Dear Lorianne and Charlie, Wishing you and your families a very merry and safe Christmas and the happiest new year. I do hope you have great success with your new show, I look forward to watching it. Sincerely, John
Lorianne & Charlie, Congratulations on your new show on RFD-TV. We are so happy you are returning to TV after a seven year absence. This is what we and all your fans have been waiting for all these years. My wife and I were big fans of your shows on the old TNN network. Do you think Hanna & Dink will make an appearance once in awhile? This is great news for the new year. We can't wait for the show to start. Again, our warmest regards, - Del & Judy, Madison, WI
I think I have died and gone to heaven...Crook and Chase will be coming back on TV. There will be so many happy people now that this is coming back on. I can't believe it. Congratulations. My DVR will be set!!!! -Janet
I listen to you every week-end when I drive to my girlfriend's home about an hour away. We have been best friends since we were sophomores in high school. Last week-end you mentioned the Garth Brooks CD that was available on the Susan G. Komen website in pink. I have done the Komen Race for the Cure in Peoria, IL every year for the last 15 years. I do it memory of my mother, for others who didn't survive and in celebration for all who have survived. Believe me, it is a truly moving experience. Well to make a long story short, I told my husband about the CD and he ordered it for me. It came yesterday and it is beautiful. I know we could have purchased it at any store, but we both felt it was important to buy it off the Komen site. With ten dollars donated from each CD purchased maybe we can be a little closer to a cure. So thank you from the bottom of my heart, not only for mentioning this important cause, but for making people aware of how important finding a cure is. Thank you again. -- Rose, Streator, IL
Congratulations on the big return to television. It's about time! I've been a fan since you two launched the now long gone (and I still miss it) "This Week In Country Music" back in '83, and I still catch the Crook and Chase Countdown from time to time. I also visit the website frequently as well. Congratulations, also, on 25 years as a team. I can't picture the world of country music without you two. I had the privilege of attending a few TV tapings of "Crook and Chase" back in '87 and '88 and also met you both at one of the Country Music Fan Fairs. I have three autographed photos of you (not to mention probably 200 of country music stars) which I treasure! Congrats once again. Keep up the great work! --Kenny, Odum, GA
When I heard your interview with Faith Hill about her husband Tim McGraw not receiving any CMA nominations this year, I was in the same boat as her. I am furious with the fact that an entertainer who had one of the biggest years musically, was not even nominated. As well as someone who has sold more concert tickets, which raised more money than half the nominees nominated will see for a while. Not only was it a slap in the face to Tim, his producers and his family, but an embarrassment to his fans as well. We go out and buy his records, we attend his concerts and we purchase his movies. I am a loyal viewer of the CMA's and have other favorite performers, and it is sad to think that I won't be watching it this year. I think that the Association needs to step back and take a good look at the nominees and realize that a major player is missing. Someone who deserved to be in there that is not. Someone who is so respected as an artist by people that truly matter the most, His fans. -- Tori, Columbia, MO
I was listening to the interview with Faith Hill, when she commented about the fact that Tim wasn't nominated for a CMA award. I do think that his being at a smaller record label might have had something to do with this. ALSO I think that when a Country music performer branches out into something else like acting, the industry starts to ignore them. I think this happened to Randy Travis, and we all know what a voice he has. I think it's a shame that Tim (and Faith) are being snubbed, but their fans know that they are still the best! -Mary
Hi! My name is Natalie, and I am listening to your countdown on 96.1fm. I heard you talking about how Kellie Pickler was an inspiration to a lot of people. I thought that I would just share that she was one for me, too. I was adopted and it really helped me to want to look for my birth parents and not be afraid to ask the questions that really have been nagging at me for my whole 18 years. I am now in contact with my birth family, and I really wouldn't have had the courage to actually talk to my real mother if it hadn't been for Kellie Pickler's song "I Wonder." That song brings tears to my eyes every time that I hear it. -Sincerely, Natalie
When I was stationed at Seymore Johnson AFB Goldsboro, NC in the early seventies, I used to go to Nashville just up the road. The only country artist that was completely sold out was Charlie Pride. You could get tickets to see Johnny Cash, George Jones, just about anyone you could think of, but Charlie was sold out. Well like I was saying I went to see Charlie and there was this black kid in the front row and he hollored at Charlie "Hey Brother how about some James Brown". Charlie looked at him and replied, "First of all I am not your brother and secondly, if you came here to hear James Brown you are in the wrong place"!! The whole audience stood up and cheered. It was priceless. I listen to you guys on Sunday on 100.7 Kat Kuntry Out of Victoville,Ca. I am a truckdriver with a dedicated Mail Run. I am an OLD FART, born in 1951 and I love Truck Drivin Country Music which is kind of hard to find. Keep up the good work!!!! Yours - "Sandpaper"
