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Album Review: The Blind Boys of Alabama – Take The High Road
Gospel/country hybrid album Take The High Road doesn’t waste any time cutting to the chase. The sheer joy and enthusiasm that permeates every nook and cranny of The Blind Boys of Alabama’s new album launches full-throttle in its opening seconds, seamlessly combining a breathless, preaching testimony, crisply powerful harmonies and an instrumental backing that could [...]
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Let’s Write That!
The story of how Josh Turner wrote his breakout hit “Long Black Train” is a humdinger of a tale. You probably already know it, but just bear with me for a paragraph or so while I recount it one more time for the unacquainted (or skip ahead, no worries). OK, here we go: Turner was [...]
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Ten Definitive Albums that Mark Lost Highway’s Past Decade
The song “Lost Highway” has a very special place in Hank Williams’ canon. Recorded shortly before his death in 1953, it remains one of his best and most worried songs, a bleak evocation of dark sin and bright redemption rendered in plainspoken poetry. That Williams died in the backseat of his car only makes the [...]
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Your Take: Book ‘Em
In Monday’s News Roundup, Brody linked to a CMT News item on upcoming books on country artists, the country music industry, songwriting and more. Country music has no shortage of interesting characters and stories that would exceed even a fiction writer’s imagination. Biographies due out include memoirs from Shania Twain, George Jones’ daughter Georgette and, [...]
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Blake Shelton Has Third Consecutive No. 1; Dwight Yoakam: Better Actor Than Guitarist; 5-Year-Old Sings Caitlin Rose
For the first time in his career, Blake Shelton hit No. 1 three consecutive times. The latest single to top the charts, and Shelton’s eighth overall, is “Who Are You When I’m Not Looking.” Studies show that Nashville is a major force in popular music… Jewly Hight on the track “Chances Are,” from Hayes Carll‘s [...]
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Craig Morgan Parts with BNA Records; Canadian Station Bans Carrie Underwood Music; New Artists Stump For ACM Votes
Craig Morgan has left the building, uhh, I mean BNA Records, making him the latest in a line of artists to leave the Sony Music Nashville umbrella. Despite interest from several teams, Canadian hockey team Ottawa Senators prioritized the trade of Mike Fisher to the Nashville Predators with the hope that he would be able [...]
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Jamey Johnson Dominates ‘Nashville Scene’ Critics Poll; ACM Plans Tribute to Women of Country; Todd Snider on Bob Dylan
Jamey Johnson eats critics polls for breakfast. At least that’s the logical conclusion from the just-published critics poll in Nashville Scene, where Johnson received nearly twice as many votes as the runner-up. After looking at the results himself, Geoffrey Himes took the time to write a more reasoned conclusion. Check it out, it’s well worth [...]
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Wynonna Releases Debut Novel; New Album Releases; Steve Earle Schedules New Album & Novel
Today marks the release of Wynonna Judd‘s debut novel (Amazon): Restless Heart is your first novel. How much is autobiographical? Enough to make it real. I’m living truthfully in imaginary circumstances. I’m telling my story through another voice. Writing this was different (from the memoir) because I could take liberties but also draw from my [...]
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Audio Engineer Jim Williamson Passed Away; Chuck Wicks and RCA Split; Sierra Hull at The Kennedy Center
Audio engineer Jim Williamson, whose many recording credits include “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” “Stand by Your Man,” and “That’s The Way Love Goes,” passed away Thursday at the age of 75. Mr. Williamson’s composure was evidenced during a three-hour Gene Watson session in which only 10 minutes remained. Watson wanted to attempt one more song, though [...]
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Shelby Lynne & Allison Moorer Perform Toegther; Country Stars Land Roles in New Civil War Mini-Series; Free Rodney Crowell
Up until this past fall, sisters Shelby Lynne and Allison Moorer have kept their musical lives separate. Recently though, they’ve performed several intimate shows together as part of what they’ve dubbed their Side By Side tour. NPR is streaming a collection of songs that they performed live in Studio 4A, including the song they open [...]
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- Jack Hanford: For those who are interested, there is a new 90-minute documentary video about Tompall & the Glaser Brothers on DVD ...
- joe morris: how come nobody mentions his fan club which started 1950 and was called the " the penny pushers " which ...
- jane: I'm reading this article in 2013 and I've yet to hear anything from the album played on the radio.....
- Catwandy: I guess Matt C. is eating his well-deserved crow 'bout now. Critics....gotta love 'em , bless their little hearts.
- Ed McClendon: Saw the brothers in Greeley CO on the occasion of Tompall's 50th birthday. The show wasn't well promoted and there ...
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- Marsha Blades: Tommy, You were so kind to me during a tough time in my life and I don't think I ever ...
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