Never Discount An Unemployed Chicken Catcher

My husband shared a video with my today that he found in his daily travels through the world wide web. My husband knew I would love this video the minute he saw it. You see, I am a die-hard country music fan. I think that country music is American folk music. I also think that country music relates to life as a genre more than any other. In all music you can find at least one song that speaks to your soul, or even one or two that fit a moment in your life, but there are so many that as a person you can never relate to. However, country music has a song, or several, that fit every moment of your life. I have always felt that country music writers and singers have a better understanding of every day people and what the go through,than most. They also have a way of telling the story in a manner that fits life.

That being said, I can also tell when a true music fan lives in the heart of a musical performer of any genre. I can tell this, because they sing duets with country stars, or have their own country album or single that makes the country music chart. If you dispute that, look at Kid Rock, Sheryl Crow, Jewel, or Darius Rucker (from Hootie and the Blowfish). Recently, Dave Matthews recorded a country song with Kenny Chesney. I am sure there are others. In the same respect, country music stars redo songs that are popular on other charts, showing that they appreciate all forms of music themselves. I have heard songs that have been re-recorded by country artists that were originally from Aerosmith and Michael Buble on my local country stations. I am sure I am forgetting numerous other.

Now that I have driven completely off the road I was traveling, I should probably share the video that brought all of this on. The video, or rather the man and his performance of a song that made me think, and want to share those thoughts with you. The man and the song that brought tears to my eyes and sent them pouring down my checks. It is from the show America's Got Talent. The gentleman singing is Kevin Skinner, who is an unemployed chicken catcher from Kentucky. Please watch this video all the way through, and don't make the same mistake the audience and judges did. His performance of this song was spot on, and I hope Garth Brooks himself saw this. Here is the video. (Sorry I was not able to embed it. Youtube states that embedding was disabled by request.)

I hope every person in that audience has learned that you can't judge a book by its cover. I for one, will never discount the abilities of an unemployed chicken catcher from Kentucky. He has talent, and anyone who can sing a song, and make you feel the emotion it was written with wins in my book. I hope Kevin Skinner wins the competition, but even if he doesn't, he wins with me.

Congratulations Mr. Skinner, and thank you for the gift you have given us. Thank you for reminding America that talent is often hidden in the place they least expect it. Please remember, you may not be good at math (as you stated), but you can, and have still taught a very valuable lesson through the sharing of something beautiful, and from the heart.