Hear It Here - Bill Anderson, Bobby Bare, Jimmy Fortune, Vince Gill and Willie Nelson - "The Country I Grew Up With"

New Music Video From Bill Anderson & Dolly Parton - "Someday It'll All Make Sense"

Jamey Johnson Invited To Become Next Member Of The Grand Ole Opry

Tonight, Jamey Johnson, 17 years after his very first Grand Ole Opry appearance, has been invited to become the next member of the Grand Ole Opry by Whispering Bill Anderson. 

Signed to BNA Records in 2005, Johnson made his debut with his single "The Dollar", the title track to his 2006 album The Dollar. Johnson was dropped from BNA in 2006 and signed to Mercury Nashville Records in March 2008, releasing his second album, the gold-certified and massively critically acclaimed That Lonesome Song. This album produced two singles, the Top 10 hit "In Color" and "High Cost of Living". Johnson has since released two more albums, The Guitar Song in 2010 and Living for a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran in 2012. In addition to most of his own material, Johnson has co-written singles for Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, Trace Adkins, James Otto, Joe Nichols and Jessie James Decker. In 2006, George Strait reached No. 1 on the Country chart with "Give It Away", a song-of-the-year winner which Johnson co-wrote with Bill Anderson and Buddy Cannon. 

You can check out the video below. 

Welcome to the family, @jamey_johnson ♥️ pic.twitter.com/QxHSlfYO9C

— Grand Ole Opry (@opry) March 20, 2022

New Music Video From Bill Anderson - "It's a Good Day to Have a Good Day"

That Nashville Sound Sunday Newsbytes: Tons Of New Album Projects On The Horizon

As the editor of this site, I wanted to pass along to my readers my thanks for your continued support of the site if you're here reading this. Since March, we've had more regular video content and less editorial/written content not out of preference, but out of necessity as the Covid-19 outbreak has given me less time to dedicate to the site than I would normally have liked. The non-music world has pulled me away and demanded my attention. That being said, things on the day-to-day front seem to be (slowly) returning a bit back more to normal and it's my hope that we'll continue to invest in news, reviews and updates that you find of value- and most important, deliver what I hope to be new musical discoveries that you'll carry with you in your life. Thanks for the support.

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~ Platinum-selling, singer-songwriter Jamie O'Neal announced that she will release her first new album since 2014 with the October 2 release of Sometimes via Orchard Records. The announcement coincides with the release of new single "Wreck Me," a "sultry country song showing the physical side of love that you can listen to HERE.  The ACM Award winner shares, "‘Wreck Me’ really comes from that primal place of being in the moment one on one with someone you’re so attracted to that you’re willing to throw all caution to the wind. It’s like a fire that takes over and makes you let down your walls giving into love no matter the cost. That’s an incredibly powerful and passionate emotion to me.”

~ Singer/songwriter Joel Crouse has released a timely new track, “Survivin,’” that you can listen to HERE. Released independently by Crouse’s Hum Records, the song offers fans an early look at what to expect from his forthcoming EP, wasteLAnd, available Friday, August 7. Written and produced by Crouse along with Todd Clark almost two years ago to the day, the song carries even more weight with challenges facing society today as the brooding vocals implore: “We’re just survivin’, we’re just survivin’ / All we’re gonna do is take it day by day / Survivin’.” “When Todd and I wrote this song back in 2018, I had no idea we’d be releasing it during a global pandemic and a global civil rights movement,” shares Crouse. “The world feels especially heavy right now, but I hope these songs help people feel less alone. Every morning I remind myself, ‘all we gotta do is take it day by day.’”

~ Warner Music Nashville recording artist Tucker Beathard is set to release the second installment of his debut double album, King, on August 21.  Beathard’s new LP, driven by personal growth and unthinkable tragedy, rounds out the 20-plus song opus Beathard began with Nobody's Everything and signals that the bold breakout talent has found his voice. A tribute to the middle name of Beathard’s late brother, Clay, sees Beathard steering his own creative ship with co-producer, co-writer and lead guitar and drum credits throughout the 13-song set. “For me music has always been a way to escape,” explains Beathard. “There’s a lot of things people are dealing with internally that they don’t have voices for right now, and I’ve learned that if I write from the heart, if I sing from experience, I can be that voice. Some people can’t pinpoint what they’re feeling, but they can hear a song and be like ‘Damn, that’s it,’ and I hope I can help them get there with this record. These songs mean a lot to me and I feel really ready to share them with the world.” 

~ That Nashville Sound-favorite Erin Enderlin debuted a brand new music video for her Nitty Gritty Dirt Band cover of "Fishin' in the Dark."  “It’s always brought a smile to my face, always been one of my go to feel-good songs. I think we could all use a little more of that right now,” says Enderlin, an Arkansas native who now lives in Nashville. “It’s even more special to me because Jeff Hanna of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band played guitar on the track.”

~ Grammy-nominated songstress Cam has officially announced the release of her highly anticipated sophomore album The Otherside, out October 30 via Triple Tigers/RCA Records. The album was written over the last three years in LA, Nashville, and NYC with collaborators Tyler Johnson (Harry Styles, Sam Smith) and Grammy winner Jeff Bhasker (Kanye West, Bruno Mars), who she calls her fellow “tinkerers.” The album announcement also ties into the news that she is releasing a new single titled “Classic,” which you can listen to HERE. The new single was co-written and produced with Jack Antonoff (Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey, St Vincent, The Chicks). “Jack and I caught something in the air that day and ran with it,” Cam says. “The track is so much fun. Jangling guitars, claps, it feels like when a group of familiar people get back together over the holidays, clanking around after dinner with too much wine, and amidst the chatter and laughter and closeness they are really telling each other, deep down, just how much they love each other.”

