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country music

Carolina to ‘Cowboy Carter’ and back: A celebration of Black roots music finds a home

jewly hight

April 25, 2025

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For musicians like Rhiannon Giddens and Rissi Palmer, trying to break down doors in the folk and country music scenes has been a long road. A festival in Durham this weekend aims to remedy that.

Filed Under: Arts, Culture & Music, WPLN News Tagged With: Black history, country music, Rhiannon Giddens

Tennessee board recommends that governor pardon country star Jelly Roll

Jonathan Mattise, APandTravis Loller, AP

April 22, 2025

The Tennessee Board of Parole on Tuesday recommended a pardon for country music star Jelly Roll, a Nashville native who has spoken openly about his criminal history and what it has taken to overcome it. The board’s action leaves the final decision on a pardon up to Gov. Bill Lee.

Filed Under: Arts, Culture & Music, WPLN News Tagged With: Associated Press, board of pardons and parole, country music, Jelly Roll

As Grand Ole Opry turns 100, it’s the performers who keep it alive — and evolving

jewly hight

April 10, 2025

At the century mark, a big part of what’s kept the Grand Ole Opry going are the many generations and styles of performers who have been part of the show.

Filed Under: Arts, Culture & Music, WPLN News Tagged With: Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, comedy, country music, Danae Hays, Grand Ole Opry, history, John Conlee, Opry 100, TikTok

NashVillager Podcast: Country comes in all colors

Nina Cardona

April 9, 2025

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Who gets accepted in the country music landscape, and who doesn’t? Plus, the local news for April 9, 2025.

Filed Under: History, NashVillager Podcast, WPLN News Tagged With: country music, music

The Grand Ole Opry marks its 100th anniversary by looking forward and back

jewly hight

February 28, 2025

The Grand Ole Opry is celebrating 100 years of live radio performances throughout the year. Though the official anniversary falls in November, the special programming has already begun.

Filed Under: WPLN News Tagged With: country music, Danae Hays, Grand Ole Opry, Opry 100, Ringo Starr, Shaboozey

Crossover made the boundaries of country and roots music a little less clear in 2024

jewly hight

December 29, 2024

Linda Martell — the too-long-overlooked, first Black woman to reach the country charts in the early 1970s — reemerged on Cowboy Carter to drop some wisdom on us this year: “Genres are a funny little concept, aren’t they? Yes, they are.”

Filed Under: Arts, Culture & Music, WPLN News Tagged With: 2024 Year in Review, Americana, Beyonce, country music, cowboy carter, Kacey Musgraves, Linda Martell, Tenille Townes

Remembrance: Larysa Jaye left her mark on Nashville by transcending country boundaries and centering her experience

jewly hight

December 10, 2024

Nashville singer and songwriter Larysa Jaye died in a car accident over the weekend. She had just turned 40.

Filed Under: Arts, Culture & Music, Making Noise, Race & Equity, WPLN News Tagged With: country music, Larysa Jaye, Lovenoise, Making Noise, music, obituary, The Black Opry

In a year of blockbuster crossovers, the CMAs double down on country continuity

jewly hight

November 22, 2024

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The three-hour show was an ode to the robustness and stability of country music. But the genre dominated charts and discourse this year thanks to pop superstars Beyoncé, Post Malone and Shaboozey.

Filed Under: Arts, Culture & Music, WPLN News Tagged With: Awards, Beyonce, CMA, CMAs, country music, Country Music Association, music

Ringo goes country, again. The ex-Beatle mixes peace and love with twang and heartache on new album.

Andrew Dalton, AP

November 20, 2024

Country comes naturally to Ringo Starr. It’s been a low-key part of his of his career since his Beatle beginnings, so it was not a serious swerve for him to make a whole country album, the forthcoming “Look Up,” a collaboration with the modern maestro of classic country and Americana, T Bone Burnett. “I’ve done 20 albums and […]

Filed Under: Arts, Culture & Music, WPLN News Tagged With: Americana, Associated Press, country music, Ringo Starr, The Beatles

For years, Fancy Hagood faced prejudice and pop detours. Now he’s back to country music, and finally feeling less alone.

jewly hight

November 12, 2024

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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.

Filed Under: Arts, Culture & Music, Race & Equity, WPLN News Tagged With: country music, Fancy Hagood, lgbtq

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