The 9513 - Country Music Blog

There are three finalists remaining on Fox’s American Idol, and tonight one more goes home. I don’t know David Cook, David Archuleta or Syesha Mercado from Adam, and I have no opinion about which contestant should or will win because my interest in this year’s competition began and ended with Kristy Lee Cook, the [...]

Continue reading "American Idol’s Uncomfortable Bedfellow"

You can now vote for Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, George Strait, or Keith Urban as the ACM Entertainer of the Year.
Jewel plans to hit the road with Brad Paisley on June 11, eight days after the release of her first country album, Perfectly Clear.
After his Nashville house burned down in 1970, a depressed [...]

Continue reading "Vote For the ACM Entertainer of the Year"

One of the roundups at the beginning of the month included the news that founding member and lead singer of the Hacienda Brothers Chris Gaffney was diagnosed with liver cancer. His insurance wasn’t going to cover all of the costs, so a benefit and a website were set up to help collect donation. In a [...]

Continue reading "Hacienda Brothers’ Chris Gaffney Succumbed to Liver Cancer"

A new children’s book, My Little Girl, penned by Tim McGraw and singer-songwriter Tom Douglas will hit bookshelves in October, with a forward foreword from Faith Hill.
Hal Bogerd gushes over Peter Cooper’s newest album, Mission Door, claiming “if the year keeps going like this my 2008 top ten list is going to get pretty crowded.”
Trisha [...]

Continue reading "Tim McGraw Channels Inner Shel Silverstein for New Children’s Book"

In light of 50 Cent and Universal getting sued for promoting a gangsta’ lifestyle, Mike Severson asks who could sue country music for the lifestyle it promotes? “Soccer moms? Former 70’s rock fans? The state of Texas?”

Sugarland, Little Big Town and Jake Owen all share the No. 50 song on Billboard’s Hot Country [...]

Continue reading "Who Could Sue Country Music?"

Subscribers of Texas Monthly will receive a copy adorned with a portrait of Willie Nelson on the cover and no text. The preview is pretty flippin’ sweet.
Jewel is returning to Nashville Star to join John Rich as a judge and mentor to the contestants.
On July 8 George Jones will release Burn Your Playhouse Down (The [...]

Continue reading "Texas Monthly Gets Naked For Special Willie Nelson Cover"

Score 1 for the traditional country fans in Texas. Jason Boland and Aaron Watson announced they’ll be joining forces for a tour across the Lone Star State starting in April.
While discussing past magazine ideas, No Depression’s Grant Alden mentions the issue with Miranda Lambert on the cover was, to the best of his knowledge, [...]

Continue reading "Jason Boland and Aaron Watson Team Up for Texas Tour"

In a perfect world, The 9513 staff would select the ACM nominees and fans would not vote for Entertainer of the Year. Here in the real world, the Academy votes for the nominees, the fans vote for the Entertainer, and I make fun of both.
There are only two rules: as much as I’d like to, [...]

Continue reading "43rd Annual ACM Awards: Who Should Have Been Nominated"

Vince Gill and Marty Stuart at the Country Music Hall of Fame on February 13. Photo by Marilu White

Valentine’s Day came a day early for the Country Music Hall of Fame when Marty Stuart and Connie Smith donated memorabilia from their personal collection. Among the most famous of the gifts was Lester Flatt’s guitar.
Other major [...]

Continue reading "Country Music Hall of Fame Scores Lester Flatt’s Guitar"

I’m excited to comment on this year’s industry awards because it gives me another opportunity to remind our readers that I skunked the rest of the staff in our predictions for both the ACM Awards and CMA Awards. I’ll have at least a few months to revel in the glory, but I imagine that everyone [...]

Continue reading "The Year in Review: Awards, Awards, Awards"