Loretta Lynn

615 Spotlight: Lisa Matassa Shows Her Edge With 'Somebody's Baby'

December 05, 2012 5:35 PM EST Lisa Matassa has got a lot to be thankful for these days. She's just released a new EP titled "Somebody's Baby," with a single by the same name that has recently broken into the Billboard's Country Indicator chart (which mea ...

Viral Videos

Risa Binder Covers Taylor Swift's 'Red': Video Premiere

November 21, 2012 9:30 AM EST Watch the "Paper Heart" singer/songwriter's pillow-fight performance of the Swift track Singer/songwriter Risa Binder has long looked to country singers such as Loretta Lynn and Alison Krauss for inspiration, and now she's paying ...

'Pretty Woman' Songwriter Bill Dees Dies

November 01, 2012 9:15 AM EDT Bill Dees emerged from his days as an out-of-cash young songwriter to pen tunes recorded by Johnny Cash , Loretta Lynn and other country music greats, but the centerpiece of his career was his work with Roy Orbison , including co-writing the classic ...

615 Spotlight: Jaida Dreyer's 'Confessions'

October 10, 2012 2:05 PM EDT Ontario native Jaida Dreyer knows how fortunate she is. The artist, currently promoting her single, "Confessions," was handpicked by highly esteemed producer Byron Gallimore to be the flagship artist for his new Streamsound label. "I& ...

Loretta Lynn's 50th Year at Opry Toasted by Miranda Lambert, Lee Ann Womack

September 27, 2012 2:00 PM EDT In 1960, country newcomer Loretta Lynn and her husband "Mooney" traveled across America on what many country historians call one of the first of what we call 'radio tours' today. One of their destinations was Nashville, where the ...

Pistol Annies Bring Nashville to New York for Tour Kickoff

September 14, 2012 8:59 PM EDT Despite first show jitters, the Pistol Annies didn't let their nerves get the best of them in New York on Thursday night. Their 75-minute Terminal 5 set included many of the tracks off the country trio's debut release "Hell On Heels&q ...

Singer-Songwriter Joe South Dies at 72

September 05, 2012 4:15 PM EDT Singer-songwriter Joe South, who wrote the 1971 country-pop hit "(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden" for Lynn Anderson, died Wednesday of a heart attack at his home in Flowery Branch, Ga. He was 72. South had a big hit of his own with ...

Singer-Songwriter Joe South Dies at 72

September 05, 2012 4:15 PM EDT Singer-songwriter Joe South, who wrote the 1971 country-pop hit "(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden" for Lynn Anderson, died Wednesday of a heart attack at his home in Flowery Branch, Ga. He was 72. South had a big hit of his own with ...

Olympics 2012: 17 Musicians Carry the Torch

July 25, 2012 4:40 PM EDT Photos John Legend TOrcH The Wanted Sean Muse Ryan Mark B Mark Ronson Katy B Bass Lance Dizzee Rascal Beverly Knight Loretta Lynn Edie Paloma Faith Howie Dorough Jedward bbcom Media: 2258089-john-legend-olympic-torch-617-409.jpg 2258089-john-legend ...

Country Star Kitty Wells:1919-2012

July 19, 2012 6:50 PM EDT The county music community lost one of its most beloved pioneers with the death of Kitty Wells. Known as the "Queen of Country Music," Wells, 92, died of complications from a stroke at her Nashville home on July 16. "In my lifetime ...

Kitty Wells, Country Trailblazer, Dies at 92

July 16, 2012 4:20 PM EDT Before Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Shania Twain or Taylor Swift, there was Kitty Wells , the original "Queen of Country Music." Wells, who died at her Nashville-area home Monday morning at the age of 92, enjoyed a career that ran the gamut ...

Kitty Wells, Legendary Country Singer, Dead at 92

July 16, 2012 4:16 PM EDT Before Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Shania Twain or Taylor Swift, there was Kitty Wells, better known as the "Queen of Country Music." Wells, who died at her Nashville-area home Monday morning at the age of 92, enjoyed a career that ran t ...

