From: usul@auc.UUCP (Ron McBay)
Newsgroups: rec.music.misc
Subject: 1992 NEW SOUTH MUSIC AWARDS
Keywords: NEW SOUTH
Date: 2 Oct 92 08:48:43 GMT
Organization: Atl Univ Ctr [Clark AU, ITC, Morehouse, Morris Brown, Spelman]


Hi.

I attended the 1992 New South Music Awards on Wednesday night.  The awards show
is intended to bring together the local Atlanta/Athens music community of all
genres in order to foster support for each other.  Well, that's the intent,
anyway.  The awards show kicks off 4 days of shows by 130 lesser-known local
bands at clubs around Atlanta.  In order to qualify for the awards, artists
had to have some connection to Georgia, either being born or raised here,
currently residing here or having recorded here.  Winners were selected by fan
balloting, which probably included loads of ballot-stuffing, so the level of
talent of the nominees is more to the point.

Hosts for the awards show were disc jockeys from three local stations: JOOLS
BRANDT (WKLS, 96 Rock - mainstream rock), MOBY (WKHS, Kicks 101.5 - Country,
or as it was spelled on award logos all night: "COUNYTRY") and RYAN CAMERON
(WVEE, V-103 - urban contemporary, as in 'we play music by black artists except
for rap and black rock').  Last year, these same hosts were pretty intolerant
of music acts outside of their own stations format.  This year they were much
better, so the intolerance was left up to the very different factions in the
audience.  I keep waiting for this event to herald a coming together of the
very disparate segments of Atlanta, but that time obviously hasn't come yet
what with people cheering for their favority categories and jeering others they
had no respect for.  The room had a weird feel.

Anyway, here's the list of winners.  Pretty impressive array of talent with
Georgia ties (no matter how tenuous).  Except for KRISS KROSS, none of the
"name" acts showed up in person to accept.  It was mostly managers or
relatives.  In time, this event could be quite special.  Its heart is in the
right place, the people just haven't caught on yet.  Interspersed between
awards were performances by local acts representing different musical styles.

I was sitting next to MARK REYNOLDS (of ASHLEY AND MARK, and WAGON WHEEL), sort
of a male KRISTEN HALL acoustic artist with WENDY BUCKLEW and others in his
entourage.  I've seen him once and liked his act well enough, but he was
unbelievably obnoxious, heckling every category except the acoustic ones.  Just
being a real ass.  On the other side of me were some acts from the LaFace
Records stable, who were heckling everything except the R&B and rap categories.
Real mature people all around me.

Here's the rundown of the awards show:

PERFORMANCE: THE RAINBOW POSSE (dance trio).
This act was really amateurish and set low expectations for the entire evening.

Dance Group of the Year: B-52'S
Disc Jockey of the Year: KATEY KILEY, WKLS, 96 ROCK
Jazz Group of the Year: PAUL MITCHELL TRIO

PERFORMANCE: THE HARD BOYS (rap)
They were a no-show due to "car trouble."

Horn Player of the Year: GRADY "FATS" JACKSON
Pop Performer of the Year: ELTON JOHN (he lives in Atlanta these days)
Electric Guitarist of the Year: DEREK TRUCKS (younger brother or son of one of
the Allman Brothers.  He's 12 or something)
Favorite Radio Station: WKLS, 96 ROCK

PERFORMANCE: MONTH OF SUNDAYS (alternative)
A straight rock band, nothing special at all.  They did two songs: "Get It Up"
and "Meanwhile".  (Not sure about any song titles.)

Humanitarian Award: R.E.M.
Keyboardist of the Year: CHUCK LEAVELL (beat out ELTON JOHN in this category)
R&B Song of the Year: "TENNESSEE", ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT
Favorite Place to Hear Live Music: CENTER STAGE
Country Song of the Year: "HERE'S A QUARTER", TRAVIS TRITT
House Band of the Year: RUPERT'S ORCHESTRA

PERFORMANCE: MIGHTY FINE SLABS (blues)
The second song, backed by a horn section was the best of the night up to that
point and woke the crowd up a little bit.

Favorite Record Store: TOWER RECORDS
Favorite Music Store: CLARK MUSIC
Duo of the Year: INDIGO GIRLS (beating out KRISS KROSS, ASHLEY & MARK, others)
Alternative Group of the Year: INSANE JANE (beat out MAGNAPOP, HOLLYFAITH, THE
JODY GRIND, BRUCE HAMPTON ET AL.  ELLEN JAMES SOCIETY inexplicably wasn't
nominated.)

