With the tragic passing of legend George Jones, Country music now has a void.
Who can possibly fill his shoes? With the Possum no longer blessing us with his gorgeous voice, who is now the best living Country singer?
Well, Brad Paisley recently weighed in on the topic (in an interview with Country 92.5), and he says Carrie Underwood is the best. Do you think he's right on the money?
"I think Carrie Underwood," he says. "No doubt about it. I really think nobody sings better than her."
As a vocalist, Carrie is certainly one of those rare voices, regardless of genre, that can make the hairs stand up on your arm.
I present to you Exhibit A (and her finest vocal performance to-date):
If, however, you are more into subtle performances, I give to you Exhibit B:
Why, yes, it might be true that I am a big Carrie fan, but I'm not quite sure she is the best living singer. Her voice is stellar and simply out of this world, but I would put several living legends ahead of her in line for the title.
There's Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, Reba McEntire, Alan Jackson, George Strait, Alison Krauss and Patty Loveless who are far more deserving, just off the top of my head. When I think of great singers, I not only look at vocal talent, but lyric interpretation and conviction. The names I just mentioned are some of the best singers that Country music has ever seen. If you dig a little further, several more names can be added to that list, such as Vince Gill, Pam Tillis, Willie Nelson, Mel Tillis, Tanya Tucker, Dolly Parton, Ray Price and Glen Campbell, among many others.
Here are just a few of their finest live performances (or music videos, in some cases):
Merle, "Mama Tried"
Loretta, "Coal Miner's Daughter"
Reba, "Whoever's In New England"
Alan, "Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning"
Alison, "When You Say Nothing At All"
George, "Amarillo By Morning"
Patty, "You Don't Even Know Who I Am"
Vince, "Go Rest High on That Mountain"
Pam, "Maybe It Was Memphis"
Willie, "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain"
Mel, "Lonely Girl"
Tanya, "Two Sparrows in a Hurricane"
Dolly, "Jolene"
Ray, "For the Good Times"
Glen, "Wichita Lineman"
Photo Credit: Youtube
Now, I turn it over to you.
Do you agree with Brad? Is Carrie the best living Country singer right now? Who IS the best living Country singer? Is it someone I've mentioned above? Or do you have another singer in mind? Sound off below!
Chat with me about this topic on Twitter, if you like. Also, feel free to email me to keep the conversation going.
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