~ Artists/songwriters Michael Logen and Jennifer Hanson have collaborated on and just released a new EP titled Here’s To Hoping.  You can here their collaboration on the song "Travel On" HERE. “This EP was really a passion project for me and a labor of love,” Hanson said. “Everything from the writing to the production, I’m really proud of this body of work." Both Logen and Hanson are successful solo artists and songwriters and credit their songwriting as the inspiration to team up and record together. The first song they wrote together, “You’re Breaking Your Own Heart,” found its way quickly to Kelly Clarkson, who included it on her Grammy-winning album, Stronger. According to Hanson, she and Logen have always had an effortless writing chemistry and because they were also artists, they fell into a natural rhythm when writing, with Logen singing lead and Hanson creating the harmonies.“That sound and feel became a signature part of the songs we would write,” Hanson said. “Over time we had created a handful of songs that we all loved, and decided to release them as an EP. All the songs are written by either myself and Michael, or Michael, Nick Brophy and I, with Nick and I co-producing the project.”

~ 'Whisperin' Bill Anderson, the sole songwriter in history to write and chart country songs in seven consecutive decades, whose storied career includes membership into country music's most prestigious institutions, will release his 73rd album, The Hits Re-Imagined, July 24. The album includes 10 of the Country Music Hall of Famer's most iconic songs he's written and recorded himself, as well as songs of his made famous by George Strait, Brad Paisley, Kenny Chesney and more. For The Hits Re-Imagined, Anderson explains he wanted "to go to both ends of the spectrum," including on the project some of his earliest hits like "City Lights" and "Po' Folks" as well as his more contemporary cuts such as "Whiskey Lullaby." The project was co-produced by Anderson with Thomm Jutz.  You can here his take on his song that Strait took to "Song of the Year" with "Give it Away" HERE. 

~ Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and musician Brent Cobb will release his new album, Keep ‘Em On They Toes, October 2 on his own label, Ol’ Buddy Records, via Thirty Tigers. Produced by Brad Cook (Waxahatchie, Bon Iver, Hiss Golden Messenger), the album features ten new songs including the title track. The song’s official music video, which was directed by Christian Hansen, is available to view/share HERE. Keep ‘Em On They Toes was created after Cobb moved back to his home state of Georgia after several years between Nashville and Los Angeles—a decision that greatly influenced his songwriting. These ten songs find Cobb with a new reflective mindset, focusing on how he views the world and expressing his own opinions, thoughts and feelings. “To me, listening to this album feels like I’m sitting there with somebody, having a conversation,” Cobb comments. “I would hope that it feels like sitting with an old friend you haven’t seen in a while. There’s nothing like being alone and listening to an album that is quiet and conversational—like those old records by Jerry Lee Lewis, Roger Miller, or Willie Nelson. I hope my music is that way to somebody now.”

~ Parrotheads far and wide will be excited to know Jimmy Buffett has just released the new music video for "Down At The Lah De Dah" from his latest album release: Life On The Flip Side. Recorded in January at Buffett's Shrimp Boat Studio in Key West, Florida, the album was produced by long-time Coral Reefers Michael Utley and Mac McAnally. Buffett assembled his Coral Reefer Band with frequent collaborator Will Kimbrough, Irish singer Paul Brady, along with guest performers Lukas Nelson and Enrique Muricano. The album contains a 64-page insert, which reads like a journal with the looks of a photo album and contains a message from Buffett about releasing an album during a pandemic, “Hopefully, the songs we wrote and recorded will also help folks deal with the fallout… There will be a time and a place when we emerge from these troubled waters and things will change for the better.” The new music video for "Down At The Lah De Dah" features Buffett and the rest of the Coral Reefer Band performing their parts to the song at their homes while in quarantine along with shots of Buffett surfing and spending time at his beach home in Key West and you can watch it HERE. 

~ Capitol Nashville’s Caylee Hammack is offering fans a look into her recently-announced upcoming debut record If It Wasn't For You (August 14 release), releasing her scorching new song “Redhead” that is featuring superstar Reba McEntire available to listen HERE. Co-written by Hammack with Natalie Hemby and Trent Dabbs, the song details the clothes line, tightrope and dare devil high hopes childhood of the brazen “Redhead” with an assist from fellow flame-haired vocalist Reba McEntire. “This song was inspired by an older cousin of mine with fiery red hair,” shared Hammack. “You don’t hear about redheads very much in songs, so I simply wanted to write one for her and all the redheads in my family. Then, Reba came in the studio and transformed this song. She helped me create an anthem for all redheads. Whether you get it naturally or find it in a bottle, this is for the firecrackers!”

