In 1973, Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia fulfilled a longtime dream when he formed the bluegrass supergroup known as Old & In the Way. For the rock & roller, circling back to his acoustic roots was more than just scratching a creative itch — it was a spiritual calling.
“It was something that was organic and fun,” Peter Rowan, singer, songwriter, and former Oitw guitarist, tells Rolling Stone. “And that evolved into playing [shows]. ‘Let’s take this outside.’”
On the ground level, Old & In the Way’s self-titled 1975 debut album was one of the...
“It was something that was organic and fun,” Peter Rowan, singer, songwriter, and former Oitw guitarist, tells Rolling Stone. “And that evolved into playing [shows]. ‘Let’s take this outside.’”
On the ground level, Old & In the Way’s self-titled 1975 debut album was one of the...
- 3/28/2024
- by Garret K. Woodward
- Rollingstone.com
It’s one of the first cold fall nights in the mountains of East Tennessee and Lindsay Lou is tightening her winter coat as she prepares to take the outdoor stage at CaveFest, an Americana and bluegrass gathering held southeast of Nashville at the Caverns, an underground venue with an aboveground amphitheater.
“I feel more deeply connected with myself and everyone around me,” the singer-songwriter tells Rolling Stone backstage. “Even if my life blew up for a few years.”
Lou, an artist who has been deftly weaving bluegrass into ethereal,...
“I feel more deeply connected with myself and everyone around me,” the singer-songwriter tells Rolling Stone backstage. “Even if my life blew up for a few years.”
Lou, an artist who has been deftly weaving bluegrass into ethereal,...
- 12/8/2023
- by Garret K. Woodward
- Rollingstone.com
The biggest story of this year’s International Bluegrass Music Association award show wasn’t that Billy Strings won his third consecutive Entertainer of the Year honor. Nor was it that Sierra Hull took home her sixth Mandolin Player of the Year trophy. And it wasn’t even that Molly Tuttle pulled off a trifecta with Female Vocalist, Song, and Album of the Year.
Rather, the takeaway from the 2023 gathering at the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh, North Carolina, is that the ongoing “transition” within the...
Rather, the takeaway from the 2023 gathering at the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh, North Carolina, is that the ongoing “transition” within the...
- 10/1/2023
- by Garret K. Woodward
- Rollingstone.com
When he was three years old, Jerry Douglas heard the groundbreaking banjo licks of Earl Scruggs on the turntable each morning during breakfast at his childhood home in northeastern Ohio.
“And we’d hear the Flatt & Scruggs [Grand Ole Opry] radio show on Wsm if there was clear weather between Ohio and Nashville,” Douglas, a staple of today’s bluegrass, tells Rolling Stone. “Flatt & Scruggs was a big deal in our house. But, Earl’s banjo playing was the first thing I ever heard that I wanted to do — nothing...
“And we’d hear the Flatt & Scruggs [Grand Ole Opry] radio show on Wsm if there was clear weather between Ohio and Nashville,” Douglas, a staple of today’s bluegrass, tells Rolling Stone. “Flatt & Scruggs was a big deal in our house. But, Earl’s banjo playing was the first thing I ever heard that I wanted to do — nothing...
- 9/6/2023
- by Garret K. Woodward
- Rollingstone.com
In the span of less than a week, the bluegrass community was rocked to its core: Jesse McReynolds and Bobby Osborne, two pioneering voices and musicians of the “high, lonesome sound,” died within mere days of each other.
McReynolds died June 23 at 93, while four days later, Osborne died at 91 on June 27. Both were renowned mandolin players and singers, whose melodic innovation and artistic integrity within bluegrass has echoed throughout the genre since its inception in the mid-20th century.
“I just can’t remember a time in my life without hearing them,...
McReynolds died June 23 at 93, while four days later, Osborne died at 91 on June 27. Both were renowned mandolin players and singers, whose melodic innovation and artistic integrity within bluegrass has echoed throughout the genre since its inception in the mid-20th century.
“I just can’t remember a time in my life without hearing them,...
- 6/29/2023
- by Garret K. Woodward
- Rollingstone.com
Wes Anderson’s latest endeavor Asteroid City is making its crash-landing into theaters this Friday, June 23rd, and it has a fitting soundtrack to match. As a preview, Jarvis Cocker has shared one of his contributions to the film called “Dear Alien (Who Art In Heaven),” a single he wrote with Anderson and his former Pulp bandmate Richard Hawley. The song also features Seu Jorge, who was prominently featured on the soundtrack for Anderson’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.
Considering Asteroid City takes place in a desert town in 1955, the soundtrack comes chock-full of period-setting tunes like classic bluegrass and country as well as mid-century pop. Along with a couple of originals from Cocker are songs by Bing Crosby, The Springfields (featuring a young Dusty Springfield), Burl Ives, Tex Ritter, and many more, as well as a score by Alexandre Desplat.
Cocker is just one of many voices...
Considering Asteroid City takes place in a desert town in 1955, the soundtrack comes chock-full of period-setting tunes like classic bluegrass and country as well as mid-century pop. Along with a couple of originals from Cocker are songs by Bing Crosby, The Springfields (featuring a young Dusty Springfield), Burl Ives, Tex Ritter, and many more, as well as a score by Alexandre Desplat.
