Curtis Grimes Scores Double Win at the  2020 Texas Country Music Awards

Brand New Acoustic EP Drops December 11th 

On Sunday, November 15th Texas country music fans gathered at the legendary Billy Bob’s Texas in the historic stockyards in Ft. Worth, Texas for the 2020 Texas Country Music Awards.  The event was a high spirited affair brimming with the who’s who of Texas country music including last year’s “Entertainer of the Year” Curtis Grimes who came away with a double win for “Single of the Year” for “River Road Dream,” and for “Christian Country Artist of the Year,” his second time to win that category.

Ryan Hamilton & The Harlequin Ghosts critically-acclaimed new album ‘Nowhere To Go But Everywhere’ (Wicked Cool Records) is making waves across the pond.

In its debut week, the album landed on multiple UK charts including #7 Indie Album Breakers, #10 Record Store, #22 Independent Albums, and #82 Overall Albums, capping off a career-best for the band, a transatlantic collaboration, with frontman Ryan Hamilton hailing from just outside of Fort Worth, TX, while his backing band The Harlequin Ghosts are based in the U.K.

The LP has also generated high praise on social media from the likes of Frank Turner, Clem Burke, Drew Carey, Benmont Tench and Clint Boon of Inspiral Carpets and more.

The follow up to 2019’s ‘This Is The Sound’ (which won an Independent Music Award for ‘Best Indie Album’), ‘Nowhere To Go But Everywhere’ was written by Ryan during a long road trip across the USA with his dog Peaches, while coming to terms with his recent divorce. He filmed the trek, which resulted in ‘Communique’– an inspiring and deeply personal 7 part mini-documentary, which premiered on Glide Magazine.

About Ryan Hamilton & The Harlequin Ghosts

The open road has beckoned to generations of artists, writers, and seekers of authentic experience. For acclaimed singer/songwriter Ryan Hamilton, jumping into a minivan with his pup Peaches and driving from home near Fort Worth, Texas through the Southwest out to California last fall was not just catharsis, it was an unexpected impetus to create ‘Nowhere To Go But Everywhere,’ his formidable new album with The Harlequin Ghosts.

“I actually own Jack Kerouac’s belt,” Ryan reveals, referencing the legendary 1950s beat poet whose classic work ‘On The Road’ provides the album’s title. “I got it from the folks who handle his estate. It’s a cherished possession. The belt is actually pictured on the back of the new album art. Kerouac is a hero, and because of the way this album was written, his spirit is all over it.”

Hamilton made sure to drive along Route 66, the fabled American highway immortalized in song by Nat King Cole and The Rolling Stones. “While it was magical to take that storied route, it was more like driving through a graveyard version of what once was. Though ominous, it was still darkly beautiful.”

Those weeks adventuring out west gave Ryan time to reflect in the wake of his recent divorce.

Releasing September 18 on Wicked Cool Records, ‘Nowhere…’ follows quickly on the heels of the band’s 2019 label debut ‘This Is The Sound,’ which won Album of the Year at the Independent Music Awards and was praised as “masterful” (RPM) and “spectacular” (Adam Duritz of Counting Crows). Both the title cut and “Mamacita” were playlisted on more than 100 U.K. radio stations and heard throughout Europe and the Americas on syndicated radio.

The COVID-19 pandemic prevented Hamilton from accepting the IMA in New York, but he channeled his early quarantine energy into the recording of the ‘Incommunicado’ EP, which hit #1 on the iTunes Country Albums chart in the U.K. Proceeds from the sale of the EP were donated to the Music Venue Trust’s “Save Our Venues” campaign, a cause he’s passionate about from years of dedicated touring in the U.K., where the rest of his band is based.

Live highlights of the ‘This Is The Sound’ campaign included shows with The Alarm in the U.K. plus their Gathering festival in Wales and New York City, a U.S. tour with Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers, and featured NYC appearances at Duritz’s Underwater Sunshine fest as well as opening for Jesse Malin and guest Lucinda Williams on a live SiriusXM broadcast.

Wicked Cool honcho Stevie “Little Steven” Van Zandt has long championed Ryan’s talents. “The best advice he ever gave me was, ‘Get away from yourself,” Ryan shares. “But really, the songs are still coming from personal experience.”

