Alan Jackson tried to hold back the tears, but when country’s brightest stars honored him at the CMA Awards, the emotion was too much to contain. At the 56th Annual CMA Awards in Nashville, the spotlight belonged to Alan Jackson. Carrie Underwood, Dierks Bentley, Jon Pardi, and Lainey Wilson hit the stage for a show-stopping … Read more
Sometimes country music just gives you a moment so good it stops you in your tracks. That’s exactly what happened when Dolly Parton stood side by side with Lainey Wilson and sang “I Will Always Love You” during Dolly’s Pet Gala. The performance wasn’t just another duet tossed into a TV special. It was Dolly, … Read more
Before Patsy Cline sang her way into jukeboxes, before Loretta Lynn wrote about being a coal miner’s daughter, and before Dolly and Tammy ruled the charts, there was Kitty Wells, the woman who walked into a man’s world and refused to leave quietly. Born Ellen Muriel Deason in Nashville on August 30, 1919, Kitty Wells … Read more
It’s the most famous stage in country music, and for 100 years, the Grand Ole Opry has been the heartbeat of Nashville. The story of the Opry isn’t just about fiddles and steel guitars. It’s about business, broadcast power, and the stubborn grit of folks who believed country music deserved a home of its own. … Read more
The Grand Ole Opry is called the “Mother Church of Country Music,” but you might be shocked to learn just how many country legends haven’t been invited into the family pews. We’re talking names so big they could pack out football stadiums without breaking a sweat. George Strait, Miranda Lambert, Chris Stapleton, Morgan Wallen, Tanya … Read more
Family comes first, even when you are in the middle of a packed tour schedule. Easton Corbin is walking through one of the toughest seasons of his life after announcing the passing of his stepfather earlier this week. The 43-year-old singer took to Instagram with a black backdrop and words no artist ever wants to … Read more
Country music just got one of the most powerful chills-down-your-spine moments in years, thanks to the Grand Ole Opry pairing George Jones with Alan Jackson on “He Stopped Loving Her Today.” The Opry, celebrating its 100th anniversary, decided to reach into its vault of history and bring two unforgettable performances together. On one side is … Read more
She may be Clint Black’s daughter, but Lily Pearl Black is carving out a story that is all her own. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lily Pearl Black (@lilypearlblack) Born on May 8, 2001, in Los Angeles, Lily Pearl grew up in a world surrounded by music and television lights. Her … Read more
Jelly Roll just proved that sometimes the biggest wins in life are not about trophies or chart positions but about living free enough to ride a scooter down the streets of Berlin with a smile on your face. The Nashville powerhouse, who has spent the last two years grinding through a weight loss journey that … Read more
The Grand Ole Opry might be the most famous stage in country music, but it doesn’t exactly pay the bills. Yes, every artist who steps on that hallowed circle gets paid, but don’t go thinking it’s superstar money. The going rate is about $140 a show, straight from the AFTRA/AFM union scale. That means Garth … Read more
Cracker Barrel learned real fast that you don’t mess with tradition when it comes to country folks. The family-favorite restaurant chain tried to swap out its iconic “Old Timer” logo, the man in overalls leaning against a barrel who has been greeting diners for decades, with a stripped-down, modern version. The redesign lasted less than … Read more
Jason Aldean and Brittany Aldean never miss a chance to stir the pot, and this time their sights were set on Cracker Barrel. The couple, known for saying exactly what’s on their minds regardless of backlash, took aim at the iconic southern restaurant chain after its recent attempt at a brand overhaul went over like … Read more
Mary Travis is the reason Randy Travis is still here, and it is not because the doctors gave her hope. It is because she flat-out refused to let them give up. Back in 2013, Randy’s world came crashing down. Viral cardiomyopathy led to a massive stroke that left him in a coma, fighting staph infections … Read more
Mary Travis is more than the woman who stood by Randy Travis after his stroke. She is the reason the country legend is still out there smiling, showing up for fans, and proving that faith and love can outlast tragedy. Mary Davis grew up in Plano, Texas, long before she ever became the wife of … Read more
Morgan Wallen just proved once again that rules don’t mean a thing when 60,000 country fans are still screaming his name. On August 22, the CMA Entertainer of the Year blew past the 11:30 p.m. curfew at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, keeping the party rolling until 11:44. Fourteen extra minutes of music, fireworks, and … Read more
