personal countdown DatChickDoe: Country Heaux’s Retro Country Ramblings

[DatChickDoe]

I listened to a ton of obscure country singers growing up apparently. Some of their “hits” have fewer than 1,000 streams.

 

But if you enjoy female singers and country...I will post them on here with a little whatever. Trolling is getting boring on here...so I figured this can be a place for story time and music.

 

Not sure if I’ll do this daily or never again lol 

 

 

So, I was on an incredibly bad date with this guy in Flagstaff. His criminal history blended over into my personal life but he was a sweet guy. He took me to see House of the Dead.

 

That was the day I saw this album on sale at Wal-Mart. This song still makes me think of him to this day. He was a good guy who got a bum deal.

 

Fun Fact: Country Singer Ty Herndon also covered this song...for an album that was ultimately cancelled in the United States and we ended up getting his Greatest Hits...might have been after he was caught trying to hook up with a cop in the restroom.

 

 

I purchased this song by Greg Austin on iTunes so many times when I first discovered it. So many accounts lost because I suck at passwords and there was a time you had to “login” to play purchased music on your computer if you reinstalled things.

 

Spotify hunties will never know the struggle. I liked Brandy Clark/Brandy Lynn at the time...this was one of my favorite vocals by her and the song became a breakup anthem for a bit in my life.

In the 1990s labels like Curb record would do shady stuff. One gentleman who ended up with multiple misprints of his album was Jeff Carson and the biggest omission was hit big hit at the time.

 

 

 

Fun Fact: He ended up becoming a cop after he walked away from music. So he was a hot cowboy and is now a hot daddy cop. I share this because the same nightmare happened with Sherrie Austin’s Following A Feeling album. 
 

 

Identical twins Heather and Jessica Kinley actually had a decent start. They ended up hating touring and retired. It’s criminal because their vocal blends are angelic.

 

Fun Fact: this was an early hit for them which would go on to become a bigger hit for Keith Urban. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DatChickDoe]

While I was getting in my 10,000 steps this morning through Charity Miles, I was thinking of songs where you have a band known for one vocalist but standout album tracks were by one of the other members. 
 

This thread is country songs...and none of these songs are new.

 

While Jennifer Nettles is predominantly known as the lead vocalist of Sugarland this was by far the standout on Incredible Machine sung by Kristian Bush.

 

 

Fun Fact: Originally a trio, actual bad blood happened and Kristen Hall left the group. 
 

Brooks and Dunn were predominantly known for the vocals of Ronnie Dunn. When they first came out the number of times when people asked if Brooks was Garth Brooks on radio was mind numbing. 
 

Kix Brooks actually had a very unique tone. 
 

 

In the 1990s, there was a singer by the name of Patty Smyth. If you don’t know her...well, this song was a brilliant singer. She’s married to John McEnroe. A pair of singers who worked with Reba McEntire had band called Regina Regina. They did a cover of Patty’s I Should Be Laughing.

 

 

Mentioning The Kinleys earlier reminded me of The Lynn’s. They are Loretta’s daughters and aside from one hit song.

 

 

Finished my steps and will post this. 

 

[DatChickDoe]

My teenage heart used to break over this damn song. They kind of fizzled and faded fast. But Could’ve Been Me by Lace was more on the pop side with a little fiddle to be “Country”. 
 

I grew up in a small town in the middle of nowhere. At times I think labels intentionally sent their random artists to my Wal-Mart’s country section to see if I would bite. 
 

I swear every time I see this song and a new act it is literally a kiss of death. Here’s one of a few on streaming. Each time I see Jessica Simpson randomly Jenny comes to mind.
 

Melissa McGhee was a great vocalist who had a cursed run on Idol. But her time did result in one of the best “studio” tracks.