Many of the ten new tunes – the album also includes a heartfelt cover of Tom Petty’s “Southern Accents” – were written on a guitar Ryan found on the road trip, at Norman’s Rare Guitars in the San Fernando Valley. “Norm and I got to talkin’, and before I knew it, I was leaving with a vintage Martin acoustic. That guitar feels like my child.”

Most of the album was recorded with producer Dave Draper just days before the pandemic hit, during a February 2020 U.K. tour. The rhythm section of Mickey Richards (drums) and Rob Lane (bass) return, while featured guests include Mike Peters of The Alarm (backing vocals on “Jesus & John Lennon”) and Kay Hanley of Letters To Cleo (vocals on “Oh No”).

The anthemic “Can I Get An Amen,” released as a single in January, and new single “Jesus & John Lennon” were both co-written with Van Zandt. “Oh No” builds its upbeat narrative through referencing Ryan’s own favorite classic records, from Nirvana and Oasis to Curtis Mayfield and The Clash, and “flipping them on their heads,” he says.

“Newcastle Charm” speaks to Ryan’s special connection with the North East English city where he’s played countless shows and also met his ex-wife. “Women from Newcastle have this really tough exterior. I like the idea of breaking through that and finding a big heart.”

After cutting his teeth with the bands Smile Smile and People On Vacation, the 2016 single “Fuck You Brain,” with Ginger Wildheart was named Track of the Week by Classic Rock Magazine. The album ‘Devil’s In The Detail’ as Ryan Hamilton and The Traitors caught Stevie’s ear in 2017, after which the backing band became known as The Harlequin Ghosts. RH and The HG’s are now very familiar to satellite radio listeners thanks to heavy rotation of numerous tracks.

The latest Wicked Cool release distributed by The Orchard, ‘Nowhere To Go But Everywhere’ is a top marketing priority for the label, whose 2020 slate also includes new music from Jesse Malin, WYLDLIFE, The Empty Hearts, Kurt Baker and Jessie Wagner.

If there is one piece of his life that singer-songwriter Josh Kelley is more than comfortable displaying, it’s how he feels about his family. The central line running through My Baby & The Band, out today, is the contentment he’s found in his life with his wife and three kids. Kelley paints a picture of a man who has found his place nestled deep into the small mountain town they call home, along with everything that entails: the simple, extraordinary moments, the disagreements, the makeups, and a deep love for one another. It’s wrapped in sonic packaging that’s true to who Kelley is, clear in its reverence for a great voice and song but unafraid to experiment with new textures surrounding it.

Watch the “My Baby & The Band” Video

The album’s most recent release, “Hold Me My Lord,” exists thanks to some divine intervention. Originally written while searching for a thread of hope for himself, Kelley realized the world overall could use some of the same, resulting in the powerful video released two weeks ago. Co-produced by Grammy, Emmy and Dove award-winner Shannon Sanders, the track includes the addition of the remotely-recorded 30-member All Voices choir. My Baby & The Band traces Kelley’s and his family’s story, a scenic walk through the evolution of a relationship, family, and growth. Kelley solidifies himself as a talented vocalist and lyricist while tapping into the details of everyday life: watching his kids develop their own personalities and continuing to find new reasons to love his wife after 15 years together. “We Don’t Need The Money” offers a good bit of groove; “Back To You” begs for a sing-along, and “If That’s Alright” continues the theme. “You Can Count On Me,” with background vocals from his kids, takes its sonic inspiration from Bill Withers and Shuggie Otis, written with Alen Chang. “I Want You Tonight” and “Loves You Like Me” are straight-up love songs. “You And I,” written with Nashville songwriter Dustin Christensen, slows things down with an ode to an all-consuming kind of love. Kelley also wrote the album’s title track with Christensen, all about sitting back with the one you love and listening to timeless music, in this case, specifically The Band. My Baby & The Band follows the release of “Love Her Boy,” a clever, smooth and soulful number employing wordplay, and “Busy Making Memories,” a deeply personal excerpt, written on New Year’s Day while watching his kids play. Kelley and his wife, Katherine Heigl, collaborated on the video, featuring treasured memories and adventures on their ranch. Kelley produced and engineered the single himself; and in fact, creates most of his music in a barn that he’s converted into a studio. Kelley released his solo debut, Changing Faces, while attending the University of Mississippi, and subsequently signed a record deal with Hollywood Records. His mainstream debut, For the Ride Home, found a Top Five single with “Amazing,” and his second album, Almost Honest, included the Top Ten single “Only You.” Kelley later released four independent albums, between 2006 and 2008; Georgia Clay was released in 2011 with MCA Nashville, and 2015’s New Lane Road with Sugar Hill Records. In 2017 he independently released an album of covers, titled Under the Covers, Vol. 1, and a holiday album, Christmas Traditions. Kelley has appeared on “TODAY,” “Good Morning America,” “The Ellen Degeneres Show,” “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “Live with Regis & Kelly” and “Last Call with Carson Daly,” and his songs have been featured on such shows as “Smallville,” “Scrubs,” “Brothers and Sisters” and MTV’s “The Hills.” Kelley also wrote and performed the theme song for the TV sitcom “Mike and Molly,” scored the feature film Home Sweet Hell, and created the theme song for TV’s Golf Channel.

