Texas Music Royalty Charlie Robison Passes Away (1964-2023)

Charlie Robison, a linchpin of the First Family of Texas Music, has died at the age of 59. This seminal figure, whose musical journey spanned nearly three decades, passed away from cardiac arrest at a San Antonio hospital on Sunday, September 10th. His profound influence on the Texas music landscape, coupled with his iconic voice and prolific songwriting, ensured that he will forever be remembered as one of the greats.

Born in 1964, Charlie Robison began his illustrious music career in Bandera, Texas, a town known for its cowboy lore. From there, he would go on to play a pivotal role in the 1990s Texas music movement, bridging the gap between traditional country, folk, and rock and roll.

Over his career, Robison released a string of major song releases and albums that showcased his unique blend of country, folk, and rock. Notable albums included Bandera, Life of the Party, and Good Times. His storytelling prowess was evident in songs like "My Hometown", which resonated with many for its evocative portrayal of small-town life. "Barlight", with its rollicking tune and catchy lyrics, became an anthem at Texas dance halls. Another major hit, "El Cerrito Place", is a testament to Robison's ability to touch the soul, reflecting a melancholy yearning that many could identify with.

Charlie's collaborations over the years painted a picture of a musician with an insatiable thirst for experimentation. He worked with a range of artists from different genres, from traditional country stars to the avant-garde of Texas music. Notably, his collaboration with his brother, Bruce Robison, and sister, Robyn Ludwick, showcased the musical talent running deep in the Robison family, further cementing their reputation as the First Family of Texas Music.

His marriage to Emily Erwin of The Dixie Chicks, though it ended in 2008, resulted in some unforgettable musical partnerships, blending the best of both their worlds.

Beyond his music, Charlie Robison was known for his vivacious spirit and unyielding commitment to the authentic Texas sound. His live performances were stuff of legends – filled with energy, passion, and the kind of authenticity that’s become increasingly rare in modern music. Attendees often left feeling they'd shared something special, a genuine connection with the artist and his music.

Robison's influence on the Texas music scene is immeasurable. He's been credited with paving the way for countless other musicians, inspiring a new generation with his unique blend of country, rock, and folk. His commitment to musical integrity over commercial success became a guiding star for many emerging artists.

Charlie Robison's untimely passing has left a void in the world of Texas music. However, his legacy is cemented in the tracks he’s left behind, the artists he’s inspired, and the countless fans who've been moved by his music. He will be remembered not just as a member of the First Family of Texas Music, but as a legend in his own right.

Our deepest condolences go out to the Robison family and all those touched by his music and spirit. Charlie Robison may have left us, but his music will live on, continuing to inspire and touch hearts for generations to come.

New Music Video From The Chicks - "For Her"

Write You A Song Podcast - An Interview With Tia Sillers and Shannon LaBrie

This morning we share another new podcast from host Tom Mailey from Bonneville radio station New Country 105.1 KNCI in Sacramento. Tom is a country radio veteran with over 30 years of experience in Seattle and Sacramento and a key partner in our Golf & Guitars Children's Charity Music Festival, a little event in our thirteenth year that has raised well north of a million bucks for kids and individuals with disabilities. It highlights the songwriters in our industry and is entitled Write You a Song. 

It's his hope that this podcast will shine a little overdue spotlight on the talented men and women who, mostly behind the scenes, write the songs that become part of our lives. You know their words and music, but maybe not their names: Write You a Song will feature some of country music’s biggest songwriters--like Jeffrey Steele, Brett Warren, Ashley McBryde, Tim Nichols and more.

Little different episode this month. For the first time, there are two guests. One is a recently-nominated Nashville Songwriting Hall of Fame candidate who wrote one of the most inspiring songs ever recorded, Tia Sillers. Her "I Hope You Dance" by Lee Ann Womack is iconic. She's also the pen behind such songs as the Dixie Chicks' "There's Your Trouble," "Heaven, Heartache & the Power of Love" by Trisha Yearwood and "That'll Be Alright" by Alan Jackson. And the last 15 minutes or so, we welcome a young singer-songwriter named Shannon LaBrie, with whom Tia collaborated on a new album called "Building", which is out now. The songs Shannon and Tia wrote are bold and creative, and you'll love Shannon's voice. 

