Music

Thirty-two years ago today (Jan. 13, 1990) was a bittersweet day for friends, family and fans of Keith Whitley: It was on that date that Whitley’s song “It Ain’t Nothin'” landed at the top of the charts, more than eight months after his death. “It Ain’t Nothin'” was the second single and second No. 1

Every week, The Boot highlights recent favorites from country, Americana and everything in between. In every list, you’ll find picks from our contributing team that we think you’ll love. Keep reading to check out the latest installment of The Boot’s Weekly Picks. Leyla McCalla “Fort Dimanche” Having broke ground with the Carolina Chocolate Drops and released her own

Ryan Hurd brought his full band to perform his song “Pass It On” on Jimmy Kimmel Live. The group, led by Hurd on vocals and guitar, gave the rollicking track a warm, collective vibe. The optimistic song had a particular resonance as Hurd crooned, “What good is your dollar or your love or your bottle/

A new country music drama starring Trace Adkins has been bumped from its high-profile premiere date. Fox’s Monarch was set to premiere on Jan. 30, right after the NFL’s NFC Championship Game. The reason for the Monarch delay is a familiar one: Fox cites the impact of COVID-19 in explaining the reschedule. The Hollywood Reporter‘s report

On this day (Jan. 12) in 1991, Garth Brooks soared to the top of the charts with his hit “Unanswered Prayers,” from his multi-platinum-selling album No Fences. The song, which Brooks co-wrote with Pat Alger and Larry Bastian, was a true-life account of an incident that the country superstar had been through with his then-wife, Sandy. “”Unanswered

When Spotify announced its Hot Country Artists to Watch list for 2022 on Tuesday, it was notable not for the inclusion of already known and buzzed about stars like Morgan Wade and Breland, but for its number of independent artists. Half of the 10-name list is made up of singer-songwriters without a major label record

Artists and members of the Black country music community are voicing their disappointment in the Grand Ole Opry after Morgan Wallen, just shy of a year after his racist slur scandal, made an unannounced stop on the legendary stage as part of up-and-comer Ernest‘s debut. The performance in question happened on Saturday (Jan. 8), with

Naomi and Wynonna Judd, the mother and daughter that make up the Grammy Award-winning duo the Judds, made country music history throughout their career. Naomi Judd was born Diana Ellen Judd on Jan. 11, 1946, in Ashland, Ky. She got married at the young age of 17 and had a daughter, Christina Ciminella (aka, Wynonna Judd),

Country singer Ernest made his Grand Ole Opry debut on Saturday night, but that milestone occasion is being overshadowed by the appearance of his surprise guest. Morgan Wallen, who faced an industry rebuke after being filmed using a racial slur 11 months ago, joined his Big Loud Records labelmate on the Opry stage to perform

Miranda Lambert, Jack Ingram and Jon Randall are offering a visual component to their 2021 release, the Marfa Tapes, with a documentary about the making of their acoustic project on a 5,000-acre ranch in the town of Marfa, Texas. Listening to the unvarnished, sparsely-produced result, you can hear background noises like airplanes, coyotes and cows, as

It’s a credit to both LeAnn Rimes and Trisha Yearwood, who both handled an uncomfortable situation with so much class, that (as far as we know) their competition for the song “How Do I Live” never got personal. At the 1998 Grammy Awards, Rimes performed the song and then stood offstage to learn if she

January 9, 2022 Exclusive Interview with Christian Lundberg, Composer and Hans Zimmer Collaborator Behind “Around the World in 80 Days” This is multi-instrumentalist and composer Christian Lundberg, for Hans Zimmer and Extreme Music’s joint venture collective for scoring composers, Bleeding Fingers Music. Christian most recently scored “Around the World in 80 Days,” a new upcoming

Maren Morris sings about the hustle to make it big in Nashville and references some of her old work in the new song “Circles Around This Town.” Released on Thursday alongside an accompanying video, it’s the first new music to emerge from Morris’ next project after the 2019 album Girl. “Circles Around This Town” moves

Morgan Wallen returned to the Grand Ole Opry stage on Saturday (Jan. 8), making a surprise appearance during up-and-comer Ernest‘s Opry debut. The pair performed their newly-released duet, “Flower Shops,” which came out on New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31.) It was the first time that Wallen, who debuted at the venue in 2017, has hit

