The 9513 - Country Music Blog

The most famous braids in America are no more. Chris LeDoux will be memorialized next month with a 13-foot bronze statue and the renaming of a park in Kaycee, Wyoming. The statue, featuring LeDoux riding a horse named Stormy Weather atop a guitar-shaped base, will be called “Good Ride Cowboy” after the 2005 Garth Brooks [...]

Continue reading "Willie Cut His Hair; New Music From Jason Eady, Ryan Shupe, and Todd Snider; Chris LeDoux Memorialized"

Garth Brooks is often criticized (wrongly, in this writer’s opinion) for driving country music away from its roots and towards a more pop or rock oriented sound. While it’s true that Brooks’ massive popularity catapulted him to heights unseen be any country artist before or since, throughout his career he was a steadfast purveyor of [...]

Continue reading "Top 10 Garth Brooks Cowboy Songs"

Today I guest write on Juli Thanki’s Friday Five not because she’s on vacation–mentally nor physically–but because we wanted to pay tribute to one particular little part of her that we adore. For those that have gotten the privilege to know her, Juli has a wonderful and twisted sense of humor, and nowhere is that [...]

Continue reading "Friday Five: Death By Stampede"

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on the website 2steppin.com, and has been reprinted here with permission. This comprehensive look at race relations in country music was written prior to the rise of Darius Rucker as a hitmaker. The 9513 would love to hear your comments about race in country music today, and about [...]

Continue reading "Twang Is Not A Color"

Les Paul, the father of modern guitar and pioneer of multi-track recording among other things, passed away yesterday at the age of 94 from complications of pneumonia. (The Wall Street Journal | NPR | USA Today | Associated Press) Texas Monthly published a round table interview with five Texas musicians — Guy Clark, Patty Griffin, [...]

Continue reading "Les Paul Moves On; IBMA Awards Announces Nominees; Streaming Reba"

Today we’re going to be talking about the Boss. Nope, not that dude in a tie promoting synergy, but Bruce Springsteen, who, as you may know, can turn a pretty phrase or two. Everyone from Faith Hill to Hank Williams III has covered this Jersey boy, but here are five artists and songs of special [...]

Continue reading "Friday Five: Bruce Springsteen Covers"

Springtime is here, the economy is in the toilet, you just lost your job (and John Rich is probably going to write a song about it)–doesn’t it just make you want to pack a bandanna on a stick and head out of town on the next freight train? It sure sounds romantic: seeing the country, [...]

Continue reading "20 Songs About Hobos"

A new Johnny Cash tribute album called All Aboard features punk and rock artists covering some of Cash’s most well-known songs. Surprisingly, I actually enjoyed a few of the songs (“Let the Train Whistle Blow,” “Delia’s Gone” and “I Still Miss Someone.”) Plus, all the proceeds from album sales will go to a non-profit organization [...]

Continue reading "Punk/Rock Johnny Cash Tribute Album Benefits Fight Against Breast Cancer"

Reports calling Kenny Chesney‘s foot incident “bone-crushing” were a bit premature. Although no bones were broken he did sustain a hematoma from the ankle down, with most of the damage in his toes. Fortunately for him and his fans he’ll be able to continue his tour. Edward Morris and Travis Tackett provided some fantastic recaps [...]

Continue reading "Kenny Chesney’s Crushed Bones Turn Out To Be Hematoma"

“These are the songs that made Chris LeDoux the king of the modern day cowboy singers. It doesn’t get more real than this.” – Garth Brooks The late American music legend Chris LeDoux was a steadfast westerner who sang firsthand of rodeo glory and pain while living the life of a bona-fide modern-day cowboy. Honoring [...]

Continue reading "Chris LeDoux Giveaway: Classic Chris LeDoux"