Engine 145 - A Roots Music Publication

The Farewell Drifters played a couple for the Bluegrass Situation. Darius Rucker was formally inducted into the Opry yesterday. Watch here. Ray Benson launched a Kickstarter campaign to help raise funds for the release of an Asleep at the Wheel documentary. Jewly Hight talks with Shelby Lynne about her evolution as an artist and the [...]

Continue reading "Ray Benson Launches Kickstarter Campaign; Darius Rucker Inducted Into Opry; New SteelDrivers Album Due in February"

Let’s just get this out of the way up front: Combining 16 stellar songs from one of music’s all-time best songwriters, adding on supremely talented artists such as Alison Krauss, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson and George Strait, and putting traditional country torch-bearer Jamey Johnson at the helm leaves little room in an album review for [...]

Continue reading "Album Review: Jamey Johnson — Living for a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran"

Missed Part One? Catch up here. KMJ: You mentioned authenticity as an important factor to the show. The press release from Sugar Hill on your third album mentioned the same thing. What does authenticity mean when it comes to your music?  RF: When we started singing together, it was really just by accident. When we [...]

Continue reading "Music and Marcy Jo’s: An Interview with Joey + Rory (Part Two)"

It’d be too easy to be cynical given the way legendary country acts of the last 30 years – see the Judds eternal farewell tour or Alabama’s three trips through many markets final trek – have cried wolf about “last” tours. But something  about iconic Hall of Famer George Strait – known to many as “King [...]

Continue reading "The Cowboy Rides Away: Retiring or No, George Strait Announces Last Tour"

European regulators approved Universal’s $1.9 billion takeover of EMI. The FTC votes on it today. This article about the Universal-EMI deal and the digital music market paints a grim picture. An excerpt: Major labels control so much of the world’s music catalog, however, that new providers have to ink deals with them before turning to [...]

Continue reading "FTC to Vote on Universal-EMI Merger; Gary Allan, Brad Paisley Plan New Albums; New Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard Video"

The legendary Kitty Wells passed away yesterday at the age of 92. These lengthy obituaries from the Washington Post, New York Times, Tennessean, MusicRow, NPR, and CMT.com are all worth reading. Bassist Bob Babbitt, who played on classics like Gladys Knight & The Pips’ “Midnight Train to Georgia” and appeared on albums by Frank Sinatra, Elton [...]

Continue reading "Kitty Wells Passes Away; New Videos from Ray Wylie Hubbard and Nick 13; Album Releases"

Kellie Pickler and her label, Sony Music Nashville, have parted ways. Says her manager, “Kellie’s contract with Sony came to an end and they mutually decided not to renew.” Kelly Dearmore interviewed Merle Haggard. An excerpt: “I don’t ever want to insult anyone. I have six children, and if I brag about one of them, [...]

Continue reading "Kellie Pickler Splits with Label; Emmylou Harris to Tour Australia; Stream Jerry Douglas’ Traveler"

Retired music executive Donna Hilley passed away yesterday: Ms. Hilley, born in Birmingham, Ala., worked at Nashville radio station WKDA and at a public relations firm before joining music publisher Tree in 1973. She became Tree’s vice president and chief operating officer in 1978 and arranged Tree’s sale to CBA (which later became Sony Music [...]

Continue reading "Music Exec Donna Hilley Passes Away; Trisha Yearwood’s Cooking Show Renewed for Second Season; Tift Merritt Signs with Yep Roc"

This weekend, thousands of bikers will ride through the streets of Washington, D.C. as part of Rolling Thunder, an annual motorcycle run whose mission is “to educate, facilitate, and never forget by means of a demonstration for service members that were abandoned after the Vietnam War. Rolling Thunder has also evolved into a display of [...]

Continue reading "Friday Five: Motorcycles"

Dolly Parton’s “Coat of Many Colors” will be inducted into the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry. T-Model Ford has been hospitalized after suffering a stroke. Saving Country Music has information on where to donate to help with Ford’s expenses. Due out July 10: new Hank Jr. record Old School, New Rules. The album will [...]

Continue reading "“Coat of Many Colors” Selected for National Recording Registry; Rhonda Vincent to Release Live Gospel Album; Free ATO Records Sampler"