 

Pickles was on that Season too. Funny girl and an excellent singer. She had some moderate success on Country radio. 
 

while touching on poorly managed talent post Idol...Jessica Sierra’s elimination had me an OG Carrie hater who hardcore voted for Bo Bice. The days when I was a dial tone warrior. Mostly I wanted to share the hot mess Jenny’s House

 

Longest day in a long time. Still buzzing from my Pfizer shot. Wish I could get a third lol...but we get annuals and I feel 18 again with the energy burst.

 

Lari White had an amazing radio run and passed away a while back. Anyways, I wanted to end on something Country.

 

 

[DatChickDoe]

An artist who is vocally like a warm blanket wrapping you in a snow storm is Kathy Mattea. There is a depth and honesty to her vocals that was always fun. You also had Celtic music spill into her country music.

 

A name you’ll notice on some of the biggest hits during the 1990s is Gretchen Peters. Songs like Independence Day, The Secret of Life and other gems frequently found themselves on the top 40.

 

Trisha Yearwood made this track famous but even her flawless vocals didn’t capture the magical honesty of Gretchen’s voice. 
 

Another damn fine songwriter from

the time was Kim Richey. Her song The Way It Never Was was my go to song so many different times. Another distinctive tone who had a few hits as a vocalist.

 

 

Holly Dunn had a big hit during her career with Daddy’s Hands. While that song is a favorite of many and I loved it. But this cheesy gem was always good for a smile. 
 

Perhaps the strangest career decision came

from Cyndi Thompson. She had a hit with What I Really Meant To Say...didn’t like fame and quit. Then tried several times to come back. 
 

I’ll end this with an artist who is an incredible songwriter and has a twang to her voice that has a nostalgia to it of a time where you slept with the windows open and the doors unlocked. Fun cheesy songs should exist more this is fun. 

 

 

[Kevin2803]

On 4/24/2021 at 1:57 AM, DatChickDoe said:

He took me to see House of the Dead.

The UWE BOLL MOVIE? I'm sorry you had to go through that.

[DatChickDoe]

2 hours ago, Kevin2803 said:

The UWE BOLL MOVIE? I'm sorry you had to go through that.

Yes thank you for the compassion 

[DatChickDoe]

About the time of my first kiss, I discovered Lisa Brokop who is apparently a popular recording artist in Canada. There were a few fun Canadian acts who made their way to the hellish bowels of Arizona. Her voice for 90s teen me was incredible. The tone and the richness was largely missing on radio. Now That We’re Not A Family kept me sane through my parents divorce. Her self titled album is like a powerhouse of emotion. 
 

Fun Fact: She Can’t Save Him appeared on the 1996 album Lisa Brokop as a solo hit before being recorded as a duet by Reba and Trisha Yearwood later on. 

 

From the land of Canada was another great band called, The Wilkinson’s. I had just broke up with a guy in 2001 who went back to his wife and had kids. At the time this was my jam and today I am a Godparent to one of those angels.

 

Terri Clark in turn had me seriously questioning my sexuality. Bad ass alpha chick who was just all kinds of yum. 
 

She is still all kinds of yummy in 2021. My intelligent little friends will understand. ?

 

I grew up under an abusive hand by a family friend who liked them young. It’s one of the reasons I keep a rough exterior and her aggressive. 
 

Post abuse I would listen to Nobody’s Girl by Michelle Wright. This song has helped me a ton with healing over the years. Just to survive.

 

I feel like if I mention Canadian Country in America, I have to just reaffirm the biggest female act in the Universe was Canadian Legend Shania Twain (who as a Reba stan, I would fight her fans.)

 

Having multiple versions of God Bless The Child (which was like a minute long song on the US Woman in Me and she released it to radio as an extended song later) couple with the vocal commentary during songs. It did male

it a nightmare to find the one song I liked at the time...
 

Fun Fact: I once replaced the tampons of a girl who was obsessed with Shania in high school with Q Tips and taped a note saying, something like there’s a bigger issue you need to address. Here is Up! From the World Music Blue Disc.
 

Finally, there is a song I loved recorded by Western Flyer. A Band who should’ve blown up for their desire to combat racism in the 1990s on a largely unappreciative group. They were a US Band but racism is alive and well. 