~ Superstar vocal group Rascal Flatts will be releasing new music, with their forthcoming How They Remember You EP dropping July 31 via Big Machine Records. A seven-track project, Rascal Flatts’ EP will include six unreleased tracks as well as their recently-released heartfelt rendition of Kenny Rogers’ “Through The Years.” The trio co-produced the tracks throughout the collection. The EP also boasts a notable calibre of songwriters with tracks co-written by Thomas Rhett, Rhett Akins, Josh Osborne, Jesse Frasure, Ashley Gorley and more. “We are so excited about our new EP and single, ‘How They Remember You,’” shared Gary LeVox. “It’s a song about what kind of impact and legacy you want to leave in life. It’s a fantastic song to celebrate 20 years of making music together. It’s an incredible message with a melody to match and we hope the fans love it, and that whatever legacy we all leave behind, it’s beautifully impactful.”

~ Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, Cassadee Pope, has released the first two tracks; "Let Me Go" and "Built This House," from her upcoming acoustic album, Rise and Shine. You can listen to "Let Me Go" HERE. "It’s a very emotional song for me because it reminds me of a time in my life where I felt like I wasn’t accepted for who I am. I have a few songs on the album that are more reflective of where I’ve been rather than where I am in my life today, and this is definitely one of them. ”Rise and Shine, releasing on August 7th, is considered to be one of Pope's most personal to date. The eight-song collection marks the first time she has had a hand in writing all of the songs and marks the first time she has served as co-producer, as well. Rise and Shine showcases her evolution both personally and as an artist. 

~ Acclaimed singer, songwriter, musician and Sirius/XM DJ Elizabeth Cook will release her anticipated new album, Aftermath, September 11 on Agent Love Records/Thirty Tigers. In advance of the release, the album’s lead single, “Perfect Girls of Pop,” is debuting today. Watch/share the official music video—directed by Curtis Wayne Milliard—HERE. Produced by Butch Walker (Green Day, Weezer, Taylor Swift), Aftermath is an album about survival and resilience. The twelve songs – all written by Cook – address life’s most fundamental and difficult subjects including heartbreak, addiction, death and resurrection. Created following a period of significant loss and pain, Aftermath chronicles Cook’s journey through a personal hell and how she made her way back. Of the album, Cook reflects, “This is the first time that I’ve been completely unchained, really. I wasn’t in an oppressive relationship, I wasn’t trying to meet some sort of label’s expectation, I wasn’t trying to meet some sort of market expectations. And that’s the way I wanna do it, or not at all.

~ Austin’s The Band of Heathens return with Stranger, their most inventive release to date, on September 25.  The follow up to 2017’s critically acclaimed Duende, the band recorded this new effort in Portland OR with producer Tucker Martine (The Decemberists, My Morning Jacket, Modest Mouse). New track “Today is Our Last Tomorrow” is a sardonic take on the divisive nature of media. “I heard it on the news, a version of the truth, was it fact packed or fiction and fable?” begins the song, and the creative video parodies the sentiment with caricatures of world leaders, politicians and media figures.  LISTEN/WATCH HERE. “This song is about our obsession, both as a culture, and within the media, with doom and gloom,” says co-founding member Ed Jurdi.  “If you're watching the network news channels, it seems like the world is literally going to end once or twice a week.  They're constantly fanning the flames of our divisions and shortcomings, with hardly a mention of the daily triumphs and victories.” The album title references the famed existential Albert Camus novel and Robert Heinlein’s sci-fi classic Stranger in a Strange Land, but it also touches on the “strangers” who make up the band’s loyal fan base and who continue to support the band during this period with all touring canceled.  In lieu of live shows, the band has been spending four nights a week live-streaming personal private concerts to fans, and one night a week publicly live-streaming with the whole band “Zooming” in from their respective homes in California, Texas, North Carolina and Tennessee.  Co-founder Gordy Quist notes, “At first it seemed very strange until these walls started coming down and we realized how connected we are by the fabric of music.”

Senior Grand Ole Opry Member Jan Howard Passes Away (1932 - 2020)

K.F. Raizor, author of the website Raizor's Edge and the book We Can't Sing and We Ain't Funny: The World of Homer and Jethro is our guest writer today on That Nashville Sound. She's ever so gracious to provide wonderful tributes to honor those to whom the music we treasure just wouldn't be the same without. Thank you, K.F.

The news has broken that Grand Ole Opry star Jan Howard died yesterday (3/28).

Jan Howard had one of the most memorable lines in country music history: it was her, not June Carter, singing, "Mama sang tenor" on Johnny Cash's classic hit "Daddy Sang Bass."

Born Lula Grace Johnson in West Plains, Missouri in 1930, Howard, as she said, became a singer "almost by accident." A survivor of sexual assault as a child and an abusive first marriage, she found herself in California, where she met and married then-struggling songwriter Harlan Howard. Harlan heard her singing and decided she had the voice he wanted to be heard on demos of the songs he was writing.

From there, her career took off. She began performing duets with Bakersfield legend Wynn Stewart (such as "Wrong Company" and "How the Other Half Lives." The Howards soon returned to Nashville, where Harlan's song "I Fall to Pieces" (co-written with Hank Cochran) became one of the classics in the career of Patsy Cline. Harlan also wrote a number of songs that Jan recorded, including her biggest hit "Evil on Your Mind."

Following their divorce Jan Howard began a professional partnership with another well-known songwriter: Bill Anderson. They scored a number of hits, such as "Someday We'll Be Together," "For Loving You," and "Dis-Satisfied."

