The 2025 ACM Awards LIVE Blog
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Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the 2025 ACM Awards LIVE Blog! As the event transpires, we’ll be following along in real time, razzing on folks for poor performances and life choices, and giving credit where it is due.
Vivian Leva & Riley Calcagno Ready New Self-Titled Record
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Individually, Vivian Leva and Riley Calcagno are already two of the most exciting, promising, and talented up-and-comers in most all of roots music. Put them together, and they’re even greater than the sum of their parts.
Comic John Crist Lampoons Country Songs in Real Life Renditions
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Comedian John Crist is taking the lyrics of some of country music’s worst songs to task by turning literal interpretations of them into video skits. If you ever wondered how implausible the premise of “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy,” or “Dirt Road Anthem” is, he’s got you covered.
Amber Digby Sings with Legends on “Heroes, Mentors and Friends”
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You can try to imbibe your recordings with the influence of country royalty, or you can just invite them into the studio to record with you, which is what Amber Digby does on this new record, cutting duets with the likes of Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson, the late great Johnny Bush, and Vince Gill among others.
The Worst “Country” Songs of 2020
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Due to COVID-19, and then the protests and riots, the Saving Country Music snark machine has been pretty much powered down and collecting dust for the better part of 2020. But there has been as few instances of country music malfeasance so egregious, it would be unconscionable to not address.
Tootsie’s & Palomino Legend Jimmy Snyder Has Died
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Jimmy Snyder’s most lasting contribution was as a fixture in local clubs, playing classic country standards and originals, and often giving up-and-comers some of their first opportunities on legendary stages in both California and Nashville.
Album Review – Sturgill Simpson’s “Cuttin’ Grass Vol. 2”
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In this new album, Sturgill Simpson isn’t just fulfilling a promise to fans to cut a bluegrass record, he’s finding and settling into the next phase of his career, which is as a full-blown bluegrass musician. Simpson saved his most personal songs for ‘Cuttin’ Grass, Vol. 2 (The Cowboy Arms Sessions).’
CMAs Issue Statement After Concerns Over the Death of Charley Pride
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Country legend Charlie Pride passed away on Saturday, December 12th due to complications from COVID-19, his family and representative have confirmed. Amid his death, much speculation arose of where Charley Pride may have contracted the virus, and if it was at the 2020 CMA Awards on November 11th
Pioneering Country Legend Charley Pride Has Died
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Country Music Hall of Famer, Grand Ole Opry member, and pioneering black country artist Charley Pride has passed away due to complications of COVID-19. He died on December 12th at the age of 86 in Dallas, TX. Born in Sledge, Mississippi as the forth child of 11 children to a sharecropper.
Old Tyler Childers, Chris Stapleton Albums on New Year-End Charts
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Billboard has published their year-end wrap on country music for 2020 (the music year ends in November), and as you can imagine, it’s a healthy dose of Luke Combs leading many of the metrics, especially from Chris Stapleton and Tyler Childers.
How Sturgill Simpson & Merle Haggard Wrote “Hobo Cartoon”
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Those who’ve studied the career of Sturgill Simpson don’t need a lesson of just how close he was to country legend Merle Haggard later in Haggard’s life. The cross-generational friendship formed not from the fawning of Sturgill, but from a sincere appreciation from Merle for what Sturgill was doing.
Country & Roots Christmas Music 2020 Playlist & Compendium
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Though it may be daunting to navigate with so many releases, Saving Country Music is here for you, and with so many releases, 2020 is also the first year you can compile a full-fledged Christmas playlist entirely of newly-released songs from the country world.
Sturgill Simpson Releases Cuttin’ Grass Vol 2. (Cowboy Arms Sessions)
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That bastard did it again. Just as country and bluegrass fans were just settling in for a long Winter’s nap Thursday evening (12-10), alerts started going off that Sturgill Simpson wasn’t just messing with us when he titled his recent Cuttin’ Grass album Vol. 1. Now he has released Vol. 2