John Rich has given his opinion towards Country being embraced by American Idol and the two finalists of American Idol. The winner, Scotty McCreery and runner up Lauren Alaina.
As for the fact that both ‘Idol’ finalists were country on Idol this year, Rich said, “Yeah, that’s a testament I think to country music — how big the country music fan base is now.” He went on to say, “Both of those artists are incredibly gifted artists and I promise you when they come to Nashville, everybody’s arms will be wide open.”
90 million votes were cast last week, and the results marked a first for the singing competition. They shattered that record with 122 Million Votes in the final!
Rich predicts, “They’re still gonna have a hard route because country music fans are very discerning.” “They [country fans] know what they’re listening to,” Rich continues. “But these artists are great and now they’re gonna have to come to Nashville and make great records, original songs and songs that really say who they are, and not cover songs.”
Marlee Matlin and John Rich were trying to be the Celebrity Apprentice Sunday night for Donald Trump.
In an episode that began with two men literally rolling out a red carpet in front of Donald Trump as he walked down the streets of New York City, and continued with Gary Busey hijacking the live show so he could talk about his Omaha Steaks kite, Marlee and John fought to finish on their 7UP Retro ad campaign.
In the end, however, only one could win. That one was John Rich, who overcame not greeting Trump and the 7UP execs, and announcing Def Leppard a full 20 minutes early, to be named the Celebrity Apprentice and win $250,000 for his charity, St, Jude Children’s Hospital.
Trace Adkins has a theory why country singers who have been on “Celebrity Apprentice” have done so well.
He says, “probably the best thing that we have going for us, and I’m speaking for country people in general when we’re put in those situations, nobody expects anything of us.” He says because of that false notion, “we go in with those low expectations and then when we perform the way we do, I think we sneak up on them.”
Trace Adkins came in second on the first “Celebrity Apprentice.” Clint Black came in fifth in a later season. And, John Rich is continuing to do very well this season making it to the Final 4.
