On Friday night, December 16th at The Vic Theatre in Chicago, Blackberry Smoke had to stop the show in the middle of the set after Brit Turner experienced an episode and was helped off stage. According to the band, he is currently under medical care and is in stable condition.
On Saturday night, November 12th, the wild popularity that the boys from Oklahoma have been enjoying ever since they came back from an indefinite hiatus was given it’s ultimate test. Not only did the Turnpike Troubadours fill Oklahoma City’s Paycom Center, they sold it out.
It has been a bad string of luck for Brit Turner, who is the long time drummer of Southern rock titans Blackberry Smoke. But he’s on the mend after doctors recently found a brain tumor and had to conduct surgery, as Blackberry was forced to cancel a show and play another acoustically in his absence.
The boys from Oklahoma who will be returning home from touring all around the United States this year after officially reuniting in April at Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa. Consider it a true homecoming for a band that has earned it, and may just be getting started on what they have in store for the future.
Adam Hood is a songwriter’s songwriter, doing it for the love of the craft as opposed to the commercial application of whatever he comes up with. Similar accusations can be made of his buddy Brent Cobb who came on as a producer. Add Blackberry Smoke to the cast as the album’s backing band.
The final months of 2022 are here, and just like the first portion of the year, it is jam packed in an increasingly cluttered environment for new releases. Instead of being overwhelmed, use this guide to help you navigate through the crush of titles, with the first 20 albums listed considered some of the top releases.
this is like getting a new Adam Hood album, and Adam Hood/Brent Cobb collaborative album, and a Blackberry Smoke side project all rolled up into one. Many people in the Adam Hood orbit who respect the songwriting of the Opelika, Alabama native answered the call to make ‘Bad Better Days’ a career effort.
Sad and scary news out of the Blackberry Smoke camp as word has come down that the long-time drummer for the band, Brit Turner, suffered a serious heart attack on Sunday, August 14th while at his home in Atlanta. Luckily, Turner was able to make it to the hospital on time, where he received a stent.
Jamey Johnson kicked some dust up and had quite a few of his fans fist pumping Friday night, August 12th when he took the stage in Lincoln, Nebraska as part of the Lincoln on the Street event, and berated the local radio station, New Country KX 96.9. The radio station brought out three of their on-air personalities.
After Blackberry Smoke had finished playing and before Jamey Johnson took the stage, personalities from the local pop country radio station, New Country KX 96.9, came out to fill time between the set change. The crowd of mostly traditional country fans was not too impressed with the results.
George Strait doesn’t make many public appearances these days after officially retiring from the road. But he’ll be making a “special appearance” at the inaugural Legends of Music Row Festival set to transpire October 13-15 in Key West, Florida at the Coffee Butler Amphitheater.
Country music is country music, and the best definition of what country music is, is that you know it when you hear it. It’s self-evident. But the genre has birthed many subgenres, many stylistic movements over the years, and at times has seen a splintering and Balkanization.
In 2015, we couldn’t imagine artists not supported by mainstream country radio selling out arenas, and minting multiple Platinum singles without the help of Music Row. Here in 2022, Tyler Childers is considered one of the top artists in the entire country music industry, and now we have Zach Bryan.
Well damn, we were all saying right after the Turnpike Troubadours announced their return and tickets were selling out immediately wherever they announced shows, that the boys from Oklahoma could probably sell out arenas at this point, or at least in certain markets.
Zach Bryan has officially ensconced himself as an independent country music superstar, doing what only a select few other non radio-supported artists have done through grassroots support in the past, which is score a #1 album in country music.
Zach Bryan and his new album American Heartbreak are having a moment, and when all is said and done and the dust settles, it’s likely to ensconce the singer/songwriter among the very top artists in country music. But it’s not just because the album has 34 songs.
Boy, this will be fun. And it’s kind of crazy to think that it’s never really happened before to this extent. But finally, these two titans of Southern music will be joining forces for a full blown 19-date tour, and with a couple of openers as well. This is sure to be a hot ticket.
“Took me about 15 years to write this song,” Brent Cobb says. “Finally finished it up a few days ago. Next time you’re trying to tell your friends about all the cool country artists you listen to just send them to this song. I got as many as I could in there. Proud to know these folks.”
Live music in 2021 saw its return after the worst moments of the pandemic, but only in fits and starts, with multiple postponements and cancellations wrecking many plans, yet a few important moments still going off in the windows when they could.
If you need an illustration to help put into perspective how the shifting dynamics in entertainment are causing a tectonic-level reorganization of media, and how this is all weighing upon already deepening trends in country music, this might be one of the best.
All of the songs and artists featured in the Season 4 episodes of the Paramount Series “Yellowstone.” It once again promises to use its platform to help promote many of the independent country artists we all love.
Brandi Carlie just turned in some monster numbers for her new album In These Silent Days released on October 1st. And even though she’s not included on the Billboard Country Albums Chart, her showing is good enough to hit #1 on a host of important lists.
“This is the best festival I’ve ever been a part of,” Cody Jinks said as he took the stage Sunday night (9-19) in Pryor, Oklahoma. Not faint praise from Cody, who’s played some big fests over the years, including his own personally curated one. And the praise was deserved.
The independent music revolution in both country and in the greater music ecosystem in many was born off the back of vinyl record purchases. Where many mainstream fans only cared enough to stream the latest single, independent fans made that extra financial commitment and connection with their favorite artists by purchasing vinyl copies, or sometimes […]