Anderson later recounted a comical moment about their duet partnership in his first autobiography Whisperin' Bill. He said that when they sang "For Loving You," a very tender ballad, together, Anderson refused to look Howard directly in the eye. She protested backstage, telling him to look her in the eye. Anderson would only look at her forehead. So, according to Anderson, one night she painted a bloodshot eye on her forehead, and when they faced each other on stage that night, she brushed her hair back to reveal the gag and told Anderson, "I said look me in the eye!" Anderson broke up laughing.

Howard's autobiography, Sunshine and Shadow, was published in 1987. She detailed the agonies in her life, including the death of her son Jimmy in Vietnam in 1968, shortly after she had recorded the song "My Son," a recitation about a mother hoping her son would return safely from the war.

Howard's hometown of West Plains honored her by naming a street after her. The street intersects with the street named after West Plains' other famous country music great, Porter Wagoner.

Howard was, at the time of her passing, the oldest member of the Grand Ole Opry. That distinction now falls to Bobby Osborne, who is 90.

Jan Howard had just turned 91 on March 13.

New Music Video From Bill Anderson and Jamey Johnson - "Everybody Wants To Be Twenty-One"

Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame Member Jerry Chesnutt Passes Away at 87

K.F. Raizor, author of the website Raizor's Edge and the book We Can't Sing and We Ain't Funny: The World of Homer and Jethro is our guest writer today on That Nashville Sound. She's ever so gracious to provide wonderful tributes to honor those to whom the music we treasure just wouldn't be the same without. Thank you, K.F.

There are songwriters, then there are songwriters' songwriters. Jerry Chesnut was a songwriter's songwriter.

Chesnut, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer, died Saturday (12/15) in Nashville. Music Row reported that Chesnut's death was unexpected despite the fact that he had been suffering from a respiratory illness for some time.


Born in the eastern Kentucky town of Loyall, Jerry Donald Chesnut enlisted in the Air Force during the Korean War, then settled in St. Augustine, Florida after his military service. He worked as a railroad conductor by day and a country music performer by night. Moving to Nashville in 1958, he continued a day job (vacuum cleaner salesman) while honing his craft.

And hone his craft, he did. Beginning with "A Dime At a Time," the country music world became Jerry Chesnut's oyster throughout the late 60s and early 70s. Among the highly-touted songwriters who turned to Chesnut for songs: Del Reeves (the aforementioned hit and "Looking At the World Through a Windshield"), Bill Anderson ("Don't She Look Good"), Loretta Lynn ("They Don't Make 'Em Like My Daddy"), Johnny Cash ("Oney"), and Mel Tillis ("Best Way I Know How").

Then there was that little song about a man's world falling apart while the garden maintained its beauty: "A Good Year for the Roses." George Jones made the song a #2 smash in 1970 and set the stage for others, ranging from punk icon Elvis Costello to country outlaw Johnny Paycheck, to cover the tune. "A Good Year for the Roses" is a powerful song of heartbreak ("many blooms still linger there, the lawn could stand another mowing, funny how I don't even care") and ranks right up there with "He Stopped Loving Her Today" as one of Jones' finest rip-your-heart-out sad songs.

Chesnut also penned another heartbreaking classic, Faron Young's later-era hit "It's Four in the Morning." And, just to prove he wasn't solely a heartbreak song man, Chesnut penned the rocking "T-R-O-U-B-L-E," a hit for Elvis Presley in the 70s and Travis Tritt in the 90s.

Chesnut retired from songwriting in the early 1980s but would occasionally still perform. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1996 and the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame in 2004, the second induction class for the state's music hall of fame.

Jerry Chesnut was 87.

New Music Video From Bill Anderson - "Waffle House Christmas"

John Berry Releases New Thomas Road Project

Artist: John Berry
Album: Thomas Road
Label: JB Music
Release date: November 28, 2018

Grammy-winning singer/songwriter, John Berry, has released his latest project. The EP, Thomas Road, is named after the street he grew up on in Decatur, GA and where his passion and love for music took a hold of his desire to become a recording artist.

“I was fortunate to grow up in a home where music was always celebrated. The sounds of gospel, classical, country or pop were always present, but it was the latter years of elementary school into high school that were a significant time for me. Carole King wove "Tapestry," John Denver came down a "Country Road," Cat Stevens rode in on a " Peace Train" and I began playing the guitar,” stated John Berry in the liner notes. “Listening to a white AM radio on the shop table in my dad's garage helped me to dream bigger than who I was. The music drew me in and I had to be a part of it... it was a part of me. With my dad's encouragement and help, we built a little studio in the basement of our house and I recorded my first four albums there. The fire inside me grew. I am beyond grateful for the inspiration I found in family, friends and music on Thomas Road. All those memories keep calling me back home to Thomas Road.”

"As exciting as it was to go into the studio to record new music, to be able to it with my friend Chuck Howard, after so many years, was just amazing. Chuck hears me like no one else and knows how to take me musically where I’ve never thought possible and then, add in the incredible talent of Barry Weeks who co-produced my new project,’ shares Berry. “I am so excited to share this new music with you and I hope these songs will take you to new places that feel familiar." 

