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There sure has been a lot of discourse this year about who can play country music. But at the Country Music Hall of Fame’s annual Medallion Ceremony on Sunday, officially inducting this year’s class, the answer was “anyone who showed up.”

That included two members of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Keith Richards and Elvis Costello; Nashville’s latest pop arrival, Post Malone; bluegrass pioneer Del McCoury; Americana poet Lucinda Williams; and genre pillars Vince Gill and Emmylou Harris.

All of them, along with Eric Church, Blake Shelton,...

True to form, John Anderson was in the studio writing and recording a batch of new songs when he first heard rumblings about the latest class being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. When the Florida native, who possesses one of the genre’s most idiosyncratic drawls, eventually learned that he was one of the inductees, he says he absorbed the honor with a mix of satisfaction and melancholy.

“One of the main gratifications is I got to live to see it,” Anderson, 69, says. “Several of my friends were inducted posthumously.

Elvis Costello’s King of America, the 1986 album that found the singer-songwriter exploring American music genres, will be the focus of a massive reissue that collects unreleased demos, outtakes, a concert recording, and more from the era, plus decades-later collaborations with the album’s co-producer T-Bone Burnett.

The super deluxe edition of King of America & Other Realms, out November 1, features the newly remastered 1986 LP — including its centerpiece, a rendition of the Animals’ “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” — plus a second disc called Le Roi Sans Sabots that includes solo demos,...

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For the musical staff at SpongeBob SquarePants, every morning begins with the potential to bring “The Best Day Ever.” That song was co-written by Andy Paley and the voice of SpongeBob, Tom Kenny. It debuted in the credits of the 2004 feature film, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, and captures the anticipatory joy of riding the Bikini Bottom wave.

“That is SpongeBob’s philosophy of life,” Kenny tells Den of Geek. “He jumps out of bed singing, ‘This is gonna be the best day ever.’ Sometimes it’s not. But he goes to bed and believes tomorrow is gonna be.”

The sentiment still reverberates because the songwriters craft lasting tunes. The sounds and music of the beloved animated series have broadened its appeal and prolonged its impact. As Paley explains, “We aim for two things: songs that can be enjoyed outside SpongeBob, and records that, if you...

Starting with “Rebel-‘Rouser” in 1958, Duane Eddy’s instrumental hits from the early rock & roll era made the guitar the star of the show. On that song and those to follow, like “Peter Gunn,” “Cannonball,” and “Forty Miles of Bad Road,” Eddy used vibrato and lent his guitar a deep sound by emphasizing bass strings. In doing so, he influenced an entire incoming generation of guitar players — including Bruce Springsteen, George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix, and John Fogerty. After the news of Eddy’s death was announced on Wednesday — he died...

Duane Eddy, the legendary guitarist who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, has passed away at the age of 86. He died of cancer on Tuesday (April 30th), surrounded by family members at Williamson Health hospital in Franklin, Tennessee.

Eddy is considered the most commercially successful instrumental musician in the history of rock ‘n’ roll, thanks in large part to his signature tunes like “Rebel-‘Rouser,” “Peter Gunn,” and “Because They’re Young.” By 1963, he had sold an estimated 12 million records.

The guitarist was known for his twangy sound and his collaborative work with producer Lee Hazlewood. His extensive album discography spanned from his 1958 debut, Have ‘Twangy’ Guitar Will Travel, through 2011’s Road Trip.

John Fogerty once dubbed Eddy the “the first rock ‘n’ roll guitar god.” His 1987 album, Duane Eddy & The Rebels, truly showed his influence, as it featured guest appearances by Fogerty, George Harrison, Paul McCartney,...

Elvis Presley‘s Tcb logo is synonymous with the King of Rock and Roll. However, before it became intrinsically linked to everything Elvis, it began as a Priscilla Presley doodle.

Priscilla Presley shared the real story behind the Tcb logo on Instagram

Priscilla Presley shared a video filmed in Graceland’s TV room to Instagram, where she shared the real story behind Elvis Presley’s iconic Tcb logo. The original clip was filmed in 1984 and was part of a VHS documentary titled Elvis Presley’s Graceland with Priscilla Presley.

