Location, Location, Location.
There’s always a place at the Country music table for men crying in their beer after losing a good woman--it’s just a question of modernization and packaging. And just like real estate, a lot has to do with location, location, location. For George Strait it was that...
The More Things Change, The More They Change
At one time Country music’s image was of rugged, tanned drunks who loved their mothers and then went to prison. Today’s Country is much fluffier—if hit-bound “Hotel Key” by Old Dominion, one of Nashville’s most popular, talented, and successful bands, was a color, it...
Peace, Love & Understanding, Country Style
From Beethoven’s “Ode To Joy” to The Youngbloods “Get Together” (a song with so much appeal it charted twice, in 1967 and 1969) to Kenny Chesney’s brand new “Get Along,” human nature always has been, and remains, hopeful. It’s the artists and their interpreters who...
The Newest Couple In Town: Country & Pop
Both Pop and Country fans are loving Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line’s "Meant To Be" which is charting on both formats, and following in that same path is Country’s Chris Lane’s duet with popster Tori Kelly on "Take Back Home Girl," climbing the Country chart as...
“Jack & Diane” Updated. Sort of.
Pop music has had its share of “couple songs:” Romeo & Juliet, Paul & Paula, even Lesley Gore’s Johnny & Judy--they were popular but the ne plus ultra of “couple songs,” “Jack & Diane,” has become part of American pop culture, even though no-one is...
What’s Old Is New Again
Come summertime 2018 it’s likely you’ll hear "I Hate Love Songs" by Kelsea Ballerini. She’s young-- 24-years old, but her singing style has a distinctly old school/traditional sound. ”I Hate Love Songs” has roots in Patsy Cline’s 1961 ballad “Crazy*”—they have a...
Good Ol’ Boys Sing Their Appreciation
Randy Travis hit a home run almost 30 years ago with “Forever and Ever, Amen,” winning 1987’s Grammy for “Best Country Song” and what worked for Randy Travis then seems to be working for singer/songwriter Dierks Bentley, now. Travis’ “Forever and Ever, Amen” and...
“Everything’s Gonna Be Alright”
What could be mellower than a Country song about the calm and comfort of home? Elton John’s singing and Berne Taupin’s lyrics made it work in 1970 with "Country Comfort" and now Kenny Chesney, and his buddy, A-level Nashville writer and Baby Boomer (59-y/o) David Lee...
A Medley of Hits by Artists Who Died in 2017
Nashville was freezing on New Years Eve, but that’d didn’t prevent Keith Urban from entertaining 100,000 party revelers for"Music City Midnight." One highlight was this 9+ minute medley of hits from music icons who died in 2017—all formats were honored, beginning with...