Country Universe

Ashton Shepherd, “Sounds So Good”

May 11, 2008 Leeann Ward 9

When I first heard the opening notes of Ashton Shepherd’s debut single, “Takin’ Off This Pain”, I was taken aback by the sharp and twangy voice that I was hearing. Her unique voice combined with

100 Greatest Women, #56: Matraca Berg

May 10, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 14

100 Greatest Women #56 Matraca Berg When women became the dominant creative force in country music during the mid-nineties, it wasn’t just on the strength of their vocal talents, but also because of their excellent

100 Greatest Women, #57: Dale Evans

May 9, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 2

100 Greatest Women #57 Dale Evans Back when they used to call it Country & Western music, Dale Evans was the most iconic female artist for the latter half of the genre. She’ll forever be

100 Greatest Women, #58: Jan Howard

May 8, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 9

100 Greatest Women #58 Jan Howard She’s been an Opry member for three decades, and by the time of her induction, she was already a presence on the Nashville music scene for eleven years. Jan

100 Greatest Women, #59: Carrie Underwood

May 7, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 66

100 Greatest Women #59 Carrie Underwood With a voice that could’ve made her a legend in any era of country music, Carrie Underwood has quickly become the most successful female country of the decade. Her

Say What? – John Rich, Part III

May 7, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 10

Via The 9513, I learned that John Rich has some problems with American Idol: “The reason their ratings are going into the toilet right now is because the American public cannot stand when it comes

100 Greatest Women, #60: k.d. lang

May 6, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 8

100 Greatest Women #60 k.d. lang One of the most unconventional female country stars in history, right down to the all-lowercase name. lang was drawn to country music during college, primarily due to her infatuation

100 Greatest Women, #61: Carlene Carter

May 5, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 6

100 Greatest Women #61 Carlene Carter A woman born into country music royalty who struggled with her legacy before finally embracing it and finding commercial and critical success. That’s a line that refers to more

Six Pack: Mindy McCready

May 5, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 9

Early last week, I saw the traffic for this blog skyrocket. I was puzzled when I saw that this was due to more than 10,000 views in one day of an old Kellie Pickler single

100 Greatest Women, #62: Lacy J. Dalton

May 4, 2008 Kevin John Coyne 6

100 Greatest Women #62 Lacy J. Dalton A full-throated voice for the working class. Lacy J. Dalton sang once about “Hard Times,” and during her early years, she certainly lived through some of them. But