Westboro Baptist Church Protests Turnpike Troubadours, Jason Isbell
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Congratulations are in order for Oklahoma’s Turnpike Troubadours, and Alabama’s Jason Isbell. Both have received major accolades. Now they can add being protested by the Westboro Baptist Church to their list.
UPDATE – RIP: Family Called to Doc Watson’s Side
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Doc Watson’s family has been called to his bedside at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, NC. The 89-year-old folk and bluegrass guitar legend’s heath issues started on Monday (5-21) after a fall at his home. No bones were broken, but the incident exposed other health problems. Watson’s condition never improved from “critical” and he remains in Wake Forest Baptist’s Intensive Care Unit.
Hank Williams Movie ‘The Last Ride’ Theatrical Release
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The long-awaited movie about the last days of Hank Williams called The Last Ride has finally been granted a theatrical release. It will begin to be shown in select theaters June 22nd, and in a series of historic theaters starting June 1st. The Last Ride is not meant to be a historic portrayal of Hank’s final days, but focuses on the interaction between Williams and his young driver.
2012 Muddy Roots Festival Official Performance Schedule
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Saving Country Music is pleased to bring you the official Muddy Roots Festival 2012 Performance Schedule! It includes a whopping 10 new additions for the previously-released lineup, including Grand Ole Opry icon and Country Music Hall of Famer Little Jimmy Dickens, and Texas country music legend James “Slim” Hand.
Album Review – Bob Wayne’s “Till The Wheels Fall Off”
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Over the years I’ve been a big Bob Wayne proponent, and to some folks he’s been a very hard sell. I’ve always counseled to look beyond the persona to the songwriting. With his new album Till The Wheels Fall Off, Bob Wayne frankly makes that task much harder. At the same time, he’s put out his most enjoyable album yet.
Mississippi Blues Legend T Model Ford Suffers Stroke
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Mississippi blues legend T Model Ford, who became a roots icon along with R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough, and many other older blues artists from Mississippi through Fat Possum Records, has suffered a stroke and remains in the hospital. This is not the first stroke T Model has suffered, but the people around him are describing the always-jovial, 90+ years-old blues player’s spirits as “uncharacteristically low.”
Scott Borchetta is New King of Nashville After Tim McGraw Signing
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Yesterday Tim McGraw announced in a press conference that he had signed with Scott Borchetta’s Big Machine Records after a 20-year career and protracted legal battle with Curb. The symbolism and significance surrounding the signing was striking, and spoke to the titanic shifts that are rearranging the country music landscape in Nashville at this very moment.
Waylon Birthday Bashes Join to Benefit Diabetes Research
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From Nashville to New York , from Detroit to Seattle, fans will be getting together to raise funds for diabetes research and to pay tribute to one of country music’s biggest Outlaws. From Whitey Morgan & The 78’s to Shooter Jennings, from Rachel Brooke to Jackson Taylor, bands and artists will be giving of their time to help out a good cause.
Album Review – Willie Nelson’s “Heroes”
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This album is good both because it is Willie, and because it is good. After years of navigating through a gray area in his career and having to dabble with some record labels probably less able to do a Willie release justice, he’s back with the same company who released Red Headed Stranger, and back to making albums worthy of the world stopping down to pay attention to.
Video Premier – Bob Wayne’s ‘Till The Wheels Fall Off’ EPK
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On Tuesday (5-22-12) Bob Wayne will be releasing his brand new album through People Like You Records called Till The Wheels Fall Off, and Saving Country Music is excited to premier for you the EPK introduction video for the album. It was shot at the house of Andy Gibson, Hank Williams III’s steel guitar and dobro player, and the man who recorded Till The Wheels Fall Off and all of Bob Wayne’s albums.
The Grand Ole Opry Could Soon Be Up For Sale
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As first theorized by Saving Country Music on April 30th, The Grand Ole Opry and its parent company Gaylord Entertainment could soon be up for sale according to Bloomberg. What escalated the potential sale of The Opry from a theory to a very real possibility was a procedural vote earlier this week by Gaylord shareholders to let what’s called a “poison pill” in the company’s bylaws expire.
ABC’s New “Nashville” Drama Could Have Big Impact
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ABC has announced that a new TV drama called Nashville has been picked up for their Fall season. The show intimately involves Nashville’s mainstream music scene. Gaylord Entertainment, the owner of The Grand Ole Opry, is a producer and financier of Nashville. Anyone concerned about what impact this series may have on country music and the city of Nashville should focus in on this relationship first.
Support for Music Row’s True Country Albums
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In the war to restore balance back to the mainstream country format, where both pop and traditional country music and demographics are represented, there is nothing more important than creating support around these few traditional or progressive country albums that Music Row does let slip through.