Music

Glenn Frey carved out one of the most important careers in modern music history before his death at the age of 67. The Eagles singer, songwriter and guitarist died on Jan. 18, 2016 — five years ago today — leaving behind a vast musical legacy. Born in Detroit, Mich., on Nov. 6, 1948, Frey grew

Throughout a career that has spanned nearly three decades, Garth Brooks has provided no shortage of memorable moments — especially in his live shows. Over the years, Brooks has brought (sometimes hundreds of thousands of) country music fans together — even during his “retirement.” In fact, when Brooks performs for President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday

Hunter Hayes debuted his new song “The One That Got Away” on Good Morning America on Thursday (Jan. 14). It’s a song about moving on and freedom, he says. The “Wanted” hitmaker’s new digital single is a part of Red Sky (Part II), his upcoming album on LP Entertainment. It follows the 2019 album Wild Blue

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Louisiana country singer Willie Jones is releasing his poignant new song “American Dream,” recorded during the midst of Black Lives Matter protests this past summer. “Proud to be a black man/Living in the land of the brave and the free,” Jones sings during the song’s chorus. “Yeah

Jason “Rowdy” Cope, co-founder of the country-rock band the Steel Woods, has died. His bandmates shared the sad news on social media on Saturday (Jan. 16). Cope was 43 years old. His bandmates did not offer any further details about his death, simply marking the news “with a broken and heavy heart.” “We are writing this

On this day, 35 years ago (Jan. 17, 1986), Reba McEntire fulfilled a lifelong dream by becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry. McEntire’s induction was part of a big milestone for the Opry: The Oklahoma native became an official member of the revered organization during a televised special honoring the Grand Ole Opry’s 60th anniversary.

Kip Moore‘s ”How High” celebrates that euphoric feeling a good love can bring. The country star released the new song early Friday morning (Jan. 15). Written by Moore with Bobby Terry, Luke Dick and Westin Davis, “How High” features a twinkling melody, unique from any of Moore’s previous work. That’s not to say it’s completely out of

Willie Nelson was a young country music and western-swing fan when he heard Frank Sinatra on the radio for the first time. “Though he was a million miles from western swing, he had a sweet swing of his own,” Nelson wrote in his book It’s a Long Story: My Life. “There was a tenderness to

Twenty-one years ago today (Jan. 17, 2000), Garth Brooks kicked off the new millennium on a high note: It was on that date that the singer was named the Artist of the Decade for the 1990s at the American Music Awards, proving that his star power crossed all genres. “I’d like to dedicate this award

Happy birthday to Ronnie Milsap! The singer was born on Jan. 16, 1943, in Robbinsville, N.C. While Milsap has led an extraordinary life, his humble beginnings were anything but promising. Almost completely blind since birth due to a congenital disorder, Milsap was abandoned by his biological mother and raised by his grandparents until the age

Danielle Bradbery lost her dear grandmother just over eight years ago. But to this day, the country singer finds herself surrounded by reminders of her spirit — from the tattoos she sees in the mirror, to the sound of her grandmother’s voice in her head, which, thankfully, has never left her. “I remember her voice like

On Thursday, President-elect Joe Biden outlined a stimulus plan that included, among other things, increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. Later the same night, Blake Shelton’s auspiciously titled new song “Minimum Wage” was released to the public — not surprisingly, it doesn’t attempt to unpack the vital issue of income inequality in

Morgan Wallen celebrated his new album, Dangerous, with a performance at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on Tuesday night (Jan. 12). The full show is now available for fans to watch and relive. Wallen’s 75-minute set opened with “Sand in My Boots,” “Somebody’s Problem” and other cuts from the 30-song double album, released on Jan. 8. The No.

