PureCountryMusic.Com Blog

Death is not a respecter of person, musician or not. However, it does seem that the most talented artists are always taken in their prime. They either leave this world under extreme circumstances that are beyond their control, or by their own volition. Johnny Horton’s death falls under the category of the aforementioned. Horton, like [...]

All the time we hear talk about “Today’s” Country Music. Some think it is absolutely horrible and consider it a slap in the face to the genre. However, there are some that would strongly disagree and see it as a refreshing change for country music. I can see both sides of the fence. I personally [...]

Every country music publication loves to praise the marriage of Tim Mcgraw and Faith Hill. It seems that every time you pick up an issue of Country Weekly they want to tell you how well Alan and Denise are doing. But no one ever pays attention to country music’s perfect match that is truly one [...]

I wonder what type of country music  you would find on Bucky Covington’s iPod. You would probably find all of the classic artists, such as, Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, and George Jones. There might be a Sugarland song thrown in there, but that would be to impress the ladies. His rock collection would be just [...]

The brilliant baritone of Billy Dean can only be surpassed by the brilliance of his mullet. There are only a handful of country artists that could execute the amount of smoothness that Billy Dean brought to each vocal. It is a travesty that he did not have a single #1 hit to his name. Dean [...]

I am not going to re-report the announcement of Garth’ 5 year plan or his new Las Vegas gig. I am going to ask two questions. Do the fans want him back? And when and if he does come back , in what capacity. The answer to the first one is yes, plain and simple. [...]

Leona Atkins passed away today at her home in Nashville, she was 85 years old. Leona was no stranger to the stage herself. She and her sister Lois Johnson consisted of the “The Johnson Twins” and performed on WLW-AM, which is where she met the legendary guitarist. They were married in 1946. Here is a [...]

Covers albums are not an exact science. Kid gloves are necessary when an artist records an already perfect song. How does one make a timeless classic sound fresh and new without sounding contrived and forced. Rosanne Cash’s The List may not be the end-all covers album, and to be honest it isn’t. But is a [...]

Just as Ryan Seacrest is the hardest working man in show business, Lorianne Crook and Charley Chase are the hardest working duo in country music.  Both of them have their plates full, Charley co-hosts Tennessee Mornings on Fox 17 in Nashville, and Lorianne hosts Lorianne Crook’s Celebrity Kitchen on RFD-TV. In addition, they are seen [...]

The country news well is running pretty dry, so I thought I would give a retrospective look at Ronnie Milsap’s top 5 hit “Button Off My Shirt.” There are actually two versions of this song in existence. The one that most people are familiar with is the 1988 version, but in 1996 it was updated [...]

Well, are you ready for it? Here is some country music news coming at you faster than Mel Gibson can chug a bottle of Jose Cuervo.
You might want to stroll on down to Nashville this week on Thursday, Oct. 8. This will be the night for real country music to shine through. The night’s focus [...]

I guess if you can’t beat them, start your own record label. This is exactly what Gretchen Wilson has done. She officially launched Redneck Records. Yeah, big surprise, huh?  The company is setting up shop at Studio 27 in Lebanon, TN with Wilson at the helm as it’s president.  She has already got distribution through [...]

You might call this a cop-out, but I didn’t see any alternative. In 1992, the world of country music was introduced to a spiked mullet-Elvis wannabe, Billy Ray Cyrus.  His first and only #1 single “Achy Breaky Heart” debuted with startling success.  Previous to the song’s popularity, it went through an identity crisis. At first, [...]

Kitty Wells has accomplished every milestone that an artist would want to in country music. She has had multiple hit songs, including becoming the first female country artist with a number one hit “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels.” Unfortunately, she has crossed over one milestone that no one would wish upon anybody, [...]

Apparently, a wink from his girlfriend is an instant stress reliever in our #2. With just a blink of an eye, she sets him at ease faster than a shot of Southern Comfort. Of course, I am referring to Neal McCoy’s #1 hit in 1994, “Wink.” I know a lot of people who simply adore [...]

Maybe I’m just a sourpuss. Maybe I prefer melancholy over silliness. I don’t know what I have against novelty songs, but the annoyance I feel towards them is the same as the loose hair that falls underneath my shirt collar after a haircut. I have always had a soft spot for Shenandoah. “Cumberland Road,” “Next [...]

No, it’s not an acoustic set from Alan Thicke or Kirk Cameron. If you thought the Country Music Hall of Fame was big enough, think again. There are plans in the works to double the Hall’s size. The already 140,000 square foot building is looking to expand on 5th avenue. This is conjunction with the [...]

The music business is as cutthroat as they come. If you are seeking to make it in this business, you will found out quickly that you will have to sacrifice your time, money, and probably your firstborn. Bleve Records might witness this first hand. They are going to find out if the bull’s horns are [...]

Purecountrymusic loves to point people towards the latest hot spot to hear new and established artists. However, this is not about some hole-in-the-wall venue. Every Wednesday, WSM will set up shop from 7-9pm at the Loveless Cafe to broadcast its new show “Music City Roots: Live From The Loveless Cafe.” It will kick off on [...]

The skinny jeans clad trio, Rascal Flatts, will be releasing a limited edition of their greatest hits package, which will include, songs like, “I Melt,” “I’m Movin’ On” and various live performances. This special edition will hit on October 6. You will get a small glimpse of the band’s metamorphosis from barely country to not [...]

All right, this is not a rehashing of the same old news. Everyone knows that Kanye West made a complete buffoon out of himself when he interrupted Taylor Swift during her acceptance of the Best Female Video of the Year Award. The real travesty? Is after all of these years that the MTV Video Music [...]

Well, prepare to get your bluegrass fix with Del McCoury’s new album “Family Circle,” slated to be released on Oct 27. No matter if the tune is new or a classic Del always seems to be the man who defines and redefines the pure sound of bluegrass. Songs like, ” Sweet Appalachia” and “Revenuer’s Blues,” [...]

This is the new blog series called ‘All of the Hype.’ We are going to explore what the draw is for today’s up and coming country music stars. Each Thursday we will take a different artist, and tear them apart, musically of course. It will not all be negative. We will be objective as the [...]

Retirement is a thing that George Jones can afford. Fortunately, for all of you true country music fans, George is still bringing his honky-tonk soul to the masses. If you tune in to David Letterman on September 9th and Jimmy Fallon on September 11th you will see and hear George perform hits from his recent [...]

Johnny Cash’s life cannot be summed up with mere words. It takes an illustrator to depict the Man in Black’s cavalier lifestyle in vivid detail. What are these symbols that go from left to right. I need pictures for me to understand this gobbledegook. Abrams ComicArts will be releasing Johnny Cash: I See a Darkness, [...]