Song List:
“Thomas Road” – John Berry / Barry Weeks
“Richest Man” John Berry / Liz Hengber / Will Robinson
“Heavin’ Comin’ Down” – John Wiggins / Bob Moffatt / Clint Moffatt
“Why Didn’t I” – Michael Boggs / Barry Weeks
“Beautifully Broken” – Tiffany Arbuckle Lee / Jenny Slate Lee
“Don’t Think I Ain’t Country” –  Bill Anderson / John Berry

Upcoming Bill Anderson Project Features Jamey Johnson Duet & Co-Writes With Buddy Cannon, Erin Enderlin & More

Artist: Bill Anderson
Album: Anderson
Label: TWI Records
Release date: September 14, 2018

Country Music Hall of Famer Whisperin’ Bill Anderson is readying the release of his 72nd album, Anderson, available on Sept. 14.  The 11-song project was produced by Anderson, Thomm Jutz and Peter Cooper, recorded and mixed by Jutz at TJ Tunes with assistant engineer Andy Kern and mastered by Alex Mccullough at True East Mastering. The Grand Ole Opry veteran co-wrote each of the additional tracks with venerable songwriters including John Paul White, Buddy Cannon, Paul Overstreet, Erin Enderlin and more.

“You might think after my having released 71 albums during my career that I’d be tempted to yawn my way through the release of album No. 72,” expressed Anderson. “Well, that’s not the case at all. I’m looking forward to this one as much as any record I’ve ever put out. I know I’ve never enjoyed the recording process more than working here with Thomm Jutz and Peter Cooper. They had the vision…I just tried to follow their lead and bring their ideas to life. I only hope that as folks listen, they’ll feel we succeeded.”

1. Old Things New (Buddy Cannon/ Paul Overstreet/ Bill Anderson)
2. Everybody Wants To Be Twenty-One (Jamey Johnson/ Bill Anderson)
3. Dixie Everywhere I Go (Bill Anderson)
4. Dead To You (John Paul White/ Bill Anderson)
5. Something To Believe In (Bill Anderson)
6. Watchin’ It Rain(Dave Gibson/ Bill Anderson)
7. That’s What Made Me Love You(Orion Lore/ Bill Anderson)
8. Practice Leaving Town(Bobby Tomberlin/ Lance Miller/ Bill Anderson)
9. The Only Bible(Tim Rushlow/ Bill Anderson)
10. Waffle House Christmas (Erin Enderlin/ Alex Kline/ Bill Anderson)
11. Thankful (Bill Anderson)

The Day The Music Died: To Those Country Music Lost in 2017

Glen Campbell

K.F. Raizor, author of the website Raizor's Edge and the book We Can't Sing and We Ain't Funny: The World of Homer and Jethro is our guest writer today on That Nashville Sound. She's ever so gracious to provide wonderful tributes to honor those to whom the music we treasure just wouldn't be the same without. Thank you, K.F.

Here are the people from the world of country and bluegrass who sang their final song in 2017.

Tommy Allsup (January 11, complications from hernia surgery, age 85): album producer, western swing performer, and session guitarist who lost his seat on the ill-fated Buddy Holly plane in February 1959.

Chuck Berry (March 17, heart attack, age 90): rock and roll's daddy had a major impact on country music as well, with enough Chuck Berry-penned tunes becoming country hits to warrant his induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Billy Joe Burnette (December 29, 2016, heart attack, age 76): rockabilly singer-songwriter who wrote the Red Sovine cross-over tear-jerker "Teddy Bear."

Dr. Benjamin H. Caldwell Jr. (May 8, long illness, age 82): a Nashville physician who did country music a gigantic favor in the 1970s by spearheading a movement to save the Ryman Auditorium from demolition.

Glen Campbell (August 8, Alzheimer's disease, age 81): session guitarist and one-time Beach Boy who became a massive success in country and pop, earning his way into the Country Music Hall of Fame. His poignant farewell albums and public battle with Alzheimer's put a familiar face on the dreaded disease.

Steve Chapman (July 29, unknown cause, age 74): guitarist who worked with Ernest Tubb, Bill Anderson, and Mandy Barnett.

Dave Evans (June 26, long illness, age 66): bluegrass performer who worked with Larry Sparks and had his own band, Dave Evans & the River Bend.

Bob Forshee (May 11, unknown cause, age 80): country music songwriter who penned Darrell McCall's early hit "A Stranger Was Here" as well as songs recorded by Jimmy C. Newman, Jan Howard, and others.

Troy Gentry (September 8, helicopter crash, age 50): half of the 90s/00s superstar duo Montgomery Gentry.

Wendell Goodman (May 21, unknown cause, age 81): husband and manager of rockabilly and country legend Wanda Jackson.

Hairl Hensley (December 31, illness, unknown age): Country Music DJ Hall of Fame member who was the voice of the Grand Ole Opry and early-morning bluegrass music on WSM for decades.

Alan Jabbour (January 13, cancer, age 74): old-time fiddler who was the founding director of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.

Blake Johnson (June 4, heart attack, age 33): bluegrass musician who worked with Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, James King, and others.

Michael Johnson (July 25, long illness, age 72): singer and songwriter who had country ("Give Me Wings," "The Moon Is Still Over Her Shoulder") and pop ("This Night Won't Last Forever," "Bluer Than Blue") hits.

Danny Lee Jones (February 3, cancer, age 77): bluegrass musician who was a member of Bluegrass Alliance and the Bluegrass Generation, and worked with the Goins Brothers and Bill Monroe.

Rhubarb Jones (April 2, heart attack, age 65): Country Music DJ Hall of Fame member who also announced for the WWF.

