On Luke Combs Playing the Newport Folk Festival
Yes, Luke Combs is one of the largest names in popular country music. But from the very beginning, Combs has always proven to go deeper than the surface with his music.
John Prine
Country Music’s Preeminent Duet Partner Melba Montgomery Has Died
Before there was Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn, and before there was George Jones and Tammy Wynette, there was George Jones and Melba Montgomery, who helped set the standard for duets in country music.
Toby Keith Deserved More Than a “Toast” at the 2024 CMA Awards
It sets a bad precedent that when a titan of country music passes, we don’t take anything more than 20 seconds and a box of plastic cups to pay tribute. This is country music, and we honor our past legends.
50 Years Ago: David Allan Coe Records the “Perfect Country & Western Song”
We all know what the perfect country & western song is, because David Allan Coe told us what it is. He also told us why it was the perfect country & western song, and who wrote it. There’s no reason to debate…
Memorable Moments Mark Willie Nelson’s 2024 Luck Reunion
What started as a very exclusive gathering has become a world-class event with international interest due to the names that play and attend the event during Austin’s greater SXSW festivities. This was especially true in 2024.
Turnpike Troubadours & Cody Jinks Team for Select Shows
A couple of the top flight performers in independent country are teaming up for a rare run of select shows in locations they don’t always play. This will be a unique opportunity for fans to get their taste.
Tyler Childers Joins Turnpike Troubadours to Play John Prine at Newport
The Newport Folk Festival has birthed some iconic moments in its long, storied history. This moment may not end up as iconic as those previous ones, but who knows what the future holds.
Album Review – Tommy Prine’s “This Far South”
John Prine’s son Tommy first tested out the hypothesis of pedigree in music with the song “Ships in the Harbor,” which fared so spectacularly well from a songwriting standpoint, it was named SCM’s 2022 Song of the Year.
John Prine’s Son Tommy Prine to Release Debut Album
This will be the last time it is relevant to refer to Tommy Prine as the son of John as anything but an interesting footnote, if that time hasn’t already passed. After winning Saving Country Music’s 2022 Song for the Year for his debut single “Ships in the Harbor,” it’s time for him to step out of the shadow of his famous father.
Luke Combs Agrees on Saving Country Music’s 2022 Song of the Year
While on the Red Carper at the 2023 Grammy Awards if February, someone from CBS shoved a microphone into the face of Luke Combs, and asked him “What song can you not stop listening to?” Luke’s answer? “John Prine’s son, Tommy Prine, wrote a song when his dad passed called ‘Ships in the Harbor.'”
The Saving Country Music 2022 Song of the Year
Picking the Saving Country Music Song of the Year winner has been especially excruciating here in 2022. Not only was there a strong field of initial nominees, no less than four songs emerged as front runners in the voting and discussion, with all of them basically receiving similar counts in the comments.
Saving Country Music’s 2022 Song of the Year Nominees
Infinite apologies if you came here looking for your next favorite boot scooter, because that’s not what Song of the Year is all about. There will be a Single of the Year category coming up too. But what we’re looking for here is the most unabashedly slow and sentimental sad bastard songs possible.
The 2022 Country Music Christmas Playlist
Here is the 2022 Saving Country Music Christmas Playlist. It is country. It is good. It is all new recordings of both classics and original songs released in 2022, delicately curated to remove anything that is too syrupy, too pop, or not cool. All the songs have been expertly arranged to be listened to consecutively.
Country/Roots Artists The Grammy Awards Should Not Overlook
The Grammy Awards officially open the initial round of voting for nominees today, and due to the propensity for the Grammys to often overlook key contributors in the country music and roots space, here are some simple suggestions of what Grammy voters should make sure they don’t ignore for the 2023 awards.
Park Memorializing John Prine to be Dedicated
John Prine was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, but the compass of his musical world was Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, where his parents and grandparents were from, where he visited frequently when growing up, and where some of his fondest memories were made. Prine spelled it all out in “Paradise.”
Newest Adds to Saving Country Music’s Top 25 Current Playlist (#108)
The Saving Country Music Top 25 Playlist is built to keep you informed on all the best songs and albums coming out right here, right now in country and roots music. It’s available on most all streaming formats, or you can just use the song, artist, and album recommendations.
John Prine’s Son Tommy Prine Releases Debut Single
At 26-years-old, Tommy Prine is the youngest son of John Prine. He learned how to fingerpick from his father, first picking up a guitar at the age of 10. But interestingly, it wasn’t his father’s music that first inspired Tommy to get into singer/songwriter material at the ago of 17. It was Jason Isbell’s opus ‘Southeastern.’
Why Shania Twain is Interesting Pick for Songwriters Hall of Fame
The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame announced their 2022 class last week, with Shania Twain, Steve Wariner, Hillary Lindsey, Gary Nicholson, and David Malloy all being named 2022 inductees. With Shania leading the way, this is the first time since 2009 that the Nashville institution has picked two women.
Charlie Robison Makes Surprise Post-Retirement Appearance
It very well could have just been a one-off engagement, and no more. But as a fan, you hold out hope. It’s never over until it’s over. The fact that Charlie is still around, and we know he has at least some capacity still to play and sing, perhaps there may be a little more of it in the future.
New Grammy Americana Award Only Partially Solves Problem
The new award will give one more opportunity for Americana artists (and some country artists by proxy) to be nominated and win in what has become one of the most crowded categories in all of the Grammy Awards. But the problem remains that anything can be called Americana.
Kelsey Waldon Readies New Album “No Regular Dog”
Part of both the insurgent country music movement, and the groundswell of Kentucky songwriters reshaping the modern country landscape, Kelsey Waldon from Monkey’s Eyebrow, KY is getting ready to release her latest record called ‘No Regular Dog.’
Stacked List of Contributors for John Anderson Tribute Album
There are run-of-the-mill tribute albums, and then there’s this tribute album due out August 5th called ‘Something Borrowed, Something New: A Tribute to John Anderson.’ What makes it remarkable is that a rather incredible list of contributors are coming together.
John Prine’s Son Tommy Prine Enters The Family Business
If you were looking or hoping for someone who could help carry the Prine me and legacy into the future for further generations, you just may be in luck. Though it’s all still in it’s nascent stages, John Prine’s youngest son Tommy Prine has decided to enter the family business.
Arlo McKinley Readies New Album “This Mess We’re In”
The last time Arlo McKinley released a record, the darn thing hauled off and won Saving Country Music’s Album of the Year. All the more reason to not temper excitement that he’s just announced his second album on John Prine’s Oh Boy Records.