Denzel Irwin, a.k.a Santa of Santa’s Pub, Has Died
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He was Nashville’s ever-present and year-long version of Santa Claus, and his haunt Santa’s Pub is like the North Pole of the South. His real name was Elmer Denzel Irwin.
Merle Haggard Cancels Headlining Set at Ink-N-Iron Fest Last Minute After Contract Dispute
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This weekend in downtown Nashville, the inaugural Ink-N-Iron Festival is being held in Bicentennial Mall Park. Promoted by the same individuals who’ve been putting on tattoo conventions in Long Beach, California for the last 13 years, the 3-day festival features a diverse mix of performers, including headliner Merle Haggard. Merle also performed at a pre-festival event held Thursday evening.
Ryan Adams Covering Taylor Swift’s “1989” Album is the Worst Idea Ever
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So apparently Ryan Adams is in the process of recording a complete cover album of Taylor Swift’s recent record 1989 done in the style of the Morissey-fronted British rock band The Smiths. At least that is what he’s alluding to through his Twitter and Instagram accounts, which were dominated with Swift postings Thursday (8-6) as the press and curious fans spectated along.
Making Sausage: New Thomas Rhett Song Has 14 Songwriters
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I guess my first question is why stop there? If you already have 14 songwriters on board, why not go for the world record? Throw the barn doors wide and make a party out of it. You want to contribute a word or two? Then come on in! Order some pizza. String up a piñata. Put a homeless guy on there for shits and giggles. Throw that guy that used to pick on you in high school in the songwriting credits as an inside joke.
Zac Brown’s Next Single Will Be Controversial EDM Song “Beautiful Drug”
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When many country and Southern rock fans got their copy of Zac Brown Band’s latest release Jekyll + Hyde, they feverishly ripped off the cellophane, struggled with the stupid sticker the runs across the top edge and never comes off in one piece, and then put that puppy into the CD player so full of excitement and anticipation, they found themselves nothing short of crestfallen and shockingly confused…
CMA Fest’s ABC Broadcast Gets Hammered in Ratings – Exposes Deeper Ratings Issue for Country
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Didn’t put forth the effort to watch “CMA Fest: Country’s Night to Rock” Tuesday night (8-4), with performances from Florida Georgia Line, Luke Bryan, Brett Eldridge, and hosted by Little Big Town? Well apparently you’re not alone. But a ratings decline for the ABC broadcast is not all country should be worried about.
Jason Boland & The Stragglers Announce New Album “Squelch”
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Beg, borrow, steal, sell a kidney, refinance your student loan, start working a second job if you have to, but either way you’re going to want to have some expendable cash laying around October 7th when Red Dirt legend Jason Boland and his venerable backing band The Stragglers release their eighth studio album Squelch via Proud Souls/Thirty Tigers.
Don’t Compare Sturgill Simpson to Waylon . . . Unless You’re Merle Haggard. That’s probably okay.
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The comparisons of Sturgill Simpson to Waylon Jennings never cease, even though in some instances they’re based on pretty shallow and misguided observations. That’s why it’s probably pretty understandable if Sturgill is tired of hearing about them at this point. In a recent interview with Foo Fighters guitarist and Dead Peasants frontman Chris Shiflett (listen in full below), Sturgill once again answered the Waylon comparisons.
Legendary Country Producer Billy Sherrill Passes Away
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One of the most important, influential, and successful producers in the history of country music has passed away. Billy Sherrill, known as one of the fathers of the “Countrypolitan or “Nashville Sound,” and a Country Music Hall of Fame and Musician’s Hall of Fame inductee, died Tuesday (8-4) morning due to illness. He was 78-years-old.
Alan Jackson Gets #1 Record with “Angels & Alcohol” After All
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Last week it was neck and neck heading into the final tally. Would it be country legend Alan Jackson coming in with the #1 album in country music, or upstart Americana songwriting maestro Jason Isbell claiming the top spot? Either way, the winner was country music by being granted a much-needed reprieve from the dominance of Bro-Country on the album charts, at least for a week or two.
Album Review – Daryle Singletary’s “There’s Still a Little Country Left”
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Beset on all sides, lampooned regularly by popular media, bastardized by its own sons and daughters in the mainstream, sold out by corporations and their governmental cronies, America’s rural culture is under siege by the heartless and misguided march of time like never before. But traditional country artist Daryle Singletary is here to remind you there’s still a little country left…
This Luke Bryan Releasing a Video Exclusively Through “Tinder” Business
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If there’s any comfort to be gained from the startling amount of country legends who have so unfortunately left the mortal coil this year, it’s that they passed on without knowing a time in country music when the biggest star of the genre was marketing his music through a sex app.
Traditional Duo The Church Sisters Sign Deal with Big Machine Records
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Traditional bluegrass, gospel, and country twin sister duo The Church Sisters have signed a development deal with Scott Borchetta’s Big Machine Records. The 18-year-old sisters from the coal mining region of Dickerson County, Virginia have created a very strong grassroots fan base from their startling harmonies and many years of performing from an early age.