1999 - The Year In Review

The day after Christmas and less than one week away from the end of the millennium. The year 2000 is upon us. I always wondered what I would be doing when this time finally came. During my senior year in high school, my Economics teacher had us write down five goals that we all hoped to accomplish in our lives before the year 2000. Most of my class wanted a family, a home, a good job, financial well being and be healthy. I could agree on several of those items but also added a career doing something in the music business. Luckily I got one out of five, which is being part of this crazy business we call music. Guess I'll just have to wait and see if I ever accomplish the remaining four goals.

Every year in December I take a stroll back in time to talk about the music that mattered during the past eleven months. Remember the good, laugh at the bad and see where music is heading next year. So many major musical events happened in the '90s, you have to wonder if the next thousand years will be able to compete. Will we see another band as influential as the Beatles, another artist as powerful as Johnny Cash, someone who can drink as much as George Jones, pull as many crazy stunts as Michael Jackson, play guitar like Eddie Van Halen, rap like Kid Rock, dress like Cher, have legs like Tina Turner, grow beards like ZZ Top, write songs like John Fogerty, be as ugly as Keith Richards or put on a live show like Bruce Springsteen?

Speaking of Springsteen, the big music news of this year was the reunion tour by Bruce and the E Street Band. They started in Europe so they could work out the kinks of being apart for ten years then hit the States with a vengeance. Every show was sold out in mere minutes of the tickets going on sale. Save those Christmas dollars, you'll need them when the tour resumes next year and comes to Texas. Several other major bands hit the road in '99.  Rod Stewart put on a great show at the Alamodome, as did Shania Twain and 'N Sync. Melissa Etheridge released a fine new album and played several smaller venues in Texas. Nice to see her up close and personal.

Human dynamo Terri Hendrix recorded an awesome live album at Cibolo Creek Country Club back in March. With the incredible Lloyd Maines helping her on guitar and producing duties, this San Marcos superstar is poised to set the world on fire. Ain't she just the cutest thing in those overalls. Another San Marcos performer, Bret Graham, released his new CD, "2000," in early November. As with all of his previous albums, it's another masterpiece. Bret will be at Gruene Hall on New Years Eve, opening for Joe Ely. After that he'll head over to Riley's Tavern in Junction, Texas to bring in the New Year with an acoustic show.

Texas music enjoyed a huge surge in popularity this year. It seemed like the entire world jumped on the bandwagon. Owen Temple released the fine "Passing Thru" CD, Jack Ingram had "Hey You," Robert Earl Keen issued "Walking Distance," Trish Murphy gave us "Rubies On The Lawn," and Tori Amos released the fantastic 2 CD set, "To Venus & Back." Jack Ingram teamed up with his Lucky Dog Records labelmates Bruce and Charlie Robison to tour America, thus educating the rest of the country on how music should sound. I caught their Gruene Hall performance and you can too. It was taped for an upcoming PBS Special and future live album.

Texas has a lot of famous George's, but my favorite two are Strait and Jones. Both had a banner year. Strait did his stadium tour again with special guests Tim McGraw, Dixie Chicks, Kenny Chesney and Jo Dee Messina.  He's already planning the 2000 tour with McGraw and Chesney returning to the lineup. Shania Twain might join him on a few dates. Jones released two albums in 1999. One, "The Cold Hard Truth," was a solid collection of new tunes and "Live With The Possum" contained concert versions of his biggest hits.

Jerry Jeff Walker, "Mr. Bojangles" himself, found time to write his life story titled "Gypsey Songman" and released a special CD to accompany the book. The book is an incredible story of a truly remarkable musician. The CD contains many of his favorite songs, re-recorded especially for the book release. One of my favorite CD's from this year is "Girl Talk" by Tracie Lynn. This long legged Texas gal has pipes of solid gold and is a phenomenal performer. I predict major success for Tracie next year. In fact, she should play the stadiums next year and let George stay in Pearsall and rope cows.  Another cool female Texan is Julieann Banks. Just caught her dynamite show at Gruene Hall. What a voice! She rocked the rafters for several hours as she showcased material from her new "Sweet Magnolia" CD.

Talked to the Motor City Madman Ted Nugent a few nights ago. He was passing through Victoria on his way to hunt in Goliad. I recommended he stop in the Vera Cruz Restaurant so he could track the varmints on a full stomach. He was all excited about his New Years Eve concert in Detroit with Metallica and Kid Rock. He'll be releasing a solo album and another Damn Yankees album next year. Guess retirement didn't set well with the Nuge. While we are on the subject of retirement, it seems like the mighty Garth Brooks is talking about retiring again. Isn't this the fourth or fifth time he's talked about retiring? Talk about cry wolf. Garth is a great talent but I often wonder if all these retirement talks aren't meant to stir up publicity.

Johnny Cash had a banner year, even though he didn't tour or release a new album. He was the subject of an award winning salute on TNT. Many major stars performed classic Cash tunes to honor the legendary man in black. Sony Legacy had the good sense to re-issue the classic 1968 album, "Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison." This time all the missing songs were put back in and there's expanded liner notes written by Texas rebel Steve Earle. Hopefully they will give his "Live at San Quentin" album the same treatment in the near future. Rodney Crowell, once a son-in-law to Cash, recorded a great original tune titled "I Walk The Line Revisited" that features what may be the final vocals ever recorded by Johnny.

It was the year Mick Jagger got a divorce, as did Lorrie Morgan, Sammy Kershaw and Trisha Yearwood. It was the year Latina music stormed the charts with the success of Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony and Christina Aguilera. Britney Spears went from wearing Mickey Mouse ears to pushup bras.  Madonna started dressing like a hippie from the '60s. Ebay changed the way we look at those old rare records stored in the attic. Guns 'N Roses released a live album to remind us how good they once were. Motley Crue and Jimmy Buffett also released live albums that contained all their biggest hits performed in concert.

Many people are looking at this year as the ending of an era that saw the greatest changes our society has ever seen. We lost a few great leaders, put a man on the moon and discovered the Internet. Several teenagers decided they would rather shoot their classmates than try to work out their problems by talking. Bill Clinton and O.J. Simpson both got off with little more than a slap on the wrist. Richard Gere is still the sexiest man in America according to People Magazine and Susan Lucci finally won her best actress award. The Rolling Stones proved you could still rock & roll in your late '50s. John Fogerty proved that he was the driving force behind Creedence Clearwater Revival. One thing is for certain, music will continue to change.  Where it will end up is anybody's guess. I know that music has always been my best friend. It never lets me down and it never dies. We'll take the trip together. Happy New Year.