Country Music News

Dwight Yoakam Marries Longtime Girlfriend Emily Joyce

2020-05-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

As one of the last true country music honky tonkers since the mid-'80s, Dwight Yoakam is not necessarily known to be a crooner of love songs, but more for lamenting heartbreak as in "Ain't That Lonely Yet" or "It Only Hurts When I Cry" and to find solace in a honky tonk by reaching out to the bottle as in "Two Doors Down," "Since I Started Drinking Again," or "It Won't Hurt."

But all the hurt and misery seem to be a thing of the past now, as the 63-year-old finally said "I Do" and married his longtime love Emily Joyce in a very small, private ceremony in Santa Monica, California in March. 12 years her senior, the pair started dating in 2010 and were engaged for several years, before now exchanging their vows. His team announced the good news with an Instagram post.

View this post on Instagram

Dwight Yoakam and Emily Joyce were married in March just prior to the quarantine in a private ceremony at St Monica Catholic Church in Santa Monica, CA. At a time when there is so much uncertainty in the world, there are still happy moments. In the face of shutdowns and social-distancing requirements, love prevailed, and the less than ten attendees were seated at least six feet from one another. The happy couple have been engaged for several years and have been dating since 2010. This belated announcement was withheld out of respect to so many people affected by and on the front lines of this pandemic. - D Team 📸: Britt Arnett
A post shared by Dwight Yoakam (@dwightyoakam) on May 4, 2020 at 12:17pm PDT

The surprising news, it's the first marriage for Dwight, is "a happy moment in these uncertain times" as his team wrote.

Keeping his romantic life private, he's known to have dated Sharon Stone or Karen Duffy, but that never became extensive fodder for tabloids and/or the paparazzi.

Nashville Garbage Wins Again - or - Let Mason Ramsey Do His Own Thing

2018-05-05T11:09:00.003-07:00

By now, everybody has heard the story of the yodeling kid, aka Mason Ramsey, whose intoning of Hank Williams' classics at a local House Of Rollbacks in Kentucky, just across the border from his home state Illinois, catapulted the video of that performance into internet virality. TV shows, a guest spot at Coachella, a first performance at the Grand Ole Opry, and now he got country-Biebered up and released a terrible debut single "Famous." All that in less than a month.

Oh, I was ecstatic like so many other traditional country music fans (aka old farts). Here was a young lad of 11-years pouring his heart out with Hank Williams' "Lovesick Blues." A little late to the game, I normally don't pay that much attention to viral videos and memes, I shared it on facebook and stated that "...this is real country. And Hank is smiling."

Well, Hank and I aren't smiling anymore.

It seemed too good to be true, a visit on the Ellen DeGeneres TV- show, not only saw him getting a scholarship to study in the future but also made it possible to go visit and sing at the mother church of country music, The Grand Ole Opry. But that visit to Nashville bore strange fruits, the record-machinery under the auspices of has-been-artist Jake Owen and his Big Loud Records, a subsidiary of Atlantic got hold of the little rebel singing Hiram's songs and set him straight: Turning him into a Justin pop-starlet. Accused of the "kidnapping" of the boy's dream are beside Owen, Florida Georgia Line's Tyler Hubbard, EDM-pop-country garbage-writers - Corey Crowder (Kane Brown), Sarah Buxton (Chris Lane), and Canaan Smith (Florida Georgia Line) and to top the atrocities, they hired FGL producer Joey Moi known for his crimes with Nickelback.

Hastily Social Media accounts were created, suddenly there was a website, a facebook page, an Instagram showcase, and a Twitter feed. As far as I know, all these are restricted to kids older than 13 years old. But the onslaught got started and started it did - poor Mason gained over 4000 followers on Twitter per day, alone. And "Famous" his debut was released the same day, "The Yodeling Boy" was squeezed into the FGL set at the Stagecoach festival, to promote the drum-machine ditty.

Not only is "Famous" a dumbed-down, generic mass production, but its lyrics also wouldn't make a reading book for first graders. Please read and digest with caution:

Don't get me wrong, it's pretty cool to be on TV
So all the folks back home can see me
And that I'm livin' it out
All the things I used to dream about
Yeah, it's pretty great, singing on a stage
Proud 'cause there ain't an empty seat in the place
But, girl, ever since I met you
I got a whole new perspective

And people eager to know what happened to their @lilhankwilliams (his Instagram moniker) started clicking on YouTube (> 8 million) and he started to dominate Spotify (> 5.6 million) which amounts, with other streaming services, to over 15 million streams in one week. And the single is currently going to radio, which may or may not pick it up, as they may hopefully see the whole deal as a novelty factor with a faster half-life than a rotting egg in the sun.

Producer Joey Moi and the other perpetrators should be charged with musical child molestation and treason in the name of true country music.

The only good part is, that the original video where he sings his idol's song still leads with 37 million spins and Hank actually saw a 2000% increase of spins on Spotify. How sweet would it have been if the kid actually would have released a remake of a Williams' classic?
The Grand Ole Opry asked him back and Mason will make another 3-hour road trip back to Nashville to play this coming Saturday 5/12. I hope he sticks with Hank, as he got a standing ovation the first time doing it.
But as the Grand Ole Opry wrote: "Mason is rising fast in the music business." - just let's all hope not too fast, this kid deserves better.

*/***** (1/5)

Sources: Pandora - Next Big Sound, YouTube, Billboard, Guardian. Grand Ole Opry

In The News - Jon Pardi Likes Beer - Marty Stuart To Open Museum - Mel Tillis Memorial Recap

2018-02-03T19:45:00.002-08:00

Traditional newcomer Jon Pardi is featured in a Superbowl beer commercial. Marty Stuart announced, that he plans to open the Marty Stuart's Congress of Country Music Museum and Performance Hall in Philadelphia, Mississippi. And a recap, with a video link to the full memorial for the late Mel Tillis at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.

Jon Pardi redoes "I Like Beer" for Superbowl commercial

"Dirt On My Boots" crooner, Jon Pardi, the reigning CMA "New Artist Of The Year" and ACM "New Male Vocalist" was asked by Michelob ULTRA to re-record the 1975 Tom T. Hall ode "I Like Beer" for a new commercial that will show during this year's Superbowl.
The original, the first single from Hall's "I WROTE A SONG ABOUT IT" charted on the Country Singles Chart at #4, got a more uptempo treatment during Pardi's recording.

Even though Pardi is only delivering the soundtrack to the new anthem for Michelob ULTRA's commercial starring actor Chris Pratt, US Open Gold Champion Brooks Koepka, 11-time World Surf League Champion Kelly Slater and 2017 NYC Marathon winner Shalane Flanagan it is trying to demonstrate that "You Can Do Both" - being fit and still enjoy a cold one.

“This past year has been filled with so many milestones and bucket list items, and when Michelob Ultra reached out with an opportunity to be part of this Super Bowl commercial, I was all in. It was such a fun experience to record this version of the song and it’s awesome to be a part of it,” Pardi was quoted in the press release.

Pardi’s current single “She Ain’t In It” is currently Top 30-and-climbing on the Billboard Country Airplay charts. I hope that "I Like Beer" will be soon available as a download.

And here's the original by Tom T. Hall

Marty Stuart To Open Museum

According to the Associated Press (AP), Country traditionalist Marty Stuart is planning to open "Marty Stuart's Congress of Country Music Museum and Performance Hall" in his hometown, of Philadelphia, Mississippi.

Stuart, who began playing as a 13-year old with Lester Flatt and later was part of Johnny Cash's band, is an avid collector of country music artifacts and has by now amassed more than 20'000 pieces, from clothing by Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline to handwritten lyrics from original superstar Hank Williams. He is also known as a photographer and has a vast collection not only of portraits of country stars of old but also of the American West.

Philadelphia, a small town about 80 miles northeast of Mississippi capitol Jackson sure will get an economic boost from tourism when the Congress of Country Music is supposed to open in three years.

"My collection for all these years has been a very good-neighbor collection. We've loaned things to museums for years and years," Stuart is quoted in the AP article.

The government of Mississippi has already allocated $2 million to the project, Stuart is trying to raise the rest of the money from private donors.

Stuart is currently touring behind last year's album "WAY OUT WEST," which made my "10 for 2017" as one of the 30 best Albums released in 2017. His next dates will be in Texas: New Braunfels, Austin, Houston, and Dallas. For more info and tour dates, visit his website, Marty Stuart

Mel Tillis Memorial

Last week's memorial for the late singer, Mel Tillis was broadcasted live on legendary AM 650 WSM, as I told my readers in my blog.

If you didn't have a chance to tune into the almost 2-hour long memorial with various artists taking part, local Nashville NewsChannel 5 recorded the whole celebration of life for Mel Tillis on video and uploaded it to their facebook page.

Besides some stellar performances, it was the remembrances, the little stories that make this memorial worth watching again. I hope the station will leave that link up for people to revisit.

"You could feel the emotion in the room. We felt dad's presence. We think he was proud," Pam Tillis told the TV station.

Mel Tillis, a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame was honored by Kyle Young, the CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, with the following statement:

"Mel Tillis spent a lifetime giving us joy and laughter and music, which is why his death brings such sadness. Had he never stepped on a stage, he would still have been one of the funniest and most genuine people on the planet. But his whimsy and warmth were only a part of his appeal. He wrote some of country music's most compelling and consequential songs, he fronted a remarkable band, and he sang with power and emotion. He also shone as an inspiration, revealing what others called an impediment as a vehicle for humor and hope."

Sources: Press Release, Billboard, Whitburn, AP, Marty Stuart, NewsChannel 5 Nashville,

Mel Tillis' Memorial Service Will Be Broadcast Live - Many Stars To Attend And Perform

2018-01-30T15:05:00.000-08:00

The memorial service for Country Music Hall of Famer, Mel Tillis will be broadcast live from the original Grand Ole Opry (Ryman Auditorium) by legendary Nashville station 650 AM WSM tomorrow morning, January, 31st at 10 am local time (CST). If you are not in the local area to catch the radio station you can listen to it on the web WSMonline.com, or on your phone on the station's mobile app.

Tillis’ family, friends, fans, and music industry colleagues will gather at the Ryman to honor the life and career of the Country Music Hall of Famer.

A slew of country stars will perform some of Tillis’ most memorable career songs. Those scheduled to take the stage include Ricky Skaggs, Ray Stevens, Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers, Alison Krauss with the Street Corner Symphony, Jamey Johnson, Collin Raye, Daryle Singletary, Lorrie Morgan, Ira Dean, Pam Tillis, Sonny Tillis, and Carrie April Tillis.

