Country
Steve Earle, Bobbie Gentry, Kent Blazy to Be Inducted Into Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame
Three-time Grammy winner Earle has released 18 studio albums, beginning with his acclaimed 1986 debut, Guitar Town, and is known for writing songs such as “Copperhead Road” and “The Devil’s Right Hand.” Singer/songwriter/producer Gentry is best known for her 1967 No. 1 smash “Ode To Billie Joe,” as well as “Fancy” and “Mornin’ Glory.” Blazy’s songwriting credits include “If Tomorrow Never Comes” (Garth Brooks), “Ain’t Goin’ Down (’Til The Sun Comes Up)” (Garth Brooks) and “Gettin’ You Home (The Black Dress Song)” (Chris Young). James has a long list of songwriting credits, including “Jesus Take The Wheel” (Carrie Underwood), “When The Sun Goes Down” (Kenny Chesney & Uncle Kracker) and “Summer Nights” (Rascal Flatts). Oldham has written such R&B and pop hits as “I’m...
The Players Behind Gabby Barrett’s ‘I Hope’ (feat. Charlie Puth): See the Full Credits
ArtistsMain Artist – Gabby BarrettFeatured Artist – Charlie Puth Songwriters:Writer – Charlie PuthWriter – Gabby BarrettWriter – Jon NiteWriter – Zach Kale Producers:Producer – Ross CoppermanProducer – Zach Kale Production Team:Assistant Production – Scott Johnson Programmer – Zach Kale Engineers:Assistant Mixer – Jeremie InhaberAssistant Mixer – Robin Florent Digital Editor – Daniel RossDigital Editor – Ross CoppermanDigital Editor – Trey KellerDigital Editor – Zach Kale Masterer – Michelle Mancini Mixer – Manny Marroquin Mixing Engineer – Chris Galland Recorded By – Ross CoppermanR...
Ask Billboard: From Shania Twain to Gabby Barrett, These Are the Biggest Country Radio Crossover Hits
Hi Gary, As a certified chart nerd, I’m excited about Gabby Barrett‘s arrival and continued rise in the Billboard Hot 100‘s top 10 with “I Hope,” featuring Charlie Puth. A recent “Ask Billboard” ran down every Hot 100 top 10 by American Idol contestants, while this week’s recap of the Hot 100’s top 10 notes that “I Hope” is just the fourth song to have topped both the Country Airplay and all-format Radio Songs charts. Can you please provide a deeper list of No. 1 Country Airplay hits that have crossed over to the Radio Songs entire top 10? Thanks, Mark BlankenshipNew York, New York Hi Mark, Barrett and Puth’s hit is clearly among rarified radio air in having conquered both Country Airplay and Radio Songs. But it’...
Neil Young Details After the Gold Rush 50th Anniversary Reissue
Neil Young has finally shared the details for the 50th anniversary edition of his seminal album After the Gold Rush. It’s due out later this year, and on top of its 11 original tracks, the release comes with two versions of the B-side “Wonderin’”. After the Gold Rush was initially released back on September 19th, 1970, kicking off Young’s beloved and insurmountably influential ’70s catalog. The album was remastered and re-released back in 2009, so outside of the new “Wonderin’” variants, this reissue is more focused on the commemorative packaging. The deluxe vinyl box set edition comes with special artwork, a litho print of its cover, and a 7-inch picture sleeve of both versions of “Wonderin’”. The first was recorded in 1970 and originally released in The Archives Vol. 1:...
Cam Drops ‘The Otherside,’ Featuring Songs With Harry Styles, Tim Bergling and More: Listen
An outspoken songwriter, Cam opens the door for the first time for songwriting from other artists she admires. Harry Styles co-wrote album track “Changes,” Sam Smith co-wrote “Happier for You” and the late EDM producer and Tim Bergling (aka Avicii) co-wrote the title track, “The Otherside.” The LP also includes the previously released single “Classic,” co-written and produced with Jack Antonoff; “Redwood Tree,” “Diane,” and “Till There’s Nothing Left,” which she performed live on America’s Got Talent. On working with Bergling, Cam told Billboard: “He didn’t feel the need to make everyone else in the room comfortable, which happens a lot in sessions. It was a tall order to make sure this song lived well on t...
Selena Gomez, Joe Jonas, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Kacey Musgraves and More Stars Who Voted Early
More than 14 million Americans have voted so far, and with less than three weeks left until the Nov. 3 election, this year’s tallies are on track to be historic, with some states already posting 10-40 percent of the total votes counted in 2016 through a combination of absentee and in-person early voting. And, well, stars, they’re just like millions of other patriotic Americans who trust the nation’s election system: They’re getting out early too. “Just finished filling out my ballot!” Selena Gomez wrote on Instagram Thursday (Oct. 22). In a slideshow of pics, she shows off her “I VOTED” sticker. Mandy Moore cast her ballot, but made it fashionable, posting a short video in which she busted out her black leather Stuart Weitzman 5050 ...
