Music: It wasn’t too long ago that...

Music: It wasn’t too long ago that Barbara Mandrell scored with the hit song “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool.” Now, in a survey expected to be released today, it’s apparent that country is cooler then ever, thanks to the soaring popularity of such stars as Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Trisha Yearwood and Vince Gill. The survey, conducted by the Simmons Study of Media and Markets, is expected to show that some 77 million adults regularly listen to country music stations, up by 10 million from 1992 and 21 million from 1990. Key demographic gains have been made in the category of adults ages 18 to 24, which grew by 34%, and adults ages 25 to 34, which grew 156%. One of the biggest gains the survey is expected to show is in the Northeast, where popularity increased 48%.