Album Review – Paul Cauthen’s “Black on Black”
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Paul Cauthen is not a unimportant or insignificant character in country music. His footprint and fan base are impressive. But Paul Cauthen is also the performer who most fundamentally gives into the id and the ego.
Album Review – Roger Alan Wade’s “Bad News Knockin'”
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Once again Roger Alan Wade makes his case for being one of the most criminally-underrated songwriters of our generation, releasing his newest album Bad News Knockin’ right before the end of 2014 through Johnny Knoxville Records, and rocketing himself near the top for the most notable songwriting efforts for all of last year.
“Little” Jimmy Dickens Has Passed Away
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A country music legend, and one of the oldest living country music performers from country’s golden era, is gone. “Little” Jimmy Dickens, one of the most venerable members of The Grand Ole Opry and a country music Hall of Famer, was admitted to the hospital on Christmas for an undisclosed illness, and passed away on Friday, January 2nd. He has just turned 94 on December 19th.
Saving Country Music’s 2014 Album of the Year
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In 2014, you had two previously-unknown women release towers of country music brilliance in Tami Nelison’s Dynamite! and Karen Jonas’s Oklahoma Lottery. You had folk blues songwriter Charlie Parr deliver a masterpiece in his instrumental triumph in Hollandale. You had the Swedish sister duo First Aid Kit feature what very well would had been considered an Album of the Year on any other year…
Bass Player & Writer of “Long Tall Texan” Henry Strzelecki Passes Away
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Tragic news out of Nashville where where prolific and beloved bass player Henry Strzelecki has passed away after being struck by a vehicle while out for a walk Monday, December 22nd. Strzelecki experienced severe injuries including major head trauma in the accident, and was in a coma over the holidays. He eventually passed away from the injuries on December 30th.
Flight Diverted After Blake Shelton’s “Boys ‘Round Here” Causes Problem
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We already knew Blake Shelton’s awful country rap song “Boys ‘Round Here” was one of the worst “country” songs ever, causing undue strain and consternation amongst true country fans and fans of all decent music. But now there’s a story of just how disturbing the song was for one holiday season commute at 30,000 feet.
George Strait Bests Luke Bryan For Touring in 2014
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Remember when members of Luke Bryan’s camp started crying when George Strait won the Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year in 2014? They said it was just a parting gift at the farewell of his career, and that he wasn’t an “Entertainer.” But once again we get validation that George Strait’s Entertainer win at both the CMA’s in 2013, and the ACM’s in 2014, were well deserved.
Saving Country Music’s 2014 Song of the Year
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Every true music fan craves those moments when a song and story truly disarm you and make rudimentary rubble of your capacity to keep the saline fountains at bay. Fiction can sometimes achieve these results, but there’s something deep inside the listener that is sparked when they intuitively know they’re hearing a true story being told by the one who lived it.
Elizabeth Cook is Back After Some Needed Time Off
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Friends and fans of the firebrand Outlaw country throwback gypsy queen Elizabeth Cook were saddened to hear in late September that her dizzying amount of commitments which included touring full time, administrating a daily radio show on SiriusXM’s Outlaw Country, and countless other public and private obligations were starting to unravel the Florida native and she needed to take a sabbatical.
The Biggest Stories of 2014
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2014 was a year of great flux in country music. Where 2013 was dominated by public feuds and outcries by many country performers about the direction of the music, 2014 became the year things began to be done about many of the problems plaguing the genre. With Bro-Country as the battleground, the fight to return some balance to the country format began to make headway.
Saving Country Music Raises the Eyebrow of Ronnie Dunn
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It’s not every day you get trolled by a CMA Entertainer of the Year winner, but that’s what Saving Country Music found itself experiencing Sunday night (12-28) when Ronnie Dunn took to his always colorful Facebook page to post links and commentary to recent stories on SCM about his involvement (or non involvement) with the new Cumulus Media/Big Machine Records’ joint venture called NASH Icon.
UPDATED “Little” Jimmy Dickens in Critical Condition
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A country music legend, and one of the oldest living country music performers still alive from country’s golden era is in critical condition in a Nashville area hospital. “Little” Jimmy Dickens, one of the most venerable members of The Grand Ole Opry and a country music Hall of Famer, was admitted to the hospital on Christmas for an undisclosed illness.
Party Down South’s Josh Murray Could Face Jail Time
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Another cast member of CMT’s flagship reality series Party Down South has found himself on the wrong side of the law. Josh Murray, the cast member known for drinking to excess and disrobing at a moments notice, was arrested in Rankin County, Mississippi. Josh Murray’s legal troubles are just one in a long list of incidents that have plagued the CMT show.