Pete Kuykendall (August 24, long illness, age 79): bluegrass songwriter (under the pseudonym "Pete Roberts"), performer (as part of the Country Gentlemen), and promoter. His love of bluegrass led to the founding of the premiere magazine for the genre, Bluegrass Unlimited.

Sam Lovullo (January 3, natural causes, age 88): the producer of the long-running country comedy variety series Hee Haw.

Geoff Mack (July 21, natural causes, age 94): Australian country singer/songwriter whose best-known song was "Americanized" into the huge Hank Snow hit "I've Been Everywhere."

Don Markham (February 24, long illness, age 85): "Here comes Don!" was Merle Haggard's typical introduction to the saxophonist who played with Haggard's band the Strangers after leaving Johnny Paycheck's band.

Grover "G.C." McCoury (February 27, stroke, age 87): the older brother of Del McCoury had his own regional bluegrass act, the McCoury Family.

Billy Mize (November 1, long illness, age 88): Bakersfield Sound singer and songwriter, best-known for writing the Charlie Walker hit "Who Will Buy the Wine."

Leon Rhodes (December 10, illness, age 85): one of the great guitarists in country music who made a huge mark on the sound of Ernest Tubb (remember Tubb's call of "and Leon!" in "Waltz Across Texas").

Kayton Roberts (July 13, stroke, age 83): Steel Guitar Hall of Fame member who played for years with Hank Snow.

Curly Seckler (December 27, natural causes, age 98): Bluegrass Hall of Fame member who was part of Charlie Monroe's Kentucky Partners, Flatt & Scruggs' Foggy Mountain Boys and member of Flatt's "Nashville Grass."

Mark Selby (September 18, cancer, age 56): session musician (Kenny Rogers, Wynonna), singer, and songwriter (including the Grammy-winning "There's Your Trouble" by the Dixie Chicks).

Ben Speers (April 7, Alzheimer's disease, age 86): member of the legendary southern gospel group the Speers Family.

Billy Stewart (March 24, illness, age 85): the brother of Redd Stewart who served as fiddler for Little Jimmy Dickens, Lonzo & Oscar, and others on the Opry in the 1950s.

Tammy Sullivan (April 21, cancer, age 52): part of the bluegrass gospel band the Sullivan Family.

Mel Tillis (November 19, respiratory failure, age 85): Hall of Fame singer and songwriter with a career that spanned six decades.

Greg Trooper (January 15, pancreatic cancer, age 61): Americana singer/songwriter who had his songs covered by acts such as Steve Earle and Vince Gill.

Jo Walker-Meador (August 16, stroke, age 93): the longest-serving executive director of the Country Music Foundation, she was responsible for the expansion of the CMA, the Hall of Fame, and country music as an industry.

Don Warden (March 11, natural causes, age 87): Steel Guitar Hall of Fame member who played in Porter Wagoner's band and became Dolly Parton's manager beginning in 1967.

Don Williams (September 8, short illness, age 78): Country Music Hall of Fame singer and songwriter known as "the Gentle Giant" for his quiet baritone voice that delivered over 40 years' worth of love songs to the world.

Norro Wilson (June 8, illness, age 79): Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member who wrote songs ranging from "The Grand Tour" to "A Very Special Love Song."

Bob Wootton (April 9, unknown cause, age 75): longtime guitarist for Johnny Cash's "Tennessee Three" who joined the band after Luther Perkins' death.

Gil Wright (April 30, unknown cause, age 87): member of the legendary background vocal group the Anita Kerr Singers.

Joe Wright (January 3, unknown cause, age 79): the original lead guitarist for Marty Robbins' backing band, the Teardrops.

Farewell, and thank you for the music.

And finally, sadly:

Hannah Ahlers, 34, Beaumont, CA
Heather Alvarado, 35, Enoch, UT
Dorene Anderson, 49, Anchorage, AK
Carrie Barnette, 34, Garden Grove, CA
Jack Beaton, 54, Bakersfield, CA
Steve Berger, 44, Milwaukee, WI
Candice Bowers, 40, Garden Grove, CA
Denise Burditus, 50, Martinsburg, WV
Sandy Casey, 35, Redondo Beach, CA
Andrea Castilla, 28, Huntington Beach, CA
Denise Cohen, 58, Carpinteria, CA
Austin Davis, 29, Riverside, CA
Thomas Day Jr., 54, Corona, CA
Christiana Duarte, 22, Torrance, CA
Stacee Etcheber, 50, Novato, CA
Brian Fraser, 39, Walnut, CA
Dana Gardner, 52, Grand Terrace, CA
Keri Galvan, 51, Thousand Oaks, CA
Angie Gomez, 20, Riverside, CA
Charleston Hartfield, 34, Las Vegas, NV
Christopher Hazencomb, 44, Camarillo, CA
Jennifer Irvine, 42, San Diego, CA
Nicol Kimura, 38, Placentia, CA
Jessica Klymchuk, 34, Valleyview, Alberta
Carly Kreibaum, 33, Sutherland, IA
Rhonda LeRocque, 42, Tewksbury, MA
Victor Link, 55, San Clemente, CA
Jordan McIldoon, 23, Maple Ridge, British Columbia
Kelsey Meadows, 28, Taft, CA
Calla Medig, 28, Jasper, Alberta
Sonny Melton, 29, Paris, TN
Pati Mestas, 67, Menifee, CA
Austin Meyer, 24, Reno, NV
Adrian Murfitt, 35, Anchorage, AK
Rachel Parker, 33, Manhattan Beach, CA
Jennifer Parks, 36, Lancaster, CA
Carrie Parsons, 31, Seattle, WA
Lisa Patterson, 46, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
John Phippen, 57, Valencia, CA
Melissa Ramirez, 26, Bakersfield, CA
Jordyn Rivera, 21, San Bernardino, CA
Quintin Robbins, 20, Henderson, NV
Cameron Robinson, 28, St. George, UT
Rocio Guillen Rocha, 40, Eastvale, CA
Lisa Romero-Muniz, 48, Gallup, NM
Christopher Roybal, 28, Denver, CO
Brett Schwanbeck, 61, Bullhead City, AZ
Bailey Schweitzer, 20, Bakersfield, CA
Laura Shipp, 50, Thousand Oaks, CA
Erick Silva, 21, Las Vegas, NV
Susan Smith, 53, Simi Valley, CA
Tara Roe Smith, 34, Okotoks, Alberta
Brennan Stewart, 30, Las Vegas, NV
Derrick "Bo" Taylor, 56, Oxnard, CA
Neysa Tonks, 46, Las Vegas, NV
Michelle Vo, 32, Los Angeles, CA
Kurt Von Tillow, 55, Cameron Park, CA
Bill Wolfe, Jr., 42, Shippensburg, PA