 

 

 

[DatChickDoe]

Murder in country music isn’t a theme the charts shy from. So what follows are some fun murder ballads (I may have to “loosely” use country for one...and some upbeat kill ‘em gems too. 
 

So there are a few options for Johnny Cash. I feel like if I say much about any of these it takes a surprise away so...
 

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds created one of the greatest albums of the 1990s. If you love horror or True Crime this album is one you need to experience.

 

Reba isn’t afraid of Murder. One of her biggest hits was The Night The Lights Went Out in Georgia (she wasn’t the original artist Vickie Lawrence the infamous comedian was). 
 

Her fans on FancyReba pushed hard to get this as a single...she let us down that era...something we got used to. Most of her b sides and unreleased tracks from the 1990s were phenomenal. One of my all time favorite people from that website was the finest female impersonator to do Reba. 
 

I Hate Mondays based on a true story this is The Boomtown Rats

 

I’ll post one final one to complete the theme from Bob Dylan

 

 

Today was inspired by Murder My Heart the duet from Michael Bolton and Lady Gaga.  

 

 

[DatChickDoe]

Jessica Andrews of Who I Am fame was a recommendation on my Spotify and I forgot what a pleasant voice she has. Her cover of Time After Time started a slew of songs from the past coming to mind.

 

 

One of the most random finds I had was an ear worm written by Marcel who at the time was linked to her. His song Tennessee is an underrated gem.

 

 

 

 

Jessica Andrews also always without fail gets me to thinking about Toby Keith’s most underrated song from the 1990s, The Lonely. He deals with lighting issues in small town Arizona well.

 

 

 

 

 

One song that was incredible that is also not on streaming like a bunch of 90s music. Like I don’t know if people forgot the artists or what not but this is fun 90s country 

 

 

Yet we get the problematic Refried Dreams and Indian Outlaw by Tim McGraw on streaming.

 

but I wish labels would begin the trend...of releasing some of the store exclusives from the past for example I dunno *cough* Curb Records *cough* Leann Rimes *cough* Target *cough* Afraid to Fall. 
 

 

 Also her UK stuff in the US would be nice too. 

[DatChickDoe]

Bless my sheltered heart this was the first time I had ever seen a lightning bug in person. The sudden eerie glow was something more spectral than I anticipated. 
 

Whenever I heard people mention fireflies the last decade or so I always drifted off to Paris. 
 

Faith Hill however does not equate romance in my world. I’ve been to see her and Tim three times and each one resulted in the end of a 

It reminds me of Does He Love you one of a few duets recorded by Linda and Reba. Face to Face was billed as the sequel to Does He Love You and the lyrics were adjusted by the songwriters specifically for Reba and Linda. 
 

Whenever I hear this song it takes me between two songs. The first is Black Coffee by Lacy J Dalton. Such an incredible voice.

 

Tammy Graham was another one of the pretty faces with talent Nashville didn’t know how to market. Her voice is somewhere between Wynonna and Martina McBride.

 

Small town me didn’t know a ton of music existed. I once picked up Madonna’s Bed Time Stories because it was in the country section. It

was an experience I hadn’t had before and I ruined several CDs with my cheap ass portable CD players . 
 

Then I found remixes 

 

my poor naive heart thought it was edgy.It’s still fun to listen to. So I am not even mad.

Dave Robbins from Blackhawk and Bruce Willis gave me my love of bald men. Van who was also in the band had cancer. I believe it was melanoma and this song is Van’s magnus opus before passing away. 2021 - Dave is still hot.

 

 

 

I’ll wrap up with The Warren Brothers...because they’re still among the most underrated Nashville duos who weren’t label manufactured greatness from two struggling solo artists like Brooks & Dunn. 

 

 

 

 

[Kavish]

Love your write-ups and the country vibe here.  

 

Quote

Bless my sheltered heart this was the first time I had ever seen a lightning bug in person. The sudden eerie glow was something more spectral than I anticipated. 

An experience!