Tag: Country

In Memoriam: Ray Pillow (1937 – 2023)

Herbert Raymond Pillow (July 4, 1937 – March 26, 2023) was an American country music singer who has also worked as a music publisher and artists and repertoire (A&R) representative. In his career, he charted 18 times on the Billboard country singles chart, with his highest-peaking song being the number 9 single “I’ll Take the Dog”, a duet with Jean Shepard. After charting for the last time in 1981, Pillow founded Sycamore Records with Larry McFadden, and later worked in the A&R department of Capitol Records.

Pillow continued to perform as a member of the Grand Ole Opry and on popular classic country television programs such as Country’s Family Reunion, which airs regularly in the United States on RFD-TV network.

Through his record label, Pillow released two albums, Ray Pillow Live and Country Class, the latter of which contained new material.

Pillow was a member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1966.

Pillow died in Nashville, Tennessee on March 26, 2023, at the age of 85.

Thursday 3/16/23 3pm ET: Feature LP: Notorious Cherry Bombs (2004)

The Notorious Cherry Bombs is the only studio album by the American country music group The Notorious Cherry Bombs, a band that formerly served as country singer Rodney Crowell’s backing band in the 1980s. This is the band’s only studio album, with Crowell and Vince Gill alternating as lead vocalists. Released July 27, 2004 on Universal South Records, the album produced one chart single in “It’s Hard to Kiss the Lips at Night That Chew Your Ass Out All Day Long”. “Making Memories of Us” was previously recorded by Tracy Byrd on his 2003 album The Truth About Men, and later in 2004 by Keith Urban on his album Be Here; Urban’s rendition was released as a single, reaching Number One on the country charts in 2005.

“Let It Roll, Let It Ride” 3:53
“If I Ever Break Your Heart” 3:25
“Wait a Minute” 2:49
“Making Memories of Us” 4:05
“Oklahoma Dust” 2:35
“Dangerous Curves” 4:21
“Forever Someday” 3:32
“On the Road to Ruin” 3:27
“Heart of a Jealous Man” 4:02
“It’s Hard to Kiss the Lips at Night That Chew Your Ass Out All Day Long” 4:24
“Sweet Little Lisa” 2:44
“Let It Roll, Let It Ride” (reprise) 7:09
Track 12 includes an alternate version of “It’s Hard to Kiss the Lips at Night That Chew Your Ass Out All Day Long”

Eddie Bayers – drums, percussion, background vocals
Richard Bennett – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bouzouki, cavaquinho, six-string bass guitar
Tony Brown – piano, keyboards, “preaching”
Rodney Crowell – acoustic guitar, “faux steel guitar”, lead vocals, background vocals
Hank DeVito – acoustic guitar, steel guitar, Dobro, background vocals
Vince Gill – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, mandolin, banjo, Dobro, lead vocals, background vocals
John Hobbs – piano, keyboards, organ, background vocals
Michael Rhodes – bass guitar, background vocals
Jenny Gill – background vocals on “Dangerous Curves”
Steve Herman – trumpet
Jim Horn – tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone
Larrie Londin – drums on “Let It Roll, Let It Ride (Reprise)”
Mike Porter – tambourine on “Let It Roll, Let It Ride (Reprise)”

Wednesday 3/15/23 2pm ET: True Confessions Day

True Confessions Day takes place annually on March 15. We all have secrets, whether something big or small. Sometimes the secrets can make you feel stressed and guilty. If a secret is compromising your inner peace and causing distress in your relationships, then you should go ahead and confess it. Confessions are the simplest way to alleviate guilty. Since honesty is the best policy, use True Confessions Day to confess and be honest. Being able to confess is not just a matter of honesty but also courage. So, suspend all judgment and guilt and spill your deepest secrets on True Confessions Day.

HISTORY OF TRUE CONFESSIONS DAY
The act of confession is ancient and might have originated about 3,000 years ago. Confessing one’s secrets can be traced to the “Vedas,” the oldest Hindu scriptures. It’s a common aspect in most world religions and their sacred texts, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. However, confession is perhaps most commonly associated with Catholicism, where believers can admit their sins to the priest and seek absolution.

