I have been waiting for several decades to finally see this video.
Apparently it never made it to the internet until earlier this year.
As
a presenter at the Country Music Association awards in 1975, the
unpredictable Charlie Rich got the chore of handing out the Country
Entertainer of the Year Award, even more difficult to get through
because that year’s winner was John Denver, a figure loathe to
honky-tonk fans. On live network television, upon pulling the card from
the envelope at the podium, the annoyed Charlie dryly read the name,
simultaneously pulling his cigarette lighter from his pants pocket and
proceeded to set the card ablaze. I never knew until seeing the video
just now that Denver himself was watching his named reduced to ashes
live via satellite in Australia. Denver’s smiling gosh-gee golly
reaction was as expected.
Country music was really getting
stylistically reamed-out in the 1970s, as was rhythm ’n’ blues and rock
at the time as well. But the platinum record awards, packed stadiums
and soaring tickets prices all seemed to conceal the musical reality
happening for a few years until musical stylists wishing to return to
form found themselves again en vogue. But at that moment a guy like
Charlie Rich who knew a country song when he heard it, felt boxed in and
needed to fight back, ignoring the potential damage to his own
appearance fees and royalty rates.
John Denver was not a product
of the dives that produced the likes of Hank Williams, George Jones, or
Charlie Rich. Those who were felt themselves being made obsolete and at
least to some degree would remain loyal to the beer swilling, blues
tinged music of the honky-tonks. No new fresh faced kid like Denver was
gonna get a country music award without first being told by those who lived
and breathed the real thing that they were insulted.
The video of Charlie Rich burning the card at the podium appears infrequently online and often gets removed. Following are past & current links to at least part of the video. What is especially delightful is the incoherent speech he gives beforehand, which if anything else, reveals a flash of resentment that would frighten most people.
Update: 10-15-2022: The video of Charlie Rich's bizarre behavior at the CMA award ceremony is rather elusive online. The YouTube version linked below only shows the part where the envelope is clumsily opened, the card set alight, and the name announced. There have been two earlier versions which include Rich's rant, something about, possibly poverty and authenticity, along with audience reactions of nominated stars. Especially amusing is trying to read the lips of Conway Twitty and his wife, which might have gone something like: Her: "Oh. God, Charlie is drunk again." Conway, with teeth clenched: "Keep smilin', honey. We're on camera." If I ever see a longer version again, I am going to record it.
http://www.savingcountrymusic.com/charlie-rich-burns-john-denver-at-the-1975-cma-awards
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qf3t3unp-Gg
