August 2014 – Country Universe

100 Greatest Men: #1. Merle Haggard

August 15, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 14

100 Greatest Men: The Complete List The Poet of the Common Man. Merle Haggard emerged from the Bakersfield music scene in the mid-sixties, and over the course of time, became the greatest man in the

100 Greatest Men: #2. George Jones

August 15, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 2

100 Greatest Men: The Complete List Quite possibly country music’s most distinctive vocalist, George Jones wrapped his distinguished vocals around great songs for more than five decades. Jones was born and raised in Texas, and

100 Greatest Men: #3. Willie Nelson

August 15, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 1

100 Greatest Men: The Complete List He started out as an unconventional songwriter trying to be a conventional artist. But when Willie Nelson let his hair down, he became a country legend for the ages.

100 Greatest Men: #4. Johnny Cash

August 15, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 9

100 Greatest Men: The Complete List Known affectionately as the Man in Black, Johnny Cash is a figure who has towered over popular music, casting a long shadow over the history of both country and

100 Greatest Men: #5. Hank Williams

August 15, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 1

100 Greatest Men: The Complete List So epic was his life story, and so tragic its ending, that it’s easy to forget a simple truth: Hank Williams was one of the strongest vocalists and songwriters

100 Greatest Men: #6. Jimmie Rodgers

August 14, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 2

100 Greatest Men: The Complete List All of country music history is connected by its tradition, with the artists of one generation tracing their sound back to the generations that came before. For male country

100 Greatest Men: #7. Buck Owens

August 14, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 2

100 Greatest Men: The Complete List For many Americans, he was the guitar-slinging comedian that co-hosted Hee Haw. But before he signed up for that popular show, he had already amassed a body of work

100 Greatest Men: #8. Lefty Frizzell

August 14, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 1

100 Greatest Men: The Complete List Lefty Frizzell just may be the most influential vocalist in country music history. His signature honky-tonk style has been the foundational template for several generations of traditional country vocalists,

100 Greatest Men: #9. Bob Wills

August 14, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 3

100 Greatest Men: The Complete List Few styles of country music have been more hugely influential than Western Swing. As the embodiment of that style, Bob Wills became one of the most influential country artists

100 Greatest Men: #10. George Strait

August 14, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 9

100 Greatest Men: The Complete List Country music has undergone drastic changes in the three decades that George Strait has been a recording artist. While everything was changing all around him, he became the most