Adult contemporary country trio Lady Antebellum will no longer be known by the name they’ve toured and recorded music under for some 14 years. Announced on Thursday (6-11), they have decided to shorten their name simply to “Lady A.” What it means, and how it should be regarded.
A virtual celebration of Prine’s life and legacy has been planned for Thursday, June 11th called Picture Show: A Tribute Celebrating John Prine to be streamed online. Also after the presentation will be the revealing of a new John Prine song, with more unheard music on the way.
Texas-based Southern rock band Whiskey Myers is set to launch their own personally-curated festival and annual gathering for their fans called the Firewater Festival, and they have just announced the inaugural lineup. The event has been cleared by state and local officials to move forward.
As we get to the halfway pole in the musical year, it’s time to look back and asses the best albums that have been released in 2020 so far. At the moment, we are very top loaded with stellar releases, with many albums already feeling like strong contenders for Album of the Year.
Margo Price was ready to issue her third studio album That’s How Rumors Get Started May 8th on her new label of Loma Vista Records. But like some other titles, the decision was made to delay the release due to the uncertainty around COVID-19. Now a new date has been announced, and a new song issued.
Luke Combs announced recently that his new radio single will be “Lovin’ On You,” and I can’t help but think this decision is a one big boner. Luke already had another single out there gaining serious traction on radio, even as his previous one was cresting the charts. It’s the well-written and fiercely topical “Six Feet Apart.”
James Hand—often regarded as one of the most authentic voices to ever grace the medium of country music—has died. He passed away Monday morning, June 8th, after complications due to issues with congestive heart failure. He was in a Waco, TX hospital and his former wife and mother of his two sons, Kayla Allen, was by his side.
Country music legend James “Slim” Hand is currently in a Waco, TX hospital suffering from issues due to congestive heart failure. The 68-year-old singer and songwriter is beloved for being one of the most authentic performers and people in country music.
‘Pure Scum’ is like a seedy travelogue down the sticky streets of one of the armpits of America. Instead of trying to apologize or rehabilitate Reno’s poor reputation, Leroy Virgil embraces the stereotypical and derogatory notions of the town, and parades them around as a point of pride.
Just like all the black squares that co-opted the Black Lives Matters hashtags and sowed chaos on Tuesday, the “Country Music Accountability Sheet” should be taken down because it is directly detrimental to the cause, nonfactual at times, dangerously misleading, and destructive to the careers of artists.
It’s been a long and arduous wait for many classic country fans sitting on the edge of their seats for the second record from country songsmith and crooner Zephaniah OHora. But ‘Listening to the Music’ has finally been announced, with a new song “All American Singer” available now.
With his new album ‘Country Shade,’ John Baumann fortifies his spot in Texas music and beyond as a songwriter. Sure, there’s a lot of artists who write songs in Texas music. But with John Baumann, writing songs is the singular and pure pursuit—to find the perfect sentiment, to put a notion to rhyme.
Sturgill Simpson will be appearing in a free live stream event via webcast on Friday, June 5th at 7 p.m. Central from the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Plus he also has an album on the way of old songs recorded new, and a note on Sturgill coverage moving forward.
The legendary performance of Waylon Jennings at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville on August 12th, 1978 was finally reissued to the public on May 15th in DVD form. Now it has also finally been made available On Demand on Amazon via Eagle Rock Entertainment.
After being forced to close on March 13th due to the COVID-19 outbreak, and now extending their closure to at least June 30th, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has been forced to lay off 73 individuals, and furlough 101 more. Both the Hall of Fame and the CMA also give updates on the new 2020 inductees.
Texas country singer and songwriter Zane Williams already had a steady gig as a revered and supported artist in the scene for years, releasing seven records, touring extensively throughout the region. So why go off and start a band with as ambiguous of a name as “Hill Country” to hide yourself in?
When you played on such iconic country music recordings as “Stand By Your Man” by Tammy Wynette, “He Stopped Loving Her Today” by George Jones, George Strait’s “Amarillo By Morning,” and “The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers, you know your legacy in country music is secured.
This idea to pause the entire music industry on Tuesday, June 2nd called Blackout Tuesday—and the calls by some to pause business for an entire week—can and possibly will be directly damaging to many independent artists, and independent music businesses at a time of already unprecedented pressure.
Like most every musician, Tyler Childers has been mostly just stewing at home since he’s unable to tour due to COVID-19. But unlike some musicians, home is a special place for Tyler Childers, and in country music. He also explains his recent collarbone injury.
This time around Steve Earle’s charge is somewhat unusual. Instead of simply putting together a new album of original songs or re-recording someone else’s, Earle was conscripted to assemble the soundtrack for a play called Coal Country that ran at New York’s Public Theater earlier this year.
Alan Jackson is one of the few arena acts left in country music that hasn’t fully cancelled his 2020 tour plans just yet, but he has rescheduled numerous dates due to COVID-19, and just added two unique drive-in shows to give fans an opportunity to see him while restrictions remain in place.
The Saving Country Music Top 25 Playlist is built to keep you informed on all the best songs and albums coming out right here, right now in country and roots music. It’s available on most all streaming formats, or just use the song, artist, and album info to find something new to listen to. New songs just added.
Nashville’s historic Lower Broadway district—which many consider the Holy Land of country music with numerous historic buildings and entertainment institutions—has suffered numerous incidents of vandalism and looting at the hands of protesters demonstrating against the death of George Floyd.
On a totally black cassette tape (what else would you expect?) that is simply marked “Clint Black” with the phone number “589-0560” on a label, someone who most certainly sounds like a young Clint Black spends 7 minutes and 59 seconds reciting minute-long renditions of solid gold hits.