My Baby & The Band Track Listing: 1. We Don’t Need The Money 2. If That’s Alright 3. My Baby & The Band 4. Love Her Boy 5. Hold Me My Lord (featuring All Voices) 6. Loves You Like Me 7. You Can Count on Me 8. I Want You Tonight 9. Back to You 10. You & I 11. Busy Making Memories

The central line running through Josh Kelley’s upcoming album, My Baby & The Band, set for Nov. 13 release, is his family. It’s fitting that the video for his gospel-soaked next single, “Hold Me My Lord,” was made with them in mind. The song was co-produced by Grammy, Emmy and Dove award-winner Shannon Sanders and includes the addition of the 30-member All Voices choir.

“I think in the instance of this song, my heart was calling for hope. I was trying to muddle through the dark nights of my soul and how I’ve managed to find my way again and again. When we started putting the video together for this song, we realized that this world has been suffering through a dark night of the soul. Despair, hurt, anger, violence, pain, suffering, disease and death have been the headlines every day for the last eight months,” Kelley said.

“I realized this song that came through me speaks to more than my own suffering. It speaks to humanity’s,” Kelley continued. “The video felt like an opportunity to unite us in our pain and in our hope. It felt like a way for me to make one small difference in this tumultuous time so I can look at my children, years from now, and tell them I did something. I didn’t just bury my head in the sand, or hide from the pain, or run from the fear. I did what I could do, and I did it for them.”

Now accepting donations! Join us via Facebook or YouTube on December 23rd and December 24th at 8pm CT for a one-of-a-kind Christmas Concert Special showcasing holiday music and performances by some of your favorite MusicFest artists! This will be a fundraiser to assist musicians and crew members whose main source of income has all but ceased for nearly the entire year with no end determined at this time. 100% of the donations received will be committed to the musicians and crews via HUCK Foundation (Helping Underprivileged, Citizens and Kids Foundation) Non-Profit 501 (c) (3).

I have always looked to do things in my writing forum differently than everyone else, and use an anomalous approach to get my feelings across to you. I cannot write some “same old informational” junk every other website will make about a Legend as special as Mr. Charley Pride. He was a totally different hero to me, and to Country Music in general. Not because he was black or because he faced so much prejudice…he was a hero because he sang with heart and soul, and he didn’t consider himself different from his peers.

Many times he was asked how it felt to be a black Country singer, and his answer was always “I don’t know, I just sing Country and I’m just a Country singer”. See, Mr. Charley sprouted out of RCA Victor during the 1960’s when two things were transpiring that were hurdles to him..the Outlaw movement and segregation.

But even then he faced another hurdle that not many people really know much about, and that is they used Mr. Charley as a pawn in their marketing strategies against rival label Capitol Records after 1971, when Capitol records introduced another black Country artist not many know about…Mr. Stoney Edwards. To top it all off not many know that the band that backed Mr. Stoney Edwards was none other than Asleep At The Wheel.

