Sunday, November 8, 2026

Flopcast 757: Coward of the Country Superstars

While poking around a comic book shop a few months ago, we found an odd 1986 schoolbook called Superstars of Country. The idea was to teach reading skills to the children using profiles of country music artists. Did it work? Probably not, but in '86 we were all too busy with Hands Across America to notice. Anyway, despite our total lack of interest in country, today we're flipping through this weird little workbook, and our conversation includes: Willie, Kenny, and Dolly! Barbara Mandrell's adventures with the Krofft puppets! The amazing hair of Crystal Gayle! The even more amazing hair of Ricky Skaggs! Karaoke direct from Woonsocket, Rhode Island! Several country music "superstars" we'd never heard of! And even more mid-80s country music silliness! Is this just a desperate attempt to get the Flopcast picked up by the Nashville Network? Perhaps.

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Show Notes

Our second and final volume in the Superstars series:

We discussed Superstars of Soul on Flopcast 723.

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Willie Nelson, performing at the Rock Hall of Fame ceremony in 2023 with fellow inductee Sheryl Crow:

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We had never heard of Sylvia, but Kevin was familiar with her 1982 crossover hit Nobody.

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Kenny Rogers and some unsettling old man Muppets performed The Gambler in 1979. And on the 2026 reboot of The Muppet Show, Sabrina Carpenter duets with Kermit on Islands in the Stream.

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Another Muppet Show performance that made an impact on young Felicity was Crystal Gayle singing We Must Believe in Magic. Creepy Muppet ghosts will do that to you.

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Want more puppets? Barbara Mandrell & the Mandrell Sisters featured Krofft creations including Truck Shackley & the Texas Critters!

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Watch Kevin on The 2026 Dragon Con Report!