Cocker is just one of many voices...
- 6/20/2023
- by Abby Jones
- Consequence - Music
Willie Nelson has now been selected for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023. But it not the first time that someone is inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville and the rock institution in Cleveland. In fact, he is the 16th inductee into both halls. Nelson was voted into the country music museum back in 1993.
The list of 15 people so far only includes two women — Brenda Lee and Dolly Parton. The king of rock and roll — Elvis Presley — is among the group, along with solo singers Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bill Monroe, Jimmie Rodgers and Hank Williams. Instrumentalists are Chet Atkins, Floyd Cramer and Johnny Gimble. Sun Records founder Sam Phillips is included along with two groups — the Everly Brothers and Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys.
Tour our photo gallery to find out more about each person and when they were...
The list of 15 people so far only includes two women — Brenda Lee and Dolly Parton. The king of rock and roll — Elvis Presley — is among the group, along with solo singers Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bill Monroe, Jimmie Rodgers and Hank Williams. Instrumentalists are Chet Atkins, Floyd Cramer and Johnny Gimble. Sun Records founder Sam Phillips is included along with two groups — the Everly Brothers and Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys.
Tour our photo gallery to find out more about each person and when they were...
- 5/5/2023
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Willie Nelson is a front-runner to be selected for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023. If that happens, it will not be the first time that someone is inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville and the rock institution in Cleveland. In fact, he would be the 16th inductee into both halls. Nelson was voted into the country music museum back in 1993.
SEERock and Roll Hall of Fame 2023 nominees include Missy Elliott, Cyndi Lauper, George Michael, Willie Nelson, A Tribe Called Quest
The list of 15 people so far only includes two women — Brenda Lee and Dolly Parton. The king of rock and roll — Elvis Presley — is among the group, along with solo singers Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bill Monroe, Jimmie Rodgers and Hank Williams. Instrumentalists are Chet Atkins, Floyd Cramer and Johnny Gimble. Sun Records founder Sam Phillips is included along with...
SEERock and Roll Hall of Fame 2023 nominees include Missy Elliott, Cyndi Lauper, George Michael, Willie Nelson, A Tribe Called Quest
The list of 15 people so far only includes two women — Brenda Lee and Dolly Parton. The king of rock and roll — Elvis Presley — is among the group, along with solo singers Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bill Monroe, Jimmie Rodgers and Hank Williams. Instrumentalists are Chet Atkins, Floyd Cramer and Johnny Gimble. Sun Records founder Sam Phillips is included along with...
- 4/25/2023
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
The Voice is heating up and team members are facing off against each other as the Knockouts continue on the NBC musical series. In an exclusive first look at one of the latest pairings, Team Kelly’s Holly Brand and Rachel Christine perform with Holly delivering her own rendition of Bill Monroe’s “Blue Moon of Kentucky” and Rachel taking on Fleetwood Mac’s “Rhiannon.” (Credit: Tyler Golden/NBC) It’s clear in the clip above that neither competitor is holding anything back as they display their full range of skills. While Holly leans into her country twang, Rachel delivers a series of sprawling notes during her turn at the mic. When it comes time for the coaches to chime in, their team leader Kelly Clarkson as well as Blake Shelton, Chance the Rapper, and Niall Horan all sing their praises. The only question is, who will win? The choice...
- 4/21/2023
- TV Insider
NBC’s The Voice Season 23 continues on with the Knockout rounds now that the Battle Rounds finished. The Knockouts last for two episodes, and they bring 24 contestants to the stage to duke it out for their spot in the top 20 for the Playoffs. So, what songs do the competitors sing during the Knockouts? Here are some of the songs fans will hear, according to The Voice Season 23 spoilers.
[Spoiler alert: The Voice Season 23 spoilers ahead regarding the songs in the Knockout Rounds.]
Chance the Rapper and Reba McEntire on ‘The Voice’ Season 23 | Tyler Golden/NBC 28 contestants move forward into the Knockout Rounds
The Voice Season 23 Knockout Rounds begin on April 17, 2023. Fans will see 24 contestants take to the stage, though four of them get to skip singing, as they have the Playoff Pass. The 24 competitors set to sing will sing against one of their competitors. The round winner will move forward, and the loser is then available for the coaches to steal.
The Voice Season...
[Spoiler alert: The Voice Season 23 spoilers ahead regarding the songs in the Knockout Rounds.]
Chance the Rapper and Reba McEntire on ‘The Voice’ Season 23 | Tyler Golden/NBC 28 contestants move forward into the Knockout Rounds
The Voice Season 23 Knockout Rounds begin on April 17, 2023. Fans will see 24 contestants take to the stage, though four of them get to skip singing, as they have the Playoff Pass. The 24 competitors set to sing will sing against one of their competitors. The round winner will move forward, and the loser is then available for the coaches to steal.
The Voice Season...
