Country Universe

Classic CMA Awards Moments, #16: Jeannie C. Riley in a miniskirt (1968)

October 21, 2008 Guest Contributor 4

#16: Jeannie C. Riley “Harper Valley, P.T.A.” 1968 At the peak of her powers, Jeannie C. Riley was enjoying the success of her small-town story song “Harper Valley P.T.A.” in the fall of 1968. But her

Discussion: Pick the Grammy Nominees – Best Male Country Vocal Performance

October 20, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 17

The next category on the Country Ballot is Best Male Country Vocal Performance. There are more performances to choose from among the men, with 83 entries compared to 64 for the women. It’s a typically

Single/Video Review: Toby Keith, “God Love Her”

October 20, 2008 Dan Milliken 24

What’s going on, Toby? Seriously, now: when one of the genre’s finest mainstream voices is stooping to tired numbers like this one, something is seriously up. “God Love Her” is an uptempo, Mellencampish toss-off about

Classic CMA Awards Moments, #17: Kris Kristofferson, Song of the Year win (1970)

October 20, 2008 Guest Contributor 3

#17: Kris Kristofferson Song of the Year win 1970 Mumbling but magnificent in its own unique way, the acceptance speech for Song of the Year in 1970 was an inarticulate message from an exceedingly eloquent

Discussion: Re-Evaluating the Music of Your Youth

October 19, 2008 Guest Contributor 0

The following quote caught my eye recently in an online blog: It’s a funny thing I’ve noticed lately, listening to the “classic rock” stations that are now — unbelievably — broadcasting the soundtrack of my

Lee Ann Womack, Call Me Crazy

October 19, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 28

Lee Ann Womack Call Me Crazy Few modern-day artists make country music hurt as good as Lee Ann Womack. A master of the sorrowful song, she has assembled an almost painfully sad collection in Call

Discussion: Pick the Grammy Nominees – Best Female Country Vocal Performance

October 18, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 26

The Grammy nominations are a little less surprising when you see the first ballot. The Grammys allow potential nominees to submit what they consider their best work of the year for consideration. After a panel

Discussion: Songs About Mama

October 17, 2008 Guest Contributor 0

I went on a long road trip this summer up the west coast of the United States. To keep me company, I threw in a few books on disc, and a bunch of random CDs.

Classic CMA Awards Moments, #18: Deana Carter, Single of the Year sprint (1997)

October 17, 2008 Guest Contributor 0

#18: Deana Carter Single of the Year, “Strawberry Wine” 1997 Deana Carter entered the 1997 CMA Awards with a leading five nominations, and when “Strawberry Wine” won Single of the Year over the widely predicted

Discussion: Favorite Live Songs

October 16, 2008 Guest Contributor 31

While there is something to be said for the perfection of an album cut, there is nothing quite like the raw emotional power of the live song: the catch in the artist’s voice, the audience