Giving ‘ol Willie a run for his money. Back in April of 2023 during Willie Nelson’s 90th birthday celebration, the stars were out in full force to celebrate the living legend. With the likes of George Strait, Tyler Childers, Dwight Yoakam, Kris Kristofferson, Emmylou Harris, Billy Strings, Miranda Lambert and even Dave Matthews (just to name a few), there were plenty of memorable performances over the course of the two-night celebration. However, there was one performance that truly stood out, and that performance was none other than reigning ACM Male Vocalist of the Year, Chris Stapleton’s, cover of Willie’s 1982…
Author: Brennen Kelly
Brennen Kelly
Hailing from the Chicagoland area, Brennen graduated from Valparaiso University with a BA in Communication and a minor in Cinema and Media Studies. After covering Arts & Entertainment at his university's newspaper, he began writing for Country Chord in March of 2023. Known for his love of independent country and authentic songwriters, Brennen has a long-history of championing the likes of Zach Bryan, Jason Isbell, Tyler Childers and many others.
Won’t want to miss this one. It’s well known that Luke Combs has been ahead of the curve when it comes to bringing out the best that the independent/alt country scene has to offer. From selecting Zach Bryan to open select shows on his 2022 stadium tour to having the likes of Colby Acuff, 49 Winchester and Charles Wesley Godwin open throughout his current Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old Tour, the “Beer Never Broke My Heart” singer has always selected some of the buzziest indie artists to join him on his massive stadium tours over the past few years. Today,…
Being a Zach Bryan fan before the pandemic, it’s safe to say that I have a long history with the “Heading South” singer. Discovering him in early 2020 just months after his debut album, DeAnn, dropped, I’ve had the opportunity to watch his meteoric rise to fame. From the early days of DeAnn and Elisabeth to the triumphant release of the mammoth American Heartbreak, I’ve enjoyed nearly everything Bryan has released over the course of the last five years. The question that remains is, “Does The Great American Bar Scene live up to the high expectations that Bryan has set for…
Surely this won’t ruffle any feathers. Throughout the year, Kid Rock and Jason Aldean have taken their tour/music festival, Rock the Country, throughout small-town America. Beginning in Gonzales, Lousiana on April 5 and 6, the festival has seen the likes of Miranda Lambert, Hank Williams Jr., Lynyrd Skynyrd, Koe Wetzel, Gavin Adcock and even Nelly join the mix on the lineup. During the sixth weekend of the festival in Poplar Bluff, Missouri on June 29th, Kid Rock turned heads by walking out to a custom video message from none other than former president and current Republican nominee, Donald Trump. In…
“Life is good today.” Before Zac Brown Band were the country superstars they are today, they were promoting their 2008 debut album, The Foundation, with the release of their third single, “Toes,” which has since become one of the more prominent go-to beach songs in country music. The track was written by Brown along with bandmates, Wyatt Durettte, John Driskell Hopkins and Shawn Mullins. Durrette was ultimately the driving force behind the creation of the song, which Brown recounted in an interview with Billboard: “Durette called me about six in the morning on my home phone which either meant that something was wrong or that…
Another day, another record. It seems as if a month cannot go by without Morgan Wallen breaking some sort of record in the country genre, and July is no different. Last night, the “You Proof” singer broke the record for the largest country concert ever held in the U.K. at BST Hyde Park in London, England with over 50,000 in attendance. For those unaware, BST Hyde Park is one of the most popular outdoor music venues in London, hosting everyone from the likes of Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band and Billy Joel to Lana Del Ray and SZA.…