In addition to religion, confession is also associated with law and criminal prosecution. In fact, the Catholic Church’s Inquisition suggested confession as part of the legal process in Europe in the Middle Ages. Suspected heretics were investigated by inquisitors, sometimes using torture to elicit confessions. Confession can still be important during an investigation or prosecution, but courts are less likely to rely on confessions today as they tend to be far less reliable. While the origins of confession belong to the realms of religion or law, it also refers to the general confession of secrets and personal guilt.

Thomas and Ruth Roy from Wellcat Holidays created the first True Confessions Day in 2016. True Confessions Day is a way of encouraging us who are keeping secrets to confess them. The idea is that a designated day of confession will help us relax and alleviate any feelings of guilt. We can relieve ourselves of these negative emotions rather than hold onto feelings of shame, anxiety, and fear. True Confessions Day aims to honor confession as a healthy practice to allow growth and communication.

Monday 3/13/23 8pm ET: Feature LP: Lionel Richie (1982)

Lionel Richie is the debut solo studio album by American singer Lionel Richie, released on October 6, 1982, on Motown Records. Originally intended as a side project at the suggestion of Motown, it was recorded and released while Richie was still a member of the Commodores; he left the group shortly after the album’s release. The first single from the album, “Truly”, topped the Billboard Hot 100. Follow-up single “You Are” reached number four, and “My Love” reached number five. The album reached number one on the Cashbox albums chart on December 11, 1982.

In 2003, Lionel Richie was re-released as part of a remaster series that saw two additional tracks added: a solo version of “Endless Love” and an instrumental version of “You Are”. Eagles member Joe Walsh provided the guitar solo for the song “Wandering Stranger”.

  1. “Serves You Right” 5:14
  2. “Wandering Stranger” 5:38
  3. “Tell Me” 5:32
  4. “My Love” 4:08
  5. “Round and Round” 4:57
  6. “Truly” 3:26
  7. “You Are” 5:05
  8. “You Mean More to Me” 3:08
  9. “Just Put Some Love in Your Heart” 1:27

