iHeartMedia über morning show DJ Bobby Bones apparently has a new enemy. Or actually, two of them, in the form of Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelly of the Bro-Country super duo Florida Georgia Line. Though on the surface you might surmise that Bobby Bones and Florida Georgia Line would be brothers in arms, that’s apparently not the case.
There was nobody else like Mr. Bandana. And now that he’s gone, there will never be anyone like him again. He was a true last of the breed, and one of the few remaining authentic Outlaws who lived his own way, spoke his mind no matter the outcome or insult taken, and you will never find a more dedicated and loyal supporter of the music.
38-year-old Veronique Bourgault of Quebec, Canada has been charged with battery of a police officer and public intoxication after an incident at Bayou Country Superfest on May 27th in Baton Rouge. The incident started after Bourgault was apparently giving her boyfriend a lap dance in the bleachers while children and families watched on.
Rich Vanaugh played drums for Kitty Wells and Charlie Louvin, Jeannie Seely and Jack Greene, and Mel Tillis and Dottie West over his long career, but he will forever be known as one of the backbones of one of the most beloved bands in Nashville, the Western swing-inspired supergroup The Time Jumpers, and one of the friendliest musicians you would ever meet.
Legendary country music songwriter Guy Clark passed away on May 17th after a long battle with numerous health ailments, and now it has finally been revealed how he will be forever remembered by friends, fans and family: his ashes are being incorporated into a sculpture to be formed by fellow Texas songwriter Terry Allen.
Whether you like what he’s throwing down, or you think he’s a foul-mouthed yob, there’s no denying that Wheeler Walker Jr. has become nothing short of a country music phenomenon, with continued strong album sales, high streaming numbers if from nothing else than a curiosity factor, and even some unexpected recognition from mainstream artists.
With so many deaths in the country music world and beyond in 2016, it is no surprise that fans are on edge, especially when it comes to older artists. But despite the death rumors that swirled on social media Monday (5-23) about the passing of 76-year-old Outlaw country songwriting legend Billy Joe Shaver, he is still alive, despite currently residing in the hospital.
Randy Travis may still be battling back from the multiple health ailments he suffered in 2013 that left the Country Music Hall of Famer with difficulty speaking and walking without assistance, but fans will get a chance to see Randy the way he was right before his stroke when a new short film shot in 2013 called The Price is released.
It still seems a little strange to talk about “Outlaws” going on some swanky cruise out in the Caribbean. But it was apparently such a hoot the first time that organizers have put together a second installment, and once again the lineup is killer.
If you’ve been waiting for the Sturgill Simpson tour to head your way behind his recent album A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, chances are you’ll be getting your wish soon. Tickets for most remaining shows in May and June are sold out. Many of the shows in Canada and the northern United States will go on sale on May 20th.
Legendary country music songwriter Guy Clark passed away early Tuesday morning at the ago of 74. Born in Monahans, Texas on Nov. 6, 1941, he went on to become one of the most revered songwriters in the history of country music, and beyond.
This year the event will be held for the second year in a row at the Austin 360 Amphitheater on the grounds of the Circuit of the America’s Formula 1 raceway just outside of Austin, and will feature an impressive list of talent, from Picnic mainstays like Johnny Bush, Ray Wylie Hubbard, and David Allan Coe, to newcomers such as Margo Price and Shakey Graves.
If your real, legal name is Willie Nelson Waylon Jennings, the good news is you’re named after two of the most badass country music artists to ever suck air. The bad news if your Willie Nelson Waylon Jennings is that you were just arrested in Carroll County, Georgia on burglary charges after your getaway car ran out of gas.
Sturgill Simpson sat down with Marc Maron of the WTF podcast recently, and the hour or so interview was released on Thursday (5-12). If you’re a diehard Sturgill Simpson fan, it would be strongly encouraged that you listen. Here are some of the more interesting tidbits from the conversation.
The strange saga of what was once one of country music’s most promising trios and family bands continues. After parting ways with Nashville-based record label Big Machine in early March after the colossal failure of their latest single “Live Forever,” it has been announced that The Band Perry has signed with Interscope Records and is going full pop.
As Merle was suffering from complications due to a double pneumonia and was in a hospital recovering, he would pen what would become his final song, “Kern River Blues.” Even though Merle was barely strong enough to sing, he put out the effort to record the song at his “Hag” studio with his full band.
Early Wednesday evening (5/11), the nominees for the 2016 Americana Music Awards were announced via NPR’s live stream from the historic Mansion on O Street in Washington, DC. The event was hosted by the Milk Carton Kids, and featured performances from multiple Americana artists.
One of the most fastest-growing and well-regarded offshoots and alternatives of country music holds its annual gathering of the tribes each September in Nashville, and this year promises to be another rousing shindig after the names of the first 68 performers have been released to the public.
Now that we are well into May, many people are wondering where the announcement for Willie Nelson’s annual 4th of July Picnic is. The country music institution, started in 1972 with the Dripping Springs Reunion (not officially held on the 4th) has been going strong ever since, despite skipping a couple of years here and there.
Merle Haggard is gone, but he won’t be forgotten in the town he helped put on the map with one of his signature songs. Muskogee, Oklahoma is looking to erect not one statue of the country music legend, but two of them in the aftermath of his passing on April 6th.
Guy Clark has been suffering from numerous health ailments recently. In June 2015, he was hospitalized right before he was scheduled to appear at an Austin City Limits event being held in his behalf. Clark had a bad reaction to medication he was prescribed after a recent surgical procedure, and missed the ACL Hall of Fame induction.
Director Timothy Woodward Jr. was inspired to make a Western version of the Liam Neeson blockbuster “Taken,” and decided to cast country music songwriting legend and noted actor Kris Kristofferson on help star in the movie. Set in Kansas during the late 1800’s, and shot in parts of New Mexico and California, “Traded” finds Kristofferson as a crotchety, soothsaying, gun-toting bartender named Billy
By all accounts, it was the song’s dismal performance on the country music charts and The Band Perry’s hard-headed insistence on sticking with their new pop direction that had the family trio and preeminent country music label Big Machine parting ways earlier this year. To put it bluntly, “Live Forever” killed The Band Perry’s country music career.
Now that Merle Haggard has passed on, Kris Kristofferson is one of the few remaining links to country music’s most iconic era of classic songwriting. Kristofferson has also been candid about his struggles with deepening memory loss, so any new recordings should be considered a treasure.