PERFORMANCE: MICHELLE MALONE & TOD STALNAKER (acoustic)
They both did "Amazing Grace".  Then Michelle did "Let The Sky Fall Down On Me"
which wowed the crowd.

Drummer of the Year: JEFF SYKES
Country Perfomer of the Year: TRAVIS TRITT (over ALAN JACKSON, TRISHA YEARWOOD,
DOUG STONE, DON NORWOOD)
Bassist of the Year: JOHN ? (BLACK CROWES)
Acoustic Group of the Year: INDIGO GIRLS (over PS JONAH, CAROLINE AIKEN,
KRISTEN HALL)
Acoustic Guitarist of the Year: MICHELLE MALONE (over EMILY SALIERS, KRISTEN
HALL, CAROLINE AIKEN, BILL TAFT (JODY GRIND))

PERFORMANCE: UNCLE GREEN (alternative)
One song was "Legend In Your Time".  I remember liking them much better a year
ago when I saw them do a full set.  Here, they seemed ordinary.

Country Group of the Year: DIGGERS
Music Critic of the Year: JEFF CLARK, CREATIVE LOAFING
Reggae Group of the Year: ONE DROP PLUS
Blues Group of the Year: FELIX AND THE CATS
Folk Group of the Year: WAGON WHEEL (featuring my good buddy MARK REYNOLDS)
Favorite Dance Club: VELVET (where U2 partied when they hit town last week)

PERFORMANCE: SOUTHGANG (metal)
More like Guns 'n Roses, Jr.  Actually, they weren't half bad.  Good singer.

Songwriter of the Year: ELTON JOHN (over ALAN JACKSON, L.A. REID & BABYFACE)
Female Vocalist of the Year: (Tie) GLADYS KNIGHT, KELLY HOGAN (JODY GRIND)
(beat out MICHELLE MALONE)
Male Vocalist of the Year: KEVN KINNEY (DRIVIN 'N CRYIN) (beat out BOBBY BROWN,
ALAN JACKSON, CHRIS ROBINSON (BLACK CROWES), DAVID HARRIS (FOLLOW FOR NOW)).
Pop Song of the Year: "JUMP", KRISS KROSS (they actually showed up, too)

PERFORMANCE: INSIDE OUT (black rock, or as they said "Funk and Roll")
They were outstanding, by far my favorite performers of the night and the only
act I left wanting to see again.  They're fronted by a lead singer with tons
of charisma.  One to watch, even though they're as yet unsigned.  One song was
"Can't Get Enough Of That Funky Stuff".

Rock Performer of the Year: CHRIS ROBINSON (BLACK CROWES)
R&B Performer of the Year: BOBBY BROWN (over KEITH SWEAT, GLADYS KNIGHT, PEABO
BRYSON)
Rock Song of the Year: "REMEDY", BLACK CROWES

Independent Label of the Year: LAFACE RECORDS (over SKY, ICHIBAN, AEI)
Record Producer of the Year: L.A. REID, BABYFACE and DARRYL SIMMONS
Rap Group of the Year: ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT (over KRISS KROSS)

PERFORMANCE: DIGGERS (country)
Goofy beyond belief.  Picture Ric Ocasek fronting a country band.

Pop Group of the Year: B-52'S (over R.E.M., KRISS KROSS)
Horizon Award: KRISS KROSS
R&B Group of the Year: TLC (over ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, KRISS KROSS)
Rock Group of the Year: BLACK CROWES
New Georgia Group of the Year: KRISS KROSS (over TLC, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT)

It really would be an interesting event if all the nominated acts with Georgia
ties DID actually show up in one place.  They were all on tour pretty much,
though.  It'll take a monumental event, like the Olympics, to bring all these
people together, though.  Still, it's an impressive and varied array of talent
for one area.

Ron
-- 
Ron McBay/Atlanta University Center| Walk the roads my forefathers walked
Internet: usul@auc.auc.edu         | Climb the trees my forefathers hung from
UUCP:     gatech!auc!usul          | Ask those trees for all their wisdom ...
BITNET:   USUL@EMORY               | -- "TENNESSEE", ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT