Music

The pioneer of Philly Soul wrote songs for the Stylistics, the Delfonics, and produced a track for Elton John Producer Thom Bell, who co-created “The Sound of Philadelphia” alongside Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff as the Mighty Three, has died at age 79. His cause of death was not immediately made known. “Tommy and I have been best friends for over 60 years,” said Gamble in a press statement. “When we first met, we decided to start writing songs together and form a singing duo ‘Kenny and Tommy’ and then...

Lori McKenna is a double threat: She's as talented a singer as she is a songwriter -- and that's dang talented.McKenna's penned huge hits for Little Big Town, Tim McGraw, Hunter Hayes and more, but she's also cultivated a formidable solo career, with 11 studio albums to her name. She's won Grammy Awards for the songs she's given away, but she's also been nominated for her own recording work as well.In order to honor McKenna the artist and McKenna the songwriter, The Boot's list of the Top 10 Songs By Lori...

A Timeless Cover Violet Grohl joined her father and keyboardist Greg Kurstin for the fourth night of Hanukkah Sessions Dave Grohl was joined by his daughter Violet for the fourth night of Hanukkah Sessions, along with collaborator and keyboardist Greg Kurstin. Sitting on a stool in front of a live audience at the Largo in Los Angeles, Violet sang Janis Ian’s iconic song, “At Seventeen.” The 1975 hit is described in the video caption as “one of the all-time classic coming-of-age anthems.” In September, Violet took to the stage at both Taylor...

Christmas came early 37 years ago for the Judds. It was on this day (Dec. 22) in 1984 that the mother-daughter duo, made up of Naomi and Wynonna Judd, landed at the top of the charts with their hit single "Why Not Me.""Why Not Me," written by Harlan Howard, Sonny Throckmorton and Brent Maher, was the debut single from and title track of the Judds' first full-length studio album. The song -- which questions, "Why not me on a rainy day? / Why not me to love your cares away? / Why not...

Miley's Party Rae Sremmurd, Fletcher, Liily, and a cadre of Saturday Night Live stars will also appear on the show, co-hosted by Dolly Parton Miley Cyrus has announced the full lineup for her New Year’s Eve blowout, with Latto and Sia among the performers set to join the party. Joining Latto and Sia as musical guests on Miley’s New Year’s Eve Party are Rae Sremmurd, the rock outfit Liily, and singer-songwriter Fletcher. The show will also feature Saturday Night Live stars Chloe Fineman and Sarah Sherman, as well as the...

The holiday season has arrived, which means it's the perfect time to revisit some of our favorite country artist's best Christmas tunes. Since the launch of his career in the early 1990s, Alan Jackson has supplied some of the genre's most recognizable and beloved hits. He's sent 35 singles all the way to the top of the Billboard charts and built a dedicated audience through his warm, captivating vocals and neo-traditionalist style that mixes classic country with modern sensibilities.Along with this stream of hits and sixteen studio albums, Jackson has...

Rioting Rapper Antione Brodnax, known as Bugzie the Don, was spotted in photos inside the Capitol building on Jan. 6 A rapper who posed at the Capitol riots for an album cover will spend five months behind bars. On Monday, a federal judge sentenced Antione Brodnax, who performs as Bugzie the Don, to five months in prison after he entered the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and used a photo of himself posing in front of the Capitol building as the cover for his LP, The Capital, according to...

There are two types of people: those who love winter, and those who loathe it. The former group will insist that outdoor sports and hot chocolate are worth the frozen fingers, while the latter set will contend that having to wear three layers of clothing just to go outside is not a good time.However, there is one thing upon which these groups can agree: music. Specifically, songs that empathize with — or are about — winter, that either find the silver lining in the coldest months of the year or...

Dave Grohl took some time out from his annual Hanukkah celebration to deliver an acoustic rendition of one of his most cherished rarities, “Marigold,” during the “Letters To Santa” virtual fundraiser.  Grohl performed a five-song acoustic set for the 24-hour music and comedy benefit and opened it with “Marigold.” The performance was delivered via Zoom, so the audio quality isn’t great, but considering neither the Foo Fighters nor Grohl have played “Marigold” live since 2010, it’s still a special clip.  (As a little side detail, Grohl’s daughter Violet popped up...

2022 was a stacked year for country, folk, and roots music, loaded with new releases from established stars and exciting newcomers. With so much to choose from, it can be easy to miss out on great music. As the year draws to a close, it's the perfect opportunity to check them out now. Here are 10 great albums you may have missed in 2022.Recent viral sensation Kevin Kaarl’s music has its roots in his childhood in Chihuahua, Mexico, an upbringing he recently paid homage to with a cover of "El...

Live at Largo Night two of this year's Hanukkah Sessions featured Pink blast through her 2001 hit song For the second night of Hanukkah Sessions, Dave Grohl joined Pink and songwriter-producer Greg Kurstin on stage to perform “Get the Party Started.” After enlisting filmmaker director Judd Apatow to belt the big opening number with a cover of Blood, Sweat and Tears’ “Spinning Wheel,” Pink took to the stage to sing her 2001 hit song. Before jumping into the performance, the artist spoke to the crowd, saying, “My name’s Alicia. I’m a Jew.” While there were...

Today is a monumental anniversary for Randy Travis: It was on this date 35 years ago (Dec. 20, 1986) that he became a member of the Grand Ole Opry.Travis' induction into the Opry came only six months after the release of Storms of Life, his first album on Warner Bros. That record spawned four No. 1 hits, including "Diggin' Up Bones," which reached No. 1 only a few weeks before the North Carolina native became a member of the revered organization.Travis was honored in 2011 with a star-studded 25th anniversary celebration...

If anyone has earned the right to be an irascible octogenarian — especially when it comes to music — it’s probably Bob Dylan. In a new interview with The Wall Street Journal, the singer-songwriter got the chance to do some back-in-my-day sermonizing — sharing both astute points, and some rather curmudgeonly ones — about the state of contemporary music and the streaming era.  In the interview, Dylan noted that these days he likes to listen to music on CD and satellite radio, while he still maintains a penchant for old...

Forty-one years ago today, on Dec. 19, 1980, Dolly Parton made her big-screen debut, appearing in the movie 9 to 5. A comedy based on three working women, the film also starred Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dabney Coleman.9 to 5 was a major box office hit. Parton played one of the leading characters, Doralee Rhodes, a secretary falsely rumored to be sleeping with her boss, Franklin Hart (played by Coleman). The country star also wrote the movie's title track, which became one of the biggest hits of her career.The song "9 to 5"...