Music

Grief is a weird thing, frequently and unexpectedly rocketing toward you with enough power to alter your worldview, make you feel as if you’re drowning, and even see people who are no longer there. That’s been the experience of the Cadillac Three’s singer-guitarist Jaren Johnston, who lost his father, the musician Jerry Ray Johnston, in

Phil Vassar became a force on the country music scene beginning in 1999, following the release of his self-titled debut album. That record included his first single, “Carlene,” which featured backing vocals from 90s country hitmaker and longtime friend Collin Raye and climbed to No. 5 on the country airplay chart. Not long after, he

Twenty-four years ago today, on May 28, 1999, Brad Paisley fulfilled a dream he’d held since childhood, when he gave his debut performance at the Grand Ole Opry. The West Virginia native’s first appearance on the revered stage came just as his debut single, “Who Needs Pictures” — which was the title track of his freshman

The “Oklahoma Smokeshow” singer-songwriter drops an acoustic performance video Zach Bryan finds himself having an existential crisis and longing for some peace in “Hey, Driver,” a song he released as an acoustic performance video on Friday. The tune doesn’t appear on any of the ACM Award-winning Oklahoma songwriter’s albums to date. “Hey driver, pull on

Although many country fans may not know him by name, Keith Gattis was a creative force who left a lasting impact on the genre. Born May 26, 1970, in Georgetown, Texas, the multitalented musician and songwriter moved to Nashville as a young adult, ready to chase his dreams. He signed a record deal in the

Whether you discovered Kenny Rogers through counterculture rockers the Fifth Edition, his staggering list of country hits, or his recurring role as Brady Hawkes in the The Gambler TV movies, your first close encounter with the legend’s music was millions of light years away from “Planet Texas.” Not long after Rogers jumped from RCA to

“The life I love is drinking cold beer with my friends,” Owen sings in “On the Boat Again” When Jake Owen announced the track list for his upcoming album Loose Cannon, his first in four years, one song’s writing credits stood out above all the others: “On the Boat Again” is credited to Devin Dawson,

Scotty McCreery has earned a very special honor from his home state: The country star has been selected as one of the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame’s class of 2023 inductees. The Garner, N.C. native shared the news with fans on Friday afternoon (May 26) through a post on his social media pages. “I am

Few things are certain in the history of country music, unless you’re talking about the early influence of Jimmie Rodgers. The Meridian, Miss., native’s sound, look and business plan undoubtedly set the map for solo country stardom long before its roads led to Nashville. Rodgers was born on Sept. 8, 1897, and worked on the

Jana Kramer is making things official with her Scottish soccer coach boyfriend Allan Russell: The couple are engaged after six-and-a-half months of dating. Kramer announced her news on an episode of her Whine Down podcast on Thursday (May 25), and also shared some details about how the proposal went down. Russell opted for a sweet,

It can be hard for anyone to step out from a famous parent’s shadow. And when you’re a country singer whose father happens to be Johnny Cash … well, that’s a pretty big shadow. Rosanne Cash, though, has built a career that’s entirely her own. A master of duets, cover songs and originals alike, the singer-songwriter

Mandi Sagal takes aim at modern Christianity with her fiery new song “Holy Smoke.” Backed by acoustic guitar and swelling production, the singer-songwriter doesn’t mince her words. “I see your Bible’s open but your mind is closed / You’re a sinner just like me, so why are you casting stones,” she sings. “When it looks a

The Cadillac Three’s latest song “This Town Is a Ghost” serves as a moving remembrance of frontman Jaren Johnston‘s father, Jerry Ray Johnston, who passed away in 2022 at the age of 65. The track is a heartfelt and relatable reflection on the loss of a loved one, and how their memory lingers on, even in

Thirty-four years ago this month, Clint Black skyrocketed to fame with his debut album Killin’ Time. The on May 2, 1989 release boasts four consecutive No. 1 singles, as well as a No. 3 hit, and went on to be certified triple platinum. Black’s second record, Put Yourself in My Shoes, was released in 1990 and nabbed him another triple-platinum album. The

Greensky Bluegrass‘ “Congratulations & Condolences” examines the complexities of life with raw, unfettered honesty. The track serves as a b-side from their most recent record, Stress Dreams. Co-written by Greensky Bluegrass’ frontman/mandolin player Paul Hoffman and Joshua Davis (known for Steppin’ In It and Shout Sister Shout), the mid-tempo ditty draws its inspiration from real-life. Davis