Tillis’ band, The Statesiders, will accompany select performances and former “Nashville Now” host Ralph Emery will emcee.

The event is free and open to the public.

After a long struggle to regain his health, country music legend Mel Tillis passed away on November 19, 2017, at the Munroe Regional Medical Center in Ocala, Florida. Tillis battled intestinal issues since early 2016 and never fully recovered. He was 85.

Tillis wasn't only a singer, he was an "Entertainer of the Year" (CMA 1976) and a great songwriter as well: songs like "Detroit City" (Bobby Bare), "Life Turned Her That Way" (Ricky Van Shelton), "Ruby Don't Take Your Love To Town" (Kenny Rogers), and "Honey (Open That Door)" (Ricky Skaggs) are just a few of his gems out of a huge catalog.
On February 13, 2012, President Barack Obama awarded Tillis the National Medal of Arts for his contributions to country music

Source: Press Release

In The News - Merle's Tour Bus For Sale - Reba Hawking Chicken - Nashville Scene Winners

2018-01-27T11:34:00.001-08:00

An old tour bus once owned by Merle Haggard goes on to the auction block in Texas; Reba McEntire got promoted to Colonel and is hawking Smoky Mountain BBQ chicken and weekly publication "Nashville Scene" asked over 90 country music critics for their best of 2017.

Merle's Bus
Ever fancied on riding in a country music star's tour bus? What about owning one and taking it for a ride through the Texas Hill Country. On February, 10th Burley Auction Gallery in New Braunfels is putting a 2008 Motor Coach Industries (MCI) bus, once owned by Merle Haggard up on the block.

Besides the regular outfittings (master bedroom, bunks, lounge area) the bus also has some custom made features. The late Merle Haggard was a huge train buff, so the sides of the bus are adorned with Santa Fe Super Chief insignia and the bus, according to the Austin American Statesman even has a vintage train horn installed.

In 1969 Haggard released a tribute album to the "Singing Brakeman," Jimmie Rogers called "SAME TRAIN, A DIFFERENT TIME" and followed with another album lauding trains seven years later with "MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH TRAINS."
The cover of that album also depicts some of Merle's model trains and beside the Dolly Parton penned title track, contains Merle's lament about the disappearance of trains, "No More Trains to Ride".

The video below must have been filmed by the previous owner, it looks like they used Lago Vista airport outside of Austin for a backdrop.
Update: Today (1/29) I did get an update from Robb Burley from the Auction Gallery
"The bus was ordered new by Merle in 2006 & was delivered in 2008. Merle toured in it until 2015 when he traded it in on a bus he only had a few months before he died on his birthday April 6, 2016. Photo of the original title to Merle is on the website. The bus has over 350,000 Merle miles on it. A custom seat has the armrest wear out there by Merle. Comes with a built-in authentic train whistle. The bus was acquired by the current owner & consignor of the bus when Merle traded it in. They tried unsuccessfully running it on eBay twice. Bidding will open at $100,000. It should land north of $200,000 easily even if it wasn’t owned by Merle. The bus shows road wear but is in excellent working order and in good condition. The custom tags were added when registered in Texas."
More info at Burley Auction Gallery

Colonel McEntire

Several firsts mark the new campaign for "Smoky Mountain BBQ" from Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). For the first time, it's a music star and a woman who will play the role of grey-haired and mustached KFC founder Colonel Harland Sanders.

Beginning tomorrow (1/28) new ads featuring Reba McEntire will air on television and computer screens in the US to hawk KFC’s new Smoky Mountain BBQ line of fried chicken.

“With Reba’s southern roots and entrepreneurial spirit, she truly embodies the values of the Colonel and the crowd-pleasing flavor of our Smoky Mountain BBQ,” Andrea Zahumensky, Chief Marketing Officer for the fried chicken chain was quoted in the press release. ”

“I’ve held a lot of roles in my life – sort of like the Colonel himself – but this is certainly the most unique one yet,” McEntire iterated in the release.

Nashville Scene Country Music Critic’s Poll

For the 18th time, weekly publication "Nashville Scene" asked 94 guest music critics for their favorites of 2017. As no big surprise, most mainstream Nashville bubble artists got ignored, Jason Isbell and his 400 Unit came out as the big winner with "Best Album of the Year" for "The Nashville Sound," "Best Live Act," "Best Songwriter," and being "Artist of the Year." Isbell came in second behind Chris Stapleton as "Best Male Singer" the female counterpart being Lee Ann Womack.

Midland was voted best new act in front of Tyler Childers and Carly Pearce; their Grammy-nominated song "Drinkin' Problem" also got the honors as "Single of the Year." Little Big Town was the only mainstream winner in the Duo / Group category.

An interesting factoid mentioned in the publication is that "five of the top 20 singles on Billboard’s year-end chart (Kane Brown’s “What Ifs,” Dustin Lynch’s “Small Town Boy,” Dylan Scott’s “My Girl,” Florida Georgia Line’s “God, Your Mama and Me” and Jason Aldean’s “Any Ol’ Barstool”) failed to gain a vote from any critic."

For a full list of the winners, visit Nashville Scene's website.

Sources: Austin American Statesman, Burley Auction Gallery, YouTube, KFC Press Release, Nashville Scene

Singer Lari White Has Passed

2018-01-20T16:33:00.002-08:00

Singer/Songwriter, Producer and Vocal Coach, Lari White has died earlier this morning (1/23) after a courageous four month battle against a rare peritoneal cancer.

Update 1/23/18
Her mom took to Caring Bridge again today and announced that "At 4:44 this morning, Lari peacefully took her "Rain Walk"..." referencing Lari's love of the rain. Lari was able to spend the weekend at her home with close family and was able to enjoy a sunny and rainy day, as that were her wishes.
Our condolences go out to her loved ones. May there be a light in the darkness!

Original post:

Her mom took to Caring Bridge to post an update on Friday (1/19) and it looks disheartening:
"Last night Lari was admitted to a wonderful Hospice facility here in Nashville, where she has all the Care she needs to make her comfortable and quiet for this part of the Journey, and where she is completely surrounded by loving family…"

It was only in November when Lari took to her "ArtistWorks" space to tell her voice students that she was diagnosed with cancer:
"...The surgery revealed advanced Peritoneal Cancer. Since then a series of complications including pain management, pneumonia and a bowel obstruction requiring emergency surgery has kept me in and out of the hospital fighting for my life. This is, of course, my focus for the foreseeable future."

But she also encouraged her students to keep going on: "All I ask is that you keep singing! Make a joyful noise, because I believe Our Creator loves the sound!"

Lari came to prominence in the late 80's with winning "You Can Be A Star" on The Nashville Network. A resulting record deal with Capitol didn't give her the success she was looking for and she started singing backup for Rodney Crowell. It was him, who, after she got another deal with RCA, produced her debut album "LEAD ME NOT" with the rockabilly-tinged "What A Woman Wants" being its biggest success.

She triumphed even more with her follow up, 1994's "WISHES" giving her three top-ten hits, two again co-written with Cannon "That's My Baby" and "That's How You Know (When You're in Love)" and the Cindy Greene, Don Cook, Chick Rains penned "Now I Know." The album was produced by Garth Fundis and was certified Gold a year later for half a million copies sold.

On her third and last (besides a Greatest Hits Compilation) outing for RCA "DON'T FENCE ME IN" which she produced with Josh Leo, was the marvelous single "Wild At Heart," a co-write with Al Anderson.

Another stint came in 1998 with Lyric Street Records. With the title track, "Stepping Stone" (White, David Kent, Craig Wiseman) she not only cracked the Country top-twenty but also appeared on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100. Other singles were "Take Me" (Bob DiPiero, Stephony Smith) and "John Wayne Walking Away "(Austin Cunningham, Jerry Boonstra, Doak Snead).

Over the years she appeared in films like "Cast Away", Broadway Musical ("Ring Of Fire") and Cabaret Shows ("My First Affair"), producing artists and playing house concerts all over the country, including some appearances on Delbert McClinton's cruise. As a producer, she was actually in charge of the Platinum certified album by Toby Keith "WHITE TRASH WITH MONEY." She also started releasing albums on her own label, Skinny White Girl, like "GREEN EYED SOUL".
In February of last year, she released two EPs "New Loves" and "Old Friends" (both available through the links on her website) containing new songs and some re-recordings of her old hits, with some special friends, Suzy Bogguss, Lee Roy Parnell, Delbert McClinton, Etta Britt and Victor Wooten helping out.
To promote the release Lari visited Eric Dahl, the longtime host of Nashville's FOX 17 Rock & Review TV show.

Lari White is married to singer/songwriter Chuck Cannon (among many others "I Love The Way You Love Me - John Michael Montgomery), the couple has two daughters, M'Kenzy and Kyra, and a son, Jaxon.

To cope with the enormity of medical bills, some friends have established, a gofundme account in the name of Lari White and Chuck Cannon.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Lari and her family.

Sources: LariWhite.com, Caring Bridge, Billboard, RIAA,

Plagiarism - Ed Sheeran sued over McGraw/Hill hit "Rest Of Our Life"

2018-01-16T06:51:00.001-08:00

A lawsuit filed in New York federal court accuses Ed Sheeran and three of his co-writers of "blatant copying" an Australian hit by Jasmine Rae "When I Found You" into Tim McGraw and Faith Hill's top-20-hit "The Rest Of Our Life." Two of the original writers, Sean Carey and Beau Golden are seeking at least $ 5 million in damages plus profits, song royalties, covering of attorney's fees and costs, along with an injunction for the song to be permanently blocked.

The lawsuit alleges that: "The copying is, in many instances, verbatim, note-for-note copying of original elements of the song, and is obvious to the ordinary observer." But it's not just the melody, both songs also have the same message, lauding a long-lasting romantic relationship and making both partners stronger in the end.

The two plaintiffs hired Nashville lawyer Richard Busch, who successfully won a trial for the family of Marvin Gaye. Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams were found guilty of infringing Marvin Gaye's "Got To Give It Up" into "Blurred Lines," a hit for Thicke. The Gaye estate was awarded $ 5.3 million.

This is not the first time Ed Sheeran is accused of copyright violations, Busch already sued the British composer and singer before. That $ 20 million lawsuit over the hit "Photograph" was settled out of court and since then the two suing songwriters are credited as co-writers of the song, which grants them a significant share of royalties.

