Holy Shit! That’s all I can say. Well, and this… There is so much material, that I hope I can make this book shorter than “War And Peace”! You guys want the inside scoop of the experience? (This is not a sales pitch, by the way…that was just the “Who the F$%^ is Linda Chorney” T-shirt!)
I can just hardly contain myself. And I am having a blast…(most of the time). From sunshine to shit storm, from praise to death threats! From Knights in shining armor to Super Villans! From responsible journalism, to irresponsible. The Good, Bad, and the Ugly, if I may steal that title for a moment.
From elation to utter shock at some reactions. The lies, the speculation, the attempts to discredit. The phone calls from guys I would picture in trench coats on Level three of a garage with an attaché case full of secrets! The sheer joy, the satisfaction, climbing the mountain for so long, and getting a better view on a higher plateau.
Just a little sample of material comes from blogs posted on a site where you need to be a member to post..(but it’s free to sign-up). “No Depression”. Here is the link to the latest post about yours truly….written by Kim Reuhl. Thanks, Kim!
http://www.nodepression.com/profiles/blogs/in-linda-chorney-s-defense
Everyone is entitled to their opinions, and I’ve been urged to not read things on the internet. But I really do find it amusing! I do not think my nomination is a joke, or my music, or anyone elses’ music. I just find the behavior interesting to watch from my birds’ eye view….or should I say “Chick”, as I have been referred to, or a “Prom Queen”. Am I the first 51 year old Prom Queen?!
One gentleman, has expressed his opinion, whom I met on 365. And another very gentleman responds….
LET THE MATERIAL BEGIN!!!
Comment by Jim Berkenstadt 1 hour ago
Re: your recent (12-28-2011) Forum comments implying that Linda Chorney sent you a self- produced solicitation at Grammy 365 made to look like its “from a third party, LOL”… I would like to straighten you and the rest of this organization out on your little White Lie.
As you know, that letter came from me to you personally. I guess that makes me “Mr. LOL”. You know me, because you solicited me several times last year for your own Grammy nod. Second, as you know, I am an author and a music historian and from the content in the letter, you knew it was from me writing to you in support of Linda –within the Grammy rules. You also sent me a reply to my letter. This of course, is an admission that you knew I wrote this letter.
You tried to twist my letter into something else, to make some point that Linda doesn’t deserve a Grammy since she used the social media system instead of “cow”-towing to the Americana Association.
First I will show the letter I sent to you at Grammy 365, produced 100% by me, a writer (with a college degree and even a law degree!) who can write a letter by himself without help from a guitar player. I even pinched the CD cover by right-clicking on Google images. (Apologies to Americana Association folks in advance and the Nashville mafia for what’s in my letter.) It is my sole opinion and goes to the heart of the argument about what a truly independent person Linda is. And how remarkable it is that she could achieve a nomination on her own, without corporate or association assistance. The goal of the letter is to provide some historical perspective to this volatile argument about Grammy categories that rear up almost every year.
| For your consideration… Linda Chorney – EMOTIONAL JUKEBOX – Best Americana Album Grammy I have been a voting member of NARAS since 1994. As a music historian I have studied the sometimes strange Grammy victories of the past. Equally strange are the silent, hidden voting blocks of music industry corporations. For example, could the Anita Kerr Quartet have really beaten out The Beatles in 1965 for a Grammy without the Nashville voting bloc quietly getting together for a few beers? I think not. By the way, we haven’t heard much from the Anita Kerr group lately have we? Well at least we all recall that her “hit” We Dig Mancini was far better than The Beatles’ Help!Lately, the powers that be in the Americana Association are up in arms because Linda Chorney has been nominated for a wonderful new album Emotional Jukebox in the BEST AMERICANA ALBUM category of the Grammys.So, why is the “Southern Man” so upset about Linda? One claim is that she doesn’t fit in the Americana category. Oh so its okay Jethro Tull got a Grammy for Best Heavy Metal artist. No one seemed to have a problem with that, did they? Perhaps if they listened to the album first, they would see that Linda’s music is pure Americana! FYI Americana is not defined by Southern Corporate music alone. Or by some Association!Another claim is “Who the F@#k is Linda?” Never heard of her. Oh I see, Grammy voters can only vote for Corporate Machine candidates that the Americana Association has “created” with questionable radio record spin reporting and ginned up articles with their favorite newspaper hacks?The machine is telling Grammy voters they made a mistake nominating Linda Chorney for Best Americana album. Well, I listened to Linda’s entire album when she connected with me out of the blue. And it was, in my opinion, Fantastic. So I voted for her nomination.Now I am voting to give her a well-deserved Grammy. I have worked for artists such as The Beatles, George Harrison, The Traveling Wilburys, Butch Vig and Garbage. So I think I know enough about good music when I hear it. |
TADA! One Knight!
Okay. I’ve finished sending out all of my consideration letters for round 2. I might win, I might not. But I have done my best to try to have my music heard. That is all I can ask. (And all I did ask!)
I will wrap this up (See, this blog is almost a novel! Imagine the length of the book!), by saying there is a huge amount of amazing independent music out there. A lot of it is on Reverb Nation, a lot is on CD Baby, Spotify, Soundcloud, and also some NOT on those sites.
Some are on back porches, kitchen tables, campfires, dorm rooms around a bong, little bars where someone is stuck in a corner, while people are just yapping away not bothering to listen.
I will be sad when this round is over, only because I had so much fun listening to wonderful musicians’ music on Grammy 365. Many of whom, if I were actually able to stuff a ballot box, would have been nominated along side the greats that everyone knows, and the “who the fuck izzes” that got in. (I just made that word up!) There are too many genres clumped together to have them all. I’m not taking anything away from the big stars. They are big stars for a reason.
And good luck to the Izzes that also got nominated!
Stars in my eyes, that I met on 365, that did not get as lucky as I? To name a few, Lee Paris, Bobby Messano, Aaron White, Gustavo Alarco, Al Petteway, Keith Hays, We Govern We, Judy Wexler, Norman David and Eleventet, Evan Wish, and a few more names I can’t think of, because I am a bit fried.
The rest will be in the book! And watch out next year for Bobby Susser, Arlan Feiles, and Lisa Fischer,
Me and Lisa - backstage after Chris Botti at Count Basie, Red Bank, NJ
whom I was so fortunate to have on “Emotional Jukebox”, I wrote a song for her to sing, if she has the time! (Too many high notes for me!)
And I am so grateful, that some how, enough individuals put my number up there to see this on November 30th, 2011.
Chorney Blog 
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