On June 8, 1974, Dolly Parton‘s “I Will Always Love You” started its first and only week at No. 1 on the charts. It was the second chart-topper from her Jolene album — the title track also spent a week at No. 1 earlier in the year — and was certified gold in 2017. The lyrics
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Toby Keith revealed to fans Sunday that he has spent the past half year battling stomach cancer. “Last fall I was diagnosed with stomach cancer,” Keith wrote on social media. “I’ve spent the last 6 months receiving chemo, radiation and surgery. So far, so good. I need time to breathe, recover and relax.” The singer
Chris Stapleton‘s songwriting skills are nearly as renowned as his souful, rafter-reaching vocal prowess, but for his fourth single off his Starting Over album, the country superstar reaches for a cover. “Joy of My Life” is Stapleton’s tender reinterpretation of Creedence Clearwater Revival country rocker John Fogerty’s song from 1997. While it may not be
Carly Pearce had a major surprise up her sleeve when she took the stage to perform at Nissan Stadium during Day 2 of the 2022 CMA Fest in Nashville. Pearce surprised the crowd by bringing out Wynonna Judd, who joined her to perform the Judds classic, “Why Not Me.” Pearce performed her current single, “What
Forty-three years ago today (June 9, 1979) was a big day for Kenny Rogers: On that date, the singer soared to the top of the charts with his single “She Believes in Me,” from his album The Gambler. “She Believes in Me,” which was written by Steve Gibb, tells the story of a songwriter who soldiers
Accomplished singer-songwriter Kendell Marvel has shared “Put It in the Plate,” the groovy, cutting lead single from his upcoming new album Come On Sunshine, due out on Sept. 23. Penned by Marvel and Dee White, “Put It in the Plate” is the Illinois native’s searing response to televangelists who focus more on filling their pockets than practicing what they preach. “Money
Season 20 American Idol runner-up HunterGirl joined Season 19 winner Chayce Beckham on stage during CMA Fest on Friday (June 10). Moments later, Season 20 winner Noah Thompson turned up. The two men performed a version of Beckham’s song “23,” a rolling, acoustic, lyrical showcase he debuted on Idol in 2021. The Apple Valley, Calif., native was amid
Wynonna Judd and her husband, Michael Scott “Cactus” Moser, have been through a lot in their years of marriage. When they said “I do” on June 10, 2012, they didn’t know the devastating event that would take place just a couple of months later — but they emerged stronger from it. Judd and Moser (formerly of Highway 101
Miranda Lambert appeared on The Tonight Show Wednesday to deliver a sultry rendition of “Actin’ Up,” while backed by a full band. The playful number appears on the country superstar’s latest album, Palomino. “Actin’ Up,” which Rolling Stone called “a swaggering slice of woozy country-rock,” name-drops a wide variety of pop culture icons ranging from Elvis to Tiger
Oh to Be That Free, the fourth album from country singer-songwriter Michaela Anne, begins with an admission of selfishness: “It feels good to not think of anybody else / Not even you,” Anne sings on “I’m Only Human,” the album’s plainspoken opener. The rest of the album finds Anne struggling to balance her own desires with the needs
CMA Festival is back for 2022, and there are some great pictures to prove it. Downtown Nashville was filled with stages singing country music on Thursday (June 9), and as always the day was capped with some epic performances at Nissan Stadium. Keith Urban, Jason Aldean, Zac Brown Band and more closed Day 1 of
Pop star Demi Lovato is a thing of the past. The singer has unleashed a new grunge era with her latest single, “Skin of My Teeth,” on which she makes lyrical references to their former drug addiction and struggle with mental health. It’s taken from her forthcoming album Holy Fvck. On Thursday, Lovato appeared on
Illinois native Brett Eldredge first burst onto the country scene with the release of his 2013 debut record Bring You Back. The album spawned three No. 1 hits, ”Don’t Ya,” “Beat of the Music” and “Mean to Me,” and kicked off a career that’s lasted nearly a decade. Eldredge kept the momentum going with the release
Paul Cauthen boasts about having Benjamins to burn in “Fuck You Money,” an outrageous, tongue-in-cheek song on his latest album, the wildly entertaining Country Coming Down. And when he called from New York earlier this spring, it was obvious he’d taken the title to heart. The Tyler, Texas, country singer flew to New York on
Easton Corbin “Hey Merle” Easton Corbin saddles up with a rollicking neo-traditional new song, “Hey Merle.” A spirited ode to the iconic Merle Haggard, this catchy and euphoric number finds Corbin turning his eyes to the country elder statesman for advice, all while seamlessly weaving in the titles of his biggest hits. “Hey Merle, did your Mama cry on
