Aaron Lines

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 22:07:45 -0500

Aaron Watson

Sat, 09 Aug 2008 19:53:11 -0500

Alabama

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 17:03:51 -0500

After more than two decades in the spotlight, virtually all of that time at the top of their game and the top of the charts, you’d think Alabama had done it all. After all, they were country music’s first supergroup…they’ve sold millions of albums…and they’ve received nearly every award and accolade. But there was one thing that remained—one thing Alabama had to yet to attempt…and it was the one thing no one ever thought they would do—say “goodbye.”

Alan Jackson

Fri, 13 Oct 2006 00:45:35 -0500

After Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson was the most popular male country singer of the '90s. An heir to the new traditionalist movement of the '80s, Jackson's approach was rooted in classic honky tonk yet remained comfortably within the contemporary mainstream. Jackson's hallmark was consistency -- he wrote many of his own hits, and his way with a hook was part of the reason he never really hit a commercial dry spell, even into the new millennium. He also projected a modest, wholesome, down-to-earth image that made him one of the best-liked stars of his era even apart from his music.

Andy Griggs

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:42:33 -0500

Andy McKee

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 23:20:13 -0500

Blackhawk

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:14:43 -0500

Blaine Larsen

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 10:06:28 -0600

You could tell what kind of year Blaine Larsen was having on the night of his 20th birthday. He was singing before 10,000 fans in the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia, when a friend wearing a T-shirt and baseball cap and carrying a birthday cake, candles ablaze, walked to where he was standing center-stage. The friend--Blaine's touring partner Gretchen Wilson--got to the microphone and led the crowd in a rousing and heartfelt rendition of "Happy Birthday," then walked back offstage to continue preparing for her own portion of the show.

Brad Paisley

Fri, 13 Oct 2006 00:45:35 -0500

Contemporary country singer/songwriter Brad Paisley was born October 28, 1972, in Glen Dale, WV; given his first guitar at age eight, he delivered his first public performance at church two years later. With his 50-something guitar teacher Clarence "Hank" Goddard and two of the older man's seasoned musician buddies, the teenaged Paisley formed his first band, the C-Notes, and at age 12 began writing his own material. After performing in front of the local Rotary Club, he was invited to appear on Wheeling station WWVA's famed Saturday night broadcast Jamboree USA.

Brooks & Dunn

Fri, 13 Oct 2006 00:45:35 -0500

The undisputed kings of the '90s line-dancing craze, Brooks & Dunn are not only the biggest-selling duo in country music history, they've also sold more records than any other duo period, save for Simon & Garfunkel. Ronnie Dunn was the quietly intense singer with the soulful voice, while Kix Brooks played the part of the high-energy showman. Neither had been able to break through as a solo act, but together they hit upon a winning formula of rambunctious, rocked-up honky tonk with punchy, danceable beats, and alternated those cuts with smooth, pop-tinged ballads.

Buddy Jewell

Sun, 12 Aug 2007 21:22:13 -0500

Country singer Buddy Jewell's meteoric rise caused him to be tagged an "overnight sensation," but looking back at his ten years in Nashville obscurity, Jewell considers himself a modern-day Rip Van Winkle. A native of Arkansas, Jewell's earliest musical memories are staring into his parents' radio looking for the "little people" that he thought were living inside. Years later he bought a guitar for ten dollars from a schoolmate and purchased some instructional books with the money he earned bagging groceries.

Carolyn Dawn Johnson

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 11:28:08 -0500

Carrie Underwood

Fri, 13 Oct 2006 00:45:35 -0500

The first country American Idol, Carrie Underwood grew up in the small town of Checotah, OK, and began singing with her church at the tender age of three. Throughout her childhood, she also performed at functions for the Lion's Club and Old Settlers Day, and eventually at festivals in several states. Along with developing her singing, Underwood learned to play guitar and piano.

Chris Knight

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 22:08:34 -0500

Chris Young

Fri, 13 Oct 2006 00:45:35 -0500

An air of high expectation and inevitability has always surrounded Chris Young. Anyone who heard him sing, and anyone who experienced his poised and engaging stage show, inevitably decreed that this tall fellow with the friendly smile had what it takes. When they found out he also wrote the best of his songs, people would just smile, shake their heads and say, "That boy is going to be a star."

Clint Black

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 05:08:47 -0500

Cole Deggs and The Lonesome

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 17:45:17 -0600

Collin Raye

Sun, 12 Aug 2007 20:39:35 -0500

Contemporary country star Collin Raye burned up the sales charts in the '90s, thanks to a blend of country-rock and smooth balladry, and a willingness to record socially conscious material in between the dance and romance tunes. Raye was actually born Floyd Collin Wray in DeQueen, AR, in 1959, and his mother, Lois, was a locally popular singer who opened concerts for various Sun Records stars in the '50s. She sometimes brought Collin and his older brother Scott on-stage to harmonize with her, and so Collin first performed publicly at the age of seven.

Craig Morgan

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 13:31:25 -0500

Singer/songwriter Craig Morgan was an army brat before he opted for a career in music. Born and raised in Nashville, Morgan was already a country music fan with dreams of playing guitar and making it big. But before his musical dreams could become reality, Morgan spent time serving in the U.S. Army, where he had a very respectable career and achieved high honors during peace and wartime. It was also during this time that Morgan whetted his guitar-playing styles to perform for troops whenever he could. Such passion led to a deal with Atlantic and a spot out of the service.

Crystal Shawanda

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:15:18 -0500

My Story--

I’m Native American. We’re automatically country … joined to the land and the real stories of everyday people. A long time ago, we traditionally used music as our daily prayer and as our way of giving thanks. To Native Americans, music is our everything. It’s our storytelling, our history, and our dance. We use it to remember and to forget. It’s how we celebrate life and mourn death.

Danni Leigh

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 21:21:12 -0500

David Allan Coe

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 14:14:07 -0500

A life-long renegade, singer/songwriter David Allan Coe was one of the most colorful and unpredictable characters in country music history. One of the pioneering artists of the outlaw country movement of the '70s, he didn't have many big hits -- only three of his singles hit the Top Ten -- but he was among the biggest cult figures in country music throughout his career.

Deryl Dodd

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 11:35:16 -0500

Diamond Rio

Fri, 13 Oct 2006 00:45:35 -0500

Diamond Rio found major commercial success in the '90s by playing an eclectic hybrid of modern country, traditional bluegrass (especially in their harmony singing), and a hint of rock & roll. The band was composed of Marty Roe (lead vocals, guitar), Jimmy Olander (guitar, banjo), Gene Johnson (mandolin, vocals), Dan Truman (keyboards), Dana Williams (bass), and Brian Prout (drums). Roe had already been touring professionally since age 12, when he was a member of Windsong, and Olander had previously worked with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Foster & Lloyd.

Dixie Chicks

Fri, 13 Oct 2006 00:45:35 -0500

The Dixie Chicks rose from relative obscurity in 1998 to become one of the most popular acts in contemporary country music. Their origins date back nearly a decade earlier, to 1989, when fiddler Martie Seidel and her banjo-playing sister Emily Erwin formed the group in Dallas with bassist Laura Lynch and guitarist Robin Lynn Macy; after getting their start on local street corners, the quartet soon graduated to clubs, receiving an enormous boost when Seidel earned third place honors at the National Fiddle Championships.

Dolly Parton

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 14:39:24 -0500

Dolly Parton looms larger than life to millions of fans worldwide as a redoubtable hitmaker, a celebrated movie star, and a glamorous entertainer. Perhaps less recognized are her talents as an accomplished guitarist and the scribe of numerous songs that she’s sent to the top of the charts. The little gal with the formidable figure helped broaden the appeal of country music at home and internationally, while serving as the model for today’s country superstars.

Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 19:16:27 -0500

Drive By Truckers

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 06:32:05 -0500

Dwight Yoakam

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 12:44:19 -0600

Gibson/Miller Band

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 14:32:15 -0500

The hard-driving Gibson/Miller Band was one of many country-rock groups to spring up in the wake of the honky-tonk revival of the early 1990s. Frontmen Dave Gibson and Bill "Blue" Miller were guitarists from very different backgrounds. Gibson was born and raised in Arkansas surrounded by the music of Eddy Arnold, Hank Williams and Elvis Presley. As a young man, he worked with John Prine and Steve Goodman before becoming a well-known songwriter in Nashville.

