News

Jeannie Seely, the Grammy-winning country singer whose soulful voice was matched only by her confident, self-assured air, died on Friday in Hermitage, Tennessee, as a result of complications from an intestinal infection. She was 85. Seely’s representative, Don Murry Grubbs, confirmed the singer’s death to Rolling Stone.

The music legend had battled health issues since last fall and undergone multiple back surgeries this spring for vertebrae repairs, including two emergency abdominal surgeries.

A member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1967, Seely was a magnetic presence onstage and off, quick...

From Jeff Foxworthy and his “You might be a redneck” shtick all the way back to Ray Stevens and his parody songs, rural comedians — dare we call them, “blue collar comics” — have a long association with country music. But few are as in tune with the genre as Dusty Slay. The Alabama native has a wry, lived-in perspective on country music and the lifestyles that, right or wrong, are often associated with it: Slay spent more than a little time living in trailer parks and he knows a pop song...

There are lots of things that movies and comic books have in common. They’re both visual mediums. They both juxtapose one image after another to convey a narrative and make deeper thematic connections. And sometimes they both screw up a whole franchise and have to start over again.

Yes, superhero comics have been doing reboots since the early days. The Silver Age as we know it began when DC tried to goose up interest in their Golden Age intellectual property by making some brand new guy The Flash and claiming the original scarlet speedster was just a comic book. As the decades progressed superhero comics would often decline in popularity, get kicked to the curb, and then pop up years later, just in case audiences were finally interested in the Guardians of the Galaxy or the Punisher again.

Movies work the same way. If audiences dig one movie enough,...

Paul T. Riddle knows that he’s prone to shed a tear or two when the right moment strikes. He’s the first to admit he gets choked up during soft-hearted TV advertisements or when “Silent Night” comes across grocery store speakers during the holiday season.

So, on a Monday morning when Riddle, a longtime drummer and co-founding member of the Marshall Tucker Band, called to talk about his late bandmate Toy Caldwell, he got a little misty-eyed.

“Mine and Toy’s thing was the music,” says Riddle, a soft-spoken...

Waylon Jennings is one of the most unforgettable country singers of all time. He was part of the so-called “Outlaw Country” along with Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard. Nelson, 92, is the only one still alive. Haggard died in 2016. Sadly, Jennings had passed away a decade earlier from complications related to diabetes.

Fans thought they would never hear his voice again. But thanks to his son, Shooter, his dad’s voice will play on radios again soon in previously unreleased music. The singer passed away over a decade ago. Keep reading to find out how his son made it possible to release new music from his dad.

Waylon Jennings Had Unique Journey To Country Music

Waylon Jennings knew he wanted to be a country singer from an early age. According to his biography, he started playing guitar when he was eight and made his radio debut at just 14. Growing in the 1950s,...

Myrtle Beach may be known for its sandy beaches and family fun, but the town has played an important role in music throughout history. From its early days as a beach music hub to its modern-day draw as a hotspot for the best local talent and national touring acts, this city by the sea continues to uphold and expand its musical roots. A visit to this idyllic Atlantic gem wouldn’t be complete without a tour of some of its most iconic venues.

James Jackman

Start with one of the region’s most historic spots.

Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson turned the Hollywood Bowl into a haven for Americana and country on Friday night, as the two legends brought the Outlaw Music Festival back to the storied venue for the second year in a row.

Dylan went on just as dusk settled, and the stage lit up like a noir rodeo, revealing Dylan’s signature piano. He and his band — dressed in black like outlaw undertakers — opened with a swaggering “Things Have Changed.”

The stage setup was simple: An image of a peaceful mountain lake backdrop that resembled a fancy water bottle label, blending well with the surrounding Hollywood Hills, and a crowd full of cowboy hats and rhinestones.

Opening for Dylan and Nelson Friday night were bluegrass stars Sierra Hull and Billy Strings, while upcoming Outlaw Fest 2025 tour stops will rotate in acts like Sheryl Crow, Wilco, Lucinda Williams, and Nathaniel Rateliff. Outlaw lineups...

Johnny Rodriguez, the first country star of Mexican American descent known for such recordings as “You Always Come Back (To Hurting Me)” and “Ridin’ My Thumb to Mexico,” died Friday after entering hospice care. He was 73. His daughter confirmed Rodriguez’s death in a social media post.