The suit against Sheeran and his co-writers Johnny McDaid from Snow Patrol, Amy Wadge, and Steven McCutcheon also includes McGraw, Hill as well as the publishing companies and the record labels. It actually gets quite interesting, the suit claims, that a marketing manager of Sony Music Australia, Tim Holland who also happens to be the boyfriend of Jasmine Rae was aware of the infringement months before the McGraw/Hill hit was released. Rae, who is not part of the plaintiffs seeking damages, is also a co-writer on "When I Found You," and released the song on her 2015 album "HEARTBEAT."
The lawsuit alleges, that "It very well may have been an agent of Sony Music Entertainment who provided the other defendants herein with access to the Song."
It is also alleged that Mr. Holland may have presented "When I Found You" to Sony Music "in an effort to gain exposure for Ms. Rae and promote her work." and that he may have kept his silence about the infringement, in order to not "lose his job with Sony Music."
Another theory also stated in the complaint, of how Sheeran could have accessed the song, says that he was touring in Australia while "When I Found You" was being played on the local radio stations.

Both songs can be listened to below - tell me what you think in the comments.

Tim McGraw & Faith Hill

Jasmine Rae

Sources: Hollywood Reporter, Billboard, The Independent

Earls Of Leicester To Record Live Album At Country Music Hall Of Fame

2018-01-12T22:13:00.003-08:00

Grammy and multiple IBMA winner Earls Of Leicester will record their new, third album at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville on February 24 and 25.

The sextet under the aegis of Dobro master Jerry Douglas pays homage to one of the most influential acts in Bluegrass history, Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs (hence the name Earls of Leicester) and their group the Foggy Mountain Boys. It was original Dobro player, Josh Graves, who made Douglas pick up the instrument and start playing it. Being one of the most respected instrumentalists, Douglas always wanted to celebrate the history and the songbook of Flatt & Scruggs and found in fiddler Johnny Warren, whose dad was a Foggy Mountain Boy, bassist Barry Bales from Alison Krauss' band, current IBMA banjo player of the year Charlie Cushman, mandolist Jeff White, who replaced original "Earl" Tim O'Brien and singer and guitarist Shawn Camp five other kindred spirits to offer songs originally recorded by Flatt & Scruggs.

A self-titled, Grammy-winning, "debut" album was released in fall of 2014, followed by "RATTLE AND ROAR" two years later and their new live album is scheduled to be later this year. Understandably, Jerry Douglas is quite excited about the new project:

“This two night stand in the CMA Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame is a celebration for the Earls of Leicester – as exciting as when Flatt and Scruggs played Vanderbilt University and Carnegie Hall rolled into one,”
said Douglas, referencing the two live albums Flatt and Scruggs cut in 1964 and 1963 respectively. He also hinted at what people may expect during the recordings, which will also be videotaped:
“We will be debuting songs new to our repertoire and rolling out a few surprises as we videotape and record the culmination of five years of work in our mission to re-educate, and in many cases, reveal this body of work for the first time.”

The Earls of Leicester will also tour select cities before the recording session at the Hall of Fame. So I can certainly imagine that certain new songs will be played and "rehearsed" during these live gigs.

The Earls of Leicester On Tour
2/15 Carolina Theatre Durham, NC
2/17 Rodeheaver Boys Ranch (Palatka Bluegrass Festival), Palatka, FL
2/19 Capitol Theatre Clearwater, FL
2/20 City Winery Atlanta, GA
2/22 Lexington Opera House, Lexington, KY
2/24 Country Music Hall of Fame, Nashville, TN
2/25 Country Music Hall of Fame, Nashville, TN

"The Train That Carried My Girl From Town" from "RATTLE AND ROAR"

Sources: Press Release, Earls of Leicester (FB),

Loretta Get Well Soon - Singer Suffers Broken Hip

2018-01-09T07:45:00.003-08:00

We need to send Loretta Lynn another "Get-Well" card, the soon to be 85-year old broke her hip at her home in Tennessee, while still recovering from a stroke she suffered in May of last year.

According to her sister, country singer Crystal Gayle, the "Coalminer's Daughter" is "doing as well as can be expected with this type of injury." Loretta's team soon followed with their own tweet and the same message on her website, saying that she's doing well and is thanking all her fans for the thoughts and prayers.

#birthdayweek #birthdaywish @LorettaLynn pic.twitter.com/rflIBEpdOn
— Crystal Gayle (@TheCrystalGayle) January 8, 2018

After her stroke last year, Loretta Lynn not only canceled all of her tour dates but also the release of her new album "WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT" to 2018 so she would be able to promote it properly. Her only public appearances after her stroke were at a benefit at her Hurricane Mills' Ranch and at the induction of Alan Jackson into the Country Music Hall of Fame both in October of last year.

Her last album, "FULL CIRCLE" on Legacy Records, a collection of classics and new songs, she recorded with the help of her daughter Patsy and John Carter Cash was released in March 2016 and was nominated for a Grammy Award in February of last year. "Everything It Takes" a song, Loretta co-wrote with Todd Snider is from that release.

P.S. Happy Birthday to Crystal Gayle, who turns 67 today (1/9); may her wishes come through that her sister will fully recover.

Sources: Twitter, LorettaLynn.com, YouTube

"Pure Country" - Original Soundtrack To Be Released On Vinyl 9/15

2017-08-02T12:16:00.002-07:00

For the 25th Anniversary of the movie "PURE COUNTRY," the soundtrack will be released for the first time on vinyl on September 15. George Strait will also incorporate some of the songs featured in the movie in his two Las Vegas shows earlier that month.

How time flies, in 1992 my former editor, Christine Mäder and I went to Dallas to attend a press junket for the movie release "Pure Country." She was interviewing the main actors for our publication, Country Music, while I was covering it for Swiss Television. Isabel Glasser (Harley Tucker) was charming, Lesley Ann Warren (Lula Rogers) was a blast, we had so many laughs and George Strait (Wyatt "Dusty" Chandler) was George Strait, slightly uncomfortable with the media thing and actually kinda reliving his movie role in the movie. Too bad, our favorite actor in the movie, Rory Calhoun playing Harley's wry grandfather Ernest, didn't make the junket.

Even though the movie was a commercial flop with just $ 15 million dollars coming in and never saw a world wide release; my TV tapes are still collecting dust somewhere in an archive in Switzerland, the soundtrack did much, much better.

Besides Greatest Hits and other Compilations, "Pure Country" is Strait's most successful album to date, with sales over 6 million units. The latest figures by the RIAA are from 1999, so I'm sure that with digital downloads we are now closer to 7 million. Talking about downloads the tearjerker hit single from the climax of the movie reached number 1 in December of '92. "Cross My Heart" (Steve Dorff, Eric Kaz) has sold almost a million copies per digital downloads since it was made available on that platform, according to Roughstock. Another composition by Dorff, who also was in charge for the whole musical soundtrack, "Heartland," co-written with John Bettis also reached the Top Spot on the Billboard Country Charts. Even though not as hokey as the movie or its main single, "Heartland" did not belong to the best material on the soundtrack, which by the way was the first album by Strait that had Tony Brown as a producer.

The real or should we say pure country song, released as the third single "When Did You Stop Lovin' Me?" by Texan Monty Holmes, who later contributed other hits to Strait, including "Troubadour," reached the top ten, but stalled on #6. But there are other gems on this soundtrack, there is a subtle countrified version of "Last In Love" originally recorded by Nicolette Larson and by co-writer J.D. Souther (together with Glenn Frey) on albums in the late 70s. The western-swing influenced "Overnight Male," first recorded by B.B. Watson, penned by Kim Williams, Ron Harbin, and Richard Fagan, who passed a year ago, made it in the charts, without ever being released as a single. I always thought the Phil Thomas/Hal Newman song "Baby Your Baby" should have been a radio single, advising the guys to better put some lovin' into their relationship. Because if you do it right, "She Lays It All On The Line," that rockabilly tinged tune came from Texas songsmith Clay Blaker and also gave him the title of his 1993 album "LAYING IT ALL ON THE LINE."

"PURE COUNTRY" also features two singles written or co-written by Jim Lauderdale, the beautiful "The King Of Broken Hearts" and the up-tempo "Where The Sidewalk Ends," which both were originally released on Lauderdale's 1991 major debut, the fantastic "PLANET OF LOVE." That first one belongs into the pantheon of country classics, also recorded by Mark Chesnutt and Lee Ann Womack, due to the times, never got the exposure, it really deserves.
My favorite track is probably the remake of an old tune, also recorded by Ernest Tubb and Carl Smith, written by Mel Tillis and Wayne P. Walker, the deliciously sad ballad "Thoughts of a Fool" with its exquisite leading steel guitar part. Not sure which of the three players mentioned in the liner notes actually brings me all that joy. But I guess it's Sonny Garrish over Buddy Emmons (who did it on Tubb's version, which you should check out as well) or Doug Livingston. It's just pure bliss of sadness.

"PURE COUNTRY" Soundtrack - ★★★★/★★★★★ (4 out of 5)

So if you still like vinyl, like some traditional country fans do, this is definitely an album you want to put into your collection. As an extra for the 25th Anniversary, Austin movie theater chain Alamo Drafthouse Cinema will be showing the original movie in its 28 locations across the country.

Sources: Essential Broadcast Media, YouTube, Recollections

Blake Shelton Trashes Traditional Fans Again In New Video

2017-07-20T19:47:00.002-07:00

Screenshot - William Lee Golden, Joe Bonsall, Blake Shelton, Duane Allen, Richard Sterban

Rather as a surprise comes a sixth single of Blake Shelton's 2016 album "IF I'M HONEST" and I guess to tone down the suggestive lyrics of "Doing It To Country Songs," its video is packed into an animated, family-friendly, cuddly, furry affair. Actually half-way country with rich harmonies and if it will chart, song partners, The Oak Ridge Boys will be back in the country single charts for the first time in 18 years. Laudable, isn't it? Well, it seems after a close watch of the cartoon, that there is a hidden message in the video-clip subsiding the fun.

Blake is not the first and probably not the last to use animation for a music video. Remember Lonestar's "Mr. Mom" or Brad Paisley's "Crushin' It" which actually featured an animated, beer-guzzlin' Shelton. In "Doin' It," the bar featured in the clip, named "Ol' Reds" as in the song and the venue Blake is gonna be opening in Nashville, a prominent beer advertisement disguised as a clock, promotes "Paisley Lite Beer." Nothing wrong with that.

