Kevin John Coyne

Idol Opry Night: Live Blog

March 17, 2009 Kevin John Coyne 122

Country Universe continues its annual tradition of live-blogging country night on American Idol. LIVE BLOG 9:55 Kind of boring night overall. I liked Anoop the most. Not too much stood out for me. 9:52 When

Hall of Fame, By the Numbers

March 16, 2009 Kevin John Coyne 11

My good friend and favorite sports blogger Charles Geier, of The Widening Geier fame, has long used statistics-based reasoning when making the case for the best in sports, whether for the current season or throughout

Carrie Underwood, “Home Sweet Home”

March 15, 2009 Kevin John Coyne 30

Okay, I have an idea. Carrie Underwood should take another year or two to look for strong new material for her next proper studio album. In the meantime, she can release a 2-CD set of

Conway Twitty Starter Kit

March 15, 2009 Kevin John Coyne 17

Starter Kits are Country Universe’s way of introducing country music fans to an artist that they might not be fully aware of. Our first Starter Kit features Conway Twitty, the legendary Hall of Famer with

Grammy Awards Change Eligibility Period

March 14, 2009 Kevin John Coyne 2

The Grammy Awards have made a few changes for 2010’s ceremony. First, the awards show will move to the last week of January, a full week earlier than it has aired in previous years. Second,

Chris Willman Joins The Huffington Post

March 13, 2009 Kevin John Coyne 8

One of country music’s finest journalist has a new outlet for his talents. Chris Willman has written for Entertainment Weekly for many years and he also wrote the essential book Rednecks and Bluenecks, which explored

Keith Urban, “Kiss a Girl”

March 12, 2009 Kevin John Coyne 19

Keith Urban has grown tremendously as a singer over the past decade. On “Kiss a Girl”, he milks his vocal talent for all that it’s worth. The emotion in his voice is so palpable that

Randy Travis and Carrie Underwood head to American Idol

March 12, 2009 Kevin John Coyne 35

Next Tuesday will be “Grand Ole Opry” week on American Idol, and they’re bringing out the big guns. The guest mentor will be country music legend Randy Travis, who will also perform on the show.

Fifteen, There’s Still Time For You.

March 11, 2009 Kevin John Coyne 14

Deep thoughts from the dentist’s chair tonight… Given that my dentist likes to keep the acoustic station on, I get a chance to hear a bit of reflective music during my visits. Sometimes there’s even

Aaron Tippin, In Overdrive

March 10, 2009 Kevin John Coyne 12

Aaron Tippin In Overdrive Amongst the glut of faux traditionalists that populated the country airwaves during the nineties, there was one voice that cut right through the clutter, such was its raw verve and unabashed