The 9513 - Country Music Blog

What key does Garth Brooks sing in? Florida doesn’t pay enough to bring Garth out of semi-retirement. — Karlie What key do you prefer and how much are you willing to pay? Also, is a private jet included as part of the offer? — CMW Where does Big Kenny live? He was born in Big [...]

Continue reading "December 2009 Mailbag: What Key Does Garth Brooks Sing In?"

Disclaimer: Expect no objectivity at all from me with this article. Along with Webb Pierce and Merle Haggard, Ernest Tubb is one of my all-time favorite country artists. Yes, I know he started out most songs a quarter tone flat and worked his way flatter from there, and yes, I know that 80% of The [...]

Continue reading "Forgotten Artists: Ernest Tubb (1914-1984)"

When it comes to songs written about family, it seems Mama gets the lion’s share of the credit. It’s time to show some love to the dads–both good and bad–of country music. Whether it’s unconditional love, a kick in the pants or a valuable life lesson, the dads in these songs are pretty dang awesome…for [...]

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The European CMA announced their award winners and according to his MySpace, singer/songwriter Billy Yates won Male Vocalist of the Year. Carrie Underwood took the top prize for female vocalist, Brooks & Dunn notched another duo award and George Strait scored an album of the year trophy. Folk singer U. Utah Phillips–who modeled his name [...]

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The recitation is a tradition embedded deep in country music. It’s the art of storytelling that involves spoken words with musical accompaniment, and usually has a strong moral undertone. They vary in subject matter, from the honorary (“I Remember Johnny Horton” – Claude King) to the infinitely cheesy (“To a Sleeping Beauty” – Jimmy Dean). [...]

Continue reading "Hillbilly Poetry Playlist: An Introduction to Recitations"