- Buster
"At my age, sometimes I run out of Adrenaline, but I've still got plenty of Gall.." -Me-

jlsmith48 · Post by **jlsmith48** » 20 Oct 2002 10:17 am

Kenny ain't so pretty with a generic voice and no chin!!!!

Smiley Roberts · Post by **Smiley Roberts** » 20 Oct 2002 10:22 am

Eric,
Wasn't the drummer's name,Bob Taylor?

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©¿© It don't mean a thang,
mm if it ain't got that twang.
www.ntsga.com</pre>[This message was edited by Smiley Roberts on 20 October 2002 at 11:24 AM.]

chas smith R.I.P. · Post by **chas smith R.I.P.** » 20 Oct 2002 11:17 am

Garth Brooks (barf gooks) self-described as looking like a thumb with a cowboy hat.

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 20 Oct 2002 12:08 pm

Not sure, but he did a mean Larry London...

My favorite Roy songs were That's Alright by Billy Crash, Love Revival, Pride Goes before a Fall, and a ton of others. They took requests.

They did a bunch of instrumentals, like Thunder Road, R the D, twelve midnite, and BC would try out his latest BE licks and instrs.

Ya know, if a guy could go back in time.....

I'm going to go repair some of those old cassettes.

It was at Hunter's Lodge I believe that a now deceased Leo J Kellar of Oxon Hill Music talked Bud into "giving lessons". He was reluctant at first....

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EJL63FLH
'78 Pro III Sho-Bud
'63FLH 90"Stroker
'80 Gold Wing
-Peavey: When it's *not* about "The Sound"-
"You can Smart Yourself Dumb.
Why Can't you Dumb yourself Smart?"-Me
"There are only so many ways to fry cat food."- Buster
"At my age, sometimes I run out of Adrenaline, but I've still got plenty of Gall.." -Me-

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 20 Oct 2002 12:21 pm

Their videos have them dressed and are shot to downplay their fondness for groceries.

Congratulations, Herb! That's a classic line if ever there was one.

Frank Parish · Post by **Frank Parish** » 20 Oct 2002 4:04 pm

Got that stuff right! Kenny used to work for me before he hit it big and never drew a crowd, no kidding. I never knew he was that thin on top because I never seen him without the hat. I had a girl bass player that could outsing anybody on radio then and now and couldn't get a deal because of her size. The girl could sing anything and do it to death. She finally moved back home and works for a local band there now, what a shame. Just think if there had been video in the days of ET and some of the others we may have never heard them.

chas smith R.I.P. · Post by **chas smith R.I.P.** » 20 Oct 2002 8:24 pm

There was an article in the paper today on the chess match between Vladimir Kramnik and a computer named Deep Fritz. Kramnik is the world champion and there was $1million at stake:

"In the end, world chess champion Vladimir Kramnik was apparently undone by an attribute that separates humans from machines: an appreciation of beauty."..."Kramniks failure to beat Deep Fritz was due to a miscue earlier in the week-a knight sacrifice- that was a thing of beauty to a chess aficionado because of its intricate strategy, but that the computer saw as a fatal mistake."..."That's the weakness of humans: They are seduced by beauty..."

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 20 Oct 2002 9:07 pm

Dennis...

I was having a rant about this very subject a couple of days ago.

At fifty-nine, I'm old enough to remember when singers made their first impression on us via the radio.

I imagine that few of us would like to go back to those days, and do without all the technology to which we've become accustomed, even if the down-side is having our senses assaulted with mind-numbing noise and nerve-shattering visuals, but there was a lot to be said for the old way of 'breaking' an artiste!

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Roger Rettig

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 20 Oct 2002 9:33 pm

Since it's not about steel players (we're all lean and beautiful, right?), I've moved this topic to the 'Music' section of the Forum.

Dave Birkett · Post by **Dave Birkett** » 21 Oct 2002 9:29 pm

Has anybody ever read Desmond Morris?

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 26 Oct 2002 10:44 pm

As a matter of fact...I have read Desmond Morris! I even remember his theory about why women wear lipstick!

As Yogi Berra once said..."You can observe a lot by just watching."

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 27 Oct 2002 9:34 pm

Frank, can you tell us a little more about Kenny, the early years? I had no idea that you worked with him. Did he really have no draw?

Joey Ace · Post by **Joey Ace** » 29 Oct 2002 12:35 pm

I'm not lean-impaired.
I'm horizontally gifted.

Chip Fossa · Post by **Chip Fossa** » 29 Oct 2002 8:27 pm

It's pretty much a given in the glamour/fashion world, that if a certain "celeb" [and REALLY - anybody] is BAMMING the pork-a-tello barometer to
unheard of heights - then don BLACK.

Black is the best color [or rather, lack of color] to hide the Great Westward Expansion.

Although I've enfatted myself over the years, I always liked dressing in black; even before Johnny Cash, models, and "Fashion"; and, of course, blubber.

When you are on the go, and globulation
and wardrobe collide, opt for black - it's
your best chance, after the gig is up, to not go "home" alone. White, on the other hand, is definitely a NO-NO. FWIW