New Music Video From Randy Travis - "Where That Came From"

New Music Video From Tim McGraw - Randy Travis' "On The Other Hand"

Warner Bros. Records and Reprise: The Sinatra Touch That Heavily Influenced Country Music

Sixty years ago today, in a fateful move on September 3, 1963, Warner Bros. Records merged with Frank Sinatra's Reprise Records, a pivotal moment that would prove to be a cornerstone in the musical journey of several artists and genres. At a first glance, it might seem a peculiar pairing - the cinematic Warner Bros. and the crooning Sinatra. But in the grander tapestry of musical history, it was an alliance that would help shape the destiny of country music.

The merger was an act of saving grace. Sinatra's Reprise was knee-deep in financial woes, and Warner Bros. came as the knight in shining armor, albeit in a "rescue takeover". With a whopping deal valued at around US $10 million, the transaction was more than just a business arrangement. It brought Sinatra on board as a recording artist and an actor for Warner Bros. Pictures, making him not just an artist but a significant stakeholder with a one-third share in the combined record entity.

However, the merger did come with its set of challenges. Reprise's financial turbulence posed a considerable threat to Warner Bros., potentially dragging its ledger back into the dreaded red zone. It was a decision not taken lightly, and the initial reception was a mixed bag of dismay and reluctance. Ben Kalmenson, a close aide to Jack Warner, had to explicitly communicate the importance and expectation of this merger, leaving little room for disagreement.

The initial misgivings would soon be overshadowed by the massive successes the partnership would bring. The latter part of the 1960s saw Reprise blooming with Sinatra's iconic comeback and chart-toppers from both him and his daughter, Nancy. Furthermore, the label landed the lucrative US distribution rights for titans of rock - The Kinks and Jimi Hendrix.

The biggest takeaway from the merger, however, wasn't just the soaring numbers or hits. It was Mo Ostin, the Reprise manager. His integration into the Warner clan was more than just an addition of a manager; it was the acquisition of a visionary. Ostin's unparalleled business acumen combined with his innate musical instincts and an uncanny ability to connect with artists made him an invaluable asset for Warner. His influence in the decades following the merger would prove to be monumental, establishing Warner's reputation in the music industry.

But the legacy of this merger was not limited to rock and pop. Warner-Reprise's decision to branch out into country music proved to be a game-changer. This venture introduced the world to a plethora of country legends such as Donna Fargo, Faith Hill, Dwight Yoakam, Blake Shelton, Randy Travis, and Emmylou Harris. Sinatra's influence, albeit indirectly, played a part in launching these iconic country artists, adding another feather to his legendary cap.

Looking back, it's evident that the Warner Bros. and Reprise merger wasn't just about numbers and balance sheets. It was about vision, passion, and the ability to see beyond the immediate challenges. It was about Frank Sinatra, the music icon, playing a pivotal role in shaping the music industry's landscape and being instrumental (pun intended) in the rise of numerous artists across genres.

In conclusion, the merger is a testament to the power of collaboration, vision, and the undeniable influence of Frank Sinatra. It stands as a beacon, highlighting the importance of embracing change, even if it comes with initial challenges. Because, in the end, it's not just about the music—it's about the legacy.

New Music Video From Randy Travis, Rory Feek & Bradley Walker - "Forever and Ever, Amen"

New Music Video From Jason Eady, Courtney Patton & Jamie Lin Wilson - "On The Other Hand" (Randy Travis Cover)

Josh Turner To Release Country State of Mind On August 21

Artist: Josh Turner
Album: Country State of Mind
Label: MCA Nashville
Release date: August 21, 2020

Josh Turner describes the influences on his upcoming album, Country State of Mind, as the "Mount Rushmore of Country Music," and for good reason: The new project features cuts of some of his favorite all-time country tracks as well as guest spots from a few of his heroes singing beside him- including a landmark performance from Randy Travis. Country State of Mind includes Josh's take on Randy's 1987 classic, "Forever and Ever, Amen," and the legendary artist joined him on the new version of the song. It marks the first recording session for Randy since a devastating stroke severely hampered his ability to speak and sing in 2013.

