Country

1. From Radio to Racecar Driver: Rob Bodle’s Surprising Career Transition

   October 03, 2013 2:01 PM EDT After more than 20 years in radio, Rob Bodle is enjoying an unlikely second act many of his former colleagues would envy -- as a racecar driver. Bodle, who was known as Rob “Carpenter” during his broadcasting days, also works as a freelance moto ...

2. 'Get Off My Lawn': Readers Respond to Country's 'Image Problem'

   September 27, 2013 11:30 AM EDT Last week’s column  drew comments from readers in such disparate country music hotbeds as Australia and Brazil. Citing recent critical comments about current country music from some of the format’s own stars, including Zac Brown and Gary Allan, ...

3. Has Country Music Gone One Toke Over The Line?

   September 24, 2013 4:02 PM EDT When Toby Keith records a song titled “Weed With Willie,” we get the joke immediately. Willie Nelson’s marijuana usage is, by now, both legendary and widely viewed as kind of a quirkily adorable habit for an 80-year-old country singer whose ow ...

4. Backbeat: Farm Aid 2013 -- Pete Seeger Sings Out, Neil Young Speaks Up and Jack Johnson Cows Around

   September 24, 2013 5:47 AM EDT "Oh, but ain't that America, for you and me!" sang John Mellencamp on "Pink Houses" at Farm Aid 2013, the annual benefit for America's family farmers, staged Sept. 21 at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, in Sarat ...

5. Clear Channel Prepping IHeartRadio Country Music Fest, TV Awards For 2014 (Exclusive)

   September 23, 2013 8:21 AM EDT In a wide-ranging video Q&A (below) at the IHeartRadio festival in Las Vegas with Billboard Saturday night, John Sykes, Clear Channel president of entertainment enterprises and Tom Poleman, Clear Channel President of national programming p ...

6. Zac Brown, Kacey Musgraves on Confronting Country Music’s Image Problem

   September 19, 2013 3:52 PM EDT 7 1.187 k 71 3 0 Like every genre of music, country has its fans and its detractors. But when those detractors include some of the format’s own hit-making artists, country might well be grappling with an image problem even as it enjoys some of its biggest ...

7. How Blake Shelton Navigates The Terrain Between The CMAs and 'The Voice'

   September 17, 2013 12:28 PM EDT It’s no secret that country artists campaign during awards season. Or that the biggest cluster of potential Country Music Assn. votes reside in Nashville, the business center for the genre. Still, Blake Shelton certainly didn’t orchestrate all o ...

8. Taylor Swift and Kacey Musgraves Lead CMA Awards Nominations

   September 10, 2013 11:02 AM EDT Taylor Swift enjoyed the biggest one-week sales tally of any artist in country music last year, and it was no surprise that the singer likewise enjoyed a big morning on Tuesday, as nominations were announced for the 47th Annual Country Music Ass ...

9. Country Music Association Partners with Billboard for 2013 CMA Awards Voter Guide

   September 10, 2013 10:00 AM EDT This year for the first time the Country Music Association has partnered with Billboard for an official Voter Guide to the 47th Annual CMA Awards. Available with the Oct. 19 issue of Billboard (on sale Oct. 12) and delivered to all CMA members, ...

10. 2013 CMA Awards: Full Nominations List

    September 10, 2013 9:29 AM EDT Sheryl Crow and Florida Georgia Line today announced nominees for the 47th Annual Country Music Association Awards. Kacey Musgraves and Taylor Swift led all nominees with six nominations each, including nods for Female Vocalist of the Year and A ...

11. George Strait Sets Dates for Last Run on the Road

    September 09, 2013 2:16 PM EDT George Strait will finish off his two-year farewell tour in the biggest house in his home state of Texas -- the Dallas Cowboys' AT&T Stadium. The country superstar held a rare news conference Monday at the stadium to announce the last l ...

12. New Signings: Boy George Signs with Kobalt, Rick Ross to ICM Partners, BMG Chrysalis US Land the Orwells

    August 30, 2013 7:30 AM EDT Here’s a look at the latest artist signings across the music industry, which include label, management, publishing and booking agency deals. Billboard.biz is interested in your company’s new signings. Please send announcements to Mitchell.Pete ...

13. Getting Out The Vote: Round Two of CMA Awards Online Balloting Underway

    August 22, 2013 1:04 PM EDT The 24-hour period beginning at 8 p.m. on Aug. 19 saw a wealth of country events in Nashville: No. 1 parties for Jake Owen, Brad Paisley and Tim McGraw, and a dinner/listening party for Keith Urban’s forthcoming album "Fuse." There’s a ...