To promote their latest album, I Only See the Moon, the Milk Carton Kids have announced a 34-city tour, beginning this summer with a slew of festival dates. The forthcoming state-hopping tour launches this Friday (June 2) with a performance at the Kerrville Folk Festival in Kerrville, Texas. Over the coming months, the band is expected

On May 21, 2013, Kellie Pickler and dancing partner Derek Hough won Season 16 of Dancing With the Stars. The pair won the season thanks to perfect 30-point scores on all three of their final dances: a quickstep set to Ludovic Bource’s “Peppy and George;” a freestyle dance soundtracked by Labrinth feat. Emeli Sandé’s “Beneath Your

Harper O’Neill finds herself missing someone she shouldn’t with the smokey “Guilty.” In between heart-throbbing percussion and a guitar’s soft cry, she yearns for just one more embrace. It might hurt her, but she’s willing to take that risk — mostly because she just can’t resist. “Who in the world could ever blame me,” she sings. “Knew from the

Grace West paid a special tribute to Reba McEntire during part one of the two-night Season 23 The Voice finale on Monday evening (May 22). The 19-year-old country singer from Canton, Mich., opened the broadcast by channeling the 68-year-old icon’s version of Bobby Russell’s “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia.” McEntire recorded the

Country Music Hall of Famer Alan Jackson has been performing live since starting a band after high school — though, now, he’s performing on much bigger stages. Jackson signed his first record deal in June of 1989, and while his debut single failed to chart, his first album, Here in the Real World, spawned four Top 5 singles —

“Letting go of a person you still love hurts, but holding on to a person who doesn’t feel the same hurts more.” Today, platinum-status songstress and Grammy nominee, Cassadee Pope, unveils a painfully relatable music video for her much-anticipated single “People That I Love Leave”, shedding light on the art of self-sabotage in relationships, as

Ahead of the opening night of Garth Brooks’ new Las Vegas residency, the country superstar has already announced that his Plus One stand at the Colosseum at Caesars Place will extend into 2024. “When the 2023 shows went on sale, I felt extremely fortunate and blessed. To even think I would get do this for

Keith Urban is planning to boost the American Idol finalists’ success — and remind them to listen to their gut — when he returns to the show as a guest mentor for the Season 21 finale on Sunday night (May 21.) “If you’ve made it this far, I think you’re [good],” Urban tells People ahead

In 1989, country music gained one of its strongest new voices in Lorrie Morgan, a seasoned performer with a Nashville legacy and a seriously powerful voice. After her debut album Leave the Light On, Morgan went on to release 11 more albums packed with killer ballads, excellent covers and plenty of hard-country classics in between.

Multi-platinum pop icon Zara Larsson unveiled her brand new single “End Of Time” alongside a stunning, coming-of-age video. With “End of Time,” Larsson continues her exciting new era launched by “Can’t Tame Her” earlier this year. “End of Time” is available now on Larsson’s own Sommer House label in partnership with Sony Music. “I have

“Some things have happened and we won’t be making these shows unfortunately. We will go into further detail in time,” Texas singer writes Paul Cauthen canceled a pair of his concerts this weekend after the country singer was arrested on drug charges in South Carolina on Thursday morning. On Friday, Cauthen abruptly canceled that night’s

American Idol finalist Megan Danielle will compete for the Idol crown during the Season 21 finale on Sunday, May 21. To gear up for the big moment, she and the other two finalists Colin Stough and Iam Tongi, have released official singles into the world. For her first official introduction to audiences post-Idol, Danielle is sharing a determined,

Before Blake Shelton‘s name was widely known in country music, and before he was a judge on The Voice, fans may have seen him opening for Toby Keith‘s 2002 Shock’n Y’all Tour, Rascal Flatts‘ 2005 Here’s to You Tour or the Flatts’ 2006 Me and My Gang Tour. Every superstar starts out as an opening

Hold onto your headphones, music lovers! Swedish songbird Namelle is back at it again, and this time she’s serving up an audacious new anthem aptly titled “Defense.” In the ever-twisting world of romance, Namelle’s latest single delivers an honest, relatable narrative about a friend’s love interest who’s less Prince Charming, more irritating frog. Namelle describes