New Music Video From The (Dixie) Chicks - "Sleep At Night"

New Music Video From The Chicks (Formerly The Dixie Chicks) - "March March"

That Nashville Sound Sunday Newsbytes: New Albums, New Videos & New Band Members

Here's hoping that things are slowly (and carefully) starting to return to some semblance of normal in your neck of the woods.  Despite all tours being shut down and many artist's album releases being delayed (Willie Nelson and The Dixie Chicks among others), news continues to come in from the country music world. 

~ That Nashville Sound updated its album release calendar. Let us know if you have additional releases to add to the list. 

~ Hannah Mulholland has left the trio Runaway June and fiddle player-extraordinaire Natalie Stovall has taken her place. Says Stovall on the move, "This has been one of the easiest and most obvious choices I’ve made thus far in my music journey. I LOVE making music in band setting and I’m so excited to get to create and perform and spread joy with @runawayjuneofficial !!! As soon as we can, we will be out there on the road coming your way. And in the meantime, we will be creating music for you to hear!"

~ New music videos from the last 24 hours:

      Mo Pitney - "Mattress on the Floor"

      Levi Hummon - "Wedding Dress"

~ Mo Pitney is releasing a new album on August 14th via Curb Records called Ain't Looking Back. “I wanted to be completely open-minded while recording this album,” Pitney says. “It was important for me to meld all my influences of the past that represent who I am as an artist today, hopefully to make one complete thought and to make something new. The end goal was to shut out all other voices, close our eyes, and create something that came from the heart. I’m looking forward to taking this body of work that is completely me and sharing it with the world. I’m excited to see people’s reactions.”

~ After the strong #1 debut release "I Hope" from Gabby Barrett, it's encouraging to hear that she's got her debut album called Goldmine coming out on June 19. "I am so excited that my first album is finally complete,” shares Barrett. “I’ve been writing for this project for almost two years, pulling together who I am as an artist and working hard with my team to make this album an expression of that. To see it come together like this feels amazing and is such a huge blessing. I’m so excited for June 19 – can’t wait for you to hear it!”


~ Another promising album will be coming out on July 24 from one of country music's most respected songwriters. Home and the people who make it have captivated Lori McKenna for years. Over the last three decades, as she became a wife and mother of five, she has also emerged as one of the most respected, prolific singer-songwriters in popular music. Her 2016 release The Bird and the Rifle netted three Grammy nominations, along with Americana Music Association nods––all firsts for McKenna as an artist. Then, she made history: In 2016, she became the first woman ever to win the Country Music Association’s Song of the Year two years in a row thanks to co-writing Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush” and penning Tim McGraw’s no. 1 “Humble and Kind” solo. Both songs also clinched back-to-back Grammy wins for Best Country Song. In 2017, she became the Academy of Country Music’s first female Songwriter of the Year. The Tree, her eleventh studio album, was nominated for the 2019 Americana Awards Album of the Year. 2020 brings a new record for McKenna, The Balladeer, produced by Dave Cobb.

That Nashville Sound Saturday Newsbytes - New Music Videos and Albums

A couple new album announcements and some new videos all were made yesterday and we've got the details and links for more information below...

New music videos:

      Maddie & Tae - "Bathroom Floor"

      Lindsay Ell - "I Don't Love You"
      Farewell Angelina - "Baby"
      Hot Country Knights - "Moose Knuckle Shuffle"
      Kelleigh Bannen - "Suits"

New album announcements:

~ Kenny Chesney has finished Here and Now. His first project for Warner Music Nashville will arrive on May 1. Writing and recording over the last 18 months, Chesney spent much of the time thinking about the world around him, the way everyone has their own journey and yet, people ultimately are so much more similar than different. If the concept sounds heavy, listen to “Here and Now,” country radio’s most added track its first week, to hear Chesney’s desire to make music that sweeps people up, even as it enriches their life. For the man who holds the record for the most career No. 1s on Billboard’s Country Airplay Chart, finding a song that inspires people to recognize the good things around them – even in times like these – drives him.