Gretchen Wilson

Fri, 13 Oct 2006 00:45:36 -0500

In late May 2004, Gretchen Wilson's debut single, "Redneck Woman," became the first by a solo female singer to top the Billboard country singles chart in over two years; it also reached number one faster than any single in the previous decade. At the same time, her debut album, Here for the Party, entered the country album chart at number one and the pop album chart at number two with sales of 227,000 copies, the biggest opening week for a new country artist on record.

Jake Owen

Fri, 13 Oct 2006 00:45:36 -0500

When plans for a career as a professional golfer were derailed by injury, country singer/songwriter Jake Owen picked up a guitar and never looked back. A native of Vero Beach, FL, Jake and his fraternal twin, Jarrod, grew up in the Florida sun playing sports like baseball and football before Jake turned to golf and Jarrod to tennis. They continued their respective sports together as students at Florida State University, until a waterskiing accident resulted in reconstructive surgery for Jake.

James McMurtry

Mon, 18 Jun 2007 13:19:58 -0500

Texas singer/songwriter James McMurtry, known for his hard-edged character sketches, comes from a literary family; his father, novelist and screenwriter Larry McMurtry, gave James his first guitar at age seven, and his mother, an English professor, taught him how to play it. McMurtry began performing his own songs while a student at the University of Arizona and continued to do so after returning home and taking a job as a bartender.

Jason Aldean

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 15:30:08 -0500

Country singer and guitarist Jason Aldean was born in Macon, GA, in 1977. His parents separated when he was three years old, and he spent his childhood with his mother in Macon through the school year while spending the summers with his father in Homestead, FL. He fell early under the spell of country music and made his first public appearance as a singer at a VFW hall in Macon when he was 14 years old. Soon he was a regular at area talent contests, and a year later he joined the house band at Nashville South in Macon.

Jason Michael Carroll

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 10:23:49 -0500

Jason Michael Carroll doesn’t look like he sounds – and that intrigue only heightens both realities of the tangy vocalist from North Carolina. After all, to hear him is to hear a straight-up, full-tilt, no-frills country singer who works a groove like a mule team, a melody like a barrel racer going for time, and a tear jerker with the dignity of Sunday grace.

Jeff Bates

Fri, 13 Oct 2006 00:45:36 -0500

Jeff Bates was only 17 when he entered a honky tonk in his hometown of Bunker Hill, MS. He wasn't there for the smoking, drinking, or rabble-rousing; he was there to audition, hoping to land a show or two. The audience went wild for his voice -- a mix of Barry White, Elvis Presley, and Otis Redding -- and before he knew it, Bates was offered a six-nights-a-week gig. Everything pointed to Nashville, but before he would get there, Bates had to battle a crippling methamphetamine addiction that eventually landed him in jail.

Jessi Alexander

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:21:56 -0600

Jim Lauderdale

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:35:11 -0500

Jimmy Buffett

Fri, 13 Oct 2006 00:45:36 -0500

Singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett has translated his easygoing Gulf Coast persona into more than just a successful recording career -- he has expanded into clothing, nightclubs, and literature. But the basis of the business empire that keeps him on the Fortune magazine list of highest-earning entertainers is his music.

Joe Diffie

Mon, 18 Jun 2007 14:11:15 -0500

Joe Diffie was regarded by many of his peers as one of the better vocalists in contemporary country, and lent his traditional sensibilities to humorous, rock-tinged novelties and plaintive ballads. Diffie was born in Tulsa, OK, in 1958 and grew up in a musical family, first performing in public at age four with his aunt's country band. He played in a rock band during high school, and later moved on to a gospel quartet and, during college, a bluegrass band called the Special Edition.

Johnny Cash

Fri, 08 Dec 2006 12:07:26 -0600

Like such great pop vocalists of the past as, say, Bing Crosby and Dinah Washington, Johnny Cash is an artist of many parts. During his more than 45 years at the forefront of American popular music, Cash has sung rockabilly and sea chanteys, Dylan tunes and Christmas favorites, and, of course, some of the greatest country ever recorded.

