August Activity Newsletter

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

Your residents will love the Amazon Kindle Fire

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care  professionals to get an easyceu or two

Follow alzheimersideas on twitter

The Dementia Caregiver's Little Book of Hope [Kindle Edition]

Here is an August Activity Newsletter courtesy of Eldersong.


One idea was to reminisce about jobs
Here are a couple of
coversation starters
**Reminisce about household chores and responsibilities. Ask: What did your parents teach you about work? What kind of chores or tasks did you have as a child/teen - e.g., shovel snow, cut grass, wash dishes? Did you receive an allowance?

**Share recollections about participants’ first paid job outside the home, including memories of bosses, duties, pay, hours, co-workers. List common jobs for 1940s teenagers, e.g., bus boy in a restaurant, locker room attendant at the YMCA, soda jerk, usher in movie theatre, paper boy.

**Listen to the old Disney tune "Whistle While You Work"

**Ask the ladies if any had a career as a homemaker. Write a job description for the position! Ask: Which household jobs did you enjoy the most? The least?

**Read Walt Whitman’s poem "I Hear America Singing," which honors workers

Watermelon trivia

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care  professionals to get an easyceu or two


Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals, here are some watermelon facts that you can use for Watermelon trivia

Watermelon Day is in the beginning of August

History and Facts:

Florida ranks number one nationally in the production of watermelons, accounting for 37.9 percent of the nation's sales in 1992.
Nutritional Value:
Watermelon is an excellent source of vitamin C, and is also a good source of vitamin A and potassium. Watermelon is also a good source of dietary fiber, aiding in digestion.


Storage:

Watermelons should be stored in temperatures of 50 to 60 degrees fahrenheit, with a relative humidity of 90 percent. Lower temperatures may subject melons to chill injury. Typical shelf life is 14 to 21 days.


MORE WATERMELON FACTS

Watermelons are native to southern Africa, but have been known in India since prehistoric times, and in Egypt for 6,000 years.
In 1939 seedless watermelon was developed by treating the unpollinated flowers of watermelons with a specific acid, which resulted in the seedless watermelon.
Cordele, Georgia claims to be the Watermelon Capital of the


WATERMELON SEEDS

The world record for watermelon seed spitting is held by Jack Dietz of Chicago, who launched a seed a distance of 66 feet 11 inches in March 1989.


MORE FACTS
Watermelon contains high amounts of lycopene, the stuff that makes it red. Lycopene is good for you, and helps prevent heart disease.
-Watermelon has many vitamins, including A and C.
-Watermelon grows mainly in the summer and fall, but it can be grown year-round. -The U.S. ranks 3rd in watermelon production.
~It’s a great time to put watermelon on your menu! Did you know that a serving of watermelon has only 80 calories and no fat? It is also low in sodium and high in vitamin C.
-There are about 50 varieties of watermelons throughout the United States, classified into four general categories: Allsweet, Ice box, Seedless and Yellow Flesh.
-The average watermelon weighs about 20 pounds yielding 70% edible product and 30% rind.
-In today’s global market, top quality melons are available year-round, and are especially plentiful during their peak season April through October.
-As a rule, a good quality watermelon is firm and symmetrical and feels heavy for its size.
-Flesh should have a firm texture, bright color and minimal white streaks.
-Seeded varieties should have fully mature, hard seeds.
-A ripe melon has a creamy white or yellowish underside where the fruit rested on the ground: the rind has a healthy sheen.
-Watermelon should be ripe upon arrival. Once picked, their sugar content does not increase.
-Compared to most fruits, watermelons need a more “tropical” climate…a thermometer reading Of 55 degrees F is ideal.
-Whole melons will keep for 7 to 10 days at room temperature. Store them too long, and they will lose flavor and texture.
You can discuss obvious facts like color, shape, size, hardness, juiciness etc.

Don't Ignore Likelihood of Long-Term Care

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information
Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here are more interesting dementia brain boosting activities

US News & World Report

By Philip Moeller


MetLife sells insurance, lots of it. So, you probably wouldn't expect Snoopy to tell you the reasons not to buy insurance. Still, the company commissions a lot of well-conceived research on consumer knowledge about insurance. Now, all Best Life readers are, like LakeWoebegon children, above average. But most consumers get failing grades for their knowledge about insurance and financial services.