“It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved Johnny Rodriguez, who left us peacefully on May 9th, surrounded by family,” she wrote. “Dad was not only a legendary musician whose artistry touched millions around the world,...

The ACM Awards celebrated its 60th anniversary with a trip through history, saluting one Song of the Year winner from each of the last six decades. The slot made for a tour of the musical and lyrical changes in country music over time and featured some of the genre’s most recognizable stars, from this year’s host, Reba McEntire, to the duo Dan + Shay.

McEntire kicked things off with a tribute to her fellow Oklahoma legend, the late Merle Haggard, with a spunky rendition of his hippie-busting classic,...

Joe McFadden, a music industry executive who had stints at Emi, Capitol Records and Better Noise Music and worked with acts including Merle Haggard, Paul McCartney, Coldplay, Bob Seger and Mötley Crüe, has died. He was 77.

McFadden died March 11 in Chatsworth, California, after a long illness, a publicist announced.

Born on Nov. 16, 1947, in Tracy, California, McFadden earned a degree in business administration and management from Fresno State University and worked with his father, Jack, in Bakersfield managing such notable artists as Haggard and Buck Owens.

He started out with Emi in 1975 before joining its label Capitol and serving as its senior vp sales and field marketing from 1985-2007. There, he worked with McCartney, Seger, Coldplay, Bonnie Raitt, Megadeth, Duran Duran, Beastie Boys, Radiohead, Foo Fighters and Iron Maiden and was involved in campaigns for The Beatles, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and The Beach Boys.

McFadden left Capitol to open his own independent business,...

When Jesse Colin Young’s death was announced on Monday, it was inevitable that “Get Together” — the peace-and-brotherhood anthem that he and the Youngbloods turned into a decades-long radio staple —would be mentioned first. Young neither wrote it nor was the first to record it. But even after it’s been covered by everyone from Joni Mitchell and Jefferson Airplane to Kelly Clarkson, the Youngbloods’ version, with its snuggly harmonies and spiraling guitar, remains definitive, the most reassuring of them all.

That said, Young had more to offer than that song.

Willie Nelson is preparing for the 10th annual Outlaw Music Festival Tour, which will see him make 35 stops across 22 states.

The tour is scheduled to begin in Arizona on May 13 and conclude in Wisconsin on Sept. 19.

Willie Nelson & Family will be accompanied by Bob Dylan, Billy String, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Sheryl Crow, Charles Wesley Godwin, Lucinda Williams, Sierra Hull, Waylon Payne, Willow Avalon, Myron Elkins, Tami Neilson, Madeleine Edwards, Lily Meola, Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers, Trampled by Turtles, Waxahatchee, The Avett brothers, The Red Clay Strays, Turnpike Troubadours, The Mavericks, Lake Street Dive and Wilco.

In a statement, Nelson shared, “What an amazing lineup to celebrate my 10th Anniversary of the Outlaw Music Festival Tour.”

He continued, “I can’t wait to join friends and family in bringing this celebration to the fans we love.”

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Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Chris Stapleton joins the SiriusXM lineup with his own exclusive, year-round channel: Chris Stapleton Radio (Ch. 63).

Chris Stapleton RadioCountry, rock, soul & moreListen on the App

Listen on the App

“Chris Stapleton Radio gives people another way to connect with our music — where me and the rest of the guys in the band and Morgane are coming from,” Chris said about his new channel. “What our influences are. Knowing that when people come to watch a show, what they’re hearing is informed by the things that are on this channel. That’s probably the ultimate reason that I want to do this.”

Chris Stapleton Radio How to listen

Chris Stapleton Radio is available on satellite channel 63 and streaming on the SiriusXM app.

What you’ll hear

Curated and presented by Chris and his band, The Honchos, Chris Stapleton Radio features music spanning Chris’s career as well...

Post Malone and Zach Top don’t seem like they would pair well together as their styles are completely different. Zach has historically been praised for reviving a traditional country sound into mainstream country music. Post Malone is known for his tattoo and transition from pop into country. However, Malone often collaborates with many big pop country stars and some country music legends. Zach and Malone agreed to collaborate on a classic country music song.

