Music

Dallas Frazier, the country songwriter behind enduring hits like “Elvira” and “Beneath Still Waters,” died Jan. 14, his family announced on Facebook. He was 82. Born Oct. 27, 1939, in Spiro, Oklahoma, Frazier, like many other Oklahomans of his generation, was raised in California after his family relocated to Bakersfield. Frazier’s musical career began before

1. “Guitar Town” From Emmylou Harris’ ‘At the Ryman’ (1992) The title track and second single from Earle’s debut studio album, “Guitar Town” became a hit for the then-rising singer-songwriter in 1986. The song also helped win Earle two Grammy Awards, Best Country Song and Best Country Male Vocalist, in 1987. “Guitar Town” helped launch Earle’s career

John K has kicked off 2022 with a bang, the RIAA-certified platinum singer/songwriter John K unveiled a brand-new single entitled “A LOT”. The WYNNE produced track sees John teaming up again with songwriter Steph Jones, with who he co-wrote his hit single “if we never met.” In “A LOT,” he ponders the dissolution of a relationship as a head-nodding clean guitar

Morgan Wallen made a surprise appearance at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Saturday night, joining Lil Durk for a performance of their collab “Broadway Girls.” Lil Durk was performing as part of MLK Freedom Fest, a multi-artist rap concert ahead of Monday’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. Following a brief introduction by Durk — in

Jay Barker issued a statement on Sunday afternoon (Jan. 16) after being arrested early Saturday morning on felony assault charges. Barker has been married to country singer Sara Evans since 2008, although new reports indicate the marriage was dissolving. Taking to Instagram, Barker, 49, shares that he’s “humbled beyond words by the support I have received from

Ronnie Milsap is one of the most successful country artists in history, especially from a charts standpoint: In a career that dates back to 1963, he’s earned an impressive 35 solo No. 1 hits in the U.S. A Grand Ole Opry member as of Feb. 6, 1976 — and a 2014 Country Music Hall of

Katy Perry definitely wanted to leave fans with something to remember with her video for ‘When I’m Gone’. The singer posted some behind-the-scenes pics from the video shoot, in the series of snaps Perry shows off some of the costumes from the high-fashion visual, opening with a provocative topless snap in which she’s only wearing

Ralph Emery, a radio and TV personality whose steady voice and buttoned-up likeness were synonymous with country music, has died. According to a statement from his family, Emery died Saturday at a Nashville hospital. He was 88. Along with being a DJ at Nashville radio stations like WSIX and the legendary WSM, the home of

Sara Evans‘ husband, Jay Barker, was arrested in Nashville on Saturday morning (Jan. 15) and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. As of late Saturday afternoon, he was being held on a 12-hour domestic violence hold. The 49-year-old former college football player is currently the host of a mid-day show on Tide 100.9,

Luke Bryan‘s first gold single saw him collaborating with one of country music’s most successful groups. The singer-songwriter worked with the members of Lady A on “Do I,” which scored him his first gold single on Jan. 15, 2010, 11 years ago today. Bryan co-wrote “Do I” with Dave Haywood and Charles Kelley of Lady

Robert Earl Keen says that after September 2022 he’ll no longer tour or give public performances. The beloved Texas singer-songwriter announced his retirement on Friday with a heartfelt if surprising note on his website. “I [have] been blessed with a lifetime of brilliant, talented, colorful, electric and magical folks throughout my life,” Keen wrote. “This

Hailey Whitters is returning to her roots. The Iowa native has announced the release of her third album Raised, due out March 18, which was inspired by her Midwestern hometown and the formative years she spent there. “It’s been 14 years since I’ve lived in Iowa, but more and more I’ve been going back there mentally,

Lavender Country, the seminal band led by Patrick Haggerty who released what’s widely considered the first openly-gay album in country music history, have returned to the scene with a new recording of their track “I Can’t Shake the Stranger Out of You.” The new version is smoother and more produced than the original, a lonesome

Back in 2014, Tekitha would host electrifying jam sessions where she’d invite musicians, poets, rappers and visual artists to her home for a night of creativity and collaboration. For her daughter Prana Supreme Diggs, those nights were a chance to sing alongside a group of dynamic artists. One evening after the mother and daughter wowed

Luke Bryan went a little too hard cheering for his favorite college football team on Monday (Jan. 10), and as a result, he has to keep quiet for awhile. The singer is on vocal rest ahead of four played shows at Crash My Playa next week. On Instagram, Bryan’s wife Caroline Bryan shared a photo

