Loretta Lynn’s “Van Lear Rose” is the first track off of her 2004 all-original comeback album in collaboration with garage punker Jack White of White Stripes. Unlike all the other albums she has released before, she claimed that this was the countrier than anything she had ever cut. It was ragged yet charming and lively, like … Read more
Marty Robbins sang a rendition of “I Walk Alone” by Eddy Arnold, and despite the many versions of the song by other great artists, Robbins’ rendition performed exceptionally well in the charts. It was his thirteenth song to reach number one in the US country singles chart, where it stayed at the number one spot … Read more
Signed to the major label Capitol Records in 1985, T. Graham Brown reached country superstardom with his unique mix of old-time rock ‘n roll, R&B, country, and blues. He went on to record fifteen albums and charted more than twenty singles on the country charts – three of which reached No. 1. Truly, he has … Read more
In the 1930s, Roy Acuff popularized the classic hymn “The Great Speckled Bird.” It’s actually quite fascinating how Acuff ended up recording the song. At the time, the Tennessee native had just left the medicine show circuit and started playing at local shows with various musicians in the Knoxville area. He was starting to gain … Read more
In 1999, Tim McGraw released “My Best Friend” as the third single from his album A Place in the Sun. The song reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart and even made a decent cross-over to the pop chart, reaching No. 29 on Billboard Hot 100. Written by Aimee Mayo and Bill Luther, “My … Read more
The 1960 march song “Sink the Bismarck” was recorded by Johnny Horton and co-written by the country singer himself with songwriter Tillman Franks. The single was released under Columbia Records, and with its folk-country style that made use of a catchy children’s song tune, it peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. … Read more
Keith Urban’s The Speed Of Now World Tour finally made its stop at Nashville, Tennessee, last Friday (October 7), and the singer prepared a few surprises for the Bridgestone Arena concertgoers. This includes a special performance from none other than fellow country star Luke Combs. Urban happily welcomed the “The Kind of Love We Make” singer onstage … Read more
It looks like Brett Eldredge is spreading the holiday cheer across the nation as early as now as he announced the return of his highly anticipated annual Glow Live Tour. The 14-date-run will kick off with a three-night-residency at historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, beginning November 25, 26, and 27. He’s even inviting fans to join … Read more
Conway Twitty is no stranger when it comes to sentimental songs – “Crazy In Love,” “It’s Only Make Believe,” “Next in Line,” and “Hello Darling” are just a few of his ballads about love. He is no stranger to being a chart-topper, either. In fact, throughout his career, he has garnered a whooping 53 country … Read more
It is an annual tradition of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) to air a televised 4th of July concert, and in 2021, country star Alan Jackson was in the lineup where he performed his hit single, “Drive,” and his rendition of the 1911 version of “America The Beautiful.” In the same event, he is joined … Read more
On October 28, 2007, Porter Wagoner died after a long battle with lung cancer. His publicity agent announced his death, which came following several days of hospitalization at Alive Hospice facility. He died with his family – along with his best friend, Dolly Parton – at his side. He was 80. A Fixture Of The … Read more
When it comes to the beauty and poetry of songwriters, there’s quite no one who did it quite like Dallas Frazier. From the 1960s and 1970s, Dallas Frazier songs became country hits for Charley Pride, George Jones, Jerry Lee Lewis, Tanya Tucker, and the Oak Ridge Boys. Today, we are going to look back at … Read more
Country Concerts 2022 last updated: December 05, 2022/02:31 am CST With only a few months left and the big holidays coming up, country concerts 2022 is on a roll – from iconic names like Reba McEntire to budding new artists like Ernest. Some are finishing up the last legs of their tours, while some are … Read more
Loretta Lynn has always valued straightforwardness and honesty in everything she did – from simple conversations down to her songwriting. If things needed to be said, she would do so without any worry about people having an opinion about it. Because, as she said time and again, she was only speaking and writing about what … Read more
On October 28, 2020, Billy Joe Shaver died from a stroke. He was 81. A few days before his death, Shaver was rushed to the hospital after falling off a swing that required the country icon to undergo hip surgery and treatment at a rehab facility. The following weekend, Shaver began texting friends, telling them … Read more