Malone And Top Have A History

Post Malone often pays tribute to country music legends. He has covered Hank Williams and George Straight, as well as recording collab projects with many others. Post jumped into country music at a time when many pop stars were transitioning to the genre, however, his music quickly set him apart from other country converts. Indeed, Malone respects and appreciates the roots of the country music genre. Which is one...

Twenty years ago, Little Big Town were seemingly at the end of their rope in trying to make it in Nashville. The country music quartet had two failed recording contracts in the rearview mirror, with no real prospects to come.

“We were broken, and we just sat down and wrote that record,” Karen Fairchild tells Rolling Stone. “In a way, it was the best time, because we didn’t have anybody looking over our shoulder while we were making music.”

That record would be Little Big Town’s breakthrough 2005 album The Road to Here.

The American South is a hot mess of cultural contradictions, and while those contradictions have stoked the dumpster fire of U.S. politics for a couple of centuries, they also happen to be fueling some of the best music being made right now. And to be sure, the story of rock in 2024 is largely a story of Southern rock, in both classic-rock and indie-rock denominations.

On two of the year’s best records, Tigers Blood and Manning Fireworks, Katie “Waxahatchee” Crutchfield (Alabama) and Jake “Mj” Lenderman (North Carolina), respectively, made...

Ashley McBryde paid tribute to the late Kris Kristofferson with a stripped-down, acoustic rendition of Kristofferson’s “Help Me Make It Through the Night” at the 2024 CMA Awards.

Accompanying herself on acoustic guitar, McBryde performed the classic song of loneliness and connection to a montage of photos from Kristofferson’s life, including a shot of the singer with his friends Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson. Written in 1970, “Help Me Make It Through the Night” placed at No. 71 on the Rolling Stone’s 200 Greatest Country Songs of All time.

A salute to Kristofferson,...

Country singer Jamey Johnson was arrested in Tennessee’s Williamson County over the weekend, according to Nashville TV-news outlet Newschannel 5.

“We can confirm that Jamey Johnson was arrested on Sunday, Nov. 17 in Williamson County. The incident is still under investigation,” the Tennessee Highway Patrol wrote in a statement to the station.

Newschannel 5 reported that the Mobile Patrol app stated that the singer was charged with possession of drugs and speeding. However, while the District Attorney’s Office for Williamson County confirmed the songwriter’s arrest, it wouldn’t confirm the charges.

There sure has been a lot of discourse this year about who can play country music. But at the Country Music Hall of Fame’s annual Medallion Ceremony on Sunday, officially inducting this year’s class, the answer was “anyone who showed up.”

That included two members of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Keith Richards and Elvis Costello; Nashville’s latest pop arrival, Post Malone; bluegrass pioneer Del McCoury; Americana poet Lucinda Williams; and genre pillars Vince Gill and Emmylou Harris.

All of them, along with Eric Church, Blake Shelton,...

True to form, John Anderson was in the studio writing and recording a batch of new songs when he first heard rumblings about the latest class being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. When the Florida native, who possesses one of the genre’s most idiosyncratic drawls, eventually learned that he was one of the inductees, he says he absorbed the honor with a mix of satisfaction and melancholy.

“One of the main gratifications is I got to live to see it,” Anderson, 69, says. “Several of my friends were inducted posthumously.

Country legend Keith Urban is a huge Bruce Springsteen fan, but he had no idea how deeply he’d be affected by his trip to see Springsteen on Broadway a few years back. When Springsteen described having a dream where he tells his father he embodies him as a performer — “Look, Dad. That guy onstage? That’s how I see you” — Urban was stunned. “I just sat there holding back tears so badly,” he recalls in the new episode of Rolling Stone Music Now. When the performance ended, Urban and his wife,...

Miranda Lambert recently won big at the People’s Choice Country Awards, and the singer had plenty to say about it. So, what did she tell her followers on the back of her latest big win?

Miranda Lambert Coming Back Strong With New Album

Lambert has been hard at work promoting her brand-new record, Postcards From Texas. Along with being her first major, full-length release since Palomino in 2022, Miranda is hard at work promoting the new record. This includes playing shows, in addition to doing various interviews and talk shows. So, she has gone back fully into promotional mode.

Miranda Lambert opened up recently about how this latest record is deeply personal for her. She reflected on things like her decades in the industry, and all the fans who still support her and allow her to do what she does every day. After the wild ride she has been on,...

