Country
Katy Perry, Chris Stapleton, Luke Combs, Thomas Rhett Among Newly-Added 2022 CMA Awards Performers
More performers have been added to the upcoming 56th annual CMA Awards, set to air Nov. 9 on ABC (and available the following day on Hulu). Brothers Osborne, Brandy Clark, Luke Combs, Caylee Hammack, Cody Johnson, Elle King, Patty Loveless, Ashley McBryde, Reba McEntire, John Osborne, Katy Perry, Pillbox Patti, Chris Stapleton, Cole Swindell, The Black Keys, The War and Treaty, and Thomas Rhett have all been added to the performer lineup. Reigning CMA entertainer of the year Combs, who is again nominated for the night’s most coveted honor, will perform his single, “The Kind of Love We Make.” Johnson, a four-time nominee heading into the ceremony, will perform his Billboard Country Airplay chart-topping hit “‘Til You Can’t,” while Elle King (who will release the country project Come Get You...
Jack White Covers “Van Lear Rose” in Tribute to Loretta Lynn: Watch
Loretta Lynn passed away earlier this month at the age of 90, and Jack White, who produced and played guitar on her 2004 comeback album Van Lear Rose, covered the title track during CMT’s October 30th tribute concert, “A Celebration of the Life and Music of Loretta Lynn.” Via Stereogum, Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium hosted the concert as well as country legends like Alan Jackson, Wynonna Judd, George Strait, and Tanya Tucker. White was a late addition to the setlist, and he gave a fiery performance on behalf of the woman he recently called “the greatest female singer-songwriter of the 20th century.” “Van Lear Rose” is a showcase Lynn’s lyrical dextertity, starting off like a juicy small-town story before taking a personal turn at the end. Check out White’s cover of ...
R.I.P. Patrick Haggerty, Lavender Country Vocalist and Queer Activist Dead at 78
Patrick Haggerty, lead vocalist and guitarist of the pioneering queer country group Lavender Country, has died. He was 78. “This morning, we lost a great soul,” read a statement from Lavender Country’s Instagram account October 31st. “RIP Patrick Haggerty. After suffering a stroke several weeks ago, he was able to spend his final days at home surrounded by his kids and lifelong husband, JB. Love, and solidarity.” Haggerty was born on September 27th, 1944, and raised on a dairy farm outside Port Angeles, Washington. The sixth of ten children, Haggerty has said that his family was very accepting of his sexuality. After a brief stint serving in the Peace Corps, he moved to Seattle, where he quickly immersed himself in the Stonewall-era gay rights movement, joining the local chapter of the Gay...
Loretta Lynn’s Life Celebrated by George Strait, Brandi Carlile, Tanya Tucker and More
As has been often quoted since her death Oct. 4 at the age of 90, Loretta Lynn said that to make it, “You have to be different, great or first. I think I was just a little different.” Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Time and time again during Coal Miner’s Daughter: A Celebration of the Life and Music of Loretta Lynn, which took play tonight (Oct. 30) from Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry and aired live on CMT, viewers were reminded that Lynn sold herself short: she was all three. Wynonna, The Gaither Trio and Larry Strickland opened the service with an elegiac “How Great Thou Art” and Alan Jackson sang “Where Her Heart Has Always Been,” a moving tribute originally written about his own mother’s death, but otherwise, the performers sa...
Wynonna Celebrates The Judds‘ Enduring Legacy With Soul-Lifting ‘Girls Night Out’ With Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride & Brandi Carlile
In the 1980s, mother-daughter duo The Judds, with their homespun songs and pure, family harmonies, were among several acts that helped return country music to a more rootsy sound. Between 1983 and 2000, mother Naomi Judd and daughter Wynonna notched 25 Hot Country Songs appearances, which encompassed 14 No. 1s and 20 top 10s. In addition to their electric personalities, they also had a secret weapon — the junior Judd, then still a teen, whose distinctive, husky voice has always been an endlessly versatile instrument, capable of rendering the delicate nuances demanded by a tender love song, but equally capable of the hand-raising, soul-shouting intensity of a musical preacher. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The Judds: The Final Tour had been an...
‘Coal Miner’s Daughter: A Celebration of the Life & Music of Loretta Lynn’: How to Watch & Stream the Star-Studded Special
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. “A celebration of life fit for a true queen of country music.” The legendary Loretta Lynn will be celebrated in a two-hour, star-studded tribute special premiering on CMT on Sunday (Oct. 30). Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Coal Miner’s Daughter: A Celebration of Life & Music of Loretta Lynn is set to air live from the Grand Ole Opry House at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m CT. Jenna Bush Hager will host the commercial-free special featuring performances and appearances from Alan Jackson, Dolly Parton, Wynonna, ...
