Joe "What I still wonder sometimes however is this: Does the very best players, writers, performers singers etc always rise to prominence or are the very best more likely to be heard only in a local pub or on a back porch. I'd love to know the answer to that question"

I think the answer to that question is obvious. If any place is a closed shop and are not constantly looking for new blood or the best that is out there....then they cannot possibly use the best or be the best. That principle does not just apply to Nashville it applies everywhere. The business has a habit of picking their favourites and the flavour of the month gets the best gigs......does not mean they are the best. Any business always takes a risk backing an unknown regardless of how good they are. Some just will not take the chance.
At the risk of repeating my war cry yet again.....popular does not necessarily mean great.....and in pop music it does not even mean having to be any good. I see acts all the time who simply cannot even sing in tune yet still make millions. I bet there are hundreds if not thousands who given the chance could do much better. Pop music today is more about image and production rather than musical ability or the quality of the song. I think that Nashville has kinda followed that philosophy too.
I get called old and cynical and folk say I live in the past...well that is possibly true.....but back in the sixties and seventies...you had to be a great player with great material before even being considered for a recording deal. Image and looks came second.
Stands to reason if you turn that upside down then the quality of the product suffers dramatically.
Take a look at Cheryl Cole....she was in Girls Aloud then went solo and became a TV celeb on pop reality shows like X factor.
She is drop dead gorgeous....but completely tone deaf. 99.9% of the time she lip syncs but I had the misfortune to hear her sing live on TV......it was woeful and TOTALLY embarrassing. Sadly most of the top pop acts fall into that category. They might look great but do not ask them to perform music. Now I am not angry at her....good luck I say....but the people who put her there deserve to be exposed and taken to task....and the public deserve better. If I did not know better I would think they are having a laugh at the public's expense by trying to see just how much crap they can foist on them and get away with it.

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=687727&songID=5238055