50 Years Ago: Willie Nelson Scores First #1 Song … At Age 42
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By the time Willie minted his first #1 in country music, he’d been hired and fired from the Grand Ole Opry. He’d been married and divorced. He’d retired from music, put on 40 pounds, and become a pig farmer.
50th Edition of the Saving Country Music’s Top 25 Current Playlist
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It’s dizzying enough trying to keep up with all the great releases in country and roots music, especially with the kind of super release days we’ve been experiencing lately where eight to ten highly-anticipated titles come out at the same time. the Saving Country Music Top 25 Playlist is built to keep you informed of all the best songs and albums.
Biggest Oversights in the Ken Burns Country Music Documentary
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Not as a rebuke of the work of the documentary, but as an addendum for those who watched and might want to dig deeper into the history of country through some of its more important personalities not represented well in the film, here are some of the Country Music film’s biggest oversights.
Tyler Childers to Stream Sold Out Red Rocks Show
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If you wanted to see Tyler Childers perform at the picturesque Red Rocks Amiptheater in Morrison, CO just outside of Denver this Monday, September 30th, well tough titty, because the show sold out months ago. But even if you couldn’t get a ticket or convince your boss to give you time off to make it to the show, you’re in luck.
Album Review – “HOME” by Billy Strings
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If you’re overlooking the world of bluegrass and what Billy Strings is accomplishing, a malevolent blind spot has infiltrated your point of view. After all, bluegrass is the vessel for the oldest forms of country, and Billy Strings is adhering to it, while somehow pushing it forward like never before in its nearly 80 years of existence.
Album Review – Charley Crockett’s “The Valley”
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The music of Charley Crockett takes you back to a time and place when country rubbed up against other genres in a good way, and no matter what type of music you ran across, it included that touch of human emotion that didn’t get hung up in the cogs of the machines stamping out music as commercial product.
Most Anticipated Country & Roots Albums for Last of 2019 + Rumors
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If you’re wondering what you might look forward to listening to in the final portions of 2019 in country and Americana music, let this be your guide. Here’s all the information Saving Country Music has been able to compile on the most anticipated upcoming releases, along with a more extensive catalog of releases to have on your radar.
Review – “Country Music” by Ken Burns, Final Recap
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If you’re a country music fan and are disappointed that your favorite artist didn’t get enough screen time in the Ken Burns film on country music, well guess what, your favorite genre did, and by the most revered documentary filmmaker of our time, and before rock n’ roll, pop, the blues, soul music, or hip-hop.
Randall King Offers $2,500 Reward For Stolen Acoustic Guitar
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On September 21st, a beloved guitar owned by Randall King was stolen right out of his gear trailer as he performed at the Tri-State Fairgrounds in Amarillo, TX. The Gibson Dove acoustic means more than the market value of the guitar to Randall, and he’s now offered a $2,500 reward for its return. “No questions asked…”
Review – Episode 7 of Ken Burns Country Music Documentary
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The 7th Episode in the series was unique in that 30 more minutes were added to give Ken Burns and his team the time to delve into a decade of the music, explain the important influence of Texas songwriters and the emergence of the Outlaw movement in the early and mid 70’s, all while keeping up with the goings on in popular country in Nashville.
Sorry For Screwing You Brad Paisley, Here’s a Random TV Special
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Look, the semi controversy over the CMAs choosing to replace Brad Paisley as the long-time host in 2019 with Dolly Parton and Reba McEntire is water under the bridge at this point. But it is kind of amusing that the CMAs and ABC recently announced that Brad Paisley will be getting his own television special later this season.
Review – Episode 6 of Ken Burns Country Music Documentary
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Undoubtedly, you could not tell the story of country music in the late 60’s and early 70’s without broaching the political upheaval and countercultural revolution roiling American society at the time. But the time spent on stories that were only proxies to country music bogged this episode down in stretches.
Album Review – The Quebe Sisters (Self-Titled)
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In certain musical circles of Texas, and in the Western Swing community at large, The Quebe Sisters are nothing short of a cultural institution. The incredible 3-part blood harmonies of sisters Grace, Sophia, and Hulda, and the stirring moments springing from their triple fiddles have arguably opened up Western Swing to new audiences.