Devin Dawson last released a single in 2018, but his voice hasn’t been wholly absent from country radio since then. In 2019, “God’s Country” — a song he wrote with Hardy and Jordan Schmidt — became a massive hit for Blake Shelton; in 2020, he, Hardy and Lauren Alaina celebrated a No. 1 single with “One

Florida Georgia Line‘s “Life Rolls On” is a peppy, feel-good reminder of the circle of life. The country duo shared the new song, the title track of their fifth studio album, on Friday (Jan. 15). “As long as my heart’s beatin’ and these old lungs keep breathin’ / The highs and the lows, yes and

On Wednesday morning, Willie Nelson, 87, fired up his car at his Spicewood, Texas, ranch and headed to a drive-up clinic in nearby Cedar Park to receive his Covid-19 vaccination shot. “We’re lucky,” Nelson’s wife Annie tells Rolling Stone. “We made sure that [he] wasn’t cutting anybody — in fact, the healthcare workers were kind

Twenty-nine years ago today (Jan. 15, 1992) was an unforgettable day for Johnny Cash: It was on that date that Cash was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, proving that his music defies genre limits. Lyle Lovett inducted Cash during 1992’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, explaining that the

Not every celebrity chooses to keep politics and their public life separate. While many will only privately support presidential or local political candidates, others will loudly bang the drum, so to speak, for or against someone in particular. In fact, at least one country superstar seemingly turned tweeting messages against a specific politician into a full-time job. Flip through the

Maren Morris and Canadian singer-songwriter JP Saxe sing a songwriter’s love song in “Line By Line,” their new duet, released on Wednesday (Jan. 13). The two co-wrote the song with Jimmy Robbins. In “Line By Line,” Morris and Saxe admit, “There are things that I sing that I’ll never have the confidence to say” — for example,

Hiss Golden Messenger seek “shelter in the storm” on their new song “Sanctuary,” which the North Carolina band released Wednesday. “Feeling bad, feeling blue/Can’t get out of my own mind,” frontman M.C. Taylor sings on the track. “But I know how to sing about it.” “This song is, as far as I can tell right

Toby Keith and Ricky Skaggs were presented the National Medal of Arts by President Donald Trump on Wednesday afternoon (Jan. 13). The ceremony is said to have taken place soon after the U.S. House of Representatives voted to impeach the president for a second time. While a representative for Keith simply declined to comment on the matter

In November of 2020, Florida Georgia Line member Tyler Hubbard was living on his tour bus, which was parked in his driveway, quarantined from his family after testing positive for COVID-19. Reflecting on the values he was raised with, his faith and people’s tendency to judge others too quickly sparked the idea for a song that

A little more than four years ago, Tim McGraw stood onstage at the 2016 CMA Awards, a week before the presidential election, and pleaded for compassion with his performance of “Humble & Kind.” On Wednesday, country music’s mild-mannered unifier returned with “Undivided,” another feel-good call for empathy featuring Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard, who also

Ross Cooper is putting his faith in the universe and trying to put his worries out of his mind in his new song “Freewheelin’ Feelin’.” It’s premiering exclusively on The Boot; press play below to listen. “I haven’t got it all figured out yet, and I know I’m not alone in that. And that’s totally fine,” Cooper

Lil Nas X‘s 2019 smash, “Old Town Road” — specifically, the remix version featuring Billy Ray Cyrus — has become the most platinum-certified song in the history of the Recording Industry Association of America. The country-rap crossover hit marked the milestone on Jan. 9, as reported by Billboard. It was then that Lil Nas’ and Billy

Luke Bryan has been married to his wife Caroline since 2006, and while they love spending time together on vacation in new or favorite locations, they’re also happy to chill out at home and simply enjoy each other’s company. As plenty of us have found ourselves doing much more of the latter recently, the country

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. Charley Crockett, “I Can Help” The Texas troubadour Charley Crockett covers Billy

Barry Gibb stays in the cinematic lane with Brandi Carlile on a reimagination of the Bee Gees classic “Run to Me.” The two trade dreamy vocals on the romantic song, re-recorded for Gibb’s new country collaborations album, Greenfields. Carlile and Gibb’s “Run to Me” is drizzled with beautiful harmonies. The twosome honor the original version of

Morgan Wallen‘s duet with Chris Stapleton, “Only Thing That’s Gone,” is one of the more traditionally-inclined tracks on his newly released double album, Dangerous. However, the way the two artists’ collaboration came together couldn’t be more on-brand for the quarantine era. “I got an email,” Stapleton explained during a recent conversation with Taste of Country

Tyler Hubbard couldn’t help but be affected by the many heartbreaks of 2020. The worst of it inspired him to write “Undivided,” a song that both he and collaborator Tim McGraw say is a mirror. The peppy, pop-friendly country bop simply asks us to treat our neighbors with decency and kindness. That’s hardly a rare message,