Lionel Richie – lead vocals, vocal arrangements, backing vocals (1, 2, 3, 5-8), acoustic piano (4, 6, 8), Fender Rhodes (7), rhythm arrangements (7)
Greg Phillinganes – Fender Rhodes (1), Roland Jupiter 8 (1), Minimoog (1), arrangements (1)
Clarence McDonald – Fender Rhodes (2)
Michael Lang – acoustic piano (2, 9), Fender Rhodes (9)
David Cochrane – Prophet-5 (3), electric guitar (3, 7), synthesizer bass (3, 7), backing vocals (3, 7), arrangements (3, 5), acoustic piano (5), bass guitar (5), saxophone solo (5)
Michael Boddicker – synthesizers (3, 5, 7), vocoder (3, 5, 7)
Bill Payne – Fender Rhodes (6)
Thomas Dolby [uncredited] – synthesizer programming (7), backing vocals (7)
Paul Jackson Jr. – electric guitar (1, 2, 6)
Fred Tackett – acoustic guitar (2)
Joe Walsh – guitar solo (2)
Richie Zito – guitar solo (3)
Darrell Jones – electric guitar (4, 5, 7), acoustic guitar (8)
Tim May – acoustic guitar (6)
Nathan Watts – bass guitar (1)
Joe Chemay – bass guitar (2, 6, 8)
Nathan East – bass guitar (4)
John Robinson – drums (1, 5, 7)
Leon “Ndugu” Chancler – drums (2, 4)
Paul Leim – drums (3, 6, 8)
Lenny Castro – percussion (1)
Paulinho da Costa – percussion (2, 5, 7)
Rick Shlosser – percussion (5)
Gene Page – arrangements (2, 6, 9)
Harry Bluestone – concertmaster (2-9)
James Anthony Carmichael – arrangements (3, 4, 5, 8), string arrangements (3, 7), horn arrangements (7), rhythm arrangements (7), celeste (8)
Howard Kenney – backing vocals (1, 5, 7)
Richard Marx – backing vocals (1, 2, 7, 8)
Deborah Thomas – backing vocals (2, 3, 5, 7)
Jimmy Connors – backing vocals (3)
Kenny Rogers – backing vocals (4), BGV arrangement (4)
Kin Vassy – backing vocals (4)
Terry Williams – backing vocals (4)
Louise Di Tullo – flute (3, 6, 9)
Art Maebe – French horn (3, 4, 6, 8, 9)
Richard Perissi – French horn (3, 6, 9)
Henry Sigismonti – French horn (3, 6, 9)
Jim Atkinson – French horn (4, 8)
David Duke – French horn (4, 8)
Brian O’Connor – French horn (4, 8)
William Green – saxophone (5, 7)
Ernie Watts – saxophone (5, 7)
Lew McCreary – trombone (4, 5, 7, 8)
Bill Reichenbach, Jr. – trombone (4, 5, 7, 8)
Gary Grant – trumpet (4, 5, 7, 8)
Jerry Hey – trumpet (4, 5, 7, 8)
Walter Johnson – trumpet (4, 5, 7, 8)
Warren Luening – trumpet (4, 5, 7, 8)
Bob Findley – trumpet (5, 7)
Don Ashworth – woodwinds (4, 8)
Gene Cipriano – woodwinds (4, 8)
Gary Herbig – woodwinds (4, 8), saxophone (5, 7)
Larry Williams – woodwinds (4, 8)
Jesse Ehrlich – cello (2, 3, 6, 9)
Armand Kaproff – cello (2, 3, 6, 9)
Paula Hochhalter – cello (2, 6, 9)
Dennis Karmazyn – cello (2, 6, 9)
Arni Egilsson – double bass (2, 6, 9)
Buell Neidlinger – double bass (2, 6, 9)
Ray Brown – double bass (4, 5, 7, 8)
Morty Corb – double bass (4, 5, 7, 8)
Gayle Levant – harp (2, 4-9)
Alan DeVeritch – viola (2, 3, 6, 9)
Allan Harshman – viola (2, 3, 6, 9)
Virginia Majewski – viola (2, 3, 6, 9)
Gareth Nuttycombe – viola (2, 3, 6, 9)
Bonnie Douglas – violin (2, 3, 6, 9)
Assa Drori – violin (2, 3, 6, 9)
Endre Granat – violin (2, 3, 6, 9)
Joy Lyle – violin (2, 3, 6, 9)
Donald Palmer – violin (2, 3, 6, 9)
Henry Roth – violin (2, 3, 6, 9)
Sheldon Sanov – violin (2, 3, 6, 9)
Jack Shulman – violin (2, 3, 6, 9)
Paul Shure – violin (2, 3, 6, 9)
Mari Tsumura-Botnick – violin (2, 3, 6, 9), strings (4, 5, 7, 8)
Charles Veal, Jr. – violin (2, 3, 6, 9)
Rollice Dale – strings (4, 5, 7, 8)
Henry Ferber – strings (4, 5, 7, 8)
Ronald Folsom – strings (4, 5, 7, 8)
William Henderson – strings (4, 5, 7, 8)
William Kurasch – strings (4, 5, 7, 8)
Erno Neufeld – strings (4, 5, 7, 8)
Nathan Ross – strings (4, 5, 7, 8)
Myron Sandler – strings (4, 5, 7, 8)
David Schwartz – strings (4, 5, 7, 8)
Fred Seykora – strings (4, 5, 7, 8)
David Speltz – strings (4, 5, 7, 8)
Tibor Zelig – strings (4, 5, 7, 8)

Friday 3/10/23 9pm ET: Feature LP: Morgan Wallen – One Thing At A Time (2023)

One Thing at a Time is the third studio album by American country music singer Morgan Wallen, released on March 3, 2023, through Big Loud Records. It features 36 tracks, including the singles “You Proof”, “Thought You Should Know”, Last Night, the title track and the promotional single “Don’t Think Jesus”, as well as collaborations with Eric Church, Hardy and Ernest. A sampler containing three tracks from the album—”One Thing At A Time”, “Days That End in Why” and “Tennessee Fan”—preceded the album in December 2022. The announcement of the album came alongside the release of three more tracks—”Last Night”, “Everything I Love” and “I Wrote the Book”.