Hey! My name is Sarah and I am a huge Carrie Underwood fan and I absolutely love "So Small"! Thank you so much for playing it and picking it as a future top 10 hit. It will be definitely be another #1 hit for Carrie. She definitely deserves it. She is a great singer and a wonderful person with a great personality and she has a deep love for her fans. I have met her 2 times and I am in her fan club. Once again, Thank you for playing it! - Sarah
Dear Lorianne and Charlie -- My Name is Gloria, I am a twenty year old college student who, this fall, will be attending South Dakota State University in Brookings South Dakota. I would truly appreciate it if you could find in your kind heart to take the time to read this. Thank you very much. Country Music has always been about a voice, which tells the story of one's life. After a face has been put to that voice, you can see a real person telling a real life story. Every song's story told by the artist, allows everyone fortunate enough to hear the heartfelt message can relate. Some messages are so personal that the artists themselves get a little chocked up to sing. That emotion makes that artist all the more real. Real life is definitely the key to country music to make the connection between listener and artist. It is amazing how strong of a connection a listener can have with an artist, even though they have never met. That is the power of music. Hearing Kellie Pickler talk at the Minnesota State fair about how her song "I Wonder" convinced one of those fortunate listeners who planned to abandon her children and basically just give up on the life she knew, over some fight with her husband. Thankfully, she heard "I Wonder" and she realized she would never want that to be her little girl singing that song. I realized I really wanted to pursue meeting Kellie Pickler to thank her on so many levels. I would thank her for saving even just that one family from going through the agony and vacancy and pain of having a mother do the unthinkable, and just not be in their child's life. For "I Wonder" to help just one family makes Kellie Pickler more than successful. I know about this vacancy and unexplainable pain, because I could be that girl singing that song. My Childhood seemed like what would be the perfect life. I had the stay at home mother who seemed to do anything and everything for her children. I had the hard working father who would come home from a day's work to his children running the yard and dinner waiting for him on the table. I also had the older brother who I probably annoyed more than anything he had ever known, but what else is the role of the younger sister? Until one June day, back in 1993, my father was on his way home from work on his motorcycle, and was tragically cut off of this life too soon when he was stuck from the side by a sixteen year old drunk driver. I was six years old at the time, my brother seven. All we remember is our mother's face that day. I know I'll never forget it. She had approached where my brother and I were in the yard, and she had an athletic bag made up, and she told us that we were going to our Uncle and Aunt's house for a play-date. Since we were so young, we believed that line. Little did we know at that point that our father was gone, or that after she dropped us off at our Uncle and Aunt's, that that would be the last time either one of us would see our mother again. She had taken off, and didn't even tell our Aunt what she was planning to do. I thank God everyday for everything my Aunt Patti and Uncle Steve did for my brother and I, they adopted us about three months after and they raised us as their own children. However, the absence of a mother was always present. Being so young, and never having my mother explain why my father had gone, I took it all in as my fault. I made myself believe that I had to have done something wrong to make my mother leave us. With that mindset I started from the very young age of seven to start to just pick at my meals, never wanting to really eat. My Aunt would have to bargain with me just for me to eat two or three bites. I continued this lifestyle all the way through high school, and I had done it so long that I didn't ever feel hungry. It was extremely noticeable that I hardly ate, not just with the slender weight of 98 pounds and being 5'6", but when my friends and I look at my skin, you could see green veins through my skin, due to low iron intake. Sure my Uncle and Aunt, teachers and doctors were worried about me, but no one ever saw it as a serious problem. I never thought of it as a bad habit because I didn't notice any pain with it, it was just my way of life. Thankfully, throughout elementary school and high school I had amazing friends that never made fun of me for it. It was my first year in College at Wisconsin Stout, where I didn't have all of my friends from high school with me anymore, when I realized that maybe there is something wrong with my way of life, when my roommate asked me if I wanted to go to McDonalds's, and I responded with "I've never been there before". So instead of going with her, I got in my car and drove around to clear my head. I started scanning through the radio; nothing seemed like anything I wanted to listen to. Until I came across a song crystal clear, and I let it play through. It was a slow moving song, but yet seemed compelling for me to leave that station on. After hearing the first two lines "Sometimes I think about you, wonder if you're out there somewhere thinking about me, and would you even recognize the woman that your little girl has grown up to be." I had to pull my car over into a nearby rest stop, and then listened to the song in its entirety. I sat there listening, and thinking, who is this angelic voice that is explaining my life to a tee? Only then did I look down at my dashboard to read "I Wonder, Kellie Pickler" all I could think to myself was, FINALLY! Finally, a singer who is singing about real life, and not trying to hide it behind all the glamour and fame. I also thought "Finally the only way my mother is going to know everything she had missed out