Take the twang and taste of country, the speed of bluegrass, the blazing improvisation of jazz, and you have something that’s utterly transcendental, while still feeling grounded in the roots.
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.
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.
It was two decades ago this winter that the overlords of Gothic Country—Madison, Wisconsin’s Those Poor Bastards—released their debut album, Songs of Desperation, and launched the Gothic country subgenre.
Those who take the time to dig for the best in music are handsomely rewarded via the experience of this album, and before the rest of the world and the music business get their opportunity to get their greasy mandibles on it.
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.”
Would we only get a wine and roses portrayal of the Opry, especially through the modern era? Or would it be willing to present the accurate history, warts and all? Luckily, the latter is the case.
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.
The debut country album from Shooter Jennings called Put The ‘O’ Back in Country was a critically-important moment in the country music revolution we’re currently in the midst of.
What started out as a joke has now blown up into a full-blown conspiracy theory that Zach Top is not only emulating the ’90s country sound of country stalwarts such as Alan Jackson, but that Alan Jackson actually sired Zach Top.
Every once in a while, a reset of perspective on the ultimate purpose of Saving Country Music is in order. Now is one of those times. Saving Country Music was founded to tackle critically important topics to the country genre.
Fans love Elle King for her “devil may care” attitude and over-the-top presentation. She’s a lot, and that’s fine. But the Grand Ole Opry stage is supposed to be a family friendly environment, and it’s not the time or place.
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.
While much of the media reported on Live Nation’s initiative verbatim and without scrutinizing it or digging too deep into the details, others are speaking out, saying its a lot of smoke an mirrors to take heat off the massive company.
Alamo Jones may have not been a chart topper. But he lived one of the most interesting lives within country music, and made country music a lot more interesting through his life.
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.
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.
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.
There was most certainly a time in country music—and even in it’s more open-minded and less commercially-concerned cousin of Americana—where not fitting neatly within the gender binary would be a significant burden on the attention you would receive for your music. 2022 is not that time though.
50 years ago today on December 12th, 1972, Randall Hank Williams Jr. and his wife Gwyn Yeargain welcomed their first and only child into the world. Keeping with the family tradition, they gave him the middle name of Hank, with his full christening taking shape as Shelton Hank Williams III.
Most definitely a departure from Hank3’s country stuff, and even his punk and metal projects, much of the Grandiose Delusions material is a strange mix of synth heavy electronica with a dark metal undertone. The image of a cover design in one of the videos reveals more details about this project
Concept albums have been an integral part of country music history, with the release of certain projects completely reshaping the country music paradigm, including in recent memory. Just in case you need an illustration of the breadth and importance of concept albums in country music
Voraciously hungry Hank3 fans have been getting a few welcome morsels from the elusive artist recently as he’s been dropping a succession of demo recordings, scratch tracks, and other random audio projects on YouTube. These are not new studio tracks from Hank3, though there are a couple of unheard songs.
One of the most interesting and accomplished characters to ever grace the history of country music has unfortunately passed away. Eddie Pleasant just about did it all. He was a performer and musician. He wrote songs. He worked as the right-hand man for Hank Williams Jr.