Chris Stapleton returns to “The Howard Stern Show” and brings new performances from his album “Higher.” Watch and listen to his interview with Howard Stern and full set on Howard 100 (Ch. 100) in cars and on the SiriusXM app.

Chris StapletonFull ‘Stern Show’ interview & setWatch on the App

Watch on the App

“The Howard Stern Show” airs live on the Howard 100 channel Monday-Wednesday (7am-11am Et), with replays of Mondays and Tuesdays shows on Thursdays and Fridays. Episodes and videos are available on the SiriusXM app.

In the midst of yet another triumphant year, Chris Stapleton won four awards at 59th ACM Awards in May, as well as two more trophies at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards in February. These accomplishments celebrate Stapleton’s fifth studio album, “Higher,” which was released in November 2023 to overwhelming critical acclaim.

Chris Stapleton (C) and his band at SiriusXM Studios on September 25, 2024 in NYC. (Photo...

Country superstar Reba McEntire admitted that she was once terrified of legendary singer Merle Haggard. Keep reading to find out why.

Reba McEntire Side-Eyes Boyfriend’s New Bestie

Reba McEntire has been dating actor Rex Linn since the old friends reconnected during the Covid pandemic in 2020. They first met in 1991 when co-starring in The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw with Kenny Rogers.

Reba and Rex spend a lot of time together and even sparked engagement rumors. He will appear on her upcoming NBC sitcom. He also regularly attends tapings of the NBC singing competition, The Voice.

Reba McEntire/Credit: The Voice YouTube

The country singer joined The Voice as a coach to replace Blake Shelton in Season 24. She previously appeared as a mentor. But after two seasons, Reba McEntire is leaving. Her departure comes at the end of Season 26, which is currently airing. Og coach Adam Levine returns...

“The Voice” coaches Michael Buble, Gwen Stefani, Reba McEntire and Snoop Dogg gathered together prior to the Season 26 premiere to discuss their musical origins, hit songs, biggest heroes in more. Watch the 10-minute clip below and catch the season premiere on Monday, September 23 at 8/7c on NBC and streaming on Peacock.

NBC’s “The Voice” follows the strongest vocalists from across the country and invites them to compete in this season’s blockbuster vocal competition.

This is the first time around for Snoop Dogg and Michael Buble. Reba McEntire returns for the third time following her Season 25 win with Alabama singer Asher HaVon. This is Gwen Stefani’s eighth season. She took the crown in Season 19 with 14-year-old Carter Rubin.

See ‘The Voice’ executive producer Audrey Morrissey reflects on 25 seasons: ‘A real sense of nostalgia and pride’ [Exclusive Video Interview]

In the intimate discussion, the coaches take us behind the glam and reveal...

Some of country music’s most exciting new voices took to the stage at the famous Nashville Palace honky-tonk for a celebration of Wanted! The Outlaws, the first country music album to ever go Platinum. Presented by Tennessee’s own George Dickel Whisky, the rocking evening paid tribute not only to the history-making 1976 record and other Outlaw Country classics, but also celebrated the 10th anniversary of Rolling Stone Country.

Rolling Stone publisher and EVP Brian Szejka and RSC Senior Editor Joseph Hudak welcomed the crowd with Dickel in hand, toasting...

Right up there with Marty Stuart, Chuck Mead is one of the torchbearers of neo-traditional country music, that punky, jangly, and twangy sound that helped revitalize Nashville in the Nineties. Earlier this year, Mead and Stuart came together to write “Lonely Boy,” Mead’s latest single with his band the Stalwarts. A new video directed by Stacie Huckeba for the supercharged guitar-rocker, which Mead describes as “the Who on hay bales,” dropped on Friday.

“We initially envisioned it as a Johnny Horton-style song,” Mead says of “Lonely Boy” in a statement,...

From Stagecoach to earlier this month in Nashville, Post Malone’s gigs this year have frequently featured appearances by a bevy of country stars. On Friday night, Malone returned the favor by serving as surprise guest at another artist’s concert, popping up during Dwight Yoakam’s show in Los Angeles.

