I write this as a proud former resident of Farmersville, Texas: Today, Country Music Television announced that among the 64 finalists for its online "Music City Madness" video contest, one of the lucky few left is Farmersville's own Tim Cooper. The competition's being presented March Madness-style, complete with brackets. Just go here, watch the two videos in each first-round bracket, then vote for your fave.
Cooper, a big ol' goofy dude whose video for the fiddlin'-around "Think Like a Woman" earns its chuckles, is competing in the first round against Danny Hamilton's slicker "Smoother Than You," which I kinda can't stand. Then again, Hamilton ain't no Farmersville Farmer. Cooper, whose Web site and MySpace page indicate he's clearly got a good career in the making, has my vote. How about givin' him yers. After all, the winner gets an all-expenses- paid trip to Nashville to record an episode of CMT's online performance series Studio 330 Sessions. Aw, c'mon, CMT -- how about something on real TV. --Robert Wilonsky