[See Long-Term Care Insurance Getting Attention.]

Today's quiz from MetLife is about long-term care, a phrase that in itself is probably misunderstood by lots of people. It refers not to hospital-based medical treatments but to professional care needed for people who can't perform the regular activities of daily living—bathing, dressing, eating, getting around, and the like. Alzheimer's victims are major users of long-term care services but there are many other reasons people need this care.

Most people will require professional long-term care help at some time in their lives, and it costs a bundle. Despite this demographic certainty, people continue to look the other way when it comes to how they will take care of themselves when they're old. Taking care of today's needs is hard enough, right? So, LTC insurance soldiers on as a product that most experts recommend but that is owned by well under 10 percent of the eligible population.

MetLife thinks part of the reason is that we don't understand what's in store for us. It posed the following 10 questions to more than 1,000 people, who were between the ages of 40 and 70, and also the primary financial decision makers in their households. Only about a fifth of the people got even seven out of 10 correct—that's a "C" in my book. The average score was about 50, which would be a very, very gentlemanly "C" indeed.

See how you do (the correct answers are bold-faced, along with the percentages of people choosing each response):

1) Long-term care refers to a situation when a person needs:
Ongoing medical treatment in a hospital (10%)
Ongoing medical treatment at home (19%)
Chemotherapy (1%)
Ongoing assistance with day-to-day activities such as bathing, dressing, or eating (68%)

2) The need for long-term care may be a result of:
Alzheimer’s disease (3%)
An accident (2%)
Chronic or disabling conditions (6%)
All of the above (85%)

3) How many households are personally providing care to an adult family member or other loved one?
1 out of 2 (13%)
1 out of 5 (45%)
1 out of 10 (30%)
1 out of 15 (9%)

4) Where do most people receive long-term care services?
In their own home (37%)
In an assisted living facility (28%)
In a nursing home (32%)
In a hospital (1%)

5) What is the 2008 national average monthly base cost for assisted living?
Less than $2,000 (5%)
$2,000–$4,999 (43%)
$5,000–$7,999 (27%)
$8,000 or more (24%)

6) Transferring financial assets to your family or loved ones would allow you to qualify immediately for Medicaid payment for long-term care.
True (15%)
True, as long as I only transfer money to my children (7%)
True, as long as I am in a nursing home (13%)
False (64%)

7) In the event that you needed extended care due to an accident or to a chronic illness, whether in your own home, in an assisted living facility, or in a nursing home, what type of insurance would pay for your expenses?
Medicare/Medicare Supplement (Medigap) (33%)
Disability insurance (19%)
Health insurance (14%)
None of the above (34%)

8) Approximately what percent of people over age 65 will require some long-term care services at some point in their lives?
20%–30% (17%)
40%–50% (36%)
60%–70% (36%)
80%–90% (10%)

9) Long-term care insurance rates are primarily based on:
Age (18%)
Income (9%)
Family history (1%)
All of the above (71%)

10) A comprehensive long-term care insurance plan covers the cost of:
Nursing home (5%)
Home care (3%)
Assisted living (4%)
All of the above (87%)

Sun facts for a discussion with long term care residents( part 2)

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

The Sun

The sun is the center of our solar system, and all of the planets in our solar system, including Earth, orbit (travel) around it.

The sun also gives out rays called X-rays and ultraviolet (UV) rays which
are harmful.

The sun gives off heat and light energy which makes it possible for life to exisit on Earth

The sun spins like a top and its gravity holds the planets and other objects in the solar system in orbit around it. The eight planets and their satellites (moons) are the sun's satellite

The sun contains about 98% of the mass of the entire Solar System.

Is just a medium sized star (yellow dwarf). It is about 1.4 million kilometers in diameter.

Is the center of our Solar System. All the planets and other objects orbit around it.

Is very gaseous, and made up mostly of hydrogen.

Contains darkspots that are known as sunspots.
• The planets closest to the Sun are Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars.
• The planets furthest from the Sun are Neptune, Uranus, Jupiter, and Saturn

Simple sun facts

Fun in the Sun Day is almost here
The Sun gives life to the Earth and the Earth would have no life at all without the energy it receives from the Sun.