In the video’s caption, Priscilla shared the real story behind the design of the Tcb logo and how she was a part of its creation. It all started with a doodle.

She explained, “Elvis and I were on a flight leaving Calif and heading to Memphis [and their Graceland home]. Elvis was looking out the window then turned to me and said, ‘I want...

When Hardy dropped the Joe Diffie-themed third volume of his Hixtape series on Friday, he did so with an army of country cameos: Blake Shelton, Chris Young, Clint Black, Darius Rucker, Hailey Whitters, and Koe Wetzel all turn up on various tracks. But it’s the inclusion of Toby Keith that’s the most poignant. His appearance on “Ships That Don’t Come In,” with Luke Combs, is his final studio performance before his death in February.

Written by Paul Nelson and Dave Gibson and released by Diffie in...

An animated video for Mark Knopfler’s all-star charity single “Going Home (Theme From Local Hero)” – which brought together a stunning lineup of over 60 guitar gods to raise funds for Teen Cancer America and the Teenage Cancer Trust – has been released. It features the final recording of Jeff Beck along with contributions by Bruce Springsteen, David Gilmour, Slash, Ronnie Wood, Joan Jett, Eric Clapton, Pete Townshend, and Sting.

The song came out a week ago, but it was difficult to discern who was playing what part throughout the ten-minute song.

Sadly, the world lost the megastar Toby Keith earlier this year. His death occurred before he was able to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. His fans from around the world have been begging for this Oklahoma native to be inducted for years. Their pleas have only gotten louder since his death. Now, the world wants to know when will Toby Keith receive this honor.

The Death Of Toby Keith

Toby Keith passed away on February 5, 2024. This happened after his long and heroic battle with stomach cancer. His family made the sad announcement on his Facebook page.

The “Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue” singer was only 61 years old. He was survived by his wife and children as well as his millions of fans from all over the world.

Tributes Poured In From All Over

After his untimely and shocking death, tributes from Toby...

Country Music Hall of Fame inductees John Anderson, James Burton and Toby Keith (Photo Credit: CMA)

James Burton, John Anderson, and Toby Keith have earned their way into the Country Music Hall of Fame. The three artists make up the 2024 class of inductees, voted on by members of the Country Music Association and announced during a press conference hosted by Brooks & Dunn.

“This year’s nominees exemplify the excellence of our genre,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “James, John, and Toby have each made an indelible impact and brought their distinctive contributions to Country Music, enriching our format. Their influence is evident throughout the longevity of their careers, ensuring each legacy will thrive indefinitely. It is with great pride that we welcome these three remarkable individuals into the esteemed ranks of the Country Music Hall of Fame.”

James Burton will join the Hall of Fame class of...

Toby Keith is one of the 2024 inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame. The songwriter died Feb. 5 after a long battle with stomach cancer — one day before the names of the final inductees were to be delivered to the Hall of Fame staff.

Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer, announced Keith as one of this year’s inductees and walked through the nomination process during a press conference in the Hall of Fame’s Rotunda Monday morning. “My heart sank that Tuesday afternoon knowing that we had missed the...

Mark Knopfler has teamed up with a host of fellow guitar legends to record a version of his song “Going Home (Theme from Local Hero)” to raise funds for Teenage Cancer Trust and Teen Cancer America.

The Dire Straits frontman tapped Eric Clapton, Slash (Guns N’ Roses), David Gilmour (Pink Floyd), Brian May (Queen), Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath), Pete Townshend (The Who), Alex Lifeson (Rush), Bruce Springsteen, Ronnie Wood (The Rolling Stones), Joan Jett, and many more, forming what he has dubbed “Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Heroes.” Notably, the star-studded version opens with the final recorded guitar track by the late Jeff Beck.

Knopfler’s longtime collaborator Guy Fletcher handled the production of the track, which might be the greatest assemblage of guitar talent to co-exist on a single song. The Sgt. Pepper‘s-style artwork was created by Sir Peter Blake.

The full song can be heard below now, featuring...

