Jewel, Jessica Simpson, Bon Jovi ... Mario takes a look at pop and rock artists who are making the leap to country or who have dabbled with the switch in the past, and I'm interested about what you think. Is it diluting the value of good country music, or is it opening it up to more audiences? Also, tell us of any pop/rock-to-country cases we didn't mention. Here's one to start off: Darius Rucker from Hootie and the Blowfish has a country single, "Don't Think I Don't Think About It" and has a self-titled album for Capitol coming out this year.
• Also online: Jessica Simpson winning over country music listeners
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How could you forget Jerry Lee Lewis, he had great success crossing over.
Jessica Simpson in my opinion is using her switch from pop to country as a marketing scam. Think about it, she is "dating" a Dallas Cowboy, she is from "Texas", its all a ploy, probably created by her father, to get her back into the limelite. She needs to stick to pop, her voice is horrible for Country, She needs to sit back and let the real country singers, Miranda Lambert, LeAnn Womack, Martina McBride, handle the country singing...Jessica, stop being something that you aren't, its not appealing to anyone, you dont have the talent to sing Country music....so stop trying.
I think it works both ways. It opens up the new genre to new audiences, and it opens up the artist to new audiences.
Dolly Parton was successful in her brief foray into pop music (9 to 5).
Rhonda Vincent was not successful when she went from bluegrass into country, but I think she learned alot. She is more successful in bluegrass now than she was before.
The new Darius Rucker song rocks. He has changed his style and he really pulls it off. I look forward to hearing more from him. I hope he makes it. He's too talented not to!
I agree with lauren. jessica is not a country singer. I dont think she can sing at all.
no one cares:]
how about metallica's Turn the Page or Tuesday's Gone?
I could understand it better if that was always one's favorite type of music and the record label pushed them in a different direction at the beginning to make money, but in J's case, that scenario doesn't seem to fit. I'm not an expert by any means, but PROPERLY singing country music means living it and coming from a place of authenticity. If she hasn't done that, she'll alieniate her original fans and turn off any prospective ones.
She is no Carrie Underwood .