David Bruce Murray
Dec 07, 2007
Observations
Southern Gospel Artists On Country Radio
Kyle Boreing started this topic and Doug Harrison added to the conversation today. Here are my thoughts on the subject.
A fish from a big pond is always going to stand out in a small pond. Alan Jackson is going to sell more units than, say, Jeff & Sheri Easter. It doesn’t matter if it’s just a collection of hymns sung poorly (and I’m not saying Jackson’s Precious Memories CD is or isn’t sung poorly…I haven’t heard it), many of his existing fans will still buy it. PLUS a lot of gospel fans that might not buy a non-Gospel Alan Jackson CD will buy it too. It’s a win-win from a SALES potential standpoint. Whether SG radio stations will play it and if they do, whether Singing News will allow Alan Jackson to appear on their airplay chart are different stories. (Don’t get me started on why we need to have a Southern Gospel chart based on sales chart again…but if anyone wants to send me $5K a year…)
That’s why these “reverse crossovers” from well known artists like Jackson, Randy Travis, and others are so successful.
Kyle’s question is, “Why can’t Southern Gospel go in the other direction??” After all, it isn’t the Gospel message that’s keeping Country radio from playing a Southern Gospel artist. I see two reasons, which are probably one and the same.
1. If you were a MCA Nashville agent attending NQC or a Gaither event looking for an existing artist from the top of the Southern Gospel heap to take over to Country, who would catch your eye? Maybe Jeff & Sheri Easter and maybe the Isaacs…the point is that there aren’t that many from which to choose, and that’s reason number one. Of course, I’m speaking of these artists as they exist today. Many Southern Gospel artists have a Country sound, but they don’t have a Country look or a Country presence when they take the stage.
2. If you were Jeff & Sheri Easter and MCA Nashville came calling hat in hand promising you much fame and fortune, would you be willing to risk that against the immediate backlash you know would come from all your Gospel fans the minute they hear you’ve “signed with a secular record label?” That’s good enough reason for some artists to say no to such a deal.
Now, in the case of the Isaacs, they’re making an effort to get into Country, but it’s on Gaither’s label rather than a label like MCA Nashville with a proven track record in Country. They’re trying to do a double debut (artist and label). The deck is stacked against that ever working. On the other hand, if Gaither’s label had only taken care of the recording process and a big Country label took over from there with marketing singles to radio, we might be talking about how successful the Isaacs have become in Country by now.
It’s worth noting here that the Isaacs aren’t courting Country with overtly Christian lyrics…at least not at this point. They’re taking the Amy Grant approach to successful crossover status by pushing singles about family, love, etc. I completely understand Grant’s approach to pop music in the 1980s, but Country is a different animal. Christian lyrics will play on Country radio, as Kyle has mentioned. There’s no fundamental reason to limit song lyrics to family and love when pitching to Country. Going back to the Easters for a moment, I think Jeff’s “Tavern To A Temple” and “Goin’ Away Party” would have set well with Country audiences if either of those songs had been given a decent push by a successful Country radio song promoter.
The difference has to lie in marketing. Carrie Underwood had her Country music debut with “Jesus, Take The Wheel,” but she probably isn’t the best example. She was already a household name due to winning American Idol. Consider Josh Turner then, who made his Country debut with “Long Black Train.” That success didn’t come from his previous star power. It came because the MCA Nashville promotion machine devoted their attention to his initial success and got the ball rolling.