Now, one of the reasons I say that Mr. Charley was being pawned by the label was that he didn’t record many songs HE wrote, and Mr. Stoney, did. Don’t mistake my words my friends, because that fact alone bred some of Country Music’s BEST writers, like Mr. Jerry Foster and more. That marketing war also spawned the birth and proliferation of Asleep At The Wheel too.

Many of the others of his ilk were already going through the 1970’s garnering their own creative control of their music, which was coined by the media as the Outlaw movement. From my personal studies, I never concluded a judgement on whether it was HIS CHOICE to record songs he didn’t write..and I’ll spend more years trying to learn.

Back then the general public was either enjoying one of three “derivatives” of Country Music, and those were The Outlaw Movement, The Nashville Sound and The Bakersfield Eras. Funny thing was, was that Mr. Charley was NONE OF THEM! He was just self admittedly a regular old Country Singer. I think that fact placed him into the ranks of Mr. Gene Watson and Mr. Moe Bandy ( both of whom are still alive, touring and healthy today). Yeah, I know many of his 1970’s albums like “Pride Of America” were recorded at the Nashville Sound studio, but that doesn’t change the fact his sound was Country.

He faced so many boundaries with segregation and prejudice during his youth, they had to “discretely”  place him into package deals to slip him into the most prominent theaters across America. From my studies Mr. Faron young, whom helped Mr. Charley break out into superstardom, was VERY prejudiced against blacks. But Pride earned the respect of many with his raw and honest vocals, and his ardent love of the music itself.

I was exposed to his album “Country Feelin” at age 8. For some reason, it just spoke to me as a person. AGE 8 I was identifying with this “sound”  I was hearing, and the song I loved was called “The Man I Used To be” by Mr. Max D Barnes. Mr. max wrote one of Country Music’s saddest songs called “Chiseled in Stone”..ironically Charley Pride’s management team passed on the offer for him to record that song.

As a teenager I swiftly scooped up EVERY Pride record I could find. From 1973 and 1975 his two albums with a band called the Pridesmen are rare finds for vinyl collectors alike.  When I moved to Nashville in 1996, to pursue a career in Country Music, pride was one of the first heroes I had that I went out to find. I got to meet him at the Midnite Jamboree, at the Ernest Tubb Record Store.

Mr. Charley Pride was one of the most prominent and active Opry members within it’s ranks celebrating his 25th year in 2018. That statement right there brings me to my last quandary, how is the Opry going to react to this gaping hole 2020 has left in the Opry membership problem?

Mr. Hal Ketchum and Miss Jan Howard were almost weekly Opry appearance mainstays, with Mr. Charlie Daniels recently following suit, playing almost every other week.

Does the Opry plan to refill the “Grand Ladies Of The Opry” anymore? There are a plethora of ladies out there that play the opry on a regular basis, that need to be inducted into membership like Miss Erin Enderlin and Miss Sunny Sweeney and Miss Elizaeth Cook.

Charley Pride was my 2017 Album Of The Year. Without question that album was  probably one of pride’s best in the last 20 years of his career. Without question it made my TOP LIST the first few moments of my hearing it.

In closing, the death of Mr. Charley Pride has not only left a hollow gaping hole in this entire genre, but in the hearts of many. His kindness and genuine gentle mannerisms cannot be duplicated or even copied by any of today’s youth. The dignity that he embellished Country Music with cannot be repeated by anybody.

There will never be another hero like him. Ever.

Country music artist, Ken Wilber, has announced the release of three singles as a gift to his fans during the holiday season, “Bread On The Table, “Freedom Song” and “I Could Get Used To You,” are all part of his upcoming compilation project. All three tunes were recorded at Ocean Way Studios in Nashville and engineered and mixed by Tony Cottrill at The DAWg Houze in Hendersonville, TN and mastered by Benny Quinn. The new releases are available on all digital music platforms for streaming and download. “Bread On The Table” is available here. “Freedom Song”is available here and “I Could Get Used To You” is available here.