Keith Anderson

Fri, 13 Oct 2006 00:45:36 -0500

Kellie Pickler

Wed, 17 Jan 2007 11:25:41 -0600

Just two weeks before the release of her debut album, Small Town Girl, Kellie Pickler was still unpacking boxes in the decidedly uptown condominium she had leased in Nashville, her new hometown. “I came across photos from when I went to audition for American Idol, when I was standing in line with all those thousands of people in Greensboro. I just started crying. I couldn’t believe how things had changed in a year, and how unreal it seemed to be where I am.”

Kenny Chesney

Fri, 13 Oct 2006 00:45:36 -0500

Contemporary country star Kenny Chesney didn't have the immediate breakout success that many of his peers enjoyed upon signing with major labels, but gradually built up a significant following via hard work, pop-friendly ballads, and a likable, average-guy persona. Chesney was born in Knoxville, TN, in 1968 and raised in the nearby small town of Luttrell, better known as the home of Chet Atkins. He grew up listening to both country and rock & roll, but didn't get serious about music until college, when he studied marketing at East Tennessee State University.

Kenny Lattimore & Chanté Moore

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 02:34:51 -0500

Kristy Lee Cook

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:43:14 -0500

At first glance, Kristy Lee Cook seems like the quintessential girl next door. With her sunny smile, long blonde hair, passion for horses and deep-rooted love of country music, she could be your local rodeo queen or an aspiring recording artist paying dues at the local watering hole. However, spend any amount of time around the young singer, and it’s obvious there’s so much more than meets the eye.

Lone Star

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 04:44:42 -0500

Lonestar

Fri, 13 Oct 2006 00:45:36 -0500

Though their name might lead you to believe that Lonestar was formed in Texas, the quintet actually hails from Tennessee. Originally called Texassee, the band features Richie McDonald (lead vocals, guitar), John Rich (lead vocals, bass), Michael Britt (lead guitar, background vocals), Dean Sams (keyboard, background vocals), and Keech Rainwater (drums). All the members are in fact Texas natives -- they just formed in Tennessee in 1992.

Martina McBride

Fri, 13 Oct 2006 00:45:36 -0500

Contemporary country singer Martina McBride rose to stardom in the late '90s, starting out with a more traditionalist approach and later moving into pop-friendlier territory. She was born Martina Mariea Schiff in Medicine Lodge, KS, in 1966 and discovered country music through her father, who led a local band called the Schifters. By her teen years, she was singing and playing keyboards with the Schifters, and after high school she gigged around Kansas with several different bands.

Mary Chapin Carpenter

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 14:02:26 -0500

Mike Reid

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 10:42:36 -0500

A former defensive tackle for the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals, Mike Reid was one of the most sensitive writers of romantic songs in contemporary country music. He was born in Altoona, Pennsylvania, the son of a railroad worker. Although he was a piano player from age six, Reid's real passion was sports; in 1969 he won the Outland Trophy as the best collegiate defensive lineman in the country. Reid also began to develop his musical talents, playing with local bands and graduating with a degree in music.

Miranda Lambert

Fri, 13 Oct 2006 00:45:37 -0500

Miranda Lambert was born November 10, 1983, in Lindale, TX, a small town about 80 miles east of Dallas, the daughter of country guitarist and songwriter Rick Lambert (her mother, Bev, ran a detective agency). Growing up in a house dedicated to country music, she began entering country talent contests when she was 16, and appeared as part of the Johnny High Country Music Review in Arlington, TX.

Montgomery Gentry

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 17:58:41 -0600

Phil Stacey

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 23:38:50 -0500

Phil Vassar

Fri, 13 Oct 2006 00:45:37 -0500

Contemporary country singer Phil Vassar made his name as a chart-topping songwriter before landing a record deal and becoming a hitmaking artist in his own right. Vassar was born in Lynchburg, VA, and won a track scholarship to James Madison University, where he first began to take music seriously. He moved to Nashville, learned to play piano, and sang his original material in clubs.

