The 9513 - Country Music Blog

Glen Campbell has plans to release his final studio album this summer, which will be supported by a farewell tour. Billy Ray Cyrus is scared for Miley, and blames Hannah Montana for destroying his family. Whitney Duncan released a four-song EP last week titled Young In America. (iTunes) Willie Nelson formally christened the new Austin [...]

Continue reading "Glen Campbell Preps Final Album; Billy Ray Cyrus Takes Issue with ‘Hannah Montana’; Willie Opens New Austin City Limits Theater"

In the press release for his new album, James Otto is quoted as saying that he’s the symbolic “love child of Ronnie Milsap and Barry White.” Barry White’s deep soulful baritone became synonymous with groovy love-making songs in R&B and if there was ever an album that tried hard to be the soundtrack to getting [...]

Continue reading "James Otto Talks About His Place In Country Soul"

Actress Jane Seymour believes her 14-year-old son Johnny is channeling the spirit of his godfather, Johnny Cash. UPDATE (11:38 am): Sugarland’s The Incredible Machine topped the Billboard 200 albums chart this week with 203,000 copies sold. Back in 1981, Johnny Cash and Ray Charles recorded a duet on the Kris Kristofferson song “Why Me Lord,” [...]

Continue reading "Jane Seymour Believes Son is Channeling Johnny Cash; CMA Presenters Announced; Stream Jamey Johnson"

Could the release of Troy Gentry‘s bear “hunt” video be the reason Montgomery Gentry and its label parted ways? Want to know who all those songs on the new Taylor Swift album are about without having to do the work? Chris Willman has you covered in his latest article about the hidden messages in Swift’s [...]

Continue reading "Video of Troy Gentry’s Bear Hunt Released; Dierks Bentley’s Four Nights In New York; Songwriting Documentary"

Photo courtesy of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum I was privileged to be on hand in August for all three of Buddy Miller’s Artist-in-Residence shows at the Country Music Hall of Fame’s Ford Theater, the first of which marked the theater’s reopening after its repair from damage in May’s Nashville flooding. These [...]

Continue reading "Scanning the Countryside: Country’s Buddy"

With four trophies apiece, Gord Bamford (MySpace) and Johnny Reid (MySpace) left Sunday night’s male-dominated Canadian Country Music Awards the big winners. Outside of the main categories, female duo One More Girl (MySpace) was named rising star of the year, pulling in one of the few wins for the women, while perennial favorite Corb Lund [...]

Continue reading "Gord Bamford & Johnny Reid Lead CCMA Awards; Brad Pitt To Play Jerry Lee Lewis; Preview Loretta’s Tribute"

Here’s 20 of country music’s best hotel and motel songs. Apologies for excluding Neal McCoy’s “Hillbilly Rap.” Honorable Mentions: Cadillac Sky – “Motel Morning” David Houston – “No Tell Motel” Eagles – “Hotel California” Gene Watson – “Love in the Hot Afternoon” Guy Clark – “Lone Star Hotel” Jack Ingram & Jerry Jeff Walker – [...]

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Lady Antebellum became the first act to reach platinum status in 2010 with its release of Need You Now. Country California Fake News: Radio professionals from across the nation are converging on Nashville this week for Country Radio Seminar (CRS), an annual gathering that gives them the chance to rub elbows with the next generation [...]

Continue reading "Lady Antebellum Hits Platinum; CRS Wrap-Ups; Ronnie Dunn Loves His Car"

Tomorrow would have been Boudleaux Bryant’s 90th birthday. There are few songwriters who’ve been as important to music as Bryant. He and wife Felice are responsible for “Wake Up, Little Susie,” “Bird Dog,” “Brand New Heartache,” “You’re the Reason God Made Oklahoma,” and quite a few other classics. Below are some of my favorite renditions [...]

Continue reading "Friday Five: The Songs of Boudleaux Bryant"

It’s February and reminders of Valentine’s Day are everywhere. Sure, having that special someone is nice, but when times get bad, the only one who will always stand by you is your dog. So we’re going to pay tribute to them this month. There was quite a library of songs to choose from, so we [...]

Continue reading "20 Songs About Dogs"