Saving Country Music

Songwriting Legend Todd Snider Has Died - Saving Country Music The world has lost a light, and of the most unique, interesting, compelling, challenging, mercurial, iconoclastic, and influential songwriters to ever ply the craft. Todd Snider wasn't just a singer o...

Songwriting Legend Todd Snider Has Died

A Remembrance:
savingcountrymusic.com/songwriting-...

Album Review – Colter Wall’s “Memories and Empties” - Saving... Colter Wall doesn't just play the music, he champions it. He embraces it. He sells its virtues to the audience. That's what Colter does for traditional country songs on "Memories and Empties."

Album Review – Colter Wall’s “Memories and Empties”
savingcountrymusic.com/album-review...

From Bad to Catastrophic: MULTIPLE AI Artists Now On Country Chart... As predicted, the matter of AI artists infiltrating Billboard's country charts and the music industry in general has gone from bad to absolutely catastrophic in the matter of a singular human-measured...

The matter of AI "country artists" infiltrating Billboard charts has gone from bad to catastrophic, with now multiple artists and songs populating on a country chart.
savingcountrymusic.com/from-bad-to-...

Why The Turnpike Troubadours Were Overlooked for the Grammys -... What is it about the Grammy system that doesn't allow that one consensus album of a given year to rise to the top like it should, like it didn't for the Turnpike Troubadours in 2025?

Why the Turnpike Troubadours and their album "The Price of Admission" were overlooked for the Grammy Awards this year, and the bigger country Grammy problem.
savingcountrymusic.com/why-the-turn...

Cody Johnson, The [Dixie] Chicks, Bruce Robison, and “Travelin’... Life and country music can be funny sometimes, turning what you think about certain things on their head. Tracing the lineage of the country standard "Travelin' Soldier" is a good example.

"Travelin' Soldier" written by Bruce Robison has proven to be a timeless song that can do something that feels impossible these days: cross the political divide.
savingcountrymusic.com/cody-johnson...

AI Song Tops Billboard Chart – Why We Need Transparency NOW -... The curse is cast with AI and recorded music. But how about we make this one, easily implementable concession to the human creators who rely on recorded music to make a sustainable living.

As AI songs start topping charts, its time the music industry demand transparency when it comes to AI-generated music to help protect human creators.
savingcountrymusic.com/ai-song-tops...

Willie Nelson, Son Lukas Compete in Same New Grammy Category -... It might be an awkward Thanksgiving around the Nelson household. Actually, probably not. They seem like the kind of clan that's not especially competitive with each other and is more supportive.

The Grammy Awards go Full Nelson in their nominees for Best Traditional Country Album. Let's take a dive to see if a father & son or other relatives have competed against each other before.
savingcountrymusic.com/willie-nelso...

New Adds to Saving Country Music’s Top 25 Current Playlist (#168)... The gall on these tech pirates trying to pass off AI slop as "country" music. Rest assured you'll only find 100% Certified genuine human emotions straight from the heart on this playlist.

The gall on these tech pirates trying to pass off AI slop as "country" music. Rest assured you'll only find 100% Certified genuine human emotions straight from the heart on this playlist. New songs just added.
savingcountrymusic.com/new-adds-to-...

I'd been reading the upsetting news about one of my favorite songwriters, Todd Snider, but this article gives it more context.

Tyler Childers Leads All Nominees in Country Grammys - Saving... With nominations in all of the categories he was eligible in, Tyler Childers leads all nominees in country music with four. Chris Stapleton and Miranda Lambert tie Childers.

Tyler Childers leads the nominees in country music for the 2026 Grammy Awards.
savingcountrymusic.com/tyler-childe...

New Best Traditional Country Album Grammy Boasts Strong Nominees -... The nominees for the 2026 Grammy Awards were announced on Friday morning (11-7), with extra interest this year in country due to how the Grammys split the Best Country Album category into two categori...

This is the first year for the Grammy's new Best TRADITIONAL Country Album category, and the nominees came out strong (except the Turnpike Troubadours snub).
savingcountrymusic.com/new-best-tra...