Nigeria records 133 new virus cases, 3 more deaths
Nigeria on Tuesday recorded 133 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total number of infections in the country to 62, 224. Three more deaths were also recorded, taking the total fatalities from the disease to 1,135. This is according to an update by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Tuesday night. The 113 new cases were reported from 12 states. These are Lagos (51), FCT (15), Plateau (11), Kaduna (8), Oyo (8), Rivers (8), Ogun (4), Edo (2), Imo (2), Kwara (2), Delta (1), Kano (1). Lagos, which again had the majority of infections on Tuesday with 51 new cases, remains Nigeria’s COVID-19 hotspot with over 20,000 infections and 208 deaths. Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, Is the second most impacted with about 6,000 cases and 80 deaths. Nigeria has been reporting cases below 300 for about t...
Five Burning Questions: Gabby Barrett Climbs to No. 6 on the Hot 100 With Charlie Puth-Assisted ‘I Hope’
1. “I Hope” hits a new peak of No. 6 on the Hot 100 this week in its 43rd week on the chart — dating back to early January. On a scale from 1-10, how surprised are you that it’s still climbing this deep into its chart run? Katie Atkinson: I think I’m a 2. This song hit me like a ton of bricks when it came out — thanks to that seemingly sweet first verse leading into a spiteful wrecking ball of chorus — so I knew it had a strong chance to make a big impact both in the world of country and beyond. The only reason I’m a 2 instead of a 1 is that I might not have predicted that it would climb all the way to the Hot 100 top 10. That’s massive — especially for an American Idol alum in the year 2020. Jason Lipshutz:&n...
European Union backs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for WTO role
The European Union has endorsed former Nigerian finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the next director-general of the World Trade Organisation, Bloomberg reported. The business news outlet cited anonymous officials familiar with the matter that all the 27 EU member countries agreed on Monday in Brussels to support Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala. Bloomberg also reported that the United States has decided to back Yoo Myung-hee, South Korea’s trade minister, for the role. The position has been fiercely contested amongst candidates of different countries since Roberto Azevedo resigned in August. Last month, Okonjo-Iweala and Myung-hee were selected as the last two candidates in the contest. The EU’s endorsement is seen as a significant boost for Okonjo-Iweala’s candidacy, with the final winner expected...
Maren Morris Endorses Joe Biden: ‘It’s Time We Tell Someone That He’s Fired’
During the virtual “I Will Vote” Democratic fundraiser on Sunday (Oct. 25), Maren Morris officially endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris. As “a proud Texan now living in Nashville, Tennessee,” the country superstar articulated her reasoning behind her decision in a three-minute video later uploaded to Instagram. “Coming from a Southern family with a conservative background, throughout my childhood, I was always taught to treat people with respect and dignity, no matter their race, their religion, their sexual orientation, and yes, even their political party,” she explained. “But like a lot of us, I’ve been in perpetual shock watching what’s happened to our country these last few years. We’ve been divi...
Jerry Jeff Walker, Country Music Legend and ‘Mr. Bojangles’ Songwriter, Dies at 78
Walker emerged from New York’s Greenwich Village folk scene in the 1960s and he was a founding member of the band Circus Maximus. He moved to Texas in the 1970s and in 1972 scored a hit with his version of the Guy Clark song “L.A. Freeway.” Walker and the Lost Gonzo Band in 1973 recorded an album live in Texas called Viva Terlingua that became a classic of the country-rock scene. Walker had since released more than 30 albums. In 1986, he formed independent music label Tried & True Music and released albums under it. Walker was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2017, undergoing chemotherapy and radiation, he told the Austin American Statesman in 2018. “I guess I took my singing for granted, and now I don’t,” he told the newspaper. In 2017, it was announced that Walker had donated more tha...
R.I.P. Jerry Jeff Walker, “Mr. Bojangles” Outlaw Country Singer Dead at 78
Jerry Jeff Walker, the outlaw country songwriter best known for penning “Mr. Bojangles”, has died following a long battle with throat cancer. He was 78 years old. Walker was born Ronald Clyde Crosby on March 16th, 1942 in Oneonta, New York. He played guitar in a few local bands before becoming a full-time traveling musician after graduating from high school. On his way south, Walker spent some time in New York City, where, inspired by Greenwich Village’s folk scene, he ended up recording two albums with a group dubbed Circus Maximus. His journey took him to places like the Florida Keys and New Orleans, and it was in the latter Louisiana city that he officially took up his stage name of Jerry Jeff Walker. It was also a chance encounter in the Big Easy’s drunk tank that would eventually insp...