One of the groups most synonymous with the advent of bluegrass as we know it today is Flatt & Scruggs. On Dec. 8, 1945, the pair made their debut on the Grand Ole Opry, the country music institution that brought their music, and the genre as a whole, into mainstream culture worldwide. From that pivotal

Miranda Lambert and Little Big Town will revive their popular Bandwagon Tour in 2022 with a spate of co-headlining shows running through May and June. The country artists, who once collaborated on “Smokin’ and Drinkin’” from Lambert’s album Platinum, put together the first iteration of the Bandwagon Tour back in 2018. Kicking off May 6

Thirty-nine years ago today, on Jan. 8, 1983, Reba McEntire earned her first No. 1 hit with “Can’t Even Get the Blues.” The song, McEntire’s 14th single, was from her fifth studio album, Unlimited, which was released on Mercury Records. “Can’t Even Get the Blues,” which was written by Tom Damphier and Rick Carnes, was one

Eric Church isn’t afraid to raise a little hell and be an outsider — and with that attitude and his outlaw country vibes, he’s been able to build an incredibly successful country music career from the ground up. But there are three people that get him to show his tender side: his two sons, Boone and Hawk,

To cap off their induction into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame this past October, Wilco invited a jaw-dropping group of eclectic friends and guests for an ensemble performance of “California Stars.” Everyone from Alejandro Escovedo, Margo Price, Rosanne Cash, and Lenny Kaye to Japanese Breakfast, Bill Callahan, Sheila E., Terry Allen, and Alex

Maren Morris has just kicked off the next era of her already accomplished career with the release of her autobiographical single “Circles Around This Town.” The 31-year-old Texas native has become a crossover success, charting hits on both the country and pop charts. From a young age, she spent years honing her craft as a

Fifty-five years ago today (Jan. 7, 1967) was an historic day for country music: It was on that date that Charley Pride became the first Black singer to perform at the Grand Ole Opry. Pride was only the second Black performer ever to play at the Opry, following harmonica player DeFord Bailey, who appeared at the Grand Ole Opry from

On Jan. 28, Morgan Wade‘s breakout debut record Reckless will be rereleased with six new tracks, including the standout new single “Run.” Wade gently describes the heaviness of trudging through another day while wanting to break out of the situation that’s been weighing her down. She contemplates her yearning for change, along with the path that

Lucinda Williams, Wilco, and Alejandro Escovedo were all inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame back in October. On Saturday, the ceremony premieres on PBS stations with a special episode of the long-running live-music series. Jason Isbell does the honors of inducting Williams, whom he credits with creating a map for other singer-songwriters

Three of Chris Young‘s last four chart-topping singles have been duets, so it’s hard to blame him for trying for four of five, especially with a song as radio-ready as “At the End of a Bar.” This new collaboration with Mitchell Tenpenny is likely to be among the most played songs of 2022. He delivered

Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs are known as pioneers of bluegrass music and their band, the Foggy Mountain Boys, is considered one of the most iconic groups in the genre’s history. Formed in 1948, the band and its leaders became household names in the 1960s, thanks in large part to their song “The Ballad of Jed Clampett,”

Tom T. Hall, the Country Music Hall of Fame songwriter who died last August at 85, took his own life at his home in Franklin, Tennessee, the Williamson County Medical Examiner’s office confirmed to Rolling Stone on Wednesday. When reached on the phone by Rolling Stone, a spokesperson for the Medical Examiner’s office said the

Tom T. Hall — the legendary singer-songwriter who wrote hits like “Harper Valley PTA” and “That’s How I Got to Memphis” — died by suicide, according to new reports from the Tennesseean and Rolling Stone. The Country Music Hall of Famer died at the age of 85 in his Franklin, Tenn., home in August 2021. No cause of

Thirty-seven years ago today (Jan. 5, 1985), George Strait was starting a new year on a high note. It was on that date that his single “Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind” soared to the top of the charts. “Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind,” which was Strait’s sixth No. 1 hit, was the title track of

Billy Strings was forced to cancel a number of multi-night shows in December because of positive Covid cases within his circle. Undeterred, the bluegrass singer and guitarist just announced a new spring tour that includes residencies in California, Florida, and at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. The performer’s spring trek kicks off April 9 and 10 with

Carly Pearce is a woman scorned, and she didn’t hold anything back during her appearance on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday night (Jan. 3). It was the kickoff musical performance of the year on the late-night show, and the reigning CMA Female Artist of the Year opted for her smoldering breakup song “Diamondback.” Watch her