When I think of my mother and music so many memories and thoughts come to mind. It has always been such a common thread between the two of us, something special we could share that didn’t quite include my older sister. While my mom carted me around to all those dance lessons, gymnastic classes and cheerleading practices, the radio was always playing – country music more often than not – in our Mercury Grand Marquis. She often was quizzing me on who was singing and what instrument was playing a solo. I dare you try to defeat me in a country round of “Name That Artist”…trust me, she trained me well.
Every country music awards show was an event, as well. Pizza was ordered and picked up. Predictions were made. A blank VHS was primed in the VCR ready to capture every single moment of the show. It was like a holiday to us. My mom would sing along to the performances. I may or may not have injured myself when Brad Paisley won the Horizon Award at the CMAs. Those nights were always epic.
George Strait has always been a favorite of hers, and as a result, he’s a part of my foundation of the love I have for country music. We about wore out our Pure Country cassette tape. I fondly remember our excitement over purchasing his Strait Out of the Box set. I was shocked to learn that my mother actually – gasp – returned his Strait Country album to the store because she found it “too country” at the time. The kicker is that it was on vinyl too! That was soul crushing to me. How could she do such a thing?
Well, despite her influencing my love of country, my mother was not always a country lover. There was a time that Elvis Presley and rock music was more her speed and country just wasn’t her thing. The Beatles, Three Dog Night and Creedance Clearwater Revival were a few of the folks she listened to. While I could dig some of Elvis’ music and movies, I just couldn’t get into the rest of those rock guys. It just wasn’t my thing.
My mother also is way into the four-hour miniseries about The Temptations, the one that was on NBC during the late ‘90s. VH1 loves re-running that, so we’ve watched it so many times I’ve lost count. However, it got me out of my country zone and exposed me to the sounds of Motown. That stuff is killer!
The most important thing of all when it comes to my mother and her influence on music in my life is that she supported me when I had this crazy dream of going to Nashville to work in the music biz. Not everyone has that experience, so I am grateful that I did. I know that sometimes I take her for granted (I think we’re all guilty of that with the most important people in our lives.), but I feel so blessed to be given such a wonderful mom with a great love of music.
I love you…and here’s to many more years of keeping the music playing together!
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Nikita Palmer (@RTNowRadio) for Cumulus Media © 2012
