Country traditionalist Big City Brian Wright isn’t the first to record a country trucker album, and he won’t be the last. But he is the first to take a country trucker album, and make it fly.
At a recent show, the 73-year-old George Strait addressed just how much longer we might be able to see him perform live, and in a rather poignant and touching way.
The Patsy Cline Museum located at 119 3rd Ave S in the Lower Broadway corridor of Nashville will be closing permanently on May 15th. It was originally opened in 2017 on the second floor of the Johnny Cash Museum.
“If one looks down the list of music’s greatest writers of all time, I couldn’t imagine the list being complete without the name of Larry Bastian.” — Garth Brooks
Everyone knows about Willie Nelson’s country music legacy, his altruistic endeavors through Farm Aid and other initiatives. But not enough is made about Willie Nelson the entrepreneur.
There are many legendary country songs, and there are many legendary country music performers. But there are few songs in the history of country that capture the feelings one country legend had for another like Merle Haggard’s “Always Wanting You.”
It’s often the songwriters and side players who never get their fair share of credit for their contributions to music. But if there was one side player who most every country music knew during his era, it was Don Rich.
This is the kind of traditional country music that immediately sits right with you, that reminds you of the greatness that country music used to be, and that sets you at ease knowing this timeless sound hasn’t been lost.
In many respects, the passing of a country artist is not where their career and legacy ends. It’s just the beginning. Near the end of their career and especially after their death is when the real work starts.
It was supposed to have been called “Inside The Walls.” But despite a big budget audio production and camera crew being involved, and plans to make it into a television special as well, it was never officially released.
Grammy-winning country and Cajun singer, and accordion and guitar player Jo-El Sonnier was a true keeper of the flame in American roots music, and a rare soul who put the preservation of the music before anything else.
The Country Music world has lost an incredibly important and pioneering drummer. On August 28th, Roland “Arnie” Adams passed away at home, reportedly from a late-stage cancer.
As a true country music fan, you’re used to dealing in close approximations when seeking out modern musical choices. With The Malpass Brothers though, this isn’t necessary.
It’s something that most of us mere mortals can’t comprehend. But for our country legends, they would have it no other way. Willie Nelson has regularly said that he wants to die on stage. And as morbid as a prognosis as that might be, it speaks to how important music and performance is to these legends.
Tanya Tucker’s life has been like a country song. That’s how she can sing them with such a convincing attitude, and conviction. And though it feels like she’s lived many lifetimes in her career, at 62, Tanya still has time to enjoy this accolade, and add to what now can be called a Hall of Fame career.
Aaron McCune can not only can handle the bass parts to iconic country songs from The Oak Ridge Boys and others, he can go even deeper, and this is bringing the important element of four-part harmonies with bass in country music to a new generation. He’s a member of Dailey & Vincent.
The Longhorn Ballroom was one of the most important venues in country music for many years. When it opened in 1950, it was known as Bob Wills’ Ranch House, and was one of the major venues in Western Swing. It was also once operated by Jack Ruby.
Don’t overlook the West Coast and California when you go looking for good country music. Case in point is Laura Benitez and the Heartache, who’ve been playing kick ass traditional country for years outside of the purview of country’s mother brain back in Nashville, and may have just released their career effort.
Tanya Tucker is nothing short of a modern living Queen of Country Country Music, who deserves all the rights and privileges that such a designation bestows. She proved this in Pryor, Oklahoma on the grounds of the famous Rocklahoma festival where Born & Raised is held.
Calling it a “country song” doesn’t seem to do it justice, and almost inadvertently downgrades the impact and importance of the artistic work known as “Pancho & Lefty,” because few other songs can make us feel like this one can. It’s transcendent of country, or song, or even music. It’s “Pancho & Lefty.”
Country music is country music, and the best definition of what country music is, is that you know it when you hear it. It’s self-evident. But the genre has birthed many subgenres, many stylistic movements over the years, and at times has seen a splintering and Balkanization.
Dolly Parton will be one of the next inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The next question is how the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will consider country performers for induction moving forward. This moment presents a slippery slope.
You show up with your chest puffed out, wearing funnyglasses with bunch of feathers shoved into the front of your Stetson, and telling everyone you’re slinging “Piss-hot freightlining country music,” then you better deliver, son. But Ellis Bullard has nothing to worry about.
Country music as a genre is unique in how it has its own dedicated award show organizations, and two of them as a matter of fact, and both of which that have been around for well over 50 years. But neither of them is the CMT Awards.