Country Music Headlines I’d Like To See In 2017

As we bid 2016 a fond farewell, it's time to look ahead to the New Year. Where will Country Music go? What will happen...and what won't?

That, of course, remains to be seen. But as a fan of real honest-to-goodness country music, there are some headlines I would love to see. Now, I'm not saying any of this will really happen. It is, after all, a wish list. But I'm hoping I'll see a shooting star and these will come true!

So, on to the fake (but hopeful) country headlines of 2017:

1) 'New' Merle Haggard Album To Be Released By Spring 2017

I've said it before (and often), for me The Hag is the greatest country music singer ever, and one of the greatest songwriters to boot. We lost Merle in 2016, but you just know there has to be a treasure chest of un-released Hag songs. I'm not talking about 're-packaging' of his music catalog, I'm talking about great songs that, for one reason or another, didn't make it on any album. They're 'new' to us and we'll get to begin hearing them in 2017. After all, there can never be enough Hag!

2) Willie Nelson To Release Three New Albums In 2017

Oh, I know, I know, three albums would be a lot to ask for from an artist. But hey, this is Willie! So then, one album would be all totally new material and all written by Willie. The second album would be all duets with James Taylor (Willie sings with everyone, you know). Six songs on the album are Willie classics like 'Always On My Mind', 'Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain' and 'Crazy'. The other six are Taylor classics like 'Fire and Rain', 'Carolina In My Mind' and 'Sweet baby James'. And the third album is Willie with a full blown top-of-the-line Orchestra, a Christmas album released November 1st. Ahhh...life is good.

3) Keith Whitley Tapes Found In Abandoned Warehouse

OK, maybe not an abandoned warehouse, but hey, it's my wish. I miss the incredible writing and singing of Keith Whitley. I would make the argument that 'Don't Close Your Eyes' is the greatest country music song ever (I know, I know, you say it's 'He Stopped Loving Her Today'). It would be fantastic if somebody somewhere accidentally found a few albums worth of things we've never heard before from this great artist.

4) Country Music Takes A Traditional Turn

Since it's my wish list, I would absolutely love to see this headline. That would mean great artist's like Mo Pitney, Marcus Lindsey, Shane Owens and others could be heard by millions like they should be. Terms like 'Bro-Country', 'Hick-Hop' and 'Rap-Country' would fade away and go live with Disco in the corner of our memory.

And finally

5) Country Music Loses No Artist's In 2017

I know, an impossible headline. But I can close my eyes and wish, can't I? 2016 was a tough year, taking some of our most legendary artist's and some that were way too young. I suppose it's like that every year, but from the great Merle Haggard to the legendary Jean Sheppard and others, it was beyond sad. And the country music world literally openly wept when we lost Joey Feek. And so it is with childlike innocence and and hope that I see this headline just about one year from today.

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