Music

Twenty-two years ago today, on May 5, 2001, Blake Shelton made his debut on the Grand Ole Opry. He performed "Austin," the first single from his self-titled freshman album.At the time of his debut, Shelton was about three months away from the release of his first record. "Austin," meanwhile, was only beginning its four-month climb to the No. 1 spot on the charts, where it stayed for five straight weeks.“I sang "Austin" and ... that’s all I remember,” Shelton recalls to CMT of the unforgettable night. “I remember thinking, ‘Man,...

When Melody Walker and her friend Caitlin Doyle first envisioned the Grateful Dead tribute band Bertha, Tennessee’s legislature hadn’t yet introduced legislation limiting drag performance. The Nashville musicians were just daydreaming about an all-women Dead tribute group, but soon landed on the idea of doing it in drag. “I was like, ‘It would still be an all-woman band if everyone was in drag,” Walker says. “It was a joke. And I was like, ‘Wait, but how hilarious and amazing would that be?’ We were cracking up at the idea of...

Evan Paul is the host of Taste of Country Nights, a syndicated radio show heard on more than 120 country radio stations nationwide, every night from 7PM to midnight. He plays the best new country music and interviews today's top stars, like Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Dan + Shay, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton, Lady A, Morgan Wallen + more! Megan Moroney needs to be on your radar. The up-and-comer is paving the way for future artists with her unique sound, and established stars like Carly Pearce have even said she's their favorite new artist.I...

Henry Fambrough is the only original member of the iconic soul group founded in 1954 The Spinners were nominated to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times before finally getting the nod on Wednesday morning. The legendary R&B group will become the 21st Detroit artist inducted into the rock hall since it was established in 1983. The Spinners will join Kate Bush, Sheryl Crow, Missy Elliott, George Michael, Willie Nelson, and Rage Against the Machine as the class of 2023 in the Performer category. “This has been a lifelong dream, I never imagined...

Randy Bruce Traywick, known to fans as the one and only Randy Travis, was born on May 4, 1959, in Marshville, N.C., just east of Monroe. The second of six children, Travis was encouraged to explore his musical interests from a young age -- and though his parents didn't know at the time, their encouragement would lead their son to the Country Music Hall of Fame.Throughout his three-decade career, Travis has sold over 25 million records, earned six Grammy Awards and won the hearts of many fans with his beautiful baritone vocals. But he...

Nearly eight years ago, Joel Pimentel, Erick Colón, Christopher Vélez, Zabdiel de Jesús, and Richard Camacho linked up as CNCO on La Banda, the Univision TV show co-produced by Ricky Martin and Simon Cowell with the intent of forming the next big group. And boy, did La Banda succeed with CNCO. Since their formation in 2015, the group became virtually the only Latin reggaetón group to exist, bringing hits like “Reggaetón Lento” and “Hey DJ” worldwide, and collaborating with the likes of Little Mix, Meghan Trainor, Sean Paul, Steve Aoki,...

Six years after he released it, Scotty McCreery says that "Five More Minutes" is still the most special song he's ever put out.There's lots of reasons why that is: A historically high-charting independent hit and a song that funneled new steam into McCreery's then-faltering career after he'd been dropped from his label, "Five More Minutes" returned the singer squarely to the middle of the spotlight, a journey that he explains on a career-spanning new interview for CMT Stages. But perhaps the most special aspect of the song is the shift...

Rauw Alejandro may be taking the Premios Tu Música Urbano to Saturno at this year’s awards show. On Tuesday, the Latin music awards announced its list of nominations for this year, with Alejandro leading with a whooping 11 nods. Following closely behind Alejandro in a number of nominations is Bad Bunny with 10, and then Feid who has nine. All three artists are nominated against each other in the male categories for Song of the Year, Collab of the Year, and Album of the Year. As for the female artists...

It's that time of the year again, when students don caps and gowns, emotional parents take a million pictures, and best friends hug each other tight. Graduation time is unlike any other; there's a sense of anticipation and hope for the future. Whether you're graduating from high school or college, the horizon seems to brim with possibilities (and a plethora of IKEA furniture).Graduation marks the end of one era and the beginning of another; it represents accomplishment, hard work and decades of memories made -- with many more to be created in the...

Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler is trying to dent the teenage sexual assault lawsuit filed against him, asking a judge to strike a claim of intentional inflection of emotional distress (IIED) “based on statements” Tyler made in memoirs about his relationship with Julia Misley.  Misley sued Tyler last December, accusing him of sexual assault and battery in the 1970s, starting when she was 16. The suit included several excerpts from Tyler’s 2011 memoir, in which he wrote that he “almost took a teen bride,” and that the girl’s parents “signed a paper...

Chris Janson has an impressive track record of mega-watt collaborations, and he's upping the ante again.On Tuesday (May 2), the singer announced that he's got a new song coming, and it features two legends of country and rock.The song, called "21 Forever," features guest performances from Dolly Parton and Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash. In a statement, Janson gushes over his superstar collaborators, expressing his gratitude to them for their work on the track."I'm so thrilled to announce that two global icons have joined me on my latest song," Janson...

So many brilliant songwriters came out of Canada in the Sixties — legends like Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, and Robbie Robertson — that the talents of are sometimes overlooked by those who don’t know better. He never even appeared on a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ballot before his death at 84. That’s a raging injustice when you listen back to gems like “If You Could Read My Mind,” “Carefree Highway,” and “Early Morning Rain.” These songs earned him a sterling reputation as a songwriter’s songwriter, which...

On May 2, 1988, Clint Black signed a record deal with RCA Records, the label that's been home to Elvis Presley, Kenny Rogers and the Judds, among others. At the time, ZZ Top's manager, Bill Ham, was also steering Black's career — a lucky break that was just one example of how the Katy, Texas-raised musician's love of collaboration and hard work paved the way for his success.Growing up, Black and his older brothers would entertain neighbors at backyard barbecues dubbed "Country Sunday on Saturday" events. The younger Black showed musical aptitude...