The F-1 Trillion singer joined Yoakam at the Greek Theater for a handful of songs Friday, including the set-ending trio of “Little Ways” (which the duo performed together during the Posty Goes Country set at Stagecoach), “Guitars and Cadillacs,...

Sitting across from Miranda Lambert, it’s hard not to be confronted by the strength, determination, and “fuck around and find out” attitude that defined one of country music’s most promising debut albums. Kerosene, Lambert’s first major label LP, turns 20 next year, and the Texas songwriter is reflecting on all that led to its 2005 release.

“When I first started, I wanted longevity, a long career and to have relevancy, and be able to play as long as I physically could play,” Lambert tells Rolling Stone. “Luckily, I have...

Updated: Donald Trump has selected Sen. J.D. Vance (R-oh) as his vice presidential running mate.

Vance, first elected in 2022, rose to national prominence during Trump’s run for the White House in 2016, as his memoir Hillbilly Elegy became a national best-seller and he was called upon to explain the appeal of the Celebrity Apprentice host to the working class. He also was an Ivy League educated lawyer and Silicon Valley venture capitalist.

Trump wrote on Truth Social, “After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio. J.D. honorably served our Country in the Marine Corps, graduated from Ohio State University in two years, Summa Cum Laude, and is a Yale Law School Graduate, where he was...

Chris Stapleton is getting his own SiriusXM channel. Starting Thursday, May 23, at noon/E.T., Chris Stapleton Radio will debut on the satellite-radio giant on channel 63 and play a mix of songs all curated by Stapleton and his band members, including his wife and singing partner Morgane Stapleton.

“Chris Stapleton Radio gives people another way to connect with our music — where me and the rest of the guys in the band and Morgane are coming from. What our influences are,” the country singer said in a statement.

That Stapleton is...

Scotty McCreery knows that he shows up carrying a lot of baggage. He’s the American Idol kid, the preternaturally youthful, aw-shucks redhead who, at 17, won the reality singing competition back when it still mattered, and dropped the inoffensive debut single “I Love You This Big.” That reputation, polished and squeaky clean, tells some cynical country fans all they need to know about the type of music he makes. Surely, Scotty McCreery can’t do hard country.

McCreery, sipping on a Michter’s bourbon, two cubes, shakes his head. Straightening...

The Fargo season 5 soundtrack has a ton of great needle-drops in between pieces from its foreboding original score. The use of licensed music in FX's Fargo ties back to the classic Coen brothers movie it was based on, which featured songs by Merle Haggard and Boy George. Fargo season 5 includes songs by such renowned artists as Yes, Rush, and Marilyn Manson.

The Fargo season 5 soundtrack is full of great needle drops. The original Coen brothers movie is remembered for its creepy, foreboding score by regular Coen collaborator Carter Burwell, but it had its fair share of licensed music, too. “Big City” by Merle Haggard can be heard in the King of Clubs when Jerry meets with Carl and Gaear. Boy George’s cover version of “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” is playing in the garage while Shep works. Carl and his escort watch a live nightclub performance of...

Toby Keith is one of the 2024 inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame. The songwriter died Feb. 5 after a long battle with stomach cancer — one day before the names of the final inductees were to be delivered to the Hall of Fame staff.

Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer, announced Keith as one of this year’s inductees and walked through the nomination process during a press conference in the Hall of Fame’s Rotunda Monday morning. “My heart sank that Tuesday afternoon knowing that we had missed the...

Todd Snider hunkered down during the first year or so of the pandemic, and like some musicians suddenly knocked off the road, he took to online music-making — but with a unique twist. Starting in October 2020, Snider devoted each Sunday to playing and live-streaming the entirety of one of his albums, start to finish, with just his voice and guitar. Along the way he’d talk about the origins of some of the songs and play ones that had been left off.

With the 30th anniversary of his first album, Songs for the Daily Planet,...

Back in 2002, Toby Keith appeared on the very first episode of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling to perform his song “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American)” — only to be interrupted midway through by the dastardly wrestler Jeff Jarrett. There is maybe no better metaphor for the kitschy nationalist spectacle of the era. A few years before, a heel in wrestling might have incited boos and jeers from the crowd by burning an American flag. But in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, you make them hate you by interrupting a Toby Keith concert.

