Dolly Parton Godmother Lie Used to Help Push Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song”
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Through numerous Tik-Tok accounts, a PushPlay subsidiary called WtrCoolr pushed the idea that Dolly Parton was Shaboozey’s godmother, fully knowing it was a lie. It was also a lie that many people on Tik-Tok fell for.
25 Artists More Deserving of Opry Invitation Than Darius Rucker
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On Tuesday night Brad Paisley popped out of the crowd at the Grand Ole Opry and surprised everyone by presenting former Hootie & The Blowfish frontman turned pop country star Darius Rucker with an invitation to become a member of the iconic country music institution. Here we are, handing Hootie country’s most coveted invitation with a lifetime guarantee when there’s so many other artists out there so much more deserving.
Scott Borchetta on Country: “I Really Don’t Care.” Defines it as “Youth”
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The Country Music Anti-Christ, Big Machine Records owner Scott Borchetta was on American Public Media on Friday and said on Taylor Swift and pop country, “If you don’t want to consider it country, I really don’t care. That means nothing to me.” He defined country as, “Whatever fans of country music listen to and like. It’s younger. It’s youth.”
Song Review – Taylor Swift’s “Begin Again”
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I’m not sure how I came to this point in my writing career, but if I don’t post a review of a new Taylor Swift single post-haste, a clamor arises. Maybe it is because whether I am giving her credit for the death of country music or proclaiming she’s the last bastion of real music in popular culture, Taylor Swift is accountable for my most inspired writing. I’m still not sure how I feel about that.
Jason Aldean Caught Cheating On Wife In LA – UPDATED
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I normally would steer clear of stories like this, but every time I’ve headed down to the general store for provisions for the hideout over the last month I’ve had to stare at a People Magazine cover story all about Jason Aldean showing off his “softer, romantic side” and his “daddy skills,” I thought it would be apropos to point out that TMZ just caught Aldean red handed cheating on his wife.
Album Review – Shivering Denizens “Baker-Whiteley”
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The Shivering Denizens and frontman Ron E. Banner epitomize gonzo-style West Coast country. Not as salacious as Bob Wayne & The Outlaw Carnies, and more solidly country than what the Supersuckers usually serve up during their “country” set, The Shivering Denizens are like Ken Kesey meets Merle Haggard.
Dolly Parton Pulls Out Of Theme Park After Gaylord Sale to Marriott
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Fallout from the sale of Gaylord Entertainment to Marriott International continues. Shareholders approved the $210 million dollar deal on Tuesday (9-25-2012) despite one of the leading investors in the company wanting Gaylord to spin off its Grand Ole Opry assets. Now the deal has ruffled the feathers of a country music heavyweight: Dolly Parton.
Waylon Jennings’ “Goin’ Down Rockin’: The Last Recordings”
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The first thing this album does is remind you that Waylon Jennings left us too early. The strength of the compositions validate that sentiment. All artists go though peaks and valleys in their careers, but passing away at 64, Waylon was never afforded the legacy era that his fellow Highwaymen have enjoyed; the “Golden Years” of an iconic country career.
Tim McGraw Wins Court Appeal, Is Finally Done w/ Curb Records
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On Tuesday (9-25-12), the Tennessee Court of Appeals upheld a lower Chancery Court ruling denying a request by Curb Record to block Tim McGraw signing and recording with another record label. Barring another appeal being accepted by the Tennessee Supreme Court, this means Tim McGraw is finally free from Curb Records, his label for 20 years.
Gaylord Keeps Grand Ole Opry / Changes Name to Ryman Hospitality
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Tuesday morning (9-25-12), Gaylord Entertainment shareholders approved a $210 million dollar deal to have Marriott International buy the company and take over management of certain Gaylord assets. As part of the SEC filing, Gaylord also revealed they plan to change the name of the company to Ryman Hospitality Properties, the “Ryman” being from The Ryman Auditorium.
Country Fans Tired of “Replacement” Stars, Worried About Integrity
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On Monday night, the anger of many country music fans boiled over when they finally woke up to the realization that their favorite country stars had been swapped out for scab “replacement” stars by the country music industry, with many of the replacements being castaways from pop. Fans took to social media to vent their anger, posting “meme’s” and citing specific artists and songs they are hearing on the radio.
Don’t Give Up on the Grand Ole Opry – Fight For It
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Tuesday will be the first time since 1982 that The Opry will have an opportunity to be free of a larger company’s control, a company that must meet shareholder’s demands, and figure out how to fit an old, historic institution into a modern-day corporate management structure. But where is this opposition in the argument for the Opry’s fate that could very well be decided tomorrow? They seem curiously absent.
Interview: Don Maddox of Maddox Brothers & Rose
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I’m not sure if I can come up with a more touching country music story in 2012 than that of Don Maddox. Think about it, 90-year-old man whose spent the last 54 years in virtual obscurity from the music world makes headlines by receiving standing ovations at the Grand Ole Opry and being featured at the Country Music Hall of Fame along with the rest of his family as part of the Bakersfield Sound exhibit.