Born in the U.S.A.: Top 50 Stars of the 50 States

July 03, 2012 6:28 PM EDT Photos Alabama Festival Billboard Jewel Stevie Nicks Johnny Cash Beach John Denver Danny John Mayer George Thorogood Heart Gloria Estefan Truth Ray Charles Late Bruno Mars Show The Raiders Paul Revere Chicago Michael Jackson Brothers Everly Kansas L ...

American Idol's Jessica Sanchez Signs With Interscope, Kellie Pickler Released By Sony Nashville

June 29, 2012 12:16 PM EDT Today finds one American Idol alum with a new record deal -- and another dropped. While recent runner-up Jessica Sanchez lands at mentor Jimmy Iovine's Interscope Records, country cutie Kellie Pickler has parted ways with Sony Nashville. It c ...

Francis W. Preston, 1928-2012

June 14, 2012 7:30 PM EDT Former BMI president/CEO Frances Williams Preston, often referred to as "the best friend a songwriter ever had," died of congestive heart failure on June 13 at her home in Nashville. The tireless executive, whose early career duties inc ...

Bret Michaels Enlists Lil Jon, Jimmy Buffet for Solo Album

June 14, 2012 12:45 PM EDT Slew of Stars Help Poison Frontman on 'Bret Michaels and Friends: Get Your Rock On' B ret Michaels plans to release a new solo album this summer, which includes songs he recorded with a little help from his A-list rocker friends. The album ...

Loretta Lynn Rouses Bethlehem, PA With 50 Years of Favorites

June 11, 2012 1:00 PM EDT Chart Article PROMOTION Loretta Lynn Rouses Bethlehem, PA Crowd With 50 Years Of Favorites "There's only one true Queen of country music and you saw her tonight." No truer words could have been spoken Saturday night (June 9) at the Sa ...

Zooey Deschanel to Play Loretta Lynn in New Musical

May 11, 2012 10:20 AM EDT Country Music Hall of Fame member Loretta Lynn is taking her life story to Broadway, and she has tapped film and TV actress Zooey Deschanel to play her on stage. Lynn, 80, unveiled plans for a musical adaptation of "Coal Miner's Daughter&q ...

Levon Helm of The Band Is Dead at 71

April 19, 2012 3:30 PM EDT Levon Helm, a passionate musician, actor and the last surviving lead singer of The Band, whose Southern tenor was heard on the group's classic songs "Up on Cripple Creek" and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down," died Thurs ...

Levon Helm Dies at 71

April 19, 2012 3:24 PM EDT Getty Levon Helm, a drummer, actor and the last surviving voice of The Band, whose Southern tenor was heard on the group's classic songs "Up on Cripple Creek" and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down," died Thursday aftern ...

Levon Helm in 'Final Stages' of Cancer

April 17, 2012 5:45 PM EDT Family Asks for Prayers for The Band's Last Surviving Vocalist Levon Helm, a treasured voice in Americana music whose Southern drawl and busy-but-tight drumming brought an authenticity to The Band, is losing his decade-long battle with cancer, ...

Connie Smith Enjoys Her Hall of Fame Moment

March 16, 2012 3:30 PM EDT It was just an ordinary evening in the household of Connie Smith and her husband, Marty Stuart, when they were interrupted. "Marty and I were in the kitchen about suppertime, and the phone rang," Smith recalls in an interview with Billboar ...

Promotion: Win A Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem Weekend Getaway

March 01, 2012 12:04 AM EST Chart Article ADVERTISEMENT Win A Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem Weekend Getaway Entry period has ended. You don't have to go all the way to Las Vegas for a first-rate adventure filled with great music, dining, shopping and gaming. The Sands Cas ...

Tom T. Hall Stands Up for 'Country Music Highway' in Native Kentucky

February 02, 2012 10:30 PM EST Travel down U.S. Highway 23 in Eastern Kentucky, and you will see some of the most beautiful country on God's green earth. But there's more to the area than just the visual scenery. The area, saluted in song by Dwight Yoakam's "R ...