Wallen will embark on the One Night at a Time Tour in support of the album from April 2023.

  1. “Born with a Beer in My Hand” 3:07
  2. “Last Night” 2:43
  3. “Everything I Love” 3:05
  4. “Man Made a Bar” (featuring Eric Church) 3:09
  5. “Devil Don’t Know” 3:24
  6. “One Thing at a Time” 3:26
  7. “’98 Braves” 2:58
  8. “Ain’t That Some” 2:37
  9. “I Wrote the Book” 3:00
  10. “Tennessee Numbers” 3:45
  11. “Hope That’s True” 3:05
  12. “Whiskey Friends” 3:24
  13. “Sunrise” 3:01
  14. “Keith Whitley” 3:07
  15. “In the Bible” (featuring Hardy) 3:14
  16. “You Proof” 2:36
  17. “Thought You Should Know” 3:34
  18. “F150-50” 3:10
  19. “Neon Star (Country Boy Lullaby)” 2:51
  20. “I Deserve a Drink” 3:24
  21. “Wine into Water” 3:43
  22. “Me + All Your Reasons” 2:53
  23. “Tennessee Fan” 3:18
  24. “Money on Me” 2:55
  25. “Thinkin’ Bout Me” 2:56
  26. “Single Than She Was” 2:40
  27. “Days That End in Why” 2:41
  28. “Last Drive Down Main” 3:13
  29. “Me to Me” 2:18
  30. “Don’t Think Jesus” 3:44
  31. “180 (Lifestyle)” 3:07
  32. “Had It” 3:18
  33. “Cowgirls” (featuring Ernest) 3:01
  34. “Good Girl Gone Missin'” 2:54
  35. “Outlook” 3:13
  36. “Dying Man” 3:02

Morgan Wallen – vocals
Bryan Sutton – acoustic guitar (tracks 1–15, 17–29, 31–34, 36), ukulele (2), mandolin (4, 7, 8, 14, 15, 20, 23, 28–30, 33, 36), banjo (8), Dobro (11), bouzouki (36)
Jimmie Lee Sloas – bass guitar (1, 3–5, 7–15, 17–24, 26–33, 35, 36)
Jerry Roe – drums (1, 3–8, 10–12, 14–24, 26–32, 34–36), percussion (1–7, 9, 11, 15, 17–19, 23–25, 27, 28, 30, 32, 34–36)
Tom Bukovac – electric guitar
Derek Wells – electric guitar (1, 3, 11)
Dave Cohen – keyboards (all tracks), Hammond B3 organ (17, 30, 35)
Zach Abend – programming (1)
Charlie Handsome – programming (2, 16, 25, 31, 34), electric guitar (3, 25)
Wes Hightower – background vocals (3, 14, 15, 28, 33)
Dan Dugmore – steel guitar (4, 10, 14, 20, 36)
Eric Church – vocals (4)
Todd Lombardo – acoustic guitar (5, 16, 27, 30, 35), mandolin (17, 30)
Paul Franklin – steel guitar (5, 7, 17, 30, 32)
Mark Hill – bass guitar (6)
Jacob Durrett – programming (8, 9, 13, 19, 31, 33)
Cameron Montgomery – programming (9)
Hardy – vocals (15)
Ben Stennis – programming (18)
Dominic Frost – electric guitar (23, 29)
Ernest – vocals (33)
James Maddocks – programming (34)
Ashlyne Wallen – background vocals (35)

Friday 3/3/23 8pm ET: Feature LP: Willie Nelson – I Don’t Know A Thing About Love: The Songs of Harlan Howard (2023)

I Don’t Know A Thing About Love: The Songs of Harlan Howard is the 73rd solo studio album by Willie Nelson, released on March 3, 2023. Produced by Buddy Cannon, the album is a tribute to the songwriter Harlan Howard.