"Randy has always been my hero. He was the reason I wanted to become a country singer," Josh explains. "He's an inspiring figure, not just to me but to a lot of people, so to have him sing on this record is pretty special."

But Randy isn't the only high-profile country act who helped Josh make his new album. Kris Kristofferson and John Anderson also lent their voices to the album, as did Chris Janson, Runaway June, Maddie & Tae and Allison Moorer.

In addition to collaborating with a diverse and impressive roster of collaborators, Josh shows off his country music history expertise with his solo performances on Country State of Mind. The track list features his renditions of Johnny Cash's 1959 gospel tune, "The Caretaker," as well as Hank Williams' 1955 original, "Alone and Forsaken." On Wednesday, Josh shared the album's title track, in which he and Chris duet on a Hank Williams Jr. classic.

Country State of Mind will drop in full on August 21.

Write You a Song Podcast - An Interview With Songwriter Paul Overstreet

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 twelfth 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.

Paul Overstreet recorded 10 studio albums between 1982 and 2005, and charted 16 singles on the Billboard country charts, including two No. 1 hits. He has also written 27 top ten singles for several other country acts, including No. 1 hits for Randy Travis, Blake Shelton, and Keith Whitley, as well as hits for The Judds and Kenny Chesney.

Hear more of this unique Nashville success story from one of country music's most sought-after collaborators, this month, on this unique Write You a Song podcast.

That Nashville Sound Saturday Newsbytes- New Videos, New Drake White & Mark Chestnut & Livestream Calendar

There's some positive trends out there with the spread of the virus slowing down- hopefully as a result of all of you sheltering down in place. At the end of this event, we owe our nurses, doctors, first responders, delivery people and our grocers a beer at a bar. Make it happen folks. Here's all the news that's fit to print on this Saturday.

~ Mark Chestnutt announced that his next project will be out on August 14th and will be an EP called Numbers on the Jukebox. 

~ Drake White also announced an upcoming EP project. He will release Stars on April 24th and it features his first single "Eat, Drink & Dream" off of the project. "'Eat, Drink & Dream' is a declaration of relentless optimism,” the singer told Billboard. “In the face of adversity, when no one is looking, that is when an individual's true character is revealed. That’s what this song is -- a power dose of optimism that you can!” 

~ New music videos 

LANCO - "What I See"

Drake White - "Eat, Drink & Dream"

Lennon Stella - "Fear of Being Alone"

Jordan Davis - "Detours"

~ Upcoming Livestream Concert Schedule:

April 11

Human To Human Festival ft. Devin Dawson, Hunter Hayes, Lauren Daigle + more
Time: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. CT
What: A Facebook Live donation event
Where: Facebook

Randall King
Time: 12 p.m. CT
Where: YouTube

Tyler Rich
Time: 3 p.m. CT
What: “Leave Her Wild” Saturday Brunch
Where: Instagram

Christina Taylor
Time: 3 p.m. CT
Where: Instagram

Alyssa Bonagura
Time: 4 p.m. CT
What: #NewSongSaturday
Where: Facebook and Instagram

Tegan Marie
Time: 4 p.m. CT
Where: Facebook

Maddie & Tae
Time: 6:30 p.m. CT
What: Circle Sessions, a pre-show to The Grand Ole Opry
Where: Facebook YouTube

The Grand Ole Opry ft. Trace Adkins, Jason Crabb, T. Graham Brown & Bobby Bones
Time: 7 p.m. CT
What: Free Easter livestream. Keep the music playing while we keep each other safe!
Where: Facebook YouTube

Jameson Rodgers
Time: 7 p.m. CT
What: Saturday Nights Live
Where: Facebook

People Supporting Artists Telethon ft. Roseanne Cash, John Oates, Lee Brice + more
Time: 7 p.m. CT
What: Telethon to benefit the MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund
Where: Website

Justin Moore, Tracy Lawrence, Joe Nichols, Adam Hambrick, Heath Sanders
Time: 7 p.m. CT
What: And The Beat Goes On Arkansas; benefiting Food Banks of Arkansas. Text FEED to 501501 to donate $10
Where: YouTube