“When you’re this far into a career,” Chesney explains, “I think artists need to keep pushing themselves and the music without losing sight of who they are, or forgetting the people you make music for. No Shoes Nation is a very passionate place without borders; I get inspired every time I see and hear them. These are passionate people who work really hard. They make a difference in their community in all kinds of ways, giving back not so people think they’re good, but because that’s who they are and what they do. When they listen to music, they’re all in – and when they hear something they like, you can feel it in how they respond.”

~ Husband and wife duo Cole and Kendra Porter released their sophomore album as Porter Union yesterday called Loved and Lost. Kendra said, “It feels like we put so much into this one. We’ve really taken our time and made it what we wanted it to be." And Cole agrees. He says even their songwriting has become more focused and refined, “You just get better at being intentional with what you’re trying to say. You become more thoughtful at tying it all in, in a way that conveys what you’re really feeling to someone who has no idea what's going on in your head.”

~ Triple Tigers Records recording artists Gone West featuring Colbie Caillat announced the June 12 release of their debut album Canyons during their performance yesterday morning on the Today Show. The 13 songs on Canyons, all written by Gone West, "embrace stunning vocal harmonies creating a sound that speaks across genres." 9 of the 13 tracks on the album were produced or co-produced by Gone West. Additional producers and songwriters include Jamie Kenney, Liz Rose, Jimmy Robbins, Eric Arjes, Nathan Chapman, Alysa Vanderheym, Tom Douglas and Summer Overstreet.

~ Dierks Bentley and his faux-real Nineties-country band Hot Country Knights are dressed like they’re about to charge into a medieval battle in space on the cover of their debut album The K Is Silent. Produced by Bentley, the music-meets-comedy project comes out via Universal Music Nashville on May 1st. In addition to the previously released “Pick Her Up” with Travis Tritt, and the posterior-praising “Asphalt,” The K Is Silent features some evocative song titles such as “Moose Knuckle Shuffle,” “Wrangler Danger,” and “The USA Begins With US.” Terri Clark shows up as a guest on “You Make It Hard” (which Bentley’s manager Mary Hilliard Harrington co-wrote). Bentley penned most of the songs with a group of his frequent collaborators including Jim Beavers, Brett Beavers, and Jon Randall.

~ The Dixie Chicks will release their first studio album in 14 years. Co-produced by the band and Jack Antonoff — who have all teased the album for the past two years on social media — Gaslighter will, finally, come out May 1 via Columbia Records.

New Music Video From Dixie Chicks - "Gaslighter"

Hear it Here: Taylor Swift and The Dixie Chicks' New Collaboration, "Soon You'll Get Better"

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.

Legendary Songwriter Darrell Scott Preps Live at the Station Inn For November Release

Artist: Darrell Scott
Album: Live at the Station Inn
Label: Soundly Music
Release date: November 17, 2017

The project in the legendary (Travis Tritt, Brad Paisley, Dixie Chicks, Faith Hill, Darryl Worley, Guy Clark) songwriter's own words:

"The Station Inn is a little cinder block tavern that has hosted more casual Bluegrass nights of music than any place on earth. That little tavern is still standing with all the Olympic-panic buildings towering over - (look closely at Gabriel Scott's great photo of the Station Inn at night...my son - there it is in black and white). Every time I drive by the place I wonder if it is the last time I will see it standing."

"So, with a 4 piece that had played a few gigs together in the touring summer, we had not played for months when we played this night in December with Christmas around the corner...hark.
Here is Shad Cobb on fiddle, Matt Flinner on banjo and mandolin, Bryn Davies on bass, and me. ALL playing on the edge of our wits and not knowing whether we will collapse in the next moment or soar above the tall buildings surrounding us. And playing in a place where our heroes have stood and delivered. (Friend, Odessa Settles, joins us on a song as she was sitting in the audience...very Station Inn)."

"To me live music is to have that edge, that little (or big) threat of the unknown waiting around every corner - and still, with complete faith in our fellow band members (and maybe some blind faith in ourselves) that we may actually be able to do this. I believe the audience feels and sees and hears that edge. No hiding. Music in the moment."

