Dec
29
Jett Williams photo courtesy of Webster & Associates.
Jett Williams, daughter of Hank Williams, will host the Ernest Tubb Midnight Jamboree radio show, the second longest running radio show in history, on January 1, 2012, the anniversary of her father’s 1953 death. Jett was born just five days after her father’s death and left as an orphan and a ward of the state of Alabama. She went by the name of Catherine Yvonne until she began researching her identity in the early 1980s.
In 1989, Jett started touring the world, originally playing with her father’s band, The Drifting Cowboys. She has gone on to play over 800 shows and shares an uncanny resemblance to her father when she sings. She will be joined for the radio show by David Frizzell (“I’m gonna Hire A Wino,” “You’re the Reason God Made Oklahoma”) and rising star Jeremy Parsons. Continue Reading
ShareThis
Nov
2
Willie Nelson photo by David McClister, courtesy of Lost Highway Records.
Willie Nelson will release Remember Me, Vol. 1 on November 21. The album is a collection of Willie performing some of country music’s most definitive songs, hand picked by Willie himself. Songs included on the album span 70 years of Billboard hits. Remember Me, Vol. 2 is scheduled to be released next year.
Ernest Tubb, Johnny Cash, George Jones, Merle Haggard, Kris Kristofferson, Rosemary Clooney, Porter Wagoner and Ray Price are just some of the artists and songwriters Willie chose to cover on volume 1. The first volume comes from Willie’s sessions with longtime friend and producer James Stroud, which yielded more than 30 songs. Continue Reading
ShareThis
Oct
17
Kid Rock photo courtesy of Webster & Assoc.
Kid Rock will help the famed Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge in Nashville celebrate its 51st birthday. The Tootie’s Orchid Lounge 51st Birthday Bash will take place on November 23 at the Ryman Auditorium, just across the alley from Tootsie’s. Kid Rock will perform as part of his nationwide tour, giving money to and raising awareness for people in need.
“Every time I end up at Tootsie’s its a good night, and I don’t expect this night to be any different,” Kid Rock said. “It’s cool to be celebrating their birthday party with them; I like parties and seem to excel in that type of atmosphere.”
“We couldn’t be happier that Kid Rock is working with us to make the Tootsie’s Birthday Bash a ‘rockin’ good time for everyone in Nashville,” Steve Smith, owner of Tootsie’s, said. “Kid Rock is a part of Tootsie’s history. It’s going to be a memorable night.” Continue Reading
ShareThis
May
26
Country songs are often a mirror to the world, a reflection of the times. As a tribute to the men and women who have served our country, we’ve put together a list of some of our favorite songs and videos that honor our troops – heartfelt compositions that look at war through the eyes of the men and women who fight, as well as the families who are left behind to pray that their loved ones return home safely. If you don’t see your favorite on our list, leave us a comment below and let us know!
We at GAC extend our sincerest thanks and appreciation to all soldiers and their families!
“‘Til the Last Shot’s Fired” – Trace Adkins
This heartfelt song is about the life of soldiers through various wars, starting with America’s Civil War and continuing through our current conflicts in the Middle East. Trace Adkins conveys the soldiers’ fervent wish that their job would at some point be eliminated for good. Trace delivers as only Trace can.
“American Soldier” – Toby Keith
This song depicts the everyday life of a soldier, from not being able to call in sick to working through the holidays while standing up for liberty. Toby never fails to bring the soldiers to their feet when he performs this one on his many USO tours.
The title of this song refers to the flight on which a soldier killed in war comes home. Radney wrote the song with Darden Smith, then asked Darius Rucker to sing on it with him. The song was inspired by a series of Angel Flights that brought home a group of men known as the Red River Four. Proceeds from sales of the song benefit the groups who help families in crisis. Continue Reading
ShareThis
Dec
16
Brad Paisley and Little Jimmy Dickens perform on the newly-refurbished circle of wood at the Grand Ole Opry on August 25, 2010. Photo courtesy of the Grand Ole Opry.
He’s the oldest current member of the Grand Ole Opry, someone the other members look up to — even if they have to look down to do it. Little Jimmy Dickens, all 4’-11” of him, turns 90 on Sunday, and some of his music industry friends have a party cooked up for him this weekend to celebrate.
And he’s got plenty of friends. Randy Houser was thrilled to make the introductory speech last month when the Music City Walk of Fame inducted “Tater,” a nickname Jimmy picked up from Hank Williams for his first hit, “Take An Old Cold ‘Tater (And Wait).” Fellow West Virginian Brad Paisley has repeatedly employed Little Jimmy in his videos and plopped him onto his albums in comedic tracks. And that’s just a start on the list.
