STOP DOWNLOADING!

Downloading music has become a fast and cheap way to get music. All you have to do is buy blank CDs and put the music on them. But if you really like the music or the artist, why don't you just go out and buy their CD? Downloading music is illegal and it hurts the recording industry. In fact, the Recording Industry Association of America thinks that the cause of decreased CD sales are directly from illegal downloading. The RIAA has been trying to take control of the problem by pursuing law suits against average citizens who have been downloading music.
It all started with Napster. Napster was an online music sharing service started in 1999 by Shawn Fanning. The music industry pursued a copyright infringement suit against Napster in 2001. Napster was found liable for copyright infringement because it facilitated the downloading of music and was shut down.
Strangly, during the 2 and a half years Napster was running, CD sales went up $500 million dollars. But since 2001, CD sales have decreased dramatically.

Carl Smith 1927-2010

Carl Smith, died January 16, 2010. He died from natural causes. He was 82.
Carl Smith's career started when he was signed by the Grand Ole Opry. Then shortly after, in 1950, he was signed by Capitol Records.
After having many hits, Carl married June Carter in 1952. They had one daughter together in 1955. Rebecca Smith. Who's mostly known for her career in country music as Carlene Carter.
In 1956, Carl quit the Grand Ole Opry and moved to California to try and work in movies. Soon after moving, he joined the Phillip Morris Country Music Show. He also worked on Ozark Jubilee.
In 1957 Carl and June divorced. She moved on and married Johnny Cash. And she stayed with him until her death in 2003. Carl moved on too. He married Goldie Hill. Goldie was a country musician too. She had many hits as well. Goldie also died in 2005.
By the 1960s, Smith's music career was beginning to slow down. He wasn't having as much success as he was having in the early 1950s. But he never stopped having hits. In 1961, Carl was on ABC's country television series, Four Star Jubilee. And later he had his own show for Canadian TV. Carl Smith's Country Music Hall.
Carl Smith retired from country music in the late 1970s. In 2003, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
So all in all, I think that Carl Smith had a very long and great career. He had many fans. And I'm sure he'll be remembered for his music. Even though most of the younger generation doesn't know who he is.

Southern Voice

Tim Mcgraw's "Southern Voice" tour starts on Febuary 6th, in San Antonio, Texas.
"Southern Voice", the album, was released October 20. I'm guessing that the album was named Southern Voice because Tim is from Start, Louisiana.
His birth name was Samuel Timothy Mcgraw. He was born to Elizabeth D'Agostino. He grew up thinking that his step-father, Horace Smith, was his biological father. But his real dad was Tug Mcgraw. He played for the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies. Tim didn't know Tug was his real father until he was eleven, when he found his birth certificate while looking for old pictures for a school project. Tug denied being Tim's father for seven years, but when Tim started looking like Tug, he knew he had to be his son.
Father-son relationships seem to be focused on in "Southern Voice". Songs like "You had to be there" and "Love You Goodbye" hit the subject hard. "Love You Goodbye" is about a boy who's parent's were divorced. His father was a substance abuser and after leaving his dad's apartment, the boy left his mom and moved on with his life. And later the boy reunited with his dad.
"You Had to be There" is about a man who's father left him and his mom when he was very young. In the song the man's father goes to the prison where the man is and the man explains to his father that if maybe he was there for his mother and himself, then maybe the man wouldn't have such a bad life and he might not even be in prison.

My Life

I was born in Richmond, IN on August 5th 1993. I only have one sibling. A sister. She's older than me and she drives me crazy. I lived in Richmond until the summer of 2007. I miss it alot but New Paris is also a nice place to live because I live close to my Grandpa. I had the choice to either stay in Richmond schools and stay with my friends or go to a whole new place where I didn't know anyone. I wanted to go to the new school because I wanted to meet new people and I did. But now I kind of regret not staying at my old school because I lost contact with alot of my old friends. But I'm sure if I go back there it'll be like nothing's changed. I think I might be going back there for the next school year. Now I have alot of family in the high school and I think it would be fun to be in the same school as them.
But I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens. Something might happen and I might actually want to stay here.
Hmm, things I like to do... I like to listen to music and hang out with my family. Especially my sister. We've grown really close since she moved out and we don't fight anymore. She's pretty much the only one I can actually talk to and she knows everything about me. And we're my parents' only two kids, so I think they like it that we get along so well.
Yeah, so that's my life.