Album Review – Luke Bell’s “The King Is Back” - Saving Country Music 'The King Is Back' is not just a dump of tracks. It's a complete work of the Luke Bell legacy that feels vital to the country music catalog, completing the picture of Luke Bell the artist, and hopeful...

"'The King Is Back' is not just a dump of posthumous tracks. It's a complete work of the Luke Bell legacy that feels vital to the country music catalog, completing the picture of Luke Bell the artist."
savingcountrymusic.com/album-review...

The Ballad of Todd Snider - Saving Country Music Singer, songwriter, and storyteller Todd Snider is the great American anti-star. That's how he started his career, that's how he rose to prominence, and that's how he falls from grace.

Who Todd Snider is, how he got here, and how, hopefully, he will overcome this moment to have another great song to sing, and story to tell.
savingcountrymusic.com/the-ballad-o...

Rex “Wrecks” Bell of “Rex’s Blues” and the Old Quarter Has Died -... If Townes Van Zandt wrote a song about you, you've got a pretty big reason to gloat. But that's just one of the bullet points on Wreck's résumé. Rex Bell's story in music really starts with the Old Qu...

Remembering Rex "Wrecks" Bell, who was the subject of Townes Van Zandt's iconic song "Rex's Blues," and the owner of the Old Quarter.
savingcountrymusic.com/rex-wrecks-b...

Joshua Slone, and the Emerging World of Contemporary Folk Pop -... On Tuesday afternoon, October 28th, word proliferated online that Kentucky-based songwriter Joshua Slone's debut album Thinking Too Much would be released at midnight, making for a rare, Wednesday alb...

Joshua Slone is one of the fastest-rising singer/songwriters in music. But is it fair to call his music "country," or is he part of the greatly expanding "folk pop" or "contemporary folk" movement?
savingcountrymusic.com/joshua-slone...

Acclaimed Songwriter Emily Scott Robinson Readies New Album... You're forced to search far and wide, and to fall feeling feeble-minded when trying to find a singer and a songwriter who can equal or even rival the works of Emily Scott Robinson.

Emily Scott Robinson is such a great singer and songwriter. This album comes highly anticipated.
savingcountrymusic.com/acclaimed-so...

Todd Snider Arrested in Salt Lake, Victim of Alleged Assault -... Todd Snider was allegedly the victim of an assault in Salt Lake City Halloween night, Friday, October 31st. Snider was also arrested for suspicion of criminal trespass, threat of violence, and disorde...

Singer/Songwriter Todd Snider was arrested in Salt Lake City after becoming belligerent at a hospital where he was being treated after an alleged assault.

What we know:
savingcountrymusic.com/todd-snider-...

Album Review – Nick Shoulders – “Refugia Blues” - Saving Country Music For those who've been wooed by his musical musings and vocal acrobatics at some point in the past, you need no persuading to the magic this man can make, however curious and offbeat it might come acro...

Nick Shoulders is the singing, yodeling, whistling, mulleted and mustachioed country music weirdo freak of our time.
savingcountrymusic.com/album-review...

Country Legend Don Williams Falls Victim to Fake “AI” Album -... The music is still up on Spotify and YouTube as of this post, though it will likely be taken down soon. But in many respects, the damage is already done. This is just a harbinger of things to come.

This boils the blood. A FAKE, AI-generated album of Don Williams songs has been uploaded to streaming services under his official accounts, and been up for going on two days.

savingcountrymusic.com/country-lege...

60 Years Ago: Kris Kristofferson Gets His Start in Music … As a... Kris Kristofferson had been named a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University. He'd also been an officer in the US Army. But he wanted to be a songwriter, so he had to start somewhere.

Kris Kristofferson was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford and an Army Officer. But to get his start in music, he had to start at the bottom ... the very bottom, 60 years ago today.

The Story:
savingcountrymusic.com/60-years-ago...