Blake's video is full of easter eggs to be discovered. Besides leaving song titles on bar jars, on the wall, and guitar cases, even making a reference to his guests' big hit "Elvira," there are even some funny moments among the furries and one amphibian friend. That Blake casts himself as a stag, called Blake Buck on the marquee is quite humorous. The Oaks are cast as a possum, William Lee Golden; a beaver, Joe Bonsall; a wolf, Duane Allen, and Richard Sterban as a bullfrog, him catching the barfly and swallowing it, priceless.

Screenshot

I neither have an issue, that this rather light tune was written by heavy-weight Paul Overstreet together with Jakob Lyda and Marty Dodson. Sometimes a ditty is a ditty and the harmonies of the Oaks made me smile.
I also think choosing a hound-dog as the bartender and a skunk as the janitor are pretty funny, just think about it, "when it comes to clean, there is only one skunk."

But then Blake Shelton wouldn't be Blake Shelton if he couldn't land a side jab at every traditional country music fan that still wears a hat and a silver belt-buckle with pride. I guess by now that would be the "old farts and jackasses," you may see in every true Texas dancehall.

To make his point, he uses the janitor skunk to actually dress up. But to get his new accessories, the skunk is diving in the trash and rescues the hat and buckle out of the dumpster. As subliminal as it may be, shame on you, Blake!

★★/★★★★★ (2 out of 5)

Tyminski Signs With Mercury // Dolly Up For An Emmy

2017-07-15T03:33:00.002-07:00

Tyminiski signs with Mercury Nashville

Dan Tyminski is best known as a member of Union Station, Alison Krauss' band, as well as the singing voice for George Clooney's character "Man of Constant Sorrow" in the movie "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" The link will take you to the 44th Grammy Awards Show in February 2002, where the Soggy Mountain Boys performed the song together with the late Ralph Standley. Well now, comes news, that Tyminski has signed with Mercury Nashville.

The 14 time Grammy winner is also known mostly to European listeners as the voice in Swedish producer Avicii's electronica-pop hit "Hey Brother."

An album "SOUTHERN GOTHIC" is planned to be released this fall, and for that endeavor, Dan will just be known by his last name, Tyminiski. According to newspaper "The Tennessean," he collaborated with Jesse Frasure (known for his work with Florida Georgia Line & Meghan Trainor) and the result is "marrying bluegrass instrumentation with the hefty rhythms and moody ambiance of modern pop."

After watching a teaser trailer, released on his new twitter account @tyminskimusic the project sounds more than intriguing.

Baptized in Southern Gothic, in the Garden of Good and Evil
The devil right here, who would have thought it
In a town full of god-fearing people.

"Baptized in #SouthernGothic, in the Garden of Good and Evil..." Stay connected to what comes next at https://t.co/AFUXTGtqSO pic.twitter.com/3wcazCzirR
— Tyminski (@tyminskimusic) July 13, 2017

Dolly Parton Movie Grabs Emmy Nomination

The made-for-television movie "Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors: Circle Of Love," which aired last November on NBC is nominated for an Emmy in the category "Television Movie," and will compete against “Black Mirror: San Junipero” (Netflix), “The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks” (HBO), “Sherlock: The Lying Detective (Masterpiece)” (PBS), “The Wizard Of Lies” (HBO).

The movie, a sequel to "Coat Of Many Colors" (after the Parton hit song), is also based on a true story, Dolly experienced when she was growing up in the mountains of Tennessee. Natural disasters and poverty try to harm the Christmas spirit of the Parton family. After some miracles, the movie transcends the message of close family and being home for Christmas. It also shows that Dolly by age nine is about ready to break out from the mountains of East Tennessee and conquer the world as an artist.

The movie also starred Dolly's sister Stella Parton and former Sugarland member Jennifer Nettles in her first and lauded role as an actress. While Dolly plays a local prostitute, The Painted Lady, in the movie, Alyvia Alyn Lind plays a young Dolly who befriends her. Nettles had the role of Dolly's mom, Avie Lee.

"I am so very proud and excited to have "Christmas of Many Colors" be nominated for an Emmy award," Dolly Parton said in a press release, announcing the nomination. She also thanked all her fans, who watched the Christmas movie.
In the clip below, Dolly explains why she made a sequel of the movie and why she wanted to have a cameo in it.

The winners will be announced during a show hosted by Steven Colbert on September, 17 on CBS.

Sources: tyminskimusic.com, tennessean.com, @tyminskimusic, webster PR, Variety, IMdb,

Loretta Lynn Moves New Album To 2018 - Cancels Remaining Dates

2017-07-13T09:40:00.003-07:00

"Coalminer's Daughter" Loretta Lynn, who suffered a stroke in May, was able to leave a rehabilitation facility and is now back home in Tennessee surrounded by her family.

“Thank you so much for all of your prayers, love, and support. I’m happy to say that I’m at home with my family and getting better by the day! My main focus now is making a full recovery so that I can get back to putting all of me into what I love, sharing my music with all of you."
she posted on her website.

Besides recovering and therefore canceling the remaining 2017 tour dates, the 85-year-old singer also postponed the release of her new album, "WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT" which was supposed to be released in August to some time next year.

"I now want to wait to release it next year because this record is so special for me. It deserves me at my best and I can’t wait to share it. I want to thank everyone for hanging in there with me. I am getting stronger every day and can’t wait to get back out there with all of you."

Produced by John Carter Cash and Loretta's daughter Patsy Lynn Russell, the album, like last year's Grammy-nominated album "FULL CIRCLE," offers a combination of new songs and re-recordings of some of her biggest hits, like "Coalminer's Daughter," "Don't Come Home A-Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind)." and a retake on "God Makes No Mistakes" from her 2004 album "Van Lear Rose." All of the songs, on the highly expected album, were either written or co-written by Lynn. Three of the new songs "Ruby's Stool," "The Big Man" and "I'm Dying for Someone to Live For" are collaborations with Shawn Camp, two "Ain't No Time To Go" and "These Ole Blues" were co-written with daughter Patsy. The song list for the new album also mentions an obscure song, Loretta co-wrote with Lola Jean Dillon, "Another Bridge To Burn." It may be a recording of a song, Loretta was talking about to Neil Strauss in a 1999 New York Times Interview but so far hasn't seen the light of day yet.

In her message on her website, Loretta also cracked a joke, about Willie Nelson still being around:

"I’m just letting everybody know that Willie ain’t dead yet and neither am I, and I can’t wait to see all of you on the road!”

She probably quipped the joke, as Nelson released "Still Not Dead" on his album "PROBLEM CHILD" earlier this year. But both octogenarians look at life and death intently and showcased that in a beautiful duet recording of Loretta's son-in-law Mark Marchetti penned-song "Lay Me Down" from "FULL CIRCLE."

According to family sources, she's getting stronger every day - we sure wish her a speedy recovery.

Sources: LorettaLynn.com, YouTube, MarkMarchetti.com, RollingStone.com,

Mary Sarah - Comfortable Alone - "Without You" - Single Review

2017-07-10T21:42:00.002-07:00

Most people may know Mary Sarah as a semi-finalist (finishing fifth) from the TV talent show "The Voice" from 2016. But the 22-year-old Texan wasn't a newcomer to music for that show; she actually already was able to look back on a career spanning over a decade. After her TV experience last year, she now just released her first single, "Without You."

To completely understand who Mary Sarah is, we have to roll back the tape of life. Starting in church and with vocal lessons when she was about nine, she started performing regularly on what is called the Texas Opry circuit, smaller Opry venues in more rural environments. When she was 12 she ventured west for a development deal and got signed by Kidz Bop and an ensuing 6 months tour across the United States. Back in Texas, the late great singer/songwriter and producer Freddy Powers took her "under his wings." Having been Merle's neighbor on a houseboat and frequent co-author, Powers penned Haggard classics like "Natural High" and "A Friend In California." Some of his musical influences are definitely part of "Without You."

When she was 15 she released her debut album "CRAZY GOOD" and three years later doubled down with "BRIDGES," a heartfelt collection of well-known songs, done as duets with the original singers of the hits. Yes, Powers may have helped with introductions, but it was her sheer talent, that made it possible for her to record duets with everybody from the late Ray Price, Merle Haggard, Lynn Anderson and Powers to still living legends like Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, the Oak Ridge Boys, Ronnie Milsap, Vince Gill, Tanya Tucker and even Neil Sedaka.

Fast forward to #77seventeen, as her own hashtag proclaimed. As a gift to herself and to her fans, Mary Sarah released her first single "Without You" since "The Voice" on her birthday. Co-written with Gospel songwriter and producer David Garcia, Bart Butler (Jon Pardi's current single "Heartache On The Dancefloor") and former Dreamworks recording artist Mike Walker it easily bridges the old with the new.

Despite a low-profile, almost restraint jazz-bluesy arrangement (evoking Amy Winehouse) the prominent steel guitar sets traditional contra tones. The lyrics of the mid-tempo break-up song evolve from early hurt and tears to a resolute empowered woman, who is ready again to face the world and actually feels comfortable to be without her former partner. Written from experience, Mary Sarah was quoted:

“The beauty of the poetic words is that finding yourself through a broken relationship is a very empowering thing to do”.

Her true delivery shows honesty and self-determination to move on. It's a remarkable effort and I know, Freddy Powers would be proud of his former "student." Now we just can wish that the powers that are in radioland share the song on their airwaves with a greater public so we all can enjoy the delights of that new single.

Lyrics:
You left a mark on my heart that I never thought would go away
I cried so hard in the dark I stained my pillow case
Mascara Black, wishin' you'd come back, but that was yesterday

But what a waste
Yeah I'd never thought I would, but baby I'm all good without you

I've got a move on, new song that I'm singing to
I've got a throwback, come back, step in my groove
I've got these going out paint the town red pair of shoes
You bet I do, jokes on you
No, you never thought I would, but baby I'm all good without you

Without you, I got room to breath
I'm finding who I am
I finally had time to see that you just ain't the man
That I thought you had seemed
You're just not all I cracked ya up to be
Yeah, I never thought I would, but baby I'm all good without you

I've got a move, on new song that I'm singing to
I've got a throwback, come back, step in my groove
I've got these going on, paint the town red pair of shoes
You bet I do, jokes on you
No, you never thought I would, but baby I'm all good without you

Yeah I never thought I would, but baby I'm all good without you

I've got a move on, new song that I'm singing to
I got a throwback, come back, step in my groove
I've got these going on, paint the town red pair of shoes
You bet I do
No, you never thought I would, but baby I'm all good without you

No, you never thought I would, but baby I'm all good without you

I'm good

***(*)/***** 3.5/5

Here's also a live version of the song, recorded on WSMV Channel 4 in Nashville

The track is now available at all digital outlets including iTunes and Google Music. Mary Sarah is managed by 144 Entertainment, PR by April Dickey -Bandwagon Publicity
Sources: marysarah.com, youTube, Spotify, Bandwagon Publicity,

German country singer Gunter Gabriel is dead!