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss aren’t ready to stop singing together just yet. “We’ve been doing this on and off since 2007,” says Krauss, “and it’s just gotten better every time we’ve gotten together.” So after touring for the past two years behind their second collaborative album, 2021’s Raise the Roof, they’re adding 28 tour dates this year, beginning in June. Krauss and Plant gave Rolling Stone for their only interview about the new tour, explaining why they just can’t quit each other, discussing future plans,...

Brian Wilson is finally set to release his 1970s era country album featuring the vocals of former Beach Boys manager Fred Vail. Titled Cows in the Pasture, the long-lost album is slated to see the light of day sometime in 2025, according to a new feature in Rolling Stone.

As the story goes, Wilson presented Vail with the concept for the project in 1970 despite the manager not having formal training. “I said to him, ‘Have you written any country songs?'” Vail told Rolling Stone. “And he said, ‘Well, no.’ I said, ‘Do you have any idea who you’d like to use as musicians?’ He said, ‘Well, no. I’ve only worked with the Wrecking Crew for the most part. You find the songs. You select the musicians. We’ll go into Wally Heider’s Studio. We’ll start working on the album.'”

From there, Wilson and Vail started...

In early 1970, Brian Wilson called Beach Boys manager Fred Vail to a Los Angeles hotel room to propose an idea that was outlandish even by his wild standards: a country music album with Vail on lead vocals that he’d produce. The fact that Vail was a businessman without any formal singing experience didn’t strike Wilson as any sort of obstacle.

“I said to him, ‘Have you written any country songs?'” Vail recalls to Rolling Stone. “And he said, ‘Well, no.’ I said, ‘Do you have any idea...

Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler has united with over 60 artists — including Bruce Springsteen, David Gilmour, Slash, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Ronnie Wood, Jeff Beck, Pete Townshend, Sting, Brian May, Joan Jett, Nile Rogers, and Brian May — to create a new version of his 1983 instrumental “Going Home: Theme of the Local Hero.”

The song arrives on March 15, though you can hear a brief sample right now. It’s the final recording Jeff Beck created before his death in January 2023. All proceeds from the release will benefit Teenage Cancer Trust and Teen Cancer America.

While growing up, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr all idolized Elvis Presley. They spoke of the way the American artist inspired them to pursue careers in music. Over the years, though, The Beatles grew increasingly critical of Elvis. Harrison thought that one Elvis song The Beatles briefly covered was eye-roll worthy.

George Harrison didn’t like this Elvis Presley song

Early in The Beatles’ time as a band, they sang their own songs and covered tunes by other artists.

“‘Anna’ by Arthur Alexander was on the album, too,” Harrison said in The Beatles Anthology. “I remember having several records by him, and John sang three or four of his songs. (‘Soldier Of Love’ was one; it appears on the BBC recordings.) Arthur Alexander used a peculiar drum pattern, which we tried to copy; but we couldn’t quite do it, so in the end we’d...

Rolling Stone interview series Unknown Legends features long-form conversations between senior writer Andy Greene and veteran musicians who have toured and recorded alongside icons for years, if not decades. All are renowned in the business, but some are less well known to the general public. Here, these artists tell their complete stories, giving an up-close look at life on music’s A list. This edition features guitarist Jim Weider.

According to conventional rock wisdom, the Band ended on Thanksgiving 1976 with The Last Waltz, the most famous farewell concert in music history.

Jimmy Page worked hard to become an expert guitar player. He practiced copying solos for hours on end as a child. That helped Page become an in-demand session guitarist before he formed Led Zeppelin. He wasn’t above copying Beatles tricks on Zep songs, but Page’s advice to aspiring musicians is something a motivational speaker would say. In fact, the guitarist followed his own words of wisdom more than once in Led Zeppelin.

Jimmy Page | Kevin Winter/Getty Images Jimmy Page’s simple advice for young musicians — ‘Just believe in yourself’

Page wasn’t born a guitar god. Like anything in life, it took practice to become a master. When he found an old guitar in the house after his parents moved the family, the future star took to it immediately. Page spent hours meticulously mastering guitar parts — Buddy Holly chords, Ricky Nelson guitarist James Burton’s solos — to improve.

