Arts Aug 26 Martina McBride shares her favorite Dolly Parton memories By Amna Nawaz, Anne Azzi Davenport, Courtney Norris
Arts Aug 25 Dolly Parton's greatest songs, and the stories behind them Dolly Parton was more than a musician, actor, author, philanthropist, or theme-park entrepreneur. Parton, who died Tuesday at age 80, occupied a space in our global cultural imagination — a figure of American mythology, someone best described as larger-than-life and… By Maria Sherman, Associated Press
Arts Aug 25 Dolly Parton, beloved music star, actor and philanthropist, dies at 80 Dolly Parton, the country music icon whose soaring vibrato vocals, poignant songwriting and sparkling costumes defined her rise from a log cabin in the Tennessee mountains to the height of stardom and acclaim, has died. By Kristin M. Hall, Associated Press
Arts Sep 30 Kris Kristofferson, prolific songwriter and superstar actor, dies at 88 With his long hair and bell-bottomed slacks, he represented a new breed of country songwriters with his peers like Willie Nelson, John Prine and Tom T. Hall. By Andrew Dalton, Kristin M. Hall, Associated Press
Politics May 23 What to expect from Biden's state dinner honoring Kenya The White House is throwing one of its biggest-ever state dinners for Kenyan President William Ruto and leaning in to the African leader's tastes by showcasing two uniquely American types of music: gospel and country. By Will Weissert, Associated Press
Apr 09 Beyoncé becomes first Black woman to hit No. 1 on Billboard country albums chart By Maria Sherman, Associated Press Her latest album, the epic "Act ll: Cowboy Carter," hit No. 1 on the Billboard country albums chart, making her the first Black woman to top the chart since its 1964 inception. The album also topped the all-genres Billboard 200,… Continue reading
Mar 29 Watch 4:38 The inspirations behind Beyoncé's genre-defying album 'Cowboy Carter' By Jeffrey Brown, Courtney Norris, Ryan Connelly Holmes, Eliot Barnhart Beyoncé’s highly-anticipated album that’s deeply rooted in country music, “Cowboy Carter," just dropped. It’s Beyoncé, it’s big and it’s venturing into an unexpected arena of music. "Cowboy Carter" also features some of country music’s biggest stars. Jeffrey Brown discussed the… Continue watching
Mar 01 Watch 6:00 Beyoncé brings new audience to country music and highlights the genre's Black roots By Amna Nawaz, Mary Fecteau, Layla Quran This week, Beyoncé continued her reign at the top of the country charts. Last week she became the first Black woman to hit number one with her banjo-infused bop “Texas Hold ’Em.” The song has brought a new audience to… Continue watching
Feb 06 Toby Keith, country music icon, dies at 62 after stomach cancer diagnosis By Kristin M. Hall, Associated Press Keith worked as a roughneck in the oil fields of Oklahoma as a young man, then played semi-pro football before launching his career as a singer. Keith learned good lessons in the booming oil fields, which toughened him up, but… Continue reading
Jul 31 Watch 6:59 How Jason Aldean's controversial hit song became a cultural flashpoint By Jeffrey Brown, Courtney Norris, Karina Cuevas One of the most popular country music hits of the summer is Jason Aldean's "Try That In A Small Town." But the song has ignited controversy and faced backlash from fans who say the lyrics encourage racism and violence. The… Continue watching