Welcome to 2022, and another (hopefully) exciting year for albums releases in the greater country and roots music world. In the spirit of trying to keep you informed, you can find a detailed list of confirmed album releases for 2022, and the always-exciting “Rumor Mill.”
Second generation country performer Justin Townes Earle passed away tragically on August 20th, 2020, but strong efforts are underway to make sure his legacy doesn’t go forgotten, especially after the ownership of the label that released his first five albums was sent in flux.
All this talk of the superpowers of Billy Strings lately, one can foolishly shoot their gaze over the other superpicker of our generation, who came up trading flatpicking licks with Billy, and competing for the IBMA’s Guitarist of the Year—and honor Molly beat out Billy for twice.
‘An Old Time Christmas’ has always been considered one of the better bets for Christmas albums from country legends. That is how it achieved its Certified Gold status by the RIAA—something many of Randy’s 90’s and early 2000’s studio albums didn’t achieve.
Honky-tonker, songwriter, and master carpenter J.P. Harris has been at the top of the heap of cool independent country guys for years, and now he’s decided to delve deep into his roots of Appalachian mountain music with Chance McCoy formerly of Old Crow Medicine Show.
A week ago, the international television audience tuning into see the 2021 Grammy Awards got to see a little slice of country music history when the presentation cut to the acoustic room in Nashville, Tennessee known as The Station Inn, and its owner JT Gray.
The Grand Ole Opry is celebrating its 95th Anniversary with a big primetime special on Sunday, February 14th on NBC. Called ‘Grand Ole Opry: 95 Years of Country Music,’ it comes as the Opry is enjoying arguably one of its biggest resurgences in interest in the institution’s history.
The impact and reception for the “O Brother Where Art Thou” soundtrack was so significant, it’s very fair to characterize it as one of the most important albums in country music history, and it was most certainly one of the most significant releases of the last 20 years.
There are Grand Ole Opry shows, and then there will be the Grand Ole Opry show on Saturday, August 8th that will assemble some of the best talent of the string disciplines of this generation all in one place. The must-see lineup includes Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, Dom Flemons, and Old Crow Medicine Show.
Vince Gill has been one of the regulars during these quarantine Opry performances, appearing more than any other artist. Adding Emmylou Harris along with Rodney Crowell is just about the perfect combination, not just for the history the duo has together, but due to the history they both have with Vince Gill.
Christopher “Critter” Fuqua played his final show as a member of the iconic string band Old Crow Medicine Show at the band’s annual New Year’s Eve performance at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville Tuesday night. The show was partly a celebration of Critter’s contributions to the band over the last 21-plus years as a founding member.
It’s time. In fact, it’s well past time. And the people calling the shots shouldn’t make the same mistake they did with Chris Stapleton’s rendition of “Tennessee Whiskey.” We’re talking of course about Morgan Wallen’s cover of Jason Isbell’s song “Cover Me Up.” It’s time to release it as a proper radio single.
Over seven years of full-time labor on the part of numerous people, over 101 interviews conducted, countless hours of archival work digging up old photographs, audio, video, and other vintage material, and an elongated year-long promotional effort finally culminated in the broadcast of the debut episode for the Ken Burns Country Music epic.
Singer, songwriter, Warner Bros. Records signee, and critical favorite Charlie Worsham is the newest member of iconic string band and Grand Ole Opry members Old Crow Medicine Show. The Mississippi native officially joined the band before they embarked on their current summer tour in late May.
It’s kind of curious that the Country Music Mother Church hasn’t become a conveyor belt for live records like some other important venues in country music have. Now after Jason Isbell released a Live from the Ryman album in 2018, others are getting in on the action, including Old Crow Medicine Show and Brothers Osborne.
The amount of premium festivals with stacked lineups for you to salivate over as the target for your discretionary music budget are starting to get downright overwhelming, and a new festival set to take place August 10th and 11th in Lexington, Kentucky will only add to your dilemma.
Grand Ole Opry members and Nashville’s official house band Old Crow Medicine Show just finished up ringing in the New Year with a 2-night residency at the Ryman Auditorium in Music City, and now apparently will be going on an extended break.
Enough trying to settle for the latest Eric Church record simply because it’s better than most of the stuff in the mainstream, or squinting at Luke Combs and trying to make him the second coming of Waylon. You’re in the mood for a honky tonk fix? Quit throwing darts at the Billboard charts, and pick up the latest from JP Harris.
Amid the rubble of what Nashville once was, lurking in the shadows of the condominium high rises and prefabricated mixed use block developments spanning across the city like a contagion, there is a thriving and vibrant honky tonk movement doing what it can to keep the old style of country music alive.
Live promoter Blackbird Presents has rescheduled the Willie Nelson performance in Charlotte, North Carolina that was originally slotted to occur on Saturday, May 26th at the PNC Music Pavilion. Willie Nelson canceled his original performance Saturday night after suffering from a stomach bug.
Willie Nelson’s appearance at the Outlaw Music Festival on Saturday (5-25) at the PNC Music Pavilion in Charlotte, North Carolina was abruptly cancelled after Willie was unwilling or unable to perform. According to concertgoers, Willie Nelson walked out on stage twice, but never sang or played.
There’s just something about certain artists and songs where it only takes a few seconds into a track before a smile cracks across your face, and you immediately know, “This is what I mean when I say country music.” Many had that feeling when they feasted their ears on the self-titled, full-length debut from Texas country artist Randall King.
Old Crow Medicine Show is celebrating their 20th year in 2018, and will be releasing their latest album Volunteer via Columbia Records Nashville on April 20th. The band is also going on an extensive tour starting this April and going well into late summer in support of the new record. The tour will include 30 cities.
The Outlaw Fest Tour curated by Blackbird Presents has announced its 2018 dates, locations, and participants. The nine separate dates this summer will include stops in Dallas, Detroit, Bristow, Cincinnati, Noblesville in Indiana, the Woodlands, TX just outside of Houston, and two shows in North Carolina.