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George Jones Dies at 81; Calgary Folk Fest Lineup Announced; Johnny Cash Museum to Open in May
George Jones passed away this morning. He was 81. WSM is playing Jones songs A-Z today. Listen here. Here’s a fine piece on the Possum that David Cantwell wrote for a 1999 issue of No Depression. Brian Mansfield remembers Jones in this USA Today article. Billy Currington is free on bond. His arraignment hearing is [...]
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Billy Currington Indicted for “Terroristic Threats”; Kacey Musgraves Added to Bonnaroo Lineup; Stream New Kenny Chesney, Vandaveer Albums
EW.com premiered Kris Kristofferson’s recording of “How Many Days,” a song from the upcoming Stephen King/T Bone Burnett/John Mellencamp project, Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, which is coming out June 4. Stream Vandaveer’s album of murder ballads, Oh, Willie, Please…, before its April 30 release date. The Texas Thunder music festival will raise funds for those [...]
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Country Stars Remember Kitty Wells; New Little Big Town Album Due in September; Punch Brothers Announce New Tour Dates
Loretta Lynn, Barbara Mandrell, Dolly Parton, and Lee Ann Womack all made statements about Kitty Wells’ passing. Janis Martin’s final album, The Blanco Sessions, will be released on September 18. The album, produced by Rosie Flores and Bobby Trimble, was funded through Kickstarter. (via press release) Punch Brothers announced a bunch of new North American [...]
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Friday Five: Pool Party
June has arrived and summer is in full swing. Temperatures are rising to triple digits across the country and the humidity is stifling down in the southern states. For those lucky enough to have access to one, swimming pools are a refreshing respite. For those of us without pools, songs about pools will have to [...]
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George Jones Hospitalized; Kenny Rogers is Hall of Fame’s Artist-in-Residence; New Albums From Alejandro Escovedo and Kenny Chesney in June
George Jones was hospitalized yesterday for an upper respiratory infection. He stayed overnight for observation and is scheduled to be released today. Here are some more remembrances of Earl Scruggs. This radio show features guests Tony Trischka, Ron Stewart, and Peter Cooper. Here’s a piece from NPR’s Morning Edition, and here are posts from Chet Flippo, [...]
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Second Edition of the Encyclopedia of Country Music Published; Boxcars Ready New Album; Evolution of the Outlaw
The second edition of the Encyclopedia of Country Music was published this week. In this piece penned by Jewly Hight for the Nashville Scene, Dierks Bentley reflects on his arrival in Nashville as a teenager: “I was so green. But I still moved here anyway, because I was so drawn to this town and country [...]
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Garth Brooks Wins Lawsuit, Lyle Lovett Shares Wisdom with Esquire; Stream Gretchen Peters’ Hello Cruel World
Merle Haggard’s almost over the double pneumonia that landed him in a Macon, Georgia hospital—but he’s also been diagnosed with three stomach ulcers, eight polyps in his colon, and esophageal diverticulitis. Garth Brooks won his lawsuit against an Oklahoma hospital, which will be required to pay him a million dollars. Watch former Carolina Chocolate Drop [...]
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Joe Gracey Passes Away; Vince Gill Returns to the Troubadour; Tiny Desk Goat Rodeo
Joe Gracey, an important figure in the Austin music scene, passed away this week after a battle with cancer. Rosanne Cash performs with the Minnesota Orchestra tonight. Chris Willman wrote a piece (and quoted Blake Boldt) about homosexuality in the country music industry: Whatever stereotypes might exist about country music not being a gay-friendly genre, [...]
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Keith Urban to Undergo Throat Surgery; Larry Cordle Plans New Project; Give Me the Banjo Airs Tonight
Later this month, Keith Urban will undergo throat surgery to remove a polyp from his vocal cords. He’s planning on honoring pre-existing single song commitments, but other appearances and lengthier performances (including his All for the Hall fundraiser) will be postponed and rescheduled in 2012. Chet Flippo’s newest Nashville Skyline column is all about Vince [...]
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Dierks Covers Pink Floyd; Drew Kennedy to Release Album with Companion Novel; New Music Videos
People Magazine has a brand new country music edition on newsstands featuring Lady Antebellum. To celebrate the new edition, they’re giving away a free download featuring some big hitters including: Ronnie Dunn, Vince Gill, Billy Currington, Jake Owen, Terri Clark, Matraca Berg, JT Hodges, Bradley Gaskin, and Sonia Leigh. Drew Kennedy has a cool and [...]
Current Discussion
- Occasional Hope: Is Patty Loveless free now, since she's implied she doesn't seem to have any plans to record again, but perhaps ...
- Arlene: Kelly Willis and Bruce Robison's current terrific album, Cheater's Game, was financed via Kickstarter. If they are still unsigned, they'd ...
- KC: My picks seem to be doing ok without a label, but I would sign them even if it was just ...
- SCOOTER: Sturgill Simpson - fantastic artist Ashton Shepherd - I know she was recently dropped and a lot of people complain ...
- Daniel Mullins: Lee Ann Womack is a must. I would also sign Wyatt McCubbin. He was featured on The Music Inside: A Tribute ...
- Ken Morton, Jr.: BTW- Julie's been in the recording studio all this past week and will be unveiling something new soon.
- Ken Morton, Jr.: Jonathan, I actually had this exact conversation with Julie Roberts a couple weeks ago. She came out with Emily West, ...
- Jack Williams: The first name that came to my mind was electic bluesman Alvin Youngblood Hart. He hasn't released a proper ...
- bob: There was a survey by cmt.com dated 3/31/10 which showed more than 175 country act signed to major labels. I ...
- Jonathan Pappalardo: I would sign: 1) Trisha Yearwood - I don't believe she's affiliated with Big Machine Records anymore and a new CD ...