14. Americana Music Fest To Feature Rodney Crowell, Rosanne Cash, The Lone Bellow, Ashley Monroe; RIAA's Cary Sherman to Keynote (Exclusive)

    July 30, 2013 6:24 PM EDT The annual Americana Music Festival and Conference, whose attendance has grown to some 18,000 attendees, is just a few weeks away. With the event's exponential growth, organizers are able to curate a lineup that's as diverse as the ge ...

15. Jim Foglesong In Memoriam: Nashville Pays Tribute To Legendary Music Exec, Country Music Hall of Famer

    July 10, 2013 6:35 PM EDT For all his successes in the music industry, veteran record executive Jim Foglesong is being remembered most by industry peers and artists this week for his warmth, his leadership, his professional ethics and his gentlemanly approach to a some ...

16. Steve Moore Resigns as CEO of Country Music Association

    July 01, 2013 2:13 PM EDT Steve Moore has submitted his resignation as Chief Executive Officer of the Country Music Association effective yesterday (June 30, 2013), according to a release put out today by the CMA’s Board of Directors. After serving as Interim CEO, then ...

17. Chet Flippo on 'The Genre-Bustin’ Rise of Insurgent Country' (From The Billboard Archives)

    June 19, 2013 5:46 PM EDT With the passing of longtime music writer Chet Flippo , Billboard’s Nashville Bureau Chief from 1995 to 2000, we went back to our archives to read his voluminous music writings. Here we discovered a perfect example of Chet's shining long-fo ...

18. Chart Moves: 2 Chainz, Wiz Khalifa Make 'Fast & Furious' Rise; Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift Set Country Airplay Record; Ke$ha Debuts On Hot 100

    June 07, 2013 12:02 PM EDT As previously reported , Macklemore & Ryan Lewis notch a fifth week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Can't Hold Us," featuring Ray Dalton. Who else makes news on the Hot 100 and other song charts this week?   -- 2 Chain ...

19. Mountain Dew Amps Up Country Strategy With CMT, Talks Future Of Hip-Hop Strategy

    June 06, 2013 5:45 PM EDT Mountain Dew has long had a history in the Heartland of America – the regions of the Midwest, Southwest and Southeast where nearly 80% of the brand’s volume comes from. But only recently has the soda giant started to incorporate the music of the ...

20. Grand Ole Opry To Hold Public Funeral For George Jones

    April 29, 2013 6:38 AM EDT A public funeral will be held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville for country music superstar George Jones, who died Friday at the age of 81. Brad Paisley, Mel Tillis and Other Grand Ole Opry Stars Honor George Jones Publicist Kirt Webster ...

21. George Jones Radio Airplay Soars in the Hours After His Death

    April 27, 2013 7:02 PM EDT Although written as a chilling tragedy ballad with a surprise ending, the chorus of George Jones’ 1989 hit “Radio Lover” could conversely be interpreted as posthumous consolation for the legions of fans he left grieving in the wake of his dea ...

22. Country Radio Seminar: Do Dollars for Record Promotions Make Sense?

    March 01, 2013 4:24 PM EST Above: From Left: Scott Mahalick of Portland, Oregon’s KUPL; Chris Stacey, Senior Vice President of Promotion at Warner Music Nashville; Nate Deaton of San Jose’s KRTY; Damon Moberly, Vice President of Promotion at Mercury Nashville; and John S ...

23. Country Radio Seminar Kicks Off With Humanitarian Award for Big & Rich

    February 28, 2013 7:09 AM EST 0 0 0 0 Opening ceremonies were held yesterday in Nashville for the 2013 Country Radio Seminar, which helps to promote the relationship between artists and programmers – in addition to three days worth of panels designed to help programmers maximize their ...

24. Can Radio Capture Country Music’s Emotional Connection with Listeners? Study at CRS Searches for Answers

    February 27, 2013 8:51 PM EST 1 1 20 0 Above: Edison Research' Larry Rosin and Prosperity Productions’ Lori Hamilton Country music listeners connect deeply and emotionally with the songs they hear on country radio. But these listeners don’t always connect as deeply and emotionall ...

25. George Strait Honored At Country Radio Hall of Fame Gala

    February 27, 2013 3:16 AM EST 0 0 0 0 It was a night of celebration Tuesday (Feb. 26) at the Nashville Convention Center as the 2013 Country Radio Seminar kicked off with the annual Country Radio Hall of Fame ceremony. Five broadcasters were inducted into the Hall, and one country mus ...