Track listing:

1. I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)
2. With a Memory Like Mine
3. Spanish Is the Loving Tongue
4. Family Tree
5. Urge for Going
6. The Open Door
7. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
8. Jesus Was a Capricorn
9. Helen of Troy, Pa
10. River Take Me 

Radney Foster Unveils Plans For For You To See The Stars Album and Book

Artist: Radney Foster

Album: For You To See The Stars
Label: Devil River Records
Release date: September 15, 2017

Updated today:
Radney Foster‘s latest project, a dual book and CD combination, For You To See The Stars, has now been set for a release date of September 15. The collection of short stories, released via Working Title Farm, marks Foster’s first print publication. The Devil’s River Records album is Foster’s 11th foray into the studio and features nine new songs and a special re-recording of his single, “Raining on Sunday.”
Among the tales Foster conjures up in his collection are the story of a retired spy in New Orleans, the tale of a Dallas lawyer wandering the Rocky Mountains in search of redemption, and a post-apocalyptic parable of a world in endless war.

“For me, the goal of writing is always to touch that one person so much that they wonder how I got a peek into their living room–how I understood exactly what they felt,” says Foster about his process. “More than just rhyming or having a pretty melody, I try to express a part of the human condition that can make someone want to laugh, cry, make love, or all of the above.”

Published originally 2/3/17:
Here at That Nashville Sound, we rarely post details on Kickstarter or PledgeMusic campaigns unless we feel strongly about the artist or the project involved. This is one of those times. Radney Foster's good friend Jack Ingram let us know yesterday of this new project that's on the horizon for one of country music's most celebrated songwriters and this combination album with book of short stories sounds fascinating to say the least.

Singer songwriter Radney Foster has been telling stories professionally for over 35 years. His songs have reached over 50 million people, whether through his own hits ("Crazy Over You," "Just Call Me Lonesome," "Nobody Wins," "Texas in 1880" and "Angel Flight") or those he wrote that became hits for others (Keith Urban's "Raining On Sunday," Sara Evans, "A Real Fine Place To Start," The Dixie Chicks "GodSpeed" and a host of others).

2016 saw him expanding his definition of storytelling. Along with songwriting and performing, he began acting (in the upcoming feature film "Beauty Mark," and onstage at the Alliance Theatre in "Troubadour.") He also began writing short fiction, taking his focus from 3 minute songs and diving deeper into each story. His new project is a collection of songs, each with a short story to go with it. The stories are not a retelling of the songs, but rather a companion piece. According to the campaign, "Sometimes they are based on the storyline, sometimes just on something the lyrics touch on. Often the song talks about what the characters were feeling at the time."

Tentative track listing:


 

That Nashville Sound Sunday Newsbytes

This weekend has plenty of country music news to share including tidbits on Sammy Kershaw, Brandy Clark, The Dixie Chicks, Valerie June, Terri Clark, Randy Rogers, Wade Bowen, Dan Tyminski, Johnny Lang and more.

- Valerie June does a beautiful job of combining R&B, bluegrass, country, blues and folk in her new music video for "Got Soul." 

- If you missed The Dixie Chicks in concert this past year, you can head to the movie theaters to watch it. DCX MMXVI — In Concert will play in select movie theaters for one night only on August 7.

- The always-intriguing Brandy Clark released a new previously-unreleased song called "You're Drunk" that you can listen to here.

- Kevin John Coyne shares his love of Terri Clark's new podcast over at Country Universe- complete with a link to listen to a couple of them including ones Clark does with Suzy Bogguss, Pam Tillis, Reba McEntire and Wade Hayes.

- Sammy Kershaw has three different album projects in the way. First up is a Louisiana "swamp pop"album out later this year with a country and gospel album planned in early 2018. On the first album: “I’ve been listening to them since I was a boy,” Kershaw says, citing artists such as Eddy Raven, Willie Tee, TK Hulin and more, “so I just thought I would like to do a tribute album to those guys and get those guys on the album with me.”

- Union Station's Dan Tyminski has signed with Universal Records and has an album coming out in the fall. “I ended up getting to write with the young man Jesse Frasure — he’s on fire right now. When we first started to sit down to write, he had a take on where the music should go that was so fun and so daring. He wasn’t afraid to go anywhere — way outside of the box that I had found myself trying to write in. And we hit it off and started writing more music. Before we knew it, we had acquired a few songs that we really liked, “Southern Gothic” being one of them.”

