Hello Bj”rn,
Charlie Daniels, dead at 83. May he RIP.
Sorry, but that seems a wee bit too US specific to be of any interest to
the
96% of the non USAians in the world.
I get that. But there is a reason why this particular musician
should be noted.
Considering how many of your 4% that take part of the discussions here, maybe you should try to make your postings a little bit more interesting
to
a global readership, no?
Most of Daniels' greatest hits were in the 1970s. Kind of a country
rock type of sound. As a musician, he was only average, in my opinion.
But he did have some hits, which is more a matter of marketing than
talent.
After he became famous, he continued to tour. He always waited
until the end of each performance to play any of the songs his fans
wanted most to hear. None of his other stuff was any good, and to
be honest truly sucked.
Had he continued just playing music would have been fine. But
after making megabucks with the few hits he had in the 1970s, he
decided to open his big fat mouth revealing to the entire world
he was a right-wing nutcase. He really went off the rails with the
Benghazi affair, blaming Hillary Clinton for everything under the
sun.
What should be noted is not so much his political views. But
rather the fact that no effort was made by anybody on the left
to have him silenced for his views. All his recordings remain
available for anybody to buy, his songs still being aired, and
free speech never impeded.
Compare this with how those on the right treat musicians whose
views they find contrary to their own. For them, there is a litmus
test. Either a musician is a Trumper, or a musician is part of the
Resistance. With no middle ground.
During Donald Trump's first campaign event (in Tulsa, Oklahoma),
the theme song being played was "You Can't Always Get What You Want"
by the Rolling Stones. After the event, the Rolling Stones issued
a cease and desist order for Trump to quit playing their song.
Right-wing nutcases take their music seriously. Including music
that is not their own. What happens when the POTUS has no respect
for who writes/owns the songs?
Bob Dylan used his own voice to help shape American values.
So did Bruce Springsteen. But who is raising their own voice
today? Seems many folks enjoy pointing fingers. But nobody
wants to raise their own voice in any effort to shape the
values we should all have as Americans.
What about the values every person on this planet should have?
Should everybody obey whatever values Trump & Co. proclaim?
In Italy of long ago, Italians loudly proclaimed "Il Duce is
always right." Today in America many are proclaiming "Trump
is alays right." Nothing else matters for them. Nothing.
Music is people's experience. It is a statement of what people
truly believe, based on their own experience of what is.
Trump is playing a song his followers want to believe, but
know is not true. And will never admit the truth, as doing so
would be admitting a lie.
Charlie Daniels was an average musician who got lucky having
a few hits, but had the morals of a skunk. His political views
did not reflect what the majority of Americans believe. Had he
not had any hits, he would have been forgotten long ago.
End of rant.
--Lee
--
We Put Big Loads In Tight Places
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