Breakout country duo The Kentucky Gentlemen are set to release their debut EP, The Kentucky Gentlemen: Vol. 1, on July 22. Today (June 9), the talented siblings are giving The Boot readers an exclusive first listen to their romantic new track “Love Language.” 27-year-old twins Brandon and Derek Campbell moved to Nashville nearly a decade ago, but 2022 has
Vevo, the world’s leading music video network, announces the release of Camila Cabello’s Official Live Performance of “Lola” featuring Yotuel off her new album, Familia. Vevo’s Official Live Performances are the result of close creative collaboration with artists and their teams, resulting in a series of very special exclusive performances. “Lola” featuring Yotuel follows Camila’s previous Official Live Performances of “Bam
Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean, Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney, Jamey Johnson and Randy Houser — the country music world has a lot of BFFs. No wonder the genre has so many great best friend songs. It only makes sense: After all, it’s our buddies who are there for us
Toby Keith celebrates his home state in his new single “Oklahoma Breakdown,” a song that’s already got a strong history in Keith’s native Oklahoma. The song was written by singer-songwriter Mike Hosty, a fixture of the music scene of Norman, Okla., just south of Oklahoma City and an hour and a half from Keith’s hometown of
With seven albums and a lengthy list of accolades to his name, Sturgill Simpson has proven himself as one of modern country music’s most talented songwriters and performers. The Kentucky native kicked off his career by forming the band Sunday Valley in 2004, but the project eventually fizzled out. After moving to Nashville, Simpson spent years trying
Twenty-five years ago today, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill soared to the top of the charts. Their duet “It’s Your Love,” from McGraw’s Everywhere album, hit No. 1 on June 7, 1997. When McGraw was on his Spontaneous Combustion Tour in 1996, with Hill as his opening act, sparks flew, and the pair began dating. The
As queer country music becomes more mainstream, we find ourselves at a turning point: should the music parallel the conventions of commercial country, or remain defiantly queer? Paisley Fields knows where he stands: with “Jesus Loving American Guy (Limp Wrists),” they’ve written the queer country music anthem. In the music video, Paisley juxtaposes his image
On June 7, 2003, Kenny Chesney set a career milestone: He headlined his first stadium concert. According to CMT, Chesney’s stadium gig drew 61,780 people to Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. — home not just to the University of Tennessee, but also a place the native of nearby Luttrell knew well. “I sat right up
The Johnny Cash Show aired for 58 episodes between June 7, 1969, and March 31, 1971, capitalizing on the popularity of musical variety shows and Cash’s definitive prison albums (1968’s At Folsom Prison and 1969’s At San Quentin). It and a show that debuted just eight days later, Hee Haw, beamed country music into living
The latest single off of Dustin Lynch‘s Blue in the Sky album, “Party Mode,” features tropical twang and a chorus that couldn’t be easier to sing along to, but its lyrics tell a different story than just a simple, feel-good summer anthem. “Drinkin’ every single drink, seven nights a week / All over this town
Dustin Lynch has added a new leg of dates to his 2022 Party Mode Tour, starting this summer. The fun kicks off on July 15 with a date in Salina, Kan., and continues with 10 more shows that extend through early October, concluding with a date in Boston. “We knew we needed to keep this party going,
Eleven years ago today, on June 2, 2011, Shania Twain‘s celebrity status reached a new level. It was on that date that the singer received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, celebrating almost two decades of success in the music industry. Twain’s star was unveiled by President and CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce
One thing fans can count on when they tune into the Kelly Clarkson Show is the host covering various songs in the opening segment. Now Kelly Clarkson is taking some of her favorite covers from her “Kellyoke” segment and putting them on an EP. The short collection, titled Kellyoke, is set to drop on Thursday, June
Thirteen years ago today, on June 3, 2009, George Strait‘s Troubadour album was certified platinum, for sales of one million copies. The record, Strait’s 25th studio album, includes two No. 1 singles, “I Saw God Today” and “River of Love,” as well as one Top 10 single, the title track. “”I Saw God Today” is such a
The CMA Fest has become the latest country music festival to ban attendees from displaying Confederate flag imagery. Returning from a two-year Covid hiatus, the long-running Nashville event — scheduled for June 9 to 12 throughout the city — quietly made the policy change by listing “Confederate flag imagery of any kind” among the prohibited items