In Memoriam: Country Music’s Fallen Greats of 2024
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Before we look forward to 2025, let’s look back at 2024 and remember the important individuals we lost, from huge superstars, to songwriters and side players. They all contributed to the music we love, and deserve to be remembered.
Florida Georgia Line Criticized For Disrespecting Police After Multiple Incidents
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Florida Georgia Line reportedly refused to allow uniformed police officers backstage, including at one point threatening to cancel their performance if their demands were not met. This sparked an outcry from both law enforcement professionals and other individuals working the events, and eventually led to a public outcry.
The Closing of Hastings Will Affect Country Music’s Rural Fans
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From the beginning, the Hastings model was set up to focus on rural communities. The first Hastings opened in 1968 in Amarillo, TX, and along with Tower Records, Hastings became one of the very first chains to sell books right beside music.
Album Review – Kree Harrison’s “This Old Thing”
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If nothing else, ‘This Old Thing’ fleshed out that Kree Harrison is not a mainstream reject, she is an Americana hopeful. Instead of starring at a future of slogging it out with mainstream execs to record the music she wants, she can build grassroots support behind quality songs and recordings on the path to a sustainable career.
Album Review – Dolly Shine’s “Walkabout”
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Dolly Shine is a young, hungry, and adept Texas country band in the truest sense, shifting between bluesy rock and traditional country, and calling regularly on the fiddle to carry songs with the strong influences of Texas music right out front for listeners to latch onto.
Blackberry Smoke Readies New Album “Like An Arrow”
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Blackberry Smoke isn’t just helping to save country music, they’re helping to save Southern rock music, rock music, American music, and music made by real humans sweating on a stage, holding real damn instruments, and testifying. In a time when we can’t agree on anything, music fans from a major swath of the population can agree on Blackberry Smoke.
Turnpike Troubadours Release Surprise Single “Come As You Are”
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No, it’s not a Nirvana cover, but it is quite a surprise from the Turnpike Troubadours, who usually tend to leave their fans salivating for new music between album releases with agonizing impatience. Without pretense or explanation, the Oklahoma natives dropped a new single called “Come As You Are” on Friday, and it has folks all abuzz and for good reason.
Conway Twitty’s Former “Twitty City” No Longer Giving Tours
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Conway opened the multi-structure tourist attraction and family compound in 1982 at a price tag of $3.5 million, and lived there until his death in 1993. The centerpiece was Conway’s 24-room mansion surrounded by memorial gardens that became a destination for tourists and famous for the elaborate Christmas light displays every December.
Lineup for 10th Annual Cayamo Cruise Announced
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For 10 years now, the Cayamo Cruise organized by Sixthman Productions has been one of the most defining annual events in the Americana music realm. Quarantining so much Americana talent in one place has resulted in many memorable and legendary collaborations, and intimate performances from some of the best songwriters to ever suck air on land or sea.
Why Not Use These Collaborations to Help Develop Some COUNTRY Talent?
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The next trend in country may not be defined by a style or a sound, but who is involved in it. But if collaborations will be the next big trend, how about putting out just a little bit of effort to make sure that the great talent that is going unrecognized in country music itself gets some love?
Bar Where Country Artist Wayne Mills Killed Is Finally Demolished
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The Pit & Barrel Bar, previously known as BoondoxXx, and most famous for being the location where the bar’s owner Chris Ferrell shot country artist Wayne Mills in the back of the head as Mills was exiting the location, has finally been demolished. Many fans and friends of Wayne Mills were hoping for the demolishing of the building to help erase the memory.
Song Review – Miranda Lambert’s “Vice”
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Flying low over the country music masses to survey the landscape, it’s patently clear that in the 48-hour aftermath of Miranda Lambert releasing her first single in over a year, how you feel about it has a lot to do with how you feel about Miranda Lambert, or Blake Shelton. The fact that “Vice” has become so polarizing proves that music is no longer about music, but personality.
Wade Bowen Clears the Air About Granger Smith Comments
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Saving Country Music headquarters received a call Tuesday afternoon (7-19), and was informed that Wade Bowen and Granger Smith had just engaged in a good, healthy phone conversation, and that Wade Bowen wanted to clear the air on the matter. Here’s the transcript.