These fifty eight individuals were killed when a gunman opened fire on 22,000 fans at an outdoor country music concert headlined by Jason Aldean on October 1 in Las Vegas. Additionally, 546 other concertgoers were injured.

Tony Jackson Gets Help From Bill Anderson and Vince Gill On Upcoming Debut Album

Artist: Tony Jackson
Album: Tony Jackson
Label: DDS/Sony RED
Release date: May 5, 2017

Supported by country music and rock and roll hall of fame members (Vince Gill, Steve Cropper and John Sebastian), this album was recorded at the hallowed RCA Studios on Music Row now serving as ground zero for the home for the new traditional country sound. Grand Ole Opry legend Bill Anderson contributes two songs to the disc and Jackson's original songs neatly complete a debut that can only be stamped as a modern stamp on a classic sound.

Jackson has fast become the new voice and face of traditional country while his approach to the business has been very modern. He has exceeded 10 million views on Facebook and over a quarter of a million shares just since November.

Tony Jackson will be released on DDS Entertainment/Sony-RED in May, 2017. The former Marine stands solid as the driving force leading the vanguard of a return to traditional country music. Surrounded by a supporting cast of music industry heavyweights, his team is top notch on every level. Jackson will tour heavily in support of the new album and release supporting video, PR campaigns and radio singles.

Album track listing:

1. Go
2. Nashville Cats
3. The Grand Tour
4. I Didn't Wake Up This Morning
5. Old Porch Swing
6. Drink by Drink
7. It's Only Make Believe
8. She's Taking Me Home
9. Such a Night
10. They Lived It Up
11. Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?
12. Last Call
 

Gene Watson To Release Real. Country. Music. In February

Artist: Gene Watson
Album: Real. Country. Music.
Label: Fourteen Carat Music
Release date: February 26, 2016

Texas Country Music Hall of Famer (class of 2002) might have 35 albums under his belt to go along with his dozens of charted hits, but one of the more prolific singer/songwriters of our time is choosing to add to that legacy with the release of his new album Real Country Music on February 26, 2016.

The album is filled with Watson interpreting classic country songs from many of his favorite songwriters and singers he's met over his long and illustrious career.

Kris Kristofferson recorded the first track, "Enough For You"(written by Kristofferson) and included the track on Jesus was a Capricorn (Monument Records, 1972). Larry Gatlin wrote and recorded "Help Me" and included the track on Rain / Rainbow (Monument Records, 1974). Mark Chesnutt recorded "She Never Got Me Over You," which was written by Hank Cochran, Dean Dillon and Keith Whitley, and included the track on Rollin' With The Flow (Lofton Creek Records, 2008). It was the last song Whitley ever wrote before his tragic death in 1989. The album reads like a country music who's-who with songwriters and previous cuts by the likes of Bill Anderson, Waylon Jennings, Billy Jo Spears, Jerry Lee Lewis, Nat King Cole, Ray Price, Conway Twitty and more.

Track Listing:

1. Enough For You
2. When A Man Can't Get A Woman Off His Mind
3. Help Me
4. Couldn't Love Have Picked A Better Place To Die
5. A Girl I Used To Know
6. Bitter They Are, Harder They Fall
7. Ramblin' Rose
8. A Bridge That Just Won't Burn
9. Ashes To Ashes
10. Old Love Never Dies
11. She Never Got Me Over You
12. All My Tomorrows
13. I'll Find It Where I Can

King George Strait Unveils Surprise New Album Release For This Week

Artist:  George Strait
Album: Cold Beer Conversation
Label: MCA Nashville
Release date: Sept. 25, 2015

George Strait may have retired from the road, but will release his first new album in two years with Cold Beer Conversation this Friday, Sept. 25. The album was produced by Chuck Ainlay and Strait for George Strait Productions and features 13 songs including his latest single, “Cold Beer Conversation,” premiering at country radio this week. The album is available as an exclusive digital download on iTunes, available for pre-order now at http://umgn.us/32bH and Walmart.com, and will be available Friday exclusively via Apple Music and at Walmart.
 
