Music

Months after the Fugees canceled their much-anticipated reunion tour, a new report suggests it was Pras Michel’s legal issues — and not Covid-related difficulties — that grounded the trek. In 2019, Michel pleaded not guilty to federal charges of conspiracy and falsifying records stemming from the rapper’s alleged role in a Malaysian wealth fund’s campaign finance violations. Michel was among the people that Justice Department said was tied to Jho Low and 1MDB, a wealth fund tasked with promoting economic development in Malaysia; Low is accused of stealing from the...

Country music's history is full of iconic duos -- Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, Brooks & Dunn, and Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, to name just a few -- but we'd be hard-pressed to think of a pair more iconic than Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty.Between 1971 and 1988, Lynn and Twitty released 11 studio albums together and charted 12 singles, five of which shot to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. Known for their onstage banter and near-theatrical interpretations of their songs, Lynn and Twitty had...

Jason Aldean's wife is totally over Maren Morris calling her "Insurrection Barbie" Brittany Aldean, the wife of country singer Jason Aldean, has turned the controversy over her recent transphobic remarks into new t-shirts that incorporate references to Barbie and some favored right-wing slogans.  On Instagram Wednesday, Aug. 31, Aldean and her sister-in-law, Kasi Wicks — the sister of Jason Aldean and the wife of country singer Chuck Wicks — modeled the shirts, which read “Don’t Tread on Our Kids” in a bright pink Barbie-inspired font. Another completes the Gadsden flag reference...

The Americana Music Association will welcome an all-star roster of talent to their annual award ceremony this September.Adia Victoria, Allison Russell, Brandi Carlile, Buddy Miller, Chris Isaak, the Fairfield Four, Indigo Girls, James McMurtry, Lucinda Williams, Lukas Nelson, the McCrary Sisters, Morgan Wade, Neal Francis, Phosphorescent, Sierra Ferrell and the War and Treaty are all scheduled to perform at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium on Sept. 14.Miller also will lead this year's Americana All-Star Band, a hand-picked collection of talented musicians who will provide instrumental accompaniment and backing vocals for each act. This year's all-star band lineup includes Brady Blade, Don Was, Jen Gunderman, Jim Hoke, Larry Campbell, Lorenzo Molina, Rob Burger and the McCrary Sisters.The 22nd annual Americana...

The Future Is Bright Singer’s sophomore LP arrives Nov. 11 Louis Tomlinson has announced he will be releasing a new album, Faith in the Future. His sophomore studio album arrives Nov. 11 and is available for preorder. “After living with this album for a while I can’t wait for you all to hear it,” the former One Direction member wrote on Twitter. “Thank you for allowing me to make the music I want to make.” He also shared the cover art and the 14-song tracklist. According to the preorder link,...

LeAnn Rimes celebrated her 40th birthday over the weekend, and in marking the special occasion, she offered her thoughts about what that day means to her.In a chat with People, the country-artist-turned-reality-star and wife of Eddy Cibrian shared her excitement about leaving her 30s — and her 20s — behind and entering into a new phase of life.“I wouldn't be 22 again if you paid me!" Rimes admits, adding that she is embracing a wiser version of herself. "As a child, I remember thinking 40 was so old. But now that I'm there,...

Chicago, IL — Federal prosecutors rested their case in the R. Kelly child pornography trial at Dirksen U.S. courthouse on Tuesday following testimony from its final accuser, who testified the disgraced singer engaged her in sexual acts while she was a minor. Appearing under the pseudonym “Nia,” who is now age 42, Nia said she first met Kelly at an Atlanta mall in 1996. Kelly was in town for a concert and Nia said she approached him for an autograph. He acquiesced and added his phone number alongside his signature...

Miranda Lambert was the big winner at the 2022 Academy of Country Music Honors, taking home the prestigious Triple Crown Award. Only seven other country artists have earned the honor — including Brooks & Dunn, who were on hand to pay tribute to their friend on her big night.The superstar country duo brought down the house with their cover of Lambert's 2005 hit, "Kerosene."  The title song and third single from Lambert's debut album gave her a breakthrough hit, reaching No. 15 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart and earning...

Joe Jonas paid tribute to one of his fellow early-aughts Disney Channel legends, Hilary Duff, with DNCE sharing a cover of the actress/singer’s 2004 hit, “Come Clean.” The performance was about as unplugged as you can get, with guitarist JinJoo Lee strumming an acoustic guitar and drummer Jack Lawless using jazz brushes to keep an incredibly inventive beat on a tissue box. Meanwhile, Jonas uses his phone as a makeshift microphone, leaping into his falsetto to hit all the classic high notes on the “Come Clean” chorus.   DNCE formed...

Love and Theft are back with their first set of new songs in seven years, an EP called Better Off. It follows their 2015 album Whiskey on My Breath, which was released via Curb Records, and their self-titled Sony Music Nashville debut record. The latter LP spawned their No. 1 hit and biggest song to date, “Angel Eyes.”So, what took the duo's Eric Gunderson and Stephen Barker Liles this long to drop new music?“It’s not that we didn’t want to put out a collection of songs. We were trying to get...

Chicago, IL — Two more survivors alleged R. Kelly engaged them in sexual acts when they were underage as the R. Kelly federal child pornography trial in Chicago entered its third week at Dirksen U.S. courthouse on Monday. While one accuser appeared defiant and the other timid as they recounted their allegations under pseudonyms, they both shared similar details. “Pauline” was 14 years old while “Tracy” was 16 when Kelly first allegedly propositioned them. Both claimed their respective love for him initially kept them from detailing events to authorities. Pauline,...

Since the late 1970s, Don Schlitz has cemented his place in country music history as one of the genre's most successful and beloved songwriters.Born on August 29, 1952, the North Carolina native earned his first hit as a country songwriter when Kenny Rogers took "The Gambler" to the top of the charts in 1978. That success forged a longtime friendship and creative bond between the two that lasted until Rogers' death in 2020. One of Rogers' final chart successes was his 1999 single "The Greatest," which Schlitz also penned.But Schlitz's songwriting success stretches far beyond his...

Jeannie Seely was a 12-year-old girl in rural Pennsylvania when she first heard Kitty Wells’ song “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels.” It was 1952, and Wells’ unlikely hit was climbing the charts on its way to making country music history. That August — 70 years ago this month — it became the first single by a solo female artist to reach No. 1 on the country charts, and a bellwether for women in the industry. “I was absolutely thrilled, of course, to hear another girl was a...

Michael Ray is marrying his love for yesteryears’ country hits with his artistry for a new covers project aptly titled, the Bootlegger Sessions. The first preview of it is his take on Tracy Lawrence’s big 1996 hit, “Time Marches On.”Recorded live, the fresh rendition features Ray’s ever-rich baritone and a well-layered, stripped-down production elevated by the simple sounds of brisk drumbeats and acoustic guitar strums.“The South moves north / North moves south A star is born, a star burns out / The only thing that stays the same is / Everything changes,...