Merle Haggard Disses Modern Country, 'Carrie Underwear'

Gillian Welch, Allison Kraus, Patty Griffin are female legends in the making, but talented country artists are no longer called country, but Americana or Folk. Even Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton are considered bluegrass/americanafolk rather than country. Thats a shame.

This whole discourse has NOTHING to do with what anyone thinks Country Music was, what Country Music has evolved into today or even what Country Music SHOULD be.

Instead this is a paramount example of the lowest common denominator an artist will reach to disrespect another country artist. He "refuses to conform to modern country standards." Well, how about conforming to the old fashioned country standards of RESPECTING the past, present and future.

"Where are the girls that are better than the girls in the past?" GIRLS? Underwear reference? Yet he claims to be "a fan of the realists." Women in HIS world were shunned and treated like 2nd class citizens. Sounds like he's still in that miserable mindset. Funny how he didn't personally disparage one single MALE singer and quip, "I like him, but where are the songs?"

Country Music will continue to evolve, singers will come and go, there will always be a place for singers that cannot carry a tune to be successful, that is until we as consumers demand for excellence.

Nonetheless, whether an artist, a particular style of music or even a SONG will stand the test of time is not based on ONE person's morbid sense of pride and self importance. You never lead by putting others down. Quite simply, it is TIME itself that will reveal the true winners; just as it has always done before.

So what if he hasn't heard ANY artist who impress him as much as his old favorites. It's O.K. I'm not impressed by anything he's got to say either.

This whole discourse has NOTHING to do with what anyone thinks Country Music was, what Country Music has evolved into today or even what Country Music SHOULD be.

Instead this is a paramount example of the lowest common denominator an artist will reach to disrespect another country artist. He "refuses to conform to modern country standards." Well, how about conforming to the old fashioned country standards of RESPECTING the past, present and future.

"Where are the girls that are better than the girls in the past?" GIRLS? Underwear reference? Yet he claims to be "a fan of the realists." Women in HIS world were shunned and treated like 2nd class citizens. Sounds like he's still in that miserable mindset. Funny how he didn't personally disparage one single MALE singer and quip, "I like him, but where are the songs?"

Country Music will continue to evolve, singers will come and go, there will always be a place for singers that cannot carry a tune to be successful, that is until we as consumers demand for excellence.

Nonetheless, whether an artist, a particular style of music or even a SONG will stand the test of time is not based on ONE person's morbid sense of pride. Quite simply, it is TIME itself that will reveal the true winners; just as it has always done before.

So what if he hasn't heard ANY artist who impress him as much as his old favorites. It's O.K. I'm not impressed by anything he's got to say either.

Merle is right on with his comments! I'm 32 years old and have been saying the same thing since 1992 when Nashville music executives and record labels killed country music by replacing the REAL DEAL legends with today's cookie-cutter clones who can't offer anything beyond good looks, tight jeans, exaggerated twang, and bubblegum songs that all sound the same. We've had nearly 20 years of this crap and what we sorely need is a group of young mavericks willing to deliver the kind of talent and originality in their music that guys like Merle Haggard and Waylon Jennings stood for.

Carrie Underwear is nothing but a manufactured record company puppet with nothing unique or original to offer the music world. She has a nice voice but that's all she has. She is basically an overrated karaoke singer who is popular because her brainwashed fans have never heard great talents like Ronnie Milsap, Larry Gatlin, and Glen Campbell.

It takes more than blonde hair, a pretty face, and a nice voice to be a REAL DEAL country star. It takes the kind of songwriting ability, musicianship, and originality that MERLE HAGGARD has delivered for over 40 years!

He needs to get over himself. Until he actually GOES to one of these younger singers concerts, he has no right to say anything about hwo they sing live or about any of their songs.And as far as Carrie goes, trust me people, she'll be one of the ones around for a VERY long time.

Oh for pete's sake....whaaawhaaawhaa. I loved the old music too, but like everything else, it gets old and then it gets remade. Plenty of these whippersnappers will be playin' in the band at the Grand Ol' Opry shows of 2020

right on merle ! i agree totally , glad to see you express what a lot of us feel ,

"The Hag" would do well to keep his mouth shut and just keep pretending he can still sing or ever could. At least when I paid to see Carrie Underwood she could stand up and perform. I felt I got what I paid for. "The Hag" cheated me and alot of people out of their money the one night I went to see him...Gess the good ol boy's need their booze and drugs to come up with that crap "Okie from Muskogee". Give me a break!!! That's writing? I am country, I am a writer, and I love Carrie!!!

What's so funny is, I call her the very same thing. Carrie Underwear................... she ain't no Martina McBride, thats for sure.

If you really want to know the sad situation of Country music as it exist today, just give a listen to The Possum' Mr. George Jones. He asks, "Who's gonna fill their shoes?" Sadly, the answer is, NO-ONE. I stopped listening to country when it became nothing nut noise. Give me 'Old Country' any day.