- 4/17/2023
- by Lauren Weiler
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The first time Grammy-winning Americana/bluegrass act Steep Canyon Rangers played the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida, the group was adorned in full suits and encircling a lone microphone.
“It was probably around 2004,” Rangers singer-banjoist Graham Sharp tells Rolling Stone backstage at the recent Suwannee Spring Reunion festival. “We’ve been able to trace our band and its evolution through this festival, from being a traditional bluegrass band to being whatever the hell we are now — this place is a natural home for that.”
Sandwiched...
“It was probably around 2004,” Rangers singer-banjoist Graham Sharp tells Rolling Stone backstage at the recent Suwannee Spring Reunion festival. “We’ve been able to trace our band and its evolution through this festival, from being a traditional bluegrass band to being whatever the hell we are now — this place is a natural home for that.”
Sandwiched...
- 4/2/2023
- by Garret K. Woodward
- Rollingstone.com
Standing behind a large curtain at the Cultural Center Theater in the small Appalachian city of Charleston, West Virginia, Kathy Mattea readies herself to welcome another audience to NPR’s Mountain Stage.
“[Mountain Stage] has reinforced and magnified my long-held belief that music is really important,” Mattea, a Charleston native, tells Rolling Stone backstage. “Music and hospitality — that’s what it’s all about. And those two things? That’s West Virginia right there.”
With snowflakes falling onto the mountains cradling the state capitol on this particular January night, Mountain Stage listeners...
“[Mountain Stage] has reinforced and magnified my long-held belief that music is really important,” Mattea, a Charleston native, tells Rolling Stone backstage. “Music and hospitality — that’s what it’s all about. And those two things? That’s West Virginia right there.”
With snowflakes falling onto the mountains cradling the state capitol on this particular January night, Mountain Stage listeners...
- 3/25/2023
- by Garret K. Woodward
- Rollingstone.com
Bob Dylan is an iconic folk musician and an icon of the counterculture movement.
He is one of the most influential figures in modern music and his landmark songs have been covered by numerous artists around the world. He has also been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, won a Presidential Medal of Freedom, and was even awarded a Nobel Prize in Literature!
Bob Dylan’s music is recognized for its sophisticated use of poetic imagery, and his distinctive voice has become an iconic symbol for generations to come. However, his enigmatic lifestyle has also left many questions unanswered about who he really is.
In this article, we explore Bob Dylan’s life – from his humble beginnings as a folk singer to his rise to fame, his legacy, and more. We’ll share stories from Bob Dylan himself, along with insights from leading music historians. All this...
He is one of the most influential figures in modern music and his landmark songs have been covered by numerous artists around the world. He has also been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, won a Presidential Medal of Freedom, and was even awarded a Nobel Prize in Literature!
Bob Dylan’s music is recognized for its sophisticated use of poetic imagery, and his distinctive voice has become an iconic symbol for generations to come. However, his enigmatic lifestyle has also left many questions unanswered about who he really is.
In this article, we explore Bob Dylan’s life – from his humble beginnings as a folk singer to his rise to fame, his legacy, and more. We’ll share stories from Bob Dylan himself, along with insights from leading music historians. All this...
- 3/17/2023
- by Music Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid Music
Billy Strings will go back to where it all began with his new album Me/And/Dad, a collaborative project between the young bluegrass star and his father, Terry Barber. The new project featuring country and bluegrass classics will be released Nov. 18 and includes two songs that were released today: “Long Journey Home” and “Life to Go.”
The traditional tune “Long Journey Home” shows off Strings’ lightning-fast picking as well as the harmonizing between him and Barber, who also plays guitar on the track. “Life to Go” is an acoustic...
The traditional tune “Long Journey Home” shows off Strings’ lightning-fast picking as well as the harmonizing between him and Barber, who also plays guitar on the track. “Life to Go” is an acoustic...
- 10/3/2022
- by Jon Freeman
- Rollingstone.com
During the time she was married to Joe Strummer starting in 1995, Lucinda Tait would often hear her late husband at work in the kitchen of their house in Broomfield, in southwest England. “He had a typewriter, an old-fashioned one that would go ‘clack clack,'” Tait recalls. “When I went to sleep at night, I’d be upstairs and hear him tapping away at the kitchen table.”
Strummer’s wildly influential former band, the Clash, were long in the rear-view mirror by then, and Strummer had recently formed his latest combo,...
Strummer’s wildly influential former band, the Clash, were long in the rear-view mirror by then, and Strummer had recently formed his latest combo,...
- 7/27/2022
- by David Browne
- Rollingstone.com
It finally happened. After teasing their friendship online back in 2020 with a lever-action rifle and a viral Instagram post, Post Malone and Billy Strings performed together onstage. The “Circles” rapper joined the lightning-fast bluegrass picker at the Observatory in Santa Ana, California, for a rollicking cover of “Cocaine Blues,” the cautionary murder song made famous by Johnny Cash.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Billy Strings (@billystrings)
“Billy Strings is the best to ever fucking do it,” Post Malone said upon walking onstage with a draft beer...
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Billy Strings (@billystrings)
“Billy Strings is the best to ever fucking do it,” Post Malone said upon walking onstage with a draft beer...