T-Pain was at a karaoke party last year when an R&b-flavored country ballad starting playing over the system. The rapper-turned-singer didn’t recognize it, so he opened up Shazam to listen — and the result came back as “Tennessee Whiskey,” by Chris Stapleton. “I made it a part of my ‘sad playlist,’” T-Pain tells Rs. “The lyrics spoke to me.”

Songs from decades past are routinely revived or rediscovered, and that’s currently happening in a big way with “Tennessee Whiskey,” a 44-year-old honky-tonk song about salvation by someone who...

This fall marks 30 awards seasons I’ve covered, not only as neutral observer, which is my main gig, but also as a fervent film fan, quietly cheering on my filmmaking heroes who sometimes manage to put their teams on the field. Sometimes they even manage to win.

But most of the time, I’ve spent the past 30 years hoping, not hyping.

I’ve hoped that the achievements that seem special to me also resonate with voters for the Oscars, Golden Globes, various guilds and critics’ groups. It doesn’t matter, if you care passionately about great cinema, you never hit the “off” button. But I’ve done so in the context of equal attention to everything, no playing favorites, let the fastest horse win at the gate.

I have also managed to personally avoid the predictions game, which now seems to almost dominate coverage across all publications, including this one.

Phoebe Bridgers has released her annual holiday cover — this time with the help of her boygenius bandmates.

This year’s choice is “The Parting Glass” — a Scottish and Irish traditional that Sinéad O’Connor recorded in 2002 — which also features the Irish folk duo Ye Vagabonds. Just like all of Bridgers’ holiday songs, the proceeds will be donated, this time to the Aisling Project. Chosen by the Sinéad O’Connor Estate, the Aisling Project is an after school program for children and young people in Dublin, Ireland.

Upon O’Connor’s death last summer,...

Bernie Taupin received a Musical Excellence Award at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony Friday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame cofounder Jann Wenner received a dig for his imprudent remarks on why certain people were included in his recent book, The Masters.

While promoting his interview-collection book in September, Wenner said that its lack of diversity in interview selections was because female musicians were never “articulate enough on this intellectual level,” and that Black artists “just didn’t articulate at that level.” The resultant outrage saw Wenner apologize, but he was subsequently dropped from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation’s board of directors.

On Friday, after Elton John gave a speech detailing his relationship with Taupin, his longtime collaborator, Taupin took to the stage. After listing his influences, talking about his work with Elton John, and...

When Elton John was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 1994, he called Bernie Taupin onstage and handed him the award. “Without him, the journey would not have been possible,” John said at the time. “I kind of feel like cheating standing here accepting this. Without Bernie Taupin, there wouldn’t have been any Elton John at all. And I would like him to come up and give this to him.”

Three decades later, John took the stage at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center...

George Strait announced a new 2024 stadium tour featuring Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town.

“George Strait is heading to Nine stadiums in 2024!” said Strait’s Instagram post. “After an incredible summer of shows together, he’s bringing back ACM Entertainer of the Year Chris Stapleton along with Grammy award-winning band Little Big Town.”

The three country acts finished a 2023 tour in August. Strait’s next performance will be on October 21 in Atlanta, and then on November 17 and 18 in Fort Worth, Texas.

Tickets will be available for purchase on Strait’s official website on September 22.

>Get George Strait Concert Tickets Now!

Dates for George Strait, Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town 2024 Tour:

5-4 Indianapolis, Indiana — Lucas Oil Stadium

5-11 Jacksonville, Florida — Everbank Stadium

5-25 Ames, Iowa — Jack Trice Stadium

6-01 Charlotte, North Carolina — Bank of America Stadium

6-08 East Rutherford, New Jersey — MetLife Stadium

6-29 Salt Lake City, Utah — Rice-Eccles Stadium

7-13 Detroit,...

Bahamas’ entire aesthetic is one of taking the piss. The Sad Hunk title of his last album, his Zoolander press photos shot at the gym, and even his very stage name suggest he’s telling a joke with an awfully long punchline. But on his new album Bootcut, the Canadian creative born Afie Jurvanen couldn’t be more genuine. Or as they love to say in country music, “authentic.”

Bootcut, as its title implies, is a collection of country-inspired ballads fleshed out with steel guitar, thoughtful lyrics, and a guest spot by Vince Gill.