2017-06-23T13:00:00.000-07:00

German country & trucker songs singer Gunter Gabriel is dead. He died from complications falling down stairs, a day before his 75th birthday.

According to German tabloid "Berliner Kurier" Gabriel fell on the eve of his birthday in a hotel in Herburg after celebrating with some friends his June 11th birthday. Even though he had a bleeding laceration, he thought nothing bad of it and went to bed, not realizing he had a fracture of a cervical vertebra. He had to be rushed to a hospital the next day, where he later had a circulatory collapse and passed away on June 22nd.

For many German country fans, especially truckers, he was their outspoken hero, calling things by name and using "German" to sing his Schlager and country songs. Born Günter Caspelherr on June 11th, 1942 he his first successes as a writer of Schlager (German pop songs) mostly for other artists. Beginning in the 70's he started to have hits of his own. He often took American country songs and "translated" them into the German language.

Gunter was a man of the people and for the people, songs like "Hey Boss, Ich Brauch Mehr Geld" (Hey Boss, I need a better pay) made him a blue collar idol. Heavily indebted at one point, he offered to play house concerts at 1000 Euros a piece to be able to pay off his debt. After 800 private concerts, he was debt-free. He is survived by four children, living all over Europe. He was on of the pioneers in Germany to promote country music.

Married several times, having kids out of wedlock, being a heavy drinker and then in later years sobering up - his life was more like a rollercoaster ride. In this outspoken portrait (NSFW) Gunter shares his vision of how he would have liked to die, rambles about his life and his meetings with his idol Johnny Cash. But Gabriel's persona was more David Allan Coe than aping the Man in Black.
(English subtitles)

Sources: Berliner Kurier, Gunter Gabriel Facebook (Photo), YouTube,

Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Country Artists Of All Time - Do You Agree?

2017-06-16T07:41:00.000-07:00

Greatest Artist compilation lists had, have and will always stir up controversy. Nothing is as sacred as your own favorite singer and when he/she doesn't make the list or is ranked in the nose-bleed section, fans feel betrayed. Part of it has to do with a social feeling of suddenly being marginalized by listening to an artist that did not make the A-List. Such compilations also always come up with omissions or inclusions that shouldn't be listed. And the new list by music publication Rolling Stone magazine listing the "100 Greatest Country Artists of All Time" does exactly what I just tried to explain.

RS asked 14 journalists to come up with the ultimate artist list, that defines country music. Well, a list like this doesn't just contain artists from last year or even the last decade. Country Music has a rich history, where the "commercial" origins of it, started 90 years ago with the so-called "Bristol Sessions" in Tennessee. Ralph Peer representing Victor Talking Machines recorded 76 songs by 19 performers during the 12 days he stayed in Bristol. Not only did the recordings introduce the traditional music of southern Appalachia, but they also generated the first two superstars, The Carter Family & the yodelln' brakeman Jimmie Rodgers of what later would be called country music. Western Swing with its probably most famous fiddler, Bob Wills followed roughly a decade later. Hollywood cowboys sang in movies and after starting in 1925, the Saturday night portion of the Grand Ole Opry became nationwide when it was picked up by NBC in 1939.

The war years and their aftermath (socially, economically) not only changed society but music as well. Suddenly songs about drinkin', cheatin' and havin' a good time were as popular as the old story songs and gospel music from before the war. A secularization of the themes started to appear, women entered the workforce and wanted to be looked upon as equal to their partners. New instruments and sounds appeared. Several sub-styles started to disappear like the cowboys in the prairies, Western Swing and other forms led to rockabilly and Rock'n'Roll. People started to go out to clubs and Honky Tonks to either drown their sorrow or to find a new honey just to dance with. The West Coast had its own California or better Bakersfield sound, that was rawer than what the by now slicker styles out of Nashville were offering. A whole outlaw movement came in the 70s when artists were fighting to keep creative control on what they want to record and want to be released to the public. With smoother Soul, R&B and Pop influences, country music was pronounced dead in the mid-80s by the New York Times only to be shook up a year later with the arrival of new traditionalist movement, trying to take country music back or at least incorporate some of its roots. New marketing ideas led country music from the clubs and dancehalls into arenas and stadiums, simple performing shows now became "circus" events for the masses. And sure enough by the end of the century, the music started changing again, less and less of what is considered having its roots in one of the many styles country music went through were abandoned. Today's major artists with a few exceptions offer a non-distinguishable contemporary sound with modern R&B, Hip Hop and EDM influences.

So what I tried to put into two paragraph synopses encompasses the whole history of country music - and I'm sure I may have omitted some sub-genres, the 14 compilers had to go through. Basically a rich 90-year-old history of what defines American music and to come up with just 100 of the Greatest Country Artists of All Time. So before you start complaining that Bobby Lee or Bobbie Lou are missing, unfairly ranked, or shouldn't be on this list, envision the above synopsis of 90 years musical evolution and history.

I don't want to leave any spoilers and rankings because you should have your own experience with the list. And I'm sure that your taste, your surroundings, your upbringing and your listening habits, as well as your age, may produce a slightly different list. So now I'm looking forward to your comments. What would YOU have done differently?

Here's a short spoiler video depicting the Top Ten of the genre.

Rhonda & Daryle go "Above And Beyond" - Duet Album "American Grandstand" out in July

2017-06-09T19:59:00.002-07:00

Late August last year, "Queen of Bluegrass" Rhonda Vincent announced on her Facebook page that she's recording a duet album with 90's traditionalist Daryle Singletary and posted the above picture of them both in the recording studio.

Singletary, a mid 90's traditionalist, who had Rhonda singing background on his debut album on Giant and later on his indie releases was all excited “If you love traditional country music, and remember songs originally sung by well-known duet partners like George Jones and Tammy Wynette, Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn, and Merle Haggard and Bonnie Owens, this is a must-have CD that we are extremely excited about.”

Rhonda, who branched out from Bluegrass to traditional Country Music before, like on her 2014 album "Only Me" praised Singletary as one of the best singers in this generation of country music and went on to praise him even more: “It’s so fun to sing with someone who challenges me as a singer. The songs were given great thought, along with one that was totally unexpected. It’s one of the best projects I’ve ever been part of. I am so proud of this recording, and I cannot wait for the world to hear our wonderful creation, American Grandstand.”

Now about a month (release date is July 7th) before "AMERICAN GRANDSTAND" is hitting the stores, Daryle and Rhonda are heavily promoting it during CMA week (formerly Fan Fair) in Nashville with several shows. Being one of 20 acts not to miss according to music magazine "Rolling Stone," one of the shows they performed together at, was the "Music City Roots - Live From the Factory" Show hosted by Jim Lauderdale on June 7th, where the opening track of "American Grandstand," the Harlan Howard penned classic "Above And Beyond" was then shared to YouTube. First recorded by Wynn Stewart as a single in 1960, then by Buck Owens later that year, and then Rodney Crowell in the '80s, who celebrated his fifth number one song with the classic, it's nice to see that timeless song done as a duet.

Besides "Above And Beyond" and their current single "One" the list below reveals the full tracklist of "AMERICAN GRANDSTAND," the title track actually a new song actually written by Rhonda Vincent as part of their collaboration.

American Grandstand Track Listing:
1. Above and Beyond
2. One
3. After The Fire Is Gone
4. American Grandstand
5. Slowly But Surely
6. As We Kiss Our World Goodbye
7. Can’t Live Life
8. Golden Ring
9. We Must Have Been Out of Our Minds
10. Louisiana Woman Mississippi Man
11. A Picture of Me Without You
12. Up This Hill and Down

If you would like to pre-order the "American Grandstand" and get an immediate download of their current single "One," you can click here.

For more information about Music City Roots - Live From the Factory in Franklin, Tennessee, for a schedule of upcoming artists performing on the show and a direct link to see a streaming video, visit their official website - you may also find information on their facebook page

Sources: YouTube; musiccityroots.com; Webster PR; rollingstone.com; rhondavincent.com; darylesingletary.net

Bailey Bryan Doesn't "Own It" - Her Debut Single Tanks (Review)

2017-01-11T06:39:00.001-08:00

"Own It," debut by 18-year old Washingtonian, Bailey Bryan is another blatant attempt to promote and appeal bad pop music as country to oblivious suburban teenagers throwing a tantrum. And no it's not a cover of Drake's 2013 song with the same title. Even though the song - according to press releases - is supposed to have a positive message, it does not. It advocates to not listen to everybody else (even parents?) and transmits the typical feeling of youth today, that everybody owes them, that they are entitled and that life is gonna be a breeze. Well, hello real world!

Driving to school in Sequim [Skwim] behind tractors is about the extent of her country raising, else she was drawn to the big city to the East, Seattle to indulge in the underground hip hop and alternative scene. She cites Drake, Nirvana, Macklemore, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers as influences. She must have heard Drake's song and decided to write her own "Own It."

By 15 she was signed by song publisher Kompass Music and started to make monthly trips to Nashville to write and co-write songs. One of her mentors and co-writer of "Own It" is master tunesmith Dennis Matkosky, who had number one hits in every music genre besides Rap and who has worked with everybody from Diana Ross, Cece Winans, Chicago to LeAnn Rimes and Keith Urban. The other co-writer, Casey Brown is currently touring with Rascal Flatts as a band member and according to Rolling Stone magazine, is the one responsible to turn RF on to some EDM beats.

All the press releases and the copycats thereof on their according to websites like "This Smells Like Rotten Nashville" praise "Own It" as a ditty of genuine honesty and wisdom beyond the young gal's age. Really? It caters to teen-angst-ridden millennials conveying the Kumbaya message about finding your true self. Go for it, and then let reality smack you in the face. The pursuit of happiness is long gone, remember you'll never get out of this world alive.

“’Own It’ is so special to me because it’s not only one of the most autobiographical songs I’ve written, but it pretty much embodies the way that I hope to inspire other people with my music,” Bryan was quoted on a PR sheet. And it got even worse: “My dream is to see people listening to songs like this one and feeling more understood, and more confident about themselves…not to mention having FUN. I’m so excited that I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to do that with my music.”