- 4/14/2022
- by Joseph Hudak
- Rollingstone.com
Brothers Osborne, nine-time nominees, won their first career Grammy award during Sunday’s streaming Grammy Premiere Ceremony. The duo of Tj and John Osborne won Best Country/Duo Group Performance for their introspective song “Younger Me,” written shortly after the duo’s singer Tj Osborne came out as a gay man.
“I never thought I would be able to do music professionally because of my sexuality and I never thought I would be on this stage accepting a Grammy,” Tj said, his voice cracking.
“I want to thank my younger self for pursuing this,...
“I never thought I would be able to do music professionally because of my sexuality and I never thought I would be on this stage accepting a Grammy,” Tj said, his voice cracking.
“I want to thank my younger self for pursuing this,...
- 4/3/2022
- by Rolling Stone
- Rollingstone.com
Throughout his career, bluegrass banjo master J.D. Crowe selflessly made room in his band the New South for innovators. Tony Rice, Ricky Skaggs, and Jerry Douglas all played in the group, which, under Crowe’s leadership, tested the limits of tradition-minded bluegrass culture by welcoming electric instruments and embracing songs from the folk and rock worlds.
In the late 1970s, he hired vocalist Keith Whitley and recalibrated the New South around the Kentuckian’s country music inclinations, in effect giving Whitley the platform he needed to launch his Nashville career in the 1980s.
In the late 1970s, he hired vocalist Keith Whitley and recalibrated the New South around the Kentuckian’s country music inclinations, in effect giving Whitley the platform he needed to launch his Nashville career in the 1980s.
- 12/26/2021
- by Michael Streissguth
- Rollingstone.com
J.D. Crowe, a pioneering banjo player with his progressive bluegrass group the New South, died Friday morning, according to a post on the musician’s Facebook page. He was 84.
“This morning at around 3 a.m. our dad, Jd Crowe, went home,” Crowe’s family wrote. “Prayers needed for all during this difficult time.”
A seminal figure in the bluegrass world, Crowe was a disciple of Earl Scruggs and played banjo in Scruggs’ three-fingered style. Yet he was also an experimentalist and pushed the genre outside of its traditional, at times constrictive,...
“This morning at around 3 a.m. our dad, Jd Crowe, went home,” Crowe’s family wrote. “Prayers needed for all during this difficult time.”
A seminal figure in the bluegrass world, Crowe was a disciple of Earl Scruggs and played banjo in Scruggs’ three-fingered style. Yet he was also an experimentalist and pushed the genre outside of its traditional, at times constrictive,...
- 12/24/2021
- by Joseph Hudak
- Rollingstone.com
Chris Stapleton and Mickey Guyton were the top nominees in the country music categories when the Grammy Awards announced their nominations on Tuesday. Stapleton and Guyton will compete in the same three categories: Best Country Solo Performance, Best Country Song, and Best Country Album.
Stapleton’s nominations come on the strength of his album Starting Over, which is nominated for Best Country Album. His recording of “You Should Probably Leave” is up for Best Country Solo Performance, while “Cold” competes for Best Country Song. Guyton’s debut LP Remember Her...
Stapleton’s nominations come on the strength of his album Starting Over, which is nominated for Best Country Album. His recording of “You Should Probably Leave” is up for Best Country Solo Performance, while “Cold” competes for Best Country Song. Guyton’s debut LP Remember Her...
- 11/23/2021
- by Joseph Hudak
- Rollingstone.com
Roy Acuff was synonymous with the fiddle. It was his constant companion, and when he wasn’t playing it on songs like “Night Train to Memphis,” it was in his hand. Or sometimes, balanced on his chin. On Wednesday, the Country Music Hall of Fame received one of Acuff’s fiddles for its permanent collection.
Vince Gill came into possession of the fiddle this year (he purchased it from the granddaughter of Bashful Brother Oswald, a member of Acuff’s Smokey Mountain Boys) and knew there was only one home for the instrument.
Vince Gill came into possession of the fiddle this year (he purchased it from the granddaughter of Bashful Brother Oswald, a member of Acuff’s Smokey Mountain Boys) and knew there was only one home for the instrument.
- 6/30/2021
- by Joseph Hudak
- Rollingstone.com
Jt Gray, the longtime owner of Nashville’s iconic venue of bluegrass and roots music The Station Inn died on March 20 of pre-existing conditions. He was 75.
Gray’s death was confirmed on the official Station Inn Facebook page. “The Station Inn will hold a celebration of life as soon as possible to honor the memory of Jt Gray,” said the Station Inn in a post. “The Station Inn will go dark on Monday, March 22 in honor of our friend and leader. But, just as Jt would want, we will ‘keep the music going,’ and we’ll keep you posted on stationinn.com and social media.”
They continued, “Jt understood and appreciated greatly the love and support of the bluegrass community, musicians and fans who became family over the years.”
Last week, Gray was seen on the Grammy Awards telecast where he presented Miranda Lambert with the trophy for Best Country Album.