In 1975, Freddy Fender released “You’ll Lose a Good Thing” off his album Rock’ n’ Country. The song was originally released by rhythm and blues artist Barbara Lynn in 1962. While fender made it into a country ballad, he made sure he kept those bluesy, soulful elements that made the song one of the beloved tunes … Read more
In 1986, country icon Willie Nelson released “Living in the Promiseland” as the first single off his album The Promiseleand – which was actually Nelson’s last No. 1 album on the Country Albums chart. The song became another hit for Nelson, reaching No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, where it spent an entire week atop … Read more
For the top 40 country songs for October 2022, Morgan Wallen proves that he’s on top of the game as he kicked off this chart with his romantic ballad, along with two more entries. His fellow country superstars – Luke Combs, Cole Swindell, and Tyler Hubbard – then helped him round out the five best … Read more
“Heartaches By The Number” by Ray Price tells a three-chapter story about heartbreak in 2 minutes and 34 seconds that will surely – trust us – bring you to tears. The song was written by Harlan Howard and released by Ray Price exactly on New Year’s Day in 1959 as the 11th track off his album For the … Read more
Rebellious and Revolutionary – that was how Loretta Lynn occupied her space in the six decades of her ‘rhinestone-spangled’ career in the genre. She radically reframed the idea that women wielding guitars and writing their own songs awkwardly fit in the male-dominated genre, called out the double standards perpetuated on working-class women with her honest and … Read more
On October 25, 1992, Roger Miller died at Century City Hospital in Los Angeles, California, after a year-long battle with lung cancer. He was 56. A few months before his death, the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter announced that he was undergoing radiation treatment after the discovery of a cancerous tumor below his vocal cords. He found out … Read more
Johnny Horton was on the verge of becoming one of the top stars when he met a tragedy that caused his untimely death and cut his career short in 1960. From the late 50s and early 60s, a series of Johnny Horton songs actually topped the country charts and even crossed the pop charts. He … Read more
It’s no secret (pun intended!) that the song “Secret Love” by Freddy Fender is about a love so full that it got “impatient to be free.” This is just a speck in the long list of Freddy Fender songs that talk about love. It is no wonder why this is a hit–romance that invokes thrilling … Read more
Freddy Fender is the embodiment of the American dream – from being a migrant worker coming from a small town to building himself as one of the most respected artists. With his twangy tenor and his pompadour haircut, Fender actually became one of the few Hispanic stars to have such an illustrious career in country … Read more
Ten seconds into “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights,” and you’ll find yourself swaying and grooving to the song, that’s how much an amazing artist Freddy Fender is. This blues ballad song was considered by many as a “swamp pop” song – and was considered one of Freddy Fender‘s biggest hits. But what’s interesting about this … Read more
The world grieved when the news broke in 2016 that the legendary Holly Dunn, who catapulted to fame through her song “Daddy’s Hands,” had succumbed to ovarian cancer. “Daddy’s Hands” is a song written by Holly Dunn herself for her father, who is a minister. Just by listening to the song, you can already feel … Read more
Loretta Lynn, a woman who fearlessly defied every standard and stereotype and became one of the strongest pillars of country music, died on October 4th, Tuesday at her beloved home in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee. According to a brief statement made by her family, the beloved singer and songwriter passed away peacefully in her sleep, but … Read more
November 23, 1992 – Roy Acuff, best remembered by the millions of Grand Ole Opry listeners as “King of Country Music”, left the country music industry devastated by his death. He had been in and out of the hospital for heart problems and finally succumbed to congestive heart failure at Baptist Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. … Read more
From the early 1980s to the 1990s, Wynonna Judd has been known as one half of the most popular and respected female country acts, The Judds. Together with her mother, Naomi Judd, the mother-and-daughter duo provided country music with a crucial contrast to their male peers like no one else. However, The Judds soon parted … Read more
Apparently, the lockdown that prevailed during the pandemic brought some positive results – and some great music, of course. Rimes actually wrote “spaceship” in the early days of lockdown. It’s a song that’s full of sadness, confusion, frustration, and even hope, as she asks for an escape from the craziness and the uncertainty the world … Read more