Country Universe

Discussion: Mother’s Day Songs

May 11, 2008 Leeann Ward 16

Well, it’s Mother’s Day. In country music, though, it should probably be called Mama’s Day. At any rate, country music, like rap music, is fond of covering the topic of mothers. As a daughter, my

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