Gray’s death was confirmed on the official Station Inn Facebook page. “The Station Inn will hold a celebration of life as soon as possible to honor the memory of Jt Gray,” said the Station Inn in a post. “The Station Inn will go dark on Monday, March 22 in honor of our friend and leader. But, just as Jt would want, we will ‘keep the music going,’ and we’ll keep you posted on stationinn.com and social media.”
They continued, “Jt understood and appreciated greatly the love and support of the bluegrass community, musicians and fans who became family over the years.”
Last week, Gray was seen on the Grammy Awards telecast where he presented Miranda Lambert with the trophy for Best Country Album.
- 3/22/2021
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Country musicians Toby Keith and Ricky Skaggs were reportedly presented with the National Medal of the Arts by president Donald Trump on Wednesday. The presentation took place on the same day the U.S. House of Representatives voted to impeach Trump for a historic second time in the wake of the violent insurrection at the Capitol on January 6th.
Because of Keith’s unwavering military support and jingoistic anthems like “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American),” the Oklahoma native has long been assumed to be a conservative Republican,...
Because of Keith’s unwavering military support and jingoistic anthems like “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American),” the Oklahoma native has long been assumed to be a conservative Republican,...
- 1/14/2021
- by Jon Freeman
- Rollingstone.com
In 1971, Peter Guralnick published Feel Like Going Home, which told the story of the blues through a series of revelatory profiles of Muddy Waters, Skip James, Howlin’ Wolf, and more. He ended the book with a goodbye: “I consider this chapter a swan song,” wrote Guralnick, who was 27 at the time. “Not only to the book but to my whole brief critical career. Next time you see me I hope I will be my younger, less self-conscious and critical self. It would be nice to just sit back and listen...
- 12/19/2020
- by Peter Guralnick
- Rollingstone.com
For 2020, we’ve teamed up with Kirkus Reviews, the pre-eminent book-review publication, to create a list of the year’s best music books. The 21 titles we came up with include biographies of musicians from Wagner to Kendrick Lamar, memoirs by greats like Rob Halford and Mariah Carey, and deep-dive explorations into topics like the history of sampling, gender and pop music, and the indie-rock scene of Athens, Georgia.
Larger Than Life: A History of Boy Bands From NKotB to BTS, Maria Sherman
Maria Sherman’s book debut accomplishes something...
Larger Than Life: A History of Boy Bands From NKotB to BTS, Maria Sherman
Maria Sherman’s book debut accomplishes something...
- 12/7/2020
- by Jon Dolan, David Browne, Brittany Spanos, Rob Sheffield, Simon Vozick-Levinson, Kory Grow, Andy Greene and Eric Liebetrau
- Rollingstone.com
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum found the inspiration for its upcoming fundraising event from an unlikely source: penguins.
At the beginning of the pandemic, when museums and nearly everything else were forced to close down, Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium managed to create a viral moment by letting its penguins roam loose in the facility and broadcasting the shenanigans online. The penguins were early quarantine stars. Country Music Hall of Fame CEO Kyle Young was among those watching.
“They were looking at the fish swimming around,” Young recalls.
At the beginning of the pandemic, when museums and nearly everything else were forced to close down, Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium managed to create a viral moment by letting its penguins roam loose in the facility and broadcasting the shenanigans online. The penguins were early quarantine stars. Country Music Hall of Fame CEO Kyle Young was among those watching.
“They were looking at the fish swimming around,” Young recalls.
- 10/27/2020
- by Jon Freeman
- Rollingstone.com
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will put to use some of the most iconic instruments in the genre’s history for its upcoming “Big Night” fundraiser, set for Wednesday, October 28th. Included among the newly announced instrument and artist pairings are guitars once owned by Johnny Cash, Mother Maybelle Carter, and Jimmie Rodgers.
The artist lineup for the event, which will be hosted by Marty Stuart, runs the gamut from contemporary stars like Miranda Lambert and Kane Brown to Americana favorites like Keb’ Mo’ and Lucinda Williams,...
The artist lineup for the event, which will be hosted by Marty Stuart, runs the gamut from contemporary stars like Miranda Lambert and Kane Brown to Americana favorites like Keb’ Mo’ and Lucinda Williams,...
- 10/14/2020
- by Jon Freeman
- Rollingstone.com
In June 1970, Elvis Presley made the trip east from his Graceland home in Memphis to Nashville, where he holed up in RCA Studio B on Music Row for five days of recording. Presley, who was in the midst of his Las Vegas comeback at the International Hotel, was joined by Music City sessions players like Charlie McCoy and Norbert Putnam — the legendary “Nashville Cats.” The result came to be known among fans as the “marathon sessions.”
Now, a new four-disc compilation assembles the masters from those halcyon days and captures Presley at his energetic best.
Now, a new four-disc compilation assembles the masters from those halcyon days and captures Presley at his energetic best.
- 8/7/2020
- by Joseph Hudak
- Rollingstone.com
Although Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium has hosted concerts and events from virtually every musical genre in its 128-year history, its integral role in the birth of bluegrass is one of the hallowed venue’s most important claims to fame. Shortly after its restoration and renovation led to the reopening of the Ryman in June 1994, two of the world’s most influential bluegrass artists, Alison Krauss and Bill Monroe, took the stage for the first of what has become an annual tradition: the Bluegrass Nights at the Ryman concert series.