  1. “Tiger By the Tail” 2:24
  2. “The Chokin’ Kind” 3:17
  3. “Excuse Me (I Think I’ve Got a Heartache)” 2:34
  4. “Life Turned Her That Way” 2:53
  5. “I Don’t Know a Thing About Love” 2:58
  6. “Streets of Baltimore” 3:01
  7. “Busted” 3:28
  8. “She Called Me Baby” 3:32
  9. “Too Many Rivers” 3:55
  10. “Beautiful Annabel Lee” 4:09

Wyatt Beard – background vocals
Melonie Cannon – background vocals
Jim “Moose” Brown – piano, synthesizer, B-3 organ, Wurlitzer
Mike Johnson – steel guitar
James Mitchell – electric guitar
Willie Nelson – lead vocals, Trigger
Larry Paxton – bass, tic tac bass
Mickey Raphael – harmonica
Bobby Terry – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Lonnie Wilson – drums, percussion

Tuesday 2/28/23 10am ET: Feature Artist – Jason Aldean

Jason Aldine Williams (born February 28, 1977) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Since 2005, Aldean has been signed to Broken Bow Records, a record label for which he has released nine albums and 24 singles. His 2010 album, My Kinda Party, is certified quadruple-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His 2012 album Night Train is certified double-platinum, while his 2005 self-titled debut, 2007 album Relentless, 2009 album Wide Open, 2014 album Old Boots, New Dirt are all certified platinum.

Aldean married Jessica Ann Ussery on August 4, 2001. Together, the couple have two daughters: Keeley born February 2003, and Kendyl born August 2007. On September 30, 2012, Aldean admitted to having “acted inappropriately at a bar” with former American Idol contestant, Brittany Kerr, responding to reports linking her and Aldean. In a statement, Kerr said she had suffered “a lapse in judgment” and “would like to sincerely apologize to everyone that has been affected by this.” Aldean filed for divorce on April 26, 2013, citing irreconcilable differences and listing the filing date as the formal separation date.

Aldean and Kerr began dating and made their first public appearance as a couple at the 2014 CMT Awards. On September 24, 2014, Aldean and Kerr announced their engagement. The couple were married on March 21, 2015. On May 8, 2017, Aldean and Kerr announced that they were expecting a baby. Their son Memphis Aldean was born in December 2017. On July 10, 2018, Aldean and Kerr announced that they were expecting their second child together. Their daughter Navy Rome was born February 4, 2019.

Saturday 2/25/23 6:20PM ET: Feature Country LP: Keith Urban – Golden Road (2002)

Rolling Stone Magazine Top 100 Country Albums of All Time

98

Golden Road is the third studio album by Australian country music singer Keith Urban. It was released on October 8, 2002 via Capitol Records Nashville. The album includes the singles “Somebody Like You”, “Raining on Sunday”, “Who Wouldn’t Wanna Be Me”, and “You’ll Think of Me”. This was Urban’s first album to be produced by Dann Huff, who has produced all of his albums since.

  1. “Somebody Like You” 5:23
  2. “Who Wouldn’t Wanna Be Me” 4:15
  3. “Whenever I Run” 3:39
  4. “What About Me” 3:52
  5. “You’ll Think of Me” 4:53
  6. “Jeans On” 3:33
  7. “You Look Good in My Shirt” 3:47
  8. “You’re Not Alone Tonight” 3:31
  9. “You Won” 5:21
  10. “Song for Dad” 3:56
  11. “Raining on Sunday” 4:45
  12. “You’re Not My God” 4:14

Keith Urban – lead vocals, lead guitar, acoustic guitar, EBow, ganjo, piano, cardboard box
Tim Akers – keyboards, Hammond B-3 organ
Tom Bukovac – rhythm guitar
Matt Chamberlain – drums, drum loops
Eric Darken – percussion
Dan Dugmore – rhythm guitar
Jerry Flowers – background vocals
Aubrey Haynie – fiddle
John Hobbs – piano, keyboards
Dann Huff – rhythm guitar
Scotty Huff – background vocals
Chris McHugh – drums, percussion
Jason Mowery – mandolin, Dobro
Steve Nathan – keyboards
Monty Powell – background vocals
Jimmie Lee Sloas – bass guitar
Russell Terrell – background vocals
Glenn Worf – bass guitar

Saturday 2/25/23 5:45pm ET: Feature Country LP: Kitty Wells – Country Hit Parade (1956)

Rolling Stone Magazine Top 100 Country Albums of All Time

99

Kitty Wells’ Country Hit Parade is an album by Kitty Wells that was released in 1956 on the Decca label (DL 8293). Joe Viglione of Allmusic.com gave it four stars and called it “groundbreaking”, “a classic of the genre”, and “entertaining beyond its historical importance.”

