Opry’s 100th Anniversary Book Doesn’t Shy Away from Controversy
16 Comments
Would we only get a wine and roses portrayal of the Opry, especially through the modern era? Or would it be willing to present the accurate history, warts and all? Luckily, the latter is the case.
Album Review – Brennen Leigh’s “Prairie Love Letter”
19 Comments
It’s easy to soliloquize the expansive mountains or the rolling sea. It’s another to find inspiration in the expansive stillness of America’s midriff. But as Brennen Leigh can attest from her intimate acquaintance, you’ll never believe the brilliance of it unless you’ve beheld them with your own eyes.
On Morgan Wallen Getting Booted From “Saturday Night Live”
105 Comments
Dozens of TikTok videos of the 27-year-old’s maskless partying with college-aged girls emerged, and specifically of Morgan Wallen sucking face with half a dozen of them. This has resulted in ‘Saturday Night Live’ canceling his appearance.
Texas Supergroup ‘Hill Country’ is Now ‘The Wilder Blue’
20 Comments
Ever since releasing their debut self-titled record in late May, the newly-formed Texas music supergroup recording under the name ‘Hill Country’ has been receiving worthy praise for their music. But as some have remarked, the name is just generic enough for it to get buried or confused.
“I’m a Ramblin’ Man” Writer Ray Pennington Dies in House Fire
5 Comments
Songwriter, performer, producer, and record label owner Ray Pennington was killed Wednesday, October 7th in a house fire in Sumner County in a rural part of Hendersonville, just north and east of Nashville. He’s known for writing “I’m a Ramblin’ Man” for Waylon Jennings.
Suspects Sought After Assault on Mavericks Trumpet Player
34 Comments
Trumpet player Lorenzo Molina Ruiz for the country and Latin group The Mavericks, and his friend Orlando Morales were allegedly assaulted early Sunday morning, October 4th, at Tony’s Eat & Drink in Franklin, Tennessee, allegedly for speaking Spanish.
On The Passing of Eddie Van Halen
67 Comments
There is a lot one can say about the passing of Eddie Van Halen, and virtually none of it is relevant to country music. But it’s all relevant. If you grew up in the late 70’s, 80’s or early 90’s, or rock music is in any way important to your little universe and Van Halen doesn’t loom large in it, you missed out on the preeminent American experience.
New Billboard / Rolling Stone Partnership & Paywall is Troubling
17 Comments
The media landscape in music just got a lot more cloistered, oligarchical, and insular. Announced recently, Rolling Stone’s parent company Penske Media Corp. (or PMC) has entered into a joint venture with Billboard’s parent company called MRC to bring the two biggest music media companies together.
FINALLY: Ray Wylie Hubbard to Play ‘Austin City Limits’
17 Comments
It only took 45 years, and many many impassioned pleas by fans and supporters and believers (including here at Saving Country Music), but Ray Wylie Hubbard will finally be appearing on his own segment on the longest-running music show on television, ‘Austin City Limits.’
Luke Combs Is Putting His Name Behind Independent Country
39 Comments
When making the case for the character of someone, it’s not just about how they rise to the top, but what they do when they get there. In the case of Luke Combs, he’s been using his platform and his time off of the road during the pandemic to promote and collaborate with some of the best artists in independent country.
Album Review – David Adam Byrnes – “Neon Town”
27 Comments
Slapping you square across the face with steel, fiddle, and Telecaster guitar, David Adam Byrnes is here to answer where all the country in country music has gone. And no, it didn’t take flight to “Americana.” You want country damn music? Well here you go. So quit complaining about the latest Sam Hunt single.
Reba McEntire Joins Cody Johnson for Remake of “Dear Rodeo”
21 Comments
Commonly we see mainstream country stars bring in a pop star or hip-hop artist for a timely remix. Cody Johnson has chosen to go the star duet path with “Dear Rodeo,” but instead of selecting someone outside the genre, they’ve gone with a country legend in Reba McEntire.
Yes, Mac Davis Will Be Buried In Lubbock, TX In His Jeans
15 Comments
Just like the song, legendary American music artist and songwriter Mac Davis will be buried in his hometown of Lubbock, TX, and in a pair of jeans, his wife of 38 years Lise Davis has confirmed. One of Mac Davis’s signature songs concludes with the line, “And when I die you can bury me in Lubbock Texas in my jeans.”