This question was inevitable in the passing of Dolly Parton on August 25th. And the only logical conclusion is “nobody.” But posed as a hypothetical and a thought exercise, who could be that person that we revere on the same level as Dolly Parton?
She was known by numerous names, including the “Whittling Fiddler” and the “Stradivarius of the Ozarks.” And in the country music realm, she was the oldest living legend, and by a mile, being designated as a “Living Treasure.”
If you need any more validation that some weird social contagion around attempting to take down Charley Crockett has taken hold among a certain population, look no further than this irresponsible, and arguably libelous new article.
Few if anything is uniting the population of the United States these days, and the same goes in country music, which is virtually split right down the middle by the culture war. But opposition to AI and data centers is.
It’s likely a combination of all of these factors that are affecting the prospects of music tours. But among all the other excuses and explanations, there is one factor few if anyone is citing.
Full recap of the 2026 Willie Nelson 4th of July Picnic at the Germania Amphitheater in Austin, TX. Other performers included Billy Strings, Lukas Nelson, Rodney Crowell, Wilco, Margo Price, Stephen Wilson Jr., Lily Meola, and Sheryl Crow.
This year, Willie’s Picnic is not immune to the “blue dot fever” that has been sweeping the United States. That’s the term that has been coined to remark on all the blue dots on Ticketmaster’s seating charts of available seats.
In 2026, the Grammy Awards have brought back the “Best Contemporary Folk Album” category that was eliminated in 2012, while also founding a new “Best Traditional Folk Album” category.
Johnny PayCheck ended up in the pokey after an altercation. Who showed up with $50,000 to bail him out of the Hillsboro Jail on May 22nd, 1986? George Jones and Merle Haggard.
“I thought it was so sacrilegious that I won the Grammy for Traditional Country Album, and Willie Nelson was in the category. It’s like ‘Well, God, I’m glad I won that, but that feels kinda wrong.”
Look alive country music fans! The world might be coming apart and the economy crashing, but country music is here to help get you through it. It happens to be that the second half of 2026 is packed with top releases.
It finds Musgraves understanding the moment country music is in, leaning into her traditional country influences, and deserves to be a retrenching of her as one of the top women in country music.
Oh great, another list. And just like what always happens with lists these days, people treat them like it’s a “Where’s Waldo?” exercise, scouring through them to find what to tear apart based on their own tastes.
Something that many fans of Gram Parsons and his legacy have been strongly advocating for is finally unfolding. Gram Parson will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. But no, it’s not the country one.
Big Hat has dovetailed their mission with helping to spread the word about independent music native to Texas, doing what they can to support songwriters and performers through their growing platform.
As soon as the 2026 4th of July Picnic cover art was released to the public, it started to receive some side eyes. Though sometimes it can be hard to tell if something is AI or not, Willie’s guitar Trigger was the giveaway.
Billy String can pack out arenas all by himself, but he’ll be sharing headliner duties with Willie Nelson on the 4th at the Germania Insurance Amphitheater in Austin, TX at the Circuit of the Americas.
Acclaimed songwriter and performer Chip Taylor died on Monday, March 23rd. And as can be expected and probably warranted, the remembrances all started off with how he was the writer of “Wild Thing.”
SXSW continues to be both an enigma and a mess. But Saving Country Music continues to approach the event like it was initially meant to be: to discover and reveal musical talent that deserves more recognition.
When you’ve expended all of the plaudits and accolades due to a career that’s nearing the century mark in tenure, you’re resigned to only one word left to describe greatness: Willie.
The project has ballooned into a 10 part, 11-hour series. Consider it like the Ken Burns Country Music documentary that ran on PBS back in 2019, but dedicated to the Outlaw country movement.
Shakey Graves has long been one of the success stories of the Austin music scene. And even though he’s headlining festivals and packing out theaters coast to coast, he’s not too big to forget where he came from.
Kacey Musgraves has a new album on the way May 1st called Middle of Nowhere, and it stands to be at least a partial return to her country roots, even if that’s not exactly reflected in the album’s lead single.
It’s one of the coolest events that happen during SXSW each year. It’s the Luck Reunion, and it’s hosted by Willie Nelson at his Western town just outside of Austin called Luck, TX.