 

The Sun is only one of millions and millions of stars in the Galaxy.

 

We see it as a large round red ball only because we are much closer to the Sun than to any of the other stars.

 

Other stars may be larger, brighter, smaller or fainter than our Sun but they are so very far away that we only see them as points of light in the night sky.

 

The Earth is one of nine planets that orbit round the Sun in what we call the Solar System.

 

Solar is the adjective from Sun and comes from the Latin word for Sun – sol, which also gives us the French soleil. (and the word for Sun in several mother European languages).

 

The Sun measures 2,715,395 miles (4.730,005 kilometres) right round (diameter).

 

The Sun is 92.96 million miles or 149.6 million kilometres from the Earth.

 

The Sun is bigger than can really be imagined, over one million times bigger than the Earth.

 

This measurement is taken as one Astronomical Unit and is how we measure distances in our Solar System

 

Like all stars, the Sun is composed of a great burning ball of gases. It is made of 92.1% hydrogen and 7.8% helium (helium is from the ancient Greek word helios, which means Sun).

 

Figure 1. The burning heat of the Sun

• The Sun has six layers.

• The centre of the Sun is its core which produces all the Sun’s energy.
   
• Around the core is the radiative zone, which carries the energy out from the core.
   
• It takes about 170,000 years for the Sun’s energy to move from the core through the radiative zone to the next layer, the connective zone.
   
• From the connective zone, great bubbles move into the Sun’s surface, the photosphere.
   
• From the photosphere the Sun’s radiation escapes to the earth as sunlight.
   
• It takes about 8 minutes for the sunlight to be seen on the earth after it has left the Sun.
   
• Outside the Sun’s surface, or photosphere, are two further layers of light gases, the chromosphere and the corona (Corona means “crown” in Latin).
   
• These are too faint to be normally seen against the much brighter photosphere but they can be seen on a very dull day or during a solar eclipse (Look at figures 2 and 3.).
   
• In very bright weather it is dangerous to look directly at the Sun without protective glasses.
   
• On a dull day when the sky is overcast, you can often see the Sun’s corona – the bright layer around the Sun’s photosphere.

Figure 2 The Sun's corona - the hazy bright area around the Sun, seen on an overcast day.

• As the moon orbits round the earth, it very occasionally comes between the Sun and the earth.
   
• This shuts out most of the light of the Sun and is called a solar eclipse. Sometimes only part of the moon comes between us and the Sun: this is called a partial solar eclipse.
   
• In a total solar eclipse it is often possible to see chromosphere, the layer of thin gas between the Sun’s surface and the Sun’s corona.  You may be able to see the chromosphere as a thin red line in Figure 3 with the corona outside it.

Figure 3. The moon has eclipsed the Sun which cannot be seen. Only the chromosphere and corona of the Sun can be seen.

• Sometimes darker spots are seen on the surface of the Sun. These are magnetic areas which are cooler than the rest of the Sun. They are called Sunspots.
   
• Many civilisations, such as the Aztec civilisation in Mexico, have worshipped the Sun.
   
• Many prehistoric stone circles, such as Stonehenge, are thought to have been built as part of religious worship involving the Sun.
   
• In the past many people believed that the Earth did not move and that the Sun rotated round the Earth.
   
• The first scientist to suggest that the Earth and other planets moved round a fixed Sun was Aristarchus of Samos (310-230 B.C.) – more than 2000 years ago.
   
• The scientist Ptolemy, however, writing more than 300 years later, in 140 A.D. said that the Earth was the centre of the universe.  This was believed for another 1400 years.
   
• The great Polish scientist Nicholas Copernicus (1473-1543) published a book at the end of his life, in 1543,  in which he tried to prove that the planets orbited around the Sun; the book’s title was De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium (Concerning the revolution of the heavenly spheres).
   
• Those people who agreed with Copernicus were often imprisoned and even executed for suggesting that the earth moved round the Sun.
   
• The work of the Italian Galileo (1564-1642) and the German Johann Kepler (1571-1630) reinforced Copernicus’ theory.
   