Chris Bandi
Time: 7 p.m. CT
Where: Instagram

Whitey Morgan
Time: 8 p.m. CT
Where: Facebook

April 12

Elena Moon Park
Time: 11 a.m. CT
What: #LincolnCenterAtHome
Where: Website

The War and Treaty
Time: 12:30 p.m. CT
What: Launch of “The Roundup,” new live streaming series from Rounder Records
Where: YouTube

T. Graham Brown
Time: 3 p.m. CT
What: Couch Concert Series benefitting MusiCares.
Where: Instagram

Willy Braun (Reckless Kelly)
Time: 3 p.m. CT
What: Music From The Mountains
Where: Facebook

Darin & Brooke Aldridge
Time: 7 p.m. CT
Where: Facebook

Nikki Lane
Time: 7 p.m. CT
What: A Month of Sundays
Where: Facebook

April 13

Ashley McBryde
Time: 2:30 p.m. CT
What: Playing some favorites for the kids! #AllCoopedUp with Kids.
Where: Facebook

Tenille Townes
Time: 3 p.m. CT
What: Martin Guitar’s “Jam In Place” series
Where: Facebook

Laine Hardy
Time: 5 p.m. CT
What: “Ground I Grew Up On” Virtual Tour
Where: Facebook

Chris Bandi
Time: 5 p.m. CT
What: Performance
Where: Instagram

Colter Wall
Time: 6 p.m. CT
What: Create The West; A Boot Barn series showing live creative escapes, from behind the scenes of their craft how-tos.
Where: Instagram

Candi Carpenter, Carter Faith, Tyra Madison, and Mignon
Time: 6 p.m. CT
What: Song Suffragettes concert
Where: YouTube

Jimmie Allen
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Where: Instagram

Randy & Mary Travis
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Where: Instagram

Sara Evans
Time: 7:30 p.m. CT
What: Closet Chaos
Where: Instagram

Jillian Jacqueline
Time: 8 p.m. CT
Where: Facebook Instagram

Mark Wills
Time: 8 p.m. CT
What: Live From The Bunker
Where: Facebook

April 14

Logan Ledger
Time: 10 a.m. CT
What: Talking about his new album, his influences, and interacting with fans.
Where: Website

Alyssa Bonagura
Time: 6 p.m. CT
What: Martin Guitar’s “Jam in Place”
Where: Facebook

George Shingleton
Time: 7:30 p.m. CT
What: Tuesday night tunes. Live music with original songs and Q&A.
Where: Facebook

April 15

Alyssa Trahan
Time: 12 p.m. CT
Where: Facebook

Steve Wariner
Time: 7:00 p.m. CT
What: Wariner Wednesday
Where: Facebook

Kalie Shorr
Time: 8 p.m. CT
Where: Facebook

Alyssa Bonagura
Time: 8 p.m. CT
What: Virtual Tour: Quarantined & Ready To Rock

Where: YouTube

April 18

Global Citizen’s One World: Together at Home ft. Kacey Musgraves, Keith Urban, Alanis Morissette, Eddie Vedder + more
Time: 7 p.m. CT
What: A global broadcast & digital special to support frontline healthcare workers and the WHO.
Where: Website

Earl Thomas Conley Passes Away At The Age of 77

"My heart is absolutely destroyed today... I’m sad to report that Earl Thomas Conley passed away very early this morning. Earl was my all time favorite singer, hero and my friend. Prayers to his family. We will all miss you deeply my brother. Now go rest..." - Blake Shelton

"When I first came to Nashville in the early '80s, I studied the great singers, songwriters and human hearts - one that topped the charts in all areas was Earl Thomas Conley. He made a big difference in the songs I sang. Thank you for the lessons and the memories, my friend. God give you sweet repose 'til we meet again... 'just around the bend.'" - Randy Travis, Country Music Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry Member

"Earl and I grew up about 30 miles down the road from each other. We've been good friends for many years. I've always loved his records and I'm gonna miss him." - Bobby Bare, Country Music Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry Member

"Earl Thomas Conley, great country music star, I never had the pleasure of working with Earl but I have always admired his talent and his love for country music." - Mickey Gilley

Country music star Earl Thomas Conley, who released 18 No. 1 country hit singles -- including "Holding Her and Loving You" -- has died at the age of 77.  Conley's brother Fred Conley confirmed to The Tennessean that the singer died on Wednesday in Nashville. He had a condition similar to dementia and was in hospice care.