Like most musicians, The Monkees Mike Nesmith felt the influence of Elvis Presley’s music as a young man. Presley made his mark on the sounds of the 1950s and early 60s and how musicians performed. However, Presley’s influence went way beyond his music for The Monkees guitarist. Nesmith and the king of rock and roll had a legendary history together without meeting.

Elvis Presley and Mike Nesmith shared a musical connection but never met | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Elvis Presley became a rock and roll superstar 12 years before The Monkees’ debut

Shortly after graduating from Humes High School in June 1953, Elvis Presley began to explore the idea of a music career. That July, he entered Sun Studios, where he cut a 45-rpm record, “My Happiness” and “That’s When Your Heartaches Begin.”

One year later, in 1954, Presley, Scotty Moore, and Bill Black entered Sun Studios to record “That’s All Right Mama.

Rolling Stone‘s interview series King for a Day features long-form conversations between senior writer Andy Greene and singers who had the difficult job of fronting major rock bands after the departure of an iconic vocalist. Some of them stayed in their bands for years, while others lasted just a few months. In the end, however, they all found out that replacement singers can themselves be replaced. This edition features former Fleetwood Mac singer Billy Burnette.

Billy Burnette has been creating music on a professional level for so long that...

Robert Michael Nesmith, who died at the age of 78, is best known as the member of the Monkees who wore the wool cap, but also one of the band’s premiere songwriters. Besides providing several hits, the songs kickstarted the made-for-tv band into a self-producing, songwriting team.

The Monkees played their own instruments. Former child actors Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz weren’t initially proficient but were as eager to learn as any garage band. Musicians Nesmith and Peter Tork were hired as actors who knew how to ape The Beatles look in comedy films like A Hard Day’s Night and Help!.

Nesmith changed that. His song “The Girl I Knew Somewhere,” which was the B-side to the top 5 hit “A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You,” was the first song that had all four Monkees playing on it.

Nesmith quit the Monkees four days after Paul McCartney...

For a few freewheeling days in June of 1970, Elvis Presley assembled some of Nashville’s best sessions players to jam in RCA Studio B on Music Row. Elvis chose the songs himself, everything from Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and Bob Wills’ “Faded Love” to Willie Nelson’s “Funny How Time Slips Away” and Eddie Rabbitt’s “Patch It Up.” The sessions were marathon affairs, and naturally the musicians — and Elvis — would get hungry.

Charlie McCoy, the multi-tool player who first recorded with Elvis on the soundtrack to 1965’s awful Harum Scarum,...

Jerry Lee Lewis turned 85 years old on September 29th — a remarkable milestone, especially considering that Lewis was one of the hardest-living of all the original Fifties rock & roll pioneers. He suffered a serious stroke last year, but regained his ability to play the piano in time to cut a gospel album in Nashville in January. Belatedly, Lewis will celebrate his birthday with a virtual livestream event on October 27th.

Hosted by John Stamos, the event will feature performances and tributes from friends including Elton John, former President Bill Clinton, Willie Nelson,...

During the past few years, William Shatner has tackled everything from progressive rock and country to classic rock and even Christmas songs on his eclectic spoken-word/music albums for Cleopatra Records. But when the label approached him with the idea of a blues record, he was slightly taken aback.

“A white guy from Montreal knows nothing of the blues,” says the 89 year-old actor. “Montreal is a very musical city and I would hear the blues not knowing, necessarily, that it was the blues. But I was very young and didn...

William Shatner has tackled everything from prog rock to country to Christmas music during his long career as a recording artist, and on his upcoming LP he’s broadening out yet again into the blues.

Titled simply The Blues, the album (due October 2nd) features guest spots from Brad Paisley (“Sweet Home Chicago”), Jeff “Skunk” Baxter (“Smokestack Lightnin'”), Steve Cropper (“Route 66”) and Pat Travers (“I Put a Spell on You”). Wednesday, Shatner is out with “The Thrill Is Gone,” featuring Deep Purple’s Ritchie Blackmore on guitar and his wife,...

