When Thomas Rhett began releasing singles in 2012, he was positioned as a scruffy young singer-songwriter in the vein of Eric Church. This was reinforced with the punchy, flirty country-rock of his debut “Something to Do with My Hands” and the more contemplative follow-up “Beer With Jesus,” though neither of those releases had a huge
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Raleigh, N.C., native Priscilla Block was set on making a career in music from a young age — so much so that she packed up and moved the 500 or so miles west to Nashville right out of high school. It was a dream inspired in part, she shares, by Taylor Swift. “A huge reason why
On April 30, 1997 — 24 years ago today – Dwight Yoakam made a memorable guest appearance on Ellen DeGeneres’ eponymous ABC sitcom Ellen, and became a part of television history in the process. The specific episode was a watershed moment for primetime TV, one that caused national controversy when it initially aired: It was the now-legendary “coming
When Alan Jackson‘s mother, Ruth Musick Jackson, died in January 2017, the country legend wrote a song for her funeral service. Now, fans can hear that cut — “Where Her Heart Has Always Been” — complete with Mama Ruth’s voice. “Where Her Heart Has Always Been,” released on Friday (April 30), begins with Ruth Jackson
As the release of their collaborative album The Marfa Tapes draws near, the trio of Miranda Lambert, Jack Ingram, and Jon Randall are popping up with live appearances. On Wednesday, they performed the song “Geraldene” on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and followed it with the Thursday announcement of a new documentary. Like their previous televised performances, the
The tenuous nature of fame means that several artists have walked away from the ACM Awards never to be seen again, but Bobbie Gentry may be the only country singer to have done it so deliberately. On April 29, 1982, Gentry (then age 39) vanished. There was no farewell tour, final album or note about her
Garth Brooks has broken numerous records and won many prestigious awards, including multiple ACM Entertainer of the Year awards. His EotY win in 1992 was extra special, though, because it was his third consecutive win in the night’s biggest category. Brooks won his first ACM Awards two years earlier, in 1990. That year, he won Top Male Vocalist, Song of
Dolly Parton offers up her vocals on a new version of Rory Feek‘s “One Angel,” a song that he originally released as a solo performance in March of 2021. In the newly-released “One Angel,” Parton’s ethereal vocals gently back Feek’s on the track, helping to pull out the complex, painful and deeply personal emotions that inspired the song.
The Avett Brothers and Widespread Panic will headline the 2021 Mempho Music Festival, a three-day live-concert gathering at the Memphis Botanic Garden in Memphis held October 1st through 3rd. Along with the Avetts and Widespread Panic, who will play two of the three nights, the lineup includes Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Lucinda Williams,
Garth Brooks is gunning for the Husband of the Year title, according to Trisha Yearwood. When she contracted COVID-19 in February, he refused to isolate himself from her, even though he tested negative for the virus and could have gotten it from her. “He was really wonderful … He was really great,” Yearwood tells Kelly Clarkson during
Singer-songwriter Danny Golden‘s new “Cigarettes & Sunburn” music video uses a retro French film style to tell a story of lost love and the emotions that come with it. The new clip is premiering exclusively via The Boot; press play above to watch. In old-school, black-and-white style, Golden’s new video focuses on a woman, and his relationship with
Ashlie Amber is pretty upfront about the PG-13 theme of her new song “Those Nights,” but a new video of her performing it acoustically proves she’s not here for tasteless arousal. Meet Ashlie Amber: the full-scale entertainer. On cruise ships and in venues across America, the Colorado native has proven she can control a room with full production. This
When Miranda Lambert walked offstage at Denver’s Pepsi Center on March 2nd of 2020, it marked the last time she would perform in front of paying fans for more than a year. That dry spell came to an end last week when Lambert played her first three of five scheduled indoor concerts at Billy Bob’s
As sure as Memorial Day falling on a Monday, Luke Bryan will drop a new summer hit before the season officially begins. Add “Waves” to his growing playlist of vibrant, open-air radio songs. “One Margarita” (April 2020), “Knockin’ Boots” (April 2019) and “Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset” (May 2018) are three more that Bryan has dropped in time
Ten years ago, on April 26, 2011, a brand-new TV singing competition, The Voice, premiered on NBC. A decade later, the show remains popular and is now in its 20th season. The Voice was adapted for American television audiences from The Voice of Holland, a Dutch show that premiered in 2010. The show’s premise — to audition relatively unknown