- Randy Rogers & Wade Bowen recorded and made a music video for Guy Clark's "Rita Ballou" at Bruce Robison's The Next Waltz's Country Bunker studio in Lockhart, Texas.

- Toby Keith's new The Bus Songs album, out September 8th, features 12 of Keith's more unorthodox songs, all of which were written – as the title suggests – with that special mentality that only the back of a tour bus can provide.

- Searing instrumentalist Johnny Lang will release his first new album in four years. Signs comes out on September 8 on Concord Records. “A lot of my earlier influences have been coming to the surface, like Robert Johnson, and Howlin’ Wolf,” he reports. “I have been appreciating how raw and unrefined that stuff is. I had an itch to emulate some of that and I think it shows in the songs. Still, I let the writing be what it was and that was sometimes not necessarily the blues.”

Former Eden's Edge Member Hannah Blaylock Readies Dixie Chicks-Inspired Album

Artist: Hannah Blaylock
Album: Bandit Queen
Label: PledgeMusic Indie
Release date: First single: 5/1 - Album: TBD

From her humble beginnings in the vast Alaskan wilderness, to a rural cattle ranch in Arkansas, Hannah Blaylock grew up in a very musical family. Hannah has been singing and performing her whole life. She started a band in the 9th grade that eventually became the trio, Edens Edge. The trio was signed to Big Machine records in 2009. She sang and wrote their top 20 charted first single “Amen” and opened for some of her all-time favorite artists on four major country music tours.

In 2013, she made a polarizing decision to resign from the trio in search of finding her voice again. “I had no idea what would happen. Putting your purpose in life on the line is terrifying. But I had to believe following my inspiration was going to be the best thing for my career and art; even if it was crazy.”

Driving through Texas in early 2016 seeking the inspiration for the next chapter of her musical career, she connected with one of her biggest heroes, Emily Robison of The Dixie Chicks. She started writing with Emily and her husband, Martin Strayer. That led to Martin producing her debut solo album, “Bandit Queen.” “I never dreamed that when I started down this unpaved road, the artist that inspired me to be in country music from the start, would be playing on and supporting my music. It doesn't seem real. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world."

Bruce Robison & the Back Porch Band Sets Album Release Date Of April 28

Artist: Bruce Robison
Album: Bruce Robison & the Back Porch Band
Label: Motel Time Music
Release date: April 28, 2017

Bruce Robison has taken his time releasing Bruce Robison & the Back Porch Band. Available on April 28, the album marks his first solo project since 2008 (The New World).

Robison has been making music professionally for decades, including No. 1 hits for Dixie Chicks, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, and George Strait, but he has never lost his genuine enthusiasm for music – writing it, recording it, playing it, sharing it. He literally can’t keep it to himself, and you feel that urgency of discovery and passion on every cut of this new album. Robison has also poured that passion into his new project, The Next Waltz, a blossoming community of artists, fans and friends gathering both virtually and at his recording studio in Lockhart, just outside of Austin. With impeccable musical taste and ability, Robison is a trusted North Star for anyone searching for music that is rooted in rich traditions and untethered creativity.

“Writing is where it all starts for me,” he explains. “Whether it’s my writing, or songs I want to do with somebody else. I love the mechanics of it; how simple it can be.”

Keeping it simple was the guiding principle behind the album, which is a collection of Robison originals, co-writes, and covers that capture country’s most beloved stylistic elements: good-time, lighthearted romps (“Rock and Roll Honky Tonk Ramblin’ Man;” “Paid My Dues”) and wistful, sometimes bittersweet ballads (“Long Time Coming;” “Still Doin’ Time”). But even the Who’s “Squeezebox” — which Robison calls “a great country song by some English dudes” — shows up, in a lively version dressed with Cajun fiddle by Warren Hood and acoustic guitar and harmonies by Robison’s wife, Kelly Willis. Robison’s last two albums were with Willis (Cheaters Game and Our Year) and while they are currently creating separately, Robison found the perfect love song to record for this album (he says he’s incapable of writing one of his own): Damon Bramblett’s “The Years,” a sweet, slow waltz with harmony from Willis.

The album reflects other influences as well: Christie Hayes’ “Lake of Fire” displays his love of the ‘70s West Coast sound embodied by Jackson Browne and Linda Ronstadt.

“I’m always collecting songs,” he says. “That’s what The Next Waltz is about, too; I’m just a fan of songs, and I love the way they come alive in the hands of the right artist.”

The Next Waltz is a musical salon where you can find Jerry Jeff Walker’s ruminations on writing “Mr. Bojangles,” an exclusive recording of Randy Rogers singing Merle Haggard’s “Misery and Gin,” the Turnpike Troubadours performing “Come As You Are,” or Rodney Crowell telling Robison and Willis about how he came to own one of John Lennon’s suits.

Robison has created a place where songs are re-imagined, with reinvigorated covers and crafted new works. Meanwhile, he’s cultivating a house band he hopes might one day be as revered as Stax Records’ Booker T. & the M.G.’s or Muscle Shoals’ Swampers. The Back Porch Band does it old-school, all analog, cutting songs together in one paneled room where “happy accidents and all kinds of things that just feel real,” including sound bleed, are allowed to occur.

Next Waltz sessions are documented on video, along with interviews in which Robison, speaking artist-to-artist, often draws out stories journalists don’t. The content is designed to let fans peek behind the curtain to witness the creative process, not only providing unique insights, but tightening their connection to the proverbial unbroken circle of country music. That influence extends far beyond songwriting; Robison’s ultimate dream for The Next Waltz is to follow in the late Guy and Susanna Clark’s footsteps by providing a safe, welcoming place for artists, a haven where musicians can socialize, inspire one another artistically and find a creative, emotional and spiritual nourishment.

The windows are rolled down; fresh air pours in: “It’s all about performing the song and seeing where it takes us,” says Robison, “and having great players in a real collaborative atmosphere.”

1. Rock and Roll Honky Tonk Ramblin' Man
2. Long Time Comin'
3. Paid My Dues (featuring Jack Ingram)
4. Lake of Fire
5. Squeezebox
6. The Years
7. Long Shore
8. Sweet Dreams
9. Still Doin' Time (In a Honky Tonk Prison)

Dixie Chicks To Release Career-Spanning Double Album Project

Artist: Dixie Chicks
Album: The Profile
Release date: May 5, 2017

Now approaching their 30th (!) Anniversary as a musical act, the Dixie Chicks remain one of the foremost female country/pop groups in the world. And while, unfortunately, there hasn't been a new studio album from the girls since 2006's superb Taking The Long Way, they've been far from idle in the interim, and are currently still on their mammoth DCX MMXVI World Tour.

This 2 CD box set celebrates the longevity and enormous talent of the Dixie Chicks, and contains rare interviews with Natalie, Martie and Emily, plus audio-biography, booklets and seldom seen photographs, which is designed as a collector's item to hold their fans over until that next album announcement. 

Joey Feek's Unreleased Solo Album From 2005 To See Posthumous Release In April

Artist: Joey Feek
Album: If Not For You
Label: Gaither Music Group
Release date: April 7, 2017

More than 12 years after its first recording, an album from the late Joey Feek of the husband and wife duo Joey+Rory will finally see its mainstream release when Gaither Music Group releases the formerly album called Strong Enough To Cry as If Not For You. Joey was signed to Sony Nashville originally in 2001 and was paired up with producer Paul Worley (Dixie Chicks/Martina McBride) and songwriter and performer Billy Crain to record her debut album. She finally recorded an unreleased solo album in 2005, but due to change in management and restructuring at Sony, her album was shelved and never released. It has been available in limited format through the duo's website, but now will see the release that so many fans had hoped to see coming before her well-documented and tragic death from cancer in March 2016.

From the label:

This collection captures her life story, including her small-town roots and family heritage, and showcases some of the first songs she recorded in Nashville. This special edition features a 48-page booklet of photos, memories and stories penned by Joey, her family and husband, Rory. Containing her original rendition of 'That's Important to Me,' cameo appearances from her parents and a tribute to her late brother, this recording highlights Joey's unmistakable voice and honors her life of never-wavering faith that continues to inspire.

 If Not For You track listing:

1. Intro (Have I Told You Lately That I Love You)
2. Strong Enough To Cry
3. That's Important To Me
4. When The Needle Hit the Vinyl
5. Nothing To Remember
6. The Cowboy's Mine
7. If Not For You
8. Southern Girl
9. Red
10. Like A Rodeo (with Paul Overstreet)
11. See You There
12. Old Paint

The Henningsens Debut Album World's On Fire To Hit June 1

Artist: The Henningsens
Album: World's On Fire
Release date: June 1, 2016

Made up of a father, son/daughter trio, Brian, Aaron and Clara, the Henningsens have written their fair share of hit songs. Now with their debut album coming out, they hope to have some radio cuts of their own like their own The Band Perry hits “All Your Life” and “You Lie.”

Despite parting ways with their label last year, The Henningsens announced earlier this month that they would be putting out a new album called World’s On Fire out June 1, 2016.

“We’re all the way from very country to bluegrass to something you can’t quite put your finger on,” Brian says of the band’s music, rooted in very melodic, harmony-driven sounds and crossing generations of musical influences. While Brian cites such acts as Pure Prairie League, The Marshall Tucker Band, and The Eagles, Aaron notes influences like Johnny Cash, James Taylor, and Brad Paisley, and Clara is quick to mention Dixie Chicks, Alison Krauss, and Nickel Creek. “We try to be very lyrically descriptive,” Brian says. “We always say it when we write: we’re trying to make a little movie play in your mind.”

This album features 13 songs, including "Like a Girl," "Sugar Rush," "Jesus or a Bullet" and the title track.

 

The Dixie Chicks Reunite For A 2016 World Tour- Perhaps Some New Music Is On The Horizon?

The renegade trio known as The Dixie Chicks announced this morning a return to touring with their upcoming DCX MMXVI World Tour. The multiple Grammy Award-winning and multi-platinum selling band will kick off their highly anticipated North American tour, produced by Live Nation, on June 1, 2016 at the Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. DCX MMXVI World Tour will visit over 40 cities throughout the U.S. and Canada with dates lined up in New York City, Los Angeles, Toronto, Chicago, Vancouver, Washington DC, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Boston and more. A full list of dates is below. The North American leg of the DCX MMXVI World Tour immediately follows the group's previously announced European tour shows.

There is no news (yet) of a new album planned.
 

No telling what'll happen when Dixie Chicks return to the U.S. for the #DCXMMXVI World Tour! https://t.co/X65bu4R6Y1 pic.twitter.com/rTk5gZBFMt

