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ACM Awards Presenters Announced; David Cantwell’s Merle Haggard Book Due This Fall; Shemekia Copeland to Headline Chicago Blues Festival
Reba, Keith Urban, Jake Owen, and Miranda Lambert are a few of the folks scheduled to present at the ACM Awards on Sunday night. Coming out in September: David Cantwell’s Merle Haggard: The Running Kind. Check out Rodney Hayden’s cover of “I’m No Stranger to the Rain.” Scott Lucas is back on the road with [...]
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Pistol Annies’ Second Album Drops in May; Elizabeth Cook Returns to Letterman; New Ron Block Album Due This Summer
Pistol Annies’ sophomore record, Annie Up, will be released May 7. Elizabeth Cook returns to Letterman on Thursday night for an interview and performance. According to a University of Cambridge study that used data including intelligence and personality tests, those who “like” Lady Antebellum on Facebook are more likely to have a lower IQ. (Facebook [...]
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Roots Watch: Pop Artists Driving Close to Country
I’ve been traveling through the intersection of Roots and Pop for, well, a long time now, but the artists who speed right through the yellow and red lights have never stopped grabbing my attention. Are they doing that on purpose? By accident? Unaware there’s an intersection–even if it’s a backed-up, jammed up intersection? Or maybe [...]
Continue reading "Roots Watch: Pop Artists Driving Close to Country"
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Vince Gill to Receive Frances William Preston Lifetime Music Achievement Award; Stream Kacey Musgraves’ Same Trailer Different Park; New Music Videos
A march on the CMA offices to protest the elimination of traditional country music from their objectives is being planned for April 17 and a petition is being circulated “to accomplish two things for the worldwide fans of traditional American country music. One to encourage record companies, producers, and recording artists to actually record more [...]
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Alan Jackson to Release Precious Memories Sequel; Hall of Fame to Salute Paul Franklin; Holly Williams, Russell Moore on Vocal Rest
Holly Williams had to cancel this week’s shows so that she could start treatment for polyps on her vocal cords. Russell Moore is on vocal rest as well due to “extreme laryngitis;” Dustin Pyrtle and IIIrd Tyme Out’s Edgar Loudermilk are filling in on lead vocals until Moore is back in action. On March 23, [...]
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Mel Tillis Plans Book Release; Gregg Lohman, Kellie Pickler’s Drummer, Injured in Car Crash; Album Releases
Mel Tillis has a book in the works for release later this year. Gregg Lohman, Kellie Pickler’s drummer, was hospitalized with serious injuries following a car accident in Kentucky on Saturday. T Bone Burnett shares his musical influences with Vulture. Hank Williams III has two records in the works. The New Yorker published a piece [...]
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Museum of Broadcast Communications to Celebrate National Barn Dance; Ron Davies Tribute Record Due in March; Album Releases
Garth Brooks, Shelby Lynne, and The Oak Ridge Boys have been added to the list of artists who will appear George Jones’ final Nashville concert. On March 23, the Museum of Broadcast Communications will “celebrate the 89th anniversary of The National Barn Dance radio show in the actual historic WLS studio…The special event will feature [...]
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Mavis Staples, Zac Brown & More to Honor Levon Helm at Grammys; George Strait to Receive CRB Career Achievement Award; Birthplace of Country Music Museum Approved for Funding
Elton John, Mumford and Sons, Mavis Staples, Zac Brown, T Bone Burnett, and Brittany Howard (Alabama Shakes) will take part in a tribute to Levon Helm at the Grammy Awards on Sunday. The Birthplace of Country Music Museum, currently under construction in Bristol, Tenn. recently got approved for funding. $600,000 will be paid in installments [...]
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Randy Travis Gets Probation, Fine; Free Rambling Rooks Download; New Whiskey Shivers Video
Randy Travis pleaded guilty to DWI; he received “two years of probation, a $2,000 fine and a 180-day suspended jail sentence. If he doesn’t successfully complete the probation, he will face the jail time. He was ordered to spend at least 30 days at an alcohol treatment facility, complete 100 hours of community service and [...]
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ACM Awards Nominations to Be Announced 2/13; Gretchen Wilson to Release Three Records in 2013; Album Releases
Nominations for the 2013 ACM Awards will be announced on February 13. The awards show will be broadcast live on CBS April 7. Here’s a video of Bobby Bare playing “Boll Weevil.” Jon Caramanica of The New York Times on country music’s “masculinity crisis”: “It is not unmanly to feel deeply, which is often lost [...]
Current Discussion
- 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 ...
- Juli Thanki: Oh, good thinking with Hellbound Glory, Mike. Their music matured so much between Old Highs & New Lows and Damaged ...
- Mike Wimmer: 1. Jamey Johnson-I know he is technically with a label already, but they are in dispute over how he feels ...
