Music

Little Jimmy Dickens stood just 4 feet, 11 inches tall, but the magnitude of his contribution to country music was positively giant. Though the Grand Ole Opry star passed away on Jan. 2, 2015, his impact is still felt today — and the sweet memories of Dickens’ time onstage will not soon be forgotten. The singer made audiences laugh thousands of

Blake Shelton‘s time on The Voice is coming to an end after its upcoming Season 23. However, he hasn’t ruled out a return to the reality singing competition in the future. The country singer says he would happily come back for one reason: To mentor Team Gwen Stefani. “Oh my god, I’d be honored to

One-hundred and thirty-one years ago, in 1892, the historic Ryman Auditorium was completed. Although it was known as the Union Gospel Tabernacle at the time, the venue set a precedent in Nashville as a place for music and entertainment. Conceived and created by Thomas Ryman, the Ryman Auditorium was originally intended as a permanent location for

Half a year removed from her runner-up finish on Season 20 of American Idol, HunterGirl is paving her way in country music by releasing her own original songs and touring all over the country. The Tennessee native certainly has experience playing on big stages, as she performed on national TV throughout her stint on the

Shania Twain and Frederic Thiebaud’s love story is one of redemption — something beautiful out of pain and heartbreak — and their marriage is one that will inspire hope in even the darkest of situations. Their love and respect for one another shines and makes us believe a little more in the power of love. As many country

Two powerhouse duos collided at the 2022 CMA Awards last month (Nov. 9), when Brothers Osborne hopped onstage with the War and Treaty to perform their tribute to the Rolling Stones, “It’s Only Rock & Roll (But I Like It).” The performance was a true genre mash-up: Husband-and-wife duo the War and Treaty can typically

Suzy Bogguss started her career as a performer at Dollywood – and then, much like Parton herself, she found country chart success. After paying her dues at the theme park, the singer became one of the early 1990s’ most distinctive voices. Her success included a Top 10 song, “Outbound Plane,” and “Letting Go,” a No. 2 country chart hit. Beginning with

In 2023, The Lone Bellow will mark the tenth anniversary of their celebrated eponymous debut album, which kickstarted the trio’s impressive career that continues to thrive.  Members Zach Williams, Kanene Donehey Pipkin and Brian Elmquist trekked into the woods outside of Nashville to self-produce their fifth album, Love Songs for Losers, which was released in November. After working with

The most surprising thing to Melissa Carper about her newfound success might be all the emails she has to send. A month before the release of her new solo album, Carper was still getting used to the non-musical work required of her, now that the 50-year-old indie singer-songwriter has waded into the big-time music industry.

Willie Nelson looks happy and healthy in a Christmas photo shared by one of his sons. The family photo finds the legend with two of his sons, plus his wife Annie and two dogs. The fifth person in the photo is Micah Nelson’s wife, whom he married in 2019. Annie and Willie Nelson sit cross-legged

Even with his most successful work, Rodney Crowell knows there’s always room for revision. In 2018, the celebrated singer-songwriter took another crack at the lyrics to “Shame on the Moon,” a 1982 cut recorded by Bob Seger, long after he’d excised it from his own setlists. These ongoing efforts and others are chronicled in Word

Country music is filled with artists that you could catagorize as “multi-talented,” but Ashley Monroe is truly a cut above most. The Tennessee native felt connected to music from an early age and eventually began to use songwriting as a way of dealing with difficult emotions, including the loss of her father when she was

Country star pledges to embark on affordable summer tour in fight against “huge monopolies” that “sit there stealing money from working class people” Zach Bryan is the latest artist to rage against the Ticketmaster as the country star — frustrated by skyrocketing ticket prices — pledged Saturday that he’ll embark on a summer tour with

The 1990s were a glorious time for country music: The hair was big, the sound was iconic, and artists such as Faith Hill and George Strait were tearing up the airwaves. Because the decade brought a unique and new pop-country sound to Nashville, some may consider the ‘90s to be the time of traditional country’s

In its nearly 100-year history, few events have stopped the Grand Ole Opry broadcasts. And while each calendar year is different, the Opry’s weekend shows, now on Friday and Saturday nights, have more than a few times, including this year, fallen on Christmas Eve and/or Christmas Day. Back on Christmas Eve 1960, as Nashville was