This...
This...
- 1/27/2020
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
In 1998, Elvis Presley was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. The long-awaited honor came 12 years after Presley was one of the first members enshrined in the newly formed Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. His connection to country music was evident from the beginning of his career, even if his sole Grand Ole Opry performance on October 2nd, 1954, was allegedly followed by Opry manager Jim Denny’s advice that he return to his day job as a truck driver in Memphis.
Two weeks later, the 19-year-old, who was signed to Sun Records,...
Two weeks later, the 19-year-old, who was signed to Sun Records,...
- 1/8/2020
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
The birth of banjo great Earl Scruggs — born 96 years ago on January 6th, 1924, in the Cleveland County community of Flint Hill, North Carolina — predated the debut of the Grand Ole Opry by less than two years, but since then the musician has become synonymous with the Opry, as well as bluegrass and country music.
In late September 1961, Earl Scruggs, Lester Flatt, and their band, the Foggy Mountain Boys, played a show at Greenville, South Carolina’s Memorial Auditorium, alongside fellow Opry stars Ray Price, Porter Wagoner, Minnie Pearl, Mother Maybelle Carter,...
In late September 1961, Earl Scruggs, Lester Flatt, and their band, the Foggy Mountain Boys, played a show at Greenville, South Carolina’s Memorial Auditorium, alongside fellow Opry stars Ray Price, Porter Wagoner, Minnie Pearl, Mother Maybelle Carter,...
- 1/6/2020
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
In 2014, the Haden Triplets – Petra, Rachel, and Tanya – released their eponymous debut album on Jack White’s Third Man Records label. A sterling collection of vintage country songs, the LP was distinguished by the siblings’ chill-inducing harmonies. The daughters of jazz bass legend Charlie Haden (who died in July of that year) pay homage to their father’s exceptional music history, first as a singing (and yodeling) 2-year-old member of his family’s country-music act and his later years as one of the most influential jazz instrumentalists from the Fifties...
- 11/5/2019
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
With the release of a new single and video for “This Old House,” singer Clint Black pays homage to the Grand Ole Opry, which he joined in 1991. The new clip offers a rare glimpse backstage at the Opry House and features archival footage of Opry legends including Minnie Pearl and the Opry’s founder and first announcer, the “Solemn Old Judge,” George D. Hay.
“This Old House” also spotlights Black’s fellow Opry members Trace Adkins, Dierks Bentley, Darius Rucker, Travis Tritt, and Steve Wariner, as well as country compatriots Cody Jinks,...
“This Old House” also spotlights Black’s fellow Opry members Trace Adkins, Dierks Bentley, Darius Rucker, Travis Tritt, and Steve Wariner, as well as country compatriots Cody Jinks,...
- 11/1/2019
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
Not many forms of music have “old-” actually built into their name as a prefix. So it’s a given that the practitioners of the 200-year-old genre known as “old-time music” will wear their antiquity proudly in “Fiddlin’,” a documentary set in and around the 80th annual Old Fiddler’s Convention in Galax, Va. What may not be as expected is how much director Julie Simone puts the focus on the music’s teen and pre-teen virtuosos, although the geezer demographic hardly goes unrepresented. Even filmgoers with little taste for these arcane sounds may enjoy the doc, if only for the chance to spend an hour and a half in the company of so many prodigies who’ve put down their phones in the service of taking up catgut.
If a form specifically designated as “old-time music” is a new one on you, you’re not alone; even most roots-music...
If a form specifically designated as “old-time music” is a new one on you, you’re not alone; even most roots-music...
- 10/16/2019
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
By the time Dolly Parton had entered her teens, the young girl from the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee had accomplished something that most adults who love to sing country music could only dare dream: she had performed on the Grand Ole Opry.
Parton, who this week celebrates her 50th anniversary as a member of the Opry cast with an all-star salute, was officially inducted as an Opry member in January 1969, by which time she was a nationally recognized TV star alongside Porter Wagoner. But in 1959, the 13-year-old, then unknown outside of Knoxville,...
Parton, who this week celebrates her 50th anniversary as a member of the Opry cast with an all-star salute, was officially inducted as an Opry member in January 1969, by which time she was a nationally recognized TV star alongside Porter Wagoner. But in 1959, the 13-year-old, then unknown outside of Knoxville,...
- 10/11/2019
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
Hopping off the tailgate of his Sprinter touring van, Billy Strings readies himself for a rollicking set at the inaugural Railbird festival in Lexington, Kentucky. The six-string virtuoso grabs his guitar and tunes up, running through a few signature licks.
Strings sits back down and observes the other bands and festivalgoers milling about backstage. You can see it in his eyes: he’s engaged in a constant stream of thought as his fingers move up and down the fretboard. But that’s Strings — always watching. He takes those observations and...
Strings sits back down and observes the other bands and festivalgoers milling about backstage. You can see it in his eyes: he’s engaged in a constant stream of thought as his fingers move up and down the fretboard. But that’s Strings — always watching. He takes those observations and...
