If you grew up in America, you knew the drill every February in public school. But unless your teachers were willing to buck the published material on Black history, country music was never mentioned.
January 10th would have been the perfect time to put to bed a long-running controversy with the Grand Ole Opry about how Hank Williams was kicked out for drunkenness and missing rehearsals in 1952.
New Years Eve is a joyous time for many, but it always comes with a pinch of sorrow for those proud to call themselves country music fans who know of the tragedy this time of year has wrought on the music.
Along with Guy Clark and his wife Susanna, Rodney Crowell, Steve Young, Richard Dobson, dobro player Jim McGuire, Billy Callery, and a very young but hungry Steve Earle all sat around the table.
Hank Williams III founded the The Reinstate Hank movement back in 2003 in an effort to get the Grand Ole Opry to recognize his grandfather who was kicked out for drunkeness and missing rehearsals in 1952.
By the time Willie minted his first #1 in country music, he’d been hired and fired from the Grand Ole Opry. He’d been married and divorced. He’d retired from music, put on 40 pounds, and become a pig farmer.
Though most know Connie Francis for her major pop hits, it shouldn’t be surprising that she also found favor with country music in the way the music often centers around heartbreak.
Recently, it was announced that Lost Highway was being recommissioned, and even more recently that Kacey Musgraves was named the label’s new flagship artist. She even released her version of “Lost Highway.”
Bill Monroe will forever be the Father of Bluegrass. But it was Jimmy Martin, who studied under Monroe, who was able to rear back and declare himself “The King of Bluegrass.”
We didn’t really know what to expect from the Grand Ole Opry’s 100th Anniversary celebration on NBC Wednesday night (3-19). We hoped it would be a cavalcade of actual country stars singing actual country music.
It very well could be that the son of Hank Williams Jr., and the grandson of Hank Williams will be responsible for releasing the worst song in the entire pantheon of what anyone could ever construe as “country music” in 2025.
To many dedicated country music fans, “The Conversation” pairing Hank Williams Jr. and Waylon Jennings is one of the coolest collaborations to ever grace the genre. Written by Hank Jr., Waylon, and drummer Richie Albright…
Some people like to believe that kvetching about the state of country music is a recent sport. In truth, complaining about country music’s direction is a tried and true tradition that has been around since the beginning.
Using this current event as a jumping off point, numerous outlets and now viral social media posts have proclaimed that the Black influence and contributions to country music have been stricken from the history of the genre.
Almost immediately as the news spread and outlets started reporting on King’s drunken performance, some came forward to claim that the criticism Elle King was receiving constituted a double standard.
Merv Shiner was a cast member of the Wheeling Jamboree, performed on the radio in the 1930s, recorded singles in the 1940s, and was introduced by Hank Williams when he made his Grand Ole Opry debut in 1950.
Saturday night, October 14th, 2023, was a special night at the Grand Ole Opry. Instead of presenting the regular Saturday night slate of performances, the Opry presented a tribute to country music legend Keith Whitley.
Many stars turned out to tribute Hank, including Lyle Lovett, Rodney Crowell, Suzy Boggus, and Country Music Hall of Famer Charlie McCoy. A healthy dose of independent and up-and-coming stars also appeared.
Country music has a lot of famous Hanks, but who knew that the legendary actor Tom Hanks was such a fan of them? Hanks may be his last name not first, but Tom’s appreciation for country music apparently runs deep.
100 years ago today, September 17th, 1923, Hank Williams was born to humble means in the small rural community of Mount Olive, Alabama. Montgomery, Alabama is where Hank Williams began his career in earnest.
There is still a point of contention that comes up regularly whenever the name of the Grand Ole Opry is evoked in certain circles—the strained relationship between the Grand Ole Opry and the Hank Williams legacy.
Not all birthdays and anniversaries in country music are built the same. The centennial of the birth of Hank Williams on September 17th, 2023 has been 100 years in the making, and will be celebrated by country music fans across the world.
This EP establishes that Hank Williams IV is not just a lark. No matter where he fits in the Hank Williams legacy, Ricky Fitzgerald fits somewhere, and that helps ensure the future of that legacy.
Vince Gill and Paul Franklin are reuniting once again, and this time to pay tribute to Ray Price and his legendary backing band The Cherokee Cowboys.