• The theory of the Solar System was not really fully accepted until the great English scientist Isaac Newton (1642-1727) published his works on the theory of gravity and finally proved that the planets orbited around the Sun. 

Useful Websites
NASA Website
Star Child
The Sun - Videos

Summer Songs That People With Dementia Love

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professionals,

Your residents will love the Amazon Kindle Fire

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be

Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care  professionals to get an easyceu or two

Follow alzheimersideas on twitter



Summer is here. Have these songs available to sing often

In the Good Old Summertime

In the good old summertime, in the good old summertime.
Strolling through the shady lanes with your baby mine.
You hold her hand, and she holds yours,
and that's a very good sign.
That she's your tootsie-wootsie,
in the good old summertime.


Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini
It was an itsy, bitsy, teenie, weenie, yellow polka-dot bikini
That she wore for the first time today
An itsy, bitsy, teentie, weenie, yellow polka-dot bikini
So in the blanket she wanted to stay
Two, three, four, stick around we'll tell you more
–

Summertime, Summertime
Its summertime

Its summertime summertime sum sum summertime
Summertime summertime sum sum summertime
Summertime summertime sum sum summertime
Summertime summertime sum sum summertime
Summertime

Its summertime


Surfin USA
Haggerties and swamies
Pacific palisades
San anofree and sunset
Redondo beach l.a.
All over la jolla

At waimia bay

Everybodys gone surfin
Surfin u.s.a.

Everybodys gone surfin
Surfin u.s.a.

Everybodys gone surfin
Surfin u.s.a.


My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean
My bonnie lies over the ocean
My bonnie lies over the sea
My bonnie lies over the ocean
Oh bring back my bonnie to me

Bring back, bring back
Bring back my Bonnie to me, to me
Bring back, bring back
Bring back my Bonnie to me

Oh blow ye the winds o'er the ocean
And blow ye the winds o'er the sea
Oh blow ye the winds o'er the ocean
And bring back my bonnie to me

Bring back, bring back
Bring back my Bonnie to me, to me
Bring back, bring back
Bring back my Bonnie to me

The winds have blown over the ocean
The winds have blown over the sea
The winds have blown over the ocean
And brought back my bonnie to me

Bring back, bring back
Bring back my Bonnie to me, to me
Bring back, bring back
Bring back my Bonnie to me



Michael Row the Boat Ashore
Michael row the boat ashore,
Hallelujah
Michael row the boat ashore,
Hallelujah

My brothers and sisters are all aboard,
Hallelujah
My brothers and sisters are all aboard,
Hallelujah

Michael row the boat ashore,
Hallelujah
Michael row the boat ashore,
Hallelujah

The river is deep and the river is wide,
Hallelujah
Milk and honey on the other side,
Hallelujah

Michael row the boat ashore,
Hallelujah
Michael row the boat ashore,
Hallelujah

Jordan's river is chilly and cold,
Hallelujah
Chills the body but warms the soul,
Hallelujah

Michael row the boat ashore,
Hallelujah
Michael row the boat ashore,
Hallelujah


Moonlight Bay
We were sailing along on Moonlight Bay
We could hear the voices ringing
They seemed to say
"You have stolen her heart"
"Now don't go 'way"
As we sang love's old sweet song on Moonlight Bay


Here are some other fun songs to sing

There is a Hole in the Bucket
There's a hole in the bucket,
Dear Liza, dear Liza
There's a hole in the bucket,
Dear Liza, there's a hole.

Then fix it, dear Henry,
Dear Henry, dear Henry
Then fix it, dear Henry,
Dear Henry, fix it.

With what shall I fix it,
Dear Liza, dear Liza?
With what shall I fix it,
Dear Liza, with what?

With a straw, dear Henry,
Dear Henry, dear Henry
With a straw, dear Henry,
Dear Henry, with a straw.

But the straw is too long,
Dear Liza, dear Liza
But the straw is too long,
Dear Liza, too long

Then cut it, dear Henry,
Dear Henry, dear Henry
Then cut it, dear Henry,
Dear Henry, cut it.

