Lee Ann Womack Joins Strait and McEntire; Jeff Bridges Plays Country Singer In ‘Crazy Heart’
- The 2010 George Strait tour with Reba McEntire just got a little more can’t-miss with the addition of Lee Ann Womack.
- Sugar Hill Records compiled a list of its top 50 must-have tracks from the past three decades and made them available for download through iTunes for a mere $19.99. The list includes stalwarts like Ricky Skaggs, Doc Watson, Townes Van Zandt, and newcomers like Red Stick Ramblers, Joey+Rory, and Sarah Jarosz. It’s a pretty killer lineup. (via The Bluegrass Blog)
- Big Kenny filmed his latest video in the mountains of Edmonton, Calgary with the Blackfoot Confederacy and Blood Indian tribes, who performed a headdress ceremony and gave him his blood name, Chief Mountain Boy. Watch the video for “Wake Up.”
- Having been fascinated with Merle Haggard since 1967, one fan, John Reddick, publicly confessed his feelings for Haggard’s music after reading the recent featured article in Rolling Stone.
Xuan Loc (Swan Lock), South Vietnam is a crazy place to associate Merle Haggard music with, but that’s where it all started. My friend, Staff Sergeant Willie Parker, a dedicated soldier since the Korean War, was also a huge Merle Haggard fan. Willie, being a man of color, delighted in taking me into the all-black social club on the dusty “strip” in Xuan Loc. He would walk in, take off the Sam and Dave or Aretha Franklin album, whatever soul music that was on the box at the time, and put on “Swingin’ Doors, a Juke Box and a Barstool”, Merle’s latest hit song and an all-time anthem of Honky Tonk Music. Though Willie wasn’t a man of significant stature, nobody messed with him. As Merle twanged “and thanks to you I’m always here till closin’ time,” the resulting buzzkill mood in the room was evident in the growly faces being directed my way…..”Don’t look at me man, I’m with Willie.”
- Music Fog: Gabriel Kelley – “Panic”
- Gene Watson has been added to the lineup for the Rhonda Vincent Bluegrass Cruise, which departs from Fort Lauderdale, FL next February.
- CMT’s Craig Shelburne interviewed Guy Clark:
I spent the weekend listening to your older albums, and I like how you use harmony singing like it’s another instrument.
Yeah, I never did like choruses — four or five people all blending together and ooo-ing in the background. I like one voice, up there like it’s a duet. And I’ve always felt that was more effective. I like it better than big choruses. - My Kind of Country’s Razor X imagines how country music icons Hank Williams, Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Dolly Parton, and Reba McEntire might fare if they were just starting out in today’s musical climate.
- The CMA Awards boosted album sales for those who performed on the show, with the Zac Brown Band and Jamey Johnson benefiting the most percentage wise.
- Watch the preview for Kenny Chesney: Summer in 3D.
- Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts attempts to separate the fact from the fiction with Dolly Parton:
“True or false,” Roberts said. “You once lost a Dolly Parton lookalike contest.”
“True,” Parton said. “At a Halloween contest years ago on Santa Monica Boulevard where all the guys were dressed up like me and I just overexaggerated my look and went in and just walked up on stage. … I didn’t win. I didn’t even come in close, I don’t think.”
- Gloriana beat out the Zac Brown Band to represent country in the breakthrough artist category at the 2009 American Music Awards and is campaigning for support to best the remaining nominees: Lady Gaga, Keri Hilson, and Kid Cudi. (via Country Music Tattle Tale)
- WFMU posted radio spots of artists promoting the 1962 observance of National Country Music Week, which was from Nov. 4 – Nov. 10. Not only do the discs have spots from Connie Francis and the Kingston Trio alongside those of Faron Young and Chet Atkins, but they also have back to back tracks from Eddie Arnold and Eddy Arnold.
- In an interview with The Tennessean’s Peter Cooper, John Fogerty talks about the unrelenting hours he’s dedicated to practice in order to be a better musician.
I practiced scales, and positions I’d never cared about when I played rock ’n’ roll. I was atrocious, horrible, but I knew it was the path. I thought it might take me a couple of years. From 1998 it took until 2009. Being 48 and knowing it might take 17 years, I don’t know if I’d have done it. But I can be in a room now with Buddy Miller and not have to go, “Aw, shucks.” I don’t have to apologize.
- Country Universe guest contributor Michael Allan counted down his 25 favorite songs by Wynonna.
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If the purpose of a movie trailer is to increase anticipation, then I do believe the trailer for Crazy Heart has done it’s job.
