Eric Church sparked off a bit of controversy late last week when he took the stage at The Anthem in Washington D.C. on Friday and Saturday nights (11-15 & 11-16), and made some playful jabs at Garth Brooks after losing a bid for the CMA Entertainer of the Year trophy to Garth. Now Garth has responded.
All members of Texas music band Shane Smith and the Saints are safe and accounted for, but their bus and gear trailer are completely destroyed, along with most all of the contents after it caught fire Thursday (11-21) en route to a show Thursday night in Lubbock. However, the show must go on, and they’re still planning on playing the show.
EDM country artist Sam Hunt was arrested on charges of drunk driving early Thursday morning (11-21) by the Nashville Metro Police Department, and was taken to jail at 6:30 a.m. on charges of driving under the influence and having an open container. Hunt was driving the wrong way on Ellington Parkway near Ben Allen Road.
The distaste the CMA Awards experience can leave in the mouth of actual country music fans is chased early this year by the announcement of the 2020 Grammy Award nominees in the Country and American Roots categories. Though no set of ears will find the nominees list ideal, those with distinguishing tastes will be much more rewarded.
For years people played the musical version of fantasy football in their minds by pairing up tour partners like Jason Isbell and Sturgill Simpson, Cody Jinks and Tyler Childers, or Tyler Childers and Sturgill Simpson, sure that if anyone had the guts to put a bill like that together, it could possibly sell out arenas. But nobody saw this coming.
The 2nd best thing about seeing Billy Joe Shaver live behind Billy Joe Shaver himself is the band behind him, including his bass player Tony Calhoun. Big smile, big sense of humor, and one heck of a master of the lower register, he put the mustard on Billy Joe Shaver’s Outlaw style of country music for the last few years.
We knew the release of the latest Luke Combs album ‘What You See Is What You Get’ would be big, and that’s exactly what it was, bringing in the biggest numbers for a country title all year, topping all the charts, and setting a new record in the country space. Luke Combs is now indisputably the biggest artist in country music.
Well well, it’s getting chippy out there after Eric Church and others lost the 2019 CMA Entertainer of the Year honor to Garth Brooks. At Eric Church’s show at The Anthem in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, November 16th, he was singing a rendition of “Are You Sure Hank Done It His Way” by Waylon Jennings, changing the lyrics to lash out at Garth.
Riley Green’s “Bury Me in Dixie” has returned to streaming services after it was pulled due to a controversial line in the song. “I wish Robert E. Lee could come and take a bow” is the line that was deemed too incendiary to continue to serve to the public, and the song was pulled from streaming services in late October.
The Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office has determined who made a threat by phone to shoot multiple people at a Cody Jinks concert on October 26th at the Nacogdoches County Expo Center that resulting in the show’s cancellation, and it’s a person who has already serving time in prison.
The good news for good country music keeps coming, and this time it comes in the form of upsurging Texas country throwback artist Randall King signing to Warner Music Nashville, and readying the release of a debut major label album. As part of the resurgence of interest in 90’s country, Randall King fits the bill just about perfect.
If you thought the story of country music songwriting legend Kris Kristofferson blowing off his own tribute at the 2019 CMA Awards to perform a scheduled show in Davenport, Iowa was a cool story and a sign of the Hall of Famer’s class and character, well the he might have done himself one better a few days before.
As easily predicted, Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus won the 2019 CMA Award for Musical Event of the Year for their collaboration on the genre-bending summer smash “Old Town Road.” In a strange plot twist to “Old Town Road” winning a CMA Award, so does industrial artist Trent Reznor. He now has a CMA Awards, while many country legends don’t.
All the presenters, the performers, what they will be performing, nominees, predictions, early winners, and the reasons to watch all in one place. This is the place to get all the information on the 53rd Annual, 2019 CMA Awards. This years awards will put a special emphasis on the women of country music.
The team assembling around viral country songwriter Zach Bryan continues to be stocked with top shelf talent. The Tulsa, Oklahoma native shocked the country music world on August 23rd when he released a completely self-produced and self-distributed solo acoustic record called ‘DeAnn.’ Now he’s working with Dave Cobb.
Miranda Lambert’s latest album Wildcard is the #1 album in country music this week, beating out Luke Combs and a new title from Hootie and the Blowfish (yes, they’re “country” now) to take the top spot. This also marks Miranda’s sixth consecutive #1 album in country, and her sixth consecutive Top 10 on the Billboard 200.
We knew the 8-episode, 16 1/2-hour Ken Burns documentary on country music that aired in mid September on PBS would have a significant impact and reach millions of viewers due to the popularity and prestige Ken Burns enjoys. Now we have the final tabulations on how many total viewers the film reached, and they’re quite impressive.
It’s been over 12 years since Grand Ole Opry member and (potential) future Country Music Hall of Famer Pam Tillis released a solo studio record, but that will all be changing soon as she has announced a new deal, with a new solo record in the works. The 2nd-generation country star was one of the most successful women throughout the 90’s.
Country Music Hall of Famer Alan Jackson has announced that he will be touring extensively in 2020, and has announced the initial round of dates, with more dates to come. The new tour dates include a previously-announced appearance at the Stagecoach Festival, as well as Alan Jackson’s first show in Nashville in 3 years.
A man was arrested, and two police officers injured at the Cody Jinks concert on Thursday night (11-7) at the Albany Civic Center in Albany, GA. As Jinks was playing his song “Loud and Heavy,” a man identified as Ryan Matthew Peacock jumped on the stage. As officers and staff tried to subdue the man, he became violent.
This is what Jason Isbell promised during the closing night of his seven night residency at the Ryman Auditorium. It’s been a slightly more elongated release cycle for Jason Isbell and his last record ‘The Nashville Sound.’ Where he took about two years in between his last four records, ‘The Nashville Sound’ was released now 2 1/2 years ago and counting.
Presale demand for the upcoming Sturgill Simpson / Tyler Childers A Good Look’n Tour has been so robust that additional shows have been added to the schedule, with the possibility of even more coming in the future. Dates in Knoxville, Asheville, Detroit, Minneapolis, and even Nashville have been doubled up ahead of tickets going on sale.
On October 26th, the Cody Jinks show at the Nacogdoches County Expo Center was canceled on the day of the performance after an unidentified individual called the venue and left a threat against the concert. Officials have yet to confirm the specific nature of the threat, however they do have a person of interest they’re investigating.
It’s been a long, cold, barren winter of six years and counting since Possessed by Paul James graced us with new music. The one-man musical marvel and award-winning full-time public school special educator is considered in the highest amplitude by those who have witnessed what he’s capable of.