Bob Dylan’s Rough and Rowdy Ways tour is coming back to North America in the fall. The leg kicks off Oct. 1 at the Midland Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri. An Oct. 30 show at Proctors Theatre in Schenectady, New York is the final confirmed date, but Dylan’s website notes that “more Fall 2023 dates will be announced soon!”

The Rough and Rowdy Ways tour kicked off November 2, 2021 in Milwaukee. Dylan had been off the road for nearly two years at that point due to the pandemic. Prior to that, he...

If you really want to understand where Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town” comes from, you have to go all the way back to Richard Nixon — and before that, George Wallace. Wallace, a former Alabama governor and segregationist independent candidate for president in 1968, got significant support from the country world, even holding fundraisers at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. After defeating Wallace that fall, Nixon saw the right-wing potential of country music, and invited Johnny Cash to the White House a couple of years later for a concert,...

George Strait and his Ace in the Hole Band have embarked on a stadium tour for 2023. They started on May 6 in Glendale, Arizona’s State Farm Stadium and will end on August 5 in Tampa, Florida’s Raymond James Stadium. Strait’s scheduled 2023 performances also include two in November in Fort Worth, Texas.

All concerts will feature Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town as special guests.

In 2012, Strait said that he wasn’t “retiring,” but “the old road-warrior days are just going to be over” after over 30 years of touring. In 2016, the country music star partnered with Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, leading him to perform several times a year at the venue.

>Get George Strait Concert Tickets Now!

This 2023 tour is the artist’s most extensive series of performances in nine years since his two-year The Cowboy Rides Away tour in 2014.

Setlist

The below setlist comes from Strait’s May 27, 2023 performance in Columbus,...

Willie Nelson has taken a page from Bono’s book (pun intended) with Energy Follows Thought: The Stories Behind My Songs. The memoir, which breaks down 160 of the country legend’s compositions, is out October 31st via HarperCollins.

Nelson co-wrote Energy Follows Thought with David Ritz and Mickey Raphael. Alongside some never-before-seen photos of the artist, the book offers Nelson’s insights into songs from across his decades-long career, from the compositions he only got $50 for as a Nashville songwriter to the solo songs that have become classics. The project will delve into Willie’s Family and his relationships with Patsy Cline, Waylon Jennings, Ray Charles, Merle Haggard, Ray Price, and Dolly Parton, as well as his personal life. It follows Nelson’s 2016 offering Pretty Paper, also co-written with David Ritz, and marks his 10th book overall. Pre-orders are ongoing.

Nelson continues to be a music industry mainstay. Just last month,...

Willie Nelson will dive into his extraordinary catalog of music in a new book, Energy Follows Thought: The Stories Behind My Songs, set to arrive Oct. 31 via HaperCollins.

The book — which Nelson co-wrote with David Ritz and Mickey Raphael — will find the singer offering insights into the lyrics of 160 of his favorite songs. The book will span the entirety of his career, covering some of his earliest hits (some of which he only got paid $50 for) to deeply-cherished deep cuts and some of his clever concept albums.

The songs will...

Garth Brooks named Dolly Parton the Goat of country music, Chris Stapleton won his first-ever entertainer of the year title and Lainey Wilson continued her rise to stardom at the 2023 Academy of Country Music Awards.

Parton closed the two-hour awards show Thursday with a performance of her rock anthem “World on Fire,” taken from her upcoming rock debut Rock Star. The song features lyrics like, “Don’t get me started on politics/Now how are we to live in a world like this?”

Fire burst from the stage during the performance, which featured a full band and 10 dancers.

“Country music’s rock star,” co-host Brooks said as he introduced the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and fellow host.

Early in the night, Brooks rattled off names like Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Buck Owens, Charley Pride, George Strait, Keith Whitley and Randy Travis when trying...

“Last job I had was sportswriter at a local newspaper,” says Pony Bradshaw. He’s sitting backstage at the Grey Eagle in Asheville, North Carolina, nursing a bottle of Miller Lite and prepping for his gig later that night. “I’ve been doing this about five years full-time.”

“This” is his job as a rambling singer and songwriter in the Hank Williams or Merle Haggard vein, the kind of always-on-the-run lifestyle that informs the title of his latest album, North Georgia Rounder. While he resides in the same mountains as the record’s namesake,...