Christmas is just around the corner, which means it’s time to crank up the holiday tunes, pour a tall glass of … er, eggnog, and get in the spirit of the season. There’s perhaps no other time of the year when music plays such a special role — and, of course, plenty of country stars

It’s hard to fathom a beginning for most Christmas carols. Our grandparents’ grandparents probably sang all of the classics, and, even back then, those songs must’ve sounded like relics from another time and place. However, there’s one song that’s less old than you might imagine: “Here Comes Santa Claus” entered popular culture after the advent

Adeem Bingham just couldn’t abide the Aaron Lewis song “Am I the Only One.” The embittered tune, released in 2021, infamously name-checked Bruce Springsteen for being a disappointment to “real” Americans and moaned about the tearing down of Confederate monuments. Bingham, who performs as Adeem the Artist, wasn’t having it. “It’s a terrible fuckin’ song,”

As Shania Twain enters into a new chapter in her career, which will include the release of her new album Queen of Me and a major tour, she’s looking back on the heartbreak and betrayal she’s endured in the past. In a new cover story with People, Twain revisited her divorce from her former producer and

Forty-three years ago today (Dec. 21, 1979) was a career-changing day for Willie Nelson: It was on that date that the singer-songwriter made his movie debut in The Electric Horseman, opposite Robert Redford and Jane Fonda. The Electric Horseman, directed by Sydney Pollack, became one of the highest-grossing films of the year and received a

Burgeoning country artist Lily Rose struggles with the pain of moving on in her brand new single “Truth Is.”  Co-written with Stephen Carey, Ian Christian and Matt Morrisey, the cutting track finds Rose trying to navigate the end of a relationship. She spends her whiskey-soaked nights finding comfort in memories of the past instead of

The holiday season has arrived, which means it’s the perfect time to revisit some of our favorite country artist’s best Christmas tunes. Since the launch of his career in the early 1990s, Alan Jackson has supplied some of the genre’s most recognizable and beloved hits. He’s sent 35 singles all the way to the top

If you were listening to country music during the early 1990s, you are guaranteed to have heard at least one of Lee Roy Parnell‘s hits on the radio. Born December 21, 1956 in Abilene, Texas, Parnell came from a musical family. His father was close friends with country legend Bob Wills, who helped foster Lee Roy’s talents from

2022 was a stacked year for country, folk, and roots music, loaded with new releases from established stars and exciting newcomers. With so much to choose from, it can be easy to miss out on great music. As the year draws to a close, it’s the perfect opportunity to check them out now. Here are

Little Big Town called on on Nashville and Outer Banks star Charles Esten to play the protagonist in their new “Rich Man” music video. “Rich Man” is about counting one’s blessings, lifting up good ethics, not fixating on financial wealth and cherishing the memories made with family and loved ones. The soul-stirring visualizer, produced and

Canadian singer/songwriter Olivia Lunny delivers a dynamic breed of alt-pop, instantly infectious, but full of emotional depth. After taking up guitar and writing her first song at age 12, the Winnipeg native soon ascended to national fame, earning a Western Canadian Music Award nomination for Pop Artist of the Year when she was 17 and

Texas native Donice Morace explores the pain of a relationship’s final moments in his pure country track “Wait Til I’m Gone,” which is exclusively premiering at The Boot today (Dec. 15). The rising talent’s latest single presents the final chapter of romance captured through three songs. Released earlier this year, those two buzzed-about tracks — “One

Randy Houser first appeared on the country music scene in 2008, with “Anything Goes,” his first charting single, and an album of the same name. In the decade since then, the baritone-voiced singer has released four additional records, with his fifth and latest disc, Magnolia, coming in early 2019. Houser’s five studio albums have spawned

Email: neill@outloudculture.com Socials: @neillfrazer Ashley Kutcher is one of 2022’s most popular breakout artists. Everytime I listen to her songs I get goosebumps, her voice and music is simply captivating. When Ashley Kutcher shared the dreamy single “Sleepy,” via Darkroom/Interscope Records, I was blown away. On the romantic acoustic track, the 23-year-old  reveals that true love is

Burgeoning singer-songwriter Ian Flanigan has been sober for seven years. His moving track “Devil in My Hands” revisits the complicated mix of emotions he faced at the very beginning of that new path forward. The seasoned musician, songwriter and Season 19 finalist on The Voice is sharing a new live studio recording of the track,