Fifteen years ago today, on Oct. 18, 2005, Carrie Underwood‘s life was about to change, although she had no way of knowing it at the time. It was on that date that Underwood’s single “Jesus, Take the Wheel” was released. “Jesus, Take the Wheel” was the debut single from Underwood’s freshman album, Some Hearts. It followed “Inside
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Lauren Mascitti quietly pulled off two minor miracles in her new music video for “Losing My Mind.” On its surface, the clip — debuting exclusively on The Boot — easily matches the hurt of the traditionalist’s vocals … but dig deeper, and you’ll find a fair bit of “How’d they do that?” More than a few Nashville studio legends
Two years before Sturgill Simpson released his debut solo effort, 2013’s High Top Mountain, his band Sunday Valley put out their album To the Wind and on to Heaven, which included the slow-burning “I Don’t Mind.” On that LP, the tale of a love lost was a dusty slice of country-rock, with muscly drums butting
Johnny Bush, the Texas-based singer-songwriter best known for writing the Willie Nelson classic “Whiskey River,” has died. Multiple media outlets report that Bush died on Friday (Oct. 16) at the age of 85. Bush’s manager confirmed the singer-songwriter’s death to Rolling Stone. According to the Houston Chronicle, Bush died of pneumonia, but the circumstances and
Fourteen years ago today, on Oct. 17, 2006, Hollywood confirmed what Nashville already knew: Tim McGraw was a major celebrity. It was on that date that the singer received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Both McGraw’s wife, Faith Hill, and actor Billy Bob Thornton, who starred in Friday Night Lights with McGraw, attended his Hollywood Walk
In the six months since John Prine‘s death, his family and record label have received plenty of mail from fans — postcards, specifically, sent in response to a request that aimed to help the United States Postal Service in the face of criticisms by President Donald Trump and cuts to the organization. The folk icon’s
Johnny Bush, the Texas country-music veteran who co-wrote Willie Nelson’s signature opening number “Whiskey River,” has died at 85. Bush’s manager confirmed the singer’s death to Rolling Stone. Born in Houston in 1935 as John Bush Shinn III, Bush received his big break from Nelson, who helped him land a job as a drummer in
Reba McEntire doesn’t seem to be fazed that she passed on one of George Strait‘s early No. 1 hits. She’d notch plenty of her own throughout the ’80s and ’90s, and really, this just wasn’t her kind of song. Think you know which it was? Here are a few clues: This mid-tempo, traditional country swinger reached No.
Alan Jackson songs are some of the essential country songs of the last two decades. The singer-songwriter is widely acknowledged as one of the best songwriters in modern country music. With more than 60 singles to his credit — nearly half of which have reached No. 1 — narrowing this list down to just 10
Luke Bryan continues to seek balance among his radio selections as he releases “Down to One” as the fourth single from Born Here Live Here Die Here. The mellow love song recalls so much from his early-to-mid 2010s catalog. In fact, you could drop this lightly R&B tinged song on any station in America in 2014 and
When the Texas Gentlemen released their new album back in July, they aimed to catch the attention of fans with three outrageous exclamation points in its title. Floor It!!! didn’t need the extra punctuation: on its own, it’s an engrossing cosmic journey of Texas boogie and psychedelic rock that plays like an aural mushroom trip.
Jason Aldean has sold his spectacular beach house in Florida for $2.375 million, and according to pictures and property records, the place was worth every penny and more. Realtor.com reports that Aldean and his wife, Brittany, purchased the 4-story luxury beach house on Saint George Island, right along the Gulf of Mexico, for $1.8 million in 2015, and
It feels like a lifetime has passed since Kane Brown announced he’d “probably go clubbin'” to celebrate a successful audition for the U.S. version of Simon Cowell‘s music competition show, The X Factor. But it was in 2013, just seven years ago, when the “One Right Thing” singer tried out for the TV series. And while Brown didn’t
The Steel Wheels will tell their fans’ stories — including that of a now-retired physical therapist — on their new album, Everyone a Song, Vol. 1. The bluegrass band’s first single from the project, “The Healer,” is premiering exclusively on The Boot; press play below to listen. “The Healer” celebrated Meta Thayer as she retired after
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will put to use some of the most iconic instruments in the genre’s history for its upcoming “Big Night” fundraiser, set for Wednesday, October 28th. Included among the newly announced instrument and artist pairings are guitars once owned by Johnny Cash, Mother Maybelle Carter, and Jimmie Rodgers.
