COUNTRY MUSIC USA

The radio show that expands the world of country music

Judy Massa brought country music to the international airwaves via her weekly radio program, Country Music USA.

Thanks to Country Music USA, an estimated 100 million people outside of the United States had the opportunity every week to hear country music legends as well as new stars talk about themselves and their music. The program regularly showcased both contemporary and traditional country music songs and artists. Since 1984 more than one hundred country music artists were her guests, including: Garth Brooks, Johnny Cash, Reba McEntire, Buck Owens, Ricky Van Shelton, Chet Atkins, Clint Black, Bela Fleck, John Michael Montgomery, Junior Brown, and Mary Chapin Carpenter. She has given them the chance to discuss their careers, perform their music, and talk in person with listeners from many countries. She made the point to include a wide variety of musical elements in her programs. She gave affectionate attention to songwriters and musicians as well as unique areas of country music such as bluegrass, cajun and zydeco, cowboy music and Texas swing. As a result, Judy and her program steadily increased the profile of country music around the world.

According to Judy, "I love country music. It has a special place in my heart. What I love about country is its honesty and ability to communicate feelings without getting gussied up, it’s from one person's heart to another's."

She points out that Country Music has more of the universality of folk music. It appeals to people all around the world. And I think a three-minute song can say more about a nation and what its people are about than any other medium."

"This VOA Country music program elicits a greater response than any other genre-specific VOA music program. Listeners in Africa and China seem to like Country Music the best."

One listener from Sholapur, India wrote, "What makes country music so great a listening pleasure is not just the lyrics and the tune, but the feeling the artists put into those songs." A fan from Asuncion, Paraguay, wrote "The kind of music from your country I like the most is country music, not only because it is easier for me to understand, but also for its particular sound. I also think country music is the most representative style of music from the U.S., despite the wide variety of music that exists there, because it's the exponent of your folk music culture."

THE HISTORY OF COUNTRY MUSIC USA

The show is a weekly, half-hour program that has been on the air for many years. Judy took the seat as host in 1984, and also became the producer and writer for the show. She has presented a number of live concerts, such as three of Charlie Daniels Volunteer Jams, Farm Aid concerts, and The Grand Ole Opry's 60th Birthday Celebration. In addition to the live shows, she also taped live performances and played them for her audience at a later date. "I like to get away from commercial recordings whenever possible. Live, I think, listeners get a sense of the excitement the star creates that is missing on record; and they get a sense of what one of their favorite singers is like. Many listeners in foreign countries never get to see performances by American artists. By broadcasting a concert, we have found the listeners really respond to the feeling of being at a show. I've received letters that say the people stand up and applaud in their homes after a song they liked."

Popular Special Programs

Over the years presented exciting special music events in country music to the homes of her audience. Here are some of the most popular specials she has provided to the world:

During May 12 - 16, 1997, she traveled with Garth Brooks to Ireland.

In October, 1996, Judy honored one of Country Music USA’s long time listeners from India at the time of his impending death. She organized a trip to South East Asia with singer Dan Seals that included a meeting with the listener and a concert in tribute to him in his hometown of Mangalore, India. The rest of the concert tour included Bombay and New Delhi (India), Bangkok (Thailand), and Hanoi (Vietnam). The show in Hanoi was the first bi-national cultural presentation in that city since the French abandoned the country in the mid-1950s.

The international radio premiere of Garth Brooks' new album Fresh Horses was presented in November of 1995. The show took place at the VOA auditorium with Judy as producer and host of the two hour live broadcast with Garth. The show had a little bit of everything possible: it was a combination news conference, international call-in by fans and journalists alike giving comments and asking questions, and a vivid live performance. The whole event had an electric spontaneity about it that made it a fascinating and lively introduction to the music on Garth's new album.

From March 30 through April 23, 1994 she traveled with Garth Brooks on his first overseas tour. He performed in Ireland, Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Norway, and Sweden. She wrote news stories and broadcast special "Correspondent Reports" from the tour which included comments from Garth and his audience.

In October, 1993 she covered the 5th Annual Country Gold Festival, which is held in Kumamoto, Japan. Artists attending the famous festival that year included Steve Wariner, Pam Tillis, the Nashville Bluegrass Band, Highway 101, Jett Williams & The Drifting Cowboys, and festival founder Charlie Nagatani & the Cannonballs. She presented a special "Correspondent Report" from Japan and a 30-minute program on the festival upon her return.

1992 marked the 50th Anniversary of the international broadcasts of the Voice of America. To celebrate – and to thank h 100 million + dedicated listeners for tuning in over the years Judy organized and co-hosted a special musical show. Participants – who all donated their services- included Judy’s co-host Kenny Rogers, along with such luminaries as Garth Brooks, Chet Atkins, Joe Walsh, Clark Terry, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Dan Seals, Clamma Dale and John Sebastian.

She conceived, coordinated, and hosted a live two-hour worldwide telephone call-in show from Nashville, Talk To America on June 4, 1989. The topic was "American Country Music." Studio guests included Charlie Daniels, Emmylou Harris, Dan Seals, and Roseanne Cash. They took questions and chatted with listeners who called-in from around the world. Also joining Judy was a group of noted musicians who performed live music during the broadcast: Vassar Clements, Jesse McReynolds. Eddie Bayers, Bela Fleck, and Jerry Douglas, and Marty Stuart. Some artists couldn't attend in person but called in to talk with Judy: these included Kenny Rogers, K.T. Oslin, Buck Owens, and Roy Clark. People called from all corners of the world, including Malaysia, India, Niger, Zimbabwe, Scotland, Jamaica, and Peru.

Judy was the emcee of Roy Clark's November, 1988 Friendship Tour of Russia, with concerts in Moscow and Leningrad over a period of two weeks. She wrote and provided the audio commentary for a series of Correspondent Reports during the trip. Once she returned to Washington, she hosted a special program about the tour.

She created and conducted a 1988 worldwide essay contest, What Country Music Means To Me, with the winner (and a guest) each receiving a two-week, all-expense paid trip to Washington and Nashville. The contest drew over 3,000 essays from 109 countries. The winner was a 23-year-old international business student from Shanghai, China. His sole source for the country music he loved was Judy's program. The trip took place in June and Judy arranged for the winner to meet a number of country music stars during his visit. The press provided extensive coverage of the event and both Judy and the student participated in a number of interviews.

Judy hosted live broadcasts of Charlie Daniels' Volunteer Jams from 1984 to 1992 from Nashville. This gave the Jam a worldwide audience. She supervised all production duties for her shows and broadcast special reports from the event that included live performances. Charlie Daniels made the statement at his 10th Volunteer Jam: "My music knows no ideologies, no borders, and no politics, it’s people-to-people love, and I am glad that you're one of those people..."

She broadcast a 5 week series of live-to-tape programs of The Grand Ole Opry's 60th Anniversary, which included interviews with artists on the famous show.

She presented a 10-week series on the major instruments of Country Music. Top musicians appeared and explained their instruments and music to Judy's audience. Her guests were: Chet Atkins (guitar), Mark O'Connor(violin). Jerry Douglas(dobro), John Jarvis(keyboards), Joe Osborne(bass). Eddie Bayers(drums), Jesse McReynolds(mandolin). Buddy Emmons(peddle steel guitar). Bela Fleck(banjo). and Terry McMillan(harmonica & percussion).

She presented a 3-part program about the career of Johnny Cash. Johnny appeared on the program, talked about his life and career, and took questions via phone from listeners around the world.