Stream Kelly Willis & Bruce Robison’s Cheater’s Game; New Lori McKenna Record Due in April; Album Releases

• On March 2, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will “present a special panel discussion, Forever with Us: The 50th Anniversary of a Country Music Tragedy, in memory of Country Music Hall of Fame member Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas, Hawkshaw Hawkins and Randy Hughes, whose lives were lost in a plane crash a half century ago, and Jack Anglin, who died in a separate tragedy. Hosted by Eddie Stubbs, the panel features Charlie Dick, Kathy Hughes, Country Music Hall of Fame member Jean Shepard and Bobby Wright.”  (via press release)

• February’s Blue Ridge Outdoors Trail Mix includes songs by Jimbo Mathus, Dustin Welch, The SteelDrivers, and others.

• Stream Cheater’s Game, a fine new record from Kelly Willis and Bruce Robison.

• Here’s an excellent Wall Street Journal article written by Marc Myers about the Billy Sherrill-Tammy Wynette classic, “Stand By Your Man.” An excerpt in which Hargus “Pig” Robbins discusses the recording session: “At the Quonset Hut, I played a Steinway Grand Model B. They put Tammy right behind me and the chorus further back, so her voice and theirs wrapped around me. The bass and drums were to my left and the guitar was on my right, with the pedal steel guitar a little farther away. I had been recording with Tammy for a couple of years by then, but I had no idea what she looked like. What came out through her lungs was enough to tell me what kind of soul she had—especially on that song’s chorus.” 

• NoiseTrade is offering downloads of Mason Jar Music and Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors samplers.

• Rosanne Cash wrote and recorded a song called “Jim and George.” Proceeds from the song’s downloads go to St. Luke’s LGBT outreach programs.

• Lori McKenna’s got a record coming out April 4.

• Ashley Monroe played “Like a Rose,” “Weed Instead of Roses,” and “The Morning After” at the American Songwriter offices.

• Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice’s The Heart of a Song won Album of the Year honors at the SPBGMA Awards. Check out the list of winners here.

• John Prine’s “Bruised Orange (Chain of Sorrow) is the American Songwriter Lyric of the Week.

• Barry Mazor wrote a feature on Arhoolie Records for The Wall Street Journal.

• Reg Presley  of The Troggs passed away at the age of 71 after a battle with lung cancer.

• Nashville Public Television documentary No Going Back: Women and the War won a Midsouth Regional Emmy. The program was narrated by Mary Chapin Carpenter.

• Kris Kristofferson was interviewed on NPR.

• Sierra Hull is back in the studio working on her third Rounder release.

• The Boxcars just finished an album that will be released in the spring.

• Doug Waterman of American Songwriter interviewed Matt Warren, one of the co-writers of Gary Allan’s hit, “Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain).”

• Chris Parton interviewed John Fullbright for CMT Edge.

• Toby Keith announced dates for his Hammer Down Tour, which kicks off this summer. Kip Moore is the opening act.

• Brian T. Atkinson interviewed Joan Osborne, who’s up for a Best Blues Album Grammy, for CMT Edge.

• This week’s album releases:

SteelDrivers – Hammer Down

Tim McGraw – Two Lanes of Freedom

Chris Stamey – Lovesick Blues

Mary Gauthier – Live at Blue Rock

Wood & Wire – Wood & Wire

Reed Turner – Ghosts in the Attic

Holly Williams – The Highway

Townes Van Zandt – Sunshine Boy: The Unheard Studio Sessions and Demos 1971-1972

Feller and Hill and the Bluegrass Buckaroos  – Feller and Hill and the Bluegrass Buckaroos

John Corbett – Leaving Nothin’ Behind

Richard Thompson – Electric