Stormy Speaks

Stormy Weather is opry.com's exclusive columnist. A veteran, though self-described "young and trendy music industry insider," Stormy takes readers along as she moves gracefully within Nashville’s elite inner circles and shares her own first-hand observations, take-no-prisoners opinions and juicy commentary on the movers and shakers inside Music City's illustrious entertainment industry. Read it from Stormy like you won't read it anywhere else.

Stormy Remarks on Taylor Swift and Kanye, Kenny Chesney, the Americana Music Festival, and more!  

Looking good is the best revenge—Kanye West may have tried to steal her thunder at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 13, but Taylor Swift prevailed on so many levels. Taylor arrived on the other side of Kanye’s egocentric show-stopping moment with the support of everyone from Beyonce to Jay Leno, and that’s good. But she also landed on People magazine’s 2009 Best Dressed list, and that’s super fantastic. “Anything that glitters hypnotizes me," Taylor told the magazine. Stormy couldn’t agree more as it has always been Stormy’s goal to sparkle like a holiday. Glad that People recognizes that same attribute in Taylor.

How ‘bout them cowboys?—No, not the Dallas Cowboys, although Stormy finds nothing wrong with a Monday night spent admiring the latest in NFL spandex fashions. In this case, Bettie Lou convinced Stormy that they needed to check out the Americana Music Festival & Conference in Nashville Sept. 16-19. Nanci Griffith, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Raul Malo, Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers, Greencards, Those Darlins, and so many more. It was like an endless chuck wagon of music from which BL and Stormy had to choose. Of course, for Bettie Lou, Americana music means one thing: cowboys. And lots of them. She’s absolutely in love with HANG -N- RATTLE, the new CD from Wylie & the Wild West. If Stormy heard it once, she heard it 5,000 times from BL: “It (‘Grace,’ a song from the new CD) is just my all-time favorite song ever!” Yep, that’s right, little dogies, until the next CD comes out.

Welcome to Wal-Mart—Okay, maybe Kenny Chesney isn’t ready for a blue smock down at the local discount department store. However, he did recently announce that he’s taking an indefinite break, with no immediate plans of returning to the stage. Don’t get all Garth Brooks-like bent out of shape. As best Stormy can tell, this is just a temporary thing. Really, the man is only 41 years old, so he’s too young to qualify for Medicare. And you know no one retires until they’re eligible for Medicare. Kenny also mentioned that he wants to recharge. Well, next Monday morning, Stormy is going to try this very philosophy on her boss. She’s going to call in and tell the boss that she needs to “recharge.” Well, she could do that, but the next day Stormy would be requesting a price check on aisle three.

Forever in Blue Jeans—Stormy just learned that Alan Jackson and Keith Urban have both donated jeans to the not-for-profit Clothes Off Our Backs foundation. If you’re inclined to infuse your own wardrobe with items once worn by a county star, both seem like great options, especially if you like your Wrangler’s well-worn ala Alan. Stormy plans to offer her gently-worn items in the neighborhood yard sale if anyone is interested in a ragged bath robe and fuzzy pink slippers. Although not nearly as dazzling, both items are certainly practical as Stormy wore both for years to pick up the morning paper. She’s only parting with the robe and slippers now because reading the paper online eliminates the need to take that walk of shame out to the sidewalk each morning.

I’ll be there for you—While reading another intellectually stimulating celebrity gossip magazine, Stormy learned that Friends alum Jennifer Aniston will star in The Goree Girls. Apparently a group of female prisoners formed a country band back in the 1940s; it was their ticket out of prison. Even more interesting is the fact that Miss Aniston will not only sing, but she’ll also play the dobro in the movie. Does anyone else hear Jerry Douglas’s phone ringing off the hook?