26. Former Allman Brothers Guitarist Toler Dies At 65

    February 26, 2013 7:08 AM EST 0 0 0 0 Former Allman Brothers Band guitarist Dan Toler has died following a two-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, otherwise known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease. He was 65. Steve Fayette, a family friend, confirmed on Monday that Toler ...

27. Tim McGraw Heading for 15th Top 10 Album on Next Week’s Billboard 200 Chart

    February 08, 2013 8:20 PM EST 0 2 14 0 Country superstar Tim McGraw is on course for his 15th top 10 album on the Billboard 200 chart with his new set, "Two Lanes of Freedom." Industry sources say the effort is set for a No. 2 bow and could sell 100,000 copies by the end of ...

28. Chart Moves: Randy Houser Debuts in Top 20 on Billboard 200 Chart, '12-12-12' Album Returns

    February 01, 2013 8:22 PM EST 0 3 0 0 After a 16-year wait, country singer Gary Allan nabbed his first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart this past week, as his "Set You Free" debuted atop the list with 106,000 sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Only two albums bowed in the ...

29. Patti Page: A Look at Her Billboard Chart History, From 1948 - 1982

    January 02, 2013 3:34 PM EST 0 0 0 0 Patti Page, who died Monday at 85 , was a force on Billboard's charts from the late 1940s all the way through the early 1980s. Her most prosperous period -- in terms of hits -- came in the 1950s, where she charted top 10 pop hits in nearly ev ...

30. Patti Page Dead at 85

    January 02, 2013 2:52 PM EST 0 0 0 0 Patti Page, the "Singing Rage" who stumbled across "Tennessee Waltz" and made it one of the best-selling recordings ever, has died. She was 85. Page died on New Year's Day in Encinitas, Calif., according to publicist Schat ...

31. Chart Moves: 2012's Twelve Hot 100 No. 1s; Taylor Swift Back in Country Airplay Top 10; Dropkick Murphys Xmas Song Charts

    December 28, 2012 3:23 PM EST 0 0 0 0 As previously reported, Bruno Mars spends a third week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Locked Out of Heaven." The song becomes the first to top the Hot 100, Hot 100 Airplay, Hot Digital Songs and On-Demand Songs simultaneously da ...

32. New Year's Eve Concert Guide: From Jay-Z/Coldplay to Skrillex; Nicki Minaj to Willie Nelson, and More

    December 28, 2012 3:00 PM EST 0 0 0 0 Jay-Z (left) with Coldplay's Chris Martin play Brooklyn's Barclays Center on New Year's Eve. (Getty) Across the country -- from Coldplay and Jay-Z in Brooklyn and Nicki MInaj in Vegas to Skrillex in Detroit and Willie Nelson in Aust ...

33. Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars Lead Gift-Card-Fueled Digital-Song Sales Surge

    December 28, 2012 2:25 PM EST 0 0 0 0 The yearly post-Christmas digital song sales surge is in full effect this week, with a number of tunes aiming for monster sales figures. Consumers redeeming download gift cards received for Christmas are spurring huge increases for a variety of so ...

34. Taylor Swift's 'Red' Headed for Seventh Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200

    December 27, 2012 8:59 PM EST 0 0 0 0 For the final sales tracking week of 2012, it seems as if a familiar face will rule the Billboard 200 albums chart again: Taylor Swift. According to label sources, the star's "Red" album is likely to remain at No. 1 for a seventh no ...

35. Lumineers, Kendrick Lamar, Imagine Dragons and More: The Year In Billboard's Bubbling Under

    December 27, 2012 11:30 AM EST 0 0 0 0 In March, Billboard premiered the weekly "Bubbling Under" column, named after the longtime chart that tracks activity below the Billboard Hot 100. The idea was to spotlight up-and-coming acts on the verge of breakout chart action. By yea ...

36. Taylor Swift Going for Six Weeks at No. 1 With 'Red' on Next Week's Billboard 200

    December 21, 2012 9:47 PM EST 0 0 0 0 Taylor Swift is dreaming of a "Red" Christmas, it seems. Industry sources are forecasting that her latest album, "Red," is on track to possibly spend a sixth non-consecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart next week. T ...

37. 2013 Grammy Awards: Best Country Song & Album Nominations

    December 21, 2012 11:24 AM EST 0 0 0 0 from twang and swing to rock and beyond, the best of the genre's diverse offerings had two things in common: heart and soul b est Country Song "Blown Away" Songwriters: Josh Kear, Chris Tompkins Artist: Carrie Underwood From: Blown ...

