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Friday Five: Highways
The date was this same one way back fifty-six years ago when the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 was signed, officially creating the United States Interstate Highway System. It was the largest public works project in the history of the United States and you’ve been paying a tax on your gasoline ever since. Life on [...]
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Roots Watch: Across the Roots Rock Rasp Divide
There’s much that all genres and sub-genres along the American roots music space-time continuum have in common, from the most overtly pop and polished mainstream country to the most obscure flavor of traditional regional folklore or edgy roots rock. Inevitably, their fans have much in common, too—most basically, enjoying hearing favored artists take their [...]
Continue reading "Roots Watch: Across the Roots Rock Rasp Divide"
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Frances Preston Passes Away; CMA Music Festival Sets Attendance Record; New York Banjo Summit Touring This Fall
Frances Preston, “the most influential music executive of her generation,” passed away yesterday at the age of 83. The Country Music Hall of Famer began her noteworthy career in the 1950s as a mail messenger at BMI, a job which included answering Hank Williams’ fan mail. Fabulous Superlative Harry Stinson shared his behind-the-scenes photos from [...]
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New Corb Lund Album Due in August; Zac Brown Band to Play Home Run Derby; Stream The Last Ride Soundtrack
Due out August 14: Cabin Fever from Corb Lund. The album will include “Bible on the Dash,” a co-write and duet with Hayes Carll. (via press release) Check out the video for “Life Goes On,” a song on the Musicians Against Childhood Cancer compilation, featuring Carl Jackson, Jerry Salley, Randy Kohrs, and lots more. There’s [...]
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Conway Twitty Gets Marker on Miss. Country Music Trail; Bluebird Cafe Celebrates 30 Years; New Music Videos
Delaney Davidson was the big winner at the New Zealand Country Music Awards last week with his steel guitar-driven song “You’re a Loser.” Barry Mazor passed along this great video of Elizabeth Cook paying tribute to Doc Watson with “Columbus Stockade Blues.” After Eric Church’s concert was cancelled in Buffalo due to bad weather, angry [...]
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Doc Watson Remains in ICU; New Taylor Swift Exhibit Coming to HoF; Album Releases
Doc Watson’s family was called to his bedside over the weekend. He did rally a bit, but is still in critical condition. CMT.com posted a two-part Carrie Underwood interview. George Jones was released from the hospital this weekend. Angaleena Presley got married. So did Cia Cherryholmes and Stetson Adkisson. They’re also working on a single [...]
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Roots Watch: Meeting Kenny Rogers
Back when I was researching and writing my book Meeting Jimmie Rodgers, at least one friend misheard what I was doing and thought I was dedicating years of work to Kenny Rogers. There were a lot of polite, puzzled “Is that so’s” and ‘How ’bout that’s.” These two artists strike so many people as so very different that they [...]
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Keith Urban Invited to Become Opry Member; JD Crowe Announces Retirement; New Alan Jackson Album Drops June 5
Last night Vince Gill invited Keith Urban to become the newest member of the Opry. He’ll be formally inducted on April 21. On 4:20 p.m. on April 20, a statue of Willie Nelson will be unveiled in Austin. At the end of the year, J.D. Crowe will retire from performing. On June 5, Alan Jackson [...]
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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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ACM Fan Voting Opens; “Forever Pete” Campaign Aims to Get Seeger on the Charts; Album Releases
Sam Adams of the Philadelphia Inquirer reviewed a recent Hank 3 show. Forever Pete is a campaign to help Pete Seeger become the oldest musician to have a charting single. Check out a video of Seeger’s version of “Forever Young” on the campaign website. Jo Cox of More Than the Music interviewed Gretchen Peters. Here’s [...]
Current Discussion
- J.R. Journey: Congratulations to Trisha Yearwood and Little Big Town. They join Hank Williams Jr. in the country-stars-with-Emmy-awards category.
- Juli Thanki: They're no Tracy Jordan.
- Luckyoldsun: Here he is with Mr. Johnny Carson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0L5QC9ZJkM8
- Blake Boldt: Trisha and LBT for the EGOT.
- Barry Mazor: I thought Luckyol was kidding--and he may have been. The Ames Bros charted dozens of times, and Ed Ames ...
- bob: Before going solo, Ed Ames was a member of the Ames Brothers. The brothers had some hits in the 50's ...
- Luckyoldsun: "My parents’ record collection consisted of Ed Ames, Perry Como..." Ed Ames made records? I did not know that. I thought ...
- Leeann Ward: Old Town, where Griffin is from, is just a few minutes away from me.
- Leeann Ward: Being a Mainer, I wish I had some of what they were drinkin'.
- Arlene: In the interest of completeness, "Rust Belt Fields" is a co-write with his childhood friend, Rod Picott. Slaid Cleaves's "Still ...
