Country music artists

In December 2005, country music superstar Garth Brooks made a handsome donation to Integris Canadian Valley Regional Hospital in his hometown of Yukon, Oklahoma. The main stipulation in the contract was that the hospital management must use the money to build a cancer treatment facility that will be named after Brooks’ mother, Colleen Brooks, who died from cancer in 1999. Now, the artist drew both criticism and support for suing the same hospital for of $500,000 for alleged breach of contract.

In reports aired over CNN affiliate in Oklahoma City, KOKH, the controversial lawsuit has been filed in the District Court of Rogers County, Oklahoma, which basically asks that the donation be returned because the original contract had not been honored by Integris management. According to the original agreement, the donation should have gone to the establishment of a medical facility named after Colleen Brooks. However, although the hospital has undertaken a $27 million dollar renovation, to date, the building is yet to be built and in fact, there are indications that it will not be built at all as originally intended.

The lawsuit mentions that hospital officials showed building models during the preliminary meetings around the time when the donation was made. However, when an inquiry was made, it was found that the management had only informed Brooks in a vague manner that the donation would be “earmarked” for future use. To these allegations, the hospital’s top management is confident that this was just a misunderstanding. Although Crowe and Dunlevy attorney Terry Thomas, who is part of a team representing the hospital, declined to comment further, a spokeswoman for Integris stated that the hospital management was fully “optimistic that it will come to a swift and amicable end.”

Not everyone, however, is in a conciliatory mode. City council member John Tipps said, “Yukon has done a lot to help promote Garth Brooks over the years, and this is what he does to return the favor, sue our hospital over a misunderstanding.” He further told the The Yukon Review, “Maybe Yukon should consider removing his name from the street signs and the water tower. This is very unfortunate for the hospital, City of Yukon and its citizens.”

Due to the controversial nature of the case, country music fans are also divided with regards to the issue. While there are those who believe that Brooks has all the right to sue for breach of contract, there are also those who believe that making a donation should not have entailed stipulations in the first place.

No matter what the public opinion is, Brooks seems to be heartbroken over the whole ordeal. According to Brooks’ spokesperson, “This is deeply personal. This deals with his mother, the hometown and the people he grew up with.” Nevertheless, the singer is apparently determined to do what is right.

Patsy Cline

Ahhh country songs! They make us cry, laugh, fall in love, get angry—sometimes all at the same time. Throughout the history of country music, many songs have stood out for very different reasons. Some became famous because of the beauty of the vocals, the theme, the exquisite lyrics, the unforgettable melody, or even the political impact they have created. Despite the differences in sub-genres such as modern, traditional, or even pop-tinged country ditties, these songs have definitely struck a chord with country music fans all across Northern America.

What does it take for a country song to be considered a good one? Sometimes, even the writer would have no idea and will only know so once the record has hit the market. Meanwhile, there are other writers who really sit down and purposefully write a hit record. No matter the origin, good country songs are here to stay, as long as great artists are available to give life to these words set to music. From love songs to political anthems, let us take a look at some of the bets ones the genre has ever produced.

The Dance- Garth Brooks (1990)
Certainly, Garth Brooks is one of the iconic legends of the genre. His impact and credibility as a musician, singer, and songwriter have cemented his status as one of the country superstars the genre has ever produced. This song particularly captured patriotic sentiments among music fans because of its theme of people who have sacrificed their lives pursuing a great dream. To emphasize this theme, the accompanying video featured notable American icons including JFK, champion Bull rider Lane Frost, the crew from the Space Shuttle ‘Challenger,’ and Martin Luther King, Jr., among others.

Stand By Your Man- Tammy Wynette (1968)
“And if you love him, oh be proud of him / ‘Cause after all he’s just a man,” so goes the main line of the song. Although it was largely rebuked by feminists for its allegedly anti-women’s liberation themes mainly due to the misconstrued meaning of the song, Wynette defended it by saying that, in fact, the lyrics are more about women who are in love with their men and are willing to overlook their flaws and imperfections. Owing to its huge popularity, this country song stayed at No. 1 on the U.S. country charts for three weeks.

Crazy- Patsy Cline (1962)
Cline picked up this song and worked with producer Owen Bradley who arranged the song as a soulful ballad of undying love when singer Billy Walker turned down this Willie Nelson-penned song. Ironically, this song was initially hated by Cline who tried to sing it according to the quirky vocal stylings of Nelson. However, it ultimately became Cline’s most popular song to date.

Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)- Toby Keith (2001)
Probably one of the most controversial songs the genre has ever produced, this was an anthemic song written by outspoken Oklahoma native Keith, this song was specifically written to commemorate the patriotism of Keith’s late father. In time, it has become an anthem of sorts to US Soldiers everywhere courtesy of its lyrics.