On Saturday and Sunday, October 1st & 2nd, the trio of Ward Davis, Clint Black, and Cody Jinks held forth from the Red Rocks stage in what has become an annual pilgrimage for some Cody Jinks fans. Though forecasts called for rain and thunderstorms both nights, luckily the weather cleared up by show time.
Susan Lucci is the name people love to cite when it comes to someone who’s accrued a long string of nominations for a certain award without ever actually winning it. But legendary country music steel guitarist Paul Franklin actually has Susan Lucci beat, and by more than a decade.
There has been a very cool kismet forged between country legend Clint Black and Cody Jinks over the last few years. It was through Clint Black that Cody was able to make his Grand Ole Opry debut in 2019, and Cody ended up being featured on Clint Black’s song about the Opry “This Old House” from that same year.
The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame announced their 2022 class last week, with Shania Twain, Steve Wariner, Hillary Lindsey, Gary Nicholson, and David Malloy all being named 2022 inductees. With Shania leading the way, this is the first time since 2009 that the Nashville institution has picked two women.
Now celebrating five years of gathering in festival form, KOKEFest attracts a huge crowd of local KOKEheads, as well as people from across the country who want to get the genuine Texas country experience, including those who regularly listen to the station remotely online.
There are now two consecutive country music festivals planned for Key West, Florida for the Winter of 2023: The 6th Annual Mile 0 Fest featuring Red Dirt, Texas, and Americana, and the 90s-centric Key Western Festival, happening the very next week.
A recent petition launched to coincide with Freddy Fender’s birthday, and subsequent media reporting, has stimulated a healthy amount of discussion about the prospects for Freddy Fender being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
“It’s always going to evolve, but it seems to return to its roots, and I think that’s what’s happening now.” This was the assessment of country legend and “Class of ’89” member Clint Black during a recent appearance on Tracy Lawrence’s “Honky Tonkin'” radio show.
Dolly Parton will be one of the next inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The next question is how the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will consider country performers for induction moving forward. This moment presents a slippery slope.
You know it to be true. The 90s era in country music is quite hot at the moment, and everyone is looking to take advantage of the renewed interest in this classic era of country. Now that includes the Grand Ole Opry. So what will “Opry Loves The 90s” entail?
No, not all country radio stations suck. Some are downright badass. KOKE-FM out of Austin, TX is one of them. They’ve also put on a kickass festival now for five years where devotees to the KOKE world congregate.
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.
Mickey Guyton was all live, and offered up a stirring, spectacular, and respectful rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner” with just enough flair to let her personality and talents shine through. She nailed it. Whether it’s one for the ages we’ll have to let time decide.
In 1993, Garth Brooks and the Super Bowl would clash. It was like King Kong vs. Godzilla, with these two titans of American culture squaring off for all time. And ultimately, one side had to win. Country History X returns with a deep dive into this historic moment.
Country music is usually left off the lineup when it comes Super Bowl time. But there will be at least a sliver of representation in 2021 though as Eric Church has been tapped to perform the National Anthem with Jazmine Sullivan before the game.
Remember, it’s just the ACM Awards. Less prestigious than the CMAs, and more susceptible to bloc voting and other dubious practices than most any other awards apparatus in country music and beyond, think of it more as a performative infomercial for the mainstream of country music.
Cody Jinks dropped a missive enumerating no less than nine projects he has on the way in one capacity or another—some he’s hinted at in the past, some that are probably mostly done, and a few that may not see the light of day in the next year or so, but don’t be surprised if they do. Here’s a breakdown.
In many respects, it’s never been a better time to be an aging mainstream artist in country music. Where before once your career lost radio relevance, you were relegated to the pasture pretty quickly, perhaps performing at theaters in Branson, or on the county fair circuit if you could, now Americana has become a second home.
On a totally black cassette tape (what else would you expect?) that is simply marked “Clint Black” with the phone number “589-0560” on a label, someone who most certainly sounds like a young Clint Black spends 7 minutes and 59 seconds reciting minute-long renditions of solid gold hits.
Shaky Boots is returning as a replacement for the EDM/hip-hop festival, Shaky Beats. The rock fest Shaky Knees will still be held in 2020 the week before in Atlanta’s Central Park. Also as part of the return is more of an emphasis on independent country and Americana artists, as can be seen in the lineup.
“Hayden [Nicholas] and I originally wrote this song for ‘Killin’ Time.’ 30 years & 8 special guests later, I am so proud of what we created to honor the Grand Ole Opry, and some of the proceeds will go to the Opry Trust Fund!” says Clint Black. The song is part of an upcoming live album from Clint called “Still Killin’ Time.”
If you’re a country music fan and are disappointed that your favorite artist didn’t get enough screen time in the Ken Burns film on country music, well guess what, your favorite genre did, and by the most revered documentary filmmaker of our time, and before rock n’ roll, pop, the blues, soul music, or hip-hop.
Cody Jinks made his Grand Ole Opry debut on August 28th, and the Opry has finally gotten around to posting the full official audio of the show (listen below). In a segment hosted by Grand Ole Opry member Clint Black, Cody Jinks received a standing ovation after performing his allotted three songs backed by the Opry house band.
Some may wonder why it took so long. Others will just be ecstatic it’s happening at all. But either way, Cody Jinks will be stepping into the hallowed Grand Ole Opry circle to make his Grand Ole Opry debut. Scheduled to perform in the 7:30 to 8:00 p.m. slot (Central time), he will be sharing a segment with Grand Ole Opry member Clint Black.