Jessica Simpson was born deep in the heart of Texas. She�s dating a cowboy (sort of). She looks great in daisy dukes and as Daisy Duke. So why�s it so hard for Simpson to convince people she�s a country singer now?
Last weekend at a country music festival in Wisconsin, Simpson performed a set that included Willie Nelson�s �On the Road Again,� Shania Twain�s �Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?� and her own current Nashville hit �Come on Over.� Hundreds cheered her on. Hundreds more booed.
Clearly Lone Star, cowboy and �Dukes of Hazzard� connections can�t convert everyone you�re heir to Kitty Wells� rhinestone tiara. So what can? To find out, we take a look at some recent crossover attempts.
Bon Jovi
The attempt: After bringing in Sugarland�s Jennifer Nettles to sing along on the Grammy-winning rural area No. 1 �Who Says You Can�t Go Home,� New Jersey�s native sons tried to conquer the new grocery store in 2007 with a �Nashville-inspired� album, �Lost Highway.�
The execution: Sounding suspiciously like an old Bon Jovi record with some prefab twang, �Lost Highway� debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 (a first for the band). Maybe people took Jon seriously when he american ginseng, �I�m a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride.� Maybe they lovingly remembered his cameo in �Young Guns II.� Whatever it was, it worked.
The Eagles
The attempt: The band�s early albums skirted the line between rock music and body politic - remember �Desperado,� which was a virtual Old West conception album? But the Western sound pretty quickly became West Coast with adult contemporary racing yacht rock. For Henley, Frey and Co.�s 2007 reunification record, �Long Road out of Eden,� they well-tried to rebrand themselves as country bikers,even appearance at the Country Music Awards.
The carrying out: In a move right out of Garth Brooks� playbook, the Eagles signed an exclusive distribution deal with country-keen Wal-Mart. The album went multi-platinum, topping both the country and pop charts, and iI songs (J.D. Souther�s �How Long� and �Busy Being Fabulous�) were Top 30 Hot Country and Hot Adult Contemporary hits. The only problem was the music. Beyond legit dust ballad �How Long,� it�s the same slick, bland pop Henley and Frey churned out in the �80s.
Jewel
The endeavour: After beingness dropped from her label, Jewel decides it�s a good time to genre jump - again. (What? You don�t recall her turn as a sex kitten, dance pop diva on �0304�?). With John Rich of Big and Rich producing, Jewel released �Perfectly Clear,� an album of new land ballads and re-worked oldies of her own.
The execution: Jewel�s actually got legit country roots - she grew up with an outhouse and can do some mean yodeling - but that doesn�t always mean much (see fellow blond bombshell Jessica Simpson). After arrival No. 1 on the country album chart last month, �Perfectly Clear� tumbleweeded down the charts. Jewel is, all the same, touring with Brad Paisley this summer, which isn�t exactly like touring with Willie Nelson. But it�s a start.
Robert Plant
The endeavor: The highschool priest of heavy metal joins forces with bluegrass Country angel Alison Krauss stressful to pretend a rather country, rather rockabilly, rather dark evangel masterpiece with their album �Raising Sand�? Not truly what Zep fans were hoping for after last year�s reunion rumors.
The execution of instrument: �Raising Sand� has about universally thrilled fans and critics, and after making its debut at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, sales have been strong. But it�s been the sold-out tours that have been the real revelation. Only this match could put Southern unearthly �Down the River to Pray� and Zep�s �Black Dog� side by side in front of bluegrass die-hards and make them cheer.
Darius Rucker
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