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Favorite Songwriter

April 3, 2009 Guest Contributor 19

don’t know if I’ve mentioned it before, but I happen to be a huge Steve Earle fan. I find the Virginia-born, Texas-inspired, former drug addict, political activist, actor/radio personality, singer-songwriter, and country-rock star simply irresistible. He is gifted with an instinctive ear for music (which he has generously passed on to his son, Justin Townes Earle), a curious mind, a keen awareness of the world and an empathetic heart.

Given these qualities, one of Earle’s most indelible contributions to country music will be as a songwriter. His empathy, awareness of the world around him and curiosity have allowed him to musically explore the human soul. He is uniquely unafraid to step out of himself and into another’s shoes, to feel another’s joy and pain and to tell his or her story. In many ways, Earle is “the seeker” he sings of in his song of the same title:

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Discussion: A Song With A Story

January 16, 2009 Guest Contributor 19

One of country music’s strengths has always been its songwriting. Its ability to connect to its audience with the truth.  That’s what initially drew me to country music. The music was more than just instruments

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Leeann Ward’s Top Ten Albums of 2008

December 27, 2008 Leeann Ward 7

#10 The SteelDrivers, The SteelDrivers Chris Stapleton’s voice just blows me away. As Lee Ann Womack has recently observed, he sings like a real man. He takes Travis Tritt’s soulfulness to a whole new level.

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Top Ten Albums of 2008

December 22, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 24

In a year where excellent mainstream country albums were few and far between, there were still many wonderful projects waiting to be discovered by listeners willing to look for them.    Among all releases, mainstream and

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