The limited series George & Tammy about the life and marriage of country legends Tammy Wynette and George Jones has found their person to portray The Possum. It had been previously announced that award-winning actress Jessica Chastain would be playing Tammy.
So often we get hints and allegations of cool film or television projects involving country legends on-the-way, and more times than not they seem to dissolve or get forgotten before they make it into production. That will not be the case for the limited series “George & Tammy.”
In 1975 when Charlie Rich whipped out his lighter, and burned the card announcing John Denver as the 1975 CMA Entertainer of the Year, it was considered to be one of the greatest moments of protest in country music history. But was it truly his intent to protest John Denver’s win?
Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the inaugural episode of Country History X. We start by telling the crazy story of how a box of unheard and currently-unpublished George Jones reel-to-reel master tapes ended up being used as the bond collateral for two international drug smugglers.
A movie based on the life of country music power couple George Jones and Tammy Wynette first announced in 2016 has now blossomed into a limited series and is moving forward. To be called George & Tammy, and based on the 2013 book The Three of Us: Growing Up with Tammy and George written by Georgette Jones.
When you played on such iconic country music recordings as “Stand By Your Man” by Tammy Wynette, “He Stopped Loving Her Today” by George Jones, George Strait’s “Amarillo By Morning,” and “The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers, you know your legacy in country music is secured.
The pedigree that runs curiously through country music did not pass Georgette Jones up, and her talent for singing and finding songs that embody all that’s great about the country genre is on full display on her latest record, Skin. This album has not scored the insatiable buzz some other records from women in country have this year.
The 7th Episode in the series was unique in that 30 more minutes were added to give Ken Burns and his team the time to delve into a decade of the music, explain the important influence of Texas songwriters and the emergence of the Outlaw movement in the early and mid 70’s, all while keeping up with the goings on in popular country in Nashville.
Undoubtedly, you could not tell the story of country music in the late 60’s and early 70’s without broaching the political upheaval and countercultural revolution roiling American society at the time. But the time spent on stories that were only proxies to country music bogged this episode down in stretches.
Independent fans might be both shocked and jubilant to turn to the very final page of the memoir to see Randy Travis talking about upsurging country artist Cody Jinks. When it comes to the other performers mentioned in ‘Forever and Ever, Amen,’ it mostly involves artists signed to major labels.
By the bullet points on the resume, Burt Reynolds had little to do with country music. Not since Gram Parsons did a figure in American pop culture act like a bigger bridge to country music, and proved how it could be cool. For most famous humans, the myth precedes them. But with Burt Reynolds, the myth really was the man.
As first reported by Saving Country Music in January, a new animated series called ‘Mike Judge Presents: Tales from the Tour Bus’ covering real stories from country music’s past in animated form is on its way to television. Now, we finally get the details and an in-depth look at what country music fans can expect.
Contributing essays to the book will be numerous classic and contemporary country artists, including Rosanne Cash, Loretta Lynn, The Judds, Alison Krauss, Bobbie Gentry, Tammy Wynette, and Taylor Swift. Woman Walk the Line is country women writing about other women who’ve inspired them.
Putman had a prolific songwriting career, including writing such songs as “D-I-V-O-R-C-E” and “My Elusive Dreams” by Tammy Wynette, “Dumb Blonde” by Dolly Parton, T.G. Sheppard’s “Do You Want To Go To Heaven,” and a dozen other successful charting singles. But two songs would go on to define Curly Putman’s contributions.
The 320-page biography will cover George’s life from an impoverished childhood growing up in East Texas, being raised by by a devoutly-religious, but alcoholic mother and an often-abusive father, his multiple tumultuous marriages including to Tammy Wynette, his alcohol and cocaine abuse that almost killed him, and his marriage to his fourth wife Nancy.
The cast for an upcoming biopic on the life of George Jones is starting to take shape, and the leading man appears to be Josh Brolin. He will play The Possum according to reports, as well as work in the capacity as producer for the film. Starring beside Brolin will be Jessica Chastain, who will play Tammy Wynette who was famously, and tumultuously married to George during his heyday.
Over the last few days, three major contributors to country music have passed away—performer and television/radio personality Bonnie Lou, songwriter and former husband to Tammy Wynette Don Chapel, and prolific hit songwriter Don Pfrimmer. Let’s take a minute to remember all three.
“. . . we play all of our own instruments, we write the best songs that we can, and we put harmony on the songs, we have a real band,” Zac Brown said in response to Luke Bryan’s “That’s My Kind of Night” not two years ago. And now the exact criticisms he leveled at Luke Bryan could be leveled at him. But they won’t be.
One of the most important, influential, and successful producers in the history of country music has passed away. Billy Sherrill, known as one of the fathers of the “Countrypolitan or “Nashville Sound,” and a Country Music Hall of Fame and Musician’s Hall of Fame inductee, died Tuesday (8-4) morning due to illness. He was 78-years-old.
Just like his predecessors Hank Williams and Johnny Cash, George Jones is getting a major biopic movie made about his life. Entitled No Show Jones and authorized by the George Jones estate, the big budget biopic will cover his rise to fame in the 1950’s, his struggles with alcohol and drugs throughout the 70’s, his tumultuous seven-year marriage to Tammy Wynette, and his final marriage to Nancy Jones.
In every sense, “Gentle On My Mind” has become an American standard by sharing the sentiment of a generational mood ever present in the human experience. And its 2015 Grammy is just more validation for the song’s timeless impact, and the timeless impact of the song’s writer, John Hartford.
Unveiled as part of the presentation of George Jones’ new museum was the plan to have the name and likeness of George Jones used on his own line of flavored moonshine and vodka, branded after his first #1 hit from 1959 written by The Big Bopper, “White Lightning.” The beverage line will be made in a partnership with the Silver Trail Distillery in Hardin, KY.
No matter where you stand on it, the enigma that is Maddie & Tae’s “Girl In A Country Song” has made for grand country music theater in 2014, marking one of the most talked about musical offerings since Kacey Musgraves’ “Merry Go ‘Round.” So now the young duo has released a four-song EP, and all of a sudden a brand new set of parameters emerge.
If you’re looking for the country music female revolution’s representative for true neotraditional country, Kelsey Waldon might just be your perfect match. If this album was released in the 70’s, it would have birthed a slew of indelible country standards. Such inconsolable heartbreak, such sorrow-drenched insight is captured on these tracks and then embellished with tasteful production…