Fifteen years ago today (June 19, 2006) was a life-changing day for Taylor Swift, although she couldn’t have predicted the magnitude of what was about to happen. It was on that date that Swift’s debut single, “Tim McGraw,” from her eponymous freshman album, was released. Swift and Liz Rose penned “Tim McGraw.” It was written while
Country
Seven-year-old Indiana Feek spends summer days like any little girl should, playing with her friends, hugging her daddy and singing all of her favorite songs. “She runs around singing “Cheater, Cheater” quite a bit,” proud father Rory Feek shares. That’s the country song that put her mommy and daddy, country duo Joey+ Rory, on people’s radars in 2008.
On June 18, 2013, Danielle Bradbery emerged as the winner of Season 4 of The Voice. The Texas native defeated Michelle Chamuel and the Swon Brothers to take the crown. Bradbery’s victory came thanks to strong performances of three songs during the The Voice finale episode: Pam Tillis‘ “Maybe It Was Memphis,” Sara Evans‘ “Born to
Kelsea Ballerini and Johnny Cash now have something in common: The two country singers are among the famous people who’ve appeared on Sesame Street, with Ballerini joining Elmo, Big Bird and friends during Season 51 of the legendary children’s program. The topic of Ballerini’s song is families, and she’s very excited to tell the neighborhood about
Kelly Clarkson once again went country for an installment of her Kellyoke segment her daytime TV talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show. The singer and talk show host delivered a powerful, yet still playful, version of the late Joe Diffie’s 1993 hit “Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die).” “Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox” gets off
The 2021 iHeartRadio Music Festival has ditched the virtual format and is returning to a live show. Taking place over two days, Sept. 17-18, the event will continue in its tradition of bringing together some of music’s biggest names. Hosted by Ryan Seacrest, the iHeartRadio Music Festival will take place in Las Vegas, Nev., and
After years of hard work, three EPs and seemingly insurmountable roadblocks, Mickey Guyton says she will be releasing her debut album later this year. In a new interview, she reveals that the project, titled Remember Her Name, addresses the racism and sexism she has lived through as a Black woman in country music. “This is a little dramatic,
“Maturity” is a funny word to use around Joe Nichols. The country hitmaker is first to admit he lacked it 19 years ago when his breakthrough Man With a Memory album was released, but the “Brokenheartsville” singer has always been praised for his poise, his patience and his dedication to a classic brand of storytelling.
Live music is back, and with the return of country concerts comes the return of artists trying out brand-new songs onstage. Case in point: Luke Combs tested out a fun, carefree, throwback tune called “Good Ol’ Days” during his set at Carolina County Music Fest, which took place in Myrtle Beach, S.C., on June 10-13.
Mama-to-be RaeLynn enjoyed a floral-themed baby shower over the weekend (June 12), and to make the occasion even more special, she even announced the name she’s selected for her baby girl: Daisy Rae Davis. That’s a name that the singer and her husband, Josh Davis, picked out early on. “We agreed on it pretty quickly
On June 13, 1989, country music’s mainstream audience met Mary Chapin Carpenter. The future hitmaker and multi-Grammy Awards winner wasn’t new to the studio — her folk-leaning debut album, Hometown Girl, arrived in 1987 and featured bluegrass mainstays Mark O’Connor and Tony Rice — yet it’s Carpenter’s sophomore effort, State of the Heart, that helped Class of ’89 peers Clint
Thirty-four years ago today (June 13, 1987) was an historic day for Randy Travis. On that date, his single “Forever and Ever, Amen” reached the top of the charts, where it stayed for three weeks. “Forever and Ever, Amen” was the debut single from Travis’ Always & Forever album, which also landed in the No.
On June 13, 1989, Mary Chapin Carpenter released her second album, State of the Heart. Carpenter co-produced the project her longtime collaborator, the late John Jennings. State of the Heart combines instrumental flourishes from country and folk, and a foundation rooted in sturdy songwriting. The record ended up being Carpenter’s breakthrough, as it peaked at No. 28
After the country trio formerly known as Lady Antebellum shortened their name to Lady A one year ago, opting to drop the slavery-tied word “antebellum” in light of renewed conversations about racism and race-based inequality in the United States, the decision quickly backfired when Washington state-based blues singer Anita White spoke up to say that
Brian Kelley is taking another step away from his post as half of the popular country duo Florida Georgia Line and is headed to the beach with his debut solo album, Sunshine State of Mind. The record is due out via Warner Music Nashville/Nashville South Records on June 25. Fans who pre-order Sunshine State of Mind will gain
Michigan native and Grammy winner Billy Strings pushes boundaries and provokes thought with his latest release “Wargasm.” The brand-new song features rapper RMR. It’s not uncommon for Strings to tackle the big issues, as country and bluegrass fans saw in his recently collaboration with Luke Combs, “The Great Divide.” In “Wargasm,” Strings and RMR take
Seventy-two years ago today, on June 11, 1949, Hank Williams made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry. The then-25-year-old performed “Lovesick Blues,” his first No.1 hit, as well as his self-penned single “Mind Your Own Business” … and earned an incredible six encores. Williams began performing when he was still a teenager, but in addition
The 2021 CMT Music Awards started out with a bang: a performance from superstar country trio Lady A. The group delivered a performance of their newest single, “Like a Lady” — but they didn’t do it alone. Rather, Lady A were backed up by an all-women band, making the performance an embodiment of the spirit of “Like
Stars gathered on the 2021 CMT Awards red carpet, leaving behind the muted tones that represented a muted year in 2020. Hot pink seems to be the most popular color right now among country music’s best dressed at the show on Wednesday night (June 9) in Nashville. The annual June showcase has long been a place to be
Before delivering a performance of his newest single, “Not Yet,” on the Today show this week, Brett Young told the hosts of the show about an exciting new collaboration with his wife: a children’s book. Promoting an upcoming tour and album, Weekends Look a Little Different These Days, the country superstar tells Al Roker, Sheinelle Jones and Dylan