Tony Bennett, the 87-year-old singer who’s still going strong and is considered worldwide even at his advanced age as one of the greatest living singers, had some pretty spicy words about the state of modern music when the BBC spoke to him in an interview released Thursday. “The songs that are written today, most of them are terrible. “It’s a very bad period musically.”
Austin City Limits has slated a scrappy young country music artist to appear during their latest season. Though you may have never heard of him, all that might change after he makes his Austin City Limits debut. His name is Eric Church, and despite only winning the Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music awards for Album of the Year once….
Tragic news out of Wednesday night’s South By Southwest festivities, as a car reportedly drove through the throngs of concert goers, killing 2 and injuring 23 according to Austin’s ABC affiliate KVUE, including five critically. The incident happened on Red River St., near 9th and 10th Streets, in the heart of Austin’s downtown entertainment district. Red River, along 6th Street, frame the heart of Austin’s downtown music corridor
Actor, music lover, and armchair musician Johnny Depp, sporting a vest, round shades, a ripped canvas wide-brimmed hat, and his Danelectro guitar, sat in with Willie’s family band for the set Sunday night. He was simply introduced as “John,” and traded licks with Willie Nelson’s son Lukas Nelson who was also sitting in with the band. Johnny played songs like “Good Hearted Woman”…
Former Hootie & The Blowfish frontman turned country artist Darius Rucker was on sports personality Dan Patrick’s radio show Tuesday (3-4), and had some interesting things to say about who the new torch bearers are for country music’s Outlaw legacy. According to Darius Rucker and Dan Patrick, the new Willie and Waylon is Luke Bryan and Eric Church.
Lone Star Music, the Texas music cornerstone that has such good taste and cool vibes that appreciation for it’s unique approach of putting the music first spreads well past the Texas border, has just announced the nominees for their 6th Annual Lone Star Music Awards, and I’ll be damned if it doesn’t hit the sweet spot in showcasing many of the artists that are helping to save country music.
Ahead of the release of Johnny Cash’s lost album Out Among The Stars due on March 25th, the Johnny Cash Official website has made available the opportunity for you to listen to the title track of the album by signing in either through Facebook or email. And then if you wish, you can make a birthday wish to Johnny Cash and light up a star on the background of the website.
Jett Williams, the daughter of country legend Hank Williams Sr. and the half-sister of Hank Williams Jr., was arrested early Tuesday morning for DUI in Lebanon, Tennessee. The 61-year-old Jett Williams Adkinson was observed by Lebanon police swerving in between lanes in a 1998 Jaguar when police pulled her over at 2:30 AM. According to police, Jett smelled of alcohol, and had slurred speech.
It was revealed Monday morning that one of the show’s eight stars, Louisiana native Lyle Boudreaux, was arrested in Maurice, LA for burglary of a vehicle. But that’s just where the Party Down South trouble begins. the eight stars of the show were dramatically underpaid for their first season of work, and are holding out on CMT, demanding more money from the network.
Like brothers in country music arms, Shooter Jennings, the son of legendary country music Outlaw Waylon Jennings, and Billy Ray Cyrus, singer of “Achy Breaky Heart” and father of mega pop star Miley Cyrus, met together on stage Wednesday Night (2-19) at the club “Loaded” in Hollywood, California for an installment of the Shooter-hosted “BCR Nights At Loaded” concert series.
Announced this morning, up-and-coming authentic country performer Sturgill Simpson will release his second solo studio album called Metamodern Sounds In Country Music on May 13th. Born in Kentucky, the former from man of Sunday Valley released his debut album High Top Mountain in 2013 to critical acclaim and was nominated for Saving Country Music’s Album of The Year.
Cumulus Media is #2 on the radio ownership totem pole, and to attempt to hopscotch their rival Clear Channel, they are planning massive expenditures, acquisitions, and ventures to push the recognition of their big country music brand: “NASH”. To say their plans are expansive is an understatement, and it includes numerous consumer products, including paint, clothing, and furniture.