Sam Hunt wears his heart on his sleeve in a new collaboration with pop singer-songwriter Sash Sloan, “When Was It Over?” The vulnerable, tender-hearted ballad finds the two in a call-and-response format as they explore all the should’ve-would’ve-could’ve moments that lead to the demise of a relationship. Sloan ponders if it was the non-existent fights or the time she missed his party
Whether it’s coming out of Nashville, New York, L.A., or points in between, there’s no shortage of fresh tunes, especially from artists who have yet to become household names. Rolling Stone Country selects some of the best new music releases from country and Americana artists. (Check out last week’s best songs.) Kylie Frey featuring Randy Houser,
Billy Currington is one of country music’s most consistent hitmakers, but he was a young artist looking for a shot when he made his Grand Ole Opry debut 18 years ago, on April 25, 2003. Currington had released his debut single, “Walk a Little Straighter,” to country radio just days before, on April 21, and
On Sept. 4, 2002, Kelly Clarkson won the first-ever season of American Idol; today, she’s a music superstar, known for both her pop and country tunes. While that Idol win is certainly one of Clarkson’s biggest career moments, there are a few others that deserve a call out as well. Clarkson’s collaborations with stars such as Reba McEntire, Jason
Kip Moore‘s new song “Good Life” comes with more grit than fans are used to, and that’s saying something. Hard-earned stories and raw arrangements are nothing new for the “She’s Mine” singer. With Jay Joyce on board as producer (and with Dan Couch as Moore’s co-writer), however, Moore’s country-rock becomes country-grunge. ”Good Life” presents a soulful, distorted sound that
Blake Shelton discovers both grace and a hell of a song in the new ballad “Bible Verses.” Written by three upstart songwriters in Joe Fox, Andrew Peebles, and Brett Sheroky, “Bible Verses” casts Shelton as a flawed man seeking to live better. His barometer for growth? How the words in his King James change their
A strange thing has happened since Justin Moore last released new music. Words like “traditionalist” and “conservative” have become supercharged, almost divisive descriptors. A liberal-leaning country music consumer might be quick to heap all of his or her fears and opposing ideologies onto an artist that identifies as such. It’s the equivalent to the opposite: labeling anyone
Thirty-five years ago today, on April 25, 1986, the Judds‘ freshman album, Why Not Me, was certified platinum, for sales of one million copies. Why Not Me, which was released on Oct. 15, 1984, includes three No. 1 singles: the title track, “Girls’ Night Out” and “Love Is Alive.” The record stayed at the top of the
Brett Young backs away from his personal narrative to offer “Not Yet,” his new radio single from an upcoming album. Sure, this is a love song, and he credits an experience shared with wife Taylor for his parts of the lyrics, but their romance doesn’t saturate the song. The singer’s last single, “Lady,” “Catch” —
Luke Bryan has announced a 36-date tour for 2021. The Proud to Be Right Here Tour is scheduled to begin July 8th at the St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview, an outdoor venue in Syracuse, New York. Bryan’s run is the latest in a flurry of country tours to be announced in the last few
Luke Bryan has announced the cities and dates for his 2021 Proud to Be Right Here Tour. The country superstar will hit the road for a series of live concerts in 2021 that will take him all over the United States, beginning on July 8 in Syracuse, N.Y. The currently reigning 2021 ACM Entertainer of
Thirty years ago today, on April 24, 1991, Garth Brooks won a record-breaking six times at the 26th annual ACM Awards. Brooks shares his one-night ACM Awards wins record with Faith Hill and Chris Stapleton, who each won six trophies in 1999 and 2016, respectively. At the 1991 ACM Awards, Brooks won trophies for Top Male Vocalist of the Year;
Alan Jackson puts his heart on the screen in his just-released ”You’ll Always Be My Baby” lyric video. The song is for his daughters, Mattie, Alexandra and Dani Grace, and this video makes them the stars. It’s a walk down memory lane — Jackson sings as snapshots of his three girls through the years roll across
Reba McEntire walks a lonely, desolate path in the new video for “Somehow You Do,” her first release in nearly two years. The song appears in the new film Four Good Days, starring Glenn Close and Mila Kunis. “Somehow You Do” was penned by songwriting great Diane Warren, who also wrote McEntire’s singles “What If”
Carly Pearce chased the spotlight for years, since dropping out of high school to perform at Dollywood, before she found success. Now, looking back, she’s okay with the waiting and hustling she had to do; in fact, it’s been helpful. “Age is an asset,” Pearce told The Boot in early 2020. “I used to think it was