On Luke Combs Playing the Newport Folk Festival
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Yes, Luke Combs is one of the largest names in popular country music. But from the very beginning, Combs has always proven to go deeper than the surface with his music.
Nominees Announced for 2019 Americana Music Awards
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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.
Leon Rausch, The Voice of Bob Wills’ Texas Playboys, Has Died
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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.
Joe Henry Reveals Stage IV Cancer Diagnosis
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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.”
Ken Burns Country Film Could Be Huge Boon for True Country Music
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Marty Stuart, who’s the documentary’s lead contributor and a staunch preservationist of country music’s history, says the new film is “like the cavalry coming.” Marty Stuart says, “The traditional end of country music sometimes gets overshadowed by the contemporary … It’s an awesome gift.”
Album Review – Matt Carson’s “No Regrets”
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If you really want to test your mettle as a country music fan, if you’re one who thinks they can handle songs of heartbreak one after another like shots of Jack lined up across the bar, if you want to put your emotional capacity through the paces and stress test your country music heart, Matt Carson’s ‘No Regrets’ is the album for you.
Vince Gill Releases “A Letter To My Mama” Ahead of New Album
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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…
The Ongoing Concern for Evan Felker of the Turnpike Troubadours
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Big names in country music turned out on Tuesday, May 7th, for a benefit concert for Byron Berline and his Double Stop Fiddle Shop in Guthrie, Oklahoma. But immediately as the Turnpike Troubadours began to play, long-time fans of the band could tell something was off with frontman Evan Felker.
George Jones Widow Hates New Nashville Mural. “It Is Stupid.”
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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.
New Book to Recount the REAL ‘Murder on Music Row’
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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.
Album Review – Orville Peck’s “Pony”
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The allure of the man behind the mask making music under the name Orville Peck has become the talk of much of independent country music and Americana lately, with critics and fans alike swooning over his mod-styled moody music mixed with Western imagery. Most certainly what this man is doing is unique.
PledgeMusic Bankruptcy Puts Country & Roots Artists in Peril
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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.
The Death of Keith Whitley, 30 Years Later
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It was early May, 1989. Keith Whitley volunteered to take his wife and fellow performer Lorrie Morgan to the Nashville airport to see her off on a promotional trip to Alaska. In a week, Lorrie would be releasing her debut album on RCA Records, ‘Leave The Light On,’ and had tour dates booked to promote the new release.