Hard Rock International today announced a continuation of its long-standing partnership with The Mercury Phoenix Trust, an organization created in memory of legendary musician Freddie Mercury by band members Brian May, Roger Taylor and manager Jim Beach.

Hard Rock International Partners With The Mercury Phoenix Trust

In honor of Pride Month, Hard Rock has created the “All is One” merchandise collection, with a portion of proceeds benefiting The Mercury Phoenix Trust to support the global battle against HIV/AIDS.

As part of the partnership, Hard Rock will offer Freddie Mercury-inspired merchandise including tees, pins, hats and more, as well as, host co-branded events. The merchandise line is named to honor one of Hard Rock’s core mottos, “All is One.”

“As a brand committed to honoring our core mottos and philanthropic values, we are thrilled to continue our long-standing partnership with The Mercury Phoenix Trust by offering a Pride merchandise...

Born April 23rd, 1936, in Vernon, Texas, rock & roll icon Roy Orbison would have celebrated his 84th birthday today. A pioneering artist in the Fifties whose distinctive look and operatic voice gave rock and pop songs a stark, dramatic edge, Orbison was a superstar throughout the world, breaking through with hits including “Only the Lonely,” “Crying,” “Blue Bayou,” and “(Oh) Pretty Woman.”

After dominating the charts throughout the Sixties, Orbison had few hits throughout the Seventies but he made several television appearances in the U.S., including the ABC music series...

When Jerry Lee Lewis entered a Nashville recording studio late last month, he had no idea what was going to happen. He had not played music since February 2019, when he suffered a serious stroke at his home in Nesbit, Mississippi. Though his team described the stroke as “minor” at the time, it wasn’t; Lewis was left with mobility issues, and those around him feared he wouldn’t survive. Lewis was more concerned about whether he would ever be able to play the piano again; he spent three months in...

On 15th November the biggest & first ever Zero Waste Celebrity Shoe Auction is taking off!

It’s the 10th year of the Small Steps Project Celebrity Shoe Auction. All around the world celebrities are taking a small step by donating their signed shoes to help support barefoot children living on landfill sites.

This year Small Steps Project are emphasising zero waste and are excited to announce that this year’s Celebrity Shoe Auction will be no different. With shoe boxes donated by vivo barefoot and wrapping paper made of disused t-shirts from teemill to package up-cycled celebrity shoes, this auction will be entirely waste free.

Sir Tom Jones will be donating once again this year with a gorgeous pair of leather Chelsea boots

Credit/Copyright: Small Steps Project

This year’s celebrity donors include Chris Martin, Annie Lennox, Kylie Minogue, Lewis Hamilton, Little Mix, Olivia Colman, Katy Perry, Dame Judi Dench,...

The full tracklist for the forthcoming 20th Century Fox film “Ford v Ferrari,” starring Academy Award-winners Matt Damon and Christian Bale, has been revealed below.

The film is based on the true story of American car designer Carroll Shelby (Damon) and the British-born driver Ken Miles (Bale), who together battled corporate interference, the laws of physics, and their own personal demons to build a revolutionary race car for Ford Motor Company and take on the dominating race cars of Enzo Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France in 1966.

The film is directed by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker James Mangold (“Walk the Line” and “Logan”) and written by Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth and Jason Keller. And with a wild soundtrack of wide-ranging music from the era, which spans the Sonics and the Byrds to Buck Owens and Nina Simone,

Ford v Ferrari (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

1. Polk Salad Annie – Performed...

Join Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Member and guitar legend James Burton as he takes the stage with his superstar friends Joe Walsh, Brian May of Queen, Micky Dolenz of The Monkees, Sammy Hagar, Paul Shaffer, longtime lead vocalist of the band Chicago Jason Scheff, and many other special surprise guests as they take you on a magical musical ride through over 6 decades of chart-topping hits.

Proceeds from the show will help benefit the James Burton Foundation by helping give the gift of music and guitars to school programs, hospitals for children and veterans nationwide.

