When The Dealin's Done

John Michael Montgomery has recently wrapped up his career with a final show in his home state of Kentucky. He decided not to invite his nephew, Dillon Carmichael, also a country singer. You can imagine how awkward Thanksgiving will be for that family. But this isn’t about that.

How do you know when it’s time to walk away from what you do, especially in the music industry?

I have written before about my fascination with the story of Bobbie Gentry. She rocketed to fame with The Ode To Billy Joe and Fancy. The first song was huge, and a fun fact: it was the demo she sang into a tape recorder, just her and her guitar. That added a few other orchestral parts later. But she nailed it on the first take. And yeah, Reba’s hit Fancy is a remake. She also created the idea of the Vegas Show, with dancers, a full band, the works. Made enough money there to buy the Phoenix Suns basketball team. Then decided to just drop out of not only the music industry, but also being any part of a public personality. Crazy cool.

Juice Newton was a big enough star in the country world back in the 1970s that she was able to crossover to pop hits. She was nominated for Grammys 5 times and won an ACM for Top New Female Artist and Female Artist of the Year from Billboard twice. Her biggest hits were Queen of Hearts and Angel of the Morning. If you’re old enough, both of those songs just popped into your head. She continued to release albums into the 2000s but quietly just stopped doing that. Her husband is a polo star and coach. They married, had two kids, and Juice got into the horse trading business. People across the country would share stories over the last 20 years about how she would show up at a coffee shop and just play a few songs on open mic nights. Sounds to me like Juice squeezed everything she wanted out of her career. I’ll show myself out now.

The very first country show I represented KRTY at in Northern California featured Tammy Wynette and Ricky Van Shelton. If you’ve misplaced him in your memory, he was a tall, handsome man with a lush baritone, and always wore what used to be called ten-gallon hats. He had a long string of hit records: From A Jack To A King, Keep It Between The Lines, Somebody Lied, Life Turned Her That Way, and I Am A Simple Man, just to name a few. The main thing I remember from that concert was how uncomfortable he looked on stage. The only thing he would say after every song was “We thank you very much,” and then go right into the next one. I think I talked to him once on the air. He was very cordial, but I could tell he would rather be doing anything than talking to me. You can still make a really good living even after you stop putting out songs that chart, just by playing small venues and festivals. I mean, into the 7 figures, depending on how much you want to work. Ricky looked at that life and said no thanks. In 2006, he hung up the hat, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family, write children’s books, and paint. Who knew I Am A Simple Man was both factual and poignant?

Music is always looking for the Next Big Thing. Country radio thought we had found it in 2002. Her name was Cyndi Thompson. She was a talented singer, could write a great song, and was beautiful. I know it sounds sexist, but it mattered, especially back then. What I Meant To Say was a huge hit, and man, we were all ready to ride that star. That’s when she looked at her possible future and declined. She stated later that what she really wanted to do was marry her boyfriend and start a family. They did. Later, she started studying jewelry design, created a company, and followed that path for a number of years. But there’s a kicker to this story: Cyndi has jumped back into the music industry, created a website, and has released new songs. She says she just wasn’t ready to mentally handle the industry when she was 21, but life has given her the skills and mindset to do it now. I personally don’t think she has any interest in being a star, much less the Next Big Thing. I think she just likes to play her music for people who don’t expect anything from her except to listen and appreciate the moment. Wisdom is knowledge plus experience; one without the other is kind of useless. I think Cyndi is very wise.

Living a public life is both rewarding and demanding. It’s hard to know when to walk away. George Strait does very few concerts and even fewer interviews. On the other side of the spectrum, Reba and Dolly will do it until the Good Lord calls them home. I have been enjoying my career for a long time. It’s cool and horrifying when middle-aged folks meet me and tell me they’ve been listening to me since they were kids. Uh, thank you? Then I remind myself what a blessing it is to have had this career. So feel free to show me pictures of your grandkids. We thank you very much.