Kris Kristofferson: Country Music’s Poet Laureate and Revolutionary Lyricist Passes
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It’s impossible to compose a proper summation of the career of Kris Kristofferson. You can’t tie a nice little bow around it, because it’s so bursting and effusive, and touches so many sectors of American society.
49th Annual ACM Awards Complete Preview
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All the information on the 49th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards in one place, including the presenters, the performers, the collaborations, the nominees, special awards, and other things to watch for. Also details on a planned Merle Haggard tribute, the possibility of George Strait winning Entertainer of the Year, and the Justin Moore eligibility controversy.
Tim McGraw’s “Sundown Heaven Town” Has Racist Connotations
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On Thursday, April 3rd, Tim McGraw announced that he will be releasing his 13th studio album. To the apparent cluelessness of Tim McGraw’s team and his label Big Machine Records, the title of McGraw’s new album has very, very strong racist connotations that directly refer back to the segregation and lynching of black people in American history.
The People Who Read the New People Country Magazine
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2014 is turning out to be the year of the celebrity crotch sniffer in country music. The word is out that country is fertile ground for advertisers and is a fast-rising subject in popular culture, so interlopers and carpetbaggers are rolling out the red carpet for country all over the place, and it’s getting quite stupid. People Magazine has just launched their own dedicated country music website.
Karen Jonas Stuns with “Oklahoma Lottery” Debut
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Karen Jonas, whether she knew it or not, heeded the advice of the great Ray Wylie Hubbard to all songwriters: don’t just listen to The Ghost of Tom Joad, read The Grapes of Wrath. How do we know this? It’s not just from the wisdom interwoven in the lyrics, it’s from the amount of pain Ms. Jonas is able to capture in her performance.
iHeartRadio Country Festival Caused Major Conflict with ACM Awards
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On March 29th, Clear Channel Radio threw their inaugural iHeartRadio Country Festival in Austin with many of the genre’s biggest mainstream acts performing, including Carrie Underwood, Jason Aldean, and Luke Bryan. Apparently behind-the-scenes, the festival caused a big stir with artists, managers, and the Academy of Country Music.
New Study Proves Why Radio Still Matters
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the simple fact remains, radio is still the most widely used format for music listeners, confirmed by a new study by Edison Research. And even more importantly, radio is where listeners go to discover new music. 75% of listeners use radio to keep up-to-date with music, while only 20% use SiriusXM, and only 18% use Spotify. Radio’s days might be numbered, but right now, it still rules the roost.
Johnny Cash’s “Out Among The Stars” Tops Charts at #1
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Johnny Cash is once again the big man in music as his recently-released “lost” album Out Among The Stars has come in at #1 on the Country Albums chart, and #3 on the all-encompassing album sales chart according to Mediabase, with a total of 54,000 copies sold. The sales success will likely result in Cash also cresting Billboard’s country chart…
Sundy Best Blows Up with “Bring Up The Sun”
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Sundy Best ended up being just crazy enough to work; a unique approach that struck a chord in this very time and place to help define what is relevant instead of trying to follow it. And similarly with other bands of young men out to have a good time first and letting the business of music follow, the honest, good time and heartfelt approach to their music is quite infectious with their fans.
Justin Moore Responds to ACM Eligibility Controversy
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One of the big stories leading up to the Academy of Country Music Awards on Sunday April 6th has been the ineligibility of Justin Moore for the New Artist of the Year award that he’s nominated for, and is considered a front runner to win. Now Justin Moore has responded to the concerns, and the issue has gone all the way to making the front page of Fox News.
Song Review – “Medicine” by Shakira feat. Blake Shelton
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Shakira isn’t just releasing this song in her home genre of pop. It has entered the Country Airplay charts this week at #57. “Medicine” is Shakira’s “gone country” moment. All that said, “Medicine” as a song is not all that bad … for a pop song. In fact if you compared it with many of the top songs in country right now it is downright refreshing.
16 Great Sons & Daughters of Country Music Greats
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Country music isn’t just a genre of music, it is a musical religion, a way of life, a cultural lineage passed down from generation to generation and preserved through the blood and bond of its performers and fans. That’s why it seems country music performers so very often tend to turn out to be the parents of country music performers themselves.
Dale Watson to Star in Upcoming “Yellow Rose” Movie
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As if Dale Watson didn’t already have enough on his plate, it has been announced that he will be co-starring in a movie called Yellow Rose that is currently in casting and pre-production. Dale will also be contributing original music to the soundtrack of the film. Watson is slotted to play Jimmy Redburn, a washed up country legend that befriends a 15-year-old Filipina-American runaway….