Country Music's Top 10 Singles of 2011

December 20, 2011 2:00 PM EST The year has seen some very memorable single releases in the country genre. While it may be a little tough to select ten, that's what lists are for, right? So, here are The 615's picks for the ten best records you heard -- along with one y ...

Dixie Chicks Talk "Storytellers"; Win A Prize Pack

December 08, 2011 11:05 AM EST Dixie Chicks member Martie Maguire admits to finding herself like a lot of the trio's fans when watching their new "Storytellers" DVD, released just in time for the holiday season. "As I watch it, I get very emotional. We've ...

Loretta Lynn Recovering, Plotting Road Return After Pneumonia

October 24, 2011 7:39 PM EDT Loretta Lynn is out of the hospital and resting at her home in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee. A statement Monday from Loretta Lynn Enterprises says the country music icon has been treated for bacterial pneumonia. The 76-year-old was forced to cancel a ...

Loretta Lynn Hospitalized with Pneumonia, Cancels Shows

October 24, 2011 10:15 AM EDT Country music singer Loretta Lynn was hospitalized over the weekend with the early stages of pneumonia, according to a representative of the performer. The 76-year-old Lynn was scheduled to perform Saturday at the Performing Arts Center in Ashland, ...

Brad Paisley Gets One-of-a-Kind Honor From the Grand Ole Opry

October 19, 2011 5:00 PM EDT In the 86-year history of the Grand Ole Opry, many historic moments have taken place. Hank Williams debuting in 1949 with "Lovesick Blues." A truck driver named Elvis on the Ryman stage. Garth Brooks and "Friends In Low Places." ...

Martina McBride Goes for 'Organic and Rootsy' on 11th Album

October 06, 2011 3:30 PM EDT When Martina McBride releases her eleventh studio album (appropriately titled "Eleven") on Oct. 11, it will mark her very first project for Republic Nashville -- after a very successful run with RCA. Releasing her first album, "The Ti ...

Miranda Lambert: How Her Chart-Topping Side Project Defies Decades of Nashville Convention

September 06, 2011 1:05 PM EDT With the coronation of her side project, Pistol Annies' "Hell on Heels," Miranda Lambert is the first artist in the 47-year history of Billboard's Country Albums chart to have notched No. 1s solo (her first three, 2005-09) and as ...

The Nine Collaborative Albums To Top The Billboard 200

August 18, 2011 7:15 PM EDT The pairing of star acts on an album isn't uncommon. Last year, Elton John and Leon Russell teamed for "The Union," which reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200. Earlier in 2010, Carole King and James Taylor's "Live at the Troub ...

Billboard Bits: Keith Urban Launches Fragrance, Lady Gaga Unveils Single Artwork

August 08, 2011 6:35 PM EDT Billboard Bits serves up the best bite-sized nuggets of music news and gossip. Keith Urban To Launch "Phoenix" Fragrance For Men Keith Urban will debut his first fragrance for men, Phoenix, internationally in October. "We created Phoe ...

Music's Next Great Biopics

June 09, 2011 1:06 PM EDT No one wants to talk about a Marvin Gaye movie. Or one about Janis Joplin , or a Jimi Hendrix biopic. As film subjects go, they're problematic. Heirs to the Joplin and Hendrix estates have blocked films by withholding music and image rights. Th ...

Flaming Lips, Neko Case Party in Ohio's Hocking Hills at Nelsonville Music Fest

May 16, 2011 1:05 PM EDT "Your weird party in the woods... I hope it goes on for 500 thousand more years," Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne told the crowd Saturday night (May 14) at the Nelsonville Music Festival. "I'm perfectly one of you." PHOTOS ...

Weekly Chart Notes: Taylor Swift, Adele, Richard Marx

May 05, 2011 5:55 PM EDT 'MEAN' STREAK: Taylor Swift is having the last laugh on the brand of critic she skewers in her latest Country Songs top 10, "Mean." As the song lifts 12-9, Swift has reached the chart's top 10 with all 13 of her singles (exc ...