Willie Nelson and his legendary Family Band, Alison Krauss with her legendary Union Station band including Jerry Douglas, are scheduled to embark on a 35-date tour running from May 1st to July 18th, supported at various whistle stops by the critically-acclaimed Jason Isbell, the recently Grammy-decorated Kacey Musgraves, and country punk pioneers Devil Makes Three.
On Tuesday, February 11th, writer Jessica Blankenship posted an article on the local-based news blog format known as Examiner.com called Is the Outlaw Music Hall of Fame Legit or a Sham? The article mixed spurious facts with opinion, and presented many gross inaccuracies about the status of the fledgling organization in an attempt to portray it as either taking advantage of artists and fans.
Today the Academy of Country Music announced the finalists for their “New Artist of the Year” award to be given out an the ACM Awards on April 6th. By the results of fan voting, the eight-name list of nominees was narrowed down to three performers: Brett Eldredge, Kip Moore, and Justin Moore. The announcement comes as questions continue to loom around the eligibility of Justin Moore’s nomination.
As the centerpiece to Clear Channel’s plans for a nationally-syndicated country music radio network, Bobby Bones and his sideways hat have become the scourge of the country music airwaves. No better example than the news that last week four billboards at $2,150 a pop appeared around Nashville offering the simple message “Go Away Bobby Bones.”
Valory Music and the ACM’s may hope that this issue just blows over, but the removal of the Windmills Country audio has arguably exacerbated it, and fed the suspicion some country fans have surrounding the awards process. If there is an explanation for the discrepancy between Justin Moore’s eligibility and his nomination, the fans of country music have yet to hear it.
Directed by Wayne Price, with producer Brian Devine and Graham Leader, Heartworn Highways Revisited is reported to be in post production, with hopes it will be released later this summer. They have also released a trailer for the new film on their website, and have revealed the new cast that includes Guy Clark, David Allan Coe, and Steve Young from the original film, as well as newer artists…
Texas country singer Josh Abbott of the Josh Abbott Band took to his Twitter account late Friday afternoon to admit to his fans that he’s been untrue to his wife, Amanda Abbott, and to ask for forgiveness from his fans. Josh said he would write a more lengthy letter to fans in the future, and says that he is 22 days sober. The Josh Abbott Band is one of the biggest-drawing bands in the Texas country scene…
Randy Travis is beginning to regain his voice, and there are more positive signs in the recovery of the ailing country star according to his family and other sources. Randy’s father Harold Traywick has told Closer Magazine that, “He’s getting his voice back now, little by little.” Another unnamed source says that Randy is “anxious to get back to work and connect with his fans.”
CMT, who has been dramatically reshaping their broadcast schedule recently, featuring a whopping 7 new reality TV shows in their latest lineup, is looking to add yet another one called Ow! My Balls! in the upcoming months. The show reportedly features a man continuously getting hit in his testicles, with no other significant plot or characters.
Slain country music artist Wayne Mills will be remembered in a new exhibit at The Hank Williams Museum in Montgomery, Alabama called “Alabama Outlaws” to be unveiled in special ceremony February 9th. The artifacts were personally collected from the stage display at Wayne’s funeral on December 8th, 2013 by another Alabama country music artist, Jamey Johnson.
Powerful Clear Channel country music DJ Bobby Bones might be calling it quits according to a letter he posted to his listeners and fans on Twitter Thursday evening (1-30). The morning show DJ for WSIX in Nashville that is the flagship of Clear Channel’s country music syndicated network started on the job after being moved from a Clear Channel pop station in Austin.
As Saving Country Music has been reporting, many people are incensed over CMT’s new reality show Party Down South made by the same producers of Jersey Shore. Ben “Cooter” Jones, an original cast member of The Dukes of Hazzard as mechanic Cooter Devenport and a former United States Congressman, has taken the point on the matter. Now Ben “Cooter” Jones has crafted an open letter.