38. Chart Moves: 'Nashville' Nets Year's Best Sales Week for TV Soundtrack on Billboard 200

    December 21, 2012 8:30 AM EST 0 0 0 0 Billboard 200 On the Billboard 200 albums chart this week , Bruno Mars' second release, "Unorthodox Jukebox," arrived in the No. 2 slot, selling 192,000, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It surpasses the No. 3 peak of his 2010 debut ...

39. Marketing the Grammys Via Social Media: Not as Easy as It Seems

    December 20, 2012 6:03 PM EST 0 0 0 0 You would think that the job of marketing the Grammy Awards would be an easy job. It isn't. No one knows this better than Evan Greene, the Recording Academy's chief marketing officer, who spoke with Billboard.biz as he gears up for the e ...

40. Florida Georgia Line 'Cruise's To No. 1 on Hot Country Songs, Dethroning Taylor Swift

    December 13, 2012 2:15 PM EST 0 0 0 0 In the first turnover atop Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart since the ranking's formula changed from core country radio audience to a digital, streaming and expanded radio panel hybrid, Florida Georgia Line's "Cruise" s ...

41. Luke Bryan Wins Big at American Country Awards

    December 11, 2012 1:47 AM EST 0 0 0 0 Luke Bryan at the American Country Awards. (Getty Images) Luke Bryan was the top winner at the third annual American Country Music Awards Monday night (Dec. 10) at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Bryan took home nine awards, including Male Artist, Sing ...

42. Civil Wars Cancel Tour, Cite 'Internal Discord, Irreconcilable Differences'

    November 06, 2012 6:23 PM EST 0 0 0 0 Tuesday afternoon saw a whirlwind of activity in the camp of acclaimed duo The Civil Wars. This afternoon, the duo posted the following on their Facebook page : "We sincerely apologize for the canceling of all of our tour dates. It is somethi ...

43. Hurricane Sandy Makes Its Mark on CMA Week

    November 02, 2012 7:39 PM EDT 0 0 0 0 Hurricane Sandy left its mark on Nashville during a week filled with awards dinners and the annual CMA Awards. Billboard's FutureSound Conference, takes place November 15-16 in San Francisco. FutureSound will feature keynotes from the top min ...

44. Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town Win Big at CMA Awards

    November 01, 2012 11:52 PM EDT 0 0 0 0 Once again, tonight's 46th Annual Country Music Association Awards proved to be "Nashville's Night With The Stars." The ABC network telecast, hosted by Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, was a mix of the old and the new, with m ...

45. Tim McGraw Sets Feb. Release For First Post-Curb Album

    October 30, 2012 5:05 PM EDT 0 0 0 0 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tim McGraw has announced a Feb. 5 release date for his first album since leaving Curb Records. "Two Lanes of Freedom" is McGraw's first release since a judge granted him the right to record for Big Machine Re ...

46. Brad Paisley, Ben Hayslip Win Big at ASCAP Country Awards

    October 30, 2012 3:21 PM EDT 0 0 0 0 From left; ASCAP's Randy Grimmett, Cal IV's Daniel Hill, songwriter Terry Sawchuk, songwriter Eric Paslay, Cal IV's Natalie Harker and Billy Lynn, ASCAP's Michael Martin. Songwriter/artist of the year Brad Paisley and songwrite ...

47. Is the Rock-and-Pop-ification of Country Good or Bad? Mike Dungan, Radio Execs Weigh In

    October 23, 2012 2:38 PM EDT 0 0 0 0 When the Country Music Assn. unveiled the finalists for its 46th annual awards, the list was met with numerous frowns. It had plenty of room for boundary-challenging acts, but not much space for tradition. Eric Church's "Springsteen,&quo ...

48. Luke Bryan Signs Marketing, Cross-Promotion Deal With Cabela's

    October 15, 2012 4:53 PM EDT 0 0 0 0 Country star Luke Bryan, managed by Red Light Management, and Cabela's, billed as the World's Foremost Outfitter of hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, have inked a multi-year partnership centered around a series of cross-promotions and m ...

49. Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood Honor the Greats At Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction

    October 08, 2012 5:37 PM EDT 0 0 0 0 Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Marc Cohn, Bekka Bramlett and J. Fred Knobloch were among those paying tribute Sunday night (Oct.7) as Larry Henley, Kim Williams, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Tony Arata were inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hal ...

50. Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Band Perry Added To CMA Awards Lineup

    October 08, 2012 10:27 AM EDT 0 0 0 0 Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church and the Band Perry have joined the roster of performers at the 46th Annual CMA Awards on November 1. Register today for the Billboard Touring Conference & Awards November 7-8 in New York City and Sa ...

Pages