Zach Top: It Was “Sacrilege” to Win New Grammy Over Willie Nelson
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“I thought it was so sacrilegious that I won the Grammy for Traditional Country Album, and Willie Nelson was in the category. It’s like ‘Well, God, I’m glad I won that, but that feels kinda wrong.”
Album Review – Paul Bogart’s “Won’t Have Far To Go”
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Rodeo professionals and country songwriters have always enjoyed a close kinship, even if riding a bull or roping a calf, and crafting the perfect country song may not seem like similar skill sets, or two sides of the same coin. Two-time AQHA World Champion Roper Paul Bogart knows this all too well.
Justin Townes Earle Death Ruled Accidental Overdose, Family Reveals
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Singer, songwriter, and second generation performer Justin Townes Earle died of an accidental drug overdose, the Medical Examiners Office in Nashville has ruled, and the family of Justin Townes Earle revealed on Tuesday (12/1). Justin Townes Earle was found dead at the age of 38 on August 23rd.
Tyler Childers Posts Gold ‘Purgatory’ Edition, Sells Out in 1 Hour
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Purgatory by Tyler Childers will now go down in history as the record that shattered the glass ceiling for country artists not supported by mainstream country radio. To commemorate its Gold status, Childers listed a Gold bundle that sold out almost immediately.
Thomas Rhett’s Wife Lauren Akins Is Way More Interesting Than He Is
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Look, Thomas Rhett seems like a really swell guy. You want someone to date your sister or daughter, or watch over the dues payments to your local youth soccer association, who better? But as a “country” artist, the guy’s got a whole bunch of nothing. But his wife, Lauren Akins?
Review – Jordan Allen & The Bellwethers, “Give My Love to Jenny”
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As good as Kentucky has been over the last few years birthing great music, apparently it’s still been holding out on us, at least when it comes to Jordan Allen and the Bellwethers. Consider it Southern rock, with the latitude to slip in a few country songs.
Dan Auerbach Emerges As Prolific Country & Roots Producer
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Looking through the 2021 Grammy nominations released on November 24th, one of the big points of intrigue for the country and roots world won’t be found in the major country categories of the awards, or even the American Roots categories that cover Americana, bluegrass, folk, and blues. It will be found in the all-encompassing “Producer […]
Kenny Rogers Estate Sues Producer Over Final Tour DVD
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Kenny Rogers announced his final Gambler’s Last Deal tour in 2015, with dates scheduled through the end of 2018. However on April 5th, 2018, Rogers announced he was cancelling the remaining dates of the tour, citing health concerns. Rogers died on March 20th, 2020 at the age of 81.
Kane Brown’s Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving Day Performance (A Rant)
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Kane Brown took center field at AT&T Stadium on Thanksgiving Day to perform a medley of his hit during the halftime of the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Football Team game, and no, it wasn’t the expired cream cheese in the pumpkin pie that had folks hurling up giblets, it was the prancing wanker lip syncing.
Album Review – Justin Wells – “The United State”
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New for 2020, Kentucky singer songwriter Justin Wells has released the album The United State. Ambitious and involved, Wells himself says the album “is a life, from before birth til after death. The songs are a timeline. I’m somewhere on it. Every one of you are somewhere on it.”
The Reason Garth Brooks Left Track 13 Blank on New “Fun” Album
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Garth Brooks released his latest album Fun on November 20th, and though not previously mentioned or accounted for previously, the work included 15 tracks as opposed to the 14 that had been promised. The reason for the discrepancy was a track at the 13th spot that included two seconds of dead air.
Strong Sales Put Chris Stapleton’s “Starting Over” on Top
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The momentum behind Chris Stapleton continues as his latest record “Starting Over” soars to the top of the charts off the back of strong physical sales and streaming numbers. Released on November 13th, the album debuts at the top of the Billboard Country Albums chart this week.
2021 Grammy Nominations Relevant to Country & Roots
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The 2021 Grammy Award nominees were announced on Tuesday (11/24), and as can be expected, there is some good, some bad, many worthy nominations, a few probably born of virtue signaling as you can expect. But overall, it’s about par for the course.