The music business and it's cast of characters are full of tales concerning acts and their pursuit for success - the long and winding roads traveled to fulfill their dreams, the rapidity of #1 hits, the languorous nature of a career fading away into nothing, the remembrance of days gone by never to repeated either critically or commercially. Once in a blue moon, however, does a true artist glow like the brightest star and burn out only to reignite with the presence of the Sun. If anyone in the world of country music deserves to bear such a distinction, it would be Earl Thomas Conley.

Few ever achieve such a remarkable set of milestones, let alone look adversity in the face and return to prove than lightening can strike twice. Earl Thomas Conley dispells any trace of doubt with Perpetual Emotion, a collection that perfectly marries the past and the present of a country music sage who originally looked for inspiration with a brush rather than a six string. Painting was this Portsmouth, Ohio native's first love a passion that began at age 10. It was also his way out of an economically depressed town whose glory days had passed. By 14, Earl was more than ready to live with his sister in Dayton, where he continued to paint and learn more about the art that seemed to direct his life.

Upon high school graduation, Earl was prepared to accept an art scholarship at a local college, but opted to join the army instead. It was here, as a member of a Christian-influenced trio, where his musical talent and vocal ability were first realized. As he continued to perform, Earl's feelings towards the music that his father had played for him as a child grew stronger and seemed to take a hold of him. He also figured that entertaining wasn't a bad way to make a living. This new found inspiration fueled the young Conley, who now sought an education in country music. Recordings by Merle Haggard, George Jones, and Charlie Pride were the basis of this education, which served as a solid foundation for Conley, who began to write songs around this period.

Now that army life was behind him, Earl started commuting to Nashville in 1968. With success eluding him during every visit, Conley moved to Huntsville, Alabama to be closer to Music City and its recording studios. During a song-plugging visit in 1973, Earl met Dick Herd, who produced Mel Street. This meeting led to the Conley-Herd composite "Smokey Mountain Memories," which Street took straight into the Top 10. With the future looking brighter than ever before, Earl moved to Nashville, where luck as a songwriter continued with "This Time I've Hurt Her More Than She Loves Me," a #1 hit for Conway Twitty in 1975.

Having written continuously since 1968 and hot on the heels of a #1 cut for Conway Twitty, Earl decided to make the move to "singer" as Earl Conley. In 1979, Earl released three singles for Warner Brothers, which failed to crack the Top 20 country chart. Nothing seemed to grab anyone's attention. By 1982, the artist now known as Earl Thomas Conley had signed with the independent Sunbird Records, where he recorded the "Blue Pearl" album with producer Nelson Larkin. One of the album's tracks, "Fire & Smoke," was selected as a single and promoted to country radio stations across the U.S. Within weeks, the song was atop the Billboard charts and Earl had achieved his first #1 as an artist.

With "Fire & Smoke" a bona fide hit, RCA picked up Earl's contract and became his home for the next 10 years. What ensued was a period of hit making that has seldom been achieved by other artists in any genre of music. This became more interesting when considering the type of music that Earl Thomas Conley was making. He was country, R&B, rock n' roll, pop, and adult contemporary in a world that accepted nothing but stone country.

His left-of-center style applied to both his music and his image. In the midst of the "Urban Cowboy" era, Earl didn't play the "hat act." His relentless pursuit to write and sing better songs resulted in #1 hit after #1 hit. His incessant desire to grow musically led to accolades such as multiple Grammy nominations for his 1983 hit "Holding Her & Loving You," which won the "Country Song of the Year" award. It also allowed Earl to be the first artist to take four singles from album to the #1 spot. The success of the "Don't Make It Easy For Me" album pre-dated a similar feat achieved with Michael Jackson's "Bad" album, which paralyzed the Top 40 chart much like Conley had on the Country hit parade four years earlier.

Earl continued to defy the rules when he became the first and only country artist ever to appear on the popular R&B television show "Soul Train," where he sang his 1986 hit duet with Anita Pointer of the Pointer Sisters, "Too Many Times." It seemed that everything Earl did became a hit and pushed the envelope at the same time. As the '80s turned into the '90s, there was no reason to believe that this stunning success would end just as quickly as it began. Unfortunately, that's exactly what happened.