on, and every time I wished her to be there, was told to her in that song." While I may have not been able to contact my mother since 1993, radio is everywhere, and at some point I know in my heart she has heard that miracle song. I know that she has had to listen to those lyrics and also know that that is exactly how I feel as well. I began to wonder, what would my mother say to me? Would she say I'm sorry, or I'm proud of you, or that she loves me or if she could even recognize me. Then I looked at myself in the mirror and wiped away my tears from my eyes, and then it finally hit me. After listening to "I Wonder" I realized that in no way was this my fault, and it was my mother who made the mistake, she was the one who really missed out on everything in my life, where she should have been there, and somehow I felt all the blame fall off of me. I realized I did nothing wrong. More importantly, I realized then, that I needed to change my life around. Since that day, I have started eating at least twice a day, every day. It's almost been a full year now, and I have been able to get myself to an almost healthy weight of 130 pounds. Even though I have yet to go to McDonalds, I feel a whole lot healthier and happy with my life. I transferred colleges for a better personal atmosphere. I now live my life in hopes that if my mother ever found enough courage to contact me or my brother, I would want her to see that I made it in this world and that I am successful. Like Kellie's song reads "I'm not there yet, but I know I am on my way". Without hearing that song that day, I do not even want to imagine where I would be at in my life. With her charismatic and enduring personality, with all absence of pretentiousness, Kellie Pickler is well on her way to becoming a legendary female country recording artist. Every song she sings, tells a story about her real life. Yes, there is heartache and pain in music, but where Kellie excels is through strength. Just by reading the powerful lyrics of her songs, I know that I can one day too, become strong enough to become a successful young woman. Kellie is truly an inspiration to me. She is living proof that even though life is tough sometimes, you personally make the choices that shape what you will become. One day, I hope I could thank Ms. Pickler for everything she and her music have done for me, and other families that are or have been in the same situation. God Bless you Kellie. Thank you very much for taking time out of your busy schedule to read this. I really appreciate it. If the small miraculous chance that you are reading this Kellie, thank you very much for everything you made me realize, you are one incredible person. --Gloria, Minnesota
I listen to the Crook and Chase Countdown every Sunday. I love it and you two are quite funny at times. You definitely keep the Countdown interesting. I just wanted to write in and tell you I was able to meet and talk with and have my picture taken with Jason Michael Carroll at the Bangor Maine State Fair that was on July31, 2007. He is such a nice guy and his concert that night was the best. His voice is so powerful and the songs he sings really hit home in some ways. I can't wait to see him again in concert and look forward to when he has another CD come out. I can't leave this part out -- him being a great singer and everything else he has going for him. He is so nice looking -- very-very hot. I love his long hair. I watch his video "Livin Our Love Song", and can only dream about being in that video with him.Whoever the girl is in that video with him -- luckiest person on earth. Well that is who I have met recently and on September 2 I'm seeing Sugarland/Kellie Pickler. Can't wait for that. I look forward to listening to your Countdown this Sunday. You two are awesome. Keep up the good work. -- Cami
Hi, I heard you talking to Tim McGraw one night, and he was talking about how he coaches his daughters at basketball. I was wondering if you could please tell Mr. McGraw if he ever has a chance, if he can come to Alaska and help me out on my basket ball moves and stuff. I play basketball with my school, well, I will be playing basket ball with my school, and I'm not that great. Could you ask him for me please?? Tim is my favorite male singer ever. -- Sarah =)
There are things in this world that make you stop and give thanks, and I'd have to say that country music is one of them. It can be a loud STOP sign in life. Country music can make you STOP and take notice to a song. It can make you STOP thinking for those few minutes and just feel. The feelings can be different for every person, for any type of reason. I really hope that country musicians realize that they touch peoples hearts. They make us cry, they make us laugh, they make us get up and dance. Thank you. And thank you, to Lorianne and Charlie for bringing this music to us, all over the country. Jody, Milk River, Alberta, Canada
My name is Samantha. I'm from a little town in Arkansas. I am really excited that y'all are gonna have Miranda Lambert on the radio. I am her biggest fan in the world. Her music has a lot of heart and truth. I got to see her in Little Rock when she was touring with George Strait two years ago, and she did a wonderful job with her performance. I wanted to get her autograph but I couldn't get down on the floor to get it. I voted every night for her to win when she was on Nashville Star and it sucked really bad that she didn't win, but I know she has a lot of pride in what she does. Keep up the good work and keep the good country music coming. --Samantha, Arkansas
Lorianne and Charlie, I wanted to drop a note to thank you for putting Joe Nichols Front and Center. What a wonderful interview you did with him. I trust that you enjoyed doing it as much as we enjoyed listening to it. Joe is a genuinely humble, talented, sweet individual. Thank you again, --Lauren, Chicago, IL
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