Halfway through 2011

At Noon on Friday July 1..182.5 days had passed in 2011….182.5 days to go so we are on the downslope.

At half time may a brief highlights of the first half:

Reality talent shows got more talk than anything else! The Idol and The Voice with a scattering of others brought in many new faces with a few getting a possible career.

Jason Aldean’s rise may have been the big story among the guys had it not been for the Blake Shelton monster year.

Big musically and every other way you can judge. Blake and Jason will battle it out for award season too.

The Band Perry overshadowed Lady A by not taking a break. As it was said to me more than once, The Band Perry is the real deal!

Nobody owned the CMA Music Festival which is a story of it’s own. Someone seems to always suck up the most air and buzz. Not so much this time, it was spread out.

Taylor Swift and Kenny Chesney are like two Roman Gods battling for the years concert dominance. Taylor will win that fight because she will play more shows than anyone this year. Kenny grossed $4.9 million for one night in Green Bay recently. Taylor was playing the same night in Detroit and grossed $3.4 million. She actually played to a few thousand more people but at a cheaper ticket rate.

The Blake/Miranda machine made them the couple of the year while Brad, Sugarland, keith urban were in a first of the year reload point.

Tim McGraw’s battle with Curb is one of the two saddest stories of the year. No winners in this war!   The other sad story was the economy and it’s effect on local newspapers like The Tennessean. Laying off more people. Sad!

The CMA Entertainer of the Year contest should be interesting. Brad won as he should have last year. This year does it go to Taylor Swift? Look at any stat you like: concert attendance, ticket sales, cd sales, tv appearances. You name it she wins it. But will she get past the jealousy and politics of Music Row?

The back half of 2011 will see plenty of people on the road. Mother Nature has been cruel to the outdoor shows in the first half. The Rascal Flatts Mud Bowl at Country USA in Wisconsin is just one of many examples of that.

The Country Youth movement is in full swing. Not sure how the kids or the adults will do in the second half of 2011. The economy may sputter some more. Airlines are cutting back flights in the Fall a normal slow period anyway. But we have Summer to really work on right now.

Let’s home at 87 degree bath water in the Gulf doesn’t do more than just look pretty. We don’t need a hurricane after all the floods and tornadoes and wildfire the country as enduring in the first half.

George Strait gives a new cd in the Fall. Who knows what surprises are still to come. The Lionel Richie cd with all the duets will be a heavy push.

Happy Birthday America!!!!!!