Scenes and Moments from the 2023 Jackalope Jamboree
18 CommentsOne of the reasons independent acts have been rising in popularity to rival and even surpass their mainstream counterparts in popularity is due in part to events like the Jackalope Jamboree.
Album Review – Jason Isbell’s “Something More Than Free”
127 CommentsIn the natural world they’re referred to as apex predators and alpha males. They’re the ones that rule the roost and crest the food chain. They’re the specimens of natural design that exhibit the ideal mix of physical abilities and/or favorable disposition to become the creatures all others are measured by.
Country Greats Who’ve Passed Away So Far in 2015
27 Comments2015 so far has been an especially dark year for deaths in the greater country music world. From the passing of legends such as “Little” Jimmy Dickens and Jim Ed Brown, to the tragedy of lives ended too soon like in the cases of Randy Howard and Jon Hensley. We don’t always take to proper time to honor all of those that have passed, so as we enter the second half of 2015, let’s reflect back on who we have lost so far.
An Open Letter to Luke Bryan
111 CommentsDear Luke Bryan, Thanks for taking the time to read my letter, if in fact you do so. I can only imagine the time constraints a man of your success has, and you’ve already been taking of your time over the last few days to help clear up a mess that I guess I had some part in creating.
Luke Bryan Calls Jessi Colter to Apologize Over Outlaw Comments / Shooter Speaks on Controversy
73 CommentsLuke Bryan has called Waylon Jennings’ widow Jessi Colter to apologize after he made comments characterizing Outlaw country artists as cocaine addicts “laying in the gutter, strung out on drugs.” Waylon’s son Shooter Jennings has also commented on the situation, saying, “It’s all flush in my book.”
Uncle Ezra Ray’s Song “B.Y.H.B.” (A Rant)
88 CommentsUncle Ezra Ray and “B.Y.H.B.” should be publicly laughed at, shunned, lampooned, rebuked, parodied, and told to take their big bag of nothing back to the teenie bopper clubs of Newport Beach. But instead “B.Y.H.B.” is probably a few choice spins on the Bobby Bones Show away from being awarded Single of the Year by the CMA.
What Country Music Can Learn from the New Star Wars Movie Reel
34 CommentsIt seems to be the destiny of man to make the same mistakes over and over, even when we have insurmountable evidence of the fallacy of our actions right in front of us. Country music might be one of the greatest examples of this as it cycles from being obsessed with pop and contemporary sounds, and then gets reeled back in towards its traditional heart during the tug and push of its sometimes tumultuous history.
Red Dirt Founding Father Tom Skinner Passes Away
23 CommentsYou may not be comfortable with how exactly to define the quasi country, quasi-rock music that comes out of the Texas / Oklahoma region known as Red Dirt, but what you can be confident in is that it would never have come to life like it did without a man named Tom Skinner. Bass player, songwriter, and father of Red Dirt music Tom Skinner passed away Sunday evening, July 12th.
Daryle Singletary Is Out to Save Country Music with “Too Late to Save the World”
59 CommentsAfter the demo of “Too Late to Save The World” was played to the audience, the song received rousing applause and a standing ovation. “You may have just set a record Daryle Singletary,” Eddie Stubbs said. “That’s the first time we ever played a demo that got a standing ovation. True story. You know it’s one thing to sing a song live and get a standing ovation. But a demo…”
Waylon Jennings Family Member Responds to Luke Bryan’s Comments
129 CommentsNow one of the members of Waylon’s extended family has spoken out about Luke’s initial words and his apology. Kathy Pinkerman Jennings, who is the wife of one of Waylon Jennings’ sons Buddy Jennings, spoke out about the matter via Facebook initially on July 10th, and the posted a video to YouTube late Saturday night. Despite some media reports, Kathy Jennings makes it clear she is not speaking for the family.
Joey Feek & Two Men Who Made Country Cool to Punks Battle Cancer
12 CommentsNo matter what happens with country music in the mainstream, there will always be musicians that will pick up the cause of preserving country’s traditional modes and make sure they never die. Throughout the 80’s and 90’s, it was the unlikely champion of punk musicians that rose to the occasion and started releasing old-school country albums and launching country side projects.
Willie, Waylon, and Merle on Cocaine, In Their Own Words
70 CommentsSo to give some historical context to Luke Bryan’s characterizations, I thought we would look back and see what Willie, Merle, and Waylon felt about cocaine. Willie hated the stuff, and would fire anyone in his crew caught using it. Merle barely touched it, except for one dalliance that ended poorly. And Waylon was a professed, long-term cocaine addict who openly expressed his struggles with the drug.
Updated: Luke Bryan Defines Outlaw Country As “Laying in the Gutter, Strung Out On Drugs.”
321 CommentsBeing an Outlaw never had anything to do with arrest records or cocaine addictions. Anyone found on Willie Nelson’s crew with their nose in the powder was immediately fired. Being an Outlaw was about being yourself, insisting on having creative control of your music, and moving country music forward while still respecting the roots of the genre and all the greats that came before.