- 10/2/2019
- by Garret K. Woodward
- Rollingstone.com
In the mid-Eighties, Ricky Skaggs married his brand of bluegrass — a modernized version that included drums, piano, and electric guitar — to the burgeoning music video medium. The result was one of country music’s all-time great videos, an irreverent clip that shined a light not only on Skaggs’ vibrant new style of country-bluegrass but also on a pillar of the bluegrass genre, Bill Monroe.
The song and video was “Country Boy,” the title track of Skaggs’ 1984 album. Shot in New York City in early 1985, the clip casts Skaggs as a...
The song and video was “Country Boy,” the title track of Skaggs’ 1984 album. Shot in New York City in early 1985, the clip casts Skaggs as a...
- 9/24/2019
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
Musicianship was the theme of the evening for the second of Marty Stuart’s three Artist-in-Residence performances at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on Wednesday. Titled “Psychedelic Jam-Bo-Ree” and featuring a multi-generational cast of guests, the emphasis felt tilted slightly more “jam” than “psych,” with Stuart and his band the Fabulous Superlatives flexing their instrumental chops.
In a way, the show was akin to Stuart’s annual Late Night Jam, held each June at the Ryman Auditorium during Cma Fest. That show mirrors the format of an old radio program,...
In a way, the show was akin to Stuart’s annual Late Night Jam, held each June at the Ryman Auditorium during Cma Fest. That show mirrors the format of an old radio program,...
- 9/19/2019
- by Jon Freeman
- Rollingstone.com
Blues icon B.B. King often said in interviews that the blues and country music were “first cousins.” Riley B. “Blues Boy” King was born on this day in 1925, and is being paid tribute in today’s Google Doodle, which depicts the legendary musician playing his signature guitar, “Lucille.” Hitchhiking to Memphis in 1947 from his home in tiny Itta Bena, Mississippi, King would soon become one of the most renowned blues musicians in the world. While he excelled as a solo artist King also collaborated with a number of acts outside blues,...
- 9/16/2019
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
Country Music, Ken Burns’ PBS docuseries on a musical journey that spans from hollers to honkytonks to hit parades, is a whole lotta things. It’s long, which is a given when you consider the authorship — clocking in at a shade over 16 hours, this eight-episode megillah’s running time falls somewhere in between Burns’ look at WWII (The War) and his recent exploration of the conflict in Vietnam (The Vietnam War). It’s a tribute to artists with colorful nicknames like “The Singing Brakeman” and “The Hillbilly Shakespeare,” and those...
- 9/14/2019
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
Earlier this month, Bruce Springsteen released his October 13th, 1986, acoustic set at the Bridge School Benefit as an official live download. The hotly anticipated set was his first major performance since the end of the Born in the U.S.A. tour a year earlier. With Springsteen backed only by guitarist Nils Lofgren and organist Danny Federici, it features stripped-down renditions of “Fire,” “Glory Days,” “Mansion on the Hill,” and others. The set has circulated in bootleg circles for years, but the sound quality has never been this good even...
- 8/13/2019
- by Andy Greene
- Rollingstone.com
Just ahead of the September 15th premiere of the eight-part PBS documentary Country Music – A Film By Ken Burns, Legacy Recordings will unveil musical highlights from the 16-and-a-half-hour series with a deluxe five-cd set spanning the history of the genre.
The impressive track list represents artists featured in each of the series’ episodes, from the first stars of the genre, such as the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers, to influential acts from the latter half of the 20th century, including Randy Travis and the Judds. The set will be released Friday,...
The impressive track list represents artists featured in each of the series’ episodes, from the first stars of the genre, such as the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers, to influential acts from the latter half of the 20th century, including Randy Travis and the Judds. The set will be released Friday,...
- 6/13/2019
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
Toby Keith follows up the poignant ballad “Don’t Let the Old Man In” with a raucous blast of country-music pride. “That’s Country Bro” is a classic list song, but instead of the usual run-through of rural imagery (trucks, bonfires and coolers), Keith ticks off a Hall of Fame-worthy roster of country singers.
Jimmie Rodgers, Patsy Cline, Hank Williams, Roy Acuff, Johnny Horton, Bill Monroe, Woody Guthrie and Bob Wills all get shout-outs in the first 18 seconds, followed by Kitty Wells, Jimmy Dean, Hank Snow and even Spade Cooley.
Jimmie Rodgers, Patsy Cline, Hank Williams, Roy Acuff, Johnny Horton, Bill Monroe, Woody Guthrie and Bob Wills all get shout-outs in the first 18 seconds, followed by Kitty Wells, Jimmy Dean, Hank Snow and even Spade Cooley.
- 5/3/2019
- by Joseph Hudak
- Rollingstone.com
Over his 70-plus years in the spotlight, singer and guitarist Mac Wiseman helped build bluegrass and modern country music from the ground up. He remained a valuable mentor and ambassador for both genres until his death on February 24th. He was 93.
