16 February 2006

Just saw this come across the wires.

Country legends reach out to gays on Oscar-nominated movie soundtracks
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Never mind that country music is considered bedrock conservative, the unofficial red-state soundtrack. This year, some of country's most famous names are singing in movies with gay and transsexual themes.
Dolly Parton received an Oscar nomination for "Travelin' Thru," a song she wrote and sang for "Transamerica." Willie Nelson and Emmylou Harris are heard on the Oscar frontrunner "Brokeback Mountain."
Nelson, always an iconoclast in his music and politics, even released a gay cowboy song on Valentine's Day, "Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly (Fond of Each Other)."
But don't expect a wave of gay love songs to sweep across the heartland anytime soon.
Veteran country stars like Parton, Nelson and Harris are free to reach out to a gay audience because they already have loyal fans. Their careers aren't driven by hit records because country radio already ignores them.
Parton has always embraced her large gay following.

I see and meet high-fallutin' people all the time at my job, but when I met Dolly I couldn't have been a bigger dork. I told her how much I loved her in "Steel Magnolias" and generally just stood there and blushed. She couldn't been sweeter or nicer.