CMT Gone Country

CMT Gone Country Contestants

Maureen McCormick

In its inaugural year, host John Rich of the country duo Big and Rich took seven artists from different musical backgrounds in an attempt to make one into a country star. The contestants were:

• Bobby Brown – Formerly a member of one of the original boy bands, New Edition. Brown went on to have a successful solo career in the late 1980's after New Edition broke up.
• Diana DeGarmo – Second runner up in season three of American Idol. DeGarmo lost to Fantasia Barrino.
• Dee Snider – Lead singer of 1980's big hair rock band Twisted Sister.
• Carnie Wilson – Daughter of Beach Boys' Brian Wilson and part of the pop group Wilson Phillips along with her sister Wendy and Chyna Phillps.
• Julio Iglesias, Jr. - Brother of Enrique and son of singer Julio Iglesias.
• Maureen McCormick – Best known for her role on The Brady Bunch as Marcia, Maureen McCormick is no stranger to reality television, having appeared as a contestant on VH1's Celebrity Fit Club in season five.
• Sisqo – A former member of the R&B group Dru Hill, Sisqo is probably best known for his Thong Song.

The Show's Premise

Diana DeGarmo

CMT Gone Country offers nothing new in reality television as far as its basics. Just like every other show, the contestants are pitted against each other in physical challenges. The difference here is that these challenges are designed to test the contestant's musical abilities and gauge how they can adapt to the "country lifestyle." Because there are plenty of country music superstars that live on sprawling ranches cleaning out horse stalls, feeding the chickens and working the fields right? Sure.

Bobby Brown

Making Music

The contestants aren't left on their own to write their own country music - they are each given access to two Nashville songwriters to help them write the lyrics to their songs. In an interview with American Songwriter Magazine, John Rich said that he carefully matched each contestant personally with their Nashville songwriting team, stating "It's like the Chuch Woolery of songwriting hookups." For those of you who don't remember, Chuck Woolery was the host of the 1980's show Love Connection and for a short time The Dating Game.

The Season Finale

Carnie Wilson

In the finale of the first season, all of the contestants had to perform the songs they wrote with their Nashville songwriters in front of a live audience at the Wildhorse Saloon. Here's what they sang:

• Julio Iglesias Jr. sang The Way I Want You
• Bobby Brown sang The Man I Wanna Be
• Canie Wilson sang Everything Changed

Sisqo

• Dee Snider sang 30 (Rock with your Rooster Out)
• Diana DeGarmo sang Right Back Where We Ended
• Maureen McCormick sang Being Me
• Sisqo sand The Way that I Love You

Diana DeGarmo and Bobby Brown were fan favorites from the beginning. Diana has that huge voice and Bobby seemed very earnest in his attempts to be a country singer. John Rich's decision on who had truly "gone country" shocked everyone though - he chose Julio Igelesias Jr. and that decision left a lot of people scratching their heads.

John Rich Defends His Decision

Dee Snider in his Twisted Sister garb.

After listening to the backlash and public outcries about his decision for days, John Rich posted an explanation "Why I Picked Julio as the Winner" on the CMT website. Among his reasons, he states:

• "There was a palpable magnetism between Julio and the audience, and not just the women—men and women."
• "Diana DeGarmo's vocals were so incredible. Had it just been based on vocal performance, Diana would have won it hands down. She had a strong response from the audience, but it was not, in my opinion, as strong as the one Julio had."
• "to be quite honest with you, the other real major factor was, I think, that Julio Iglesias Jr. brings an element to country music that does not exist -- and that being the Spanish-English element."

John Rich can explain his decision all he wants, but fans responded to his explanation and the fans are not happy. Well, all everybody can do now is wait until the single from Julio is released and see how it sounds.