At 14 years old, LeAnn Rimes didn’t just sing “Unchained Melody.” She tore into it with the kind of voice that could bring a grown man to his knees. Country music fans had already seen flashes of her brilliance when her debut album Blue hit in 1996, but nobody was prepared for what came next. … Read more
Before she became the Queen of Pop Country, Shania Twain was just a scared little girl named Eilleen Regina Edwards, growing up in a home so violent and broken that most kids would not have survived it. She was born in Windsor, Ontario, in 1965, but her childhood was not the picture of maple leaf … Read more
Before the world knew her as Shania Twain, she was just a girl named Eilleen Edwards who had to fight like hell to survive long before she ever sang about being a woman. Born Eilleen Regina Edwards on August 28, 1965, in Windsor, Ontario, she came into a world of violence and chaos. Her childhood … Read more
Before she was the Queen of Country, Reba McEntire was a young Oklahoma cowgirl who fell for a rodeo cowboy who seemed larger than life, and that love story would shape her career and her toughness forever. In 1976, at just 21 years old, Reba married Charlie Battles, a steer-wrestling champion ten years her senior. … Read more
It’s not every day you see Miranda Lambert’s family step into the spotlight, but over the weekend, her mom, dad, and brother showed up and reminded everyone exactly where the fire in her voice comes from. Miranda Lambert was in Boston at Gillette Stadium, opening for Morgan Wallen‘s “I’m the Problem Tour,” when the rare … Read more
Thomas Rhett just keeps on proving he cannot be stopped on the charts or at home, because baby number five is officially on the way. The country hitmaker and his wife, Lauren, dropped the big news on Instagram with a sweet video that had fans cheering, cringing, and joking about how wild their household is … Read more
Shania Twain once admitted there was a time she couldn’t bring herself to sing the very love song that made her a global icon. Back in 1997, Shania dropped “You’re Still the One,” a ballad that lit up the charts, won Grammys, and became the gold standard for wedding first dances. But the song wasn’t … Read more
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are officially engaged, and the whole world just got front row seats to a country-pop fairytale that somehow feels bigger than the Super Bowl and the Grammys combined. The news broke with an Instagram post that could have doubled as a movie poster. Travis, the Kansas City Chiefs’ larger-than-life tight … Read more
Kelly Clarkson has stepped back into the public eye for the first time since the passing of her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock, and the images tell the story of a woman carrying both the weight of loss and the responsibility of holding her family together. The original American Idol winner was spotted at LAX on August … Read more
Two of country’s biggest heavyweights just turned back the clock and gave us a love letter to the 1970s with a music video that feels equal parts nostalgia trip and pure country royalty. Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton, the power duo fans have been begging to hear together for years, finally dropped their first official … Read more
Country music is not just alive on American Idol. It is running the whole show. Season 24 of American Idol is shaping up to be one of the most country-heavy seasons yet, with Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan officially locked back in at the judges’ table. When you add Lionel Richie for some soul and … Read more
Country music history got a shockwave in Huntsville when Alabama‘s long-estranged drummer, Mark Herndon, walked back onstage with the band to tear into “Mountain Music” for the first time in over two decades. And whether folks want to admit it or not, it was one hell of a full-circle moment. The Orion Amphitheater crowd lost … Read more
BigXthaPlug just committed the one sin no Texan should ever dare. He admits he doesn’t know who George Strait or Willie Nelson is. The Dallas-born rapper has been making headlines for his new country-inspired record I Hope You’re Happy. It ropes in some of the biggest names in the genre. Ella Langley, Bailey Zimmerman, Jelly … Read more
Jelly Roll stopped a whole damn show in its tracks just to honor a man who’s been sober for nearly four years. It happened in Montreal at the Lasso Country Festival, where Jelly Roll turned what could’ve been just another stadium sing-along into something unforgettable. In the middle of his set, he spotted a sign … Read more
Aaron Lewis didn’t sugarcoat a thing when he said today’s country radio has no business being mentioned in the same breath as George Jones or Merle Haggard. The Staind frontman turned outlaw country singer sat down with Tucker Carlson recently, and the words came out sharp enough to cut through Music Row’s thin skin. “I … Read more