Alan Jackson’s debut album, Here in the Real World, straddles the musical and chronological line between the Class of ’89 — a neo-traditionalist new wave marked by the debut albums of Clint Black, Garth Brooks, Lorrie Morgan and others — and the more commercial-driven rise of ‘90s country. Jackson became the first signee of Arista Nashville on
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Johnny Cash is not just a country music icon; he’s a music icon, period. With the Man in Black’s celebrity came many, many public moments, both good and bad — but all unforgettable. From “Chicken in Black” (yes, that was really a thing) to his incredible “Hurt” music video, Cash’s decades-long career is full of musical treasures
Without question, Johnny Cash was a larger-than-life musical icon. Throughout his multi-decade long career, the Man in Black turned out hit song after hit song, including the classics “I Walk the Line,” “Ring of Fire,” “A Boy Named Sue” and “Folsom Prison Blues.” But Cash’s influence extends far, far beyond country, and far, far beyond music. His work
Johnny Cash songs are some of the most iconic in the history of modern music. Beginning with “Cry! Cry! Cry!” in 1955, Cash enjoyed an almost unprecedented run of hits that crossed many genre lines. The Man in Black began his career at the legendary Sun Records as a rocker, but he would go on to
Carrie Underwood‘s sons have seen her Reflection residency at Resorts World in Las Vegas, and they have strong feelings about the best part of the show. Three-year-old Jacob and (almost) 7-year-old Isaiah don’t necessarily agree on the best part, however. Underwood’s youngest son says the waterfall moment that ends the show is his favorite part.
Although Bill Monroe deserves the “Father of Bluegrass” moniker for popularizing a new interpretation of very old folk sounds, one game-changing bandleader does not a genre make. Bluegrass doesn’t become its own thing apart from country music over time without other ground-setting pickers following Monroe’s lead. That first wave of Monroe devotees included his former
For the second time in two years, Runaway June has lost an original member. Naomi Cooke announced she is pursuing a solo career and thanked her bandmates for the memories. Cooke, Jennifer Wayne and Hannah Mulholland formed Runaway June in 2015 and released two Top 40 singles, “Lipstick” in 2017 and “Buy My Own Drinks,” one
Fifty-three years ago today, on Feb. 24, 1969, Johnny Cash recorded his At San Quentin album. The 10-song project, which was released on June 4, 1969, was recorded live at the San Quentin State Prison in San Quentin, Calif. Cash first performed at San Quentin State Prison on Jan. 1, 1959. The country icon had been arrested several times,
There isn’t an artist in country music who’s been as successful for as long as George Strait has. In addition to earning a total of 60 No. 1 hits, Strait is the only artist in the history of music to have a Top 10 hit every year for 30 years. Strait got his start in
Sam Hunt‘s wife Hannah Lee Fowler filed for divorce last Friday (Feb. 18), and then she changed her mind. Hours after filing for divorce in Tennessee, Hunt’s wife pulled back that decision, and petitioned that the suit be “voluntarily nonsuited without prejudice.” People first shared the latest news on the saga: The 33-year-old Fowler had accused her husband of
Born January 4, 1966, Deana Carter rose to stardom in 1996 with the release of her acclaimed debut record Did I Shave My Legs for This? The Nashville, Tenn. native first got her foot in the door when her demo tape caught the ear of country legend Willie Nelson, who then invited the then unknown singer-songwriter to
Twenty-three years ago today, on Feb. 22, 1999, Brad Paisley‘s debut single, “Who Needs Pictures,” was released. The song was the title track of the artist’s freshman album, which was released the following June. Brad Paisley Who Needs Pictures single coverArista Nashville loading… Paisley wrote “Who Needs Pictures” with good friends Chris DuBois and Frank Rogers. With lines
Luke Combs has been hinting at a new album in the works, with the lead single for the as-yet-unannounced project, “Doin’ This,” currently climbing the charts. But the singer says he might have already released his next batch of music if he hadn’t encountered some delays due to the unpredictable touring climate he faced in
For more than 30 years, Mary Chapin Carpenter has helped define country music. From her debut album in 1987 to 2020’s The Dirt and the Stars, Carpenter’s voice has shaped generations of listeners, and her talent has been celebrated by everyone from Don Schlitz to Joan Baez. Throughout her career, Carpenter has garnered five Grammy Awards,
Kelly Clarkson‘s Kellyoke segment on her talk show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, once again dipped into the country genre this week: She gave a rousing performance of a Brooks & Dunn classic, “Boot Scootin’ Boogie.” Many fans may not recall that Brooks & Dunn’s “Boot Scootin’ Boogie,” off their 1991 Brand New Man album —
During the week of Feb. 20, 1954, Webb Pierce started his 17-week reign atop Billboard‘s Best Sellers in Stores country chart with “Slowly.” Co-written by Pierce and Tommy Hill, the song derives strength from simplicity. Thematically, its lyrics are direct when talking about love (“Now I can’t hide my feelings no matter what I do
Forty-eight years ago today (Feb. 19, 1974) was a bittersweet day for Dolly Parton: It was on that date that the singer announced that she was ending her long-standing partnership with Porter Wagoner, after more than seven years together. Parton began working with Wagoner after he offered her a coveted spot on both his weekly
Thirty-five years ago today, on Feb. 19, 1987, Willie Nelson‘s Red Headed Stranger film premiered in Austin, Texas. The movie, which also starred Morgan Fairchild and Katharine Ross, was based on Nelson’s 1975 album of the same name. In Red Headed Stranger, Nelson plays Rev. Julian Shay, who travels to Montana to preach, along with his wife,
Priscilla Block had no idea that Kelly Clarkson — a star she grew up idolizing — was just as big a fan of her music. During an appearance on the Kelly Clarkson Show, the “My Bar” singer got her moment to gush. It was something that she put some thought into. Talking to Taste of Country Nights‘ Evan
The first trailer for Elvis — the long-awaited biopic based on the life of rock ’n’ roll icon — has arrived. Directed by Baz Luhrmann, the film features burgeoning actor Austin Butler taking on the challenging lead role as Elvis Presley. Tom Hanks plays Col. Tom Parker, the mysterious man who first discovered Presley’s talent and later became his manager. According to a press