Music

Kris Kristofferson has officially retired from music. With no fanfare, the actor and singer-songwriter extraordinaire permanently stepped out of the spotlight in 2020, according to a new report regarding his estate. Music Row announced on Wednesday (Jan. 27) that Kristofferson’s estate is now being represented from a management standpoint by Morris Higham Management. The legend’s son,

Ashland Craft‘s “Two Wildflowers and a Box of Wine” asks for a slowdown: Over a blues-influenced beat, she invites her significant other to spend a little time away from it all, reconnecting over a couple of Dixie cups filled with wine. “We need a little slowin’ down to get this uptight unwound,” Craft sings. “I’ll

Jake Hoot — Season 17 champ of NBC’s The Voice — is teaming up with his former coach, Kelly Clarkson, for his new song “I Would’ve Loved You.” The rising star wrote the song alongside Lonestar keyboardist Dean Sams and Jamie Floyd. Hoot says he knew instantly that Clarkson’s powerhouse vocals would take his ballad’s emotional message to soaring new heights. “”I Would’ve Loved

Americana duo Shovels & Rope have teamed up with singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten for a mesmerizing version of the Beach Boys’ “In My Room,” part of a new covers collection. Busted Jukebox Volume 3 will be released February 5th via Dualtone and marks married collaborators Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst’s third installment of reinterpreted

Eric Church recently confirmed an exciting piece of news about which fans were already speculating: He’s planning to release not one, but three albums in 2021. The trilogy, entitled Heart & Soul, is broken up into three discs that will be released on separate days in April. It’s an unconventional rollout plan to be sure, but Church created

The phrase “patience is a virtue” certainly applies to Lucinda Williams‘ career. The Louisiana native released her first album in 1979 (Ramblin’), but she didn’t find widespread success until she released her self-titled 1988 album. In turn, Lucinda Williams featured “Passionate Kisses,” which hit it big in 1993, once Mary Chapin Carpenter covered it. Five years

Mason Lively is brokenhearted and, okay, maybe a little bitter in his new song “Love Ain’t Done a Damn Thing.” It’s exclusively premiering on The Boot; press play below to listen. Co-written with friend and fellow Texan Ben Danaher, “Love Ain’t Done a Damn Thing” relies on Lively’s plaintive voice to drive it. Its melody stays

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. Morgan Wade, “Wilder Days” “I wish I’d known you in your wilder

Gabby Barrett and her husband Cade Foehner welcomed a baby girl on Jan. 18, and they let the world know all about their new arrival a week later, on Monday evening (Jan. 25). The “I Hope” singer and her husband of one year are now parents to Baylah May Foehner. “Gotten to spend a very sweet

Randy Travis stunned the country music community in 2016 when, during his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, he gave his first public performance since suffering a stroke in July 2013. His rendition of “Amazing Grace” brought the crowd to its feet — and tears to plenty of eyes — and in a new

Veteran country outlaw Dallas Moore is ready to drop a new album in April, but he’s giving The Boot’s readers a sneak peek. “The Rain,” the title track of and lead song from the singer and songwriter’s next record, is premiering exclusively on The Boot; press play below to listen. A rocking country shuffle, “The Rain” is

CMT has announced the group of performers who will make up its “Next Women of Country” class of 2021, in continuation of the network’s ongoing efforts to champion female talent. The names were revealed during an episode of CMT Hot 20 Countdown and include Ashland Craft, Brittney Spencer, Chapel Hart, Hannah Dasher, Harper Grae, MacKenzie

Lady Gaga’s glam team stepped up for Garth Brooks at Wednesday’s (Jan. 20) presidential inauguration. On Twitter, the country superstar offered public thanks to the pop star and her crew after the big day. Both Brooks and Gaga were in Washington, D.C., for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ inauguration. Gaga sang the

In October, outlaw country icon Ray Wylie Hubbard made his Austin City Limits headlining debut, and on Saturday (Jan. 23), fans will get to see the performance during a new episode of the long-running television program. Ahead of the episode’s premiere, however, Hubbard’s performance of his classic song “Snake Farm” is premiering exclusively on The Boot. “Snake

