The tour bus of country star Travis Tritt was involved in a fatality accident late early Saturday morning (5-18) as he was leaving a performance at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina’s House of Blues. Neither Travis Tritt, nor anyone on the bus was injured, and the accident was not the bus driver’s fault. However two people died.
If you have a hankering for Hank and haven’t received your fill of music from the Hillbilly Shakespeare over the years, you’re in luck. BMG is getting ready to release a rare collection of Hank Williams archive material made in October of 1949 called “The Complete Health & Happiness Recordings.”
Independent country singer and songwriter Michaela Anne has singed to North Carolina’s Yep Roc Records, and will be readying the release of a new album soon. The well-respected Nashville-based performer has regularly appeared on stage with artists such as JP Harris and Sam Outlaw, while forging her own critically-revered career.
A new biopic film about one of country music’s most interesting, iconic, influential, and troubled acts is being developed. Real life best friends Ethan Hawke and Alessandro Nivola are teaming up to play Charlie and Ira Louvin, known collectively as The Louvin Brothers, in a film adaptation of Charlie Louvin’s famous account, “Satan Is Real.”
Tyler Childers has just singed to Sony’s RCA Records in a partnership with his own imprint called Hickman Holler, and will be releasing his latest record called Country Squier on August 2nd. Along with the new album, Tyler Childers has announced a bunch of new tour dates dubbed the “Country Squier Run.”
Kentucky-born resurgent country artist and fast-rising star Tyler Childers is now a major label country artist. As first reported by Saving Country Music on Wednesday (5-16), and made official during a video premier Thursday, Tyler Childers is the newest signee to RCA Records, a division of Sony. He will release “Country Squier” through the label.
You gotta love when one of your favorite music artists starts massively screwing with you head with cryptic verbiage and imagery, making you rack your brand about what it might be all about. These days this usually means new music or some other big development is on the way, and that’s what fans of Tyler Childers are hoping for.
The Americana Music Association has announced the 2019 nominees for their annual Americana Music Awards to be held this September at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. In a video hosted by The Milk Carton Kids taped at Soundcheck Nashville on Tuesday, May 14th, four nominees in six categories were unveiled.
Fans of country music most all recognize the name of Bob Wills as the King of Western Swing. But if you’re listening to the music of Bob Wills, it’s often Leon Rausch you hear singing. A fixture of Western Swing for some 60 years and known as “The Voice of Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys,” Leon Rausch has passed away.
Revered and prolific Americana performer and producer Joe Henry has Stage IV prostate Cancer. This was the revelation of the 58-year-old at a solo performance Saturday night (5-11) at Largo’s Coronet Theater in Los Angeles presented as “Singing new songs and old, casting as cold eye on life, on death.”
Just in time for Mother’s Day, Norman, Oklahoma native and Country Music Hall of Famer Vince Gill has released a new song for mom. Called “A Letter To My Mama,” the song is not some sappy ode similar to the cursive inscription you might find in a Mother’s Day card, it’s an honest, open, and thoughtful expression…
Nancy Jones is not happy about a new mural that has popped up in Nashville depicting the legendary story of George Jones riding a lawnmower to the liquor store (see below). The mural was recently unveiled on the side of Colonial Liquors located at 2401 Franklin Pike in Nashville where George Jones used to be a frequent customer.
30 years ago this March, an employee of country music trade periodical Cashbox Magazine was exiting a recording studio on Music Row in Nashville with up-and-coming country music artist Sammy Saddler when an armed gunman approached them and opened fire. It came to be known as the Murder on Music Row.
It’s official. After months of trying to locate buyers and investors for the failing music crowdfunding service and pleading with both performers and the public for patience, PledgeMusic co-founder Benji Rogers announced on Wednesday (5-8) that the company is officially heading for bankruptcy.
Country legend Tanya Tucker has just signed to Concord Music’s Fantasy Records, and is readying the release of her first record in 17 years later this summer. Not just your average album release, Tanya’s new title tentatively called ‘While I’m Living’ is being touted as a comeback record, and was recorded in Hollywood in January.
Willie Nelson turned 86-years-old last week, but don’t expect to see him slowing down anytime soon. If anything, he’s putting his foot down on the gas for 2019, announcing a new album, and recently extending his Outlaw Music Festival dates which will keep him busy well into the summer.
Big changes abound in the latest update to the Saving Country Music Top 25 playlist, including the playlist finally coming to YouTube for people who are unable or unwilling to listen on Spotify, Apple Music, or Google Play. A lot of great discoveries have occurred on Saving Country Music in 2019, but none may be as big as Charlie Marie.
John Starling didn’t set out to be a world-renown bluegrass musician, though growing up in Durham, North Carolina and learning how to play bluegrass guitar, it can’t be too surprising that’s where life took him. But his primary passion was as a physician and surgeon. Happenstance is what led him to becoming a legend in bluegrass circles.
For the benefit of the Bowen Family Foundation, the Bowen MusicFest has raised over $3.25 million for charity just since 2009, and the event raised $500,000 in 2018 alone. Expanding every year since 1998 into one of the premier events in Texas and Red Dirt music, Bowen MusicFest has assembled an impressive lineup.
The Turnpike Troubadours and Jason Boland and the Stragglers have just announced the lineup for the 2019 Medicine Stone Festival on the grounds of the beautiful Diamondhead Resort in the Turnpike’s home town of Talequah, Oklahoma. The lineup has expanded to 32 names in 2019.
Country folk legend John Prine will not be appearing this weekend at the annual New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival as scheduled. Originally slotted to appear Saturday, May 4th in the Blues Tent, he has canceled due to health reasons. John Prine is just the latest big cancellation for the festival.
“Yeah, it’s pretty catchy,” Luke Combs says. “But I feel there’s a little bit of sarcasm there I don’t necessarily appreciate. I feel like I’m being poked fun at a bit. Country music is near and dear to my heart, and one of the things that’s most important to me is that the music should be taken seriously.”
The smash HBO television series ‘Game of Thrones’ is currently in the midst of its eighth and final season, and the 3rd episode that aired Sunday night (4-28) had a country music tie-in that you probably missed. Chris Stapleton is apparently a big fan of the show, and had his management reach out about making an appearance.
On Saturday, May 4th, Country Music Hall of Famer and Grand Ole Opry member Randy Travis will turn 60 years old. And to commemorate the milestone, the Grand Ole Opry is planning a special tribute to Travis, while the flagship radio station of the Opry, 650 AM-WSM, has named Randy Travis their Artist of the Month.