Country Music Hall of Fame Picks & Predictions for 2021
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It’s that time of year again to consider who might be in the running for the precious few spots as the newest inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame. A secret committee commissioned by the CMA is going over their final ballots and whittling down the names to the few who will make it.
John Lomax III Continues Long Lomax Legacy in Music
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John Lomax III continued in the family business, but in a way that ultimately had major impacts in country music through the many Texas-born songwriters that would shake country music up as part of the 70’s Outlaw movement, and later in the emergence of alt-country.
Billy Strings Lends to 1st Taste of Luke Combs Bluegrass Album
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It turns out this isn’t just a one-off situation, but part of a much bigger bluegrass project Luke Combs has been working on during quarantine. That’s right, arguably the biggest artist in mainstream country at the moment has a bluegrass album in the works.
Eric Church Cautions New Artists Not to Solely Rely on Radio
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Eric Church is one of those rare animals that is able to straddle the line between the independent and the mainstream, commercial success and grassroots support, and put a massive crowd of fans together regardless of how radio is treating him at the time.
Kris Kristofferson’s Final Performance
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At 84-years-old and having suffered health issues recently, it’s hard to blame Kris Kristofferson for wanting to hang it up. His service to art, film, music, and America as an Army Ranger and helicopter pilot is unparalleled and unprecedented, and it’s about time he decided to take it easy.
Album Review – Conrad Fisher’s “Homemade”
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Bringing acrimony to every corner of American life in the foolish notion that our enemy is each other has robbed us of so much of the joy of living, including in music where you can’t simply enjoy a record without being told it’s some conscious choice to align yourself on one side of the cultural divide.
Living Life. That’s Where Holly Williams Has Been. And Writing.
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In 2013, the daughter of Hank Williams Jr. and granddaughter of Hank Williams had us all completely rethinking our depth charts when it comes to the Williams lineage in music with the release of her landmark record The Highway. Of course the musical pedigree runs deep in the Williams family.
Luke Bell Track “Jealous Guy” Gets New Release
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First recorded in 2016 around the release of his self-titled album as a standalone acoustic performance for Amazon, Luke Bell’s cover of John Lennon’s “Jealous Guy” might not be the debut single from a new album many are hoping for, but anything with Luke Bell’s name on it is welcome.
30 Years Ago: IRS Tries to Sell Willie Nelson’s Memories, & Fails
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30 years ago this week, the biggest story in country music, and the biggest story in Texas and many parts beyond was the headlong effort by the IRS to liquidate the empire of Willie Nelson due to unpaid back taxes. They tried to sell his memories. It didn’t exactly go how the IRS planned.
Kris Kristofferson Announces His Retirement
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84-year old country and songwriting legend, actor, veteran, and Country Music Hall of Famer Kris Kristofferson has officially retired from performing. The decision was made in 2020, but was previously unannounced, and comes as the COVID-19 pandemic put a stop to most touring over the past year.
Album Review – Uncle Ben’s Remedy – “Easy Ways to Here”
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This is one of those affairs where a band stands in front of cued up microphones, and splits themselves open with rusty, serrated knives, pouring their blood and guts out for you—oversharing about broken dreams, personal problems, harrowing tales, and poor decisions.
Nathaniel Rateliff’s ‘SNL’ Berth is Well-Deserved
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It’s really hard to know how to even quantify the opportunity of the late night TV berth these days, or what sort of impact it may have on an artist’s career. Getting to perform on national television is always a big deal, and a bucket list item for most any performer. But the days of […]
Corb Lund’s Landmark “Cabin Fever” Gets Deluxe Release
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If you’ve been cooped up in close quarters and are hankering for some new music from one of Canadian country’s most iconic contributors, Corb Lund has just released a deluxe edition of his landmark album “Cabin Fever,” which was nominated for Saving Country Music’s Album of the Year