6 days ago It was the wildest show behind bars, and George Strait was in the thick of it for one year in the early '80s. He wasn't the only one. Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Tom T. Hall … they all did time behind the walls of the Huntsville Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
2 weeks ago Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert's anniversary is May 14, but knowing what we know now, another date is just as important. In 2005 fans saw a dopey grin on Shelton's face that was much more than one singer admiring another in song. As Lambert sang her portion of 'You're the Reason God Made Oklahoma' during the CMT '100 Greatest Duets' concert, the 'Honey Bee' star fell hard.
2 weeks ago It was high drama leading up the finale of 'American Idol' two years ago. Scotty McCreery was the favorite to win, but eventual runner-up Lauren Alaina almost never made it to the stage. Up until the last moment, it was rumored she'd be replaced by Haley Reinhart, the third place singer who'd been eliminated a week earlier.
3 weeks ago It was six years ago this week that Taylor Swift's debut single 'Tim McGraw' earned Gold certification for 500,000 singles sold. The teenage singer didn't hold on to the plaque for long, however. She gave it to Eric Church to say "thank you" for something he unintentionally did to boost her career. Do you remember what it was?
On April 30, 1997, country singer Dwight Yoakam made a guest appearance on Ellen DeGeneres' eponymous ABC sitcom 'Ellen.' It's worth noting since this particular episode would go down as a watershed moment in prime time TV. It was the now-legendary "coming out" episode, where Ellen's character revealed her sexuality.
April 20, 2013 It's been 20 years since country fans were introduced to Toby Keith, the rabble-rousing 31-year-old from Oklahoma.
April 13, 2013 In 1996 a doctor told Clay Walker he'd be in a wheelchair by 2000, and dead by 2004. It was a grim prognosis for a singer who was just beginning a superstar career. He was 26 years old, had a handful of No. 1 hits and a baby girl waiting for him at home. At first, the Texan just accepted the news.
April 6, 2013 He went by his country stage name, and wore purple trunks during a short wrestling career that actually coincided with his fame and success on the country music charts. In the end this singer is probably best known for his music hits, not for making other athletes hit the mat. Do you remember which country star began his career in the WCW?
March 30, 2013 In 2000, Wyclef Jean and Kenny Rogers struck up an unlikely friendship that bore fruit in a remix of the hit song 'The Gambler.' The country singer was (as you'll hear) an active participant, and has spoken fondly of the song in recent years. It's called 'Kenny Rogers - Pharoahe Monch Dub Plate,' and can be found on the Haitian rapper's 'The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II a Book' album.
March 23, 2013 Is it possible we have selective memory when it comes to Billy Ray Cyrus's 1992 hit 'Achy Breaky Heart?' Over 20 years later, it's consistently called one of the worst country songs of all time (we disagree) but it was a HUGE record. Twenty years ago today (March 23), rocker Bruce Springsteen revealed his love for the cut that put line dancing on the map. The crowd's reaction? Well, listen for yourself.
