Negro spirituals sung by enslaved African-Americans are categorized as the oldest American folk songs. Thus, because country music is a descendant of blues and folk music, the Black musical tradition in the genre extends to the 17th century, well before the genre’s established 1920s roots. The inspirational fiber of country music was expertly refined and
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Two talented songwriters are teaming up for a very special run of shows this summer. Jason Isbell and Sheryl Crow will co-headline a string of concert dates this June. Announced today (Feb. 1), which also marks Isbell’s 43rd birthday, the run includes seven dates across the U.S., beginning in St. Augustine, Fla. on June 9.
Since 2006, American Aquarium has released eight studio albums and two live albums. In 2021, they also surprised fans with Slappers, Bangers & Certified Twangers, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, two albums filled with covers of the band’s favorite 90s country hits. This spring, the band will release another studio album titled Chicamacomico, a project that was completely
For those who came of age in the early 2000s, anxiety and sensory overload have become a way of life. From 9/11 to the war in Ukraine, there seems to be a new international incident every week. The economy has been unreliable, climate change has made our summers unlivable and the American populace has grown
Think Walker Hayes‘ “Fancy Like” was ubiquitous in 2021? Apparently, it’s just as inescapable in 2022 — at least, it was on Sunday afternoon (Jan. 30), when Hayes performed his biggest hit and a medley of other songs at the Chiefs-Bengals halftime show at Kansas City, Missouri’s Arrowhead Stadium. Before Hayes hit the stage, something
Back when variety television shows were all the rage, few came out of central casting quite like Glen Campbell. His musical appeal and down-home personality crossed genre and generation gaps without compromise, pleasing fans of such varied talents as Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash and Andy Williams. Toss in the success of the Grammy-winning album Wichita
Thirty-four years ago, on Jan. 29, 1988, Randy Travis achieved a new career milestone: It was on that date that the singer-songwriter earned his first double-platinum album, signifying sales in excess of 2 million copies, with his disc Always & Forever. Always & Forever, Travis’ sophomore release, came out in 1987 and spawned four No. 1 singles, including
Sara Evans and Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine might not outwardly seem like a musical match made in Heaven, but they teamed up for a very convincing performance of a classic Stevie Nicks song on Jan. 29, 2008 — 14 years ago today. Evans paired up with Maroon 5 for an episode of CMT Crossroads,
Jamey Johnson and Randy Houser are looking to recreate the magic of 2021’s sold-out Country Cadillac Tour with a second installment in 2022. The longtime friends will be sharing the stage for Part 2 this spring. Billed as a “special acoustic performance” together, the Country Cadillac Tour will begin in Green Bay, Wisc., on March
A new documentary detailing the life of country star Randy Travis will premiere on the Circle Network on Thursday, Feb. 10. More Life centers around an intimate performance Travis gave in 2012 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his debut album, Storms of Life. His 1986 album went Platinum — the first time a debut album had
Sam Elliott plays the ultra-gruff Shea Brennan on 1883, Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone origin story. While praised for his kindness and patience by his fellow castmates, he’s not one to take every opinion sitting down. During conversations with media ahead of the premiere of 1883, the veteran actor volunteered his thoughts on comparisons between the two
Evan Paul hosts Taste of Country Nights, On Demand, a weekly country music interview podcast that focuses on the music. Follow wherever podcasts are found, like Apple Podcasts and Spotify and leave a rating and review. This show is part of the Townsquare Media On Demand network. It always feels like I’m with family when I get to chat with Walker Hayes. He
If you are an avid listener of Neil Young’s extensive songbook, you’ll soon have one less way to access it. The singer-songwriter says he is pulling all of his music from Spotify after accusing the streaming platform of promoting and spreading COVID-19 “misinformation” via the Joe Rogan Experience podcast. Earlier this month, a group of scientists and health
Summer 2022 is shaping up to be a busy one: Under the Big Sky Festival just announced their musical lineup for a three-day event, happening July 15-17 at Big Mountain Ranch in Whitefish, Mont. Headliners include the recently-reunited Turnpike Troubadours, Lord Huron and Cody Jinks, who will each close out one night. Black Pumas, Jamey Johnson and
Jason Aldean is being recognized for his continued philanthropy. The “Night Train” hitmaker has been named the 2022 recipient of the Country Radio Broadcasters’ Artist Humanitarian Award. Aldean will accept the honor during the annual Country Radio Seminar, which will be held Feb. 23-25 in Nashville and virtually. The country star — a multi-Platinum artist with two dozen No. 1 hits
Thomas Rhett, Maren Morris, Carrie Underwood and Zac Brown Band are just a few of the acts slated to join the lineup of the 2022 iHeartCountry Festival. The event will take place at Austin, Texas’ Moody Center, a newly-constructed arena venues that seats over 15,000. Other performers include Dustin Lynch, Jimmie Allen, Cody Johnson and
When Kelsea Ballerini stepped onto the Grand Ole Opry stage on Saturday night (Jan. 22), she brought an unreleased new song with her. From the stage, the singer asked her fans for their feedback as to whether or not she should put the song on her next album, crossing her fingers in nervousness as she
Country music came into its own in a big way during the 1990s. With more FM radio stations offering artists exposure, blockbuster album sales followed — as did superstardom for acts such as Shania Twain and Garth Brooks, both of whom had multiple full-length projects be certified diamond, for shipping in excess of 10 million
CMT has named 10 of country music’s most promising rising female acts to its 2022 Next Women of Country class. Launched in 2013, the prestigious Next Women of Country (NWOC) program spotlights talented female acts on the verge of stardom; alumni include Kelsea Ballerini, Gabby Barrett, Carly Pearce and Kacey Musgraves. Joining the NWOC ranks
Since releasing his first single, “Unwound,” in 1981, George Strait has become one of country music’s most iconic artists. Over the course of his incredible career, he’s racked up 60 No. 1 hits: more than any other performer in history. On top of that feat, Strait has sold over 100 million records worldwide, has been