Music Country

When Keith Whitley died 30 years ago this month on May 9th, 1989, Vince Gill was inspired to honor the Kentucky country singer’s memory by writing a new song. It became “Go Rest High on That Mountain,” which Gill completed four years later after the death of his older brother …

James Felice was unsure if his band would ever make another record. It was 2017, and Felice, a multi-instrumentalist, secondary vocalist and founding member of the Hudson Valley roots-rock collective the Felice Brothers, had spent much of the year touring in Conor Oberst’s band alongside other members of the Felice …

Glen Campbell’s phenomenal recording career, which began in 1961 with his first single “Turn Around, Look at Me,” will be revisited in the upcoming release of The Legacy 1961-2017, an updated and expanded edition of the long-out-of-print box set originally released in 2003. The four-disc collection will be available June …

Gretchen Wilson initially belted her way to stardom with anthems like “Redneck Woman” and “Here for the Party,” drawing a line between contemporary country music and classic rock with her expressive wail. At 2007’s VH1 Rock Honors, she sang Heart‘s “Barracuda” with a band that included guitarist Nancy Wilson and …

Dan + Shay were three-time winners at Sunday night’s ACM Awards, including taking their first-ever Duo of the Year trophy, in addition to Single and Song of the Year for the genre-hopping “Tequila.” The pair, who wrested the duo honor from two-time victors Brothers Osborne, was joined onstage by Kelly …

Blake Shelton‘s swampy ode to rural living, Alice Wallace’s examination of life on the road and Sam Outlaw‘s laid-back Don Williams cover make up the list of must-hear country and Americana songs this week. Matt Stell, “Prayed for You” A God-fearing epic about faith, love and the salvation provided by …

Twelve months on from the release of her acclaimed 2018 LP May Your Kindness Remain, Courtney Marie Andrews is commemorating its one-year anniversary with a stirring batch of acoustic covers, including the album’s title track and three other songs. Cut in Nashville with Andrews alone on guitar, the stripped-down arrangement …

Tim McGraw is collaborating with Pulitzer Prize-winning presidential historian Jon Meacham on a new book about the music that shaped the United States. Titled Songs of America: Patriotism, Protest, and the Music That Made a Nation, the hardcover release is due June 11th, according to a listing on Amazon. A …

Joy Williams finds comfort in the familiar with the poignant video for “Front Porch,” the title cut from her forthcoming solo album. The clip, directed by the sister and brother team of Alexa and Stephen Kinigopoulos, captures sweet and simple moments in the lives of an interracial couple, while also …

For the previous three years, Jason Aldean has taken home the Academy of Country Music’s Entertainer of the Year honor at the annual ACM Awards, owing to his massive tours and ability to generate record sales. This year, he’ll take home an even more rare prize: the ACM Dick Clark …