By 1991, Earl just couldn't take it anymore. His desires to record were now replaced with desires to get off a treadmill that was just going too fast. Issues of control in the studio fueled his growing disenchantment with the politics of the music business. Mounting voice problems led to rumors of throat cancer, but what doctors actually discovered were severe allergies that prevented full use of his vocal cords. Financial woes and the death of his father also contributed to this tailspin, leaving Earl mentally, physically, emotionally, and creatively drained. So, in true E.T.C. fashion, he refused to compromise and took a break, participating sparingly in country music events and being highlighted by Blake Shelton regularly as his "hero." 

Write You a Song Podcast Episode IV - An Interview With Songwriter Brice Long

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 twelfth 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, Tim Nichols and more.

With huge hits for artists like Jon Pardi, Randy Houser and Gary Allan, you might think a songwriter can sit back a little and enjoy their success. Not so, as Brice Long explains in this episode of Write You A Song. Growing up on a farm in Kentucky--plus years of grinding it out by writing album cuts for artists like George Strait and Randy Travis--gave Brice a work ethic he says is every bit as important as finding that creative spark and fanning it into a flame. 

Signed to Columbia Records in 2005, Long charted one single on the Billboard country chart that year: "Anywhere but Here", which was also released by Chris Cagle a year later. In addition, Long co-wrote Gary Allan's 2004 Number One single "Nothing On but the Radio", Jon Pardi's Number One single "Heartache On The Dance Floor" and Randy Houser's singles "Anything Goes" and "Like a Cowboy".

Interview Flashback - Making The Call With Matt Kennon

I have been blessed to write contributions/reviews/interviews/opinion pieces for several country music and roots-oriented websites and publications over the years including Saving Country Music, Nashville Scene, Country California, Country Weekly, American Noise, The 9513 and Engine 145. As a regular contributor to the last two in that list, I did close to a 100 interviews with different artists- and since both of those great sites have come down, I will reprint some of those interviews here to give them a home in perpetuity. This interview was originally published in April 2010 on The 9513.

Matt Kennon is blessed with one of those voices that, good or bad, sets him apart from the rest of the radio dial. From the minute he opens his mouth on his new song “The Call,” it’s clear that the gravelly and deep voiced Kennon is working with a different instrument than most. It took nearly half a lifetime to find out the genetics of where it came from, however.

He tells a little bit of that story in his brand new song on radio. The second chorus of “The Call” deals with a young mother grappling with the heart wrenching decision of keeping a baby or not and it was from his own personal experience of being that baby that the song’s lyrics took root.

Matt’s birth mother was in an unfortunate economic situation and had made the painful decision to abort him. The doctor that was seeing his mother knew of another patient, a mother who had lost three of her children in a terrible house fire, who had just found out she was unable to conceive more children. The doctor matched up the two mothers and the new family adopted Matt. It makes the fodder for a great country story.

The 9513 had an opportunity to sit down and make a call with Matt Kennon and talk a little about genealogy and about his upcoming album release on BamaJam Records.

KEN MORTON, JR.: With “The Call” racing up the charts, we’ll start there. As I was reading through your bio, I was surprised to learn that part of that song is autobiographical with your own adoption and own birth mom. Would you mind giving some background on that?

MATT KENNON: Actually, there have been a lot of phone calls in my life that have changed me. Not only in my personal life, but in my career as well. My birth mother couldn’t afford to bring me into this world and take care of me. Through the divine intervention of The Lord, there happened to be a family out there waiting to take care of me. They had lost three children in a house fire. So I was very blessed to be placed in that home with that doctor agreeing to carry me to full term. That’s what that second verse of “The Call” was about. I wrote the song with two guys, both of them that had serious illnesses. Jeremy Campbell had had lung cancer at the age of fourteen. He had it for six years and beat it. Noah, my other co-writer has Crohn’s disease. So when I had this idea for this song for a phone call, we had friends that had lost things like jobs and that- and we all had had phone calls that have changed our lives. When they were dealing with their illnesses and all that, a lot of calls kept them hanging on. We decided we hadn’t heard too many songs about a phone call and especially one that changed so many things.