Garth Brooks became only the ninth artist ever to earn the Billboard Icon Award on Wednesday night (Oct. 14). The country superstar marked the moment with a career-spanning medley during the 2020 Billboard Music Awards, with a virtual audience just for the occasion. Brooks’ eight-song medley infused a unique kind of energy as he borrowed live clips from
Award-winning singer, songwriter & producer Ian Guerin has just released his highly anticipated new single and accompanying music video “Chapter II” worldwide. “Chapter II” was written by Guerin and produced by his long-time collaborator Azhmir for Ian’s second studio album “Irreplaceable,” and contains elements of Adult Contemporary, Pop and R&B Music which is being released
This year’s Billboard Music Awards will look different than past ceremonies — not exactly shocking for an awards show in 2020, during the novel coronavirus pandemic. For starters, the show is taking place in the fall, rather than the spring, after a six-month postponement. There’s still a lengthy list of nominees who will be vying to take
Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit’s “Only Children” music video is a mysterious adventure. The Kurt Simpson-directed clip follows two young women as a glowing knapsack falls into their possession; press play above to watch. The two friends share a night full of adventure with the backpack in their possession, but when the morning comes,
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. Joachim Cooder, “Over the Road I’m Bound to Go” By the
Sturgill Simpson‘s first bluegrass album is due out on Friday (Oct. 16). The singer-songwriter admits in an Instagram post announcing the album that he was hoping for its release to be a surprise, but someone spilled the beans. A Google search for Simpson’s name and the album’s title, Cuttin’ Grass Vol. 1: The Butcher Shoppe Sessions,
In 2015, Cam, Sam Hunt and Kelsea Ballerini, among others, were country music newcomers making waves, while Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood were established artists pulling in star collaborators. Little Big Town, meanwhile, were capturing headlines with a gorgeous tale of jealousy that got a bit misconstrued — but all that buzz worked in their favor, for sure. It’s a
Sam Hunt‘s “Breaking Up Was Easy In the ’90s” is anything but timeless. The progressive country hitmaker’s heartbreak might feel familiar, but his lyrics would be out of place in any other era. That’s intentional. The song speaks to how social media makes moving on so much more difficult today, because you can see your ex seemingly
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit wrapped up four nights of socially distanced performances on the rain-soaked grounds at the Caverns in Pelham, Tennessee, on Sunday night. The group’s Saturday show happened to coincide with the birthday of the late John Prine, to whom Isbell and wife/bandmate Amanda Shires paid tribute with a stirring performance
Kane Brown finds new religion on “Worship You,” his new single. The slow-burning love song is likely aimed at wife Katelyn Jae, and he sings it like a man who believes in their love like he believes in the Bible. Vocally, Brown spends most of the chorus on the same plane after two relatively short verses
Ten years ago today, on Oct. 12, 2010, the Band Perry released their eponymous freshman album, on Republic Nashville. The debut single from The Band Perry, “Hip to My Heart,” peaked at No. 20 on the charts, but the follow-up single from the sibling trio, “If I Die Young,” shot straight to the top. It
Chase Wright shows off his skill on the piano in his new “Make You Miss Me” music video. The up-and-comer is premiering the clip exclusively with The Boot; press play above to watch. Seated at an upright piano in an empty warehouse-type building, Wright accompanies himself as he sings the song he co-wrote with Robyn Collins and Jared
In 2019, Brothers Osborne released a document of their live show, culling several tracks from a series of Ryman Auditorium performances from earlier that same year. It showed off the CMA-winning duo’s comfort and skill with slow-burning balladry and jam-friendly noodling alike, further cementing the reputation they’d been building as top-tier live entertainers — equal
Former The Voice contestant Andrew Jannakos went from his first time performing in front of a live audience during a blind audition on The Voice 2 1/2 ago, to his new debut song lighting up the song charts. There’s no doubt the 26-year-old is hitting the country music scene at full speed. Since the release of his breakout
Seventeen years ago today (Oct. 11, 2003), Tim McGraw had one good reason to celebrate: His latest single, “Real Good Man,” had soared to the top of the charts, becoming his 17th No. 1 song. The uptempo, rocking “Real Good Man,” which is still a concert favorite, was the fourth single from McGraw’s multi-platinum album Tim McGraw and