For how abstruse the lyrics are from reality, keep on reading; else jump to the video below.

Own It
I'm right even when I'm wrong
I break things like hearts and iPhones
Patsy Cline when it's raining
In the car with my friends, I'm Jay Z
Can't dance but I won't stop
In my little black dress and hightops
Don't care but still get jealous
Without GPS, I'm helpless
But I'm not gonna stress
I'm such a beautiful mess

[Chorus]
Who cares what they say
I never listen anyway
In my head, yeah I'm cool
Gonna keep making my own rules
So call me crazy
Dysfunctional, maybe
I don't care, I'll show it
'Cause I own it
Own it, own it
'Cause I own it
Own it, own it
Oh, oh

I'm ambitious but don't like work
I write love songs, can't flirt
Awkward in conversation
But I'm Shakespeare when I'm texting, ha
Sweatpants but I'm still a lady
Trip and fall in public, gracefully
Wild, but I'm nerdy
I party hard 'til at least 9:30

[Chorus]

[Bridge]
Own your coolness
Own your crazy
Own your story in the making
Own your passion
Own your style
Own your stupid
Own your brave and
Own your wings and your mistakes
Own your style
Own your stupid
We're not gonna stress
We're all such a beautiful mess

[Chorus]

Musically the song is packaged into a mediocre pop jam, with undoubtedly a catchy, but non-distinct groove to it, like every other cookie-cutter contribution out of the city on the banks of the Cumberland. Simply forgettable as it sounds like everything else on the radio these days. Her rather weak, run-of-the-mill voice doesn't help either to promote it. She simply doesn't "Own It" to be a star (yet).

The only thing that may help Bryan is her strong worldwide management company, Red Light Management, which also handles the affairs of douchebags Sam Hunt and Luke Bryan (no relation) - maybe an opening gig on one of these guys' tours may help spread the bubbly message. Her label, Warner Music Nashville (WMN) (together with Indie 300 Entertainment out of New York) lauded the single and that accompanying video as groundbreaking.

That's a bit far-fetched, it's a simple video, using a smartphone with app-du-jour Snapchat (et alia) and therefore vertical and not horizontal. How revolutionary to put Social Media in a video? And voila, you have a video with "street cred" appealing to the targeted demographics of a lost youth who's addicted to staring for hours into their electronic gadgets. What's next, a video shot with Going Live on Facebook? That said, it's not to diminish the efforts of video company Green Shoe Studios. They did a superb job, for what they were asked to do by WMN and the management company.

The best part of the video comes at the very end - asking you to slide the button to the right to power the phone (and therefore the video) off. What a relief. I doubt she will be making an impact, even with the major push behind her. The single is expected to impact country radio later this month, but the streaming numbers on YouTube speak for themselves. An audio portion was released seven months ago and has acquired a little bit more than 33,000 streams, about 4,000 more than her now official video in the last four days.

★/★★★★★ (1/5)

Sources: Warner Music Nashville, YouTube, BMI, SongwriterUniverse, redlightmanagement.com, Rolling Stone, People magazine, Spotify,

Dolly Parton Helping Victims of Tennessee Fires

2016-12-06T06:23:00.001-08:00

Photo © Bruce McCamish (flickr - used by permission)

14 people dead, over 140 injured, over 1750 structures destroyed or inhabitable - this the sad result of the Tennessee wildfires in Sevier County. Country singer Dolly Parton now announced that she will help displaced people with monthly payments and a telethon to help the victims is planed for next Tuesday (12/7). In the meantime two juveniles were arrested by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and charged with aggravated arson. They are suspected to be connected to the fires.

Dolly Parton who not only was born and grew up in the area, but the area is also where she has several entertainment businesses and restaurants, the main attraction being Dollywood. As you can see in the cover picture by Knoxville photographer Bruce McCamish the flames came pretty close to the DreamMore Resort, which is part of the Dollywood complex. As you can see on the interactive map from Sevier county (via Weather.com) below, the 4000 people town of Gatlinburg got hit really bad. Fortunately most of downtown was spared and the town will reopen for business this coming Friday. And while a visit and spending money in the region is a good thing, it can't be the only thing.

Dolly believes "that charity begins at home," and that many of the families being affected by the wildfires are "family." So Dolly, with some of her business entities came up with the My People Fund a home-based charity, through her non-profit Dollywood Foundation. 100 percent of the donations will go to the affected families and help is immediate - people who will register to be helped will be given a check on the day of their registration. (All the necessary information to help out can be found at the bottom of the blog.)
.

“My home in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee is some place special. Wildfires have affected many of the people—my people—who live in those beautiful mountains. We want to provide a hand up to those families who have lost everything in the fires. I know it has been a trying time for my people and this assistance will help get them back on their feet.”

Every family that lost their primary residence, as owners or renters, is eligible for $1000 a month support, until they get back on their feet again.

Dolly with a little help from some of her friends, Reba McEntire, Kenny Rogers and Alison Krauss will have a three hour telethon "Smoky Mountains Rise" to benefit the My People Fund on Tuesday, Dec 13 (7pm CST) on US TV station Great American Country. (GAC.) Besides being on TV, the event will also be simulcast through several on-air and digital radio platforms like IHeart Media, Cumulus Media's NASH Nights LIVE and others.

Additionally, other celebrities joining "Smoky Mountains Rise" will be announced in the coming days.

Here are the necessary links and contacts if you would like to help out:
To contribute to the My People Fund, visit dollywoodfoundation.org or send by mail to My People Fund, c/o Dollywood Foundation, 111 Dollywood Lane, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863.
During the telethon, you can call 1-866-CARE MORE to donate to the My People Fund.

You can share this with the following hashtags as well #MyPeopleFund and #someplacespecial.

Source: Webster PR, Bruce McCamish (flickr), Sevier Couny via weather.com (interactive map), gatlinburg.com

"Daddy's Hands" Singer, Holly Dunn Passes

2016-11-21T19:26:00.005-08:00

I met Holly Dunn in the early 90s, after a concert, where she was opening for Charlie Rich at the legendary Austin Opry House. Standing around, outside the tour bus and being joined by a young Paula Nelson (Willie's daughter) the three of us shot the breeze and exchanged stories.

Even though I knew since March that she was diagnosed with a rare, very malicious form of ovarian cancer, her passing took me rather by surprise. Holly was only 59 years old and spent the last decade or so, in New Mexico, where she painted as an artist and where she passed away on Monday (11/14).

During our conversation over 20 years ago, she told me how she wrote her signature song, which started her career, "Daddy's Hands" for her father, a minister, as a father's day gift. Even though the song "only" reached #7 in the Country Charts in November of 1986, she was nominated for two Grammys (Best Country Song & Best Country Vocal Performance, Female) because of it. An earlier version was recorded by family trio The Whites in 85. In April of '87 she was crowned "Top New Female Vocalist 1986" by the Academy of Country Music and in October of the same year won the Horizon Award by the Country Music Association.

Daddy's hands were soft and kind when I was cryin'
Daddy's hands were hard as steel when I'd done wrong
Daddy's hands weren't always gentle but I've come to understand
There was always love in daddy's hands

Holly Suzette Dunn, born in San Antonio, on August 22nd, 1957 also told me, that their house was always open, with different musicians often coming by for a visit - Sonny James, Roy Orbison, Porter Wagoner - I recall her even telling Paula, that a young Willie used to show up too. But besides all the country music influences, she mentioned James Taylor, Carole King, The Beatles, and Barbara Streisand as influential to her music, and yes music was encouraged. Dunn already had a band during her high school years, called Freedom Folk. According to the "All Music Guide to Country," Freedom Folk was selected to represent Texas at the bicentennial celebration in 1976 at the White House. During her years at Abilene Christian University, she was also part of the USO-touring choir, the Hilltop Singers.

Move to Nashville & MTM years

Still in college, "Out of Sight, Not Out of Mind," a song she had written with her brother, Chris Waters was recorded by Cristy Lane on her "Love Lies" album. After graduating Holly decided to move to Nashville. Besides odd side jobs, she started singing demos and later writing songs for the same publisher, CBS Songs, as Chris. One of her songs, she co-wrote with her brother and Tom Shapiro, "I'm Not Through Loving You Yet" became a Top Ten Hit for Louise Mandrell, others were recorded by Marie Osmond, Sylvia, and lesser-known artists, some from Sweden and Canada. Often singing the demos, the trio wrote, Holly was still hoping for a singing career on her own.

In 1984 she got signed by Tommy West to MTM Records and released her debut "HOLLY DUNN" a year later - her first single (not available on any album) "Playing For Keeps" (Dunn, Waters, Shapiro) with a pop new-wave arrangement, stalled at #62 of the country charts, two other singles "My Heart Holds On" (#64 Hugh Prestwood) and "Two Too Many" (#39 Dunn) didn't leave much of an impact and then "Daddy's Hands" was released and gave her a first Top Ten Hit. In January of '87 a duet with Michael Martin Murphey, "A Face In The Crowd" (Karen Staley, Gary Harrison) from his "AMERICANA" album was released and not only gave her another Top Five hit (#4) but also another Grammy nomination in the duet category, which they both lost to Ronnie Milsap and Kenny Rogers.

Her second album "CORNERSTONE" gave her the Top Ten Singles "Love Someone Like Me" (Radney Foster, Dunn #2), "Only When I Love" (Waters, Shapiro, Dunn #4) and "Strangers Again" (Waters, Dunn #7). Her third and last album for MTM, the self-produced (with Waters & Warren Peterson) "ACROSS THE RIO GRANDE" had the hits "That's What Your Love Does To Me" (Chick Rains, Bill Caswell #5) and "(It's Always Gonna Be) Someday" (Waters, Shapiro, Dunn #11). After that parent company, MTM Enterprises was sold to a British TV conglomerate with the record label part being spun off, acquired, and embedded into RCA.

In 1989 Holly Dunn was added as a regular cast member of the Grand Ole Opry during the Opry's 64th birthday celebration.

Warner Brothers years

Being picked up by Warner Bros, with her old catalog going there too, Holly was able to finally celebrate her two #1 singles “Are You Ever Gonna Love Me” (8/26/89 - Dunn, Shapiro, Waters) and “You Really Had Me Going” (11/17/90 - Dunn, Shapiro, Waters) from "THE BLUE ROSE OF TEXAS" and "HEART FULL OF LOVE" respectively. "BLUE ROSE" also had the Joe Diffie (w/Lonnie Wilson, Wayne Perry) penned "There Goes My Heart Again" which hit the Top Five (#4) and on which Diffie sang background vocals. Dolly Parton did the same on her cover of "Must Of All, Why." The self-penned "Anniversary For Being A Fool" stalled at #63. while the title track of "HEART", a Kostas composition, reached the Top Twenty (#19), It was Holly's last Top Twenty hit.