Ask Billboard: Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves

April 29, 2011 6:35 PM EDT Ask Billboard is updated every Friday. As always, submit your questions about Billboard charts, sales and airplay, as well as general music musings, to askbb@billboard.com . Please include your first and last name, as well as your city, state and co ...

Kenny Chesney Tallies 20th No. 1 On Country Songs

April 25, 2011 4:05 PM EDT K enny Chesney' s "Live a Little" lifts 2-1 to become his landmark 20th No. 1 on Billboard's Nielsen BDS-based Country Songs airplay chart. All charts will be refreshed Thursday (April 28) on Billboard.com. Dating to his first we ...

Bonnaroo 2011 Lineup Led by Eminem, Arcade Fire, Lil Wayne

February 15, 2011 11:43 AM EST The Bonnaroo 2011 lineup is in, and rap superstars Eminem and Lil Wayne , album of the year Grammy winner Arcade Fire , and veteran rock acts Buffalo Springfield and Dr. John and the Original Meters have been tapped to play the summer music festival ...

Miranda Lambert, Kenny Chesney Lead ACM Award Nominations

February 01, 2011 10:30 AM EST M iranda Lambert , one of country music's hottest entertainers, led the way on Tuesday with seven nominations for the 46th annual Academy of Country Music Awards, including her first Entertainer of the Year nod. Lambert learned firsthand of her ...

2010 CMA Awards Echo On Country Songs

November 23, 2010 1:05 PM EST The two hosts, and a legendary performer, translate their exposure on the 44th Annual Country Music Association Awards (Nov. 10) into their latest successes on Billboard's Country Songs chart. 'ME': After winning his first coveted CMA ...

POTW: Rihanna, Bon Jovi, Taylor Swift, Lil Wayne

November 12, 2010 2:26 PM EST Photos of the Week Bon Jovi Rihanna Taylor Swift Girls Lil Wayne Ke$ha Drake Katy Perry Alicia Keys Swizz Beatz No More Bono Ricky Martin Mario Lopez Nicki Minaj Sheryl Crow Miranda Lambert Loretta Lynn Hilary Janet Jackson Swank Women Janelle Justi ...

5 Must-See Moments at the 2010 CMA Awards

November 11, 2010 12:03 PM EST Although the main event of the 44th Annual Country Music Association Awards were obviously the nine televised honors themselves, last night's (Nov. 10) show packed in performances from almost every major country star in its three-hour span. Due ...

CMA Awards 2010: 10 Things You Didn't See on TV

November 11, 2010 12:46 AM EST Not all of the excitement at the 2010 CMA Awards happened on the stage. Here's 10 memorable moments that you didn't see on TV: 1. Neither Miranda Lambert nor Blake Shelton had ever won a CMA award prior to 2010, but all that changed before ...

Brad Paisley Wins Entertainer of the Year at Country Music Awards

November 11, 2010 12:00 AM EST The Country Music Association Awards were Miranda Lambert's and Blake Shelton's party, but Brad Paisley crashed the festivities. Lambert won three awards, including album of the year, on her 27th birthday and her fiance Shelton grabbed t ...

Brad Paisley Wins Entertainer of the Year at CMA Awards

November 10, 2010 11:20 PM EST The Country Music Association Awards were Miranda Lambert 's and Blake Shelton 's party, but Brad Paisley crashed the festivities. Lambert won three awards, including album of the year, on her 27th birthday and her fiance Shelton grabbed t ...

Brad Paisley Wins Entertainer of the Year at CMA Awards

November 10, 2010 11:20 PM EST Events Miranda Lambert Blake Shelton Sheryl Crow Loretta Lynn Sugarland Red Carpet Taylor Swift Carrie Underwood Zac Brown Lady Antebellum Nicole Keith Urban Gwyneth Paltrow The Band Perry Performance Billy Ray Cyrus Reba McEntire Kelli Leanne Kid R ...