"American Idol" judge Simon Cowell referred to contestant Kristy Lee Cook's countrified performance of The Beatles' "Eight Days a Week" on Tuesday night as similar to "a ghastly song sung at a country fair with a couple of banjos."

Well, there are quite a few songs sung at country fairs with a couple of banjos in this area. The banjo pickers are talented performers and their songs aren't ghastly.

So I don't guess we'll be seeing Simon at any of the many events in Bell Buckle or elsewhere in the area anytime soon. With that attitude -- which could be interpreted by some (at least by me, anyway) as smirky criticism of rural folks -- he probably won't be missed.

As far as Kristy Lee's performance, taking a Beatles song country didn't come off well to some, even judge Positive Paula. I'll admit "Eight Days a Week" isn't a country song, but then again some of today's "country" songs, as good as they are, are country only in their marketing. I thought she sounded okay but far from spectacular.

Wonder what the surviving Beatles would say, considering they've recorded songs by Buck Owens, Carl Perkins and Justin Tubb?

Some may remember a series of at least two CDs containing country versions of Beatles songs issued in the 1990s.

Google "Beatles country tribute" and check out the sound clips on "Come Together: America Salutes the Beatles." Some sound good, some not so great.

I'd say many of the slower Beatles songs convert well but faster material rocks too much. "Revolution" -- maybe my all-time favorite Beatles song -- just doesn't work without the distorted guitars.