EMMYLOU HARRIS, NASHVILLE STARS KERRY-OKE FOR JOHN
KERRY
by Thomas M. Sipos, managing editor.
[July 8, 2004]
 [HollywoodInvestigator.com] Country
music stars raised money for John
Kerry's presidential campaign at
the Two Doors
Down in Nashville, at a series of events dubbed 'Kerry-oke Nights,'
sponsored by the Music Row Democrats,
according to an Investigator source at the event.
The second of
four Kerry-oke Nights was on June 14, 2004, and featured Kim
Carnes, Rodney
Crowell, Matraca
Berg, her hubby Jeff Hanna, (of Nitty
Gritty Dirt Band fame), Dennis Matkosky, Allison
Moorer, Bekka Bramlett, and Emmylou
Harris. An "Army veteran" named Adrienne was another featured
guest, according to the source.
 The performance
began at 7 pm when a "Kerry Choir," comprised of the evening's performers,
sang a political song a capella. Featured guests then performed songs
and took audience requests in exchange for donations to Kerry's campaign. Fans were thrilled to be allowed to sing alongside their favorite
performer, for an additional donation.
The Investigator's
source described the event site as a "small venue crowded with supporters
of Kerry and fans of the performers."
Hailing back to the Sixties, Berg
(author of the 1997 Country
Music Association Song of the Year "Strawberry Wine"), her hubby
Hanna, and Crowell sang Mr.
Tambourine Man. Signature songs were in abundance, Carnes
singing "Bette
Davis Eyes" and songwriter Matkosky performing "She's
a Maniac." Emmylou Harris sang "Ode
to Billy Joe." Army vet Adrienne sang "Me
and Bobby McGee."
 The Investigator's
source reports that "more than $5,000" was raised at the second Kerry-oke
fundraiser. The third and fourth Kerry-okes occurred on June 21 and
June 28. Artists on the schedule included Pam
Tillis, Raul
Malo, Maura
O'Connell, Mandy
Barnett, Hal
Ketchum.
* Rodney Crowell Speaks Out
Crowell has recently
stated in an interview that he does not see himself as a country singer,
but just as a songwriter, because he does not identify with much of the
politics in the country music industry. Many country music stars
are supporting Bush's re-election efforts.
Crowell issued
a statement on March, 24, 2003, stating his displeasure with Bush policies
on the wars on Terror and Iraq:
March 24, 2003
Much has transpired in the last
few months that gives me pause. I was decidedly against the current
administration's intentions to invade Iraq without the support of the United
Nations. It was my belief President Bush's team had failed to make
a convincing case that there was a real reason to invade Iraq. It
seemed unwise to alienate our allies for reasons that changed like the
weather.
It seemed to me in the aftermath
of 9-11, our President adopted a kind of arrogance that perpetuated the
ugly American cliché. There is a reason much of the rest of
the world sees us as an arrogant nation. It is, of course, foolish
to believe all Americans are motivated by greed. It is, however,
easy to understand why others see us as greedy people. I was worried
President Bush and his advisors were indebted to special interests -- such
as the oil industry -- to such an extent that diplomacy was not considered
a viable option.
In the end, I came to believe
I knew so little about what was really going on, it was impossible to know
which side of the fence to stand on. I do believe the current administration
has done a poor job communicating their true intentions to reasonably intelligent
liberals such as myself. That said, now that the war is on, I believe
it is my duty to support our soldiers in every way possible. It is
also time to look for the goodness in our political leaders. I do
hope my misgivings about their motivations will prove to have been unfounded.
As a yellow dog Democrat and liberal
humanist, I must say the voice of opposition to the war has not been without
its ugly moments. Though we may not agree with our President's decisions,
it is counter-productive to attack the man personally. It is possible
to disagree without disrespect. Although there does seem to be a
movement among the staunch conservatives to discount the validity of the
liberal opposition's viewpoint at every crook and turn, liberals should
not see this as a license to resort to the same tactics. It is my
belief the true humanitarian, liberal or conservative, never stoops to
name-calling.
I have heard it said that artists
should keep their noses out of the political arena. I would say this
to that: Notice the way Bono appeals to the higher goodness in the politicians and men of power with
which he collaborates. To me, he is the blueprint for how a human
being, artist or otherwise, can make a real difference in the world. Let's
hope his visions materialize.
-- Rodney Crowell
The Investigator
tried to obtain statements from several of the June 14 performers as to
why they supported Kerry instead of Bush, either directly or through their
management, but received no responses.
Copyright 2004 by HollywoodInvestigator.com. Photos copyright & courtesy Matraca.com.
|