But Little Jimmy’s always been a friend of his fellow Opry members. He used to walk across the alley between the Ryman Auditorium and Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge with Hank. And he got his shot at the Opry and his first recording contract when he was championed by Roy Acuff, who was considered the King of Country Music.
Continue Reading
ShareThis
Aug
25
Grand Ole Opry members Brad Paisley (l) and Little Jimmy Dickens (r) unveil the refurbished 6-foot circle of wood (taken from the historic Ryman Auditorium when the show moved to the Grand Ole Opry House in 1974) that was damaged in the May 2010 Nashville flood. Photo courtesy of the Grand Ole Opry.
It’s a six-foot piece of circular wood, scuffed and nicked and grooved, but it’s a monumental symbol. Brad Paisley and Little Jimmy Dickens joined four construction workers Wednesday in installing a major piece of oak into the center of the stage at the Grand Ole Opry House.
The moment was captured by a herd of reporters and photographers as Nashville continues its recovery from a devastating flood in early May. At that time, water from the Cumberland River swamped the historic venue, piling 46 inches of liquid on top of the stage. The waters were so significant that mud was hurled onto the ceiling and Opry VP and general manager Pete Fisher literally floated a kayak through the house.
Dirt and construction dust still litter the grounds around the Opry House, but the placement of the circle back onto the stage was a hardy symbol for the restoration of the Opry and its history. The circle was cut from the floor of the Ryman Auditorium and installed at the Opry House when it opened in 1974, providing a physical link between current generations of Opry members and some of the late performers who stood behind the mic stand on that same wood — people like Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Roy Acuff and Marty Robbins. It was damaged during May’s floods, but not so much that it couldn’t be repaired. Its resilience embodies as well as ever the durability of the Opry and its legend.
Continue Reading
ShareThis
May
20
Laura Bell Bundy photo courtesy of UMG Nashville.
When Laura Bell Bundy sings on the Grand Ole Opry for the first time on Saturday, the moment will blend a very odd series of events.
For starters, Laura Bell established herself first as a performer on Broadway. Shifting from the Great White Way to Music Row is a career path that’s only happened once or twice before.
Making the evening even more unique, the Tennessee floods have the Kentucky-born singer showing up on the Opry from a location she probably never heard of before moving to Nashville. Since 1974, the Opry’s been housed at the Grand Ole Opry House, but the Cumberland River covered that stage the first week of May, and it’s unclear when the venue will be able to reopen. The Ryman Auditorium was the Opry home for more than 30 years prior to the Opry House, and it still hosts a number of Opry performances over the course of the year.
Continue Reading
ShareThis
Feb
19
Johnny Cash photo courtesy of Lost Highway Records.
You have to admire people who don’t allow their advancing age to hold them back. Even more, you have to admire people whose presence is so strong that they continue to make an impact even after their death.
Many members of the Country Music Hall of Fame fit one — or both — of those descriptions. Several Hall of Famers — Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn and Hank Williams — are making headlines these days for their longevity or for new projects that add to their legacy.
Continue Reading
ShareThis
Jan
28
Willie Nelson photo by David McClister, courtesy of Lost Highway.
He’s done American pop standards, the blues, jazz and even reggae music. But Willie Nelson is keeping it simple with his next album, giving it a tell-tale title, Country Music.
Set for release April 20, he recorded the project with the acclaimed T Bone Burnett, who won a Golden Globe this month for his work on Crazy Heart and likewise produced the music to O Brother, Where Art Thou?. T Bone brought together some of Nashville’s best musicians — including guitarist Buddy Miller, mandolin player Ronnie McCoury and background vocalist Jim Lauderdale — to work with Willie, and they laid down a total of 23 tracks, ultimately picking 15 for the final draft.
Continue Reading
ShareThis
Nov
4
Dolly Parton photo courtesy of Dolly Parton Management.
Dolly Parton, Ernest Tubb, Charlie Daniels and the founder of Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge join Kid Rock as the newest members of the Music City Walk of Fame when the latest round of markers are added in a downtown Nashville ceremony this Sunday.
Sponsored by GAC, the induction brings the total number of Walk of Fame markers to 42, including Hank Williams, Reba McEntire, Emmylou Harris and Steve Wariner.
Continue Reading
ShareThis