Ralph Stanley

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 09:33:28 -0500

Rebecca Lynn Howard

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 23:16:53 -0500

Ricky Skaggs

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:43:36 -0500

Ricky Van Shelton

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 11:49:29 -0500

Rodney Crowell

Wed, 06 Jun 2007 11:22:54 -0500

While Rodney Crowell first gained widespread recognition as a leader of the new traditionalist movement of the mid-'80s, he in fact was a singer, songwriter, and producer with roots and ambitions extending far beyond the movement's parameters. Born to a musical family on August 7, 1950, in Houston, TX, Crowell formed his first band, the Arbitrators, while in high school, and in 1972 moved to Nashville to become a professional musician. There, he struck up friendships with singer/songwriters Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark.

Rosanne Cash

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 16:48:31 -0500

Ryan Shupe & The Rubberband

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:45:24 -0500

Sara Evans

Fri, 13 Oct 2006 00:45:37 -0500

A female country traditionalist during a time when they were quite rare around Nashville, Sara Evans gained her RCA contract in 1996 after her rendition of Buck Owens' perennial chestnut "I've Got a Tiger by the Tail" impressed its songwriter, Harlan Howard, so much he considered it his bound duty to help her. While growing up poor in rural Missouri, Evans performed with her family's band -- at the age of four -- and even recorded in Nashville several years later.

Tammy Wynette

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:49:07 -0500

The Kinleys

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:02:40 -0500

The Lost Trailers

Fri, 13 Oct 2006 00:45:37 -0500

The framework for country band the Lost Trailers has been around ever since guitarist and songwriter Stokes Nielson and a high school friend of his from Atlanta, keyboardist/vocalist Ryder Lee, released the independent CD The Story of the New Age Cowboy. It worked out so well that Nielson took the songs to the Nashville bar circuit, playing with Lee, a drummer, and a bassist as Stokes Nielson & the Lost Trailers, a name that was spawned from the fact that their tour trailer had been stolen twice (and once more when the Lost Trailers' established lineup was playing together).

The O'Kanes

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:16:58 -0500

The Wrights

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 11:03:29 -0500

Tim Mensy

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:54:15 -0500

Tracy Byrd

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 20:31:20 -0500

Travis Tritt

Wed, 17 Jan 2007 14:30:34 -0600

Travis Tritt was one of the leading new country singers of the early '90s, holding his own against Garth Brooks, Clint Black, and Alan Jackson. He was the only one not to wear a hat and the only one to dip into bluesy Southern rock. Consequently, he developed a gutsy, outlaw image that distinguished him from the pack. Throughout the early '90s, he had a string of platinum albums and Top Ten singles, including three number one hits.

Ty Herndon

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:52:31 -0500

Van Zant

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 15:00:09 -0600

Wade Hayes

Thu, 31 May 2007 14:30:07 -0500

Raised in Bethel Acres, OK, Wade Hayes grew up around country music. His father Don was a professional musician who played bars and honky tonks across Oklahoma. Through the influence of his father, he began playing music as a child. Initially, he played mandolin for a while, but he switched to guitar at the age of 11. Inspired by honky tonk, outlaw country, and bluegrass, Hayes developed a distinctive style at an early age.

Waylon Jennings

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 16:01:07 -0500

If any one performer personified the outlaw country movement, it was Waylon Jennings. He rejected the string-laden, pop-influenced Nashville sound, for a more personal style that combined the grittiest aspects of honky tonk with a rock & roll rhythm and attitude. Along with Willie Nelson, Billy Joe Shaver and Kris Kristofferson, Waylon invented "alternative country" more than 25 years before that term was in use. Waylon’s contributions to the country music industry he helped shape are indisputable.

Willie Nelson

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 12:36:12 -0500

Yankee Grey

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 10:31:47 -0500

Yankee Grey is a six-man country band consisting of lead singer and guitarist Tim Hunt, fiddler Joe Caverlee, guitarist Matthew Basford, keyboard player Jerry Hughes, drummer Kevin Griffin, and bass player Dave Buchanan. The members played in various bar bands in their hometown, Cincinnati, for more than ten years before coming together. Signed by Monument Records, they released their first single, "All Things Considered," in the late summer of 1999. It made the charts and was followed in September by their debut album, Untamed. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide