Trace Adkins Plays Trump Card; To Be Contestant On Celebrity Apprentice
- There was a time in Trisha Yearwood’s life when she needed drama in her relationships just so she could feel something, but she’s thankful that time has passed. These days she channels the emotion into her songs.
- Willis Alan Ramsey recorded an album in 1972 and hasn’t recorded one since. “As Ramsey likes to say, ain’t nothing wrong with the first record, so what point is there in making any more?” Despite his lack of recorded material Ramsey has achieved cult status among fans of Americana and Texas country. His songs have been covered by numerous artist, including: Waylon Jennings, Jimmy Buffet, Lyle Lovett, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Jimmie Dale Gilmore. Ramsey thought he’d have had numerous records out by now, but he says his path as an artist has been a unique one. (The article is seven years old, but nonetheless interesting.)
- The funeral service for Steel Guitar Hall of Famer John Hughey will be held Wednesday (Nov. 21) at the First Baptist Church in Hendersonville, Tenn. Besides playing for Conway Twitty and Vince Gill, he was most recently involved with The Time Jumpers.
- Last month we came across the news that Trace Adkins’ studio album would be delayed for a “pressing career opportunity.” What could that have been? Maybe a contestant spot on Celebrity Apprentice.
- Richard Harrington provides and appetizing synopsis of the eight-DVD Opry Video Classics collection from Time Life.
The Winchester, Va.-bred singer [Patsy Cline] appears on several volumes, including “Queens of Country” with Kitty Wells, Skeeter Davis, a powerful Loretta Lynn and curiously constrained Tammy Wynette, as well as Dolly Parton, introduced by Porter Wagoner as “one of the prettiest, singing-est, songwriting-ist little blondes in country music.”
The DVDs feature Patsy Cline singing with Bobby Lord on her only recorded duet; stars past their prime: Hank Snow, Roy Acuff, Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, the Carter Family, Sons of the Pioneers, and Ira and Charlie Louvin; along with “a WAY pre-outlaw Willie Nelson.”
- Surprise, surprise. Carrie Underwood hit No. 1 with her latest single, “So Small”. It’s her first chart-topper as a songwriter.
- Despite playing in a punk band for eleven years Alberta native Corb Lund has a strong attachment to western music and rural life. The nostalgia of that rural life and the disappearance of horses and western motifs from modern day country played a factor in Lund’s desire to write and record those type of songs. You can hear the product of that desire and work on his latest album, Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier!.
“It’s funny, whenever I start out writing a love song, it always turns into a song about horses,” he said, with a hint of a grin. “Which is kind of creepy.”
Creepy indeed, but good music it makes.
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Kellie Pickler - “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful” Coming from Kellie Pickler, it’s like a rich man telling the beggar that his soul is rich and that’s better than all the money in the world.
Lee Ann Womack - “Last Call” It’s not her strongest song, but it’s well written with a good performance, and despite the dull internal conflict, it’s rife with emotional depth.
Brad Paisley - “Waitin’ On a Woman” Bizarrely, it took a song written by someone other than Brad Paisley for radio to hear what the Paisley style can truly accomplish.
Merle Haggard at the Ryman Auditorium: Of the Haggard classics, “Silver Wings,” “The Way I Am” and crowd-favorite “I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink” were performed with confident ease while “Kern River” was sung with inspired tenderness and “Back to Earth,” from 2007’s Last of the Breed, contained more than a trace of Willie’s nasally twang. 
One of an emerging wave of artists empowered by decreasing production costs and a rapidly changing distribution landscape, Kelleigh Bannen has taken a do-it-yourself approach to her debut album, Radio Skies.
The two-time Dancing With The Stars champion, Julianne Hough, recently took some time to answer questions for The 9513 in this exclusive interview.
After cutting ties with Warner Bros. Records, Ray Scott decided to take the proverbial bull by the horns and form Jethropolitan Records, a place where he can get back to the blood and guts of what he terms “real country music,” the kind of stuff you don’t hear on radio anymore.
Catch up on Nashville Star through Matt C.'s live blog. Episode I | Episode II | Episode III | Episode IV
Sing Me Back Home: Love, Death, and Country Music by Dana Jennings When Jennings addresses modern country in the final chapter, he leaves you with the impression that it just can’t tap into the primal psyche the same way the classics that served as his nursery rhymes did.Tagged In This Article
Carrie Underwood // Charlie Louvin // Conway Twitty // Corb Lund // Dolly Parton // Jerry Jeff Walker // Jimmie Dale Gilmore // Jimmy Buffet // Loretta Lynn // Lyle Lovett // Patsy Cline // Porter Wagoner // Roy Acuff // The Carter Family // The Time Jumpers // Trace Adkins // Trisha Yearwood // Vince Gill // Waylon Jennings // Willie Nelson
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November 20, 2007 at 11:08 am Permalink
Willis Alan Ramsey hasn’t released a second album, but there certainly have been indications that he’s recorded (or recording) one.
His site says he went into the studio in 2003 (”May, 2003 - Recording sessions for the new record have begun! For real!!”). And last year Austin’s Cactus Cafe had a CD release show on its calendar for a while (it was ultimately canceled).
Still, no telling when or if a second album may come out.
November 20, 2007 at 1:00 pm Permalink
I love that you guys talk about Corb so much. He’s wacky and off beat but so, so cool.
November 20, 2007 at 1:04 pm Permalink
My question is….how much of So Small did Underwood actually write???
November 20, 2007 at 1:19 pm Permalink
Patrick - That whole story is pretty interesting. I imagine it’s going to be hard for a new album to live up to most people’s expectations after more than 30 years.
Heidi - I’ve just started to catch wind from the Corb train, but I’ve got to admit I like what I hear from his latest release.
Lanibug - Her contribution was probably so small…
November 21, 2007 at 11:34 pm Permalink
Sometimes that lyric you’ve been writing is just a grain of sand …
November 22, 2007 at 4:39 pm Permalink
i’m willing to bet carrie underwood came up with the title ’so small’. and–viola!!–instant co-writer. i’d bet hard cash money.
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