Tag Archives: Country Music

Mindy McCready Dead at 37

Sometimes, you see tragedy coming for celebrities and you just know there is not much anyone can do to stop it.  How many people were surprised when Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston died, even though it seemed to be coming for years. The same may be said for country singer Mindy McCready.  The singer’s brother announced that she committed suicide today in Heber Springs, Arkansas.  She was 37. McCready rose to fame at the young age of 21 when her debut album, Ten Thousand Angels, sold two million copies and produced four charts singles.  She became briefly engaged to actor … Continue reading →

Pop Culture Round Up: It’s Not What You Think

It’s not what you think, or so claims Mary-Kate Olsen. The normally rail-thin actress says her baggy outfits are not signs that she is pregnant. Tabloids have been reporting that the former “Full House” star is expecting a child, but Olsen’s rep recently issued a statement saying: “Mary-Kate is absolutely not pregnant.” Olsen’s fans criticized the publications for putting Mary-Kate on their covers and jumping to the conclusion that she was having a baby. The actress’ rep declined to comment on her client’s weight gain. However, if there was any doubt that Mary-Kate was not pregnant one would only have … Continue reading →

Scary Places: Bobby Mackey’s Music World

I know what you are thinking – “What in the world?” How can a place called Bobby Mackey’s Music World be haunted? Well, I was thinking the same thing, but then the name kept appearing in research. The other night, I was scanning the channels and ran across a listing for it on one of the many ghost series that are being shown on television this week. Well, that was enough to convince me to further investigate this nightclub that is known as “Hell’s Gate.” The nightclub, which is located in Wilder, Kentucky, reportedly stands on land that used to … Continue reading →

Jerry Reed Dead at 71

This just confirms that I am actually older than I feel. I remember going to the theater with my parents in the ‘70s to see Jerry Reed star alongside Burt Reynolds and Sally Field in Smokey and the Bandit. I read that Jerry died last Monday due to complications from emphysema. Jerry was somewhat of a good ole boy Renaissance man in the ‘70s. He was a singer, guitarist, songwriter, and actor, but he did it the hard way. He dropped out of high school to tour with Ernest Tubb and Faron Young then signed his first recording contract at … Continue reading →

Glen Campbell Sings Green Day

That’s right, you read the blog titled correctly, country superstar Glen Campbell is taking on contemporary music and that includes Green Day. It’s not that he is the first country star to try this. Willie Nelson has recorded Fleetwood Mac and Grateful Dead songs in the past. Even legend Johnny Cash began dabbling in different genres of music before his death when he recorded the Nine Inch Nails’ song “Hurt.” And, although not country, who can forget Pat Boone’s cover of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman,” Tom Jones doing Prince’s “Kiss,” or Paul Anka singing Billy Idol’s “Eyes Without a Face.” In … Continue reading →

New Release from Lee Ann Womack

With an interesting last name like “Womack,” a person might be tempted to go in for something a little more traditional. Either that, or be tempted to become one of a kind. That’s what country singer Lee Ann Womack has done. Although her sound is somewhat similar to other lady country singers of this era, her persona is all her own. I remember seeing her for the first time on a celebrity version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.” She wasn’t the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree, but neither did she posture or try to make herself look … Continue reading →

Media Week in Review – May 19th – 24th

Life just never slows down, does it? If you had a crazy week and missed some of our blogs here in Media Reviews, here’s your chance to get caught up. We started off the week with a closer look at virtual book tours with a chat with Jean Hackensmith, an author who has done quite a bit of virtual touring and found success in this new way to market. We then took at look at popular author Jan Brett’s website, which has over four thousand activities, including drawing lessons, coloring pages, and a concentration game. Does one of your children … Continue reading →

Julianne Hough’s New Album Released Today

We know her best as the spunky blonde professional dancer from “Dancing with the Stars.” She’s taken home the title of “champion” twice, first with Olympic champion Apolo Anton Ono and then with Helio Castroneves, fully deserving this honor for her amazing choreography and gutsy moves. However, Julianne Hough’s first love isn’t dancing, it’s singing. She and her family formed a family band when she was just a child—yes, Derek too. Dancing was just a sideline for her while she studied singing, but when the offer to do “Dancing with the Stars” came along, it was too good to pass … Continue reading →

Hee Haw Tragedy: Stringbean

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The other day, I blogged about the death of “Hee Haw” regular Jim Hager. Despite the wholesomeness of the show, here have been some tragedies on “Hee Haw” – LuLu Roman was suspended from the show for one year because of drug abuse, “Hee Haw” honey Marianne Gordon suffered a nasty divorce from singer Kenny Rogers, and Junior Samples died of a heart attack in 1983 while still a regular on the show. However, there was actually a “Hee Haw” murder that some people don’t know about. David “Stringbean” Akeman came from a musical family. During a performance with Asa … Continue reading →

Hee Haw Loses a Twin

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When I was growing up, there were only four channels and that included PBS, which when I was a child had THE most boring programming, even for kids. So, when Saturday afternoon rolled around, there was only one show to watch – “Hee Haw.” Yes, it was cornier than the cornfields that they told their jokes in, but the competition was – well, there really wasn’t any. The show, which started in 1969, was so wholesome that it made “Little House on the Prairie” look risqué. Even though it was cornball comedy at its best, there are some skits that … Continue reading →