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Country Music Names – Reba, Garth, and Willie-An interesting trend is currently occurring in country music radio: country singer names, first and last (sometimes middle), are being simplified. Garth Brooks is Garth. Reba McEntire is Reba. Willie Nelson is just Willie. After a song, radio disc jockeys are reducing the names down to one.

Maybe it’s a time-saving device; it’s easier to say “That was Willie with ‘Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain’.” Some might argue that the simplified name is because of country music’s “simple” audience. While some country music fans might embrace this label, others might find it offensive.

But maybe dwindling names is a sign of respect for the artist. The artists with only one name have gained a certain amount of regard in th music industry. Toby Keith has become Toby. Sometimes Brooks and Dunn is Kix and Ronnie (it’s not shorter but more respectful). Then of course the big names: Reba, Garth, Alan (or AJ), Willie, and so on. It gets trickier with names like George (George Strait or George Jones?) and Hank (junior or senior?). But even Hank is often “Hank Junior” or “Hank Senior.” On the contrary, country singer names of newer artists are almost always referred to in full.

Still another argument is the sense of comfort country music induces in its listeners. Perhaps DJs try to capture that by referring to the multi-million-dollar stars by their first names. They talk about Reba like she’s your sister and not a star you’ll never meet (this is reinforced by the reruns of her TV show where she’s the mother next door). Radio has given these country singer names and some, like Reba, have embraced them, showing only the first name on posters, CDs, and even TV shows.

And you remember uncle Garth instead of the best-selling artist of all time with enough money to support his granchildren’s grandchildren. This is the same guy who changed the way musicians negotiated contracts and got paid; this country singer names his price on anything. He became powerful in the industry and bought a big house and smashed thousand-dollar guitars on stage. But the radio makes you think you could call him up and talk about fishing two Sundays ago when you were eating fried chicken on the bank and didn’t get a bite. And don’t forget his superstar wife, Trisha.

All in all, country artist names shortened seems to mean something. It is up to the individual to determine meaning, but disk jockeys had to have shortened them for a reason. Now, you have to wonder when the new country music singers’ names will dwindle down to one. Or maybe you miss the Brooks, the McEntires, the Nelsons, the Williams. Maybe you want the last names back. And what about the singers with three names: Earl Thomas Connely, John Michael Montgomery. Do they lose radio time because they have long names?