Fancy Hagood left small-town Arkansas to make music at age 17. He’s faced prejudice in Nashville and L.A., but on his sophomore album, “American Spirit,” the openly gay country-pop singer-songwriter shows how far he’s actually come.
jewly hight
Music critic and journalist Jewly Hight has been based in Nashville for two decades. Often, she's interpreted developments in Nashville's music communities and industries for a national audience. Her work has appeared on NPR and in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, New York Magazine/Vulture, The Guardian, Billboard, The Oxford American, Slate and numerous other outlets, and she's lent her expertise to a number of podcasts and documentaries. Hight landed her first book deal while studying religion, gender, sexuality, music and the South at Vanderbilt Divinity School, she was the inaugural winner of the Chet Flippo Award for Excellence in Country Music Journalism and she helped launch WNXP as its Editorial Director in 2020. Now Senior Music Writer for Nashville Public Radio, and working with a diverse Nashville audience in mind, she's created the organization's first limited podcast series focused on music, "Making Noise."
Chuck INDigo, longtime leader in the Nashville hip-hop scene, clarifies where he’s coming from
Chuck INDigo opens his seventh project, Until I Get There, with a song that establishes the album’s reflective tone. During one verse, over a gently lurching beat and burbling synths, he contrasts the old him with the new.
Keeping the beat: An in-demand session drummer on Nashville’s evolving recording practices
When people picture how music is recorded in Nashville, they often imagine first-rate musicians sitting around in a studio, like they did in the 1960s. But evolving technology is leading to lots of other approaches to recording.
Hall of Fame caliber: The Rock & Roll and Country Halls welcome inductees the same weekend
The ultimate career goal for many of music’s star performers is making it into the Hall of Fame. And this year, the induction ceremonies for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame are both being held this weekend.
A program aimed at diversifying the stages and board rooms of country music is already having an impact
Over the last several years, numerous articles, panel discussions and documentaries have focused on country music’s marginalized voices and called for greater diversity in the genre. In 2022, the Equal Access professional development program set out to do something about it.
It took a lot for Jackie Shane to get her documentary due
A new film called “Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story” captures Shane as a powerhouse R&B performer and a Black, trans woman who got her start in Nashville, then took the Toronto scene by storm in the 1960s. She eventually stopped performing, and no one knew where she was.
Conner Youngblood works in mysterious ways
A lot of artists move to Nashville to be part of the music community and land opportunities in the business. But Conner Youngblood was drawn here shortly after he finished college by the environment, outdoors especially.
Shelby Lynne finally feels safe in the spotlight
In 2001, the Grammys crowned Shelby Lynne “Best New Artist.” Now, more than 20 years later, she has been beckoned back to the spotlight by those who understand what it’s like.
What it meant for Denitia to make it onto the Grand Ole Opry stage: ‘Looking forward to this day for so long’
Tradition looms large in country music. But not every artist has the luxury of simply following the old, familiar paths to acceptance and success.
Black Opry Records launches with an artist who’s been burned by the business
The Black Opry website launched with zero connections to the industry. But its influence has grown to the point that it’s helping build careers through its newly launched record label.
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