Wyno You Love Me?

There are many things that annoy M'Lynn, who can grow easily testy at the slightest thing (clearly, she was a shoe-in for full Cabinet membership), but few things get me worse than when someone answers the question, 'What kind of music do you like?' with a simple, 'Anything but rap or country.'

Now, I'm not here to delve into why this irks me so, other than to say that it's incredibly myopic and also a clear indicator that said person hasn't tried hard enough to listen to—or at least appreciate—two genres of music that boast inventive writing and a worldview all their own. Which leads me to a confession: Wynonna Judd's 1993 album 'Tell Me Why' is one of my all-time favorites. I know what you're thinking: M'Lynn, really? You want to admit this in public?

Well, actually...um, yes. I do. Wynonna's album came out at a rather important time in M'Lynn's life...my mother had just moved halfway across the country and I was stuck in my dusty lil' country town where, incidentally, country music was not just a favorite pastime but a complete and total way of life for the local farm kids. It's filled with really well-written, heartfelt music, and that's no surprise given that it was her first album after Mama Judd announced her battle with hepatitis C. (Special shout-out to Shelby: Remember the night she announced this? Remember who told you the news? Yeah, you do. It was a little someone named Mary Hart.) And I distinctly remember a gawky redheaded girl from Missouri who was in my orientation group during my first days of college back in the mid-'90s. She announced that her two obsessions in life were Wynonna Judd and the TV show 'Wings.' She also wore tapered, peach-colored cotton pants. She was fierce in all of the wrong ways.

All of this is to say that Wynonna's recent resurgence as host of 'Nashville Star,' in commercials, and on talk shows has me tickled flaming red, the same color as her awesomely huge hair. Is it just me, or does Wy have future Dolly potential? I mean, she is clearly half-drag queen. (She could probably give Jackie Beat a run for her money.) The woman is a frickin' house but she works it hard when she's in front of a camera or on a stage. It would be so awesome if she'd help, say, lead a gay pride parade with the dykes on bikes or something. (You know she'd fit right in!) Plus she has a drunk driving arrest on her record! Who wouldn't want to knock back a few Jameson and sodas with this one?!