Kaitlin Butts Signs to Republic Records, Readies New EP - Saving... It's all happening for Kaitlin Butts, and it couldn't be happening to a more deserving artist. This puts Kaitlin Butts on the same label as Miranda Lambert and Taylor Swift as she readies an new EP.

YES and FINALLY! All the hard work by Kaitlin Butts over the last many years is finally paying off.
savingcountrymusic.com/kaitlin-butt...

Album Review – Blaine Bailey’s “Indian Country” - Saving Country Music On the new album "Indian Country," the music lives up to the name. Country is exactly what you get from Blaine Bailey, and in heavy doses, only the stories are told from the Native American perspectiv...

It's Indian. It's Country. It's Blaine Bailey, who was the first to get booted off that Keith Urban talent show, so you know he's good.
savingcountrymusic.com/album-review...

“The Truth” About Live Nation’s New Nashville Venue - Saving... Few if anyone is pointing out one of the most obvious things about it: This new venue called "The Truth" is Live Nation's rival to the Mother Church of Country Music, The Ryman Auditorium.

Live Nation can't own the Ryman Auditorium---the Mother Church of Country. So they're building their own right down the road.
savingcountrymusic.com/the-truth-ab...

After Tragic Death of Owner, Dosey Doe Fights to Stay Open -... There are few venues as unique as the Dosey Doe in The Woodlands, Texas, north of Houston. There's even fewer in Texas that have played such an important role in fostering the careers of country music...

Constructed from an 1850s barn, Dosey Doe is one of the most beloved and important mid-sized venues in Texas. Now like so many other venues, it's under threat.
savingcountrymusic.com/after-tragic...

Album Review – Jess Jocoy’s “Cul-de-Sac Kid” - Saving Country Music The album explores avenues in your brain uncommonly traversed, unlocks emotions rarely tapped, and confers a level of perspective that is shades more gratifying than just another generic honky tonk so...

"The album explores avenues in your brain uncommonly traversed, unlocks emotions rarely tapped, and confers a perspective that is shades more gratifying than just another generic honky tonk song."
savingcountrymusic.com/album-review...

Kashus Culpepper Announces Debut Album - Saving Country Music We've been wondering for a while now when a proper album from Kashus Culpepper would hit shelves as opposed to just a trickle of singles. That will finally happen on January 23rd, 2026.

Debut album from Kashus Culpepper is on the way.
savingcountrymusic.com/kashus-culpe...

On The Petition for George Strait to Play the Super Bowl - Saving... Country music is constantly slotted as second-class when it comes to the greater American culture, even when it's more popular than ever like it is now, and more popular than any other genre.

For the record, saving country music dot com is against the George Strait petition.
savingcountrymusic.com/on-the-petit...

50 Years Ago: George Jones Records Overlooked Country Classic -... As the eventual title track to George's February 1976 album, "The Battle" came out in the aftermath of George's divorce from Tammy Wynette, and at a time when his career was in a commercial slide.

50 years ago today, George Jones recorded what is arguably the most overlooked masterpiece from his catalog.
savingcountrymusic.com/50-years-ago...

Album Review – Joshua Hedley’s “All Hat” - Saving Country Music Soliciting Western Swing legend Ray Benson of Asleep At The Wheel as producer, Joshua Hedley pens a love letter to Western Swing, and sings its virtues. It might be the 2025 instrumental album to beat...

"Soliciting Western Swing legend Ray Benson of Asleep At The Wheel as producer, Joshua Hedley pens a love letter to Western Swing, and sings its virtues."

savingcountrymusic.com/album-review...

Disgraced Publicist Kirt Webster Behind New “All-Star ’90s... Once again, disgraced country publicist Kirk Webster is using proxies to attempt to promote a big concert. He's been previously accused by over 20 individuals of rape, sexual harassment, and other ser...

Kirt Webster has been accused by over 20 individuals of rape, sexual harassment, and other serious charges, but continues to try and re-emerge in the country industry.
savingcountrymusic.com/disgraced-pu...