Bill Monroe – Country Universe

Every #1 Country Single of the Eighties: Ricky Skaggs, “Uncle Pen”

October 6, 2023 Kevin John Coyne 4

Ricky Skaggs tops the chart with a bluegrass classic.

Worth Watching: Ken Burns, Country Music – Episode Three: The Hillbilly Shakespeare (1945-1953)

September 17, 2019 Kevin John Coyne 1

Episode Three covers a lot of ground, but as the title indicates, the heart and soul of this episode is Hank Williams.

Worth Watching: Ken Burns, Country Music – Episode 2: Hard Times (1933-1945)

September 16, 2019 Kevin John Coyne 6

The heroes of the silver screen, Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, are among the artists featured on tonight’s episode, as the Great Depression and World War II loom large.

Album Review: Alison Krauss, Windy City

February 24, 2017 Kevin John Coyne 10

The first great album of 2017 has arrived, as Alison Krauss returns from a long hiatus with a stunning collection of standards.

A Conversation with Rhonda Vincent

December 29, 2016 Ben Foster 7

Ben Foster chats with the bluegrass legend about her recent live release Rhonda Vincent and The Rage: All the Rage, Volume 1.

Sunday Selections: July 10, 2016

July 10, 2016 Jonathan Keefe 1

With so much to get caught up on, there’s no time for a snarky one-liner.

Daily Top Five: Kentucky Country

June 5, 2015 Ben Foster 11

This week in 1792, Kentucky became the fifteenth state to join the union. It’s also the state that two Country Universe writers – Jonathan Keefe and myself – call home. Kentucky is well known as the

2015 Grammy Awards: Predictions & Personal Picks

February 6, 2015 Kevin John Coyne 16

This year’s Grammy Awards air on Sunday, February 8, and country music will be represented with performances Eric Church, Miranda Lambert, and the tantalizing pairing of Brandy Clark and Dwight Yoakam. Most of the awards

100 Greatest Men: #13. Bill Monroe

August 13, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 1

100 Greatest Men: The Complete List Few artists can claim creative ownership over an entire genre of music. Bill Monroe is one of those few artists, as the Father of Bluegrass led the way for

100 Greatest Men: #21. Elvis Presley

July 6, 2014 Kevin John Coyne 10

100 Greatest Men: The Complete List From the vantage point of history, he is the indisputable King of Rock & Roll. But he earned that title through his ability to perform country, blues, and R&B