Crickets Member and Country Songwriter Sonny Curtis Has Died

Sonny Curtis was a skilled guitar player, a clever songwriter, and someone who left his fingerprints all across American culture in indelible ways, including as a member of The Crickets.
Sonny Curtis was a skilled guitar player, a clever songwriter, and someone who left his fingerprints all across American culture in indelible ways, including as a member of The Crickets.
On Thursday evening (9-18), Billy Strings walked away with the coveted Entertainer of the Year at the IBMA Awards. But one of the biggest conversation pieces from the entire event was Billy’s keynote address.
It is a tragic end, and a major loss for a towering member of country music’s songwriting community. Hit songwriter Brett James had songwriting credits on an incredible 26 No. 1 tracks.
On Wednesday evening (9-17) at The Signal in Chattanooga’s Choo Choo complex, the train tracks of Billy Strings and Blake Black finally converged, with Black joining Strings on stage.
It’s not every day that a band that already has a Certified Platinum single (“Smoke & A Light”) and is scheduled to headline their first arena before the end of the year is announcing their debut album.
He was Nashville’s ever-present and year-long version of Santa Claus, and his haunt Santa’s Pub is like the North Pole of the South. His real name was Elmer Denzel Irwin.
To celebrate the 30th Anniversary of “Go Rest High On That Mountain,” an extended version of the song has been released. It includes a verse that Vince Gill commonly includes when singing it live.
As fall breaks and the end of the year fast approaches, it’s time to look at what’s on tap for the rest of 2025 in country before Christmas music ushers the music industry into the Holidays.
The love/hate relationship independent country and mainstream country fans continue to have for the massive Buckeye Country Superfest stadium show in Columbus, Ohio continues.
Ever since Merle Haggard’s passing on his 79th birthday on April 6th, 2016, there’s been talk of some 300 to 400 unreleased songs sitting in an archive somewhere in the bowels of the Merle Haggard estate.
It happened again, and the fear is it could continue to happen more frequently as the dystopian reality surrounding digital music continues to deepen. The latest victims are Cam Pierce and the Piedmont Boys.
Wyoming native and independent country artist Luke Bell was an enigma in life, became a cult legend upon his death, and despite his scant output, has become an influential artist as his legend has only grown.
He played as a primary musician in the band for The Highwaymen. He was the final steel guitar player and producer for Waylon Jennings. He played on albums from Sturgill Simpson and Chris Stapleton. He earned the nickname the “Man of Steel.”
No rest for the Willie. Along with still constantly touring at 92, he’s also good for about a two-per-year clip of new albums. This year, both of those albums will be tributes. Next up is Merle Haggard.
Summer is winding down, and it’s time to put away the swimsuits and party songs, and bust out the sweater and sad bastard tunes. There’s so much great music coming out right now, it’s kind of ridiculous.
After slurring through numerous songs, making an extended slurred speech, and personnel attempting to escort him off stage, Martin was ultimately forcibly removed by Sheriff’s office officials.
Whoa, the release day we have lined up for Friday, August 29th is going to be WILD. Some of the names you might recognize. Some of them might be new to you. But they’re all worth paying attention to.
The Field & Stream Music Festival has been cancelled for the second year in a row. The festival was set to be held in Winnsboro, South Carolina October 3-5, 2025
What is The Hook? It’s a songwriting showcase filmed live that features established songwriters, and ANYONE else who wants to perform for a live audience and a panel of experts.
omething most country music fans and fans of the Hall of Fame band Alabama though would never happen in our lifetimes transpired Saturday night, August 23rd in Alabama.
We already knew this year’s event would feature some of the best in country and roots. What we didn’t know until their recent daily lineup reveal is that all these killer artists would be performing the same day.
After recently battling Cancer, Joshua Ray Walker had ample time to write and record a whole host of material, and to ponder things in life none of us should have to in our younger years.
Jimmie Allen has been found liable in a sexual assault case that had a woman accusing him of raping her in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2022, and secretly taping the incident on a hidden phone.
Don’t ever find yourself taking for granted that we live in such a fruitful, resurgent time for true country music. It’s a bumper crop of incredible songs coming out each week. This is where you can find the cream of the crop.