Of the many accomplishments from Wiseman’s career, two best represent his longevity and influence. He was the final surviving member of Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs’ original Foggy Mountain Boys. That fact alone makes him a key figure in the commercial and musical development of 1940s bluegrass. He...
Of the many accomplishments from Wiseman’s career, two best represent his longevity and influence. He was the final surviving member of Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs’ original Foggy Mountain Boys. That fact alone makes him a key figure in the commercial and musical development of 1940s bluegrass. He...
- 2/25/2019
- by Bobby Moore
- Rollingstone.com
Bluegrass bandleader Del McCoury, who turned 80 years old on February 1st, celebrated his birthday on the Grand Ole Opry stage Wednesday night surrounded by family, friends and fellow musicians. The celebration of McCoury’s life transformed the long-running live radio show into the “Grand Del Opry.”
The evening of musical tributes and collaborations included Opry members Dierks Bentley, Vince Gill, Marty Stuart, Old Crow Medicine Show and Jesse McReynolds, as well as guest artists Sam Bush, Abigail Washburn and the Travelin’ McCourys, the Grammy-winning group that includes Del’s sons Ronnie and Rob McCoury,...
The evening of musical tributes and collaborations included Opry members Dierks Bentley, Vince Gill, Marty Stuart, Old Crow Medicine Show and Jesse McReynolds, as well as guest artists Sam Bush, Abigail Washburn and the Travelin’ McCourys, the Grammy-winning group that includes Del’s sons Ronnie and Rob McCoury,...
- 2/14/2019
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
“Few players have changed the way we hear an instrument the way Earl has, putting him in a category with Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong, Chet Atkins and Jimi Hendrix.”
Those words, penned by actor, comedian, author and banjo player Steve Martin, appeared in a New Yorker tribute following the 2012 death of legendary picker and Country Music Hall of Fame member Earl Scruggs, who revolutionized the three-finger style of banjo playing that now most commonly is referred to by his surname. Scruggs, who would have turned 95 years old on January 6th,...
Those words, penned by actor, comedian, author and banjo player Steve Martin, appeared in a New Yorker tribute following the 2012 death of legendary picker and Country Music Hall of Fame member Earl Scruggs, who revolutionized the three-finger style of banjo playing that now most commonly is referred to by his surname. Scruggs, who would have turned 95 years old on January 6th,...
- 1/11/2019
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
When Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs took the Ryman Auditorium stage with Bill Monroe and His Blue Grass Boys for their first appearance together on the Grand Ole Opry on December 8th, 1945, the moment was a sort of “big bang” for bluegrass. After leaving Monroe, Flatt and Scruggs would spin off into their own band, the Foggy Mountain Boys, performing together until an acrimonious split in early 1969.
With 13-year-old Marty Stuart in his new band, Nashville Grass, Flatt would continue on a more traditional musical path, while Scruggs recruited sons...
With 13-year-old Marty Stuart in his new band, Nashville Grass, Flatt would continue on a more traditional musical path, while Scruggs recruited sons...
- 1/10/2019
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
At last September’s International Bluegrass Music Association Awards, also known as the “Hillbilly Grammys,” the smart money was on Jerry Douglas’ Earls of Leicester to win the Entertainer of the Year grand prize. Formed to pay tribute to bluegrass forefathers Flatt & Scruggs, the Earls were reigning champions for the past three straight years. In a surprising upset, however, Entertainer honors instead went to Balsam Range, a workmanlike North Carolina quintet that has quietly built up a reputation over the past decade as one of the top acts in bluegrass.
- 1/7/2019
- by David Menconi
- Rollingstone.com
Watching guitarist Billy Strings onstage is akin to observing a hummingbird in its natural state.
Strings’ fingers zoom up and down the fretboard of his acoustic in an intricate and calculated frenzy. The scene may appear haphazard at first, but he’s in complete control, determinedly chasing that cosmic moment of improvisation.
“I grew up playing bluegrass with my dad. That’s how I cut my teeth when I was a little kid, and how I learned how to play music. But I learned how to perform when I was in a metal band,...
Strings’ fingers zoom up and down the fretboard of his acoustic in an intricate and calculated frenzy. The scene may appear haphazard at first, but he’s in complete control, determinedly chasing that cosmic moment of improvisation.
“I grew up playing bluegrass with my dad. That’s how I cut my teeth when I was a little kid, and how I learned how to play music. But I learned how to perform when I was in a metal band,...
- 1/2/2019
- by Garret K. Woodward
- Rollingstone.com
During this week’s Cma Awards, three new inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame will be recognized. Along with legendary fiddle player Johnny Gimble and singer-songwriter Dottie West, both being recognized posthumously, eight-time Cma award winner Ricky Skaggs will be honored and is also listed as a performer.
The 1982 Horizon Award winner, Skaggs was only the second artist to earn that honor, now called New Artist of the Year. Skaggs was also largely responsible for returning bluegrass music to the mainstream, a feat that earned him the Cma...
The 1982 Horizon Award winner, Skaggs was only the second artist to earn that honor, now called New Artist of the Year. Skaggs was also largely responsible for returning bluegrass music to the mainstream, a feat that earned him the Cma...
- 11/13/2018
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
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