Country History X: Charlie Rich's Burn of John Denver (#3)
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- čas přidán 27. 08. 2024
- Charlie Rich whipping out his lighter, and burning the card announcing John Denver as the 1975 CMA Entertainer of the Year is considered one of the great moments of protest in country music history. But was his intent to protest John Denver's win, or something else?
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He was saying, John Denver’s on fire! 😆
I work in country radio. I produce and host a classic country history hour. Your videos are such a tremendous help in finding the real story behind many of the long-lost tales of classic country. Thank you for what you do. Please keep it up! 💜
I’ve always had the impression it had more to do w/ the sense “He ain’t one of us”…. Was about Southernness, class, maybe even politics…. Just a gut feeling on my part
It was because of john’s previous work with the Mitchell trio.
Love these videos
Rich had the lighter out before he read the name. It seemed obvious to us when we saw it that he was soused and his intent was to jokingly say he should’ve remained Entertainer of the Year. He was trying to be funny, and that’s how we took it.
Rich had his lighter out in anticipation of being forced to honor Denver. "Funny"?? That was naked, unabashed contempt.
One of the things I hate, ok find uninteresting, about the country music industry is that you ever really get to hear/see any of the dirt. Sure, there are guys like Waylon, Bocephus, The Possum, Hank Sr., Coe..........but those guys are over the top. You never hear about what a helpless alcoholic Keith Whitley was or about I dunno a guy like Gary Stewart, who was insanely talented, but equally troubled...............Mindy McCready even.........all very sad endings. Rock, Rop, Pop all embrace those sort of characters, for better or for worse, Country simply doesn't unless they absolutely have to as in Waylon, Hank Jr./Sr., etc. etc. Charlie Rich being another prime example. I think its interesting, it's human. I'm sure there are at least 3 or 4 recording artists that, I dunno, Reba can't stand to be in the presence of and vice-versa, but NOPE, you'll never hear about it.
Charlie was not from Nashville. He wasn't about "country outsiders." He was a Memphian from nearby Colt, Arkansas. My father worked for Charlie for over 25 years. My father was there with him and tried to keep him from having to present because he was hammered but they said he had to. Charlie was friends with John Denver. He had no problem with Denver. Charlie was simply drunk as hell and thought awards for ay kind of art were bullshit... and he was sometimes an ass when he was drunk.
Loved it
The CMA named Charlie Rich the Entertainer of the Year in 1974. When the CMA named John Denver Entertainer of the year in 1975, Charlie was butt-hurt and couldn't handle it. He was obviously drunk when he burned the card.
Because John was not Nashville based. People in Nashville like Charlie hated John Denevr at that time.
This was so fascinating to listen to! It's great you have a podcast now. I love going on your website and reading your articles. It would be awesome if this podcast could be on spotify too! 😊😊
Thanks for listening! Country History X is on Spotify as well!
open.spotify.com/show/22c3jmmYIz8y4OfVQLTcNS?si=Ce4ahaQiRPCmDLLuN3tbJQ
@@savingcountrymusic-video that stunt cost Charlie his career pretty much!
@@savingcountrymusic-video I found it on spotify and I'm now following your podcast.😊😊
I watched that live, Charlie was drunk as a skunk. Not that I'm a big fan of Denver's music.
A lot of factual inaccuracies in this podcast.
I'd like to know why John Denver's card was burned. Who cares what genre he wrote and sang! He was a great talent! Sounds like some major jealousy to me. Immature move.
@@rebeccav9969 Charlie Rich was drunk, which was not unusual, although he later claimed that he was suffering from the side-effects of medication for a snake-bite! Jealous he almost certainly was. Personally, I don't like John Denver's songs. I think they are wet. But to burn his card on the basis that he wasn't 'country' is absurd, since Charlie Rich's country credentials could not compare with those of, say, Johnny Cash or Merle Haggard. Charlie was a strange bloke, and I am not entirely convinced that his struggle to make it wasn't of his own doing. I think he was lazy, he disappointed his fans and his champions, and I for one find his meagre output quite frustrating.
@@bootbeast01 thank you for that input. I went on last night to learn more about him and read the same as what you said. Landed on Charlie Pride eventually, and am surprised he is considered country at all. JD is way more country than Pride, to my understanding of country. Merle blows them all outta the water in talent!! I'm a fan of JD, and do think of him as country, because he loved nature/ country, and sang about it. Whatever his excuses, Charlie's behavior was rude AND hypocritical.
@@rebeccav9969 I've always thought John Denver nearer to folk than country, but, as I said, given CR's shaky country credentials, he could hardly object to him winning a CMA award (Entertainer of the Year) on those grounds. Besides, JD was probably more entertaining than CR - I saw Rich doing a BBC special when he toured Europe in 1976 (I think it was) , and it was embarrassingly bad; he put no effort into it at all. I can still remember my school chums laughing when Charlie won the Entertainer of the Year award. Frankly, I prefer the rock 'n' roll and R&B he did on Sun, RCA and Smash. After 'Behind Closed Doors' it was pretty much downhill all the way. A great talent wasted.
Charlie Rich was a good singer and a great piano player but as a human being he has an issue or two it would seem.