“Makin’ Believe” 2:51
“Release Me” 2:47
“Cheatin’s a Sin” 2:47
“There’s Poison In Your Heart 2:34
“I’ve Kissed You My Last Time” 2:25
“Whose Shoulder Will You Cry On” 2:13
“It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” 2:29
“The Things I Might Have Been” 2:21
“Paying for That Back Street Affair” 2:36
“I Don’t Claim to Be an Angel” 2:55
“I’m Too Lonely to Smile” 2:21
“Searching For a Soldier’s Grave” 3:12

Saturday 2/25/23 5pm ET: Feature LP: Kenny Chesney – No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems (2002)

Rolling Stone Magazine Top 100 Country Albums of All Time

100

No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems is the sixth studio album by American country music singer Kenny Chesney. It was released April 23, 2002 via BNA Records. It became Chesney’s first album to reach number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 and produced five singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart between 2001 and 2003 with “Young” (number 2), “The Good Stuff” (number one), “A Lot of Things Different” (number 6), “Big Star” (number 2), and the title track (number 2). A live performance music video was made for “Live Those Songs”, which charted at number 60 without being released as a single; the song also became a concert tour opener for Chesney for several years. “On the Coast of Somewhere Beautiful” was also made into a music video, without being released as a single. “The Good Stuff” was the biggest hit of Chesney’s career at the time, not only spending seven weeks at the top of the country charts, but also becoming Billboard’s Number One country single of 2002 according to Billboard Year-End. In 2004, the album was certified quadruple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales of over four million copies in the United States.

  1. “Young” :56
  2. “I Remember” 4:52
  3. “A Lot of Things Different” 4:43
  4. “The Good Stuff” 3:20
  5. “Big Star” 3:59
  6. “On the Coast of Somewhere Beautiful” 3:34
  7. “Never Gonna Feel Like That Again” 3:53
  8. “Dreams” 4:11
  9. “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems” 3:31
  10. “Live Those Songs” 3:50
  11. “One Step Up” 5:53
  12. “I Can’t Go There” 3:45

Wyatt Beard – piano, background vocals (all tracks except 10 and 12)
David Briggs – synthesizer
Pat Buchanan – electric guitar
Larry Byrom – acoustic guitar
Melonie Cannon – vocals
Mark Casstevens – electric guitar, ukulele
Kenny Chesney – lead vocals
Dan Dugmore – steel guitar
Glen Duncan – fiddle
Sonny Garrish – steel guitar
Larry Franklin – fiddle
Rob Hajacos – fiddle
Tim Hensley – acoustic guitar, banjo, background vocals (tracks 1,4,5,6,7,11)
Wes Hightower – background vocals (tracks 8,10)
John Hobbs – piano, Hammond B-3 organ, synthesizer
Nicholas Hoffman – fiddle
John Jorgenson – electric guitar
Paul Leim – drums, percussion, tambourine
B. James Lowry – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, gut string guitar
Randy McCormick – piano, Hammond B-3 organ, synthesizer
Tim McGraw – vocals on track 12 (uncredited)
Liana Manis – background vocals (tracks 2,7,8)
Steve Marshall – bass guitar
Brent Mason – acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Clayton Mitchell – electric guitar
Steve Nathan – piano, Hammond B-3 organ, synthesizer
Dale Oliver – electric guitar
Sean Paddock – drums
Larry Paxton – bass guitar
Gary Prim – piano, synthesizer
Michael Rhodes – bass guitar
Sunny Russ – background vocals (track 11)
John Willis – electric guitar