 The track listing for Cold Beer Conversation is as follows:
 1.  “It Was Love” (Keith Gattis)
 2.  “Cold Beer Conversation” (Al Anderson, Ben Hayslip and Jimmy Yeary)
 3.  “Let It Go” (George Strait, Bubba Strait and Keith Gattis)
 4.  “Goin’ Goin’ Gone” (Wyatt Earp and Keith Gattis)
 5.  “Something Going Down” (Jamey Johnson and Tom Shapiro)
 6.  “Take Me To Texas” (Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally)
 7.  “It Takes All Kinds” (George Strait, Bubba Strait, Bob Regan and Wil Nance)
 8.  “Stop And Drink” (Dale Dodson and Troy Jones)
 9.  “Everything I See” (George Strait, Bubba Strait, Dean Dillon and Keith Gattis)
 10. “Rock Paper Scissors” (Casey Beathard, Monty Criswell and Bubba Strait)
 11. “Wish You Well” (Clint Daniels, Jeff Hyde and Brice Long)
 12. “Cheaper Than A Shrink” (Bill Anderson, Buddy Cannon and Jamey Johnson)
 13. “Even When I Can’t Feel It” (Dean Dillon, Ben Hayslip and Lee Miller)
 

New Live Performance Music Video From Bill Anderson and Jamey Johnson- "The Guitar Song"

New Music Video From Bill Anderson- "Old Army Hat"

Stream The Live Country Music Hall of Fame Inductee Announcement This Morning

Join host and 2001 inductee "Whisperin'" Bill Anderson on Wednesday, April 10 at 9:30 AM/CT live from the Country Music Hall of Fame Rotunda as CMA reveals the newest members of the Country Music Hall of Fame this morning.


You can stream/watch the announcement ceremony HERE.

CMA created the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1961 to recognize individuals for their outstanding contributions to the format with Country Music’s highest honor. Inductees are chosen by CMA’s Hall of Fame Panels of Electors, which consist of anonymous voters appointed by the CMA Board of Directors. As of 2012, there are currently 118 members of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Members are inducted at a special Medallion Ceremony at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in the Ford Theater. During the Medallion Ceremony, friends and colleagues pay tribute to each inductee through words and song. The inductee's bronze plaque is unveiled that will be on display in the Museum's rotunda.

Country Music Loses Songwriter Don Wayne

Country artist/songwriter Don Wayne has passed away at the age of 78 following a battle with cancer. Wayne had written for numerous country music artists and is best known for his song “Country Bumpkin,” which won CMA and ACM “Song Of The Year” in 1974.

In an interview with Wayne, "I think "Country Bumpkin" is by far my best song and it will always be special cause "it" came along and picked me up at a very low point in my songwriting career. I love all my songs but I also feel a special affection for those recorded by the heroes I idolized as a youngster, among those are "Don't Water Down the Bad News" by Ernest Tubb, "What in Her World Did I Do" by Eddy Arnold and "MacArthurs Hand" by Tex Ritter."

In 1978, Mr. Wayne was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Mr. Wayne went on to serve as president of the Nashville Songwriters Association International, and he remained devoted to songwriting throughout his life. His songs were recorded by numerous artists, including Country Music Hall of Famers Bill Anderson, Jean Shepard, Eddy Arnold and Ernest Tubb.

“You could sit in a room to write a song with him, but he wouldn’t sit,” said friend and co-writer Glenn Warren. “He would pace back and forth, like there was no one else in the room, and what he was doing was working out the line exactly the way he wanted it to go. Don was a perfectionist. Nothing was good enough unless he thought it was great.”

Former Lyric Street Artist And Songwriter Joshua Ragsdale Passes Away At 32

Former Lyric Street/Nashville artist and songwriter Joshua Ragsdale passed away yesterday (7/1) in a Nashville area hospital following a battle with leukemia. Ragsdale, who was a staff writer for Sony/ATV, was only 32.

This year, Joshua’s song “Ain’t Much Left Of Lovin’ You” became Mercury/Nashville artist Randy Montana’s debut single (currently in the Top 50) and Country Music Hall Of Famer Bill Anderson released “Papaw’s Sunday Boots,” a song he co-wrote with Anderson this last summer. He had also written songs for other artists including Trick Pony.

Ragsdale’s manager Bob Titely said: “I’ve never seen anybody that remains so positive and so concerned about others through such personal adversity. With every bit of bad news, he’ll react with three minutes of crying and praying, and then it’s back to this positive energy.”

Ragsdale inspired hundreds of people to be tested as potential bone marrow donors during his illness, after having a potential donor back out with no other matches available. Ragsdale had said that he knew five people who had been called and told they were matches for someone on the registry because of his encouragement. Visit www.marrow.org to find out more about joining the bone marrow registry.

In his bio he stated: “I had my back broken by a horse, my neck broken by a Dodge. Been bitten by three snakes including a copperhead and cottonmouth. I've played polo with the Atlanta Polo Club, trained with a swat team, caddied for Davis Love III, sang on the Grand Ole' Opry, hugged Andy Griffith, worn a bite suit for police k-9 training, was baptized in the Mississippi River, kissed Wynonna Judd and helped Little Jimmy Dickens take down his Christmas lights.”