No matter how you try, you can’t pull one over on the people who know you best. Singer-songwriter Sam Williams sings about the times we try — and fail — to do so, and the desire to break away from those familiar patterns, in his new song, “Can’t Fool Your Own Blood.” Co-written by Williams with

Hours after Amanda Shires debuted her all-star “Our Problem,” the singer performed the original rendition of the track — “The Problem” — alongside husband Jason Isbell on The Tonight Show Friday, a day that marked the 48th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. The acoustic track depicts a couple having an honest, difficult conversation about abortion;

Garth Brooks drew some criticism after his performance at the inauguration of President Biden and Vice President Harris on Wednesday (Jan. 20), after he was filmed hugging all of the former presidents and first ladies in attendance, maskless, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. But a rep for the singer says he had taken every precaution in

Kenny Alphin — also known as “Big Kenny” of Big & Rich – and his wife, Christiev Carothers, married in 2005. Sixteen years and two kids later, they’re still going strong. The couple first met in 2004, on the set of Gretchen Wilson’s “Redneck Woman” music video. Alphin makes a cameo in the clip, and Carothers was

Parker McCollum can’t quite crack a cold, cold heart in “To Be Loved By You,” his new radio single and a new way of looking at a man who played heartbreaker with his debut. “Pretty Heart” found the Texan mourning a woman that he foolishly let slip away. If you like a narrative, you can call

Since emerging from the Texas outlaw scene in the early Seventies, Ray Wylie Hubbard has written some of the genre’s smartest, funniest — and most overlooked — classics. A favorite of Jerry Jeff Walker and Eric Church, Hubbard explores everything from his wild past to his deep knowledge of Christianity, Buddhism ,and Native American religions.

Thirty-one years ago today, on Jan. 23, 1990, Clint Black had one million reasons to celebrate: It was on that date that the singer-songwriter earned his first platinum album, with his Killin’ Time record. RCA Records Killin’ Time, which was released in 1989, was Black’s very first album; Black wrote or co-wrote all 10 songs

Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Ray Stevens‘ contributions to the genre span over 60 years and include his work as a songwriter, session musician, producer and businessman. These varied roles remain no laughing matter for the namesake of Nashville venue the CabaRay Showroom. That said, any collection of Stevens’ most memorable tunes should be

Floyd, Va., native Morgan Wade generated quite a buzz with the release of her song “Don’t Cry” just before Christmas, and her debut album lives up to it. Reckless is due out on March 19, the singer announced on Friday (Jan. 22). Ten gorgeously crafted tracks await listeners on Reckless, combining Wade’s ace songwriting skills with lush, but not

Singer-songwriter Amanda Shires released the song “The Problem” in September as a duet with her husband Jason Isbell, but she had also conceived its frank discussion of abortion as being a conversation among several women. That idea is now a reality with a new version of the song titled “Our Problem” commemorating the anniversary of

Thirty years ago today, on Jan. 22, 1991, Aaron Tippin released his debut album, You’ve Got to Stand for Something, on RCA Nashville. The debut single from You’ve Got to Stand for Something, which was its title track, was written by Buddy Brock and Tippin, the latter of whom wrote or co-wrote all 10 songs on the

Scotty McCreery may be longing for a little “you time” in his newest single, but his nearly non-existent tour schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic has meant he and his wife Gabi have gotten plenty of it in recent months. They’ve enjoyed each other’s company, spoiled their dog Moose — and, the country star says, picked

Kylie Frey revels in her roots throughout her new EP, Rodeo Queen — a project that spotlights fiddle, steel and the real-life rodeo dreams that even won her a Louisiana High School state goat tying championship back in 2011. But while much of the six-song project centers around Frey’s identity and where she comes from, her new single, “I

The Country2Country Festival in the United Kingdom and Ireland was one of the first major events to be postponed in 2020 due to Covid-19 concerns, with promoters making their announcement on March 12th just before it was set to begin. With infection rates now spreading uncontrollably in the United States and positive cases spiking again

Tim McGraw and Tyler Hubbard brought their message of unity to American televisions on Wednesday night (Jan. 20). The pair performed “Undivided” during Celebrating America, a 90-minute special hosted by Tom Hanks and featuring a multitude of celebrities eager to celebrate President Joe Biden’s inauguration. The two men stood bundled up from the Nashville cold on