Music

Wynonna Judd has been out on the road since the end of September, performing the scheduled shows for the Judds' Final Tour, and while the concerts have been going remarkably well, the veteran country belter admits the experience has been emotionally draining.Speaking to a group of journalists at a press event just outside of Nashville on Wednesday (Oct. 26), Judd says that she's been enormously gratified by the fans' reactions to the shows so far."I feel like I'm just the messenger," she says of the concerts, pausing before adding, "But...

Can't Stop, Won't Stop The Midnights artists nearly stole the show when she and Iver sang Folklore's hit song for the crowd Taylor Swift made a surprise visit to Bon Iver’s concert in London on Wednesday, Oct. 26, at the OVO Arena in Wembley. As Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, began the first few verses of “Exile” from Swift’s eighth album, Folklore, the Midnights artist walked on stage. Immediately, the crowd lost it. “Bon Iver bringing out Taylor Swift and playing Exile has fucking ended me honestly jesus christ” one audience...

The Horizon Award was introduced at the 1981 CMA Awards, to recognize fresh and emerging country artists. Terri Gibbs, the hitmaker behind "Somebody's Knocking," was the first-ever artist to be awarded the trophy in this specific category, and many of the Horizon Award winners who followed Gibbs are artists whose stars continued to rise: the Judds, Randy Travis, Garth Brooks, Alison Krauss, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift and other notable singers.In 2007, Swift became the final artist to receive the Horizon Award. The honor's title was changed to New Artist of...

Poetic Pairing Track pairs Dickinson's verses from 1861 with a tender, albeit occasionally chilling folk arrangement Andrew Bird has enlisted the help of Phoebe Bridgers to create a tender folk interpretation of Emily Dickinson’s 1861 poem, “I Felt a Funeral, in My Brain.” Bird and Bridgers recorded the song this fall, and the interpretation pairs Dickinson’s verses with soft guitar, light whistling, and drum patter, as well as strings that can feel rich and grand one moment, then cool and steely the next. Bird and Bridgers share vocal duties, trading...

Coaches are beginning to downsize their Season 22 teams on The Voice as several artists have already gone home, which meant the nerves were high heading into the fifth night of the battle rounds on Tuesday's (Oct. 25) episode.The nerves were even higher for 22-year-old Bryce Leatherwood, who had to go up against not one, but two singers on the latest edition of the reality TV competition series.Leatherwood went up against Nashville-based country music duo the Dryes on a version of Brooks & Dunn’s “Red Dirt Road.” What made his challenge...

Can, or should, a listener separate an artist's identity from her music? S.G. Goodman seems to still be working on the answer to that question. In some key ways, her experience of releasing Teeth Marks in June -- her second major-label album -- has been radically different than that of putting out its predecessor, Old Time Feeling, which was her breakout debut.Old Time Feeling came out in 2020; the COVID-19 pandemic kept her, by and large, from playing it out. So with the release of Teeth Marks and its subsequent...

Jane’s Addiction hit another health-related snag in their plans for the 32-date North American arena tour they’re currently on with Smashing Pumpkins. After sustaining an injury following their appearance at Madison Square Garden last week, frontman Perry Farrell issued a statement announcing the cancellation of their set for the next handful of stops on the Spirits On Fire tour. “After Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, I suffered an injury that resulted in my inability to perform. I have been in pain and discomfort and have been receiving rigorous physio therapy...

The country music community is mourning the loss of charismatic actor, singer, performer and pop culture personality Leslie Jordan, who died on Monday (Oct. 24) at the age of 67. According to TMZ, the larger-than-life talent was killed after a suspected medical emergency caused his career to veer off the road and crash into a building in Hollywood, Calif., early Monday morning. The news of Jordan's death spread quickly across the entertainment industry, spurring a range of celebrities, musicians and friends to share their own tributes on social media. Jason Isbell, Margo Price and...

Be Still My Emo Heart The "Sk8er Boi" artist ended her set with rousing rendition at the When We Were Young Festival in Las Vegas Avril Lavigne and All Time Low took the stage in Las Vegas at the When We Were Young Festival for a cover of Blink-182‘s “All The Small Things” on Sunday. ATL frontman Alex Gaskarth and guitarist Jack Barakat jumped on stage with the “Sk8er Boi” singer for a nostalgic homage to the Nineties rock band. Naturally, the crowd knew every word and was right on...

The Judds: The Final Tour will continue into 2023 with 15 just-announced dates. Wynonna Judd announced the new leg of performances during a stop on The Today Show on Monday (Oct. 24), explaining that she decided to add a new string of dates thanks to fan demand.Just like the first run of the The Judds' Final Tour, Judd will take the stage alongside a revolving cast of some of country music's brightest-shining female stars. Ashley McBryde, Brandi Carlile, Kelsea Ballerini, Little Big Town and Martina McBride are all confirmed to...

Little Big Town are also along for the ride, which kicks off May 6 in Arizona George Strait just can’t shake the road. After retiring from regular touring in 2014, the Texas country music singer has played festival dates, one-off shows, and his successful Las Vegas residency Strait to Vegas. In 2023, he’ll add more to his itinerary when he joins Chris Stapleton for a string of stadium dates around the country. Little Big Town will open each show. The dates are scattered throughout the summer, with at least one...

Kenny Chesney can now add the title of "Doctor" -- well, "Honorary Doctor," at least -- to his resume. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from his alma mater, East Tennessee State University, in a special ceremony on Friday night (Oct. 21).Chesney was there in person at the event, which also celebrated the 40th anniversary of the university's Bluegrass, Old-Time and Roots Music Studies program, according to the Johnson City, Tenn.-based news outlet News Channel 11. Jack Tottle, who founded that program, was there to get an...

Hayley Williams took to Instagram Stories to reflect on how far she and Paramore have come in a scene that she described as one that once “threatened to reject us” before the band performed at Las Vegas’ When We Were Young Festival on Sunday. The fest was forced to cancel its first date yesterday, Oct. 22, due to a high wind warning in the area. “To grow up in this scene was not a simple thing,” Williams wrote in a handwritten letter posted to her Instagram Stories on Sunday, as Billboard...

Eleven years ago today, on Oct. 23, 2010, Blake Shelton officially became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. The singer was introduced by Jeannie Seely and inducted by Trace Adkins.Shelton, an avid Twitter user, was invited to join the Opry via a tweet on Sept. 28, 2010, during the Country Comes Home concert that celebrated the re-opening of the Grand Ole Opry House following Nashville's devastating flood earlier that year. It was Adkins who tweeted Shelton, immediately following their performance of "Hillbilly Bone."“Wait a minute, Blake,” Adkins said, pulling out his...