Shania Twain Photo Courtesy of Mercury Nashville
Each week country music expert Neil Haislop answers your questions!
Q: Shania Twain is one of my favorite artists, and her Greatest Hits album is awesome! What's the latest on her? Is she making any new music or taking a break?
(Adrienne, Mobile, AL)
A: Adrienne, good news is that Shania Twain is recording again. She did take quite a bit of time off, but she admits that since her husband, Mutt Lange, is her producer and favorite co-writer, and since they have their own state-of-the-art recording studio, they’re able work on music whenever they want to. Word is that she’s working more steadily now on a new album, with a new single out possibly this fall. No date yet on when a new album will follow.
Q: I grew up in the Elvis era and always heard him called the "King of Rock and Roll," and I never thought he was a country performer. Did his singles chart on both the country and rock charts? Has Elvis ever had a No. 1 record on the country charts? Do you think Elvis will ever be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame? Thanks for helping me out.
(Bernie, Peoria, IL)
A: My pleasure Bernie. Elvis’ recording career impacted both the pop and country charts from the beginning. He charted three country hits in ’55 including his first country No. 1. He hit with "Baby Let’s Play House," (No. 5), "I Forgot to Remember to Forget," (No. 1 for five weeks) and "Mystery Train" (No. 10). Then, in 1956, Elvis exploded everywhere with "Heartbreak Hotel" that spent 17 weeks at No. 1 on the country chart. After that, most of Elvis’ signature hits were pop to country crossovers, giving him eventually 11 country No. 1 hits on the Billboard chart. And, yes, Elvis Presley is in the Country Music Hall of Fame--inducted in 1998.
Q: I heard a song on the radio, I think the name was "I Loved Her First." It’s about a daddy giving away his little girl to get married. What is the title, and who is the artist?
(Sherry, Elmdale, KS)
A: Kimberly, you got the title right. "I Loved Her First" is by a new band called Heartland. As a father, I had the same feelings expressed in the song when I gave my daughter away at her wedding. She was the love of my life first, and I was thinking, "You better take care of her!" Cool song in my book.
Q: What happened to Rebecca Lynn Howard? Is she doing anything in country music?
Carl, Flint, TX)
A: Carl, Rebecca Lynn Howard has been signed to several labels only to keep running into the bad luck that most of those labels folded before they could properly launch Rebecca Lynn. She was supposed to sign with Toby Keith’s Show Dog records earlier this year, but that hasn’t happened yet. But, as talented as she is, whether she signs with Toby (they say she probably will), it’s only a matter of time for the right label and song to launch her once and for all.
Q: How does Trace Adkins' wife, Rhonda, cope with Trace being surrounded by all those beautiful, almost naked women in his videos?
Shelly, Foley, MO)
A: Shelly, fortunately for Trace Adkins, he married somebody in the business. At the time he married Rhonda Forlaw-Adkins, she was one of the top publicists in Nashville. She understood that Trace’s sex appeal was an asset and helped promote him as a sex symbol long before they were married. Also, she knows that he knows that any babes that might appear in Trace’s videos are just part of the business. Trace says he’d never mess with any women surrounding him on a set, and that may explain why he and Rhonda remain one of the most solid couples in Nashville.
Q: What is the name of Alan Jackson’s debut album, released in 1990?
(Cindy, Austin, TX)
A: Cindy, Alan Jackson’s debut album is titled Here in the Real World. The album contained Alan's first five singles, including his first four hit songs--"Blue Blooded Woman" (No. 45), "Here in the Real World" (No. 3), "Wanted" (No. 3), "Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow" (No. 2), and his first No. 1 hit, "I’d Love You All Over Again."
Q: When really big stars like Toby, Tim & Kenny, etc. go shopping and they are trying not to be spotted, do any of them use fake names--like on their credit cards--so the clerk doesn't realize it’s them?
(Andre, Salt Lake City, UT)
A: Andre, there are times when the top stars try to hide their identity. Often when a performer pulls into a big town and their buses are spotted at a particular hotel, it gives away where they’re staying. So the artist will register in the hotel under a code name so fans or others can’t call the hotel and bother them. Also, since stars look more glamorous and bigger than life on stage and in videos, most of the time they avoid being spotted by just dressing down and wearing a pair of sunglasses. In and around Nashville, it’s even less of a problem. Many stars appear in stores and restaurants without disguising themselves, and local fans and business people are so used to seeing them it’s no big thing. About fake credit cards--I don’t think it’s legal for anybody to use a fake name. But artists who are known by a stage name can use their real name instead.
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