#country-music

#country-music

Alabama has sold over 56 million records, per the The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and has scored 43 No. 1 hits. It also has 11 multi-platinum albums and two Grammys.

"Can I give you some tea as the kids say? I just moved here. Ever since I was a little kid and I got to come here for the first time I always promised myself that I would do a season or a chapter of life in the city and that season and chapter is right now. I don't know how long that's gonna last, but I'm really loving it."

It's been a real long 335 days since there's been a 'truck up in [her] drive,' or a 'tool up in [her] shed.' Sexual frustration has boiled into tension worthy of a Western noir, minor-key Spanish guitar included.

The truth is that I am mentally unwell. Despite this, I have pushed myself to continue with touring. As a result my mental health has only further declined. After discussions with my team, we have decided to cancel the remaining shows and take an indefinite hiatus from live music.

Bailey's the real deal. He came in and wanted the best Guinness in Boston - and we were happy to deliver. Next thing you know he's taking photos with everyone, talking with the crowd, and picking up the entire tab. That's the kind of guy he is.

The 73-year-old Grammy winner prefers to keep his personal life extra private, so there is little publicly known information about the real estate that Strait has owned since he landed in the spotlight with his first major label single, "Unwound," in 1981. ("I've never been one to like to talk about myself a lot," Strait said in 2017.)

Money's great, but I think relationships are more important, and it doesn't feel good. Eric Nam expressed his disappointment after being betrayed by Rob Rausch in The Traitors finale, prioritizing the broken relationship over the lost prize money and setting the emotional tone for his subsequent musical response.

"a widely admired Nashville musician,"

One of the more distinctive, recent sounds in country music comes from Stephen Wilson Jr., according to our rock critic Ken Tucker. Recently nominated as best new artist by the Country Music Awards, Wilson is a former microbiologist who is also a Golden Gloves boxer, who's also, says Ken, writing some of the most intricate and compelling songs around these days. And he's broken through not with huge record sales, but viral clips on social media.

The band has roots dating back to 2002, when lead singer and co‑founder Zac Brown formed the group in Atlanta. Over the years, they have become one of the most successful country music acts of the 21st century, blending country, rock, bluegrass, and Americana into a distinctive sound. Their breakout came with the major‑label debut The Foundation in 2008 - featuring hits like "Chicken Fried," "Toes," and "Free" - which helped establish their reputation for heartfelt songwriting and energetic live performances.

Rut took piano lessons in grade school, but they didn't stick. He asked his parents for a guitar because he wanted to be Ace Frehley of KISS. When his guitar teacher told him the members of KISS "weren't real musicians," he stopped playing-until high school. "I found a friend who knew all the classic rock riffs. That's when I started hearing songs in my head," he said.

Thanksgiving did not go the way that Frank Ray had anticipated. The country singer had invited his family up from Texas to Tennessee for the holiday, with plans to deep fry a turkey, explore Nashville, and take in a show at the Grand Ole Opry. But on Thanksgiving morning, Ray received an unsettling call: TSA had flagged his sister's husband, Juan Nevarez-Porras, at El Paso international airport due to insufficient documentation required to fly.

Alabama country singer Drayton Farley has announced a new album, A Heavy Duty Heart, due March 27 via One Riot Records ( pre-order). Like 2023's great Twenty On High, it was produced by Sadler Vaden (of Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit), and it was recorded live to tape in Nashville with Drayton's touring band. It's got 10 new songs, three of which are out now, and two of those actually recently premiered on TV shows.

Staind's Aaron Lewis has announced a 2026 US solo tour. Or, as he's dubbed it, an "American Tour." The outing will see Lewis backed by his solo band the Stateliners. The extensive itinerary kicks off January 22nd in Quapaw, Oklahoma, with dates running all the way through mid-August. General ticket sales for select dates start Friday, January 16th, at 10 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster.

You'd probably recognize the brand by its high-pitched harmonica intro, or the iconic image of a man in a cowboy hat smiling like he doesn't have a care in the world, but Jimmy Dean didn't set out to be known solely by his breakfast foods. The sausage mogul was perhaps most well known for his country music and TV show appearances, as well as being a Billboard chart home-runner and face in the Country Music Hall of Fame,

Hayley Williams is happy to confirm that Morgan Wallen is the "racist country singer" she is referring to in her song " Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party." During a recent interview on the New York Times' " Popcast" to discuss her latest solo album, the Paramore lead singer was asked whether she would like to "name names" to reveal who she means when she sings about being "the biggest star / At this racist country singer's bar" in the title track. "It could be a couple but I'm always talking about Morgan Wallen," Williams said. "I don't give a s-. Find me at Whole Foods, b-, I don't care."

Among the non-country acts on the bill for the annual show, which takes place on the same grounds as Coachella the weekend after that festival, are the rappers Pitbull, Ludacris and BigXthaPlug and the rock bands Journey, Bush, Counting Crows, Third Eye Blind and Hootie & the Blowfish. Noah Cyrus and Teddy Swims will be there, as will the winner of an upcoming CBS singing competition show called "The Road."

Since 2017, this singer and songwriter from Shreveport, La., has put 10 singles on Billboard's Country Airplay chart - five of which have gone to No. 1 and none of which has peaked lower than No. 7. Among his hits: "Buy Dirt," which was named song of the year by the Country Music Assn. in 2022; "Next Thing You Know," which earned the same award from the Academy of Country Music in 2024; and his latest, "Bar None," a clever drinking song in which he recounts "getting goner than your long-gone boots."