The three recordings were produced and co-written by Exile’s Sonny LeMaire, who stated “Ken has taken a timely lyric and injected it with a kickin’ vocal that makes you smile and want to dance with his version of “Bread On The Table.” Co-writers were hit songwriters Shane Minor and J.P. Pennington. LeMaire added, “New York born and bred, Ken really shows his vocal range on “Freedom Song,” by taking a tune that could be in any Southern Rock band’s repertoire and made it his own!” Clay Mills and Jimmy Ritchey joined LeMaire in writing this tune. “Rearranging a number one song originally recorded by Exile penned by J.P. Pennington and myself and turning it into a reggae sing along is a trick that Ken pulls off in fun fashion! I love playing and listening to this tune over and over,” concluded LeMaire.

Ken Wilber recollects that “Freedom Song was originally recorded by Blackberry Smoke, I really liked the Southern Rock flavor to it, as I grew up listening to Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Allman Brothers. I was also heavily influenced by The Charlie Daniels Band, so this was a nice way to showcase that influence. This particular song has a great groove to it, it’s one of those songs that makes you want to roll the windows down in your car and hit the gas.”

““I Could Get Used to You” is my wife Amanda’s favorite Exile song,” exclaimed Wilber!  “We knew that we wanted to cover it for this project, but we wanted to change it up a bit, so that it wasn’t a carbon copy of what they originally did. Sonny and I played around with some different stuff on this one and finally settled on a reggae feel. I’m really happy with the way that this one turned out, as it sounds totally different from the original, but is also recognizable to people who are familiar with the song.”

“A nice uptempo 90’s style barn-burner – Exile originally released “Bread On The Table” on an EP.  I really responded to the lyrics of this song, as it’s all about the struggles of the everyday working family. Right now in the midst of the pandemic, I think this song rings true more than ever. Millions of people have lost their jobs and are worrying about how they are going to feed their families and pay the rent. As much as this song is about the struggles that we all go through, it also has a positive way at talking about those struggles.”

“Ken is a pleasure to work with and I’m always excited when he travels here to Nashville. It’s an honor to have the opportunity to record and mix his projects. He’s an amazing talent, incredible versatility in his singing, songwriting and his honest enthusiasm is infectious. Ken just keeps getting better and better as an artist and entertainer which will become obvious to the listener in these new releases,” exclaimed Tony Cottrill, Lonely Dog Productions and The DAWg Houze.

All of Ken’s music is available for streaming on Spotify, Apple Music and download on Google Play, Amazon Music and iTunes.

My friends out in Texas have many great festivals all through the state all year long, like this one many of them have to move at certain times. This festival is one of the Grandaddies of the Texas Music community, rich with history and ripe with relevance to the music world.

It began at Old Settler’s park in Round Rock Texas, but when the park flooded one year , they moved the festival to Stone Mountain Events Center in Dripping Springs Texas. In 2018 they moved the festival to it’s permanent home close to Austin Texas.

Some of their past lineups have blown my mind and made me want to finally get out west to cover their event, and much like Steamboat Springs…ONE DAY I’ll get out there to do some work for them.

I mean how many festivals juxtapose such an eclectic lineup as this:

2019 / 32ND ANNUAL

APRIL 11-14, 2019 THE HOMESTEAD, 1616 FM 3158, DALE (TILMON), TEXAS

BRANDI CARLILE, JASON ISBELL AND THE 400 UNIT, THE DEL MCCOURY BAND, GALACTIC, HAYES CARLL, WILD CHILD, PENNY & SPARROW, THE LONE BELLOW, SHINYRIBS, AMANDA SHIRES, LOS LEGENDS FT. FLACO JIMINEZ, RUBEN RAMOS, RICK TREVINO Y AMIGOS, MANDOLIN ORANGE, THE STEELDRIVERS, JAMES HUNTER SIX, ROBERT ELLIS, PAUL THORN, BLACK PUMAS, JOHN MORELAND, PAUL CAUTHEN, THE LAST BANDOLEROS, WOOD & WIRE, SAMANTHA FISH, SOUTH AUSTIN JUG BAND, MIPSO, SARAH GRACE AND THE SOUL, JAIMEE HARRIS, CALLIOPE MUSICALS, LEY LINE, BEN HUNTER & JOE SEAMONS, JEFF PLANKENHORN, IDA MAE, JOHN ELLIOTT, FEEDING LEROY, MCMERCY FAMILY BAND, BATTY JR., MIDDLESPOON

Way back in 2007, after I was done going through my divorce I began healing by delving into all types of music, including Red Dirt. Myspace helped me find so many of these great artists, including this man Mr. Aaron Watson.