A duet she recorded with Kenny Rogers "Maybe" (Bill Rice, M. Sharon Rice) from his album "SOMETHING INSIDE SO STRONG" reached #25 in 1990.

With her career stalling, Warner Bros. decided to release "MILESTONES," a Greatest Hits compilation, combining her hits for MTM, with her chart singles for Warner Brothers. Talking about bad timing, the self-written single out of the collection, "Maybe I Mean Yes" came out right at the wrong time, when the subject of date rape and the outcry "No Means No" were gaining traction due to some prominent lawsuits. With its refrain stating "When I say no, I mean maybe, or maybe I mean yes" it caused controversy. The label and Holly had to pull the single of the radio market after it reached #48. Another single from the album, written by brother Chris "No One Takes The Train Anymore" failed to chart.

The last album for Warner Brothers, "GETTING IT DUNN" was released in June of 1992. Instead of co-producing, brother Chris Waters was replaced by guitarist/producer Paul Worley (later of Martina McBride, Dixie Chicks & Lady Antebellum fame). But none of the three singles "No Love Have I" (Mel Tillis #67), "As Long As You Belong To Me" (Dunn, Waters, Shapiro #68), and "Golden Years" (Sam Hogin, Gretchen Peters #51) cracked the Top 40 anymore, and Holly Dunn was let go.

In 1995 Dunn signed with River North Records and released "LIFE AND LOVE AND ALL THE STAGES" which yielded her last single cracking the charts "I Am Who I Am" (Dunn, Waters, Shapiro #56). "LEAVE ON BRIDGE STANDING" followed two years later and by that time Dunn had joined WWWW (W4 Country) in Detroit as morning disk-jockey co-host. 2001/02 she worked for The Nashville Network (TNN) sitting in for Bill Anderson on "Opry Backstage." In 2003 Dunn released a gospel album "FULL CIRCLE" for OMS and her own company Holly Dunn Enterprises. She also announced her retirement from the music business

“I left the business because it was clear that radio had moved on and wasn’t interested in anything new from me. Without radio’s support, it just gets harder and harder to keep the wheels turning in a music career. Hit records are the engine that drives the train,”

Dunn explained to Christian magazine "Hallels" in June. Her move to Central Texas and later to Albuquerque also got her expunged from the cast of the Grand Ole Opry, a move criticized by many fans. In an interview with "the 9513" blog, Holly Dunn was quoted:

"I knew they’d been adding people since I left. But it hurt. Because I loved the Opry. And I still love the Opry."

Living in New Mexico, she started to paint, inspired by her surroundings either the Southwest or her home state, Texas (as this ruby chested hummingbird visiting the state flower, the bluebonnet.) They were offered through the Pena-Dunn Gallery in Santa Fe.

According to the New York Times, she is survived by her wife, Melissa Taylor, and her three brothers, Chris, Jerry, and Rodney. Funeral services were held on Saturday (11/19) and Holly is to be buried at the Salado Cemetery in Central Texas.

Sources: Image (Publicity Shot), Painting - her Facebook Art Page, HollyDunn.com (unfortunately her facebook page and her website were immediately eliminated after her death), Hallels, Billboard, BMI, 9513, The New York Times, lpdiscography.com, opry.com,

CMA 50 Awards - Kumbaya Fest - Winner's List

2016-11-03T21:08:00.004-07:00

The 50th CMA Awards are over, the Italian-made crystal obelisks are distributed and the hangover is real. Not so much on my part but probably on broadcaster ABC and host CMA - even though offering a stur-studded annual celebration of "Country Music" - the ratings were a disaster. There were more than 3 times as many viewers watching the all deciding game 7 of the Baseball World Series between the Cubs and Indians, than people tuning in to the Kumbaya Fest out of the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

So let's see how I did in my preview - published here in my blog Nothing New On The Western Front, when the nominations came out. Besides the winners below, Dolly Parton was awarded the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award and Kenny Chesney with the Pinnacle Award.

My predications who is winning (*), whom I want to win (amu) and who actually won.

Entertainer of the Year
Garth Brooks
Luke Bryan
Chris Stapleton (amu)
Carrie Underwood (*)
Keith Urban

To God, the people and country music...all my love and gratitude, g #CMAawards50 pic.twitter.com/uOvTtFto4l
— Garth Brooks (@garthbrooks) November 3, 2016

I gotta have to think about that for a little while, Garth Brooks was the reason I left the CMA as a voting member, because I thought, that the trend where the music was going, was into BS-land (and I don't mean the Swiss state with that name). In retrospect, well at least compared to today's output over the last half decade, Garth was country. Writer and owner "Trigger" at "Saving Country Music" already wrote a wonderful piece about that - Time has been kind to the music of Garth Brooks,

Male Vocalist of the Year
Dierks Bentley
Eric Church (amu)
Tim McGraw
Chris Stapleton (*)
Keith Urban

Female Vocalist of the Year
Kelsea Ballerini
Miranda Lambert (*)
Maren Morris
Kacey Musgraves (amu)
Carrie Underwood

Album of the Year
Black, Dierks Bentley
Hero, Maren Morris
Mr. Misunderstood, Eric Church (amu)
Ripcord, Keith Urban
Storyteller, Carrie Underwood (*)

Single of the Year
"Die A Happy Man", Thomas Rhett
"Humble and Kind", Tim McGraw
"My Church", Maren Morris (*/amu)
"Nobody To Blame", Chris Stapleton
"Record Year", Eric Church

Song of the Year - this goes to the songwriters
"Burning House", Cam - Cam, Jeff Bhasker, Tyler Johnson (amu)
"Die A Happy Man", Thomas Rhett - Thomas Rhett, Sean Douglas, Joe Spargur
"Humble and Kind", Tim McGraw - Lori McKenna (*)
"My Church", Maren Morris - Maren Morris, busbee
"Record Year", Eric Church - Eric Church, Jeff Hyde
After "Girl Crush" last year, it's the second year in a row that Lori McKenna wins in the "Song of the Year" category.

Vocal Group of the Year
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town (*)
Old Dominion
Rascal Flatts
Zac Brown Band
whatever, besides Zac Brown Band mediocrity at best

Vocal Duo of the Year
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Joey + Rory (*/amu)
Maddie & Tae

Biggest surprise of the night was definitely the win by the Osborne Brothers, who annihilated not only the two douche-bags called Florida Georgia Line but I hope Bro-Country in general.

The single greatest moment of our lives. Thank you! (📸: Reid Long) pic.twitter.com/xSBaqjQg4S
— Brothers Osborne (@brothersosborne) November 3, 2016

Not trying to diminish the Osborne Brothers' success, but I personally still think that Joey + Rory posthumously should have gotten an award, as they were never honored by the CMA. Surviving husband Rory attented yesterday's festivities with the parents and sisters of his late wife.

New Artist of the Year
Kelsea Ballerini
Brothers Osborne (amu)
Maren Morris (*)
Old Dominion
Cole Swindell

Musical Event of the Year
"Different For Girls", Dierks Bentley/Elle King
"Home Alone Tonight", Luke Bryan/Karen Fairchild
"The Fighter", Keith Urban/Carrie Underwood (*)
"Think of You", Chris Young/Cassadee Pope
"You Are My Sunshine", Chris Stapleton/Morgane Stapleton (amu)

Music Video of the Year
"Burning House", Cam
"Fire Away", Chris Stapleton
"Humble and Kind", Tim McGraw
"Record Year", Eric Church
"Somewhere On A Beach", Dierks Bentley (*)

Musician of the Year
Jerry Douglas (*)
Paul Franklin
Dan Huff
Brett Mason
Derek Wells

So in my predictions I scored (4/12), in whom I wanted to win (1/9) as I didn't care in some categories to even put my vote in for a winner. The show itself was more country oriented than previous shows, which is very laudable. The Country Music Association (CMA) really tried hard to celebrate their 50th Anniversary Gala with a broad spectrum of old and new.

Actually I think there was too much old in the show - now don't get me wrong, all of these songs performed, are part of my all time favorites. But for some reason the whole thing was like a celebration of times gone bye - a documentation of how great country music was, instead of is. A commercial for the ultimate "Time" country collection you need to have. Somebody in my twitter feed actually said something like, imagine you could hear stuff like this on the radio. And no, you can't, only if you turn into an oldies or classic country music station. It would have been better if young artists would have had a chance to come out and present their take on the more traditional way with their own, new songs. And yes these artists are ready, waiting in the hallway to get on stage and show us how it can be done, obviously there is a market out there. I wanna see and hear Brandy Clark, Margo Price, Shelley Skidmore, William Michael Morgan, Jon Pardi, Jason James, Mo Pitney and everybody else that wants to take up real songs with real lyrics and real instrumentation. A step back doesn't mean we can't move forward.

There were some memorable performances and if you missed them, because of the game or the babysitter screwing with your TiVo, you can actually watch the whole show on abc.com by telling them who your TV provider is. For non-regular TV consumers, the show can be watched in it's entirety in a week's time. Already watchable are some clips, including the most talked about, Beyonce performing with the Dixie Chicks.

Sources: CMA (pic), abc.com, SavingCountryMusic.com, Twitter: @BrothersOsborne, @GarthBrooks

Forever And Ever, Amen - Jon Pardi Covers Randy Travis

2016-10-01T21:08:00.002-07:00

I’m excited to kick off the #ForeverCountryCovers series with my version of Randy Travis' 1987 CMA Song of the Year, “Forever and Ever, Amen" in celebration of the #CMAAwards50.

With these words, Jon Pardi commented on the above picture on his website, that he recorded a cover of Randy Travis' hit single "Forever And Ever Amen," which he recorded in celebration of “The 50th Annual CMA Awards." This year's awards will be given away on November 2, 2016. (For more about this year's nominees also read my blog "Nothing New On The Western Front."

