50 Years Ago: Reba McEntire Receives Her Big Break
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You might see Reba McEntire’s Hall of Fame country career, and her long career in acting in multiple television series, and conclude that showbiz is what she always dreamed of doing. But that’s not exactly the case.
Recap – The 2016 West Coast Country Music Festival
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The West Coast Country Music Festival, like many small festivals all across the country, shows that family over fame creates the greatest environment to share and enjoy music, and the funds and awareness raised through the event will help ensure the next generation will be able to share in those joys as well.
Album Review – “Real” by Lydia Loveless
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Normally, an artist either declaring or just plain evidencing their abandonment of country music, especially one who has contributed worthy music to the genre in the past, would be grounds for disappointment, or even anger. But in the case of Lydia Loveless, it’s a different story. I’m glad she said she wants to shed the alt-country label.
Nothing Sacred: What is the Benchmark for Playing the Grand Ole Opry?
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When The Byrds played the Opry in 1968, they were heckled from the gallery of the Ryman Auditorium. Today it is a much different story. Pharrell Williams, Kiefer Sutherland, and even Chewbacca Mom have made appearances with not just the approval of the Opry management, but to ovations from the Opry crowd.
Album Review – Justin Moore’s “Kinda Don’t Care”
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Granted, Kinda Don’t Care is just kinda bad when you listen to it in totality. It’s not some horrifically terrible album when you compare it to some other efforts coming out of the mainstream at the moment. But Justin Moore does what all musical artists should refuse to do no matter what the cost—cross your core fans.
Jason Isbell to Guest on The Squidbillies as a Rock Pastor
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If nothing else, The Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim continues to show their great taste in music. As Squidbillies fans can attest, Jason Isbell is far from the first cool musical artist to make an appearance on the show. The animated series’ main character is voiced by none other than Unknown Hinson (aka Stuart Baker), and Billy Joe Shaver sang the original theme song.
“Kubo and the Two Strings” Movie Could Instill Passion For String Music in Kids (and Adults)
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It’s not every day that you see the hero of what is expected to be a blockbuster movie wielding a stringed instrument as his weapon against evil, but that is the premise of the new animated film called Kubo and the Two Strings set to open August 19th in the United States. The 3D stop-motion animated feature film produced by Laika Entertainment is receiving stellar reviews.
AmericanaFest Announces Full 2016 Lineup
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The AmericanFest has announced their full list of 2016 performers after announcing the first 68 names in early May, another batch of performers in June. The over 200 acts will be performing at 14 separate venues across Nashville from September 20th to the 25th for the Americana Music Association’s 17th Annual gathering.
How Garth Brooks Holds the Key to Resolving the Ticket Bot / StubHub Dilemma
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The reason so many can make so much money on the secondary market is because there is way more demand than there is supply. And by performers not ramping up their supply and only playing one, or maybe two shows in a market that could potentially support four or five, they’re allowing the secondary market to thrive.
23 Shots Fired, Man Critically Injured After Country Venue Books Rap Concert
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At 2:00 a.m. Monday (8-15) morning, a total of 23 shots were fired into the crowded parking lot, with numerous bullets striking the venue, and one individual—a black man in his 20’s—being struck multiple times by the gunfire. He is currently in critical condition at a local hospital.
Jon Pardi’s #1 for “Head Over Boots” Proves There’s a Place for Country on Country Radio
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Released way back on September 14th, 2015, “Head Over Boots” has traced a slow but steady build until this week it was officially named the #1 song on country radio. Yet beyond some other singles that have recently been awarded this distinction, the numbers behind “Head Over Boots” speak to a true groundswell of appeal and interest.
A Deeper Meaning Reveals Itself in Kelsey Waldon’s “I’ve Got a Way”
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To decide that classic country music is the way you’re going to make it through life is like choosing the toughest of all paths to climb to the top of a mountain, with steep inclines and sharp drop off’s and all manner of obstacles and wild dangers besetting your course on every side, all while an inviting elevator to the top sits with open doors waiting to spirit you to the same apex.
Blake Shelton’s $0.99 Album Keeps Cody Johnson Out of #1 Spot
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There will be no #1 for Texas country artist Cody Johnson’s new album “Gotta Be Me,” even though if all things were equal, he’d would be the rightful owner of the distinction. Cody is being blocked by Blake Shelton who is running a big new promotion behind his recent album “If I’m Honest,” selling it for only $0.99.