The show takes place on Tuesday, November 12th, in Nashville.

VIP tickets are available now exclusively through the James Burton Foundation at (318) 424-5000 or jamesburtonfest@aol.com.

Find out more here.

From: http://www.looktothestars.org/news/19412-stars-to-join-james-burton-in-charity-concert

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In mid-January 1969, Elvis Presley and his entourage arrived at American Sound Studios in Memphis for a scheduled 10-day recording session with studio producer Chips Moman and Presley’s longtime RCA producer Felton Jarvis. These would be the first sessions Presley had done outside of Nashville or Hollywood since his last Sun Records sessions in 1955 and would take place just weeks after Presley’s triumphant 1968 comeback special. Aired on NBC during the Christmas season, the special fueled a renewed interest in Presley to shift his focus in the studio from movie-soundtrack...

Robbie Robertson is gearing up to release Sinematic, his first studio album in more than seven years that marks a shift in the legendary Band guitarist’s writing: while he wrote mainly character songs for years, his 2016 bestselling autobiography Testimony pushed Robertson to more personal territory. “There is something blatantly honest about this period I’m in now, what I’m drawn to,” Robertson told Rolling Stone’s David Browne. “I guess I’m at an age now – a place in my journey – where I don’t care what you think.

Since Americana became an official radio format in 1995, myriad male artists have been proclaimed the godfather of the roots-based genre. But few deserve the title more than Jim Lauderdale, who, having released more than 30 albums over the past three decades, has worked in all of the elements that help define Americana: country, folk, bluegrass, blues, gospel, and rock.

With his new LP From Another World, the stylistically similar follow-up to 2018’s Time Flies, Lauderdale continues to showcase his exceptional prowess with lyric and melody, which accounts for the vast number...

Two new collections will delve into the music Elvis Presley produced in Las Vegas and Memphis in 1969, Live 1969 and American Sound 1969, which will be released August 9th and August 23rd, respectively.

Live 1969 commemorates the 50th anniversary of Elvis’ residency at the International Hotel in Las Vegas, which at the time, marked his first live shows in eight years. The musician performed 57 sold-out shows, during which he was backed by two vocal groups — the Imperials and the Sweet Inspirations — a full orchestra and band later known as the Tcb Band.

Live...

Three days before Christmas, Chris Isaak’s longtime bass player Rowland Salley headed for Lac+USC Medical Center, where former Isaak guitarist James Calvin Wilsey, the man behind the dreamy sound of Isaak’s multimillion-selling hit, “Wicked Game,” was hospitalized. “I’d driven to the L.A. hospital to see him,” Salley said. “I took my uke, fully expecting to walk into the room, sit down, talk some turkey and catch up. Even play a few songs. Such was not the case.”

Salley found his former bandmate, who had suffered with...

In August 1972, 22-year-old Houston-born songwriter Rodney Crowell first arrived in Nashville, a passenger in fellow songwriter Donivan Cowart’s 1965 baby blue Chevy Impala. Much as it is today, the city was experiencing a major growth spurt. Urban renewal, an interstate highway system and the changing face of the Music City skyline were among the factors contributing to Nashville’s growing pains. Music Row, which housed the country-music industry’s record labels and publishing companies, was cashing in on the “Nashville Sound,” the country-meets-pop production style perfected by producers Owen Bradley and Chet Atkins.

Swamp rock guru Dale Hawkins has passed away after losing his battle with colon cancer at the age of 73. The musician was best known for his 1957 hit 'Susie Q' and pioneering the rockabilly style. The original song featured a 15-year-old James Burton on guitar and was released on Chess Records. Hawkins later sold the rights and the track became (more)...

Gram Parsons is an artist with a vision as unique and personal as those of Jagger-Richard, Ray Davies, or any of the other celebrated figures. Parsons may not have gone to the gate as often as the others, but when he has he's been strikingly consistent and good. I can't think of a performance on record any more moving than Gram's on his "Hot Burrito No. 1," and the first album of his old band, the Flying Burrito Bros.' Gilded Palace of Sin, is a milestone. The record brought...