At the time I discovered him, he was into his album called “Barbed Wire Halo” which in my opinion is an iconic album in the history of Red Dirt music. It boasted a religious theme and brought many people out to recognize a Legend we lost in 2020 Mr. Billy Joe Shaver, who recites many Bible verses during the album.

That’s the type of gigantic duende that  he has for the heart and soul of Country Music. This year alone, he has surpassed album sales of his last two albums on an independent basis with no help from mainstream platforms of any kind. The only places that you can find his music thrive is on websites like this, and a few others.

The song “Barbed Wire Halo” is one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard in the past. I hope he continues to play this one on his live shows forever. Last year in January, he headlined his own show at the Ryman Auditorium..and it sold well.

His album “Vaquero” peaked at number 2 on the Top Country Albums chart, which was the follow up to his critically acclaimed 2015 album “Underdog”. The album ‘Underdog” debuted at number 1 on the charts, and at that time he was the first ever independent male artist ever to do so.

2021 is already a huge year full of anticipated albums from many different artists including Mr. Aaron Watson, as he announces his new album “American Soul” on February 5th. He released a portion of the lyrics from the title track.

I have a new song called “American Soul” out today. We weren’t
planning on releasing it until the end of the year, but decided to release it today because the American Soul needs a pep talk right now more than ever. We need to turn off the news, turn up the music and dance with the ones we love. This year has been filled with an overdose of hate and heartache and a shortage of hugs. I hope this new song fills your heart with hope during these troubled times.

In the song the Abilene native sings, “It’s the red white and blue, it’s the yellow, brown and black. It’s those rotten ol’ Republicans and those darned ol’ Democrats. We’re coming back around ’cause you can’t hold down the American Soul.”

PRE-ORDER THE ALBUM HERE!

I’m excited about some of the releases of 2021 already…MY GOD the winter will be packed full of good ones coming out of many different genres. Delving into one of my favorite music communities, Red Dirt I found out about a recording from my friends over at Steamboat MusicFest.

See before the pandemic happened, THERE WERE a few festivals that DID transpire, including Mile 0 Fest…and THIS ONE. The MusicFest at Steamboat Springs is one of the hot spots for Red Dirt music across multiple stages in a huge area.

Now, I’m going to openly admit that as much as I admire this festival, I have not had the opportunity to cover this festival yet in person. It IS on our radar and we ARE making plans to go there soon! You know we are indeed a nationwide operation, and we have had a strong presence in the west.

This past January, the artists and staff at MusicFest banded together to host a BIG tribute show to Red Dirt Legend Mr. Cody Canada who was a major part of the band Cross Canadian Ragweed. Dickson Productions put together a damn fine show here, and his peers were given the opportunity to perform the songs of Cross Canadian Ragweed and the music that inspired many of them to become bands.

I wanted to take the opportunity to also write my love of this man and this band, and how integral they are to Red Dirt and underground music in general. I started out REALLY delving into Texas Music and Red Dirt stuff around 2007, when I got a divorce. After I healed, I started collecting records and researching bands like Cross Canadian Ragweed. I found them on their “Mission California” album but their live albums like Cain’s Ballroom truly gripped me.

I have been collecting all of the LIVE at Billy Bob’s albums on CD and their recording of “Boys From Oklahoma” was an epic milestone of my healing process from a dark period of my life. “Soul Gravy” is an iconic album in my opinion, and brought Red Dirt Music to a whole new echelon.

Their 2002 self titled album ( It’s called the purple album ) is one that propelled this band up to a national level from a local one, with classic songs like “Constantly”.  In may of 2010, the band officially announced it’s final show, saying “We’re Ragweed as the four of us, or not Ragweed at all”. Their final show was in Illinois that year, and Mr. Cody Canada formed the Departed.

