Would Mel Street's career been different in a high-tech era
Would country music singer Mel Street benefitted from today's high tech recording technology and would he have lived past 43.
Would country music singer Mel Street benefitted from today's high tech recording technology and would he have lived past 43.
By Red Thompson
Cottage Media Producer
In the field of sports competition, it is said it is tough to compare players of different eras and I believe the same is true for country-music singers and entertainers. Often it is said singers like Merle Haggard and George Jones would not have made it on today's radio,. These iconic entertainers built their careers from the ground up through raw talent. I think their gift their voice and talent as well as their management teams built them into the legends they became,. If they were coming up today, their pure style would not have been as well accepted. I am sure their talent would have shined through for a notable career. Although he was much in the same realm of the singing of Haggard and Jones, Mel Street may have benefitted from coming up in the tech age, His pure and raw talent identified him with Hank Williams, Ernest Tubb, and the Wilburn Brothers. When Steet hit the national spotlight in the early 1970's, he found success with hard-core cheating, truck driving, and hurtful songs. Street through had a different temperate and personality than the stars he identified with--although he had as much talent. As a fellow country-music historian Gene Redwine pointed out,” Perhaps the distinctive, haunting voice, attributed to his talent, was actually born from the pain he held deep within his heart and mind.” Mel was lonely and depressed and decided to end his own life at 43. It was a tragic end for such a talented man. For Mel eight years of touring proved too much.
I think there a few factors that would have changed for Street if he was coming up in today's techy age. One is Street did not come to Nashville hungry. He was a successful business owner in Bluefield W.Va. owning a garage and had a local-television show as well. He also played in clubs and local radio stations.
Although his management team was good as he became a big star, I think in today's era, Street could have been marketed on the Internet and the pure voice could have been blended into a lot of historic venues. I still think he hit the Opry and had some big hits. I think he may have been the type to set up a studio in Southern West Virginia and sing to the world. I think his tours could have been shorter and he could have spent more time with family and friends. It is important to remember the early 70's, country music was leaving Am radio behind and a new era was starting—but we were far from the video and digital stream ago, Shows like Hee Haw, the Wilburn Brothers, That Good Nashville Music and the Porter Wagoner was about the video extent of country-music marketing. Street was only National television a few times,
If he was coming up today, I think Street could have used Sound Cloud and other devices to find major success. While it is true he may not have been a big star. I think he would have been happier and lived a lot longer. Of course, we can never go back in time and plugin marketing tools that were not available. If the Internet gives us anything, it gives us a link to the past where Mel Street can be appreciated by everyone in a new century and nearly 45 years after he died, Since we do not have a time machine we have to take events as they unfolded. Or maybe the Internet acts as a time machine--without the power to change anything. God Bless you Mel and thanks for the music you left behind and still listen to today.
See Less
Cottage Media Producer
In the field of sports competition, it is said it is tough to compare players of different eras and I believe the same is true for country-music singers and entertainers. Often it is said singers like Merle Haggard and George Jones would not have made it on today's radio,. These iconic entertainers built their careers from the ground up through raw talent. I think their gift their voice and talent as well as their management teams built them into the legends they became,. If they were coming up today, their pure style would not have been as well accepted. I am sure their talent would have shined through for a notable career. Although he was much in the same realm of the singing of Haggard and Jones, Mel Street may have benefitted from coming up in the tech age, His pure and raw talent identified him with Hank Williams, Ernest Tubb, and the Wilburn Brothers. When Steet hit the national spotlight in the early 1970's, he found success with hard-core cheating, truck driving, and hurtful songs. Street through had a different temperate and personality than the stars he identified with--although he had as much talent. As a fellow country-music historian Gene Redwine pointed out,” Perhaps the distinctive, haunting voice, attributed to his talent, was actually born from the pain he held deep within his heart and mind.” Mel was lonely and depressed and decided to end his own life at 43. It was a tragic end for such a talented man. For Mel eight years of touring proved too much.
I think there a few factors that would have changed for Street if he was coming up in today's techy age. One is Street did not come to Nashville hungry. He was a successful business owner in Bluefield W.Va. owning a garage and had a local-television show as well. He also played in clubs and local radio stations.
Although his management team was good as he became a big star, I think in today's era, Street could have been marketed on the Internet and the pure voice could have been blended into a lot of historic venues. I still think he hit the Opry and had some big hits. I think he may have been the type to set up a studio in Southern West Virginia and sing to the world. I think his tours could have been shorter and he could have spent more time with family and friends. It is important to remember the early 70's, country music was leaving Am radio behind and a new era was starting—but we were far from the video and digital stream ago, Shows like Hee Haw, the Wilburn Brothers, That Good Nashville Music and the Porter Wagoner was about the video extent of country-music marketing. Street was only National television a few times,
If he was coming up today, I think Street could have used Sound Cloud and other devices to find major success. While it is true he may not have been a big star. I think he would have been happier and lived a lot longer. Of course, we can never go back in time and plugin marketing tools that were not available. If the Internet gives us anything, it gives us a link to the past where Mel Street can be appreciated by everyone in a new century and nearly 45 years after he died, Since we do not have a time machine we have to take events as they unfolded. Or maybe the Internet acts as a time machine--without the power to change anything. God Bless you Mel and thanks for the music you left behind and still listen to today.
See Less