How to Get Tickets to Shania Twain’s 2023 Tour
Shania Twain has announced the “Queen of Me Tour,” in support of her upcoming sixth studio album, Queen of Me. Get tickets here, and read on for more details including pre-sale dates. What Is Shania Twain’s Next Tour? Twain’s “Queen of Me Tour” is a nearly 50-date run of shows in support of the singer’s upcoming sixth studio album of the same name — her first LP six years. It kicks off on April 28th in Spokane, WA and makes stops across the US and Canada through the end of July, with further tour dates in the UK scheduled in September. Who Is Opening for Shania Twain? Advertisement Related Video Joining Twain on the road is a rotating supporting cast of opening acts that include Lindsay Ell, Hailey Whitters, Breland, Kelsea Ballerini, Mickey Guyton, Robyn Ottolini, and Priscilla ...
First Country: New Music From Lainey Wilson, Keith Urban, Shania Twain & More
First Country is a compilation of the best new country songs, videos & albums that dropped this week. Lainey Wilson, “Hold My Halo” This Louisiana native’s career is on fire right now. In addition to her new album, Bell Bottom Country, which drops today (Friday, Oct. 28), Wilson is the leading nominee heading into this year’s CMA Awards, earning six nods during her very first year as a nominee. Wilson co-wrote all but one track on this project, including her newest release, the frisky “Hold My Halo,” which raises a drink to the virtues of a hard-working woman who deserves a night to “tell that angel inside of me to hide her wings and lay low.” Keith Urban, “Street Called Main” Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Urban’s new song,...
Lainey Wilson Says She’s ‘Here to Take Care of Business & Share My Story’ on ‘Bell Bottom Country’ Album
Lainey Wilson’s career has been developing at breakneck speed. In three short years, she’s gone from releasing her debut major label EP to being the top nominee at Nov. 9’s CMA Awards. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news In 2019, she released Redneck Hollywood on Broken Bow Records/BBR Music Group, followed by 2021’s full-length, Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin.’ On Friday, Bell Bottom Country — a nod not only to her freewheeling form of music, but also to what has become her signature ‘70s hippie style – comes out. “This record is still me sayin’ what I’m thinking, but in a different way,” the Baskin, Louisiana, native says in her distinct Southern drawl, while seated at Red Light Management’s Nashville office. “I feel like I’ve grown leaps a...
Zac Brown Band Cancels Concert in Canada After Members Denied Entry at Border
Zac Brown Band canceled its concert in Vancouver on Friday (Oct. 21) after some of the group’s members were denied entry at the Canadian border. Frontman Zac Brown took to social media just hours before the concert at Rogers Arena to break the news to fans. “We’re sorry to announce that we won’t be able to perform in Vancouver tonight. Our Canadian fans are incredible, and we would love nothing more than to share an evening of music together,” Brown wrote in a statement on Facebook. “Some of our crew members had charges on their records from over a decade ago that have since been removed. Our team has regularly performed in Canada for 10 years, including two performances this year alone.” Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The singer expla...
Reba McEntire, Terri Clark Sparkle With Hit-Filled Sets During Nashville Concert
Country Music Hall of Fame member Reba McEntire brought her REBA: Live in Concert Tour, featuring “You’re Easy on the Eyes” hitmaker Terri Clark, to Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Friday (Oct. 21), and each turned in sets stuffed with hits (McEntire has 24 chart leaders on what is now Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart, and 60 top 10 hits, while Clark has two chart-leaders and nearly a dozen top 10 hits on the same chart). Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Together, McEntire and Clark played to a tightly-packed, primarily female audience inside the arena, effectively laying waste to the tired adage that “women don’t want to hear women.” Incredibly, the show was billed as McEntire’s first solo headlining concert at Bridgestone Arena. Of course,...
MercyMe Talks Getting Back to ‘The Heart of Being a Band Again’ on New Album, ‘Always Only Jesus’
“People say ‘unforgiveable’ a lot, but we don’t use the word ‘forgivable’ much,” says Bart Millard, lead singer of contemporary Christian music act MercyMe. “With all the craziness going on in the world today, sometimes it feels like that forgiveness and grace is the most insane thing, especially with cancel culture. We are very good at eating our wounded.” Millard is referring to the song that serves as the fulcrum of MercyMe’s new album, Always Only Jesus, out Friday (Oct. 21). For nearly three decades, the Brickhouse Entertainment-managed MercyMe has grown a back catalog of hits like “I Can Only Imagine,” which was just certified 5x platinum by the RIAA; “Word of God Speak,” and “Even If.” Their new album strikes the balance between experimental and the style of polished worship m...