1. Constantly – Parker McCollum
2. Bang My Head – Copper Chief (featuring Cody Canada)
3. Don’t Need You – Read Southall Band
4. Fightin’ For – Reckless Kelly
5. 17 – Jamie Lin Wilson (featuring Dierks Canada)
6. This Time Around – Randy Rogers
7. 42 Miles – Casey Donahew
8. Sick and Tired – Wade Bowen (featuring Jamie Lin Wilson)
9. Carney Man – Mike McClure
10. Breakdown – Bruce Robison
11. Alabama – Courtney Patton
12. Johnny’s Song – William Clark Green
13. On a Cloud – Doug Moreland
14. Run to Me – Bri Bagwell
15. Broken – Stoney LaRue (featuring Cody Canada)
16. Dead Man – Jade Marie Patek
17. The Years – BJ Barham of American Aquarium

Read More: Tribute to Cody Canada & The Music of Ragweed Coming in January | https://radiotexaslive.com/the-tribute-to-cody-canada-the-music-of-cross-canadian-ragweed-the-years-is-out-in-january/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

Hit Country singer of “Small Town Saturday Night,” Hal Ketchum, pased away on Monday night at age 67 as a result of complications from dementia. His wife Andrea confirmed the news on Facebook Tuesday.

Ketchum, a member of the Grand Ole Opry, released his debut album for Curb Records, Past the Point of Rescue, in 1991. The album produced four country Top 20 singles: the Number Two-charting classic “Small Town Saturday Night,” “I Know Where Love Lives,” his version of the Mick Hanly-penned title track, and producer Allen Reynolds’ “Five O’Clock World.” It would be his highest-selling album, eventually going gold for sales in excess of 500,000.

“I am saddened to hear the news of the passing of Hal Ketchum. He had such a distinctive voice and way of delivering a song. He was also a very nice man and wow, could he snow ski!! I will cherish the day I spent with Hal and Charlie Daniels the day we shot the video for the Long Haired Country Boy remake at Charlie’s place. If you watch the video and you think we must have had a lot of fun you’d be correct. It was a great day and will be forever a fond memory.” –John Berry

“Very sad to hear of Hal’s passing. His poetic piece about becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry was so touching. He will certainly be missed.” –Jeannie Seely

“Hal’s debut in country music was explosive. Unique-sounding singer, prolific and commercial songwriter and drop dead handsome, Hal presented as the total package. As an instant fan I requested and received the opportunity to interview Hal for an article in Country Song Roundup magazine. We covered a bunch of topics, but kept returning to songwriting and his process of inspiration. “When I’m preparing to write for a new project,” he explained, “I feel myself seizing up emotionally, and I exorcize all of it by writing”. In contrast to exploring the depths of his artistry, we had a few hearty laughs, too. Hal was honest and open that day, and I liked him a lot.” –Steve Goetman, Exile

“I remember one year when Gerry House was promoting Oktoberfest and as a joke he challenged Hal Ketchum to come play live in the studio in a pair of lederhosen to yodel for the audience. It was off the cuff and on air and we had no idea Hal had heard until he just showed up wearing full German attire with knee socks, suspenders, leather shorts and an accordion.  I seldom saw Gerry House bested with a joke but this time he was. Hal sang and laughed with us at himself and the joy of life. He was brilliant. He had a voice he kept pristine throughout his career and dashing good looks that matured like the finest wine. But his laugh…his smile…his humor will always be my fondest memory of him. Our world is dimmer today without Hal’s smile.” –Devon O’Day host of Main Street Today and Devon O’Day’s Nashville

“Hal Ketchum was a singers singer. One of the nicest guys in the business and I so enjoyed our conversations about history. I can’t say enough about how cool he was on and off stage. I will be cranking up my favorite song of his today! Do yourself a favor and listen to “In front of the Alamo” and you’ll know what I mean. Rest easy my friend.”  –Tim Rushlow

“Love to Hal and all his family. He was a brother.” –David Ball

“I met Hal thru the Allen Reynolds group at Jack’s Tracks and was lucky to do some shows with him. At the 1st 30A Songwriters show we did, he sang “Stay Forever” a cappella and it was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard. He will be missed. My condolences to his family.” –Kent Blazy

“Wow, what a year to lose another amazing artist of the 90s. Small Town Saturday Night was just one staple of many great songs Hal released. Regards to his family and friends and thank you for all of your iconic music.” –Lockeland

“I was saddened to hear of the passing of Hal Ketchum today. I was blessed to be raised with nineties country icons such as Hal, and am forever grateful for his musical influence.” –Noah Garner

