Zach High: It Was “Sacrilege” to Win New Grammy Over Willie Nelson

This week Zach High precipitated a stir after he appeared on comic Bert Kreischer’s podcast, and criticized the entire going sober craze. “Maintain your self wholesome sufficient that you would be able to drink all of your life … sobriety is such a fad, fashionable factor proper now,” he mentioned partially, drawing sharp criticism from some for his insensitivity in direction of individuals who battle with the sauce.

However these feedback overshadowed an in any other case compelling, entertaining, and revealing dialog between the burgeoning neotraditional nation star and Bert Kreischer, together with a handful of cases the place Zach High confirmed superior character, particularly when it got here to toasting nation legends.

When the subject turned to the competitiveness of nation music, and the best way older nation artists are handled, Zach High mentioned, “Nation desires the older guys to remain round,” …one thing that wasn’t precisely the case some years in the past. “The quantity of affection that they poured out for Alan Jackson on the [2022] CMA was superior, and everybody’s bummed that his well being isn’t that nice anymore, so he’s not touring anymore. George Strait’s nonetheless promoting out stadiums at no matter he’s, 72 or one thing.”

Zach High then added, “I believed it was so sacrilegious that I gained the Grammy for Conventional Nation Album, and Willie Nelson was within the class. It’s like ‘Nicely, God, I’m glad I gained that, however that feels kinda unsuitable. If anyone ought to be successful that award, that’s as conventional nation because it will get is Willie Nelson. Nevertheless it’s cool how they preserve celebrating older guys. No person’s attempting to push them out.”

Don’t mistake it, some are nonetheless attempting to push out older expertise. Speak to guys like Josh Turner, Joe Nichols, Gary Allan, even Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood who’ve had their careers turned the other way up as they’ve aged off of nation radio, they usually’ll inform a unique story. However while you get to legendary standing like George Strait, Alan Jackson, and Willie Nelson, issues do appear to shift again in your favor.

Zach High’s win over Willie Nelson for Finest Conventional Nation Album on the Grammy Awards got here on the very first yr for the brand new award. However Willie Nelson isn’t new to the Grammys. He has 14 of them to go together with 61 nominations. This features a Finest Nation Album win for A Stunning Time in 2023, so Willie Nelson is doing simply advantageous within the Grammy division. On this occasion, a youthful man like Zach High solidifying his profession by successful the award feels extra essential.

However Zach High’s blended emotions in regards to the win does present that with regards to supporting the roots and legends of nation music, Zach High isn’t simply performative. You possibly can hear it in his songs, and you may hear it in his phrases. He’s not right here to interchange the outdated greats, however honor them and pay their legacies ahead.

On the God’s Nation podcast in April, Zach High mentioned in regards to the Grammy win, “It seems like you understand somewhat further particular to win that the primary yr that it was a class. You realize, it’s type of like somewhat piece of historical past … possibly they’ll axe it subsequent yr or one thing, however then possibly I’ll be the one one which ever gained that one. The ornery jackass in me desires to say, ‘No, simply name mine nation.’ Qualify the opposite stuff if you would like… like you understand, make the modern nation class, that’s advantageous.”

With out the brand new class although, Zach High may not have been nominated or gained a Grammy in any respect. He’s proper that it might be superb if the Grammys stored the unique “Finest Nation Album” class, and added “Finest Up to date Nation Album” because the qualifier. However the Grammys have fairly just a few classes which have the “conventional/modern” distinctions.

At Sunday’s ACM Awards (5-17), Zach High is up for 5 awards, together with Album of the Yr for Ain’t In It For My Well being, Male Vocalist of the Yr, and Single and Music of the Yr for “I By no means Lie.” The truth that somebody with such a conventional sound is up for the highest awards beside extra modern performers—and will stroll away as one of many night’s large winners—speaks to the place we’re at proper now in nation music. And the place we’re at is a a lot better place than the place we have been only a few years in the past.

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