Faith Hill photo by Andrew Southam, courtesy of Warner Bros. Nashville.
Faith Hill made her mark on the charts by adding a little pop and rock spice to her brand of country. Monday night she honored the legendary pop group ABBA during their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with her rendition of their hit, “The Winner Takes It All.” ABBA member Benny Andersson accompanied her on piano.
It’s not the first time Faith’s performed the number in concert. She thrilled fans with her version during the 2006/2007 “Soul2Soul Tour. Watch Faith and Benny below:
Ryan Bingham earned a lot of attention for country music when he picked up an Oscar award for the theme from Crazy Heart this weekend, but he’s hardly alone among country recording artists participating in current film projects.
The Golden Globe Awards are often hailed as the movie industry’s warm up for the Oscars, and it certainly worked that way for Ryan Bingham.
When “The Weary Kind (Theme From Crazy Heart)” won the Golden Globe for Best Original Song in January, Ryan was off chatting at the bar, leaving co-writer T Bone Burnett to deliver a somewhat bewildered acceptance speech.
Ryan learned an important lesson for Oscar night: stay in your seat. And he did exactly that on Sunday, until “The Weary Kind” won again. Ryan and T Bone shared the podium at the Kodak Theatre, though Ryan did most of the talking, including a sweet dedication to his wife, Anna Axster.
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, causing single people to gnash their teeth, men to pony up for flowers and women to get positively squishy about romance.
For kicks, we’ve endeavored to come up with the Top 20 country love songs of all-time, and only two people — Clint Black and John Michael Montgomery — are two-timers on that list. Clint’s “Something That We Do” and “When I Said I Do,” the latter recorded with his wife, Lisa Hartman Black, are well thought-out expressions of the work involved in making a relationship last. John Michael’s “I Swear” and “I Can Love You Like That” lean toward the age-old pop approach of giving love a fairytale stamp. “I Can Love You Like That,” in fact, makes a Cinderella reference; and it’s no coincidence that both songs were simultaneously pop hits at the time John Michael had them on the charts.
The following list is partially subjective but not entirely. It’s mostly a reflection of success on the charts and at awards shows — and in a title’s ability to wear well over time.
Reba McEntire photo by Russ Harrington, courtesy of the Valory Music Co.
As the cameras clicked and flashed about her in the lobby of her Starstruck Entertainment building on Music Row Monday, Reba McEntire jokingly sang a couple lines from Lady Gaga’s recent chart-topping single “Paparazzi.”
Wrong genre. Wrong artist. But right sentiment. Reba was the center attraction in a No. 1 party that honored her success with “Consider Me Gone,” which spent four weeks atop the Billboard country singles chart to become the best-charting release in her career. Dating back to her first No. 1 single, the 1982 release “Can’t Even Get The Blues,” it also gives her at least one No. 1 in four different decades. A cursory glance suggests the only other acts to have done that are Dolly Parton (‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s and 2000s), Johnny Cash (‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s) and George Jones (‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s).
Willie Nelson photo by David McClister, courtesy of Lost Highway.
When he appeared in a video with Snoop Dogg, Willie Nelson found one way to get “street” cred. Now he’s got another. The City Council of Helotes, Texas, a San Antonio suburb, has voted unanimously to create Willie Nelson Way, according to The San Antonio Express-News.
Willie was able to play often during the early part of his career at the John T. Floore Country Store in Helotes, about 100 miles from Willie’s primary home in Pedernales. The city is remembering his contribution and hoping that having a street with his name on it might help tourism.
The last time we headed into a new decade, it was the beginning of a completely new millennium, and it kicked off with a bang: The Judds reunited in Phoenix; Trisha Yearwood and Kenny Rogers performed for President Clinton in Washington, D.C.; Kenny Chesney opened for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill at the arena in Nashville; and Grand Ole Opry stars Marty Stuart and Connie Smith went to church in Mississippi.
On Tuesday, July 21, 2009 Brad Paisley performed for the President, First Lady and family, members of Congress and White House staff in the historic East Room of the White House. Photo credit Ben Enos.
The inauguration of Barack Obama put an emotional start on 2009 as America installed its first African-American president, and country had a role in that event. But it was just the start of a relationship between country and the new commander in chief: Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, Charley Pride and Alison Krauss + Union Station would also sing for the world’s most powerful man as the year unfolded.
Garth Brooks and Jennifer Nettles had high-profile moments in January when they performed on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in “We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration.” Garth delivered several of his hits, including “We Shall Be Free,” a song that was inspired by the 1992 Los Angeles riots in the wake of the racially divisive Rodney King verdict. Jennifer teamed with James Taylor and John Legend for a version of “Shower The People,” performed in front of a row of American flags.
People, Billy Currington noted in his award-nominated story song, are crazy. Sometimes Mother Nature is, too, and she left Billy black and blue in the most shocking of a bunch of country-music health stories that made headlines in 2009.
Billy’s weather disaster — which occurred in Camrose, Alberta, on Aug. 1 — was a doozy. A major storm toppled the outdoor stage. One fan died when a speaker fell on her, Billy was hospitalized with a concussion, and bass player Alex Stevens needed surgery for a severed artery after he was pinned for 30 minutes beneath the stage.
Carrie Underwood rehearses on Sunday, Nov. 8 at the Sommet Center in Downtown Nashville for "The 43rd Annual CMA Awards," which will broadcast live on the ABC Television Network on Wed., Nov. 11th, 8-11PM/ET. Photographer: John Russell / CMA
Carrie Underwood has done her best to keep her private life as private as possible, but the news of her engagement took just hours to become public knowledge.
Ottawa Senators hockey player Mike Fisher asked her on Sunday to marry him, The Ottawa Citizen reports. Carrie said yes, though no date has been announced.
“We’re both obviously excited and very happy,” Mike told The Citizen.
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