Celebrating 50 years of awards, the CMA came up with the moniker "Artists Of Then, Now & Forever" and started with a big bang - the collaborative recording with over 30 artists "Forever Country," which is a sound and video montage of three hits "Country Roads, Take Me Home," "I Will Always Love You" and "On The Road Again" already leapt to Number One on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. Not only did the compilation recording doing surprisingly well on the radio, even though some radio PDs were kinda afraid to use "old" artists, but the numbers speak for itself: the single sold over 93'000 copies in its first week, coupled with millions of streaming and video hits, the song catapulted itself to the top. Extra bonus - the profits of the song all go to music education programs the CMA is sponsoring.

Besides the collaborative effort, the CMA for its anniversary also created the "Forever Country Covers" series, where artists cover songs which either got nominated several times or were winning several awards. Jon Pardi led the pack with his rendition of the Don Schlitz and Paul Overstreet penned hit "Forever and Ever, Amen" which was the Single and Song of the Year of 1987 for Randy Travis.

Pardi can't go as low as Travis' baritone (remember "It's Just a Matter of Time"), but he does an excellent job. I really like, how the whole arrangement is kept simple with just an acoustic and a resophonic guitar. Too bad there is no info to be found on who the excellent Dobro player and guitarist/harmony singers on this take are. Travis was all excited about it and tweeted congratulations to Jon Pardi.

Randy Travis who is still recovering from a stroke he suffered several years ago, and who made a non-singing cameo in the above mentioned CMA video "Forever Country" will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame this year, along with Charlie Daniels and producer, singer/songwriter and Monument record label founder Fred Foster.

In Jon Pardi news we can also add that his recent number one single, "Head Over Boots" was recently RIAA certified Platinum. His new single "Dirt On My Boots" was the most added single on country radio and got him with an audience impression of roughly 2 million already into the Top Fifty.

Tune in to “The 50th Annual CMA Awards,” LIVE Wednesday Nov 2 8|7c on ABC
Sources: JonPardi.com, YouTube, Billboard.com, Twitter

Ode To Texas Honky Tonks

2016-09-30T15:03:00.001-07:00

Writing my blog "Keeping Score At The Double Ringer" about this cool Honky Tonk in Zuehl (about 25 miles northeast of San Antonio), I was reminded that Texas Honky Tonks are not only a dying breed, but that music itself, that is (was) played in these places seems to disappear as well. Where are the drinkin', laughin', cryin' and dancin' places and songs of old?

Honky Tonk singer, songwriter, and radioman (KEQX - Pure Country), Justin Trevino has a wonderful ode, "Texas Honky Tonk" of his 1998 debut album with the same title, to the places that should be on the endangered species list of every human being. Not only is there a community as in social network, but simply a place to forget all your sorrow, pain, and misery.

Justin grew up in Central Texas and started playing professionally when he was 13 years old, his father bringing him to gigs. After meeting Johnny Bush he became a Bandalero (member of Johnny's band) from 1994-2003. He also was playing bass for Don Walser, Cornell Hurd, and Darrell McCall and still maintaining his own band. By 1997 he started recording and producing his own albums as well as albums for some of his idols Bush, McCall, Curtis Potter as well as some newcomers like Amber Digby or Ron Williams, just to name a few. "Whiskey River" penned by Bush is still used by Willie Nelson to open his live shows.

Texas Honky Tonk
Written and recorded by Justin Trevino

The jukebox in the corner is playing Whiskey River
The neon star shines bright, above the bar.
There's laughing, dancing, shootin' pool
Cryin', drinkin', Lonely Fools
And People who don't know where they are.
It's the kind of place to go to-
when you have no one to turn to-
to help you ease your pain and misery.
It's a hang-out for the losers
and a hideout for the boozers,
and the place to go for lonely fools like me.

It's just a honky tonk, a Texas honky tonk.
where the clicking of the tops
and the music never stops.
It's just a honky tonk, a Texas honky tonk.
but it's become my home since you've been gone.

I used to think that someday
we might get back together
I couldn't stand the thought of losing you.
But I must accept reality
that you're not coming back to me
you've found your happiness with someone new.
So I sit here in the same old chair.
pretending that I just don't care
trying to forget your love somehow.
So from the top of the world
to the bottom of a bottle
I've sunk too deep to ever pull out now.

It's just a honky tonk, a Texas honky tonk.
where the clicking of the tops
and the music never stops.
It's just a honky tonk, a Texas honky tonk.
but it's become my home since you've been gone.

Justin Trevino

Sources: YouTube, KEQX, justintrevino.com, amu communications photo

SR: Jon Pardi "Head Over Boots" #1 & "Dirt On My Boots"

2016-09-16T18:45:00.003-07:00

Good things come to those who wait. More traditional country fans were able to rejoice. "Head Over Boots" by Jon Pardi of his second album "CALIFORNIA SUNRISE" which was co-produced by the Northern Californian finally reached the top spot as the most played country single on the radio (Billboard) after a staggering 44 weeks on the charts by the end of August (8/27).

The song, an unusual shuffle (well at least in these times) with a slight rockabilly beat to it, sounds modern, even though it has a retro feel to it. It could have easily been done (in an even more traditional way) in the '60s by Conway, Ray, or Eddie.

Asked by trade magazine Billboard why he was using traditional instrumentation like a fiddle (Jenee Fleener) and steel guitar (Mike Johnson) on his recording - which is missing in today's country songs, Pardi was quoted:

Fiddle all day! There’s a lot of fiddle on this record. There are a lot of old sayings from the '90s and ‘00s: "Shuffles won’t work on country radio." "You can’t have a pedal steel lead on country radio." If someone says you can’t have a fiddle on county radio... this is what I grew up with. I’m helping country sound a little more country.

Playing the late Buck Owens Birthday Bash that weekend in Bakersfield, he received a signature Buck Owens guitar from local Bakersfield station KUZZ, as you can see in the picture above. Not only citing Buck but California country music in general, Pardi was quoted:

"This guitar represents CALIFORNIA, and I'm proud to help make people aware of BUCK's legacy."

Visiting his dad many, many moons ago in Central Texas, they visited Twin Sisters Dancehall (where they later also filmed the video) outside of Blanco together. That's where he got the inspiration for the song. Back in Nashville, he sat down with Luke Laird, and they co-wrote "Head Over Boots," both not really sure they had written a hit song.

And some radio DJs actually had to be twisted in their arms, as they were claiming that the song was too traditional for today's radio. Well UMGN, Capitol's parent company was able to convince the DJs with solid numbers. Pardi started selling the song digitally and outsold many other artists, who were way farther up in the charts, the song was certified Gold for over 635'000 downloads - and still sells about 9000 copies a week. He also did extremely well in "streaming" - his youTube views for the lyric and the conventional video added up for over 21 million streams, all streams combined (YouTube, Spotify, etc..) over 100 million streams. These are impressive numbers if you compare them to the terrible "Fix" #1 hit and Chris Lane (see SR: No "Fix" please - make Chris Lane disappear!) who has only around 7.5 million streams on YouTube.

★★★★(★)/★★★★★ (4½/5)
(scroll down to read about his new single "Dirt On My Boots")

I was hoping that the record company would follow this number one single with the outstanding "She Ain't In It," a song that evokes the timeless superiority of George Strait he defined for over 35 years. Maybe that's gonna be single number three of "CALIFORNIA SUNRISE." First, the powers there are, wanna keep the momentum going with boots, well more specific with "Dirt On My Boots."

Unfortunately, musical-wise the song is a U-turn to stupid radio mediocrity. There may be Banjo, Fiddle, and Steel accents in it, but the modern production destroys the real country feel of the lyrics. Written by Rhett Akins, Ashley Gorley, and Jesse Frasure, the song was according to a radio interview in Pardi's words 'way out there':

“...like, it was a super hip-hop kind of style. But I loved the lyrics; the lyrics were so country. I just loved that; that’s what really appealed to me [...} So we took it and made it more country, and I think it kinda really made a cool sound.”

WTF, somebody please chase Jesse Frasure out of the Country realm, back to Nicki Minaj or Drake. As a songwriter he's responsible for some of the worst crap coming out of Nashville - "High Class" (Eric Paslay), "Fix" (Chris Lane), "Road Less Traveled" (Lauren Alaina), and "Like The Sound Of That" (Rascal Flatts) just to name a few.

“Dirt on My Boots” was produced by Pardi and his long-time demo producer Bart Butler. Lyrically the song actually can be referenced to the old country theme of going out on a Saturday night, like Lefty Frizzell did in his tune "Shine Shave Shower" - with its lyrics:

Gonna shine, shave, shower, and brush my teeth

Go out a dancing and forget my grief

Make all the nightclubs in this town

'Cause my sweet baby's gonna show me around

It basically is a hard-working blue-collar guy, who wants to go out and woo his gal dancing with her in his high heeled cowboy boots:

Been up since the crack of dawn

Just trying to be paid

Been hotter than a thousand suns

I can't find no shade

Just two more rows and I'm good to go

Yeah, I'm shutting this tractor down

Get me a half an hour for a shave and a shower

And I'll be outside your house

and in the refrain (excerpt)

Gonna hit the club, gonna cut a rug

Burn it up like neon lights

Might have a little dirt on my boots

But we're gonna dance the dust right off them tonight

Got a little dirt on my boots

As a gentleman he even promises to leave his dirty boots outside, if he should be invited for coffee after the dancing:

Baby, we can slip right out of that barroom door

And when I take you home, don't worry babe

I'm gonna kick them off on the porch

The discrepancy between the quality of music and lyrics is so high that I included two different numbers, added up and divided by two, they give the rating of "Dirt On My Boots" as 3 out of 5.

Music: ★(★) 1½ - Lyrics: ★★★★(★) 4½ ★★★/★★★★★ (3/5)

Sources: Billboard, Mediabase, Roughstock, Vevo, BMI

Zac Brown Band Going Back To Foundation Of Success

2016-09-07T14:35:00.001-07:00

Currently finishing up their successful summer tour, "Black Out The Sun," Zac Brown Band released a video on their twitter account @zacbrownband on September 7, announcing a new album coming next year. Their latest album "JEKYLL + HYDE" was recently certified Platinum, while their debut album, 2008's "THE FOUNDATION" earned five times that honor for five million sold copies, just a couple of weeks earlier. No wonder then, that the band announced they want to go back to their "original" debut sound of "THE FOUNDATION."

https://t.co/XcBsKgnP3F
— Zac Brown Band (@zacbrownband) September 7, 2016

The recording for the new, yet untitled album is supposed to take place during the slower winter, "Colder Weather" months. Always loved the harmonies on this track from their second major-label album "YOU GET WHAT YOU GIVE"

Sources: Twitter, RIAA, ZacBrownBand.com,