Country Universe

ASCAP Awards Announced in Nashville

October 14, 2008 Guest Contributor 0

Last night at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, Dave Berg was named Songwriter of the Year and Alan Jackson took Songwriter-Artist of the Year at the 46th annual ASCAP Country Awards. Jackson earned a songwriter prize from

“Before the Next Teardrop Falls,” Freddy Fender

October 14, 2008 Guest Contributor 4

Before the Next Teardrop Falls Freddy Fender 1974 Written by Vivian Keith and Ben Peters “Before the Next Teardrop Falls,” written by Vivian Keith and Ben Peters, is a timeless classic about the complications of

Discussion: Great YouTube Finds

October 13, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 26

Sometimes you can find a real gem just by doing a little digging on YouTube. Here’s a clip I found from the mid-nineties: Even when Pam Tillis was at the height of her career, she

A Conversation with Little Big Town

October 13, 2008 Guest Contributor 8

This spring, Little Big Town made the leap from independent label Equity Music Group to continue their careers at one of Nashville’s remaining majors, Capitol Records. As the first order of business, Capitol is re-releasing

Classic CMA Awards Moments, #22: Loretta Lynn, Entertainer of the Year win (1972)

October 13, 2008 Guest Contributor 0

#22: Loretta Lynn Entertainer of the Year win 1972 With husband Doolittle absent (he feared for a disappointing evening), Loretta Lynn made history by becoming the first female to capture the award for Entertainer of

Classic Country Singles: Willie Nelson, “Always On My Mind”

October 12, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 7

Always On My Mind Willie Nelson 1982 Written by Wayne Carson, Johnny Christopher and Mark James By the time that Willie Nelson recorded “Always on My Mind,” it had already been tackled by several major

Discussion: Greatest CMA Injustice

October 12, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 14

As we gear up for the 42nd Annual CMA Awards and the possible surprises and disappointments that it might bring, I’m looking back to night and wondering: What’s the greatest injustice in CMA history? My

Favorite Songs by Favorite Artists: Dixie Chicks

October 12, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 39

Since I started this blog in 2004, I’ve written quite a bit about the Dixie Chicks, my favorite country band. It may surprise readers to learn that when they first broke out on to the

Discussion: Who Are You?

October 11, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 13

Earlier this evening, the site was redesigned to make it a bit more user-friendly and clear up the clutter on the top of the page. Hopefully, this will make it easier to find the features

Don Schlitz

October 11, 2008 Guest Contributor 4

Few songwriters in Nashville have reached the dizzying heights of Don Schlitz. His mantle full of awards and his prominence on the charts for the better part of three decades has made Schlitz an integral