The new Hank Williams biopic I Saw The Light finally opened in select theaters in New York, Los Angeles, and Nashville on Friday, March 25th, and will be released nationwide on April 1st, and the controversy and criticism of the film continues. I Saw The Light originally debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival on […]
There is no signs of slowing down for Chris Stapleton, and now he’s entered a very elite class in country music. His debut album ‘Traveller’ has officially sold over 1 million copies—actually 1.05 million copies to be exact, with another 27,000 copies sold last week according to Billboard. What does this mean? Aside from adding another digit to the odometer, it puts Stapleton at the very top of the genre in album sales.
We’ve seen flames adorning The Reverend Horton Heat’s Nudie suits, flames painted on Jimbo’s standup bass, flames painted on many of the hot rods you might see pull up to a Horton Heat show, and Jim Heath can blaze on his signature Gretsch guitar like few others. But flames coming out of the side of their tour bus while smoke fills the cabin full of sleeping band and crew members is not the style the band was going for.
Well so much for drama, pomp and circumstance, or anticipation. As informally as sticking a post-it note to the office billboard right beside a reminder to clean the microwave after each use in the breakroom, the ACM Awards have announced the apparent winners of the 2016 “New Artist” categories. Though during certain years, the ACM’s […]
Touring and Merle Haggard have been an interesting proposition lately, ever since he was diagnosed with a double pneumonia back in December. It’s been on again, and off again. As soon as you hear it’s on, he cancels a show last minute due to heath. Then when you hear he’s still recovering, all of a sudden he decides to play a few dates. This has left some fans confused and frustrated, and many concerned.
The big news in country music Tuesday (3-22) was that critically-acclaimed songwriter and performer Brandy Clark would be releasing her sophomore studio album ‘Big Day in a Small Town’ on June 10th. But one question some Brandy Clark fans are asking is why the album has been delayed. It was originally scheduled to be released on April 1st.
On Monday (3-21), the Norman, OK-based country rock band The Damn Quails took to Facebook to solicit the public for help finding their tour manager who went missing during their show in Houston Saturday night (3-19). At roughly 11:00 p.m., 39-year-old Colin Deyalsingh disappeared with no trace from the Firehouse Saloon in Houston, located at 5930 Southwest Fwy (Interstate 69) 77057
Loretta has been working on new music at Johnny Cash’s famous Cash Cabin Studio in Hendersonville, TN over the past eight years, recording over 90 songs. She’s been collaborating with her daughter Patsy L. Russell and John Carter Cash as producers. Loretta signed a new deal with Sony’s Legacy imprint in late 2014 to begin releasing albums again after a long hiatus.
“Man, what a great writer,” Dave says about Brent. “His dad gave me his CD, but a lot of my family plays so I just thought ‘Well, it’s just another CD.’ My wife made me put his CD on in the car of songs he’d been writing. We were driving back to the airport from the funeral that time, and he just knocked me out. He’s like Don Williams. So deep. Such a deep, beautiful writer.”
Though Young was considered mostly a background member of the Outlaw movement for many years, his appearance on the legendary Outlaw documentary Heartworn Highways helped awaken the world to his talent. Though he still remained mostly known through the songs he wrote that others performed, Young had a strong solo career and released a total of 14 albums.
After selling out all of his tour dates in February, playing to packed rooms in Europe in March, selling out every one of his dates in April, and most all of his dates sold to capacity this summer, Chris Stapleton has added some new tour dates in May and September to help keep up with demand.
The longest tenured member of Sturgill Simpson’s band has moved on. After a few weeks of chatter about how he may not be making Sturgill’s next tour, bass player Kevin Black officially announced Tuesday (3/15) that he will no longer be a part of Sturgill’s band moving forward.
“It was my girlfriend’s birthday, and I had to borrow 40 bucks from a buddy to take her out to dinner,” Willy Taylor explains. “This car drove by and something flew off the roof and hit our van. It was dark, and I said, ‘Wow that sounded important’ because it was heavy and it came off the top of the car. It’s just a classic move. I’ve done it before, leaving stuff on top of the car.”
When “The Wayward Wind” took Billboard’s #1 spot, it remained there for eight weeks, which was a record at the time. It went on to sell over a million copies, and Gogi was voted as the most popular female vocalist by Billboard. Grant’s version of the song also returned to the Billboard 100 in 1961. The song was also a hit in the U.K.
Over the last few days, an especially effective fake news story about Metallica’s James Hetfield quitting the heavy metal band to make a country record called “Hetfield Road” has been making the rounds. Saving Country Music headquarters has been bombarded with emails about the article, and according to the stats, it’s been viewed over 223,000 times since being posted on March 8th.
The incredibly long drought for new music from one of the biggest names in Texas country is finally coming to a close. After releasing two records with Big Machine—the last being Big Dreams & High Hopes in 2009—Ingram pulled a disappearing act for the last seven years or so when it came to studio work, but will be returning in a big way this summer, and with a label known for letting artists do what they do best.
Dolly Parton will have a busy 2016 ahead of her, and held a press conference Monday morning to fill folks in on all she has planned. Along with upgrades to her theme park Dollywood, including the first “launched” wooden roller coaster called Lightning Rod, which will be the fastest wooden coaster at 73 mph once it’s completed, Dolly Parton will have a new double album, and will embark on a 60-date tour of North America.
Last week Sturgill Simpson announced the release of his third solo album “A Sailor’s Guide to Earth” on April 15th, and as is customary, a slew of new tour dates will accompany the release. Though there is only 15 dates in Texas, the Midwest, Tennessee and Kentucky to start, there’s a good bet more are coming. There’s also a very good bet all of these dates will sell out almost immediately as tickets go for sale
Joey Feek was first diagnosed with cervical Cancer in June of 2014, shortly after the birth of the couple’s daughter, Indiana, who was born with Down Syndrome. Feek underwent surgery and numerous treatments, but the Cancer continued to return. But Joey and Rory’s faith never wavered, despite their story unfolding like a tragedy whose every next turn became more unbelievable and tragic.
Two days after posting a cryptic image on his website and social network properties, Sturgill Simpson conducted a rare and exclusive 3-minute interview on Beats 1 Radio with Zane Lowe, and announced his upcoming 3rd studio solo album A Sailor’s Guide to Earth. Sturgill also played a new song as part of the interview.
Scheduled to take place this year between April 18th to the 23rd, the Larry Joe Taylor Festival will welcome an estimated 50,000 people through the gates over 6 days, and feature music on three stages from over 50 bands at the Melody Mountain Ranch in Stephenville, TX. One of the biggest and oldest music festivals in the country, Larry Joe Taylor Fest has been going on for over a quarter century.
Sturgill Simpson has never been one to make it easy on us to plot his next move. On the contrary, he appears to love keeping folks on their toes, and communicating to the masses in sometimes cryptic messages and imagery. Such was the case Tuesday afternoon (3-1) when the Kentucky singer and songwriter posted an image of red and while skeletons sparring on his social network properties.
The news leaves what once was one of the most promising new bands in country music in limbo. The Band Perry has won a Grammy Award and done decent on the radio in the past. The big question is whether their new (and ultimately failed) pop direction was the idea of Big Machine, or of their own team, and if they will continue to stay committed to the direction moving forward.
This is one of many accusations from Clyde Isbell, the rarely talked-about identical twin brother of Americana star Jason Isbell, and co-frontman of a local Allman Brothers cover band in Alabama. Saving Country Music tracked down Clyde in a trailer park outside of Muscle Shoals to ask him about his brother’s recent success, and attempt to determine why the lives of the siblings have forked in separate directions.