Rascal Flatts frontman Gary LeVox:
“I think we definitely opened the door for the Taylor Swifts and Carrie Underwoods of the world,” the Ohio native said. “We’re proud we’ve been able to expand our genre of music a little bit. A lot of times their perspective of country music is sitting on hay bales and whistling the theme from ‘The Dukes of Hazzard.’ But we’ve helped other genres look at country music like country’s pretty cool now.
Sitting on hay bales...? Whose perspective is this and why should any self-respecting music fan give a shit about the opinions of the people who hold such a warped perspective? I would guess that just like certain pundits, Gary LeVox pulls this shit out of his ass and expects fans to believe it based on his supposed authority as a "country music artist" (and trust me, in this case I use that term in its loosest sense). I submit the only reason that these hacks perpetuate this meme is to justify their watering down and bastardizing of the genre. I find it difficult to believe it's based in any kind of truth whatsoever, and to the extent it is, well, as the old punk number goes...So Fucking What? I would submit that those people with that warped image are the Johnny-come-lately fad-chasers at which country music was never aimed anyway. Sounds a lot to me like Gary LeVox is almost ashamed of country music.
As for the way other genres' stars look at country music -- one wonders what LeVox would say to people like Tom Petty and Don Henley, who think today's "country" music is some sort of sick joke. I would bet you that *I* have more evidence to back my side of that argument than he does to back up his. And even if I didn't, it wouldn't matter, because as a music fan, I honestly don't give a damn about what other people think is cool and what isn't. Would that I could get a personal audience with Mr. LeVox. I know exactly what I'd say to him.
"Made country cool? Whatever helps you sleep at night, dude. Your 'cool' kind of 'country' is the reason this long-time country fan is listening almost exclusively to bands like Pantera, Queensryche, Megadeth and The Cult these days."
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