“I’m so saddened to hear about the passing of Mr. Ketchum. Although I never met him, he and his music were a huge part of my life. Growing up in a small town, “Small Town Saturday   Night” became one of the theme songs of my life. He will be dearly missed! –Dallas Remington

“Today the industry lost another icon!! Hal Ketchum was one of those really cool guys with his own style. I  listened to him often back in the day. R.I.P Hal.” –Mickey Lamantia

“I am so sad to hear of the passing of Hal Ketchum. Our Country music world for sure lost a legend. Although I was only born in the late 90s, some of my favorite artists and influences come from 90’s Country. “Small Town Saturday Night” has always been a favorite of mine. Hal’s memory will live on forever through his music and all he inspired. My heart and prayers go out to his family and friends.” –Dani-elle Kleha

This article will be one of my opinionated ones that few of you will quickly and ardently disagree and call me foolish. It’s this whole “Hate Pop Country” mindset some people have today within our community. They immediately scorn simple statements without any delving into the facts. Sadly, some of these “anti pop country” facebook only pages they have managed to inculcate that state of mind into thousands of us..for a while, I TOO was intrigued by the memes and jokes that abound on social media.

From the dawn of Myspace, the mere mention of the Opry generated so much hatred and foul feelings, to see it was futile to change my own thoughts of it. Yeah, I was HEAVILY involved and supportive of the Reinstate Hank movement, and I STILL THINK that it’s a poor excuse of a reason, however I do see THEIR point.

However in this article I’m going to ratiocinate some positive and negative points about our beloved Opry in 2020, and in general. Despite the way things panned out this year ( do I seriously need to start out another article with ‘Well 2020 was a rough year” crap?) the Opry did some terrific things for some artists I really like.

A few years ago, when Miss Sally Williams took over as CEO of the Opry, I was enamored with hope that she would embrace a NEW kind of change. I was hopeful that she was going to welcome some of these new REAL COUNTRY females out there to come play the Opry, and become members. Why you ask?

Because Miss Sally Williams has been a Nashville icon for 20 years now, and she REALLY LIKES REAL local music. In 2017, she took over the entity with grace and alacrity and immediately began to take things into a positive direction with her Opry inductions to membership AND booking performers. In fact, right off the bat in 2017 she began her iron fist rule with inducting Miss Crystal Gayle AND she allowed her sister Loretta Lynn to invite her!

Then, in 2019 we had another change as Mr. Dan Rogers took over as the Opry GM, and he also had a vision to create an even playing field on the Opry by inviting new Country AND Traditional Country to play. In 2019, it was a groundbreaking thing to transpire to see Country Legend Mr. Gene Watson become a new member.

Even with all of the pandemic changes this year ( just this weekend the Opry finally opened it’s doors fully ), they invited so many of the artists I adore to perform. In July, even though Mr. Corb Lund did not get to perform his Opry debut, I DID GET to see Miss Margo Price perform there. Why, this weekend the mighty fine Miss Erin Enderlin is performing on the Opry!

August began a DAMN FINE month on the Opry as they featured Old Crow Medicine Show, Mr. Dom Flemmons, Mr. Billy Strings, and Miss Molly Tuttle.  It continued on with Mr. Jon Pardi, whom is one of the mainstream artists that is actually tolerable in today’s society.

September marked a breakthrough month for me as a fan of this woman..Miss Ashley McBryde and another young lady I have been watching..Miss Sierra Hull. Ashley McBryde made her own Opry debut in 2017, and has become one of the many artists to continuously play there with passion and love. The ONLY thing I was disappointed with on her Opry debut was the T shirt..which was crappy. However, her NEXT Opry performance she dressed the part and brought forth SO MUCH dignity and love!

One thing I find INTOLERABLE about the Opry now is when they finally did come back on television, they had to pick Mr. Bobby Bones as the host. They could not have picked a deeper scar on Country Music as him. ugh. I suppose this portion of the article is where I could expand upon the many things I dislike about the Opry’s direction now. But overall in 2020 I am convinced that the Opry has begun to head in a great direction lately, and if you haven’t taken a few moments to look into the reasons WHY I say that….shame on you!