The Day The Music Died: To Those Country Music Lost in 2018

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 who sang their final song in 2018.

Sammy Allred (May 9, unknown cause, age 84): known to a generation of fans as "Sam Geezinslaw" of the Geezinslaw Brothers, he was also a longtime, award-winning Austin, Texas DJ.

Casey Anderson (November 26, natural causes, age 92): the former husband and songwriter partner of Liz Anderson and the father of Lynn Anderson.

Rayburn Anthony (April 21, unknown cause, age 80): rockabilly singer/songwriter for Sun Records in its early days, he later became a member of Billy Walker's band and co-wrote Walker's #1 hit "Sing Me a Love Song to Baby."

Charles Aznavour (October 1, natural causes, age 94): the "French Frank Sinatra" was an accomplished singer and songwriter. One of his best-known songs, "Hier Encore," was a 1969 country and pop hit for Roy Clark as "Yesterday, When I Was Young."

Stu Basore (February 5, Lewy Body dementia, age 80): steel guitarist who played with numerous greats, including providing the mournful steel on Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You."

Delia Bell (June 15, natural causes, age 83): longtime bluegrass performer as a solo act and as part of a duet with Bill Grant.

John T. Benson III (October 28, natural causes, age 90): Gospel Music Hall of Fame former head of the Benson Music Company, founded by Benson's grandfather and recognized as the oldest permanent music organization in Nashville.

Ponty Bone (July 13, progressive supranuclear palsy, age 78): legendary Texas accordion player who had his own band, the Squeezetones, as well as touring as a member of Joe Ely's band.

Jerry Chesnut (December 15, natural causes, age 87): Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famers who gave the world songs ranging from heartbreak ballads ("It's Four in the Morning," "A Good Year for the Roses") to vibrant foot-stompers ("T-R-O-U-B-L-E").

Brandon Church (June 29, seizure, age 36): brother of singer Eric Church and co-writer of his brother's hit "Without You Here."

Roger Clark (May 24, heart attack, age 67): Muscle Shoals session drummer who worked on albums by artists as diverse as Carl Perkins, Hank Williams Jr., Conway Twitty, and T.G. Sheppard.

Roy Clark (November 15, pneumonia, age 85): Country Music Hall of Fame singer, multi-instrumental wizard, and Hee Haw host who delighted audiences for decades.

New Music Video From The Song Suffragettes - "Forever and Ever, Amen"

There's an incredible rotating female singer/songwriter round every Monday night at The Listening Room Cafe in Nashville, TN. A little while back, Randy Travis was in attendance and that night's group put together a memorable performance for him. The lineup left to right: Karla Davis, Makayla Lynn, Kalie Shorr, Katelyn Clampett and Kaylin Roberson.
 

That Nashville Sound Wednesday Newsbytes- New Albums & Music Videos

A little happy birthday to That Nashville Sound this week. Ten years ago, this little music blog got started and over that time, we've had a couple million visitors- pretty remarkable. Thank you for taking the time to read it. It's genuinely appreciated.

- Bob Seger announced that he'll be releasing a new album just before Christmas.

- It's worth checking out this interview with Marty Stuart about the final photo of Johnny Cash ever taken.

- Jerrod Niemann has a new music video for his song "I Got This."

- Although it's missing the awesome horns that he has on the album track, still check out Josh Abbott Band's performance of "Texas Women, Tennessee Whiskey" on The Texas Music Scene.

- Tony Jackson admirably covered the Randy Travis classic "Diggin' Up Bones."

- I had an opportunity to interview Erin Enderlin about her phenomenal new album Whiskeytown Crier over at Saving Country Music. Check it out here.

- Country music chart-topper Granger Smith announced today his new album When The Good Guys Win will be out everywhere on Friday, October 27. When The Good Guys Win is his sophomore national release on BBR Music Group’s Wheelhouse Records and follows last year’s acclaimed, Remington, which included the No. 1 “Backroad Song” and No. 5 “If The Boot Fits.”

- Jillian Cardarelli is bright young star who was recently named by Rolling Stone as one of the "Top 10 Country Artists You Need to Know" and she has new music video called "Rerun."

- Holly Tucker has a new music video for her single "Dallas On Your Boots."  

Josh Turner Covers Randy Travis - "Three Wooden Crosses"

In celebration of “The 50th Annual CMA Awards,” Country Music’s biggest names and rising stars are paying tribute to some of the most nominated and awarded songs from the past five decades in the official “Forever Country Covers” series.  Here, Josh Turner covers the Randy Travis smash "Three Wooden Crosses," the 2003 CMA Song of the Year.
 

New Live Performance Music Video From Jon Pardi - "Forever and Ever Amen" (Randy Travis Cover)

New Music Video From 30 Of Country Music's Finest - "Forever Country"

"Forever Country" artist list: Alabama, Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Brett Eldredge, Vince Gill, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Tim McGraw, Ronnie Milsap, Kacey Musgraves, Willie Nelson, Brad Paisley, Dolly Parton, Charley Pride, Rascal Flatts, Reba, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton, George Strait, Randy Travis, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban and Trisha Yearwood.

New Music Video From Billy Ray Cyrus - "Hey Elvis"

A Case For The Class of 2016 Country Music Hall of Fame Selection

Election to the Country Music Hall of Fame is country music's highest honor. The Country Music Association (CMA), the country music industry's trade organization, created the accolade to recognize significant contributions to the advancement of country music by individuals in both the creative and business communities. The first members-Jimmie Rodgers, Fred Rose, and Hank Williams-were inducted in 1961.

It’s also quite possibly one of the more debatable arguments in country music. Each time a column is posted here, omissions are complained about and oversights are pleaded. And as we turn the page, let’s start the debate on who will be selected for this year’s class- traditionally announced in early Spring.

In 2009, the Hall changed the way it categorizes its selectees. Three new members will continue to be inducted every year, with one each coming from the new categories, which will be renamed and defined as follows:

Modern Era: An artist becomes eligible for induction in this category 20 years after they first achieve national prominence. They will remain eligible for that category for the next 25 years. This replaces the former “Career Achieved National Prominence Between 1975 and the Present” category.

Veterans Era: An artist becomes eligible for induction in this category 45 years after they first achieve national prominence. This combines the former “Career Achieved National Prominence Between World War II and 1975″ (which was voted on annually) and “Career Achieved National Prominence Prior to World War II” (which was voted on every third year in rotation) categories into one.

Rotating Categories: The third slot will continue to be a rotating category, with each group in the spotlight every third year. The Recording and/or Touring Musician and Non Performer slots will remain, joined by a new Songwriter category. 2016’s selection will come from the non-performer category.

These are the ones that I believe should be inducted- and hopefully not posthumously for those still alive on this list.

10. John Denver- Might as well start with the most controversial first. In 1975, previous Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year Charlie Rich set fire to Denver’s winning envelope rather than announce the win. Some considered it a statement against country pop and the Music Row-controlled Nashville Sound. But looking closer, he was one of the top album sellers in the 70’s, won several country music awards, 2 Grammys, and his hits “Take Me Home”, “Rocky Mountain High” and “Thank God I’m A Country Boy” are sing-along standards.

9. Jerry Reed- The CMHOF has a history of inviting comedians and actors (Minnie Pearl) and Jerry Reed belongs in. Jerry Reed, was an country music singer, country guitarist, session musician, songwriter and actor who appeared in over a dozen films. As a singer, he may be best known for Amos Moses, and When You're Hot, You're Hot, for which he received a Grammy in 1972 and East Bound and Down, the theme song to the film Smokey and the Bandit in which he portrayed the "Snowman", Cledus Snow.

8. Kenny Chesney- It's hard to imagine that he's old enough to qualify for the Country Music Hall of Fame, but it was 20 years ago that Kenny Chesney released his first major label album with BNA. Chesney has been country music’s biggest and most-active stadium draw for the last decade or so, sold 30 million albums and has had over 30 Top 10 singles.

7. Charlie Daniels- The man who made southern country/rock a new genre, he should be in for his fiddling ability alone. “The Devil Went Down To Georgia” is quite possibly the most recognizable country song ever recorded- he’s been a music hero for close to 40 years.

6. The Judds- As one of the most successful acts in country music history, Wynonna and Naomi Judd won five Grammy Awards for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, and eight Country Music Association awards. The duo also charted twenty-five singles on the country music charts between 1983 and 2000, fourteen of which went to Number One and six more of which made Top Ten on the same chart.

5. Randy Travis- Travis has recorded more than a dozen important studio albums and single-handedly started the neo-traditionalist movement in the 80’s. He charted more than thirty singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, of which sixteen have reached Number One. He's gone through some significant health issues over the past couple of years which could influence the sentimental vote or mentally cause the voters to wait a couple more years as he continues to heal.

4. Dallas Frazier - Frazier is the songwriter’s songwriter. His tunes were recorded by George Jones (who recorded an entire album of Frazier's songs in 1968), Engelbert Humperdinck, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jack Greene, Connie Smith (who also recorded an entire album of Frazier's songs in 1972), Willie Nelson, Brenda Lee, Carola, Charley Pride, Merle Haggard, Gene Watson, Elvis Presley, Moe Bandy, Roy Head, Rodney Crowell, Dan McCafferty, and Ronnie Hawkins. Many of the songs became hits into the 1980s; examples include the Oak Ridge Boys cover of "Elvira" and Emmylou Harris's version of "Beneath Still Waters". Anne Murray with Glen Campbell, George Strait, Randy Travis, and Patty Loveless have all also recorded Frazier tunes.

3. Sydney Nathan - Who, you say? My friend, author and country music historian KF Raizor says it best:  "In the early 40's the hotbed of country music wasn't Nashville, it was Cincinnati.  While publishing companies and record labels pooh-poohed the idea of signing "hillbilly" singers or, worse, publishing their songs, Syd Nathan used his keen businessman's sense and noticed that "hillbilly" records were selling very, very well in his Cincinnati record store.  With a deep well of talent to draw from in the area (including future hall of famers Merle Travis, Grandpa Jones, Homer & Jethro, and the Delmore Brothers, and should-be hall of famers such as Moon Mullican and Cowboy Copas), Sydney Nathan founded the nation's first all-hillbilly music label in 1943, King Records.  Nathan has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the label's work with pioneering R&B acts such as James Brown, and into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame because of the presence of the Stanley Brothers and Reno & Smiley.  He did much more for country music than either of those genres, and yet he continues to be ignored by the genre of music he helped popularize thanks to easy access to recordings." With this being the non-performer category, it could be Nathan's turn.

2. Alan Jackson- An accomplished songwriter, Jackson wrote much of his first album, which remained on the U.S. country charts for more than a year. His next two albums, Don't Rock the Jukebox (1991) and A Lot About Livin' (and a Little 'Bout Love) (1992) were even bigger hits, spawning five No.1 singles each. Notable among these hits were "Love's Got a Hold on You," "Midnight in Montgomery" (Jackson's tribute to the legendary country star Hank Williams), and "Chattahoochee." With the 1994 release of his fifth album, Who I Am, Jackson's record sales reached a total of over 10 million. Throughout the course of his career, Jackson has been honored with over 45 awards from organizations like the Academy of Country Music (ACM) and the Country Music Association (CMA). He released his Greatest Hits album in 1995 and won eight major awards, including CMA Entertainer of the Year.

1. Hank Williams, Jr.- He is another long overdue selection. He had two careers, each of them probably worthy of induction. His early standards Eleven Roses are just as HOF-worthy as his later standards like Family Tradition. His discography consists of fifty-six studio albums and twenty-two compilation albums. He has released 106 singles and twenty-four music videos. Eleven of his singles have reached Number One in either the United States or Canada. Hank Williams Jr. has sold more than 70 million albums world-wide. Put him in with a plaque right next to his father.

Consideration should also be given to June Carter Cash, Dottie West, Dwight Yoakam, the Wilburn Brothers, Paul Overstreet, Linda Ronstadt, Larry Gatlin, the Stanley Brothers, Johnny Horton, Ricky Skaggs, Alison Krauss & Union Station (someday), Crystal Gayle, Charlie Rich, Rose Maddox, Tanya Tucker, Anne Murray, Crystal Gayle and Brooks and Dunn. Hopefully, all will eventually be elected.

New Music Video From Randy Travis- "Don't Worry 'Bout Me"