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Aretha Franklin // Big Kenny // Buddy Miller // Chet Atkins // Doc Watson // Dolly Parton // Eddy Arnold // Faron Young // Gabriel Kelley // Gene Watson // George Jones // George Strait // Gloriana // Guy Clark // Hank Williams // Jamey Johnson // Joey+Rory // John Fogerty // Johnny Cash // Kenny Chesney // Lee Ann Womack // Loretta Lynn // Merle Haggard // Reba McEntire // Red Stick Ramblers // Rhonda Vincent // Ricky Skaggs // Sarah Jarosz // Sugar Hill Records // Townes Van Zandt // Wynonna // Zac Brown Band
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November 19, 2009 at 11:06 am Permalink
Go figure–two artists who performed two country songs benefited the most from being on the Country Music Association awards telecast.
November 19, 2009 at 11:15 am Permalink
Okay, so I am supposed to believe that two Candian Indian tribes just named Big Kenny a Chief? Why do I get a sneaking suspicion his real blood name is something more along the lines of “Big, Pretentious Wannabe King of the Immature Jackasses” and he just translated that to “Cheif Mountain Boy.”
November 19, 2009 at 11:21 am Permalink
Wow, I’m going to do everything in my power to get out to one of those concerts… what a lineup.
And I’m looking forward to that Jeff Bridges movie, when’s it come out?
November 19, 2009 at 12:05 pm Permalink
No way in hell I’m missing that Strait tour when they’re in Omaha.
November 19, 2009 at 2:25 pm Permalink
…george strait, reba and lee ann womack – the empire finally strikes back. any chance to do a couple of strikes over here in europe?
November 19, 2009 at 2:47 pm Permalink
Go figure–two artists who performed two country songs benefited the most from being on the Country Music Association awards telecast.
So, Jim, if you got a 100% raise from 10 cents a word to 20 cents a word, and Chris Neal got a 50% raise from $1.00 a word to $1.50 a word, would you really feel like you benefited more than he did?
November 19, 2009 at 2:59 pm Permalink
Can’t wait to see Bingham & the Dead Horses in Crazy Heart. Looks like a pretty damn good movie to boot.
November 19, 2009 at 3:02 pm Permalink
…george strait, reba and lee ann womack – the empire finally strikes back. any chance to do a couple of strikes over here in europe?
I doubt it. They’re not even coming to the northeastern US, unfortunately.
November 19, 2009 at 4:21 pm Permalink
I hope I get the chance to see that concert! I really would love to see Reba & Lee Ann =)
Lucky for me they’re comin’ to town, yay!
November 19, 2009 at 5:08 pm Permalink
I’d prefer it if Lee Ann Womack just came out to L.A. to perform by herself, but she’d probably play in a bigger venue than I’d care for anyway…
“Crazy Hearts” looks like another good “down and out country singer” movie like “Tender Mercies” and even has the Robert Duvall connection. The music comes from Stephen Bruton and T. Bone Burnett and Stephen’s passing back in May will add even another emotional dimension. I will definitely watch this at some point.
So Dolly Parton didn’t win a “Drag Queen Dolly Parton Look Alike Contest” on Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood competing against the “guys”. Wow, that outcome is just so unexpected…(lol)
As pretty as Cheyenne Kimball is, I still hope Lady Gaga kick’s Gloriana’s ass at the American Music Awards! Associating the name “country music” with Gloriana’s power pop just isn’t kosher…
November 19, 2009 at 5:59 pm Permalink
“I’d prefer it if Lee Ann Womack just came out to L.A. to perform by herself, but she’d probably play in a bigger venue than I’d care for anyway…”
My thoughts exactly. If I could see Lee Ann in an intimate setting, like just a few hundred people or less, that would be amazing.
November 19, 2009 at 6:03 pm Permalink
Gloriana beats out ZBB. Wow. I know this shouldn’t shock me anymore, and I’m not sure that it DOES shock me as much as it angers me. I hate society.
November 19, 2009 at 8:21 pm Permalink
I couldn’t get the Sugar Hill 50 iTunes link above to work. If anybody else is having the same problem, try
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/sugar-hill-50/id337908740
November 19, 2009 at 8:33 pm Permalink
I’d like it a whole lot better if Sugar Hill was just giving away those tracks on a promotional basis hoping to build some consumer interest. I likely wouldn’t buy anything else, but I’d enjoy the freebies! (lol)
November 19, 2009 at 9:17 pm Permalink
Thanks Razor. The changed the link structure, so let us know if y’all notice any other iTunes links that aren’t working.
November 19, 2009 at 9:17 pm Permalink
It’s well worth buying. I’m listening to it right now.
November 19, 2009 at 9:21 pm Permalink
Well, you need to at least buy “Fork In The Road.” ;-)
November 19, 2009 at 11:55 pm Permalink
That trailer looks like it’s going to be a killer movie. And Drew, the website says Dec. 16th.
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