Thirty-two years ago today (Jan. 13, 1990) was a bittersweet day for friends, family and fans of Keith Whitley: It was on that date that Whitley’s song “It Ain’t Nothin'” landed at the top of the charts, more than eight months after his death. “It Ain’t Nothin'” was the second single and second No. 1

Every week, The Boot highlights recent favorites from country, Americana and everything in between. In every list, you’ll find picks from our contributing team that we think you’ll love. Keep reading to check out the latest installment of The Boot’s Weekly Picks. Leyla McCalla “Fort Dimanche” Having broke ground with the Carolina Chocolate Drops and released her own

Ryan Hurd brought his full band to perform his song “Pass It On” on Jimmy Kimmel Live. The group, led by Hurd on vocals and guitar, gave the rollicking track a warm, collective vibe. The optimistic song had a particular resonance as Hurd crooned, “What good is your dollar or your love or your bottle/

A new country music drama starring Trace Adkins has been bumped from its high-profile premiere date. Fox’s Monarch was set to premiere on Jan. 30, right after the NFL’s NFC Championship Game. The reason for the Monarch delay is a familiar one: Fox cites the impact of COVID-19 in explaining the reschedule. The Hollywood Reporter‘s report

On this day (Jan. 12) in 1991, Garth Brooks soared to the top of the charts with his hit “Unanswered Prayers,” from his multi-platinum-selling album No Fences. The song, which Brooks co-wrote with Pat Alger and Larry Bastian, was a true-life account of an incident that the country superstar had been through with his then-wife, Sandy. “”Unanswered

When Spotify announced its Hot Country Artists to Watch list for 2022 on Tuesday, it was notable not for the inclusion of already known and buzzed about stars like Morgan Wade and Breland, but for its number of independent artists. Half of the 10-name list is made up of singer-songwriters without a major label record

Artists and members of the Black country music community are voicing their disappointment in the Grand Ole Opry after Morgan Wallen, just shy of a year after his racist slur scandal, made an unannounced stop on the legendary stage as part of up-and-comer Ernest‘s debut. The performance in question happened on Saturday (Jan. 8), with

Naomi and Wynonna Judd, the mother and daughter that make up the Grammy Award-winning duo the Judds, made country music history throughout their career. Naomi Judd was born Diana Ellen Judd on Jan. 11, 1946, in Ashland, Ky. She got married at the young age of 17 and had a daughter, Christina Ciminella (aka, Wynonna Judd),

Country singer Ernest made his Grand Ole Opry debut on Saturday night, but that milestone occasion is being overshadowed by the appearance of his surprise guest. Morgan Wallen, who faced an industry rebuke after being filmed using a racial slur 11 months ago, joined his Big Loud Records labelmate on the Opry stage to perform

Miranda Lambert, Jack Ingram and Jon Randall are offering a visual component to their 2021 release, the Marfa Tapes, with a documentary about the making of their acoustic project on a 5,000-acre ranch in the town of Marfa, Texas. Listening to the unvarnished, sparsely-produced result, you can hear background noises like airplanes, coyotes and cows, as

It’s a credit to both LeAnn Rimes and Trisha Yearwood, who both handled an uncomfortable situation with so much class, that (as far as we know) their competition for the song “How Do I Live” never got personal. At the 1998 Grammy Awards, Rimes performed the song and then stood offstage to learn if she

January 9, 2022 Exclusive Interview with Christian Lundberg, Composer and Hans Zimmer Collaborator Behind “Around the World in 80 Days” This is multi-instrumentalist and composer Christian Lundberg, for Hans Zimmer and Extreme Music’s joint venture collective for scoring composers, Bleeding Fingers Music. Christian most recently scored “Around the World in 80 Days,” a new upcoming

Maren Morris sings about the hustle to make it big in Nashville and references some of her old work in the new song “Circles Around This Town.” Released on Thursday alongside an accompanying video, it’s the first new music to emerge from Morris’ next project after the 2019 album Girl. “Circles Around This Town” moves

Morgan Wallen returned to the Grand Ole Opry stage on Saturday (Jan. 8), making a surprise appearance during up-and-comer Ernest‘s Opry debut. The pair performed their newly-released duet, “Flower Shops,” which came out on New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31.) It was the first time that Wallen, who debuted at the venue in 2017, has hit

One of the groups most synonymous with the advent of bluegrass as we know it today is Flatt & Scruggs. On Dec. 8, 1945, the pair made their debut on the Grand Ole Opry, the country music institution that brought their music, and the genre as a whole, into mainstream culture worldwide. From that pivotal