Music

Dolly Parton has issued an open letter to her fans on the occasion of her 75th birthday. Part personal reflection, part inspirational challenge, Parton’s message, posted on the singer’s website, asks readers to be compassionate. “My wish is that everyone does something a little different today. Let’s call it a call for kindness. If you want to donate to your favorite cause, then donate. If you want to give an old friend a call during these lonely times, give them a call. If you can safely volunteer, then raise your...

Thirty-one years ago today (Jan. 19, 1990) was a career-changing day for Reba McEntire: It was on that date that the singer made her film debut, appearing in the movie Tremors.Tremors, which stars Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward and Michael Gross, is about residents in a small town who are forced to defend themselves against underground creatures that are trying to kill them off. McEntire plays Heather Gummer, part of a survivalist couple who helps protect the town from the deadly creatures. While the movie was the country icon's first foray into being officially billed as an actress,...

Garth Brooks will be performing at the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on Wednesday. The country star held a press conference on Monday to announce the news, Entertainment Tonight reports. “This is not a political statement, this is a statement of unity,” Brooks said. “This is kind of how I get to serve this country.” “This an honor for me to get to serve,” he continued, “and it’s one of the things that, if my family is around, no matter who the president-elect is, it’s...

Throughout a career that has spanned nearly three decades, Garth Brooks has provided no shortage of memorable moments -- especially in his live shows. Over the years, Brooks has brought (sometimes hundreds of thousands of) country music fans together -- even during his "retirement."In fact, when Brooks performs for President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on Wednesday (Jan. 20), it won't even be his first time singing at a presidential inauguration. He performed during President Barack Obama's 2008 inauguration, and he's played for every president since Jimmy Carter, with the exception of Ronald...

Stevie Wonder penned an open letter to Martin Luther King Jr. on the holiday that celebrates the civil rights leader’s life and legacy. In a video featuring him reading the letter, he recounts meeting Dr. King, calling him a “true hero and you became an inspiration,” and elaborates on the need for a “Truth Commission” for racial justice. “More than any award that I have ever received, I want you to know that I am thankful how you influenced my place of love, which allowed me to try to push...

Graceland — the expansive Memphis, Tenn., homestead that once belonged to Elvis Presley — is now offering virtual tours to fans far and wide.The live virtual experience will take viewers inside the musical legend's home, providing an immersive look into his life even for those unable to travel to Tennessee amid the COVID-19 pandemic.The two-hour experience features a walk through Presley's mansion, a tour of his jet and a trip to his exhibit and entertainment complex, which includes cars, the singer's iconic jumpsuits and various other memorabilia. The tour concludes in Graceland's Meditation Garden,...

The New Radicals will reunite for the first time in over 20 years to perform “You Get What You Give” as part of the Biden-Harris administration’s virtual “Parade Across America” event. The 1998 hit single resurfaced on the 2020 campaign trail as the handpicked walk-on song for Vice President-elect’s husband Doug Emhoff – the soon-to-be Second Gentleman – during rallies. “If there’s one thing on Earth that would possibly make us get the band together, if only for a day, it is the hope that our song could be even...

On this day, 35 years ago (Jan. 17, 1986), Reba McEntire fulfilled a lifelong dream by becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry.McEntire's induction was part of a big milestone for the Opry: The Oklahoma native became an official member of the revered organization during a televised special honoring the Grand Ole Opry's 60th anniversary. But while most people were in a celebratory mood that evening, one country artist, Hank Snow, boycotted the show after producers limited him to one verse of his hit "I'm Moving On."Still, McEntire didn't let the off-screen...

Darlene Love never knew how she’d feel when Phil Spector died, but when the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation confirmed the producer’s death on Sunday, she mainly felt sorrow despite all the ways he mistreated her over the years. “My son called to tell me the news,” says the singer, who recorded classics like “He’s a Rebel,” “(Today I Met) the Boy I’m Gonna Marry” and “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” with Spector in the early Sixties. “I felt real bad. Then I thought about who he was and...

Twenty-one years ago today (Jan. 17, 2000), Garth Brooks kicked off the new millennium on a high note: It was on that date that the singer was named the Artist of the Decade for the 1990s at the American Music Awards, proving that his star power crossed all genres."I'd like to dedicate this award to my mom and to my dad. I love you guys very much," Brooks said from stage, as the cameras showed a picture of his emotional father, clutching a picture of Brooks' mother. "Dad's out in...

The War on Drugs returned to late-night to deliver a virtual performance of “Arms Like Boulders” on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. After premiering their new song “Ocean of Darkness” via a similar virtual setup on an October episode of The Tonight Show, the band dug deep into catalog for their latest appearance, playing a track from their 2008 debut album Wagonwheel Blues. The #PlayAtHome performance featured all six band members on stringed instruments, with five guitars and one mandolin. The War on Drugs’ Late Show visit was in...

Devin Dawson last released a single in 2018, but his voice hasn't been wholly absent from country radio since then. In 2019, "God's Country" — a song he wrote with Hardy and Jordan Schmidt — became a massive hit for Blake Shelton; in 2020, he, Hardy and Lauren Alaina celebrated a No. 1 single with "One Beer.""It kind of gave me a little bit more — or a different type — of affirmation," Dawson says of his successes as a songwriter and as a featured artist. "It just expands what I...