PureCountryMusic.Com Blog

Hank Williams fans can look forward to this fall’s release of a new Time Life set including 143 previously unreleased recordings. The songs, which were captured for a WSM radio series at the height of Hank’s career in 1951, were caught up in an eight-year legal battle. They are now property of Jett Williams and Hank Williams, Jr, who have agreed to a deal with […]

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Some of our blog readers also subscribe to our quarterly publication, Pure Country Magazine — written by classic country fanatics, for classic country fanatics. Those of you who don’t get the mag should keep a close eye on our main website, because we’re in the process of adding an archive of PC articles. One thing […]

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Marty Robbins and Tammy Wynette are making their way onto DVD on August 19th. Wynette’s disc will feature such songs as “D-I-V-O-R-C-E,” “Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad,” “Standy By Your Man,” and a few duets with ex-husband George Jones. The selections on Robbins’ disc will feature songs such as, “El Paso,” “Among My Souveniers,” […]

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Accomplished Southern Gospel songwriter Dottie Rambo was tragically killed in a tour bus accident on May 11. Authorities are unclear to what made the bus steer out of control, all I do know is that gospel music lost someone very special. In the same vein as Bill Gaither, Dottie was known for great gospel songs […]

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Country music lost yet another great artist with the passing of Jerry Wallace, 79, on May 5. Wallace’s hits include “Primrose Lane” (1959) and “If You Leave Me Tonight I’ll Cry” (1972). Wallace, who was nicknamed “Mr. Smooth” because of his singing style, retired in the late ’70s. He had put out over 45 chart successes in his career.  

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It is with great sorrow that we report the death of Eddy Arnold at age 89. Arnold, whose hits included “Make the World Go Away” and “The Last Word in Lonesome is Me,” was one of the most successful country singers in history. Joel Whitburn’s book, “Top Country Singles 1944-1993,” ranks Arnold the No. 1 […]

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You may recall an entry I wrote for this blog some time ago when Tim McGraw’s PR company announced his plan to collaborate with ’80s sensation Def Leppard. When I wrote the post, I decided to be charitable, to abstain from criticizing it until I heard it. “After all,” I thought, “who knows? It might […]

Continue reading "Tim McGraw and Def Leppard Get Together to Show the World What it Means to Suck" »

Jim Hager, a member of the Hee Haw cast from 1969 until 1988, died on Thursday of a heart attack. Hager, who was discovered by Buck Owens while performing at Disneyland and later signed a recording contract with Capitol Records, collapsed in a the parking lot of a coffee house on 12th Avenue South in […]

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Last night I lucked into a ticket to see the Nashville Predators host the Detroit Red Wings in a Stanley Cup playoff game. The intensity of the game, in which Nashville tied Detroit 2-2 on the series (go Predators!), lay in more than the simple fact of its being a playoff match-up; it has been […]

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All you Conway wannabees, listen up. If you think you have what it takes to carry that type of persona to the stage, then you are in luck. Open auditions for the musical based on Conway Twitty’s life will be held today and Wednesday right here in Music City USA. The production has been appropriately named It’s Only Make Believe. They are also looking […]

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Vince Gill and Amy Grant are two very proactive artists that are effective in their respective charities.  They are always giving to the organizations such as Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital and America’s Second Harvest.  Gill and Grant always seem to find new and creative ways to raise awareness and money to those who are in need.  They will host the banquet, Challenge […]

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George Strait should be the standard that we compare all country artists to. When pop was tainting country music in the 1980’s, Strait stayed true to the genre. Troubadour, George’s 37th album, is releasing to stores everywhere today.
Vince Gill and Patty Loveless are both featured on this greatly anticipated project. Soon, I will be posting […]

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In case you couldn’t tell from the title of this entry, I hate Heather Byrd. Let me clarify, before you jump down my throat for bashing the obese, that my obsessive hatred of this miserable ‘journalist’ has nothing to do with her being, for lack of a better word, chunky. While her godawful addition to […]

Continue reading "If You Handcuffed Me to Heather Byrd, I Would Chew My Hand Off" »

The Green Train, a trans-American concert tour transported on a biodiesel-fueled train, is set to leave Portland, OR next July. The tour, which aims to promote environmental awareness, is the brainchild of Merle Haggard and longtime friend, Bob Wolf. According to the tour website, the train ride will pass through 28 states, ending in […]

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When it comes to breaking new ground, the Country Music Hall of Fame is constantly adding new and exciting exhibits to re-educate true country music fans. The Family Tradition: Williams Family Legacy exhibit is no exception. It will not only give in detail the many exploits of both Hank Williams Sr and jr., but it […]

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Country Music’s bubba, Toby Keith, will be releasing a double CD that will include his greatest hits and his latest single, “She’s a Hottie.” Can anyone take this man seriously? His hits are laughable at best. Sure we know all the words to “Should’ve Been A Cowboy”-and if you don’t, good for you-but Keith seems […]

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I don’t understand John Rich’s appeal. I almost physically get sick everytime I hear “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy.” Now he has become the new patron of country music? Say it ain’t so. Rich’s mug has been flashed all over television, with his recent stint on CMT and he is going to be a […]

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Martina McBride is probably the most prominent female vocalist in country music today. Her individualism that she protrays in her music, is reminiscent that of Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette. She does not back down from a song that speaks out against certain social issues, especially alcoholism and abuse. McBride has made herself a […]

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Dolly Parton is frustrated and rightly so. Her latest album, Backwoods Barbie, is getting little airplay. I’ve been listening to it here at work, and it sounds very contemporary and resembles anything that you hear on country radio today. I think the finger should be pointed at Clear Channel. If you are not familiar with […]

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Johnny Rodriguez and Freddy Fender pretty much have cornered the market on Latino- influenced country. What made them so unique, is that they were able to cater to both sides of the cultural fence. They pleased hard core country and tejano fans. Sadly, Freddy Fender died in 2006 and Johnny Rodriguez has faded into obscurity. […]

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The buzz here in Music City, is they are desperate for more duos. And why not? Artist such as, Brooks and Dunn, Montgomery Gentry, and Sugarland have earned their weight in gold. Two of my good friends are actually in the process of producing a demo together. It is no wonder why CMT is debuting […]

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I feel left out. I am not a spring chicken(32 years old), but I have only experienced a few great moments in music. I witnessed Garth Brooks’ rise to uber-stardom, Michael Jackson’s masterpiece Thriller, and Johnny Cash setting the music world on its ear with his America Recordings. However, I would love to hop in […]

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It seems that everybody wants to revert to using Hank Williams as the ultimate example of a life wasted by drugs and alcohol. But I say consider Faron Young. Faron Young was constantly belittled and abused by his father. His father doted on the rest of the children, but he treated Faron like he was […]

Continue reading "Life Imitates Art (Part 2)" »

The Carter Family is the quintessential disfunctional family of country music. Their history is drenched in divorce and substance abuse. Carlene Carter has endured this first hand. Her history of drug abuse and failed relationships have been widely reported. She says that her lifestyle led to a mediocre outlook to her music. She left every […]

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Sally Arnold, wife of country music singer Eddy Arnold, died on Tuesday after being hospitalized for breathing difficulties. She was 87 years old. According to Jim Ed Brown, an Opry member and close friend of the Arnold family, “…she was willing to share him with the whole world because she knew how much he loved […]

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