Country music legend, female trailblazer, and the oldest living member of the Grand Ole Opry Jean Shepard has entered hospice care after being admitted to the Intensive Care Unit earlier this week. This is the news from her son, Hawkshaw Hawkins Jr.
Though there are still many bad songs on country radio and in country music in general, the snapping of Blake Shelton’s #1 streak is just another sign things are beginning to turn around in the mainstream, and artists of more substance are beginning to find more success at the expense of the Bro-Country era’s old guard.
Devarati Ghosh, also known to many as Windmills Country, who among many other much more important contributions to the cultural and educational community was a Saving Country Music contributor, regular commenter, and behind-the-scenes counselor and compass for years, died on September 2nd, 2016.
Riding high after the release of her recent album My Piece of Land and getting ready to participate in this week’s AmericanaFest festivities in Nashville, Amanda Shires and her band had their van broken into while on the stage at the City Winery in Chicago on Monday (9-19) evening.
Marty lived in Glendale, AZ until he enlisted in the Navy at 17 and served in the Pacific Theater in World War 2. It was there he learned to play guitar, and like so many GI’s, fell in love with the steel guitar of Polynesian music. After Marty’s discharge, he started his career in nearby Phoenix, both as a performer and a DJ, and later with his own television show.
The King of Juke Joint Swing Wayne “The Train” Hancock will release his newest album called ‘Slingin’ Rhythm’ via Bloodshot Records. Produced by Lloyd Maines, it finds Wayne Hancock reprising his signature sound that mixes elements of country, Western swing, rockabilly, and blues in a neotraditional style.
Hillary Clinton is not the only one feeling under the weather and needing some time off. Country music’s current First Lady Miranda Lambert has got a case of laryngitis or something similar, and has been put on mandatory vocal rest by her crack team of country music doctors. The result is Miranda will miss at least three of her upcoming shows.
Kelcy Warren, the CEO of Energy Transfer Partners who is behind the Dakota Access project is actually an impresario in the music space and when he’s not dictating the construction of controversial projects or directing the stamping down on dissent against the company. And now some of his musical buddies turning against him.
Country legend Loretta Lynn was forced to cancel her Labor Day weekend appearance at her ranch in Hurricane Mills, TN on Saturday (9-3) after suffering a fall, and now word has come down that the country queen will have to cancel additional dates and will require surgery.
Don’t blame me for taking an “I’ll believe it when I see it” attitude after listening to “Beautiful Drug” and “Tomorrow Never Comes” off of their latest album Jekyll + Hyde, but Zac Brown and the Zac Brown Band have just released a new missive putting their fans on alert that they’re heading back into the studio soon, and will be “returning to their roots” on the new album.
Jerry Reed and Ricky Skaggs may still be on the outside looking in when it comes to the Country Music Hall of Fame, but the Musicians Hall of Fame in Nashville, located on the other side of downtown in the Municipal Auditorium, has decided these two country music superpickers are worthy of induction. And along […]
The seminal instrument of country music would not sound the same, and many of country’s golden hits would not be as sweet if it weren’t for Bud Isaacs, and now he’s gone. A member of the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame, a player on countless country music recordings, and once member of the Ozark Jubilee, Bud Issacs was vital to helping form the sound of country music.
Ben Haggard has long been seen as a promising future talent in country music himself, regularly posting videos online and garnering a significant following. And now he has taken one of the first steps towards launching his own career. Announced this week, Ben Haggard has signed to performing rights organization BMI.
Now that some of the dust has settled since Sturgill Simpson made his inflammatory comments about the mistreatment of Merle Haggard on Monday (8-29), many others have taken the opportunity to weigh in on the matters on both sides of the country music cultural divide.
If your a recent Turnpike Troubadours convert and never got a chance to own their very first debut album Bossier City, you better jump on the opportunity now because for a limited time they’re making it available to the public once again, with proceeds going to a good cause.
The nominees for the 50th Annual CMA Awards have been announced, and Chris Stapleton, Eric Church, and newcomer Maren Morris lead the field each with five nominations. Stapleton continues to be the big surprise, picking up a nomination for the evening’s biggest prize, Entertainer of the Year, and four other nominations.
One of the most revered and longtime members of the Grand Ole Opry house band, founding member of the supergroup the Time Jumpers, and fiddler for dozens of important country music stars including Bill Monroe, Hank Williams Jr., and Randy Travis just to name a few, and a favorite of bluegrass fans, has passed away.
Once again when a country legend releases an album, fans rise to the occasion and support the artist to a greater degree than their contemporary counterparts. And for Dolly Parton, those additional sales earn her a distinction she hasn’t seen in a quarter of a century. The Pure & Simple album coincides with Dolly Parton’s current Pure & Simple tour.
The Garden & Gun ‘New Outlaws’ issue seemed to illustrate the problem with many of today’s music periodicals that see the expanding interest in independent country music, but rely mostly on journalists and editors who only know country music from the outside looking in.
“Country Songs” speaks right to the heart of what true country music is all about. It’s there to mend the wounds and help us all commiserate over the misery life invariably throws our way. There’s nothing wrong with happy songs either, but country music has always been the best remedy for a sad state of affairs.
Well, this is a side of Sturgill Simpson we haven’t seen for a while. Last week, the ACM created a new award called the ‘Merle Haggard Spirit Award’ that was said to honor the contributions of Haggard by acknowledging artists who exemplify his uncompromising integrity and “singular vision in carving an indelible path in country music.”
There was no bigger enemy in music in July of 2014 than Kasey Anderson. The songwriter and performer plead guilty to wire fraud and was accused of bilking dozens of investors out of nearly $600,000 for fraudulent music projects, including a benefit album and tour for the West Memphis Three.
When Kyle Larson takes the honorary Chip Ganassi #42 Marty Robbins car on the the Darlington race track on Saturday, he won’t just be paying tribute to a country music legend, but a legend of the racing world that once put his own life in peril to save another.
The best-selling country artist of all time and the last major holdout in all of music to make his songs and albums available for streaming may be finally acquiescing to reality. According to a report, Garth has reached a deal with Apple for $30 million, and his turning over his catalog to the company to service his music.