Hal Ketchum is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease/dementia, according to a post made by his wife Andrea on Hal’s official Facebook page. Hal, 66, had a string of hits in the 1990s, including “Small Town Saturday Night,” “Sure Love,” “Hearts Are Gonna Roll” and more. Andrea shared the news via Facebook to quell speculation related to…… MORE
Brooks & Dunn Score Seventh No. 1 Album With “Reboot”
Brooks & Dunn are riding high with the release of their new album, Reboot, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart. The album moved 31,000 equivalent units in its first week, according to Nielsen Music. Reboot is Brooks & Dunn’s seventh No. 1 album—their first since 2009’s #1s…And Then Some. Reboot…… MORE
Keith Urban Shares the Story Behind Recording “Burden” & Working With Producer Dave Cobb for the First Time
In a new video, Keith Urban shared the intimate story behind recording “Burden,” the tune he performed at the ACM Awards on April 7. Penned by Irish singer/songwriter Foy Vance, “Burden” had a profound impact on Keith when he heard it for the first time in March. “We played at the 02 in London and…… MORE
Watch Dierks Bentley & 5-Year-Old Son Live Life to the Fullest in New “Living” Video
Dierks Bentley released an uplifting new video for his latest single, “Living.” The new clip, which was directed by longtime collaborator Wes Edwards (“Drunk on a Plane,” “Riser”), stars Dierks’ five-year-old son, Knox. The father-son tandem do a lot of “living” in the new video, including spending time at the water park, playing in the…… MORE
Watch Blake Shelton’s Fiery New Video for “God’s Country”
Blake Shelton dropped a fiery video for his new single, “God’s Country,” on April 12. The new tune is the first sample of music from Blake’s upcoming 12th studio album. Penned by Michael Hardy, Jordan Schmidt and Devin Dawson, “God’s Country” follows Blake’s previous Top 10 single, “Turnin’ Me On,” which was featured on his…… MORE
Grand Ole Opry to Kick Off CMA Fest Week With Performances by Carrie Underwood, Travis Tritt, Chris Janson & More
CMA Fest officially begins on June 6, but the Grand Ole Opry will be getting things kick-started on June 4 with a free afternoon party on the Opry Plaza, followed by two ticketed shows at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. that will feature Carrie Underwood, Travis Tritt, Chris Janson and more. Additional Opry performances scheduled…… MORE
Earl Thomas Conley’s 1998 Interview in “Country Weekly” Magazine: “Life Is a Spiritual Experience, Music Is the Heart of That”
Earl Thomas Conley passed away at age 77 on April 10. Earl was known for blending different musical styles with deep, intelligent lyrics into what was called “thinking-man’s country,” often bending the rules of what was considered traditional country. Earl recorded 18 No. 1 hits in the 1980s, including “Fire and Smoke,” “Somewhere Between Right…… MORE
Big & Rich Introduced as “Gender-Bending Superstars” Before Singing the National Anthem at Predators Game
Before performing the national anthem at the Nashville Predators playoff game on April 10, Big & Rich got a descriptive introduction. The Preds public address announcer described the duo as “gender-bending, multi-platinum superstars,” which was a gaffe of “genre-bending” (we think). The malapropism is compounded by the fact that John Rich has been outspoken in…… MORE
Country Stars Remember Earl Thomas Conley, Including Blake Shelton, Trisha Yearwood, Chris Young & More
After hearing the news that Earl Thomas Conley passed away on April 10, many country stars—including Blake Shelton, Trisha Yearwood, Chris Young, Toby Keith and more—shared their thoughts and remembrances of the great singer/songwriter via social media. My heart is absolutely destroyed today… I’m sad to report that Earl Thomas Conley passed away very early…… MORE
Old Dominion Celebrates “Whirlwind Weekend” With ACM Award, National TV Performance, Top 5 Hit & Songwriting No. 1
The guys from Old Dominion—Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen, Geoff Sprung, Brad Tursi and Whit Sellers—are having a heck of a week, to say the least. Not only did Old Dominion win the ACM Award for Group of the Year and perform their current Top 5 single, “Make It Sweet,” during the ACM Awards show on…… MORE