— Dixie Chicks (@dixiechicks) November 16, 2015

DATE	CITY	VENUE	ON SALE
Wed., June 1, 2016	Cincinnati, OH	Riverbend Music Center	Sat., Nov. 21
Fri., June 3, 2016	Cleveland, OH	Blossom Amphitheater	Fri., Nov. 20
Sat., June 4, 2016	Detroit, MI	DTE Energy Music Theatre	Mon., Nov. 23
Sun., June 5, 2016	Chicago, IL	Hollywood Casino Amphitheater	Sat., Nov. 21
Wed., June 8, 2016	Holmdel, NJ	PNC Bank Arts Center	Mon., Nov. 23
Fri., June 10, 2016	Pittsburgh, PA	First Niagara Pavilion	Fri., Nov. 20
Sat., June 11, 2016	Saratoga Springs, NY	Saratoga Performing Arts Center	Fri., Nov. 20
Mon., June 13, 2015	New York, NY	Madison Square Garden	Mon., Nov. 23
Tues., June 14, 2016	Boston, MA	Xfinity Center	Mon., Nov. 23
Thurs., June 16, 2016	Bangor, ME	Darling's Waterfront Pavilion	Sat., Nov. 21
Fri., June 17, 2016	Hartford, CT	Xfinity Theatre	Fri., Nov. 20
Sat., June 18, 2016	Camden NJ	BB&T Pavilion	Sat., Nov. 21
Tues., June 21, 2016	Toronto, ON	Molson Canadian Amphitheatre	Fri., Nov. 20
Wed., June 22, 2016	Toronto, ON	Molson Canadian Amphitheatre	Fri., Nov. 20
Fri., June 24, 2016	Hershey, PA	Hersheypark Stadium	Sat., Nov. 21
Sat., June 25, 2016	Bristow, VA	Jiffy Lube Live	Sat., Nov. 21
Thurs., July 7, 2016	Vancouver, BC	Rogers Arena	Fri., Nov. 20
Fri., July 8, 2016	Seattle, WA	White River Amphitheater	Fri., Nov. 20
Sat., July 9, 2016	Portland, OR	Sunlight Supply Amphitheater	Fri., Nov. 20
Tues., July 12, 2016	San Francisco, CA	Shoreline Amphitheater	Sat., Nov. 21
Wed., July 13, 2016	Sacramento, CA	Toyota Amphitheater	Sat., Nov. 21
Fri., July 15, 2016	San Diego, CA	Sleep Train Amphitheater	Fri., Nov. 20
Sat., July 16, 2016	Las Vegas, NV	Las Vegas Arena	Sat., Nov. 21
Sun., July 17, 2016	Phoenix, AZ	AK-Chin Pavilion	Mon., Nov. 23
Wed., July 20, 2016	Irvine, CA	Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre	Fri., Nov. 20
Fri., August 5, 2016	Dallas, TX	Gexa Energy Pavilion	Sat., Nov. 21
Sat., August 6, 2016	Houston, TX	Cynthia Woods Mitchel Pavilion	Fri., Nov. 20
Sun., August 7, 2016	Austin, TX	Austin360 Amphitheater	Fri., Nov. 20
Wed., August 10, 2016	Virginia Beach, VA	Farm Bureau Live	Sat., Nov. 21
Fri., August 12, 2016	Raleigh, NC	Walnut Creek Amphitheatre	Fri., Nov. 20
Sat., August 13, 2016	Charlotte, NC	PNC Music Pavilion	Fri., Nov. 20
Sun., August 14, 2016	Atlanta, GA	Alpharetta Amphitheater	Sat., Nov. 21
Wed., August 17, 2016	Nashville, TN	Bridgestone Arena	Sat., Nov. 21
Fri., August 19, 2016	Tampa, FL	MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater	Sat., Nov. 21
Sat., August 20, 2016	West Palm Beach, FL	Perfect Vodka Amphitheater	Sat., Nov. 21
Wed., August 24, 2016	St. Louis, MO	Hollywood Casino Amphitheater	Sat., Nov. 21
Thurs., August 25, 2016	Indianapolis, IN	Klipsch Amphitheater	Fri., Nov. 20
Sat., August 27, 2016	Minneapolis, MN	Minnesota State Fair	Fri., Nov. 20
Tues., August 30, 2016	Kansas City, MO	Sprint Center	Sat., Nov. 21
Thurs., September 1, 2016	Denver, CO	Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre	Fri., Nov. 20
Fri., September 2, 2016	Salt Lake City, UT	USANA Amphitheater	Fri., Nov. 20
Mon., October 10, 2016	Los Angeles, CA	Hollywood Bowl	Fri., Nov. 20

Chris Isaak To Release Nashville-Recorded First Comes the Night in November

Artist: Chris Isaak
Album: First Comes the Night
Label: Vanguard Records
Release date: Nov. 13, 2015

Chris Isaak’s new album First Comes the Night produced by Paul Worley (Dixie Chicks, Lady Antebellum), Dave Cobb (Jason Isbell) and longtime Isaak collaborator Mark Needham will be released on Vanguard Records on November 13th. Recorded primarily in Nashville and Los Angeles, First Comes the Night is Isaak’s 13th studio album consisting of 12 new songs. A second configuration - a deluxe version with five additional cuts - will be released simultaneously. It is Isaak’s first recording of all original songs in over six years. First Comes the Night is the follow up release to Isaak’s critically acclaimed 2011 Beyond the Sun, his tribute album to Sun Records, Sam Phillips and the visionary artists who helped shape the early sounds of rock n’ roll.

Commented Isaak on his upcoming album: “I totally enjoyed recording in Nashville – a city filled with terrific musicians and what an honor to work with such great producers. As for the new songs, I like to mix it up so there’s some dark ones, funny ones and romantic ones. You have to absolutely play these songs after the break up while you’re cleaning the house.”