With what shall I cut it,
Dear Liza, dear Liza?
With what shall I cut it,
Dear Liza, with what?

With an axe, dear Henry,
Dear Henry, dear Henry
With an axe, dear Henry,
Dear Henry, an axe.

The axe is too dull,
Dear Liza, dear Liza
The axe is too dull,
Dear Liza, too dull

Then sharpen it, dear Henry,
Dear Henry, dear Henry
Then sharpen it, dear Henry,
Dear Henry, sharpen it.

With what shall I sharpen it,
Dear Liza, dear Liza?
With what shall I sharpen it,
Dear Liza, with what?

With a stone, dear Henry,
Dear Henry, dear Henry
With a stone, dear Henry,
Dear Henry, a stone.

The stone is too dry,
Dear Liza, dear Liza
The stone is too dry,
Dear Liza, too dry

Then wet it, dear Henry,
Dear Henry, dear Henry
Then wet it, dear Henry,
Dear Henry, wet it.

With what shall I wet it,
Dear Liza, dear Liza?
With what shall I wet it,
Dear Liza, with what?

With water, dear Henry,
Dear Henry, dear Henry
With water, dear Henry,
Dear Henry, with water.

How shall I get it,
Dear Liza, dear Liza,
How shall I get it,
Dear Liza, how shall I?

In the bucket, dear Henry,
Dear Henry, dear Henry
In the bucket, dear Henry,
Dear Henry, in the bucket.

There's a hole in the bucket.


Side By Side
Oh! we aint got a barrel of money
Maybe were ragged and funny
But well travel along
Singing a song
Side by side

I dont know whats a-comin tomorrow
Maybe its trouble and sorrow
But well travel the road
Sharing our load
Side by side

Thru all kinds of weather
What if the sky should fall
Just as long as were together
It really doesnt matter at all

When theyve all had their quarrels and parted
Well be the same as we started
Just traveling along
Singing a song
Side by side

(repeat last two verses)


In My Merry Oldsmobile
Come away with me Lucile in my merry Oldsmobile
Down the road of life we’ll fly automo-bubbling you and I.
To the church we’ll swiftly steal, then our wedding bells will peal,
You can go as far you like with me, In my merry Oldsmobile.

Have fun

Best country music artists

Activities directors, caregivers, and healthcare professionals,here is some great information

Here is a great dementia resource for caregivers and healthcare professinals,

Your residents will love the Amazon Kindle Fire

Here is information on being the best caregiver you can be


Here is a way for nurses administrators, social workers and other health care  professionals to get an easyceu or two

Follow alzheimersideas on twitter


About.com

You'll find various lists with suggestions on the best of various types of artists and their albums.

Country's Top 10 Most Influential Artists

Trying to determine the 10 most influential country music artists of all time is a tricky endeavor. Beyond a small handful of very obvious choices, the waters get a little muddier, and the debate becomes a little more heated.

Top 10 Most Influential Women of Country Music

In honor of Women's History Month, I've compiled a list of the 10 most influential female artists of country music. The women I've chosen are based on their total influence on other artists, record sales, among other things.

Top 10 - Classic Country Males

Classic artists are those that have recorded prior to the mid-1980s. These are the stars we know now as legends. Many of them are sadly not played on radio, except for during an oldies session. The picks below will comprise what I feel are the ten best albums by classic country males.

Top Ten Picks - Classic Country Females

Classic artists are those that have recorded prior to the mid 1980s. These are the stars we know now as legends. Many of them are sadly not played on radio, except for during an oldies session. The picks below will comprise what I feel are the ten best albums by classic country females.

Top Ten Picks - Contemporary Country Males

Contemporary artists are those that have recorded from the 90s through today. These are the artists that are the ones you will hear most often on country radio. The picks below will comprise what I feel are the ten best albums by contemporary male artists.

Top Ten Picks - Contemporary Country Females

Contemporary artists are those that have recorded from the mid 80s through today. These are the artists that are the ones you will hear most often on country radio. The picks below will comprise what I feel are the ten best albums by contemporary female artists.

Top Ten Picks - Classic Country Groups/Duos

Classic artists are those that have recorded prior to the mid 1980s. These are the stars we know now as legends. Many of them are sadly not played on radio, except for during an oldies session. The picks below will comprise what I feel are the ten best albums by classic groups and duos.

