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George Jones’ Album Sales Soar; Yearwood, Little Big Town Nominated for Daytime Emmys; Initial Wide Open Bluegrass Lineup Announced
Last night, people began lining up for George Jones’ funeral. The service will air on CMT, GAC, WSM, Opry.com, RFD-TV and Sirius XM at 11 a.m. Eastern. The ACM Awards posted a Jones tribute on YouTube. Nick Ryerson writes about “The Salvation of George Jones” in his new God and Country column. Eddie Stubbs paid tribute [...]
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Mindy McCready Commits Suicide; Vince Gill, Paul Franklin Record Duets Album; New Music Videos
Mindy McCready was found dead yesterday afternoon from what appeared to be a single, self-inflicted gunshot wound, reports the Cleburne County Sheriff’s Office. She was 37 and leaves behind two young sons. TMZ reports that McCready also shot her dog. Billboard and the Tennessean are two of the many outlets that have posted obituaries and remembrances. Pam Tillis took [...]
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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 [...]
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Roots Watch: Nashville’s Eddie; Nashville’s Jack
Back a lifetime or two ago when I was an undergraduate at George Washington University in DC, I was a regular deejay on the campus radio station, with a show called “Heartbreak Hotel” that featured roots rock, country music and what would have been called “Americana” if there’d been a term for it; this was [...]
Continue reading "Roots Watch: Nashville’s Eddie; Nashville’s Jack"
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Eddie Stubbs Marks 30 Years in Broadcasting; Richard Thompson, Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell Announce Tour Dates; Stream Carrie Rodriguez’s New Record
George Strait kicks off his The Cowboy Rides Away Tour this Friday in Lubbock. There’s a Holly Williams EP available on NoiseTrade. Iris DeMent, Kelly Hogan, Taylor Swift, and Todd Snider are a few of the acts whose albums were in the Top 50 of the Village Voice Pazz & Jop Critics Poll. Jewly Hight [...]
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TG Sheppard Hospitalized; Sam Phillips, Jerry Lee Lewis Among Memphis Music HoF Inductees; Underwood Goes Platinum
T.G. Sheppard is in critical condition after being hospitalized on Sunday with a bladder infection that spread through his bloodstream. Barry Mazor interviewed Garth Brooks for this fine Wall Street Journal article. Julie King of the News Guardian reviewed a recent Mary Chapin Carpenter/Shawn Colvin concert. Willie Nelson was one of the guests at Jamey [...]
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Brad Paisley to Play White House Lawn; New Rodney Hayden Record Planned for October; Album Releases
Andy Griffith passed away at the age of 86. Here he is picking a few on (with a couple impressive backing bands) The Andy Griffith Show. WAMU’s Bluegrass Country is remembering Tom “Cat” Reeder at noon Eastern today – the program will be rebroadcast at 9 p.m. on WAMU 88.5 (folks outside of the DC area can listen here.) [...]
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Stream New Music From Nanci Griffith and Alabama Shakes; Punch Brothers Cover The Cars; Album Releases
The April Trail Mix from Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine, featuring tracks from Sierra Hull, The Steel Wheels, Steep Canyon Rangers, Casey Driessen, and more is available for free download. NPR is streaming new albums from Alabama Shakes and Bonnie Raitt. And Performing Songwriter has the new one from Nanci Griffith. Preview The Hillbenders’ new song, [...]
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Keith Urban and Brad Paisley to Honor Glen Campbell; Sammy Shelor to Perform on Letterman; New Album and Book Releases
Brad Paisley and Keith Urban will honor Glen Campbell with a musical tribute at the CMA Awards. Kellie Pickler’s upcoming album (out January 24), includes a song called “Where’s Tammy Wynette.” Prairie Home Companion sound effects creator, Tom Keith, passed away on Sunday after suddenly collapsing at his home. He was 64. In 2012, Dierks [...]
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Rosetta Tharpe Honored; Della Mae Plans Webcast of CD Release Party; Stream New Miranda Lambert Song
Billy Barton, who wrote “A Dear John Letter,” passed away earlier this month at the age of 81. Loretta Lynn is out of the hospital and resting at home as she recovers from pneumonia. She plans to hit the road again on November 3. Rosetta Tharpe will be honored by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum [...]
Current Discussion
- Rick: Opry Alert! I'm guessing(?) tonight marks the end of the spring season of the Thursday Night Classic Country Opry shows ...
- bob: Thanks for the info on the PBS Carole King concert. It will be good to see Trisha Yearwood sing again.
- Jon: Nope.
- Luckyoldsun: Sounds good. Is she--or her husband--related to Dallas? (I'll assume not to Joe.)
- Luckyoldsun: R-- Sounds like you're expanding your palate. "60′s style California hippie vibe" sounds like something you'd have banned from your playlist.
- Rick: I like the production, the excellent guitar picking, and Rebecca has a nice voice with individuality, but the song structure ...
- Rick: That Buddy Emmons tribute album sounds kinda interesting. I just might have to give it a listen when it's available. Congratulations ...
- Jon: Jack Bernhardt is the bomb.
- Bruce: Good article on Rucker. I do not care for all his songs and he is far from my favorite. I ...
- Kelly D.: Dig the Whiskey Sisters and the write-up from ol' Jim C.







