margo is nominated for a grammy

Margo Price has been nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best New Artist.

Margo Price

Here's the complete list of Grammy nominations from Billboard on billboard.com 

Margo is one of six women nominated for Best New Artist.

Winners will be presented the Grammy on February 10, 2019 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.  

Price released her second album All American Made in 2017 and debut album Midwest Farmer’s Daughter in 2016.

More nominee news from jambase.com

Margo is originally from Aledo, Illinois.

saving country music

I ran across a good article about Chris Stapleton, who recently received the Country Music Association awards for Song of the Year, Single of the Year, and Male Vocalist of the Year.

Basically, the article centers on Stapleton. 

Chris Stapleton

The article mentions that Stapleton is an artist with substance and is appreciated by his peers.

I told a couple of my colleagues that Chris might have saved a format. Chris is a breath of fresh air. I do like his song Broken Halos, which took the Single and Song of the Year on November 14th. My hope is that Chris continues writing material that is soulful and meaningful. 

My role in country music radio is to play Broken Halos with other songs. Playing new music with good, solid tunes already in rotation is where the creative winds start to blow.

Here is a 3 song set I came up with:

1. John Anderson - Wild and Blue
2. Chris Stapleton - Broken Halos
3. Glen Campbell - Gentle On My Mind

Here's another:

1. The Bellamy Brothers - Lovers Live Longer
2. Chris Stapleton - Broken Halos
3. George Jones - He Stopped Loving Her Today

I hope this will give you ideas. 

   

80's country songs

Rosanne Cash

I came across theboot.com for country music playlists. I have seen their 80's country music playlist. I started in country radio in August 1981. I was in country radio all through the 80's. 

Here's the link to the playlist: 1980s Country Fans Playlist

I have particular songs on this to point out. If you are in country radio music programming, you might consider these selections.

• Islands in the Stream - Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers
• Rosanne Cash - Seven Year Ache
• All My Ex's Live in Texas - George Strait
• Why Not Me - The Judds
• Guitar Town - Steve Earle
• Can't Even Get the Blues - Reba McEntire
• I'm No Stranger to the Rain - Keith Whitley
• Mountain Music - Alabama

There's two that are first number 1's on the Billboard Country Chart: Rosanne Cash and Reba McEntire.

Use these songs in between current country songs. Check out the entire list. Expand your music horizon. 

blake shelton tour

Blake Shelton is going on tour in 2019.

Blake's a busy man. This tour isn't a "big" tour, but he's going out. One surprising item in this is who he asked to join him. Well, it's John Anderson and The Bellamy Brothers. Can you say traditional?

What's going on? Blake's new album is traditional. He's gone back to his roots. Well, that's good. But, think about this.... do Blake's fan know these artists? That doesn't seem important now. John and the Bellamys will do just fine. 

Is there a shift going on for more classic artists in country? 

Blake Shelton

Blake Shelton’s recent album Texoma Shore is pretty damn decent. Not great, but pretty decent. And the record saw Shelton turn a corner back towards the more traditional sound.

 He’s taking John Anderson and The Bellamy Brothers on tour in 2019, along with Lauren Alaina and Trace Adkins. Read the story from savingcountrymusic.com

Blake is staying his course.

John Anderson, Blake, and Howard and David Bellamy

Blake's tour info: vividseats

willie's new album

My Way is the sixty-eighth studio album by Willie Nelson. It was released on September 14, 2018, by Legacy Recordings.

The album is a tribute to Frank Sinatra. 

Nelson first teased the album on April 27, 2018. Willie Nelson loves a tribute record. Over the course of his six-decade recording career, he's released albums in honor of country singers Lefty Frizzell and Ray Price, songwriter Cindy Walker, and George and Ira Gershwin. 


The two performed at Las Vegas' Golden Nugget in 1984 and also filmed a public service announcement about space technology. On Sinatra's 1994 release "Duets II," they sang "A Foggy Day" together.

Willie swings his way through some of the most beloved songs in the Great American Songbook. The album—which features lush string and horn arrangements—was produced by Buddy Cannon and Matt Rollings.

The album includes familiar tracks like “It Was A Very Good Year,” “Fly Me to the Moon,” “What Is This Thing Called Love” (a duet with nine-time Grammy winner Norah Jones) and the title track.

From Best Classic Bands

My Way: Wikipedia

Willie's Album on USA Today

Way to go Willie.