Top Ten Picks - Contemporary Country Groups/Duos

Contemporary artists are those that have recorded from the mid 80s through today. These are the artists that are the ones you will hear most often on country radio. The picks below will comprise what I feel are the ten best albums by contemporary groups or duos.

Top Ten Picks - Country Hat Acts

To some, the term "hat act" can be degrading. Back in the early 90s, the term was tossed around to describe the up-and-coming acts that came on the scene wearing a cowboy hat, many of whom were gone in a year or so. But, these "hat acts" are those with staying power. They may wear a hat, but they can also sing their hearts out.

Top Five Picks - Female Rising Stars

These gals have been around for less than three years, and none of them have more than two albums released to the public.

Most Underrated Male Country Artists

A list of the 5 country artists that seem to constantly be passed over for awards and attention, even though they put out outstanding music.

Top Picks - Diamond Award Artists

The Recording Industry Association of America hands out awards when an artist reaches a milestone of 500,000 units sold (Gold), and 1 Million units sold (Platinum). When an artist reaches that point of selling 10 Million units, they receive a Diamond Award. The artists below are those who have reached this incredible plateau.

Top Five Picks - Canadian Country Artists

Canada has given us some great country music artists. The top five listed below are some of the most successful acts that are still selling country music in the U.S. today.

Top Five Picks - Male Rising Stars

These guys have been around for less than three years, and none of them have more than two albums released to the public.

Top Five Picks - Rising Stars Groups

These groups have been around for less than three years, and none of them have more than two albums released to the public.

Top Picks - BNA Nashville Artists

BNA Records Label is one of three labels that is part of the RCA Label group, which is a unit of BMG Entertainment. The BNA roster includes: Kenny Chesney, Kellie Coffey, Lonestar, Brice Long, Tebey Ottoh, Pinmonkey, and Rachel Proctor. Also included in this label is the sub-label Bandit, with George Jones. Only artists with released albums are listed below.

Top Picks - Lost Highway Artists

Lost Highway is a division of Mercury Records, and is home to the "O Brother Soundtrack," and the "Down From the Mountain" project, as well as Tift Merritt, Willie Nelson, and Robert Earl Keen.

Top Picks - Lucky Dog Artists

SonyNashville is a country division of Sony Music. Lucky Dog is one of four labels under the Sony Nashville label. Artists listed on the Label are BR549, The Derailers, Deryl Dodd, Jack Ingram and Charlie Robison.

Top Picks - Mercury Nashville

Mercury Nashville is a division of the Universal Music Group. The artists on the roster are Steve Azar, Terri Clark, Daisy Dern, Meredith Edwards, Tom T. Hall, Marcel, David Nail, Jamie O'Neal, James Otto, Anthony Smith, Keith Stegall, Shania Twain, and Mark Wills. Only artists with released albums are listed below.

Top Picks - RCA Nashville Artists

RCA Records Label is one of three labels that is part of the RCA Label group, which is a unit of BMG Entertainment. The RCA roster includes: Alabama, Tracy Byrd, Sara Evans, Andy Griggs, Aaron Lines, Martina McBride, Tommy Shane Steiner, and Clay Walker. Only artists with released albums are listed below.

Top Picks - Warner Nashville Artists

Warner Nashville is a sub-label of the larger Warner Brothers Records. The artists on the roster are Faith Hill, Blake Shelton, Trick Pony, Dusty Drake, Sixwire, Tracy Lawrence, John Michael, Neal McCoy, and Elizabeth Cook. Only artists with released albums are listed below.

Top Picks - Country Females With "The Voice"

There are country singers that give you chills when they belt out a song. These are the singers with what I call "the voice." The list I've compiled below are today's country female singers that have the type of voice that can sing anything, and do it with power, or understated elegance.

Best of Classic Country Males

Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson and George Jones. All these men are legends in the genre of country music. Whether you're new to country music, or have just not purchased music from anyone other than today's country stars, I've chosen three of the best from classic country male artists, so you can get a feel for the artists that paved the way for the stars of today.